This lesson teaches children that God sees and rescues people who trust Him, even when they are stuck in a hard place. It suits children ages 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes to teach, including the story, the verses, and the activity.
Big Idea
God sees the people who are scared and stuck, and He sends help to bring them out. Even when things look hopeless, God never forgets His friends.
Memory Verse
Jeremiah 38:13
So they drew up Jeremiah with the cords, and took him up out of the dungeon; and Jeremiah remained in the court of the guard.
(WEB)
Teach the children to pretend they are pulling a rope hand over hand, slowly, as if lifting a friend out of a deep hole. Say the verse together while you pull the imaginary rope, then sit down together as if you have reached the top. Repeat it three times, faster each time.
The Story: Jeremiah 38 for Kids
Jeremiah was a prophet who told the people of Jerusalem what God wanted them to hear. God told Jeremiah that the city would be given to the army of Babylon, and that the people who went out to the Babylonians would live. Some leaders did not like this message at all. They said, “This man is making our soldiers and our people give up hope. He must be put to death.”
King Zedekiah did not stand up for Jeremiah. He said, “He is in your hands, because I cannot stop you.” So the leaders grabbed Jeremiah and threw him into a deep pit called a dungeon. The bottom of the pit was not filled with water. It was thick, sticky mud, and Jeremiah sank down into it.
A kind man named Ebedmelech, who worked in the king’s house, heard what had happened. He went to the king and said, “My lord, these men have done a wicked thing. Jeremiah will die in that pit.” The king told Ebedmelech to take thirty men and pull Jeremiah out before he died.
Ebedmelech found some old, worn-out rags and lowered them down on ropes. He said, “Put these under your arms so the ropes do not hurt you.” Jeremiah did it, and the men slowly pulled him up out of the pit. Jeremiah was safe, and he stayed in the guard’s courtyard.
Later, the king called Jeremiah in and asked him for God’s message one more time. Jeremiah told him again that the king should go out to the Babylonian leaders to save his life. The king was afraid, and he did not do what Jeremiah said. Jeremiah stayed in the courtyard of the guard until Jerusalem was taken.
Read It Together
Jeremiah 38:4-6
4 Then the princes said to the king, “Please let this man be put to death; because he weakens the hands of the men of war who remain in this city, and the hands of all the people, in speaking such words to them: for this man doesn’t seek the welfare of this people, but harm.” 5 Zedekiah the king said, “Behold, he is in your hand; for the king can’t do anything to oppose you.” 6 Then took they Jeremiah and threw him into the dungeon of Malchijah the king’s son, that was in the court of the guard. They let down Jeremiah with cords. In the dungeon there was no water, but mire; and Jeremiah sank in the mire.
(WEB)
Point out how the leaders were angry and how Jeremiah was thrown into the mud. Ask the children how they think Jeremiah felt sinking down. Remind them that being stuck does not mean God has left us.
Jeremiah 38:9-10
9 “My lord the king, these men have done evil in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet, whom they have cast into the dungeon. He is likely to die in the place where he is, because of the famine; for there is no more bread in the city.” 10 Then the king commanded Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, saying, “Take from here thirty men with you, and take up Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon, before he dies.”
(WEB)
Show the children that Ebedmelech spoke up for Jeremiah even though he was not a leader. Explain that a single brave friend can make a big difference, and that God often works through the people around us.
Jeremiah 38:11-13
11 So Ebedmelech took the men with him, and went into the house of the king under the treasury, and took from there rags and worn-out garments, and let them down by cords into the dungeon to Jeremiah. 12 Ebedmelech the Ethiopian said to Jeremiah, “Now put these rags and worn-out garments under your armpits under the cords.” Jeremiah did so. 13 So they drew up Jeremiah with the cords, and took him up out of the dungeon; and Jeremiah remained in the court of the guard.
(WEB)
Highlight the rags and the ropes that God used to bring Jeremiah out. Tell the children that God can use simple, everyday things to help His people, just as He used old cloth and strong cords.
Talk About It
- How do you think Jeremiah felt when he was stuck in the mud at the bottom of the pit?
- What did Ebedmelech do to help Jeremiah, even though he was not the king?
- Can you think of a time when someone helped you when you felt stuck or scared?
- Why do you think God wanted Jeremiah to tell the people the truth, even when they did not like it?
- How can you be a helper to a friend who is feeling stuck or sad this week?
Activity Ideas
Rope and Rag Pit Drawing
You will need paper, crayons, and a pencil. Ask each child to draw a deep, dark pit with thick brown mud at the bottom and a small figure of Jeremiah inside. Then have them draw a rope reaching down to him and a friend at the top holding it. Talk through the picture together as each child explains who is pulling and why.
Pull Me Up Movement Game
Pair the children up and have one child sit on the floor while the other gently pulls them up by the hands, singing or saying the memory verse slowly as they stand. Switch roles so everyone feels the rescue. Keep the movement gentle and safe, and remind children that God is the One who rescues us in every situation.
Helper Card for Home
You will need index cards, markers, and a sheet of stickers if you have them. Have each child write or draw one way they can help someone at home this week, such as sharing a toy or saying a kind word. Encourage them to put the card on the fridge so the whole family can see it. Ask them to tell someone about their helper card at dinner.
Teacher Notes
For adults, this chapter shows that God remains faithful to His servants even when they suffer for speaking His word. Jeremiah was not rescued because he was powerful, but because God worked through a foreign official who acted with compassion. It also shows how fear can push people away from the truth, even when they know what is right.
Be careful not to suggest to children that God will always rescue us from every hard situation in the way He did for Jeremiah. Instead, focus on the fact that God is with us and cares for us, even when the outcome is not what we hope for.
A Prayer to Close
Dear God, thank You for seeing us when we feel stuck and scared. Help us to be brave like Jeremiah and kind like Ebedmelech. Remind us that You are always with us, and help us to be good helpers to our friends. Amen.
