Free Gospel-Centered Sunday School Curriculum
for Elementary Kids

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God's People Build the Tabernacle
(Exodus 35-39)

The new stone tablets had been given. The covenant had been renewed. God had promised to go with His people. Now it was time to build the building that would make His presence visible in the camp. Moses gathered the entire assembly of Israel and told them what God required.

But before he told them what to build, Moses told them how to give. The offering was entirely voluntary. Moses said: "Take from among you a contribution to the Lord. Whoever is of a generous heart, let him bring the Lord's contribution." There was no quota. No minimum. No pressure. Whoever is of a generous heart. That phrase is the key to the entire chapter. The response was extraordinary. Men and women, everyone whose heart stirred and whose spirit moved them, brought their gold, silver, and bronze. They brought blue and purple and scarlet yarn, fine linen, goat hair, and tanned animal skins. They brought acacia wood, olive oil, spices, and precious stones. The women who were skilled with their hands spun the blue and purple and scarlet yarn themselves. Leaders brought the onyx stones and the gems for the priestly garments. Morning after morning, the people kept coming.

Then something happened that had never happened before in a fundraising campaign in all of history: Moses had to tell the people to stop giving. The craftsmen came to Moses and said, "The people are bringing much more than enough for doing the work that the Lord has commanded us to do." Moses sent a proclamation through the camp: let neither man nor woman do any more work for the contribution. And the people were restrained from bringing. There was more than enough.

Bezalel, Oholiab, and all the craftsmen whose hearts God had filled with skill went to work. They followed the plans exactly. The Ark, the Mercy Seat, the Table, the Lampstand, the Altar of Incense, the Bronze Altar, the Bronze Basin, the courtyard curtains, the priestly garments, every piece was made to the precise specification God had given Moses on the mountain. Not one detail was improvised. Not one measurement was adjusted because it seemed close enough. When everything was finally complete, Moses inspected the finished work. He saw that they had done it just as the Lord had commanded. And Moses blessed them.

A Curious Question

In an earlier part of the Exodus story, the people melted their gold earrings to make an idol. In this story, they bring their gold, silver, and jewelry willingly, with overflowing generosity, until Moses has to tell them to stop. What was the difference between those two offerings? What was different in their hearts?

Jesus Connection

The Tabernacle was magnificent, but it was portable by design and already limited. John's Gospel opens with a deliberate echo: "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory" (John 1:14). The Greek word for "dwelt" literally means "tabernacled." What the Tabernacle was trying to be, Jesus actually became.

The people gave gold and yarn to build a house where God could live near them. Jesus gave His life so God could live inside them. In Exodus 32, the people gave gold to make an idol. Here, they give it to build a dwelling that brings God near. The difference is not the gold. It is the heart.

Discussion Questions

  • The people in Exodus 32 gave their gold to make an idol. The people in Exodus 35 gave their gold to build God's dwelling. What changed between those two moments? What does that tell you about the relationship between a person's heart and what they do with their money or their time?
  • Moses had to tell the people to stop giving because they had brought too much. What is it like in your own life when you give something generously, with a really glad heart? Is it usually something you planned, or does it happen differently?
  • The craftsmen built every piece exactly as God commanded, with no shortcuts and no substitutions. Why does obedience to exact instructions matter more in some situations than in others?

"So What?" What Can I Do?

This week, give something away that matters to you, and do it without being asked. It does not have to be money. It could be your time, your help with something difficult, your best drawing talent put to work for a friend, your Saturday afternoon given to someone who needs company. The Israelites gave from stirred hearts, not from obligation. Look for one moment this week where your heart stirs toward generosity and follow it all the way through. That is what it looks like to build something that matters.

Memorize God's Word

2 Corinthians 9:7: "God loves a cheerful giver."

Hand Motions:

  • God Point both index fingers straight up toward heaven.
  • Loves Cross both arms tightly over your heart with a big smile.
  • A cheerful Press your fingertips to your cheeks and pull them upward into the biggest grin you can make.
  • Giver Extend both hands forward, palms up, as if offering your best gift to someone right in front of you.

Praying with Kids

Dear Father, thank You for a people who gave so much that Moses had to tell them to stop. That is a beautiful picture of what happens when hearts are turned toward You. Help us to be like that this week: not giving out of guilt or pressure, but giving because You have already given us so much more than we could ever return. And thank You for Jesus, who gave everything so that You could live not just near us in a tent, but actually inside us forever. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Craft or Activity

The Tabernacle Blueprint

Children will create a bird's-eye view "blueprint" of the Tabernacle to remember that God had a perfect plan for His dwelling place and that His plan for us is just as intentional.

Materials Checklist:

☐ Blue construction paper (one sheet per child)

☐ White chalk or white crayons

☐ Small plastic rulers

☐ Gold star stickers

☐ Glue sticks

☐ Small fabric or yarn scraps in blue, purple, and scarlet

☐ Markers for labeling

☐ Pre-drawn blueprint templates (optional, for younger students)

How to Make the Tabernacle Blueprint:
  1. Draw the courtyard: Using white chalk or crayon and a ruler, draw a large rectangle on the blue paper to represent the outer courtyard of the Tabernacle.
  2. Add the tent: Inside the rectangle, draw a smaller rectangle near one end to represent the Tabernacle tent itself. Divide it into two sections: the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place.
  3. Mark the furniture: Inside the tent, draw small squares or rectangles to represent the Ark, the Lampstand, the Table, and the Altar of Incense. In the courtyard, mark the Bronze Altar and Basin. Label each piece.
  4. Add the curtain: Glue a thin strip of blue, purple, or scarlet yarn or fabric across the dividing line between the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place to represent the thick curtain.
  5. Place the star: Press a gold star sticker over the Most Holy Place to mark where God's presence dwelt above the Mercy Seat.

Effective Teaching Techniques

Begin the lesson with the contrast and let the kids notice it themselves. Write two phrases on the board before they arrive: "GOLD FOR THE CALF" on one side and "GOLD FOR THE TABERNACLE" on the other. When the class settles, ask: "What is different about these two situations?" Children will usually identify the obvious difference in a few seconds. Then ask: "What do you think was different in the people's hearts?" That conversation will take one or two minutes and will set up the entire lesson more powerfully than any introduction you could script.

The "more than enough" moment is worth dramatizing. Bring a bucket or a box to class. Tell the kids to imagine this is the Tabernacle collection box. Describe the people coming morning after morning with earrings, necklaces, fabric, wood. Then tip the bucket over and say: "And then Moses had to announce: STOP. We have more than we need." Let the class sit with that image. Ask: "When was the last time anyone had to tell you to stop giving because you had given too much?" That question will land quietly and open a real conversation about the relationship between a person's heart and their generosity.

The blueprint craft works especially well with older elementary students who enjoy spatial and technical thinking. For younger students, pre-draw the outer rectangles and let them focus on labeling the furniture pieces and gluing the curtain. Connecting the blueprint they just made to the pieces of furniture they learned about in the previous four lessons will reinforce the whole unit beautifully.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why didn't Moses tell the people how much they had to give?
The Bible says the offering was entirely voluntary, with no quota or minimum, inviting only those whose hearts were stirred to give, which made the overwhelming response even more remarkable.
Had Moses ever needed to tell people to stop giving before?
The Bible describes this as an unusual moment where the craftsmen told Moses the people had already brought more than enough, so Moses sent word through the camp asking everyone to stop bringing more.
Why did the craftsmen follow God's exact measurements instead of using their own creative ideas?
The Bible emphasizes that every piece was made to the precise specification God gave Moses on the mountain, showing that the Tabernacle's design came from God Himself and was not left to human preference.