This lesson teaches children that God gives his people rules to remember so they can live close to him and belong to him. It works well for ages 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes, including the activities.
Big Idea
God gives us reminders so we remember to obey him and love him. Every single person in God’s family matters to him, and his rules are for everyone.
Memory Verse
Numbers 15:40
So that you may remember and do all my commandments, and be holy to your God.
(WEB)
Have children hold up one hand and touch each finger as they say the verse together. Then have them tap their own heart on the word “holy,” reminding them that God wants our whole hearts.
The Story: Numbers 15 for Kids
God spoke to Moses while the people of Israel were still traveling through the wilderness. He told Moses to share some new instructions with them. When they came into the land God was giving them, they would bring gifts and offerings to him. Each gift had its own amount and kind, so the people could honor God in a real and special way.
God also explained what to do when someone made a mistake without meaning to. If the whole community did something wrong by accident, the priest would offer a sacrifice for them, and God would forgive them. God was clear that he cared about every person, both the Israelites and the foreigners who lived among them.
Then a man was caught gathering sticks on the Sabbath day, the day God asked his people to rest. The people brought him to Moses and Aaron because nobody knew what to do yet. Moses asked God, and God told them what would happen. The people obeyed God’s command.
Next, God told Moses to tell the people to make tassels on the corners of their clothes, with a blue cord on each one. God said, “When you look at them, you will remember all my commands.” The tassels were a reminder so they would not wander off following their own hearts and eyes.
God ended by saying, “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.” He reminded the people that he was the one who rescued them and made them his own. That is why they should listen to him.
Read It Together
Numbers 15:17-19
17 The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 18 “Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them, ‘When you come into the land where I bring you, 19 then it shall be that when you eat of the bread of the land, you shall offer up a wave offering to the LORD.
(WEB)
Point out that God gave the people a way to thank him even in ordinary daily life. Ask children what everyday things they could use to show God thanks for his good gifts.
Numbers 15:22-24
22 “‘When you err, and don’t observe all these commandments, which the LORD has spoken to Moses, 23 even all that the LORD has commanded you by Moses, from the day that the LORD gave commandment, and onward throughout your generations; 24 then it shall be, if it was done unwittingly, without the knowledge of the congregation, that all the congregation shall offer one young bull for a burnt offering, for a pleasant aroma to the LORD, with its meal offering, and its drink offering, according to the ordinance, and one male goat for a sin offering.
(WEB)
Show children that God made a way for people to be forgiven when they made mistakes they did not mean to make. Explain that everyone makes mistakes, and God still loves us and gives us a way back.
Numbers 15:37-39
37 The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 38 “Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them that they should make themselves fringes in the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put on the fringe of each border a cord of blue: 39 and it shall be to you for a fringe, that you may look on it, and remember all the LORD’s commandments, and do them; and that you don’ t follow your own heart and your own eyes, after which you use to play the prostitute…
(WEB)
Point out the tassels and the blue cord as a visible reminder God gave the people. Talk about what kinds of reminders help your family remember to do the right thing.
Talk About It
- What is something God asked the people of Israel to remember, and why do you think it was important to him?
- Why do you think God gave the people a special reminder with the blue cords on their clothes?
- How did God show that he cared about the foreigners living among the Israelites?
- What might happen if someone forgets a rule because they only follow what their own eyes and heart want?
- What is one way you can remember to obey God and show him you love him this week?
Activity Ideas
Blue Cord Bracelet Craft
You will need a piece of blue yarn or string, scissors, and tape. Cut a length long enough to tie around a child’s wrist. As you tie it, talk about how the blue cord reminded the Israelites to remember God’s commands. Let children decorate the bracelet with a bead or button if they want, and encourage them to wear it as a reminder to obey God.
Follow the Leader Obedience Game
You will need an open space and no special items. Play a simple version of follow the leader, where you call out instructions like “hop three times” or “touch your nose.” Pause in the middle and say, “God gives us rules to follow, so let’s remember his commands.” Then have children act out one more rule before you start again.
Remember God Card at Home
You will need an index card or a piece of paper, crayons or markers, and tape. Ask children to draw a picture of something that reminds them God is with them. Write the words “I am the LORD your God” on the card together, and tape it somewhere they will see every morning, like the bathroom mirror or the front door.
Teacher Notes
For adults, this chapter shows that God’s law was not a random list of rules but a way to shape a people who belonged to him. The reminders of tassels, offerings, and the Sabbath all pointed back to God’s faithful rescue and his lasting claim on his people. Adults can also see that God made room for mistakes made in ignorance and provided a path to forgiveness.
When teaching children, avoid overstating the tassels as a magic charm that keeps them safe from sin. The tassels were a visible reminder to remember God, and what truly changes hearts is God’s own work in us, not the object itself.
A Prayer to Close
Father, thank you for giving us reminders that help us remember you. Help us to love you with our whole hearts, to obey your ways, and to know that you forgive us when we make mistakes. Thank you that you love every one of us. Amen.
