Elijah
ELIJAH
Objectives:
- Students should be able to tell the story of Elijah – his feeding by the ravens, the widow of Zarephath, his confronting the prophets of Baal, and the fiery chariot.
- Students should identify Ahab and Jezebel as an evil king and queen of Israel.
- Students should identify Elijah’s student and disciple, Elisha.
Possible Lesson Plan:
- Open with prayer.
- Scripture Reference: 3 Kingdoms/I Kings 17:1-18:2, 18:17-46, 4 Kingdoms/II Kings 2:1-13. This would be the time to discuss with the students the split among the Jewish people that occurred around 900 BC, dividing the land into Israel in the north with its capital of Samaria and Judah in the south with Jerusalem its capital. Elijah lived in the north and Ahab and Jezebel were king and queen of Israel. I have included an outline of the Kings and Prophets of the 2 kingdoms; refer to them as often as you have need. This is a very confusing time in the history of the Jewish people!
- Learning Game: Egg Carton Jumble – Take an empty egg carton. In each of the pockets, write the name of something from the story. Place a small button or pebble in the egg carton and close it. Let each student in turn shake the egg carton and open it. He must tell the story of the word where the button has landed. Pass to the next student. If the button lands on a word already used, take another turn.
Chariot mantle raven rain bread son
Baal Mt. Carmel fire prophet Ahab altar
- Discussion: Elijah was a prophet of God. What is a prophet? He spoke the words God gave him to say. Many times those words did not make the hearer very pleased. Who else had to say things for God that did not please his audience? (Balaam, Samuel). Review their stories. What are the differences between a prophet of God and a prophet of Baal? Would you have been willing to go to the king if you had been in Elijah’s place? Why or why not? Elijah was willing to stand up for what he believed in. What happened? Have you ever had to stand up for what you believe in? What happened?
- Make “Elijah’s Raven”: Cut wings and bird body from black poster board. Slip wings through slit in body. Use black feathers to decorate. Draw in the eyes and a tiny piece of orange felt can be the beak.
- Close with prayer. Pray for the strength to stand up for what we believe in.
References for a confusing time in Jewish History:
KINGS AND PROPHETS
DATES KING OF ISRAEL KING OF JUDAH PROPHETS OTHER KINGS
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933BC Death of Solomon; division into northern and southern kingdoms Ahijah Shishak (Egypt)
933 BC Jeroboam (22 years) – Bad Rehoboam (17 years) – bad Shemaiah
915 BC Abijah (3 years)–bad mostly
912 BC Asa (41 years) – good
911 BC Nadab (2 years) – bad
910 BC Baasha (24 years) – bad
900 BC Rise of Assyria to world power Assur-nasipal II
887 BC Elah (2 years) – bad
886 BC Zimri (7 days) – bad
886 BC Omri (12 years) – horrible
875 BC Ahab (22 years) – the worst Elijah Shalmaneser II
874 BC Jehoshaphat (25 yrs.)–good Ben-hadad (Syria)
855 BC Ahaziah (2 years) – bad Elijah Mesha (Moab)
854 BC Joram (12 years) – bad mostly Elisha Hazael (Syria)
850 BC Jehoram (8 years) – bad
843 BC Jehu (28 years) – bad mostly Ahaziah (1 year) – bad Elisha
843 BC Athaliah (6 years) – horrible
843 BC Joash (40 yrs.)-good mostly Joel
820 BC Jehoahaz (17 years)—bad
806 BC Joash (16 years) – bad
803 BC Amaziah (29yrs)–gd mostly
790 BC Jeroboam II (41 years)-bad Jonah
787 BC Uzziah (52 years) – good Amos
749 BC Jotham (16 years) – good Hosea
748 BC Zechariah (6months) – bad Isaiah
748 BC Shallum (1month) – bad Micah
748 BC Menahem (10 years) – bad
741 BC Ahaz (16 years) – wicked Rezin (Syria)
738 BC Pekahiah (2 years) – bad
748 BC Pekah (20 years) – bad Tilgath-pileser II
730 BC Hoshea (9 years) – bad
721 BC Northern Kingdom Fell. Sargon II
726 BC Hezekiah (29 years) – best Sennacherib
697 BC Manasseh (55 years) –worst Esar-Haddon
641 BC Amon (2 years) – the worst Assur-banipal
639 BC Josiah (31 years) – the best Zephaniah
608 BC Jehoahaz (3 months) – bad Nahum
608 BC Jehoiakim (11 yrs) –wicked Jeremiah Necha II (Egypt)
607 BC Fall of Assyria and Rise of Babylon Habakkuk Nabopolassar
597 BC Jehoiachin (3 months)–bad Nebuchadnezzar
597 BC Zedekiah (11 years) – bad Obadiah
586 BC Fall of Judah.
606-536 The Captivity Daniel Belshazzar
Ezekiel
536 BC Fall of Babylon and Rise of Persia Cyrus (Persia)
536 BC Return from Captivity
Joshua Haggai
Zerubabbel Zechariah Darius I
485 BC Esther Xerxes I
457 BC Ezra Artaxerxes I
444 BC Nehemiah Malachi
