Children's Story Guide (Ezra 5-6)
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STORY GUIDE EZRA 5:1-2, 6:14; HAGGAI 1:1-15; ZECHARIAH 9:9-10 HAGGAI AND ZECHARIAH ENCOURAGE THE TEMPLE BUILDERS Old Testament Lesson #151 When the Jews first returned from exile in POINTS TO CONSIDER: Babylon, they began rebuilding the temple. But soon, • Zechariah means “Yahweh remembers.” interference from Samaritan neighbors led the Persian • The prophecy of Zechariah has many references to king to order the work stopped. Fifteen years passed the work of the Messiah (compare Zechariah 9:9 to before construction on the temple began again. God sent Matthew 21:5 and John 12:15). the prophets Haggai (HAG-ga-i) and Zechariah (zek-a- • The “Jeshua” in Ezra is the same person as “Joshua” RI-a) to the Jews to encourage them to finish the work. in Haggai. Haggai’s message was, “Give careful thought to Haggai and Zechariah Encourage the Temple Builders your ways.” The people were saying that the time to I. God sent Haggai and Zechariah to encourage rebuild the LORD’s house hadn’t come, yet they were the workers. building nice houses for themselves. Haggai told them to A. Work on the temple had stopped for 15 years. consider their behavior: B. People thought it wasn’t time to build again. • They planted much, but harvested little. C. Haggai said the people were building nice homes • They ate and drank, but were never filled. for themselves but were forgetting God. • They wore clothes, but were not warm D. Zechariah said it didn’t matter if the foundation enough. wasn’t as glorious as Solomon’s temple. • The wages they earned were put into II. The people listened to the prophets. purses with holes in them. A. After four years, the temple was completed. They never realized that God had caused their work B. The people joyfully dedicated their house of God. not to prosper because they had never finished his house. God, the source of all good to the Jews, was insulted that ANSWER KEY: his house remained in ruins while they focused on their hammer own beautiful homes. rainbow The prophet Zechariah encouraged the people to be grapes strong so that the temple could be built (Zechariah 8:9). angel Some of the people had been saddened (Ezra 3:12) when arrow they saw the foundation (it wasn’t as big or as glorious kite as the earlier temple Solomon had built), but Zechariah asked them, “Who despises the day of small things?” Haggai (Zechariah 4:10) He explained that Zerubbabel’s (ze- RUB-a-bel) hands had laid the foundation of the temple much, little, never, filled, not, warm, enough, holes, in, and that his hands would also finish it. This would be the them, not, prosper, finished, house evidence that God had sent Zechariah. Both Haggai and Zechariah prophesied specifically about Jeshua (JESH-oo-a), the high priest, and Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah, who were both encouraged in their work. The people caught the vision as well, and the work proceeded. After four years, the temple was completed (see Ezra 4:24 and 6:15). When the temple was finished, the people joyfully dedicated the house of their God. 2005 CRI • P.O. Box 36269 • Canton, Ohio 44735 • 330 493-7884 • www.BibleActivities.com HAGGAI AND ZECHARIAH EZRA 5:1-2, 6:14; HAGGAI 1:1-15; ENCOURAGE THE TEMPLE BUILDERS ZECHARIAH 9:9-10 od sent 2 prophets to encourage the people of Jerusalem to begin rebuilding the temple. Write the name of each picture. The darker boxes spell the name. One of the prophets was ____________. Answer each math problem. Look at the code for the correct letter. Code 10 = A 1 = N 15 = C 12 =O He told them they planted ____ ____ ____ ____ and harvested 20 = D 14 = P 4+4 5+6 3x5 10÷5 ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____; ate and drank, but were 25 = E 3 = R 2x3 12÷3 5+4 3x3 3+3 5x5 30 = F 7 = S ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____. They 5 = G 9 = T 2–1 5x5 7+6 20+5 9÷3 6x5 3+1 2x3 5+1 20+5 4x5 2 = H 11 =U wore clothes, but were ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ 4 = I 13 =V 6–5 6+6 3x3 15+2 5+5 2+1 4x2 6 = L 17 = W ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____; put the wages they earned in purses 8 = M 30–5 4–3 2x6 5+6 2+3 1+1 with ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ 8÷4 15–3 4+2 10+15 4+3 2x2 1+0 ____ ____ ____ ____. God had caused their work ____ ____ ____ to 6+3 5–3 20+5 2x4 10–9 9+3 6+3 ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ because they had not 12+2 8–5 8+4 3+4 7+7 22+3 2+1 ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ His ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ yet. 25+5 8–4 8–7 2x2 5+2 6÷3 5x5 4x5 1+1 7+5 8+3 6+1 22+3 Name ____________________________________________ Old Testament Lesson #151 2005 CRI • P.O. Box 36269 • Canton, Ohio 44735 • 330 493-7884 • www.BibleActivities.com HAGGAI AND ZECHARIAH EZRA 5:1-2, 6:14; HAGGAI 1:1-15; ENCOURAGE THE TEMPLE BUILDERS ZECHARIAH 9:9-10 hen the people finished the temple, they were happy. Circle 10 things that are different in the second picture. Name ____________________________________________ Old Testament Lesson #151 2005 CRI • P.O. Box 36269 • Canton, Ohio 44735 • 330 493-7884 • www.BibleActivities.com.