The Biggest Story Curriculum
Elijah Proves a Point
BEFORE THE LESSON
Read 1 Kings 18.
Pray for God’s help. Ask for the Spirit’s help in understanding the passage and for the Lord to open the children’s eyes to see who he is, what he has done, and how they should respond to him.
Study the lesson plan below. Use these sections as suggestions. Think of ways to teach it in your own voice.
Pray for God’s help. Ask for the Spirit’s help in understanding the passage and for the Lord to open the children’s eyes to see who he is, what he has done, and how they should respond to him.
Study the lesson plan below. Use these sections as suggestions. Think of ways to teach it in your own voice.
The Big Picture
Help children see how this story connects with the other lessons. Build anticipation by introducing the setting and the significance of what is about to happen in this week’s story. {5 minutes}
Who is the most famous leader of your country? Who is the leader now? Most people, especially adults, have strong opinions about whoever happens to be leading the country at the time. Some leaders have been great, some not so great, and a few are even known for the evil things they did. The history of Israel’s leaders is a bit mixed too. Moses was a great leader. Joshua and David too. Then there was Samson, who was not so great, and King Saul who was awfully bad. Other kings were even worse. They did “evil in the sight of the Lord” (1 Kings 15:26). Of all the rotten rulers in Israel’s long history, King Ahab and his wife, Jezebel, may have been the evilest, nastiest, vilest, wickedest, foulest, and cruelest. They were the worstest! (Okay, worstest isn’t a word, but you get the idea.)This bad king and his bad wife did some bad things. Like what? Like worshiping false gods—one named Asherah and the other named Baal. Like killing God’s true prophets. And what they did got God’s attention. Our Lord hates idolatry and murder. What will God do about these evil, nasty, vile, wicked rulers who reject him and kill his prophets? Will the worstest win? In the story we’re learning today, that’s just what we’ll find out.
Who is the most famous leader of your country? Who is the leader now? Most people, especially adults, have strong opinions about whoever happens to be leading the country at the time. Some leaders have been great, some not so great, and a few are even known for the evil things they did. The history of Israel’s leaders is a bit mixed too. Moses was a great leader. Joshua and David too. Then there was Samson, who was not so great, and King Saul who was awfully bad. Other kings were even worse. They did “evil in the sight of the Lord” (1 Kings 15:26). Of all the rotten rulers in Israel’s long history, King Ahab and his wife, Jezebel, may have been the evilest, nastiest, vilest, wickedest, foulest, and cruelest. They were the worstest! (Okay, worstest isn’t a word, but you get the idea.)This bad king and his bad wife did some bad things. Like what? Like worshiping false gods—one named Asherah and the other named Baal. Like killing God’s true prophets. And what they did got God’s attention. Our Lord hates idolatry and murder. What will God do about these evil, nasty, vile, wicked rulers who reject him and kill his prophets? Will the worstest win? In the story we’re learning today, that’s just what we’ll find out.
Teach The Story
Video: Elijah Proves a Point: The Story of Prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sxyiycfe94c
How long do you think you could survive without rain? A month? Two months? For three years it did not rain in Israel because of Ahab’s worship of false gods. Three years! Imagine how hungry and thirsty they were. Also imagine how terrible it would be to have awful Ahab as king. What would God do about this situation? He raised up the prophet Elijah to bring a message to Israel. “Go . . . to Ahab,” God told Elijah, “and I will send rain upon the earth” (1 Kings 18:1). Elijah met with Ahab. This was risky because Ahab’s wife, Jezebel, hated the prophets and had many of them killed. It was also risky because Ahab hated Elijah for predicting the drought. “Is it you, you troubler of Israel?” (18:17), Ahab asked. (It’s sadly true: people who don’t like God usually don’t like what he has
to say through his messengers.) Elijah replied, “I have not troubled Israel, but you have . . . because you have abandoned the commandments of the Lord and followed the Baals” (18:18). Next, Elijah offered a challenge to invite all the people to Mount Carmel. He said to bring 450 prophets of Baal (the false god) and 400 prophets of Asherah (a false goddess). What was Elijah up to? God had a plan for a big showdown to prove who was the real God, to show Israel who they should worship. Baal? Asherah? The God of Israel? The plan didn’t seem fair—850 prophets against one little old Elijah! Ah, but if God is for us, who can defeat us? No one! “Let’s prove who the real
God is by seeing who sends fire down from heaven to burn up these sacrifices,” Elijah said. The false prophets prepared a sacrifice, and from morning until night they screamed to the sky, “O Baal, send fire.” Nothing happened. Elijah teased them, “Maybe your god fell asleep or is using the bathroom!” Elijah then prepared his offering, and he poured four massive jars of water on it three times. He knew God would answer his prayer. And God did. As soon as Elijah called upon the Lord, “fire . . . fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and
the stones and the dust, and licked up the water” (18:38). When the people saw it, they declared, “The Lord, he is God” (18:39).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sxyiycfe94c
How long do you think you could survive without rain? A month? Two months? For three years it did not rain in Israel because of Ahab’s worship of false gods. Three years! Imagine how hungry and thirsty they were. Also imagine how terrible it would be to have awful Ahab as king. What would God do about this situation? He raised up the prophet Elijah to bring a message to Israel. “Go . . . to Ahab,” God told Elijah, “and I will send rain upon the earth” (1 Kings 18:1). Elijah met with Ahab. This was risky because Ahab’s wife, Jezebel, hated the prophets and had many of them killed. It was also risky because Ahab hated Elijah for predicting the drought. “Is it you, you troubler of Israel?” (18:17), Ahab asked. (It’s sadly true: people who don’t like God usually don’t like what he has
to say through his messengers.) Elijah replied, “I have not troubled Israel, but you have . . . because you have abandoned the commandments of the Lord and followed the Baals” (18:18). Next, Elijah offered a challenge to invite all the people to Mount Carmel. He said to bring 450 prophets of Baal (the false god) and 400 prophets of Asherah (a false goddess). What was Elijah up to? God had a plan for a big showdown to prove who was the real God, to show Israel who they should worship. Baal? Asherah? The God of Israel? The plan didn’t seem fair—850 prophets against one little old Elijah! Ah, but if God is for us, who can defeat us? No one! “Let’s prove who the real
God is by seeing who sends fire down from heaven to burn up these sacrifices,” Elijah said. The false prophets prepared a sacrifice, and from morning until night they screamed to the sky, “O Baal, send fire.” Nothing happened. Elijah teased them, “Maybe your god fell asleep or is using the bathroom!” Elijah then prepared his offering, and he poured four massive jars of water on it three times. He knew God would answer his prayer. And God did. As soon as Elijah called upon the Lord, “fire . . . fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and
the stones and the dust, and licked up the water” (18:38). When the people saw it, they declared, “The Lord, he is God” (18:39).
Gospel Connection
Show how the story points to Jesus and his rescue mission as the Snake Crusher. {5 minutes}
After the Lord consumed Elijah’s sacrifice on Mount Carmel, proving that he alone was the real God, he commanded Elijah, “Seize the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape” (1 Kings 18:40). The Lord then judged the false prophets. They died because of their sins. Later he would condemn King Ahab and Queen
Jezebel. God is holy and he judges evil, but God is also love and he extends mercy and grace to those who trust in him and bow before him. After the great showdown, God sent a great rain as a sign of his great care. In Jesus, God shows both his holiness and his love. On the cross God’s holy Son (Jesus) paid the penalty for all our unholy sins. And in doing so, he showed us his great love. The same God who showed his great care to Israel when he
sent the rain, showed his care to us when he sent Jesus.
After the Lord consumed Elijah’s sacrifice on Mount Carmel, proving that he alone was the real God, he commanded Elijah, “Seize the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape” (1 Kings 18:40). The Lord then judged the false prophets. They died because of their sins. Later he would condemn King Ahab and Queen
Jezebel. God is holy and he judges evil, but God is also love and he extends mercy and grace to those who trust in him and bow before him. After the great showdown, God sent a great rain as a sign of his great care. In Jesus, God shows both his holiness and his love. On the cross God’s holy Son (Jesus) paid the penalty for all our unholy sins. And in doing so, he showed us his great love. The same God who showed his great care to Israel when he
sent the rain, showed his care to us when he sent Jesus.
Discuss The Story
1. Question: What made Ahab and Jezebel evil in the eyes of God? What did the big showdown between Elijah and the 850 prophets prove? What does it mean for us to only worship the one true God?
Takeaway: There is only one true God, the Lord, and we should worship him alone.
2. Question: Why can’t God just ignore it when people do evil? How did God respond to the evil things that Ahab, Jezebel, and the false prophets did? How does God respond to our sin? Why did Jesus have to die on the cross?
Takeaway: God is holy and he judges evil.
3. Question: How did God show his holiness and love in Elijah’s day? How did he show his holiness and love through Jesus?
Takeaway: In Jesus, God shows both his holiness and his love.
Memory Verse:
The Lord, he is God; the Lord, he is God. 1 Kings 18:39
Takeaway: There is only one true God, the Lord, and we should worship him alone.
2. Question: Why can’t God just ignore it when people do evil? How did God respond to the evil things that Ahab, Jezebel, and the false prophets did? How does God respond to our sin? Why did Jesus have to die on the cross?
Takeaway: God is holy and he judges evil.
3. Question: How did God show his holiness and love in Elijah’s day? How did he show his holiness and love through Jesus?
Takeaway: In Jesus, God shows both his holiness and his love.
Memory Verse:
The Lord, he is God; the Lord, he is God. 1 Kings 18:39
Activity Or Craft
Option 1 (Activity):
"One True God Game"
Supply List: paper plates, paper, music
Before Class: Gather supplies. Copy, cut out, and glue pictures of flames to some paper plates (one per child). Add ten blank plates to the others. Place all the plates face down in a circle in an open area of the room.
Instruct children to walk around the circle when the music is playing, but when the music stops they should quickly choose a plate to stand on. When all the children are standing on a plate, say “The Lord, he is God!” The children turn over the plate they are standing on. If the plate has a flame on it, they are like followers of the one true God, who brought fire down from heaven. If they are standing on a plate without a flame, they are like the worshipers of Baal. They should pick up their blank plate and hand it to a leader (the child is not out, but the blank plate is no longer used). Shuffle the plates, start music, and play again. Play continues until all the blank plates are found and only worshipers of the one true God remain.
Option 2 (Activity):
"Rain Is Falling"
Supply List: light blue/white balloons, permanent markers
Before Class: Gather supplies. Blow up balloons (one per child).
Give the children each a balloon with their name written on it. The balloons represent rain. Explain that the goal is to keep their balloon in the air, while trying to knock other students’ balloons to the ground. If a balloon does touch
the ground, the person whose name is on the balloon is out. Continue playing until only one child/balloon remains. That child is the winner.
Option 1 (Craft):
"Folded Candle"
Supply List: construction paper (any color), scissors, glue, yellow paper
Before Class: Gather supplies. Cut 1" x 12" strips of paper (two per child). Cut yellow paper into smaller pieces (one piece per child). Make a sample craft.
Give each child two strips of paper, scissors, glue, and one piece of yellow paper. Have the children take the two strips of paper and glue the two corners together at a right angle to form an L shape. Have them fold the bottom strip over the top strip at the glued corner and press flat. Have them keep repeating this alternating process until they have made a tall accordion style candle. When they finish folding, they should glue the top pieces together. Have children cut out a flame shape from the yellow paper. Fold a small section of the bottom of the flame and glue the folded portion to the top of the candle so the flame stands upright. This candle can be a reminder of the fire God sent to prove that he is the one true God.
"One True God Game"
Supply List: paper plates, paper, music
Before Class: Gather supplies. Copy, cut out, and glue pictures of flames to some paper plates (one per child). Add ten blank plates to the others. Place all the plates face down in a circle in an open area of the room.
Instruct children to walk around the circle when the music is playing, but when the music stops they should quickly choose a plate to stand on. When all the children are standing on a plate, say “The Lord, he is God!” The children turn over the plate they are standing on. If the plate has a flame on it, they are like followers of the one true God, who brought fire down from heaven. If they are standing on a plate without a flame, they are like the worshipers of Baal. They should pick up their blank plate and hand it to a leader (the child is not out, but the blank plate is no longer used). Shuffle the plates, start music, and play again. Play continues until all the blank plates are found and only worshipers of the one true God remain.
Option 2 (Activity):
"Rain Is Falling"
Supply List: light blue/white balloons, permanent markers
Before Class: Gather supplies. Blow up balloons (one per child).
Give the children each a balloon with their name written on it. The balloons represent rain. Explain that the goal is to keep their balloon in the air, while trying to knock other students’ balloons to the ground. If a balloon does touch
the ground, the person whose name is on the balloon is out. Continue playing until only one child/balloon remains. That child is the winner.
Option 1 (Craft):
"Folded Candle"
Supply List: construction paper (any color), scissors, glue, yellow paper
Before Class: Gather supplies. Cut 1" x 12" strips of paper (two per child). Cut yellow paper into smaller pieces (one piece per child). Make a sample craft.
Give each child two strips of paper, scissors, glue, and one piece of yellow paper. Have the children take the two strips of paper and glue the two corners together at a right angle to form an L shape. Have them fold the bottom strip over the top strip at the glued corner and press flat. Have them keep repeating this alternating process until they have made a tall accordion style candle. When they finish folding, they should glue the top pieces together. Have children cut out a flame shape from the yellow paper. Fold a small section of the bottom of the flame and glue the folded portion to the top of the candle so the flame stands upright. This candle can be a reminder of the fire God sent to prove that he is the one true God.
Contact Hannah Kitchens at hannah@gatherwithus.church for more information.