This lesson teaches children that God sees everything, even the things people try to hide, and that he always knows the truth about what we do. It suits children aged about 5 to 11 and takes 20 to 30 minutes to teach, including the story, the verses, and the activity.
Big Idea
Nothing is hidden from God. He sees our hearts and our choices, so we can always be honest with him and choose to love and obey him.
Memory Verse
Ezekiel 8:12
Then he said to me, “Son of man, have you seen what the elders of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in his rooms of imagery? For they say, ‘The LORD doesn’t see us. The LORD has forsaken the land.’”
(WEB)
Teach the children to cover their eyes with both hands for “the Lord doesn’t see,” then open their hands wide and point up to the sky for “he sees everything.” Let them do the motion together three times so the words stick.
The Story: Ezekiel 8 for Kids
One day, a prophet named Ezekiel was sitting in his house in the land of Babylon. Some of the leaders of Judah had come to sit with him and wait for God to speak. Suddenly, God’s power came on Ezekiel, and he saw a bright shape like fire and shining metal. God’s Spirit lifted him up and carried him through the air all the way back to Jerusalem.
In Jerusalem, God showed Ezekiel a statue that made God very angry, and then he asked Ezekiel to look more closely at the walls of the temple. Ezekiel dug a hole in the wall and found a hidden door. God said, “Go in, and see the wicked things that they do here.” So Ezekiel went in and saw walls covered with pictures of animals and idols.
Seventy leaders of Israel stood there, each holding a little pot of smoking incense. They were worshiping false gods in secret, in the dark. They said to each other, “The Lord does not see us. He has left this land.” But God was watching every moment.
God showed Ezekiel more and more hidden sins. Women were weeping for a false god named Tammuz, and then twenty-five men stood in the temple courtyard with their backs to God’s house, bowing to the sun. God asked, “Have you seen this?” The people had filled the land with violence and kept making him angry.
The people thought no one could see what they were doing. They were wrong. God did see, and he was not pleased with the way they were turning away from him. He told Ezekiel that because they refused to stop, he would act with justice.
This story is sad, but it teaches a true lesson. The people hid their sin, yet God knew about every bit of it. God wants his people to turn back to him, and he sees when we choose to obey him, too.
Read It Together
Ezekiel 8:1
In the sixth year, in the sixth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I sat in my house, and the elders of Judah sat before me, the Lord the LORD’s hand fell on me there.
(WEB)
Point out that Ezekiel was sitting in his house when God’s hand came on him. Explain that God can reach people anywhere, even far away from the temple, and that he speaks to people who are listening for him.
Ezekiel 8:5-6
5 Then he said to me, “Son of man, lift up your eyes now the way toward the north.” So I lifted up my eyes the way toward the north, and saw, northward of the gate of the altar this image of jealousy in the entry. 6 He said to me, “Son of man, do you see what they do? Even the great abominations that the house of Israel commit here, that I should go far off from my sanctuary? But you will again see yet other great abominations.”
(WEB)
Show the children that God asked Ezekiel to look carefully at what the people were doing. Explain that God notices when people turn to other things instead of him, and that he wants us to see what is wrong so we can stop.
Ezekiel 8:17-18
17 Then he said to me, “Have you seen this, son of man? Is it a light thing to the house of Judah that they commit the abominations which they commit here? For they have filled the land with violence, and have turned again to provoke me to anger. Behold, they put the branch to their nose. 18 Therefore will I also deal in wrath. My eye won’t spare, neither will I have pity. Though they cry in my ears with a loud voice, yet I will not hear them.”
(WEB)
Point out that the people had filled the land with violence and anger. Explain that God is serious about sin, but this passage also shows that he tells us the truth so we can come back to him.
Talk About It
- What is one thing that people might think no one can see, but God still sees?
- Why do you think the leaders of Israel thought God could not see them in the dark?
- How does it feel to know that God is always with us and always watching over us with love?
- What is one thing you can do this week to show God that you want to obey him?
- When you do something good when nobody is looking, what does that teach you about God?
Activity Ideas
Drawing God’s Eyes
Give each child a sheet of paper, crayons, and a pencil. Ask them to draw a large pair of eyes in the middle of the page, then fill the space around the eyes with things they do during the day. Explain that God sees all of those things. Let each child tell the class one thing they drew.
Hide and Seek with God
Play a simple game of hide and seek with the children. Choose one child to be the seeker, and have everyone else hide. Before starting, say that God never has to search for us because he always knows where we are. Afterward, talk about how we can trust God even when we feel alone.
Watch Me Chart
Give each child a small piece of paper and a marker. Have them write “God sees me” in the middle and draw a simple sun above the words. Encourage them to take this chart home and place it on the fridge or beside their bed, so the family can talk about God seeing them each day.
Teacher Notes
For adults, this chapter shows that God sees every sin and every heart, including what people hide from others. It also shows that God’s patience has limits, and that worship given to anything other than him is a serious offense. The passage invites us to examine our own private lives with honesty and to turn toward God with repentance.
When teaching children, avoid making the story about fear or punishment. Emphasize that God sees us because he loves us and wants us to walk with him, and that he is always ready to forgive when we turn back to him. Keep the focus on God’s faithfulness and the hope of returning to him.
A Prayer to Close
Dear God, thank you that you see everything we do and everywhere we go. Help us to be honest with you and to choose what is good, even when no one else is watching. Thank you that you always know us and love us. Help us to love you with all our hearts. Amen.
