After many warnings from the Lord, Israel was conquered by the Babylonians! The Israelites were taken prisoner and removed from their homeland. But God had not abandoned them. While in captivity, the Lord gave a prophet named Ezekiel an incredible vision of His people’s resurrection and restoration. God would send His Holy Spirit, and the Spirit would make all things new! The Valley of Dry Bones Sunday School lesson comes with an exciting resource bundle that includes a beautiful Bible video, teaching slideshow, fun activities and volunteer-friendly curriculum. It’s everything you need to teach Ezekiel 37 with confidence!
Be sure and read to the end of this article to get a FREE promotional poster for the Valley of Dry Bones Sunday School lesson. This PDF is beautifully designed, filled with inspiring artwork and is ready to print! It’s the perfect way to promote this lesson to families, or give it away as a reward to the kids in your class!
The Story of Ezekiel 37
After many years of rebellion and idolatry, God allowed His people, the Israelites, to be taken captive by the empire of Babylon. This was a dark and discouraging time for the Israelites. Their temple, land, and nation had been lost. It was during this time that God gave an incredible vision of hope and new life to a prophet named Ezekiel.
In Ezekiel’s vision, the Spirit of the Lord carried him to the middle of a valley filled with dry bones that were scattered all over the place. As the Spirit of the Lord led Ezekiel through this valley of bones, God asked him, “Can these bones live again?” Ezekiel responded, “Oh Sovereign Lord, only you know the answer to that!”
Then God told Ezekiel to speak a message of prophesy to the dry bones that surrounded him, saying: “Dry bones, listen to the word of the Lord! I will put breath into you, and make you live again! I will put flesh and skin on you, and you will return to life! When I breathe new life into you, then you will know that I am the Lord.”
So Ezekiel spoke just as the Lord commanded, and as Ezekiel said the words of God’s prophecy, a great rattling sound filled the valley. The bones of each body came together and connected themselves to form complete skeletons. As Ezekiel watched, muscles and flesh formed over the bones, and then skin formed over the bodies. But there was no breath in them; there was no life in these bodies.
Then God commanded Ezekiel to speak a prophecy to the winds by saying, “Come, O breath, from the four winds! Breathe into these dead bodies that they may live again!” As Ezekiel spoke these words, breath came into their bodies, and they all came to life. There in this valley, a vast army of living men stood before Ezekiel!
Then God explained to Ezekiel that the bones in the valley represented the people of Israel: dried up, out of hope, and out of life. Then God told Ezekiel to prophesy to Israel: “O my people, I will open your graves and cause you to rise! I will bring you out of captivity and back to the land of Israel!”
God gave Ezekiel this final message to prophesy for His people: “When you return you will know that I am the Lord! I will put my Spirit in you, and you will live again! You will return home to your own land!” The Lord told Ezekiel to tell the people of Israel that, when this all comes to pass, they will know that it was the Lord who caused these things to happen and that the Lord had fulfilled His word.
Teaching Your Kids about Ezekiel 37
Being conquered by the Babylonians was punishment for the people of Israel’s idolatry and disobedience. Despite their evil ways, God still loved them and had a plan to bring them back to their homes and to restore their hope. As you share this lesson with your kids, discuss the following big ideas:
- Restoration: Even though God allowed the Israelites to be conquered by the Babylonians, it did not mean that He had given up on them and no longer loved His people. Their punishment would bring them back to Him, restoring their relationship with their God.
- Resurrection: In this story, resurrection is used as a metaphor for Israel’s return from captivity, but it also speaks of a future bodily resurrection where the dead shall live in Christ. The resurrection from the dead and the promise of eternal life are foundational in our Christian hope.
- New Covenant: God promises that there will be a new covenant between Him and His people, the Israelites, in which He will give them a new heart and a new spirit. He promised to put His spirit in them. The Israelites are not the only ones who benefit from this new covenant with God: all who believe in Jesus Christ can be forgiven of their sins and have a relationship with God.
More Ezekiel 37 Sunday School Resources: This article contains portions of the Sharefaith Kids Ezekiel 37 Valley of Dry Bones kids Bible lesson. Included in this lesson is a stunning lesson video, interactive teaching slideshow, full curriculum and tons of fun activity printouts.
Free Ezekiel 37 Promo Poster
Download this FREE 11″ x 17″ promotional poster for the Valley of Dry Bones Sunday School lesson. This PDF is beautifully designed, filled with inspiring artwork and is ready to print! It’s the perfect way to promote this lesson to families, or give it away as a reward to the kids in your class! To download, click on the image below or get it here!
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