This lesson teaches children that God keeps His promises even when something looks too big to handle. It is written for children about 5 to 11 years old and takes about 20 to 30 minutes, including a short story, a few Bible verses, and one activity.
Big Idea
God has promised to give His people the land, and we can trust Him even when a task looks scary. When we remember who God is, we can be brave.
Memory Verse
Numbers 13:30
Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, “Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it!”
(WEB)
Have children stand up tall and clap twice on the words “well able.” Then ask them to make a strong muscle with one arm, showing that God makes His people strong. Repeat the verse together while holding the muscle pose.
The Story: Numbers 13 for Kids
God spoke to Moses and told him to send out some men to look at a land called Canaan. God said this was the land He was giving to His people, the children of Israel. Moses picked one leader from each of the twelve tribes, so there were twelve men in all.
Moses chose men like Caleb from the tribe of Judah and Joshua, whose name was Hoshea before Moses changed it. The men walked through the land for forty days. They saw big cities with strong walls and tall people called the children of Anak. They also found a huge cluster of grapes so heavy that two men had to carry it on a pole between them.
When the men came back, they gave their report to Moses and all the people. They said, “The land is wonderful, and it really does have good food. But the people who live there are very strong, and the cities are huge.” Ten of the men were scared and said the people of Canaan were too big for them to beat.
Caleb stood up and said, “Let us go up at once and take the land, for we are well able to do it!” But the other men shouted back that they could not win. The men had forgotten that God was with them.
The people believed the scared men instead of trusting God. They cried and wished they had never left Egypt. God was sad that His people did not believe Him after all He had done for them.
Read It Together
Numbers 13:2
“Send men, that they may spy out the land of Canaan, which I give to the children of Israel. Of every tribe of their fathers, you shall send a man, every one a prince among them.”
(WEB)
Point out that God was the one who chose this land and told Moses what to do. Ask children to say who had the big plan, so they see that God was in charge of the whole story.
Numbers 13:27
They told him, and said, “We came to the land where you sent us. Surely it flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit.
(WEB)
Show children how the men described the land as flowing with milk and honey. Ask them to notice that God had already given good gifts before the people went in.
Numbers 13:32-33
32 They brought up an evil report of the land which they had spied out to the children of Israel, saying, “The land, through which we have gone to spy it out, is a land that eats up its inhabitants; and all the people who we saw in it are men of great stature. 33 There we saw the Nephilim, the sons of Anak, who come from the Nephilim. We were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.”
(WEB)
Explain that the scared men felt like grasshoppers next to the giants. Help children see that they can feel small too, and that is why it matters to remember how big God is.
Talk About It
- What did God tell Moses to do before the men went into the land?
- What was the big cluster of grapes like, and why do you think the men carried it so carefully?
- How did Caleb feel about the land, and how did he show it?
- Why do you think the other men were so scared of the people who lived there?
- When have you felt small like a grasshopper, and what helped you feel brave again?
Activity Ideas
Grape Cluster Craft
You will need construction paper, green and purple crayons or markers, scissors, and glue. Cut out a large leaf shape and let each child draw a bunch of grapes by making overlapping circles. Write “God keeps His promises” along the bottom of the paper. Talk about how the men carried the grapes home as proof that the land was good.
Brave Like Caleb Game
You will need a open space and a few chairs set up like a giant wall. Have children take turns walking up to the chairs and saying “We are well able!” in a strong voice. Give them a cheer each time. Let them see that being brave is more fun when everyone helps each other.
Trust Reminder Card
You will need index cards, markers, and a hole punch with string. Write “God is with me” on one side of each card and draw a small heart or a star on the other. Punch a hole at the top and tie the string so children can hang it on a backpack or bedpost. Encourage them to read it when they feel scared about something new this week.
Teacher Notes
For adults, this passage shows that God’s promises do not depend on how strong or capable His people feel. The ten scouts looked at the size of the problem, while Caleb and Joshua looked at the size of God. Unbelief leads to fear, and fear leads to wandering in the wilderness for many years.
Avoid telling children that God will always make every scary thing disappear or that they will never feel afraid. The story is about trusting God in the middle of fear, not about fear vanishing. Be careful not to make the giants sound like a cartoon, since the text presents the threat as real.
A Prayer to Close
Dear God, thank You for keeping Your promises to us. When things feel too big, help us remember that You are bigger still. Make us brave like Caleb, and help us trust You every day. Amen.
