In this lesson, children learn that God keeps his promises even when people break theirs, and that he can make something small and hidden grow into something great. The lesson suits children ages 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes to teach.
Big Idea
God always keeps his word, and he can make a small, weak thing grow strong and tall. People can break promises, but God never does.
Memory Verse
Ezekiel 17:24
All the trees of the field will know that I, the LORD, have brought down the high tree, have exalted the low tree, have dried up the green tree, and have made the dry tree flourish. “‘I, the LORD, have spoken and have done it.’”
(WEB)
Ask the children to stand tall with arms stretched up like a tree. When the verse says God brings down the high tree and lifts up the low tree, have them slowly bend down low, then rise up tall again, and say the words together.
The Story: Ezekiel 17 for Kids
God gave the prophet Ezekiel a picture puzzle to share with the people of Israel. It was about two giant eagles and a grapevine. The first eagle was a king, and he flew to a tall cedar tree in Lebanon. He broke off a small twig and planted it in a city full of merchants, where it grew into a willow.
Then the king took a seed from the land and planted it in good, wet soil. It sprouted into a low, spreading vine. The vine turned its roots and branches toward the eagle, as if it wanted him to water it and help it grow. That was a promise the vine made to the eagle, and it was a promise made by the eagle too.
But the vine was not loyal to the king who had made him the king of the land. The king of Babylon had made a promise to the king of Judah, Zedekiah, and sealed it with an oath. Zedekiah broke that oath and sent messengers to Egypt, asking for horses and soldiers. God said that Zedekiah would not escape, because he had broken his word.
God said something hopeful next. He would take a tender twig from the top of the cedar and plant it on a high mountain. It would grow into a tree that gave shade and fruit, and birds would come to rest in its branches. Then all the trees of the field would know that God is the one who makes the low trees high and the dry trees bloom.
Read It Together
Ezekiel 17:22-23
22 “Thus says the Lord the LORD: ‘I will also take some of the lofty top of the cedar, and will plant it. I will crop off from the topmost of its young twigs a tender one, and I will plant it on a high and lofty mountain. 23 I will plant it in the mountain of the height of Israel; and it will produce boughs, and bear fruit, and be a good cedar. Birds of every kind will dwell in the shade of its branches.
(WEB)
Point out that God himself plants the tender twig. Explain that God starts with something small and gentle, and then he is the one who makes it grow into a shady tree where birds can rest.
Ezekiel 17:19
“Therefore thus says the Lord the LORD: ‘As I live, I will surely bring on his own head my oath that he has despised and my covenant that he has broken.
(WEB)
Show the children that God says he will keep his oath, and he will not forget what he has promised. Remind them that when God says something, he always means it and always does it.
Talk About It
- What did the little twig become when God planted it on the mountain?
- Why do you think God was upset that the king broke his promise?
- What is a promise you have made to someone, and how can you keep it?
- How does it feel to know that God never breaks his word?
- What is something small in your life that God could help grow into something big?
Activity Ideas
Plant a Paper Tree
Give each child a sheet of green construction paper, scissors, glue, and a brown strip of paper for the trunk. Have them cut out a small tree and glue it to a poster board. Talk about how God planted a tender twig and made it grow tall, and have each child draw birds resting in the branches of their tree.
Tall Tree, Low Tree Game
Play a simple game where you call out “tall tree” and the children stretch up high, or “low tree” and they crouch down low. Add a twist by calling out “bird” and they flap their arms like wings. Explain that God is the one who makes the low trees rise and the tall trees come down, so he is in control of everything.
Promise Keeper Card
Give each child an index card and a pencil. Ask them to write or draw one promise they want to keep this week, like helping at home or being kind to a friend. Let them take the card home and tape it to their bedroom mirror or fridge as a reminder that God keeps his promises and wants us to keep ours too.
Teacher Notes
For adults, this chapter shows that God is faithful to his word even when Israel’s kings ran after political alliances and broke their oaths. God’s judgment on Zedekiah is tied to the broken covenant, and God’s promise to plant a new tender shoot on a high mountain points forward to a future restoration that Christians later connect with Jesus, though the chapter itself focuses on Israel’s future.
Avoid overstating the eagles and the vine to children as a direct code for specific kings or nations. Keep the focus on the simple truths: God keeps his promises, he makes small things grow, and he is in control. Let the children enjoy the picture without turning it into a history quiz.
A Prayer to Close
Dear God, thank you that you always keep your promises and never break your word. Help us to be people who keep our promises too. Thank you for taking small things and making them grow strong. Be with us this week as we learn to trust you more. Amen.
