This lesson teaches children that God promised to live right in the middle of His people, and that is why the last city in the Bible is named “The LORD Is There.” It is for children aged about 5 to 11, and it takes 20 to 30 minutes to teach.
Big Idea
God keeps His promise to stay close to His people. Wherever His people live, God is right there with them, and He always will be.
Memory Verse
Ezekiel 48:35
“It shall be eighteen thousand reeds around: and the name of the city from that day shall be, ‘The LORD is there.’
(WEB)
Teach the children to stand up tall, then put both hands on their hearts. Say the last words together, “The LORD is there,” and point to the ceiling with one finger on each word. Repeat it three times, getting quieter each time, until the room whispers it together.
The Story: Ezekiel 48 for Kids
God gave a prophet named Ezekiel a very long and careful vision of a new land. Ezekiel was a man who had been taken far away from his home in Israel, and he needed to hear good news. God showed him how the land would be shared out among the families of Israel, one long strip at a time, just like slices of a loaf of bread.
The people were called tribes, and each tribe got its own part of the land. There were twelve tribes in all, and each one had a name, like Judah, Benjamin, and Reuben. Each tribe had its own place from the north side of the land to the south side, and every one of them had a fair share.
In the very middle of all the tribes was a special holy place for the priests. The priests served God there, and the holy space was set apart just for Him. Right beside it was the city, and the city had gates on every side, three gates on each side, with each gate named after one of the tribes.
When Ezekiel finished seeing the city, God told him its new name. The name was “The LORD Is There.” It was not a name for a building or a king. It was God’s own promise that He would live with His people.
The people of Israel had often forgotten God and wandered away from Him. But God still had a plan to bring them home and be near them again. This was His way of showing that He had not given up on them.
Read It Together
Ezekiel 48:1-2
1 “Now these are the names of the tribes: From the north end, beside the way of Hethlon to the entrance of Hamath, Hazar Enan at the border of Damascus, northward beside Hamath (and they shall have their sides east and west), Dan, one portion. 2 “By the border of Dan, from the east side to the west side, Asher, one portion.
(WEB)
Point out how the tribes are listed one by one, with each one getting its own portion. Ask the children to notice that everyone had a place, and no one was left out of God’s plan for the land.
Ezekiel 48:8-10
8 “By the border of Judah, from the east side to the west side, shall be the offering which you shall offer, twenty-five thousand reeds in width, and in length as one of the portions, from the east side to the west side: and the sanctuary shall be in the middle of it. 9 “The offering that you shall offer to the LORD shall be twenty-five thousand reeds in length, and ten thousand in width. 10 For these, even for the priests, shall be the holy offering: toward the north twenty-five thousand in length, and toward the west ten thousand in width, and toward the east ten thousand in width, and toward the south twenty-five thousand in length: and the sanctuary of the LORD shall be in the middle of it.
(WEB)
Show the children where the holy offering is placed right in the middle. Explain that the sanctuary, God’s special place, sat at the very center of everything, which tells us that God is at the center of His people’s lives.
Ezekiel 48:30-34
30 “These are the exits of the city: On the north side four thousand and five hundred reeds by measure; 31 and the gates of the city shall be named after the tribes of Israel, three gates northward: the gate of Reuben, one; the gate of Judah, one; the gate of Levi, one. 32 “At the east side four thousand and five hundred reeds, and three gates: even the gate of Joseph, one; the gate of Benjamin, one; the gate of Dan, one. 33 “At the south side four thousand and five hundred reeds by measure, and three gates: the gate of Simeon, one; the gate of Issachar, one; the gate of Zebulun, one. 34 “At the west side four thousand and five hundred reeds, with their three gates: the gate of Gad, one; the gate of Asher, one; the gate of Naphtali, one.
(WEB)
Point out that every gate was named after a tribe. Explain that the whole city was built so that every family could find their own door and come into the place where God lived among them.
Talk About It
- What did God want the people to remember when they saw the name of the city?
- Why do you think God put His holy place right in the middle of everything?
- How does it feel to know that God is always close to you?
- Who are some people in your family or church who help you remember that God is with you?
- What is one thing you can do this week to remind yourself that God is there?
Activity Ideas
Draw Your City
You will need paper, crayons or markers, and a ruler if you have one. Draw a big square and mark a small square in the middle to show the holy place. Add four gates, one on each side, and let each child draw a special sign or picture above their favorite gate. Then have them write or draw “The LORD Is There” across the top.
Tribe Stand-Up Game
Gather the children in a open space and give each one a name of a tribe written on a card, such as Judah, Reuben, Dan, or Levi. Call out a direction, north, south, east, or west, and have the matching children stand up and move to the middle. When everyone has moved, shout “The LORD is there!” and have all the children cheer.
Take-Home Promise Card
You will need index cards, a pen, and a sticky note for each child. Write the words “The LORD is there” on the card and have each child decorate it. Ask the children to take the card home and place it on a bedroom door or a mirror. Each time they see it, they can remember that God is with them wherever they go.
Teacher Notes
For adults, this chapter is a vision of God’s future for His people. It shows that God intends to dwell with His people in a restored land, with a fair share for every family and His presence at the center. The closing name, “The LORD Is There,” points forward to the faithful God who stays near His people, a promise that the New Testament later shows fulfilled in Jesus.
When teaching children, avoid overstating the details of the measurements, since the exact sizes of the land and the reeds are hard for young minds to picture and may distract from the main point. Focus instead on the simple, warm truth that God is close to His people.
A Prayer to Close
Dear God, thank You that You promise to stay close to us. Help us to remember that You are with us at home, at school, and everywhere we go. Thank You that we are never alone because You are always there. Amen.
