Clean Clothes for the Priest — Zechariah’s Vision Preschool Lesson
Preschool lesson (ages 3–6, 20 minutes)
1. Welcome (3 min)
Sit in a circle, greet every child by name and show one thing from the story to touch.
2. The little story (5 min)
Teach the refrain first: “Dirty clothes off, clean clothes on!”
Zechariah was a prophet – a man who tells God’s words. He lived when God’s people had come back home to Jerusalem. One night God showed him a vision. A vision is a picture that God shows.
In the vision he saw Joshua, the high priest. A priest helps people come to God. The high priest was the most important priest of all. He wore special clothes for his work in God’s house.
Joshua stood before the LORD’s angel. But look at his clothes! They were filthy – very, very dirty. Can you hold your nose? Phew! In the vision, the dirty clothes showed the wrong things Joshua had done.
Satan was there too. He stood next to Joshua to accuse him. To accuse means to say bad things about someone, to get him in trouble.
But the LORD said, “The LORD rebuke you, Satan! Isn’t this a burning stick plucked out of the fire?” Rebuke means to say: Stop it! Plucked out of the fire means pulled out just in time. God had saved Joshua, like that stick.
Then the angel spoke to those standing by. “Take the filthy garments off him.” Garments means clothes. Off came the dirty clothes! Dirty clothes off, clean clothes on!
The angel turned to Joshua. He said, “Behold, I have caused your iniquity to pass from you. I will clothe you with rich clothing.” Iniquity means the wrong things. Now they were gone – all gone!
Can you pretend to take off a dirty old coat? Throw it away! Now put on a clean, beautiful one. Dirty clothes off, clean clothes on!
Then Zechariah called out, “Let them set a clean turban on his head.” A turban is a hat made of cloth, wrapped around and around. Can you wrap a pretend turban around your head?
So they put a clean turban on Joshua’s head. They dressed him in the new clothes. And the LORD’s angel was standing by. There stood Joshua, all clean and new! Dirty clothes off, clean clothes on!
Then the angel told Joshua what God said. If Joshua would walk in God’s ways, he would take care of God’s house. To walk in God’s ways means to live the way God shows us.
God showed a special stone too. “On one stone are seven eyes.” Let’s count seven eyes on our fingers: one, two, three, four, five, six, seven!
God said, “I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day.” In just one day! God would take away the wrong things of the whole land. Dirty clothes off, clean clothes on!
And God said, “You will invite every man his neighbor under the fig tree.” A fig tree has big, wide leaves. They make a cool, dark shade. Sweet fruit grows on it, called figs. Neighbors would invite each other to sit together under it, like good friends.
God takes away what is wrong. He makes his people clean – fresh and clean, like soft pajamas at bedtime. Dirty clothes off, clean clothes on!
3. Talk together (3 min)
- How do you think Joshua felt in his clean new clothes?
- What do you like to do when you sit with a friend in the shade?
4. Move (3 min)
Refrain Freeze: move around the room; when you say the refrain, everyone freezes and says it together.
5. Make (4 min)
Draw a line to who said it.
6. Verse and prayer (2 min)
“I will clothe you with rich clothing” — Zechariah 3:4 (I will clothe you → pretend to put on a coat; with rich clothing → smooth down your clean clothes)
Dear God, thank you that you take away what is wrong. Thank you that you make me clean and new. Amen.
Lesson for older kids (ages 6–10)
Big idea: God Makes Us Clean
Memory verse: “Behold, I have caused your iniquity to pass from you, and I will clothe you with rich clothing.” — Zechariah 3:4 · WEB
The Bible story
When God's priest Joshua stands in filthy clothes while an accuser points at him, God does something wonderful that shows how much He loves to make us clean and new.
Talk about it
- Who did God give a special vision to? — Zechariah
- What was Joshua's important job? — A high priest
- What was wrong with Joshua's clothes at the start? — They were very dirty
- Who stood beside Joshua to accuse him? — Satan, the accuser
- When someone tried to point out Joshua's wrongs, what did God do? — God scolded him
- What did the angel tell the helpers to do first? — Take off the dirty clothes
Where is Jesus in this story?
Joshua's clean clothes point us to Jesus. One day Jesus came to take away the 'dirty clothes' of our sin for good. When we trust Him, He wraps us in His own goodness, so we can stand before God clean and unafraid, just like Joshua.
What God wants to tell us
God did not push Joshua away because of his dirty clothes. Instead, He gently took them off and gave him something far better. God does the very same for us. When we come to Him, He forgives our mistakes and fills us with fresh, clean joy. We never have to feel too dirty for God's love, because He is always waiting to make us new.
Prayer
Dear God, thank You for taking away my mistakes and making my heart clean. Help me to walk in Your good ways and to share Your love with others. Thank You that I never have to be afraid, because You always forgive me. In Jesus' name, Amen.
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