This lesson teaches children that God hears our complaints and still provides for us, even when we feel tired and unhappy with what we have. It is designed for children ages 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes to teach.
Big Idea
God hears everything we say, and He takes care of His people even when we complain. We can bring our hard feelings to Him and trust that He will help us.
Memory Verse
Numbers 11:23
The LORD said to Moses, “Has the LORD’s hand grown short? Now you will see whether my word will happen to you or not.”
(WEB)
Have children hold both hands out in front of them, palms up, like they are carrying a plate of food. Then have them lift their hands up toward the ceiling as they say the verse together. This motion reminds them that God’s power reaches higher than any problem.
The Story: Numbers 11 for Kids
The people of Israel had been walking through the wilderness for a long time. They were tired, and they missed the good food they used to eat back in Egypt. They began to complain loudly, and God heard every word. His anger burned against their grumbling, and a fire broke out at the edge of the camp. The people cried out to Moses, and Moses prayed for them, so the fire stopped.
Then the people started crying again. They said, “Who will give us meat to eat?” They remembered the fish, cucumbers, and onions from Egypt and said they had lost their appetite for the manna God gave them every morning. Manna was like small white seeds that fell with the dew. It tasted like fresh oil when people cooked it into cakes.
Moses was upset too. He asked God, “Where could I get meat for all these people? I cannot carry them all by myself.” God told Moses to gather seventy elders at the Tent of Meeting. God would share His Spirit with them, so they could help Moses lead the people.
Moses told the people that God would give them meat. He said they would eat it for a whole month, until they were sick of it. Moses wondered how that could be possible. God answered him, “Has my hand grown short? You will see whether my word happens to you or not.”
That evening, a wind from the LORD blew quail in from the sea, and the birds fell all around the camp. The people gathered them for a whole day and night. But while they were still chewing the meat, God sent a plague that struck many of them, and they were buried in that place.
Read It Together
Numbers 11:1-2
1 The people were complaining in the ears of the LORD. When the LORD heard it, his anger burned; and the LORD’s fire burned among them, and consumed some of the outskirts of the camp. 2 The people cried to Moses; and Moses prayed to the LORD, and the fire abated.
(WEB)
Point out that the people were complaining, and God heard it. Ask children to notice how Moses responded by praying for the people. Explain that prayer is the right answer when we are upset, and that God listens to us.
Numbers 11:16-17
16 The LORD said to Moses, “Gather to me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people, and officers over them; and bring them to the Tent of Meeting, that they may stand there with you. 17 I will come down and talk with you there. I will take of the Spirit which is on you, and will put it on them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, that you don’t bear it yourself alone.
(WEB)
Show children how God chose seventy elders to help Moses carry the load. Point out that no one has to carry hard things all alone. God gives helpers and gives His Spirit to those who serve Him.
Numbers 11:31-32
31 A wind from the LORD went out and brought quails from the sea, and let them fall by the camp, about a day’s journey on this side, and a day’s journey on the other side, around the camp, and about two cubits above the surface of the earth. 32 The people rose up all that day, and all of that night, and all the next day, and gathered the quails. He who gathered least gathered ten homers; and they spread them all out for themselves around the camp.
(WEB)
Explain that God sent the quail exactly as He promised, even though Moses doubted. Let children see that God keeps His word, even when we cannot figure out how He will do it.
Talk About It
- What did the people say they missed about Egypt, and how did that make them feel?
- Why do you think God heard the people complaining, and what does that tell us about Him?
- How did Moses feel when he was tired of leading, and what did he do about it?
- What can we do instead of complaining when we are hungry or unhappy with what we have?
- How did God take care of the people, even though they were grumbling?
Activity Ideas
Quail Drawing Craft
You will need paper, crayons or markers, and scissors. Have each child trace their hand on paper, then cut out the shape and draw a quail on the palm. Ask them to write or draw one thing they want to thank God for. Hang the drawings on the wall as a reminder that God provides.
Pass the Manna Game
You will need a small bowl of cereal pieces or dried beans and a spoon. Have children stand in a circle and pass the bowl, each taking one piece as it moves. When the teacher calls “Stop,” the child holding the bowl says one thing God has given them. This game helps children practice thankfulness together.
Thankful Jar at Home
You will need a clean jar, paper slips, and a pen. Place the jar on the kitchen table and ask each family member to write one thing they are thankful for each day. Read the slips together at dinner once a week. This simple habit helps children remember that God hears and cares for them every day.
Teacher Notes
For adults, this chapter shows that God listens to honest complaints, but He also calls His people to trust Him. Moses’ frustration was real, and God answered him by sharing the load with others. The chapter reminds leaders that they do not have to carry everything alone, and that God gives His Spirit to those who serve.
Be careful not to make the plague or the fire into scary stories for young children. Keep the focus on God’s faithfulness and His care for His people. Avoid suggesting that every complaint will lead to punishment, since the main point is that God hears and provides.
A Prayer to Close
Dear Father, thank You for hearing us when we feel hungry, tired, or unhappy. Help us bring our worries to You instead of complaining. Thank You for giving us what we need each day, just as You cared for Your people long ago. Help us trust You to take care of us. Amen.
