Melchizedek Sunday School Lesson for Kids

This free Melchizedek Sunday school lesson teaches kids that everything belongs to God, so we give to Him gladly. When Abram came back after rescuing Lot, "Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God" (Genesis 14:18). He blessed Abram: "Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth" (14:19), and Abram "gave him tithes of all" (14:20). It comes in four age levels, each a separate printable teacher lesson, plus one take-home sheet for families. Everything is in the order you teach it.

Choose your age level

• Preschool (ages 3–5), 20–30 minutes, 2 pages: an up-high, down-low game, a short story with hand motions and repeat-after-me lines, three simple questions, a shortened memory verse ("the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth") with a motion, and a ten-blocks giving activity.
• Kindergarten to 2nd grade, 45 minutes, 3 pages: the Count Out Ten game, the story in simple words, five recall questions with answers, the Up and Down Verse game with five paper strips, and a Heaven or Earth? game.
• 3rd to 5th grade, 45–60 minutes, 4 pages: a who-gets-the-credit game, kids look up verses in their own Bibles during a fuller story (the rescue of Lot, the blessing, the tithes, Abram's "no" to the king of Sodom), five thinking questions and three recall questions, and a Bible look-up race.
• Preteens (ages 11–12), 45–60 minutes, 3 pages: students read Genesis 14:17–24 out loud themselves, then discuss who owns what we have, giving a tenth, and giving God the credit. Six discussion questions, a journal page, and two memory verses (Genesis 14:19 and Psalm 24:1).

Lesson at a glance

• Bible passage: Genesis 14:17–24 (background 14:12–16)
• Main point: Everything belongs to God, so we give to Him gladly.
• Memory verse: Genesis 14:19 (KJV), with Psalm 24:1 added for preteens
• Ages: preschool to preteen, in four versions

Lesson outline (the same in every version)

1. Opening game: a short game about counting a tenth, heaven and earth, or giving the credit.
2. Bible story: Abram brings Lot back (Genesis 14:16), Melchizedek brings forth bread and wine (14:18), "possessor of heaven and earth" (14:19), "tithes of all" (14:20), and Abram's answer to the king of Sodom, "from a thread even to a shoelatchet" (14:23). Every fact has its verse reference so you can check it.
3. Questions to ask: with answers, at the right level for each age.
4. Memory verse: a game or motion to help kids learn Genesis 14:19.
5. What this means for us: give to God gladly and give Him the credit, the gospel (Acts 2:38), and a challenge for the week.
6. Activity: the word search, crossword, maze, worksheet, the Melchizedek craft, a Heaven or Earth? game, a Bible look-up race or a journal page, depending on the age.
7. Prayer.

Tips for teaching Melchizedek

• Read Genesis 14:19 straight from your Bible. "Possessor of heaven and earth" is the heart of the lesson: God owns it all.
• Genesis 14:20 says only "he gave him tithes of all." But Hebrews 7:4 makes it plain that Abraham gave the tenth to Melchizedek.
• Genesis tells us very little about Melchizedek: king of Salem and priest of the most high God (14:18). The lessons don't add more.
• Short on time? Do the story, three questions and the memory verse. That is a solid 25-minute lesson.