This lesson teaches children that when we follow our own plans instead of trusting God, we end up in trouble. It is a story about a family that stole idols and a priest because they wanted something they had not been given. Children ages 5 to 11 can finish it in 20 to 30 minutes, including the activity.
Big Idea
God wants us to trust Him and do what is right, not take things that are not ours. When we go our own way without asking God, things can go badly wrong.
Memory Verse
Judges 18:6
The priest said to them, “Go in peace. Your way in which you go is before the LORD.”
(WEB)
Have children stand up and walk in place while they say the verse together, then sit down slowly on the word “peace.” Repeat it three times, getting a little quieter each time, so the words stick. Ask them to show you a “go” motion with one hand and a “peace” motion with both hands folded.
The Story: Judges 18 for Kids
Long ago, the people of Israel did not have a king. Each person often did whatever seemed right to them. The tribe of Dan still did not have land of their own, so they sent five brave men to look around for a good place to live.
The five men came to the house of a man named Micah. Micah had a young Levite as his priest, and the men asked the priest if their trip would be successful. The priest told them, “Go in peace. The LORD is watching over your way.”
The five men went on to a city called Laish. The people there were quiet and felt safe, and they had plenty of good land. The spies came back and told their brothers, “Let us go up and take it! God has given this land to us!” So six hundred armed men set out.
On the way, the men stopped at Micah’s house and took his idols and his priest. Micah ran after them and shouted, “You have taken my gods! What do I have left?” The Danites told him to be quiet, or angry men might hurt him. Micah was too scared to fight, so he went home.
The Danites attacked the peaceful city of Laish and burned it with fire. They rebuilt it, named it Dan, and set up Micah’s stolen idol there. The story shows how much trouble comes when people take what is not theirs and do not ask God first.
Read It Together
Judges 18:1
In those days there was no king in Israel. In those days the tribe of the Danites sought an inheritance to dwell in; for to that day, their inheritance had not fallen to them among the tribes of Israel.
(WEB)
Point out that “in those days there was no king in Israel.” Explain that without a king to lead them, the people made their own choices, and many of those choices were not wise. Ask children what happens when everyone does what they want.
Judges 18:5-6
5 They said to him, “Please ask counsel of God, that we may know whether our way which we go shall be prosperous.” 6 The priest said to them, “Go in peace. Your way in which you go is before the LORD.”
(WEB)
Show how the men asked God for help, and the priest told them God was watching over their way. Ask children to notice that the men wanted to know God’s will before they started out.
Judges 18:27-28
27 They took that which Micah had made, and the priest whom he had, and came to Laish, to a people quiet and unsuspecting, and struck them with the edge of the sword; then they burned the city with fire. 28 There was no deliverer, because it was far from Sidon, and they had no dealings with anyone else; and it was in the valley that lies by Beth Rehob. They built the city, and lived in it.
(WEB)
Point out that the people of Laish were quiet and unsuspecting, and that the Danites hurt them anyway. Explain that God cares about people who are gentle and peaceful, and that taking from others is never right.
Talk About It
- What do you think the men should have done before going to take the new land?
- How do you think Micah felt when his gods and his priest were taken away?
- Why do you think the people of Laish felt safe, and why was that a problem for them?
- When have you wanted something so much that you were tempted not to ask God or your parents first?
- What is one way you can trust God when you are making a choice this week?
Activity Ideas
Draw a Path of Choices
You will need paper, crayons or markers, and tape. Ask each child to draw a winding road from a house to a destination, marking one spot where they can stop and ask God for guidance. Have them draw a small question mark there, then talk about why asking God first keeps us on a good path. Tape the drawings to the wall as a reminder.
Follow the Leader: Stop and Ask
Clear a space in your room or classroom. Choose one child to be the leader who walks around, and the others follow. Every few steps, call out “Stop and ask God!” and everyone freezes for three seconds before moving on. Repeat several times so children learn that pausing to pray is part of following God well.
Take-Home Promise Card
You will need index cards and a pencil. Have each child write or draw one thing they want to ask God about this week, such as a choice at school or a decision at home. Help them put the card in a pocket or on a bedroom mirror. Encourage them to pray about it each day and tell you how God helped them.
Teacher Notes
For adults, this passage shows what happens when a community loses its sense of God’s direction and each person follows their own desires. Judges 18 is a warning against idolatry, greed, and the use of force against the vulnerable, and it reminds us that God’s people are called to seek His guidance rather than do what seems convenient.
With children, avoid suggesting that the story is a simple lesson about punishment for every bad choice, or that God promises success to everyone who prays. Keep the focus on trusting God and doing what is right, and let the story’s sadness speak for itself without turning it into a threat.
A Prayer to Close
Dear God, help us remember to ask You before we make our choices. Help us be kind and fair to others, and never take what is not ours. Show us the good way to go, and give us hearts that trust You. Amen.
