Numbers 28 teaches children that God wants us to give Him our best and to keep giving Him our best every day, every week, and every month. This lesson is for children ages 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes to teach.
Big Idea
God wants us to bring Him our very best gifts, and He wants us to remember Him all the time. Our gifts show that we love Him and trust Him to take care of us.
Memory Verse
Numbers 28:2
“Command the children of Israel, and tell them, ‘See that you present my offering, my food for my offerings made by fire, of a pleasant aroma to me, in their due season.’
(WEB)
Have the children stand up tall and hold their hands out in front of them, palms up, like they are carrying a special gift. Then say the verse together while slowly lifting their hands higher each time you say “my offering.” Repeat it three times, getting a little louder each time.
The Story: Numbers 28 for Kids
God spoke to Moses one day while the people of Israel were camped in the wilderness. God said, “Tell the people to bring me their offerings at the right times.” God wanted His people to remember that everything good came from Him. He told them exactly what kind of gifts to bring and when to bring them.
Every morning and every evening, the people were to bring a young male lamb to God as a burnt offering. Each lamb was to be healthy and perfect, with no spots or flaws. They also brought flour mixed with oil and a drink offering. God said, “This is a pleasant aroma to me.” The people were to do this every single day, so God’s people would never forget Him.
God also told them to bring special gifts on the Sabbath day, the day of rest. On the first day of each new month, they were to bring two young bulls, a ram, and seven lambs. Each animal had its own special amount of flour and oil to go with it. God was giving them a way to say thank you for all He had done.
Then God told the people about the special feasts He had planned for them. In the first month came the Passover, a time to remember how God had rescued His people. For seven days after that, they ate bread without yeast and held holy gatherings. They did no regular work on those days because God’s people were meant to rest and worship Him together.
Finally, God gave one more special feast called the Feast of Weeks, when the people brought the first of their harvest to Him. God told them, “Do no regular work that day and bring your very best.” The people were to keep giving God their best gifts, and God would always be pleased with them.
Read It Together
Numbers 28:3
You shall tell them, ‘This is the offering made by fire which you shall offer to the LORD: male lambs a year old without defect, two day by day, for a continual burnt offering.
(WEB)
Point out that God gave specific instructions about the offerings, and that each one was to be without defect. Ask the children what it means to bring something “without defect” and how that might look in their own lives today.
Numbers 28:9-10
9 “‘On the Sabbath day, you shall offer two male lambs a year old without defect, and two tenths of an ephah of fine flour for a meal offering, mixed with oil, and its drink offering: 10 this is the burnt offering of every Sabbath, besides the continual burnt offering, and its drink offering.
(WEB)
Show the children that God wanted His people to remember Him on the Sabbath, a day set apart for rest and worship. Explain that God cares about our rest as much as our work, and that setting aside time for Him is a special gift.
Numbers 28:16-17
16 “‘In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, is the LORD’s Passover. 17 On the fifteenth day of this month shall be a feast. Unleavened bread shall be eaten for seven days.
(WEB)
Point out that God’s people were to celebrate His special feasts so they would remember what He had done for them. Explain that remembering God’s goodness helps us keep our hearts close to Him.
Talk About It
- What is one gift you could bring to God to show Him that you love Him?
- Why do you think God wanted His people to give Him their best animals?
- How did God’s people remember Him every single day?
- What special days do we have now that help us remember God?
- How can you give God your best this week at home or at school?
Activity Ideas
Draw a Gift for God
You will need paper, crayons or markers, and a pencil. Ask each child to draw the best gift they could give to God, such as a drawing, a song, a helpful act, or a kind word. Let them share their picture with the class and explain why they chose it.
Carry the Gift Relay
You will need a small box or bowl, a few soft items like pom-poms or socks, and an open space to run. Have the children take turns carrying the gift carefully from one side of the room to the other without dropping it, just as the people carried their offerings with care. Cheer for each child and remind them that God loves our careful, loving hearts.
Weekly Gift Jar
You will need an empty jar, a marker, and a few small slips of paper. Write “My Best Gift for God” on the jar and invite the children to write one thing they did to honor God each week, then put it inside. Take a few minutes each week to read the notes together and thank God for each one.
Teacher Notes
For adults, this chapter shows how seriously God took worship and how He wanted His people to remember Him in regular, faithful ways every day, week, month, and year. The offerings pointed forward to Jesus, the perfect and unblemished sacrifice who gave Himself for us, and the New Testament connects Christ’s sacrifice to these older practices.
Avoid overstating to children the details of animal sacrifices, since the chapter’s focus is on giving God our best and remembering Him regularly. Keep the emphasis on God’s faithfulness and His love for His people rather than on the specific quantities of flour and oil.
A Prayer to Close
Dear Father, thank You for loving us and for giving us ways to remember You every day. Help us bring You our best gifts, our kind words, and our faithful hearts. Teach us to rest in You and to celebrate all the good things You have done for us. Amen.
