Amos 9
Explanation and Bible story for toddlers and preschoolers (ages 3-6)
The Explanation
Amos saw God. Right there, close by the altar.
God was not smiling. His voice was big and heavy.
There had been trouble. God's people did bad things. For a long, long time.
God said: even if they dig down deep, deep in the ground, I will find them.
Even if they climb way up high, up to the sky, I will find them.
Even on top of the biggest mountain. Even at the bottom of the sea.
God can find anyone. Anywhere.
That sounds a little scary. And it was. God was very sad about the bad things.
What Does This Mean?
But wait. Listen closely.
God also said something else. Something warm.
He said: I will not destroy all of my people. Not all of them.
He said it like sifting grain. You know, like shaking a sieve to get out the little stones.
Not one good grain falls through and gets lost. Not one.
God was angry, yes. But God did not let go. Not all the way.
He held on. Like a hand that will not open.
The Common Thread
Then God said something beautiful.
"I will raise up the tent of David who is fallen."
Like a tent that fell down in the wind. God will stand it back up.
He will fix the broken parts. He will build it new again.
This tent of David, that is a promise. A promise about someone coming later.
Someone from David's family. That someone is Jesus.
God always keeps building, even after things break.
For You
Have you ever knocked down your blocks by accident? All of them fall.
Does someone help you build them up again?
God does that too. He builds up what is broken.
Even when we do wrong things, God does not just walk away.
He looks for us. Everywhere. Under the bed, behind the door, anywhere we hide.
Not to be scary. But because He wants to find us.
And then, listen to this part. God said sweet wine will drip from the mountains.
Gardens full of fruit. Houses to live in. Never pulled up again.
That is what God is making. Something good, out of something broken.
Talk About It
Can you think of a time something of yours broke, and someone fixed it?
What do you think it feels like when God finds you, even when you are hiding?
Praying Together
Dear God,
You can always find me. Even when I hide.
Thank You that You do not let go of me.
Thank You for fixing what is broken.
Amen.
What others discovered
All the sinners of my people will die by the sword, who say, 'Evil won't overtake nor meet us.'" Notice what marks them here. Not one loud crime, but a quiet sentence they kept repeating: nothing will ever catch up with us. Comfort had become a kind of blindfold. What have you assumed you'd never have to answer for?
Behold, the eyes of the Lord Yahweh are on the sinful kingdom, and I will destroy it from off the surface of the earth; except that I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob."
God does not look away from what is wrong in you. He names it, fully. But the sentence does not end there. Everything hangs on that small word "except." His mercy is not a softer look at your sin. It is a promise spoken after He has seen it all.
Looking for something for slightly older children?
We also have dedicated versions for elementary age (7-12) and teens (12 and up).
Open in the Children's Bible tool
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