In this lesson, children learn that God set his people apart and asked them to be holy, because he is holy. This lesson suits children ages 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes to teach.
Big Idea
God is holy, so he wants his people to be different and to care about what makes them clean and pure. He chose them to belong to him.
Memory Verse
Leviticus 11:44
For I am the LORD your God. Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be holy; for I am holy. You shall not defile yourselves with any kind of creeping thing that moves on the earth.
(WEB)
Hold both hands up like a little roof over your head, then bring them down slowly to your heart. Say “holy” each time your hands reach your heart, and do it together twice.
The Story: Leviticus 11 for Kids
Long ago, God spoke to Moses and Aaron. He told them to share his rules with the people of Israel. God was going to show them how to live as his special family.
God said some animals were good to eat, and some were not. The animals that chewed their cud and had split hoofs were good to eat, like cows and sheep. Animals like the camel, the pig, and the rabbit were not to be eaten, even though some of them looked like they fit the rules. God wanted his people to pay close attention.
God also told them about fish. Fish with fins and scales were good to eat. Other sea creatures were not. He explained which birds, insects, and small creeping animals were clean and which were not. Some animals were good to eat, and some were not to be touched once they had died.
God said that if people touched something unclean, they had to wash their clothes and wait until evening before going back to their normal life. It was like a reminder to slow down and remember who God is. God wanted his people to think about what they touched and ate.
Then God gave the most important reason for all of it. He said, “I am the LORD your God. Be holy, because I am holy.” He had brought them out of Egypt, and he wanted them to belong to him in a special way.
Read It Together
Leviticus 11:2-3
2 “Speak to the children of Israel, saying, ‘These are the living things which you may eat among all the animals that are on the earth. 3 Whatever parts the hoof, and is cloven-footed, and chews the cud among the animals, that you may eat.
(WEB)
Point out that God told Moses to share the rules with the people, and that he gave them a clear way to know which animals were clean. Show children how God was teaching them to notice what was good and what was not.
Leviticus 11:45
For I am the LORD who brought you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.
(WEB)
Point out that God reminded the people he had rescued them from Egypt. Explain that God’s kindness to them came before any rules, and the rules were a way of saying thank you and staying close to him.
Leviticus 11:47
To make a distinction between the unclean and the clean, and between the living thing that may be eaten and the living thing that may not be eaten.’”
(WEB)
Point out that God wanted his people to tell the difference between clean and unclean. Let children know that God wants us to think carefully about what is good and what pleases him.
Talk About It
- Why do you think God wanted his people to be different from the other nations around them?
- What does it mean to be holy, and how can a child show that God is holy?
- Why did God remind the people that he had brought them out of Egypt?
- What are some ways we can choose what is good and pleasing to God in our everyday lives?
- How does it feel to know that God has chosen you to belong to him?
Activity Ideas
Clean and Unclean Picture Sort
You will need paper, crayons, and old magazines. Draw or cut out pictures of animals and sort them into two piles, one for clean animals and one for unclean. Talk together about how God gave his people a way to tell the difference. Keep the sorting going while you talk about what makes something good or pure.
Holy Hop Game
Clear a space in the room and mark a start line with tape or a piece of string. Call out animal names, and children hop forward if the animal has split hoofs and chews its cud, or stay still if it does not. Use cows, sheep, camels, and pigs. Laugh together and remind everyone that God wants us to notice what is good.
Take-Home Holy Reminder Card
You will need an index card and a marker. Have each child write the word “Holy” on the card and draw a small heart beside it. Encourage them to take the card home and place it on the kitchen table or by their bed. Let them tell someone at home what the word means before they go to sleep.
Teacher Notes
For adults, this chapter shows that God is holy and that he calls his people to reflect his character in every part of life. The food laws marked Israel as a distinct people and pointed to God’s care for them. Christians understand that Jesus fulfilled these laws, but the heart behind them, living close to God and choosing what honors him, still matters today.
With children, avoid overstating the idea that food rules are the main way to please God. Keep the focus on God’s holiness and his love for his people, and be careful not to make children feel guilty about what they eat.
A Prayer to Close
Lord God, you are holy, and you have chosen us to belong to you. Help us to think about what is good and pleasing to you. Remind us that you brought us out of darkness and love us very much. Help us to live as your children every day. Amen.
