God’s Spirit on the Seventy Elders Preschool Lesson
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: “God gave Moses helpers.”
God’s people were in the wilderness. Every night, when the dew fell on the camp, God sent manna too. Manna was bread from heaven. In the morning, it lay all around the tents.
Manna was small, like little seeds. The people gathered it. They ground it, or cooked it in pots, or baked it into little cakes. It tasted like fresh oil. Can you pretend to pick up manna from the ground? Pick, pick, pick!
But the people were tired of manna. They cried at the doors of their tents. “Who will give us meat to eat?”
“We remember the fish, which we ate in Egypt! The cucumbers, and the melons, and the onions, and the garlic!” Can you rub your tummy and say, “Yum”? But now there was only manna.
Moses heard the people crying. Every family cried at the door of its tent. Moses was very upset. So many people, all crying! What could he do?
Moses cried to the LORD. Moses said it was like carrying them all “as a nurse carries a nursing infant.” That is like carrying a baby in your arms – but so many people! Moses said, “I am not able to bear all this people alone. It is too heavy for me.”
Can you pretend to carry something very, very heavy? Oof! It was too heavy for Moses alone.
The LORD answered Moses. “Gather to me seventy men of the elders of Israel.” Elders are older, wise leaders. God said, “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.”
God said, “They shall bear the burden of the people with you.” Bear the burden means carry the heavy load. God gave Moses helpers.
So Moses gathered seventy elders around the Tent of Meeting. Seventy! That is a lot of helpers. Count with me by tens: ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, sixty, seventy!
The LORD came down in the cloud. He took of the Spirit that was on Moses. He put it on the seventy elders. And they prophesied – they spoke words from God. God gave Moses helpers.
Two men, Eldad and Medad, had stayed in the camp. Their names were on the list. But they had not gone out to the tent. But God’s Spirit came on them too! They prophesied right there in the camp.
A young man ran to tell Moses. “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp!” Joshua said, “My lord Moses, forbid them!” Forbid means make them stop.
But Moses said, “Are you jealous for my sake? I wish that all the LORD’s people were prophets!” Joshua wanted Moses to be the only one. But Moses wanted God’s Spirit on everyone! God gave Moses helpers.
Then Moses and the elders went back into the camp together. Now Moses was not alone. Seventy helpers would carry the load with him. What a help!
God gives his Spirit to help his people. God gave Moses helpers.
3. Talk together (3 min)
- How do you think Moses felt when everyone was crying?
- Who helps carry the hard things in your family?
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 a line to who said it.
6. Verse and prayer (2 min)
“I wish that all the LORD’s people were prophets” — Numbers 11:29 (I wish → fold your hands; all the LORD’s people → spread your arms wide; were prophets → put a hand by your mouth, like speaking)
Dear God, thank you for your Spirit. Thank you for helpers when things are too heavy for me. Amen.
Lesson for older kids (ages 6–10)
Big idea: God Helps Us Carry Big Things
Memory verse: “I will take of the Spirit which is on you, and will put it on them.” — Numbers 11:17 · WEB
The Bible story
When leading God's people feels too heavy for Moses, God does something amazing — He shares His very own Spirit with seventy helpers so no one carries the load alone.
Talk about it
- Where was Moses leading God's people? — Through the hot desert
- How was Moses feeling as he cared for everyone? — Very, very tired
- What did Moses tell God? — The job is too heavy for me
- How many wise leaders did God ask Moses to gather? — Seventy
- Where did the elders come and stand? — At the Tent of Meeting
- What did God share with the seventy elders? — His Spirit
Where is Jesus in this story?
Long after Moses, God did something even bigger. He sent His Son, Jesus, who promised that God's Holy Spirit would come to live inside everyone who loves Him. Moses once wished that all of God's people could have His Spirit, and through Jesus that beautiful wish came true. Because of Jesus, God's Spirit can fill your heart too, helping and guiding you every single day.
What God wants to tell us
Sometimes a job or a worry feels far too big for us, just like it did for Moses. But God never wants us to struggle all alone. He sends caring friends and helpers to stand beside us, and He fills us with His own Spirit to give us strength and courage. Whenever life feels heavy, you can ask God for help, and He will lovingly share the load with you.
Prayer
Thank You, God, for never leaving me alone. When things feel too big, please help me remember that You are close. Thank You for kind friends, and thank You for Your Spirit that fills my heart with courage. Please help me to help others too. In Jesus' name, Amen.
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