The Bronze Snake Preschool Sunday School Lesson (Free, Ages 3–6)
Preschool lesson (ages 3–6, 20 minutes)
1. Welcome (3 min)
Sit in a circle, greet every child by name and show one thing from the story to touch.
2. The little story (5 min)
Teach the refrain first: “Look up, look up, and live!”
God’s people were walking through the desert. Moses was their leader. They had been walking for a long, long time. Now they came to a land called Edom. But the king of Edom said, “You shall not pass through.” So God’s people had to walk the long way around.
The way was long and hot. Sand and rocks, rocks and sand. Step, step, step. The people were very tired. They lost heart. That means they felt tired and sad inside.
But God had taken care of them all the way. When they were thirsty, God gave them water. And every morning, God gave them food from heaven. It was called manna. Manna was little and white, like tiny seeds. It tasted like crackers made with honey.
But now the people began to grumble. To grumble means to complain in a cross, unhappy voice. They spoke against God and against Moses. “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt?” they said. “Shall we die in the wilderness? There is no bread, there is no water!” The wilderness is the big, empty desert.
They did not even like the manna anymore. They called God’s good food disgusting! Can you make a grumpy face? Grrr! Now let it go, and smile again.
Then the LORD sent snakes into the camp. Hiss, hiss! The snakes bit the people. Their bites had poison in them. Poison is something that makes you very sick. Many people of Israel died.
Now the people were sorry. They came to Moses. “We have sinned,” they said. “We have spoken against the LORD and against you. Pray to the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us.” To sin means to do wrong things that make God sad. Serpents are snakes.
So Moses prayed for the people. They had grumbled at him too. But Moses still prayed for them.
And the LORD answered Moses. The LORD said to Moses, “Make a venomous snake, and set it on a pole. Everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.” Venomous means it has poison. Look up, look up, and live!
So Moses made a snake out of bronze. Bronze is a shiny, golden-brown metal. It shines in the sun. The bronze snake was not alive. It was just shiny metal, shaped like a snake.
Moses set the bronze snake on a pole. A pole is a long, tall stick. Up, up high, where everyone could see it. Can you point up high, like the snake on the pole?
Now when a snake bit someone, that person looked up. He looked at the bronze snake on the pole. And he lived! Look up, look up, and live!
Big people and small people, anyone who was bitten could look. They only had to look up at the snake, just as God said. Let’s look up together. Look up, way up high!
Many, many years later, Jesus talked about this bronze snake. He said, “As Moses lifted up the serpent, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up. Whoever believes in him should have eternal life.” The Son of Man is Jesus himself. Eternal life means living with God forever and ever. Look up, look up, and live!
The people had grumbled. But God still heard Moses pray. And God made a way to save his people.
Now close your eyes and rest. God hears you too, when you pray. Look up, look up, and live!
3. Talk together (3 min)
- How do you think the people felt when they looked up and got well?
- What could the people have said to God instead of grumbling?
4. Move (3 min)
Refrain Freeze: move around the room; when you say the refrain, everyone freezes and says it together.
5. Make (4 min)
Draw the shiny bronze snake up high on its pole.
6. Verse and prayer (2 min)
“Everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live” — Numbers 21:8 (bitten → touch your arm; when he sees it → hand over eyes, look up; shall live → jump up with arms wide)
Dear God, thank you that you hear us when we pray. Thank you for making a way to save us. Amen.
Lesson for older kids (ages 6–10)
Big idea: Look to God and Trust Him
Memory verse: “The LORD said to Moses, "Make a venomous snake, and set it on a pole. It shall happen that everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live."” — Numbers 21:8 · WEB
The Bible story
When God's tired people grumble in the desert and snakes slither in, God gives Moses a surprising rescue — a shiny bronze snake lifted high for all to see.
Talk about it
- Where were the people walking when they began to grumble? — Through a hot, dry desert
- How were the people feeling as they traveled? — Tired and grumpy
- What did the people start to do? — Grumble and complain
- What had the people forgotten? — How God had cared for them
- What came into the camp? — Snakes
- When the people were sorry, who did they hurry to? — Moses
Where is Jesus in this story?
Long after this, Jesus talked about the bronze snake. He said that just as Moses lifted the snake high on a pole so people could look and live, Jesus would one day be lifted up on a cross so that everyone who looks to Him and believes can be forgiven and live with God forever. The bronze snake pointed the way to Jesus, our greatest Rescuer, who was lifted up because He loves us so very much.
What God wants to tell us
When we make mistakes, we don't have to fix everything by ourselves. God's people only had to look up at the bronze snake and trust Him, and God did the healing. God shows us here that He is patient and kind, always ready to forgive us when we say sorry. Whenever we feel worried or have done something wrong, we can look up to God, tell Him honestly, and trust that His love is bigger than any problem.
Prayer
Dear God, thank You for loving me even when I grumble or do something wrong. Help me to trust You and to look up to You when I feel scared or sorry. Thank You for Jesus, who was lifted up to rescue me. I love You. Amen.
Read the story · Coloring page 1 · Coloring page 2 · Quiz · All lessons
Home · All stories · Topics · Coloring pages · Quizzes · Sunday school lessons
