Ezra 10 teaches children that when we have done wrong, we can admit it honestly, say sorry to God, and turn back to him, and that God is patient and ready to help us make things right. This lesson suits children aged about 5 to 11 and takes 20 to 30 minutes to teach.
Big Idea
When we do wrong, we can tell God the truth, say sorry, and choose to do what is right. God wants us to come back to him.
Memory Verse
Ezra 10:4
Arise; for the matter belongs to you, and we are with you. Be courageous, and do it.”
(WEB)
Teach the children to stand up tall as they say the verse, then clap their hands once on the word “courageous.” Doing the motion together helps them remember that God’s people can be brave when they choose to do right.
The Story: Ezra 10 for Kids
Long ago, God’s people had come back home to Jerusalem after they had been held in a faraway land. Ezra was a teacher and a priest who loved God very much. One day he was praying, and he was crying because the people had made a big mistake. They had married women who did not love and worship the God of Israel, and this had led them away from him.
Ezra was so sad that he fell down in front of God’s house and wept. Many people came to sit with him, and they cried too. A man named Shecaniah stood up and said, “We have done wrong against our God. But there is still hope for Israel if we turn back to him.” He told the people that they should make a promise to God to do what was right.
Ezra asked the leaders to make a promise, and they all agreed. Then everyone in Judah and Benjamin was told to gather in Jerusalem within three days. They came together in the wide place in front of God’s house. It was raining hard, and the people were shaking because they felt so serious about what they had done.
Ezra spoke to them plainly. He said, “You have done wrong. Now confess it to the Lord, the God of your fathers, and do what pleases him.” The people answered, “We will do as you say.” It took time to sort everything out, but they worked on it carefully until the matter was finished.
Read It Together
Ezra 10:1
Now while Ezra prayed and made confession, weeping and casting himself down before God’s house, there was gathered together to him out of Israel a very great assembly of men and women and children; for the people wept very bitterly.
(WEB)
Point out that Ezra prayed and confessed the sin before he did anything else. Ask the children what it looks like to pray and be honest with God about our mistakes.
Ezra 10:2-3
2 Shecaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, answered Ezra, “We have trespassed against our God, and have married foreign women of the peoples of the land. Yet now there is hope for Israel concerning this thing. 3 Now therefore let us make a covenant with our God to put away all the wives, and those who as are born of them, according to the counsel of my lord, and of those who tremble at the commandment of our God. Let it be done according to the law.
(WEB)
Show the children that Shecaniah admitted the wrong and also spoke about hope. Explain that God gives us a way forward when we are honest and willing to change.
Ezra 10:11
Now therefore make confession to the LORD, the God of your fathers, and do his pleasure; and separate yourselves from the peoples of the land, and from the foreign women.”
(WEB)
Point out the words “make confession” and “do his pleasure.” Help the children see that saying sorry and then choosing to obey God go together.
Talk About It
- What did the people do when they realized they had done something wrong?
- Why do you think Ezra cried and prayed so hard for his people?
- What is a time when you made a mistake and had to say sorry to someone?
- How can we tell God when we have done something wrong?
- What helps you choose to do what is right even when it is hard?
Activity Ideas
Hearts That Say Sorry
You will need paper, crayons or markers, and scissors. Have each child draw a large heart and write or draw one thing they want to say sorry to God for. Then they can fold the heart in half and tape it closed, showing that God knows our hearts and forgives us when we turn back to him.
Turn Back Walk
You will need a open space and a few chairs or pillows. Set the chairs up as a path, then have children walk forward and then turn around and walk back, saying “I am turning back to God.” Repeat a few times so the children feel the movement of turning toward God and away from wrong choices.
Sorry and Thanks Card
You will need a sheet of paper and a pencil for each child. Fold the paper into a card and ask the children to write or draw a sorry on the inside and a thank you on the outside. Encourage them to take it home and share it with someone in their family, showing that saying sorry and being thankful are both good ways to live.
Teacher Notes
For adults, this chapter shows that God’s people had married women who led them away from worshiping the Lord, and that Ezra responded by leading the community in genuine repentance and a covenant to return to God’s law. The passage reminds us that true repentance involves honest confession, community accountability, and a visible commitment to change.
Avoid overstating to children that the specific actions in this chapter, such as sending away wives and children, are a model for every situation today. Instead, focus on the broader truths of honesty before God, saying sorry, and choosing to follow him, since the details of that historical moment are complex and not meant to be applied directly to children’s lives.
A Prayer to Close
Lord, thank you for being patient with us when we make mistakes. Help us to tell you the truth, to say sorry when we do wrong, and to turn back to you with our whole hearts. Give us courage to do what is right, and help us remember that you are always ready to welcome us home. Amen.
