Restoration

After judgment and exile, God’s heart is to restore His people—spiritually, relationally, and nationally. The prophets proclaim not just ruin but renewal.

Lesson Objective:

By the end of this lesson, students will:

• Understand that restoration is a core theme in the prophetic message.

• See how restoration follows judgment as a sign of God’s grace and faithfulness.

• Identify areas in their own lives where God is inviting renewal.

• Be encouraged to live as participants in God’s ongoing work of restoration.

From Ruin to Renewal

Ask:

• What does the word “restoration” mean to you?

• Have you ever seen something broken made new again?

Key Point:

Restoration is not just about returning to the past, but about God doing something better—deeper, fuller, and more beautiful than before.

Beauty for Ashes

Isaiah 61:1–4 NKJV

1 “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, Because the Lord has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound; 2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn, 3 To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.” 4 And they shall rebuild the old ruins, They shall raise up the former desolations, And they shall repair the ruined cities, The desolations of many generations.

Context: This passage is spoken to those coming out of exile—desolate, grieving, and weary.

Key Ideas:

• God brings comfort, freedom, and rebuilding.

• Restoration includes healing the land, hearts, and identity.

• Jesus quotes this in Luke 4 as His mission—He fulfills this restoration.

Ask:

• What “ruins” does God promise to rebuild?

• How does this passage speak to personal or community pain?

A New Heart

Ezekiel 36:24–28 NKJV

24 For I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land. 25 Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. 26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them. 28 Then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; you shall be My people, and I will be your God.

Key Point: Restoration is not just external—it’s a deep, spiritual transformation.

God promises:

• Cleansing from idols

• A new heart and new spirit

• His Spirit to help them live faithfully

Ask:

• Why is inner restoration necessary before outward change?

• How does God restore your heart when it’s grown hard or weary?

What the Locusts Ate

Joel 2:25–27 NKJV

25 “So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, The crawling locust, The consuming locust, And the chewing locust, My great army which I sent among you. 26 You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, And praise the name of the Lord your God, Who has dealt wondrously with you; And My people shall never be put to shame. 27 Then you shall know that I am in the midst of Israel: I am the Lord your God And there is no other. My people shall never be put to shame.

Context: After devastation by locusts (a symbol of judgment), God promises to restore “the years” that were lost.

Key Message: God can redeem time, fruitfulness, and hope.

Ask:

• What does it mean for God to restore “lost years” in your life?

• How have you seen Him bring life out of loss?

Singing Over His People

Zephaniah 3:14–17 NKJV

14 Sing, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! 15 The Lord has taken away your judgments, He has cast out your enemy. The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst; You shall see disaster no more. 16 In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: “Do not fear; Zion, let not your hands be weak. 17 The Lord your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.”

Image: God rejoices over His people with singing—a beautiful image of joy and intimacy.

Restoration here includes:

• Removing shame

• Gathering the scattered

• Reversing judgment

Ask:

• How does it feel to imagine God rejoicing over you?

• What does this say about God’s heart in the process of restoration?

Rebuilding the Tent

Amos 9:11–15 NKJV

11 “On that day I will raise up The tabernacle of David, which has fallen down, And repair its damages; I will raise up its ruins, And rebuild it as in the days of old; 12 That they may possess the remnant of Edom, And all the Gentiles who are called by My name,” Says the Lord who does this thing. 13 “Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord, “When the plowman shall overtake the reaper, And the treader of grapes him who sows seed; The mountains shall drip with sweet wine, And all the hills shall flow with it. 14 I will bring back the captives of My people Israel; They shall build the waste cities and inhabit them; They shall plant vineyards and drink wine from them; They shall also make gardens and eat fruit from them. 15 I will plant them in their land, And no longer shall they be pulled up From the land I have given them,” Says the Lord your God.

Context: The prophecy ends with God rebuilding David’s fallen tent, restoring the land, and planting His people never to be uprooted.

New Testament tie-in: Acts 15 quotes this to show that Gentiles are included in God’s restorative plan.

Ask:

• How is God’s restoration not just personal, but corporate—for communities, churches, and nations?

• How can we join in His restoration work?

Living as the Restored

Reflection Questions:

• What area of your life needs restoration?

• Where have you experienced God’s rebuilding?

Challenge: This week, identify one “ruin” (in your life or someone else’s) and ask God how He wants to begin the restoration process.

Closing Prayer: Thank God for His heart to restore what sin, pain, and exile have broken. Ask for fresh vision, renewed hearts, and courage to walk in the joy of His restoration.

Optional Activities:

• Restoration Testimonies: Invite someone to share how God restored their life or faith.

• Group Art or Journaling: Create a “Before and After” page reflecting personal restoration.

• Scripture Memory: Choose Joel 2:25 or Isaiah 61:3 as a weekly verse of hope.