Lesson introduction: Who is a true prophet? (Messenger sent from God) Do you remember the names of any prophets in the Bible? (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel…) Pass out Bibles and have students page through the prophets. (Isaiah-end of the Old Testament) Today we are going to focus on the prophet Ezekiel.
Bible lesson: Ezekiel was a captive in Babylon when he was called to be a prophet with dramatic visions from God. He was given many visions from God to relay messages to the other Jews that were in Babylon with him. The Jews had been taken captive because they were not following God the way they should have been. Ezekiel was on the other hand was known for his obedience to God. Most of the visions Ezekiel were given included messages about repenting from their sins. At one point Ezekiel was to declare the end, the destruction of Judah, but a few of the messages were about how God would restore Israel (the Jews) when they repented and returned to Him. One of those visions was what is known as the valley of dry bones.
Read through Ezekiel 37:1-10 breaking in-between verses to explaining the literal meanings as needed. (1-3) Ezekiel is walking through skeletons and God asks him if the bones could become alive. Ezekiel wisely answers that God alone knows. (4-6) God tells Ezekiel to tell the bones that God will bring them to life with bodies and breath. (7-8) Ezekiel prophesied, he told the bones to come to life, and the bones came together and were covered with full bodies like you and I have. (9-10) Ezekiel prophesied as God told him to and the bodies came to life.
In verses 11-14 we read God’s message wasn’t really to some dead soldiers. His message was to the Jews. Ezekiel was to go to the living Jews who had lost hope. God would put His Spirit in them, and they would return to their own land.
Wiggle time: Sing and Dance to Dry Bones.
Craft: Q-Tip Skeletons (allfreecrafts.com)
