In this lesson, children learn that God’s word is true even when someone says something that sounds nicer. Jeremiah 28 is for ages 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes to teach. The story shows a prophet named Hananiah promising good news that God never gave him, and God’s true word standing firm.
Big Idea
God tells the truth, and we can trust what He says even when a false voice sounds happier.
Memory Verse
Jeremiah 28:9
The prophet who prophesies of peace, when the word of the prophet happens, then the prophet will be known, that the LORD has truly sent him.”
(WEB)
Have children hold both hands out flat, then turn them over slowly, like flipping a pancake, every time they say the word “true.” Repeat the motion together three times so the verse feels like a little dance.
The Story: Jeremiah 28 for Kids
Long ago, the people of Judah were living in a hard time. Their enemy, the king of Babylon, had taken many of their people away from home. The people were sad and scared, and they wanted someone to tell them everything would be fine soon.
A prophet named Hananiah came to the Lord’s house in Jerusalem, where lots of people were gathered. He stood up in front of the priests and everyone and said, “The Lord says the king of Babylon’s power is broken! In two years, all the special items from the temple will come back, and the people will come home!” The crowd cheered.
The prophet Jeremiah was there too. He said, “Amen! I hope that is true. But listen carefully. Prophets before us often warned about trouble, and a prophet of peace is only proven right when his words come true.” Then Hananiah grabbed the wooden bar that Jeremiah wore around his neck, the one that showed God’s message about the yoke, and broke it in front of everyone.
Later, God spoke to Jeremiah and told him to go back to Hananiah. God said that the wooden bars were broken, but now there would be iron bars instead. Jeremiah told Hananiah that God had not sent him, and that he was trusting a lie.
Jeremiah said that Hananiah would die that very year. And it happened. Hananiah died in the seventh month of that same year.
Read It Together
Jeremiah 28:1
That same year, in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the fourth year, in the fifth month, Hananiah the son of Azzur, the prophet, who was of Gibeon, spoke to me in the LORD’s house, in the presence of the priests and of all the people, saying…
(WEB)
Point out that this story happened in a real place and a real time, with real people. Ask children to notice the name of the prophet who spoke first and where he stood to speak.
Jeremiah 28:5-6
5 Then the prophet Jeremiah said to the prophet Hananiah in the presence of the priests, and in the presence of all the people who stood in the LORD’s house, 6 even the prophet Jeremiah said, “Amen! May the LORD do so. May the LORD perform your words which you have prophesied, to bring again the vessels of the LORD’s house, and all those who are captives, from Babylon to this place.
(WEB)
Show children that Jeremiah answered kindly and said he hoped the good news was true. Point out that he did not argue with a loud voice, and that he still wanted God’s word to be the one that counted.
Jeremiah 28:15-16
15 Then the prophet Jeremiah said to Hananiah the prophet, “Listen, Hananiah! The LORD has not sent you, but you make this people trust in a lie. 16 Therefore the LORD says, ‘Behold, I will send you away from off the surface of the earth. This year you will die, because you have spoken rebellion against the LORD.’”
(WEB)
Explain that Jeremiah warned Hananiah plainly that he was trusting a lie. Help children see that God takes His truth seriously, and that the consequences are not something we get to choose.
Talk About It
- Why do you think the people wanted to believe Hananiah’s happy message so much?
- How can you tell when someone is telling you something that is not true?
- What did Jeremiah do when he heard the good news, and why was that a wise choice?
- What does it mean that God’s word is true even when it is not what we hoped to hear?
- How can we keep listening to God’s truth in our own homes and at school?
Activity Ideas
Yoke Drawing Craft
You will need paper, crayons, and a few craft sticks or paper strips. Have each child draw a wooden bar or yoke, then draw a second one made of iron, shading it gray. Talk together about how the story changed the bars, and let children write one true thing God has told us on the back.
Truth or Lie Movement Game
Mark one side of the room as “true” and the other as “lie.” Read short statements aloud, some true about God and some silly or false, and have children move to the matching side. Pause after each one to ask why they chose that side, and remind them that God’s word always stands.
Truth Jar Take-Home
Gather an empty jar, slips of paper, and a pencil. Ask each child to write or draw one thing they know is true about God and place it in the jar. At home, the family can read one slip together each evening, reminding everyone that God’s truth lasts longer than any promise that sounds too good to be true.
Teacher Notes
For adults, this chapter shows that God’s word is the measure of truth, and that false prophets speak to please people rather than to honor the Lord. Jeremiah’s willingness to hope for good news while still holding to God’s word is a helpful model for discernment.
With children, avoid suggesting that God’s judgment works the same way in every situation today or that every disagreement leads to a dramatic punishment. Keep the focus on trusting God’s truth and listening carefully to what He has said.
A Prayer to Close
Lord, thank You that You always tell us the truth. Help us listen carefully and trust Your word, even when something else sounds nice. Give us wisdom to know what is true and courage to hold onto it. Amen.
