We’re getting ready to study about Zerubbabel in my kindergarten Bible class at church and I have some awesome resources to share with you today. Now, Zerubbabel is a super interesting Old Testament character who definitely needs more notice. We find his story in Ezra 2-6 when God’s people exiled in Babylon first get the memo from King Cyrus that the Jews can all return back home to Jerusalem.
>>> Scroll down for a super cute and fun Zerubbabel Song!
Who was Zerubbabel in the Bible?
Zerubbabel himself had never actually seen Jerusalem. His very name means, “born in Babel”, but I’m sure he must have grown up hearing stories about the Jewish homeland and he was anxious to return.
If things had gone down differently, Zerubbabel might have been the king of Judah. After all, Zerubbabel was the grandson of King Jehoiachin (also called Jeconiah and Coniah) of Judah and was a direct descendant of King David (1 Chron 3:17).
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But his grandpa was famous for his short rule of only 3 months and 10 days (2 Chron 36:9) before being led away at the ripe old age of 18 into captivity to Babylon. The prophet Jeremiah had prophesied that no descendant of Coniah would sit on the throne (Jer. 22:30). So, Zerubbabel had grown up as an exile in the vast and powerful Babylonian empire and probably realized he would never be the king.
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Zerubbabel’s story
Ezra 1 sets the stage with King Cyrus of Persia proclaiming that God’s people could return to Jerusalem and rebuild a house there for God. In Ezra 2:2, Zerubbabel appears as the leader of the first group traveling back to Jerusalem. He traveled with a huge assembly of almost 50,000 people (Ezra 2:64-65). That must have been some caravan!
Although not the king, Zerubbabel acted as governor of Judah and worked alongside of Jeshua the high priest to build the altar of God (Ezra 3:2) By the second-year home, they began the work of rebuilding the temple (Ezra 3:8) but were only able to finish the foundation before trouble started.
Soon afterwards, the people living in the land discouraged God’s people and frightened them into stopping the work on the temple altogether (Ezra 4:4). This spiritual setback lasted for years until God spoke to Zerubbabel through the prophets Haggai and Zechariah. So, you can also find Zerubbabel mentioned frequently in those books as well.
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After going through the appropriate government channels, the Jews received permission from the current king, Darius, and a big surprise! God, working through King Darius, led him to offer to pay the full cost of rebuilding, restore the gold and silver utensils taken from the temple, and provide animals for daily burnt offerings (Ezra 6).
With this amazing turn of events, Zerubbabel jumped into action and God’s people quickly finished rebuilding the temple in the 6th year of King Darius.
>>> Jump to Bible Songs about Babylonian Exile
Teaching Kids about Zerubbabel
There are so many powerful lessons we can glean from this Bible story! First off, Zerubbabel had a heart for God. He obeyed God by listening to his word and he set his hands and heart to work for the Lord. He had courage during a time of great discouragement but continued to serve God by leading the people.
For kindergarten these are the main concepts we decided to focus on with the Zerubbabel story:
- listening to God’s prophets (God’s word)
- obeying God
- working in the kingdom
- encouraging others
Zerubbabel Song:
My dear friend, Glenda Schales, has written many delightful Bible songs for kids and her Zerubbabel song is one of my favorites. It is perfect for young learners because it combines silly hand motions with a fun iteration of Zerubbabel’s name, making his story memorable and fun! I asked for her permission to record the song and share it with you on YouTube. Your kids will love it!
Zerubbabel
Lyrics & tune copyright 2009 by Glenda Barnhart Schales
Zerub-a-rub-a-rub-abel
Rose up to build the house of God.
Zerub-a-rub-a-rub-abel
Was stopped by enemies of God.
Zerub-a-rub-a-rub-abel
Rose up to build the house of God.
Zerub-a-rub-a-rub-abel
Was servant to the house of God.
I wanna, wanna, wanna be a
Servant to the house of God.
Check out the YouTube link to hear the tune and see the hand motions that go along with the lyrics! I grabbed the graphics for the song from Free Bible Images, and you can, too. It’s a wonderful resource for every Bible class teacher.