This lesson teaches children that God is fair and always keeps His word, so when His people turn away from Him, He lets them know that their wrong choices have consequences. It works well for children ages 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes, depending on how many activities you choose.
Big Idea
God is always fair and always true. He warns us when we do wrong, and He keeps His promises, both the good ones and the warnings.
Memory Verse
Ezekiel 7:4
My eye will not spare you, neither will I have pity; but I will bring your ways on you, and your abominations will be among you. Then you will know that I am the LORD.’
(WEB)
Have the children cover their eyes with both hands, then slowly open their fingers and peek through them. Tell them this is how God sees everything we do, and that He never closes His eyes to what is happening. Repeat the verse together while doing the motion, then have them try it on their own.
The Story: Ezekiel 7 for Kids
God spoke to a man named Ezekiel and told him to share an important message with the people of Israel. God had been patient with His people for a very long time. They had been choosing their own way instead of following Him, and they kept doing things that made God sad. Ezekiel was told to say that the end had come. The people had been warned many times before, and now the time had arrived.
God said that He would not hold back. He explained that the people had filled their land with wicked things, including worshiping idols made by their own hands. Because of this, God would bring His judgment on them. The people would not be able to save themselves with their money or their gold. God told Ezekiel that the sword would come from outside the city, and hunger and sickness would be felt inside it. Those who tried to run away would be frightened and sad, feeling like doves hiding in the mountains.
The scary day was coming, and it was not a day for celebrating. Ezekiel told the people that buyers and sellers would not be happy, because everything they had worked for would be taken away. People would throw their silver into the streets, because it could not save them. Even the leaders, the kings and the priests, would be confused and lost, because they had not listened to God.
God did not say this because He was cruel. He said it because He loved His people and wanted them to come back to Him. He told them that they would finally know He is the Lord when His words came true. Even in this hard message, God was showing that He always keeps His word.
Read It Together
Ezekiel 7:3-4
3 Now is the end on you, and I will send my anger on you, and will judge you according to your ways. I will bring on you all your abominations. 4 My eye will not spare you, neither will I have pity; but I will bring your ways on you, and your abominations will be among you. Then you will know that I am the LORD.’
(WEB)
Point out that God says He will judge the people according to their ways, meaning their actions and choices. Ask the children to notice that God is saying they will know who He is, which shows that God wants people to understand Him clearly.
Ezekiel 7:19
They will cast their silver in the streets, and their gold will be as an unclean thing. Their silver and their gold won’t be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD’s wrath. They won’t satisfy their souls or fill their bellies; because it has been the stumbling block of their iniquity.
(WEB)
Explain that the people trusted their silver and gold to keep them safe, but those things could not protect them. Help the children see that money and things cannot take the place of trusting God, because they cannot save us when we need Him most.
Ezekiel 7:27
The king will mourn, and the prince will be clothed with desolation. The hands of the people of the land will be troubled. I will do to them after their way, and according to their own judgments I will judge them. Then they will know that I am the LORD.’”
(WEB)
Show the children that even the king and the leaders were affected by what the people had done. Point out the last words of the verse, which say that the people will know God is the Lord, and remind them that God’s truth stands even when everyone else is confused.
Talk About It
- What do you think the people of Israel might have done to make God sad?
- Why do you think God warned the people before He punished them?
- Can you think of a time when you did something wrong and had to face the results?
- Why couldn’t the people’s gold and silver save them from what was coming?
- How can we make sure we are trusting God instead of trusting things that cannot help us?
Activity Ideas
Draw a Warning Sign
Give each child a sheet of paper, crayons or markers, and a pencil. Ask them to draw a simple picture of something God wants us to avoid, such as lying or being unkind, and then draw a red line through it. Talk about how God’s warnings are given to help us, not to frighten us. Let the children take their drawings home to share with their families.
Eyes That See Everything
Gather the children in a circle and choose one child to be the “watcher” who stands in the middle with their eyes closed. The other children quietly move around, and the watcher opens their eyes and tries to spot someone who is out of place. Talk about how God always sees us, even when we think no one is looking, and how that helps us remember to make good choices.
Warning Card for Home
Give each child an index card or a small piece of cardstock, plus stickers or markers. Ask them to write or draw one way they want to follow God this week, such as being kind to a sibling. Encourage them to place the card somewhere they will see it each day, like on the refrigerator or by their bed, as a gentle reminder that God is always faithful.
Teacher Notes
For adults, Ezekiel 7 is a serious message of judgment against a people who had turned from God and trusted in idols, wealth and their own power. The chapter shows that God’s justice is real and that His warnings come from His faithfulness, not from a lack of love. It also reminds us that material wealth cannot protect anyone from the consequences of rejecting God.
When teaching children, avoid overstating the frightening details of the judgment, such as the sword, famine and pestilence. Keep the focus on the truths that God is fair, that He keeps His word, and that He loves His people enough to warn them. Children should leave knowing that God’s warnings are good news because they invite us to turn back to Him.
A Prayer to Close
Dear God, thank You for being fair and true, and for always keeping Your word. Help us to listen when You warn us and to turn back to You when we make mistakes. Teach us to trust You more than anything we own, and help us remember that You always see us. Amen.
