This lesson teaches children that God is faithful, even when His people turn away from Him. It is designed for children ages 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes to teach, including the discussion and prayer.
Big Idea
God always keeps His promises, both the warnings and the good things He has said. He is the one true God, and He wants His people to know Him and trust Him alone.
Memory Verse
Ezekiel 6:7
The slain will fall among you, and you will know that I am the LORD.
(WEB)
Hold both hands out in front of you, palms up, then slowly turn them over as you say the last words. Let your hands show that God’s words are sure and that He does what He says. Ask the children to copy your motion each time you say the verse together.
The Story: Ezekiel 6 for Kids
God spoke to a man named Ezekiel and told him to turn toward the mountains of Israel. The people of Israel had built altars on those hills to worship idols made of wood and stone. These idols could not see, hear, or help anyone. God wanted them to know that He had seen everything they were doing.
God told Ezekiel to say that a sword was coming. The high places where the people worshiped their idols would be destroyed. The altars would be broken, and the idols would be knocked down. Many people would fall, and the land would be left empty and quiet.
But God also said something kind. He would leave a small group of people alive. Those who survived would be taken far away to other countries. There they would remember the Lord and see how wrong it had been to follow idols. God said, “They will know that I am the LORD.”
God wanted Ezekiel to show the people how sad and serious this was. He told Ezekiel to strike his hand and stamp his foot and cry out, “Alas!” This was a sign of deep grief over the terrible choices the people had made. Ezekiel was to show them that their sin had real and painful results.
God’s words came true. The people faced the sword, hunger, and sickness, just as He had said. The lesson for everyone was that God is the true Lord, and He keeps every word He speaks.
Read It Together
Ezekiel 6:3
And say, ‘You mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord the LORD! Thus says the Lord the LORD to the mountains and to the hills, to the watercourses and to the valleys: “Behold, I, even I, will bring a sword on you, and I will destroy your high places.
(WEB)
Point out that God speaks directly to the mountains and hills, which shows that He is the Lord over all creation. Explain that the people had trusted the high places more than they trusted God. Ask the children what it means that God is the Lord over everything around us.
Ezekiel 6:9
Those of you that escape will remember me among the nations where they are carried captive, how I have been broken with their lewd heart, which has departed from me, and with their eyes, which play the prostitute after their idols. Then they will loathe themselves in their own sight for the evils which they have committed in all their abominations.
(WEB)
Show the children that even in the middle of a warning, God talks about remembering and turning back to Him. Explain that God’s discipline was meant to bring His people home. Point out that God’s faithful love does not give up on people who have wandered away.
Ezekiel 6:13-14
13 You will know that I am the LORD, when their slain men are among their idols around their altars, on every high hill, on all the tops of the mountains, under every green tree, and under every thick oak, the places where they offered pleasant aroma to all their idols. 14 I will stretch out my hand on them, and make the land desolate and waste, from the wilderness toward Diblah, throughout all their habitations. Then they will know that I am the LORD.’”
(WEB)
Help the children see the phrase “then they will know that I am the LORD” as the main point of the chapter. Explain that God wants everyone to know who He is. Remind them that knowing God means trusting Him and not trusting anything else.
Talk About It
- What do you think the people of Israel were trusting in instead of God?
- Why do you think God wanted Ezekiel to show his sadness with his hands and feet?
- How did God show that He was still caring for His people, even when He gave them a warning?
- What are some things people today might trust in instead of God?
- How can you show God that He is the most important person in your life this week?
Activity Ideas
Idol Drawing Craft
You will need paper, crayons or markers, and a pencil. Ask each child to draw something they might be tempted to trust more than God, such as a toy, a phone, or a favorite sport. Then draw a large cross or a simple sun on the other side of the paper to show that God is greater. Talk about how God’s power is much bigger than anything we can make.
Statue Freeze Game
Clear a space in the room and tell the children they are idols that cannot move or speak. Play a freeze game where you call out a word, and they freeze like statues. Then call out “The Lord is God,” and have them come alive and cheer. Explain that idols cannot do anything, but the Lord can do everything.
Take-Home Promise Card
You will need index cards and a marker. Write the memory verse on one side of each card and draw a simple picture of God’s hand on the other side. Give one card to each child to take home. Encourage them to place the card where they will see it each morning and to say the verse with their family.
Teacher Notes
For adults, this chapter shows that God takes idolatry seriously and that He keeps every word He speaks, both in judgment and in mercy. It also shows that God’s ultimate purpose is that people will know Him and turn back to Him. Read the chapter in its full context to see how the warning leads toward hope.
Avoid overstating to children that every hard thing that happens to someone is a direct punishment from God. The chapter is about a specific group of people in a specific time who chose idols over the living God. Keep the focus on God’s faithfulness and His invitation to trust Him.
A Prayer to Close
Lord, thank You that You always keep Your promises. Help us remember that You alone are God and that nothing else can take Your place in our hearts. Teach us to trust You every day and to know You more. Amen.
