This is a simplified version of the Bible story found in Ezekiel 3-5, written for children to understand. For the original version, please refer to the Bible passage.
Once, a man named Ezekiel, who was a priest, had a special experience with God. God told Ezekiel to eat a scroll, which was like a big paper with writing on it. Ezekiel did as he was told, and even though it might sound weird to us, it tasted sweet to him.
God then gave Ezekiel a special job. He was supposed to talk to the people of Israel and tell them what God wanted them to know. But the people of Israel were stubborn and didn’t want to listen to God’s words. Ezekiel was sad about this, but God told him not to be afraid of the people’s reactions. God promised to be with Ezekiel always.
Later on, God told Ezekiel that he was like a watchman for the people of Israel. A watchman is someone who looks out for danger and warns others when trouble is coming. God said that if Ezekiel warned the people about their sins, even if they didn’t listen, it was still his job to try to help them. But if Ezekiel didn’t warn the people about their sins, he would be responsible for their punishment.
God also showed Ezekiel a vision of what would happen to the city of Jerusalem if the people didn’t stop disobeying Him. Jerusalem would be destroyed and the people would suffer terribly. God was warning them through Ezekiel, but the people still refused to listen.
In his vision, Ezekiel saw that God was angry with the people of Jerusalem because they had rebelled against Him and disobeyed His laws. God told Ezekiel that He was going to punish the people by allowing their enemies to attack and conquer the city. The punishment would be severe and would involve famine, disease, and violence. God even told Ezekiel that the people would be so desperate for food that they would resort to cannibalism, with fathers eating their own sons and sons eating their own fathers.
Despite the severity of the punishment, God promised Ezekiel that He would not completely abandon the people of Israel. He would leave a remnant of faithful people who would eventually return to the land and rebuild the city of Jerusalem. In this way, God would show that even though He punishes sin, He is always willing to forgive and restore those who turn to Him in repentance.
Biblical Lessons
- God is powerful and can do amazing things.
- If we don’t listen to God, there will be consequences.
- We should be willing to share God’s message with others, even if they don’t want to hear it.
- God loves us and wants us to turn away from sin so we can have eternal life with Him.
- We should always remember that God is in control, even when things seem scary or uncertain.