This lesson teaches children that God is with them and can be trusted even when things get confusing or scary. It works well for children ages 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes to teach.
Big Idea
God is with His people, even when life is confusing, and He keeps His promises. Samson was strong because God’s Spirit was helping him, and God’s plans can never be stopped.
Memory Verse
Judges 14:6
The LORD’s Spirit came mightily on him, and he tore him as he would have torn a young goat; and he had nothing in his hand, but he didn’t tell his father or his mother what he had done.
(WEB)
Teach the children to stand tall with their arms raised high, then bring them down slowly with a strong “whoosh” as they say the verse together. Each time they say “the LORD’s Spirit,” have them tap their chest twice to remind them God is close to their heart.
The Story: Judges 14 for Kids
A man named Samson lived in Israel a long time ago. God had chosen Samson to help His people, and God gave him great strength. One day Samson went down to a town called Timnah, and he saw a woman there whom he liked very much. He went home and told his mother and father, “Please get her for me to be my wife.” His parents were surprised, because the woman was from the Philistines, who were not part of God’s people. But God was working even through this, and Samson’s parents did not yet understand why.
On the way to Timnah, a young lion came roaring toward Samson. Samson had no weapon in his hands at all. But God’s Spirit came powerfully on him, and Samson tore the lion apart as easily as you might tear a piece of paper. Samson did not tell his mother and father about it. Later he went back past the place and found bees had made honey inside the body of the lion. He took some honey and ate it, and he shared it with his parents, but he did not tell them where it came from.
Samson held a feast in Timnah, and thirty young men came to celebrate with him. Samson gave them a riddle. He said, “If you can solve my riddle in seven days, I will give you thirty sets of clothes. If you cannot, you will give me thirty sets of clothes.” The men could not solve it. They went to Samson’s wife and said, “Get your husband to tell you the answer, or we will burn your house down!” Samson’s wife cried and pleaded with Samson until he finally told her the answer. She then told the men, and they answered him on the seventh day.
Samson was angry because he knew they had tricked him. He said, “If you had not used my wife to find out the answer, you would never have solved my riddle.” Then the Spirit of the LORD came powerfully on him again. Samson went to a city called Ashkelon, struck down thirty men, and took their clothes to pay his debt. Then he went back to his father’s house in anger. Samson’s wife was given to another man who had been his friend.
Read It Together
Judges 14:1-3
1 Samson went down to Timnah, and saw a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines. 2 He came up, and told his father and his mother, and said, “I have seen a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines. Now therefore get her for me as my wife.” 3 Then his father and his mother said to him, “Isn’t there a woman among your brothers’ daughters, or among all my people, that you go to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines?” Samson said to his father, “Get her for me, for she pleases me well.”
(WEB)
Point out that Samson wanted something his parents did not understand, and they asked him questions about it. Explain that even when grown-ups do not understand what God is doing, He still has a plan. Ask the children to notice that Samson’s parents were worried, but God was working through it all.
Judges 14:8-9
8 After a while he returned to take her; and he went over to see the carcass of the lion; and behold, there was a swarm of bees in the body of the lion, and honey. 9 He took it into his hands, and went on, eating as he went. He came to his father and mother, and gave to them, and they ate, but he didn’t tell them that he had taken the honey out of the lion’s body.
(WEB)
Show the children that Samson found honey in a place no one would expect. Remind them that God can bring good things out of places we would never think to look. Encourage them to notice that Samson kept some things to himself.
Judges 14:19
The LORD’s Spirit came mightily on him, and he went down to Ashkelon, and struck thirty men of them, and took their plunder, then gave the changes of clothing to those who declared the riddle. His anger burned, and he went up to his father’s house.
(WEB)
Point out that God’s Spirit gave Samson strength again. Explain that the Spirit was the source of his power, not Samson himself. Help children see that God gives us what we need when we depend on Him.
Talk About It
- What do you think Samson’s parents felt when he asked them to get him a wife from another people?
- How did God help Samson when the lion came roaring at him?
- Why do you think Samson did not tell his parents about the honey?
- What could the men have done instead of trying to trick Samson?
- When has God helped you in a hard or confusing moment?
Activity Ideas
Lion and Honey Drawing
You will need paper, crayons or markers, and a pencil. Ask each child to draw a lion with a bee hive or honeycomb inside its body or nearby. Let them color their pictures and write or dictate one word about how God is strong. Hang the drawings on the wall as a reminder that God can bring good out of surprising places.
Strong Like Samson Game
You will need a few soft pillows or bean bags and an open space. Have the children take turns walking a short path while holding a bean bag on their head as if it were heavy. As they walk, tell them that God’s Spirit gives strength when we need it. Cheer for each child and let them practice standing tall and strong together.
Take Home: Honey Reminder Card
You will need index cards, crayons, and a small sticker or drawing of a bee. Give each child a card and help them write or draw “God is with me.” Encourage them to take it home and place it somewhere they will see it, such as by their bed or on the fridge. Ask them to share with their family one way God helped them this week.
Teacher Notes
For adults, this chapter shows that God works through imperfect people and surprising situations to accomplish His purposes. Samson made poor decisions and kept secrets, yet God still used his story and strength for His people. The chapter reminds us that God’s plans cannot be stopped, even when human choices are messy.
Avoid suggesting that Samson’s behavior is a good model for children, since he made many choices that the story does not praise. Be careful not to oversimplify the story into a lesson that only good people get rewards. Instead, focus on the truth that God is faithful and present with His people.
A Prayer to Close
Father, thank You that You are always with us, even when things are confusing or hard. Help us trust You when we do not understand what is happening. Give us strength through Your Spirit, just as You helped Samson. Thank You for loving us and working for good in our lives. Amen.
