In this lesson, children learn that God asked the prophet Ezekiel to do strange, hard things so the people would listen and remember that God keeps his promises. This lesson is for children ages 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes to teach.
Big Idea
God asks his helpers to do hard things, and he gives them what they need to obey him. When we trust God, we can do what he asks, even when it feels strange.
Memory Verse
Ezekiel 4:14
Then I said, “Ah Lord the LORD! Behold, my soul has not been polluted; for from my youth up even until now I have not eaten of that which dies of itself, or is torn of animals. No abominable meat has come into my mouth!”
(WEB)
Ask the children to hold both hands up, palms out, and shake their heads slowly side to side, then fold their hands together as if praying. Say the verse together, and do the actions each time you say a phrase about what Ezekiel did.
The Story: Ezekiel 4 for Kids
God spoke to a man named Ezekiel. Ezekiel was a prophet, which means God used him to speak God’s messages to the people. God told Ezekiel to take a clay tile and draw a picture of the city of Jerusalem on it. Then God told him to build little walls, ramps, and camps around the picture, as if an enemy army was getting ready to attack.
Next, God told Ezekiel to lie on his left side for 390 days, one day for each year the people of Israel had turned away from God. Then he had to lie on his right side for 40 days, one day for each year the people of Judah had sinned. Ezekiel did not get to move around. God had put ropes on him so he could not roll over. Ezekiel stayed in one place for a very long time, and that was not easy.
God also told Ezekiel to mix up some bread with wheat, barley, beans, lentils, millet, and spelt. He had to weigh out a small amount of food each day and measure out a little bit of water. Then God told him to bake the bread over fuel made from cow dung. Ezekiel felt upset about this. He said, “Ah, Lord God! I have never eaten food that was unclean.”
God heard Ezekiel’s words and let him use cow dung for the fire instead. God said the people would soon be hungry and scared, because the city would be attacked. Ezekiel did what God asked, and God used his obedience to show the people that he was coming to help them remember him.
Read It Together
Ezekiel 4:1
“You also, son of man, take a tile, and lay it before yourself, and portray on it a city, even Jerusalem.
(WEB)
Point out that God gave Ezekiel a clear job, and Ezekiel had to listen carefully. Ask children to imagine they are given a drawing project by a teacher and must follow each step carefully.
Ezekiel 4:4-6
4 “Moreover lie on your left side, and lay the iniquity of the house of Israel on it. According to the number of the days that you shall lie on it, you shall bear their iniquity. 5 For I have appointed the years of their iniquity to be to you a number of days, even three hundred ninety days. So you shall bear the iniquity of the house of Israel. 6 “Again, when you have accomplished these, you shall lie on your right side, and shall bear the iniquity of the house of Judah. I have appointed forty days, each day for a year, to you.
(WEB)
Show that God counted the days carefully, and that God never forgets anything his people have done. Remind children that God knows everything about them, and he still loves them and keeps his word.
Ezekiel 4:15
Then he said to me, “Behold, I have given you cow’s dung for man’s dung, and you shall prepare your bread on it.”
(WEB)
Explain that God was kind to Ezekiel and listened when he felt upset. Tell children that they can tell God honestly how they feel, and God listens to them too.
Talk About It
- What do you think it would feel like to lie in one spot for many days?
- Why did God ask Ezekiel to do such unusual things?
- How did Ezekiel feel when God told him to use cow dung for his bread, and what did God do?
- What is one thing God has asked you to do that felt hard?
- How can we remember that God keeps his promises when we feel scared or unsure?
Activity Ideas
Draw Jerusalem on a Tile
You will need a paper plate or a piece of cardboard, crayons or markers, and small paper cups or blocks. Have each child draw a simple city on the plate with houses, a wall, and a few tall towers. Then let them place the cups or blocks around the edge to show the camps and walls around the city. Talk about how Ezekiel had to draw a picture for the people to see.
Stand Still Game
You will need an open space and a timer or a clock. Tell the children to stand very still for thirty seconds, with their arms by their sides and their feet together. Then count up to a longer time, such as one minute, and talk about how hard it was to stay still. Remind them that Ezekiel stayed still for a long time because he trusted God.
Take-Home Promise Card
You will need an index card, a pencil, and a marker. Ask each child to write or draw one thing God has asked them to do, such as helping at home or being kind to a friend. Let them decorate the card and take it home to remind them that God gives them strength to obey him.
Teacher Notes
For adults, this passage shows that God’s messages are serious, and that he calls his people to honor him even when the job looks unusual or uncomfortable. Ezekiel’s obedience is a picture of faithfulness, and his story points to God’s justice and to the hope of restoration that runs through the book.
Avoid suggesting that God wants children to act out strange or harmful things to prove their faith. Keep the focus on Ezekiel’s trust in God and God’s faithfulness to his people, rather than on the details of the signs themselves.
A Prayer to Close
Dear God, thank you for loving us and for keeping your promises. Help us listen to you, even when your plans feel hard or strange. Give us courage to obey you, just as Ezekiel did. Remind us that you are always with us. Amen.
