Ezekiel
1:25-28
Ezekiel began his book with a description of the Lord’s greatness. Ezekiel tried to describe what the glory of the Lord looked like.
Arty would like you to try and draw a picture based on what Ezekiel described.
Don’t worry if you find it hard to draw. No human being can fully describe or understand the glory of the Lord! God is above our understanding. Ezekiel tried, but he couldn’t really describe the glory of the Lord. We can’t even begin to imagine what He looks like.
What did Ezekiel do when the Lord appeared to him?
Why do you think Ezekiel did that?
2:1
The Lord called Ezekiel Son of man.
Ezekiel was a human being and not God. Everyone who reads this book must remember that only God is holy. He is beyond our understanding. Ezekiel wrote a lot about God’s holiness. He also wrote about His omnipresence.
This means that God is able to be everywhere at the same time.
3:4-11
The Lord warned Ezekiel that the people wouldn’t listen to him. They were stubborn.
The Lord helped Ezekiel to also be stubborn. He needed to be stubborn because he had to bring God’s message no matter what happened.
Inny knows a few stubborn people. Think about stubborn people. What are they like?
There is good stubborn and bad stubborn.
When is it bad to be stubborn?
When is it good to be stubborn?
Think about Ezekiel! Being stubborn in a good way is called being firm or determined.
Are you stubborn? In a good way or a bad way?
How can you be stubborn in a good way?
10:1
The cherubim are heavenly creatures. They have wings and they are always with God. Sometimes they are God’s messengers.
Seraphs are also heavenly creatures. They are always around the throne of God worshipping Him.
Isaiah said they looked like human beings, but they had six wings.
They are God’s messengers and they are always in His presence.
11:17-20
The people had sinned, and so God punished them. He wanted them to turn back to Him.
God wanted to gather them together and bring them back to Jerusalem.
When this happened, He would change them. Then the people would serve God faithfully.
God would remove their stubborn hearts.
He would change their stubborn hearts to obedient hearts.
Then they would obey God, keep His laws, and serve Him.
15:1-8
Thinky noticed that the Lord often compared Israel to vines in a vineyard.
A vine is supposed to bear grapes. A vine that doesn’t bear grapes is useless. You may as well burn it.
Israel should have shown their love for God in the way they lived. But they didn’t.
They disobeyed God’s commands, worshipped false gods, and treated one another badly.
Many years later, Jesus explained how a branch should bear fruit.
You can read His words in John 15:1-6.
Can you discover the secret to bearing fruit?
18:30-32
Inny found out something wonderful about the Lord in these verses.
What did the Lord ask the Israelites to do?
What did the Lord want to do?
What doesn’t give the Lord joy?
What happens to a person who turns away from their sin?
What kind of life do you think is best?
A life without the Lord?
Or a life with the Lord?
Which one do you choose and why do you choose it?
21:16-23
The king of Babylon reached a crossroads. He had to decide which way he would go.
Thinky was interested to read how he went about making his decision.
He pulled arrows from a bag and threw them on the ground. Then he looked at the way they fell.
He also killed a sheep and looked at its liver. He believed his gods spoke through the liver of the sheep.
This is how they showed him what to do.
How do you go about choosing what you should do?
Would you ask a false god to help you, or would you ask the Lord?
What do you think is the best way to make a decision?
28:1-10
The king of Tyre was a proud man. He thought he was better than other people.
He believed he was like a god. Read verse 2.
Inny and Hearty would like to know how people like that make you feel.
What do you do when you meet someone who thinks they are better than other people?
The king of Tyre thought he was God and didn’t need the Lord. He had turned away from the Lord.
So the Lord said He would destroy him. Read verses 7–8.
The Lord also said the king was just a human being. Others won’t think of him as a god.
Read verse 9.
Inny wants to know this:
Do you think it’s wise to be proud and turn away from the Lord?
What will a wise person do?
33:11
What makes the Lord sad? What makes him happy?
Inny knows that when people turn away from their sins, the Lord is happy. The Lord’s
love never ends. He doesn’t want anyone to die because they didn’t turn away from
their sins.
The Lord loves you very much.
How can you make the Lord very happy? Read verse 11 again.
34:17–21
The Lord calls the Israelites his flock. In these verses, the Lord compares the
Israelites' behavior to the way sheep and goats act. The Lord says he will judge them for
their unkind and selfish behavior.
Hearty wonders how you feel when you read about sheep hurting other sheep.
Read verses 18–19 and 21. Do you know children who are like that? How do you feel
when you see children bullying other children?
Talk with your friends and parents about the problem of bullying. Talk about what you
can do to help stop it.
36:24–28
Hearty wonders how the nations felt when they saw the Israelites return
home. Returning home would happen only after the Israelites had changed their
hearts. They needed to ask the Lord to forgive their sins. Because of the Lord’s mercy,
he would forgive them. Read verses 24–28.
Hearty wants you to know this. The Lord is holy. He is the one only true God.
And he is faithful to his promises. How does that make you feel?
37:13-14
In this vision, Ezekiel is shown that the Lord can bring new life.
Israel was like a heap of bones. They were scattered and lost.
But the Lord could gather them together and bring them back to their country.
And He could change them so that they loved Him and served Him.
God is still changing people. He gives us new life. He makes us His children.
He sends His Spirit to live in us when we are His children.
47:6-12
Ezekiel saw water flowing from the temple. Later that water became a deep river.
Good things happened on the banks of the river.
Arty wants you to imagine this river in your head. Let your imagination run free.
Do you see the things happening on the banks of the river?
Think about it for a while.
Then if you like, you can draw a picture of it!
This river reminds us of the Lord.
He brings new life to people. He always makes life good and beautiful.
Write one or two of these thoughts on your picture.
48:35
Ezekiel ends his book with a vision of a new city.
The name of the city is, The Lord Is There.
Do you know that this is the name of every place where God’s children live?
The Holy Spirit lives in God’s children. That is why you can call every place where a child of God lives, The Lord Is There.
He is always with His children.
He never goes away.