This lesson teaches children that God always keeps his promises, even the hard ones he gave about discipline and judgment. It works for children ages 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes, including a short story, a memory action, and one activity.
Big Idea
God means what he says. He warned his people what would happen if they kept turning away from him, and he kept his word, because he is faithful and fair.
Memory Verse
Ezekiel 5:5
“Thus says the Lord the LORD: ‘This is Jerusalem. I have set her in the middle of the nations, and countries are around her.
(WEB)
Have children stand up and hold both arms out wide, then slowly bring them together in front of their chest, as if they are gathering something close. Say the verse with them, one phrase at a time, doing the motion on each phrase so they can picture God placing Jerusalem at the center.
The Story: Ezekiel 5 for Kids
God gave his prophet Ezekiel a strange job. One day God told Ezekiel to take a sharp sword and use it like a barber’s razor. He was to shave off his hair and his beard. Then he had to weigh the hair on a scale and divide it into three equal piles. That was a lot of hair for one man to deal with!
Ezekiel did exactly what God asked. He burned one pile of hair in the fire inside the city. He chopped up another pile with a sword and scattered it on the wind. He took the last small pile and tucked a few strands into the folds of his robe. Then he even threw some of those into the fire too. Each pile showed what would happen to the people of Jerusalem.
Why did God do this? The people of Jerusalem had turned away from God’s rules again and again. They had acted worse than the nations around them. God told them, “I am against you.” He was not happy about their sin, and he warned them that hard days were coming. God was fair, so he could not simply let their wrong choices go unnoticed.
God also said something very serious. He would scatter the people to many places, and some would be hurt by sickness, hunger, and war. Those were sad words to hear. Ezekiel had to speak them clearly, even though they were hard to say. God wanted the people to know that the warning was real.
God wanted the people to remember who he was. The Bible says that they would know he was the Lord who had spoken. The hard things that happened would prove that God’s words were true, and that he is the one who keeps every promise he makes.
Read It Together
Ezekiel 5:1-2
1 “You, son of man, take a sharp sword. You shall take it as a barber’s razor to yourself, and shall cause it to pass over your head and over your beard. Then take balances to weigh and divide the hair. 2 A third part you shall burn in the fire in the middle of the city, when the days of the siege are fulfilled. You shall take a third part, and strike with the sword around it. A third part you shall scatter to the wind, and I will draw out a sword after them.
(WEB)
Point out that God gave Ezekiel an unusual picture to act out. Ask children why they think God used something so strange to get the people’s attention. Remind them that prophets often showed God’s message in creative ways.
Ezekiel 5:6-7
6 She has rebelled against my ordinances in doing wickedness more than the nations, and against my statutes more than the countries that are around her; for they have rejected my ordinances, and as for my statutes, they have not walked in them.’ 7 “Therefore thus says the Lord the LORD: ‘Because you are more turbulent than the nations that are around you, and have not walked in my statutes, neither have kept my ordinances, neither have followed the ordinances of the nations that are around you…
(WEB)
Show children that the problem was not a lack of rules. The people knew God’s rules but chose not to follow them. Explain that God loved his people enough to tell them the truth about their choices, even when that truth was not pleasant to hear.
Ezekiel 5:13
“‘Thus my anger will be accomplished, and I will cause my wrath toward them to rest, and I will be comforted. They will know that I, the LORD, have spoken in my zeal, when I have accomplished my wrath on them.
(WEB)
Point out the words “They will know that I, the LORD, have spoken.” Explain that God wanted everyone to see that he keeps his word. Help children see that this verse is about God’s faithfulness, which is good news even in a hard chapter.
Talk About It
- What did God ask Ezekiel to do with his hair, and why do you think God chose such a strange way to share his message?
- Why did God say the people of Jerusalem needed to hear a warning?
- What does it tell you about God that he always keeps the promises he makes, even the hard ones?
- How can we tell someone the truth in a kind way, like Ezekiel had to do?
- When have you seen a rule or a warning come true because someone meant what they said?
Activity Ideas
Three-Pile Drawing
You will need paper, crayons or markers, and scissors. Draw a large bowl or scale on the paper and divide it into three sections. Have children draw small pictures of fire, wind, and a robe in each section, then talk about what each part represents. This helps them recall the three piles Ezekiel handled and see how each pile shows a different consequence of the people’s choices.
Scale and Scatter Game
You will need a small bowl, cotton balls or paper scraps, and a few open spaces in the room. Divide the children into three groups. Each group gets a third of the cotton balls, and on your signal they toss their pile into the air, like the wind scattering the hair. Afterward, talk about how God’s warnings were real and how his word always comes to pass.
Keep Your Promise Card
You will need an index card, a pencil, and a small envelope. Help each child write one promise they can keep this week, such as helping a sibling or obeying at home. Let them decorate the card and place it in the envelope to take home. Encourage them to check on their promise each day, reminding them that God keeps his word and wants us to do the same.
Teacher Notes
For adults, Ezekiel 5 shows that God takes sin seriously and that his judgments are real. The chapter also reveals his faithfulness, because he keeps his word in every detail, including the warnings. Christians today read this passage as a reminder of God’s justice and holiness, and as a call to trust his character.
When teaching children, avoid overstating the harsh details of the judgments. Keep the focus on God’s faithfulness and his desire for his people to turn back to him. Do not suggest that every hardship is a direct punishment for sin, and be careful not to frighten young learners with graphic descriptions.
A Prayer to Close
Dear God, thank you that you always keep your promises and always tell us the truth. Help us to listen when you speak, to choose what is right, and to trust you every day. Thank you that you are faithful and good. Amen.
