In this lesson, children learn that God is good and his love lasts forever, so we can praise him even when things are hard. This lesson takes about 20 to 30 minutes and works well for children ages 5 to 11.
Big Idea
God is good, and his love lasts forever. We can thank and praise him together, every day.
Memory Verse
Ezra 3:11
They sang to one another in praising and giving thanks to the LORD, “For he is good, for his loving kindness endures forever toward Israel.” All the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the LORD, because the foundation of the LORD’s house had been laid.
(WEB)
Teach the children to cup their hands like a little bowl for the first half of the verse, then open their arms wide on the words “forever.” Have them repeat it while they move, so the motion helps them remember the words.
The Story: Ezra 3 for Kids
God’s people had returned to their own land after many years away. They had come home to Jerusalem, and they wanted to worship God there. When the seventh month came, all the people gathered together in one place, and they felt like one big family.
Jeshua and Zerubbabel led the people in building an altar, a special place for offering gifts to God. Even though the people were scared of the nations around them, they built it anyway. Every morning and every evening, they offered their gifts to the Lord. They trusted him to take care of them.
Later, in the second year, the builders began to lay the foundation of God’s house. The Levites were chosen to watch over the work. When the workers finished the foundation, the priests put on their special clothes and played trumpets. The Levites played cymbals and sang songs of praise, just as King David had taught them long before.
The singers called out to one another, “He is good, and his love endures forever!” Everyone shouted with a great shout because the foundation was finished. The people were so glad to see God’s house beginning again.
But some of the older men cried out loud. They remembered the first temple, which had been so grand, and they were sad that this new building looked smaller. Other people shouted for joy, so the crowd could not tell the shouts of joy from the sounds of crying. Everyone’s voices were heard far away.
Read It Together
Ezra 3:1
When the seventh month had come, and the children of Israel were in the cities, the people gathered themselves together as one man to Jerusalem.
(WEB)
Point out that the people came together “as one man.” Ask the children what it feels like to do something together with your whole family or class, and why God’s people wanted to gather in one place to worship him.
Ezra 3:3
In spite of their fear because of the peoples of the surrounding lands, they set the altar on its base; and they offered burnt offerings on it to the LORD, even burnt offerings morning and evening.
(WEB)
Show the children that the people were afraid, but they still obeyed God and built the altar. Explain that being brave does not mean having no fear. It means trusting God even when we feel scared.
Ezra 3:12-13
12 But many of the priests and Levites and heads of fathers’ households, the old men who had seen the first house, when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, wept with a loud voice. Many also shouted aloud for joy, 13 so that the people could not discern the noise of the shout of joy from the noise of the weeping of the people; for the people shouted with a loud shout, and the noise was heard far away.
(WEB)
Point out that some people cried and some people shouted with joy, and both were part of the same worship. Tell the children that God welcomes all our feelings, whether we are happy, sad, or both at once.
Talk About It
- What did the people do first when they came back to Jerusalem, and why do you think they did it?
- How do you think the people felt when they saw the foundation of God’s house being laid?
- What is one thing you could thank God for today?
- Why do you think the people sang “He is good” together instead of by themselves?
- When have you felt both happy and sad at the same time, and how did you handle it?
Activity Ideas
Foundation Drawing
You will need paper, crayons or markers, and a pencil. Ask each child to draw a building with a strong base at the bottom and label the foundation with the words “God is good.” Let them add people in the picture who are singing or shouting together. Display the drawings on a wall so the class can see the work they did together.
Shout and Sing Game
You will need a small bell or a set of homemade shakers, such as rice in a plastic cup. Have the children stand in a circle and pass the bell around. Whoever holds the bell says a short thank-you prayer, and everyone responds together with “His love endures forever!” Keep the game short and joyful, and let children take turns leading.
Take-Home Thankful Jar
You will need an empty jar, paper strips, and a pen. Ask the children to write one thing they are thankful for on each strip and place it in the jar. Encourage them to read the notes aloud at dinner or bedtime each week. This helps the family remember that God’s love endures every day.
Teacher Notes
For adults, this chapter shows that rebuilding is slow work, and God’s people began by worshiping him before the temple was finished. Their praise came from remembering that God is faithful, and they gathered in community to express it. Mixed emotions in worship, such as grief over what was lost and joy over what is being restored, are honest responses to God.
Avoid overstating to children that every sad feeling will turn into a joyful one right away. Some of the older men wept, and the text does not say that their sadness disappeared. Teach that God is present with us in both joy and tears.
A Prayer to Close
Lord, thank you that you are good and your love lasts forever. Help us to praise you together, the way your people did long ago. When we feel scared or sad, help us remember that you are with us. Amen.
