THEME 3 Prophets, Kings, and Queens After King Solomon’s reign, Israel was divided into the Northern Kingdom and the Southern Kingdom. Elijah and Elisha served as prophets in the Northern Kingdom of Israel. Elijah’s contest with the prophets of Baal demonstrated the futility of idolatry and the mighty power of God. Elisha brought God’s message during the reign of six different kings. Both Elijah and Elisha performed mighty works. Many kings of Judah encouraged idol worship and other forms of wicked- ness. Young King Josiah of Judah (the Southern Kingdom), however, led a reform. He abolished idolatry and encouraged worship of the Lord God. Esther was born in faraway Persia, after the fall of both Israel and Judah. She became queen and courageously used that position to rescue the Jewish people from destruction. Theme 3 / Prophets, Kings, and Queens: Theme Introduction 148 Grade 3—Unit 6 Prophets Elijah came as a mighty messenger to the Israelites during the reign of King Ahab, who led the people astray with the help of his cunning wife, Jezebel. Elisha continued the work of his mentor, the prophet Elijah. Elisha struggled against the wicked ways of the Israelites. God gave Elisha the power to work many miracles. LESSONS 1. Elijah, God’s Mighty Messenger 2. Elisha Shows God’s Power, Part 1 3. Elisha Shows God’s Power, Part 2 Unit 6 / Prophets: Unit Overview 149 Unit 6: Prophets Unit Information SUMMARY Elijah was a straightforward prophet of God. He told the Israelites to turn away from Baal worship and return to worshiping the one true God. Elijah remained faithful to God and spent his life trying to rid Israel of idolatry. Some people did not want to hear the message Elijah brought. The stories of God at work through Elisha provide an overview of Israel and Judah’s history. Elisha performed many miracles that demonstrated God’s love and concern for the people. KEY BIBLE TEXTS 1 Kings 17:7-24 1 Kings 18 1 Kings 19 2 Kings 1:13:20 2 Kings 2:1-14 2 Kings 4:8-36 2 Kings 8:1-8 Psalms 42:1-3, 5 (main memory verses) John 14:27 (memory verse) Galatians 5:13-15 (memory verses) Galatians 6:7-10 (memory verses) BIBLICAL BACKGROUND Elijah, God’s Mighty Messenger After King Solomon’s death, his son Rehoboam became king. Rehoboam did not rule wisely, and the nation of Israel split into two kingdoms. The Northern Kingdom, comprised of the ten northern tribes, became known as Israel. The Southern Kingdom, comprised of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, was called Judah. The kingdom was divided in 931 B.C. The two sections never reunited. Fifty-seven years later, Ahab became king of Israel (the northern kingdom). Ahab was an evil king whose wife, Jezebel, worshiped Baal. She encouraged the Israelites to turn to idol worship. God sent the prophet Elijah to convince Ahab to worship the one true God. Elijah’s name means “the Lord is my God.” Elijah encouraged the Israelites to reject pagan ways and worship the Lord God, the one true God. Elijah performed miracles to expose Baal as a fraud. Worshiping the god Baal was thought to guarantee rain and successful crops. Elijah announced to King Ahab that a drought would come to Israel. In the name of Yahweh, the prophet challenged Baal, and the Lord God took away Baal’s own specialty—rain. During the drought, God provided for Elijah, who was hiding in a ravine, by sending ravens with food. When the brook dried up, Elijah went to Zarephath, where a widow and her son shared their last meal with him. God miraculously replenished the widow’s meager supply of flour and oil. Despite the drought, which lasted three years, neither King Ahab nor Israel Unit 6 / Prophets: Unit Information 150 was convinced that the Lord was God. Elijah then challenged Ahab to a contest between himself and all the prophets of Baal. All of Israel witnessed this memorable contest—to see whether Baal or the Lord God could bring fire to the altar. Elijah’s method of calling on God contrasted sharply with that of the Baal worshipers. The priests of Baal shouted and danced ever more frantically as the day wore on. They received no answer. Late in the afternoon, Elijah built an altar with twelve stones. These stones symbolized the covenant God had made with the twelve tribes of Israel. Although their kingdom was divided, the people of Israel and Judah were still united as God’s people. Elijah prayed to God, and God answered. The people confessed the Lord as the one true God, and the drought ended. Queen Jezebel’s god had been defeated, and the prophets of Baal slain. Elijah fled from the queen’s wrath. He went south to Judah and on into the wilderness to Mt. Horeb, where God met the prophet’s needs for strength, encouragement, and hope. God spoke to Elijah in a still, small voice and commissioned him to return again to Israel. God told Elijah to anoint two kings and to choose Elisha as his successor. Elisha became Elijah’s helper and companion. Before Elijah was taken into heaven, Elisha was given the chance to say what he would like to inherit from Elijah. He requested a double portion of Elijah’s spirit. The older prophet told Elisha that if he saw him being taken up into heaven, his desire would be granted. Elisha did see Elijah ascend into the heavens, on a chariot of fire, and was empowered with Elijah’s spirit. Elisha Shows God’s Power Elisha was chosen by God to follow Elijah as a prophet. Elijah trained Elisha to be God’s voice to the Israelites. When Elisha requested twice the power of Elijah’s spirit, this may have been his way of asking to be Elijah’s successor. It is interesting that the number of miracles performed by Elisha in 2 Kings is double the number of miracles attributed to Elijah. Many wicked kings ruled during Elisha’s prophetic ministry. He served as God’s spokesperson in the Northern Kingdom of Israel during the reigns of five kings: Ahaziah, Joram, Jehu, Jehoahaz, and Jehoash. For a short time, King Jehu tried to stop idol worship. However, he did not always do the right things for the right reasons. He soon turned away from God. Elisha not only spoke to kings but also to the common people. When a Shunammite woman realized that Elisha was a man of God, she and her husband offered to let him stay in their extra room any time he was in the area. Because of her kindness, God blessed her in many ways. God was faithful to those who listened to the words of the prophets and trusted in God. Some of Elisha’s demonstrations of God’s power were intended to convince people that Elisha was a true prophet of God. Many of his miracles portrayed God’s love and concern for all people, just as Jesus’ miracles met the needs of many people. Some needs were hidden in people’s hearts and seen only by God. ESSENTIAL UNDERSTANDINGS • Wicked kings and idol worship infested the nation of Israel. • God called Elijah and Elisha to prophesy to the Israelites. • God uses ordinary people like Elijah and Elisha to do great things. • God rewards those who are faithful. Unit 6 / Prophets: Unit Information 151 • The widow of Zarephath and the Shunammite woman willingly gave what they had in service to God. In return, God blessed them and provided for them. • Small sacrifices are great in the eyes of God. • Each of us has special ways of serving God throughout our lives. • God continues to work toward his purposes even in the darkest days, when people forget the one true Lord. WORSHIP Elijah 1. After reading 1 Kings 19, discuss what we can do when we are feeling afraid, discouraged, and alone. Invite students to share things that frighten them or times when they have felt discouraged and alone. Share from your own life. 2. Have students bring symbols for the worship table that show trust in God when we are afraid. If they are willing, have them share about times when they were afraid. How did God help them? 3. Hand out page 166, “Bigger Than All My Fears.” Share responses. 4. Using the Hall of Faith card for Elijah, discuss the price one often pays to be a servant/prophet of God. Think about Elijah’s life. Some people didn’t like the mes- sages he brought from God. They thought he brought them bad luck. Would we have the same courage Elijah had, to carry out God’s work? Elisha 1. Focus on individuals, families, or agencies in your community who serve and provide care for others: foster families, halfway houses, women’s shelters, hospital volunteers, support groups, adult literacy tutors, meals-on-wheels, hospital chap- lains, schools for the disabled, families with children who have special needs, etc. Invite families, volunteers, or workers from agencies to come and share about their work. 2. Elisha was faithful and brave enough to take Elijah’s place as God’s prophet. As prophet and spokesperson for God, Elisha performed many miracles that showed God’s love and concern for people. • What would God command Elisha to tell us if he were here today? • What miracles would he perform? • How can we be God’s helpers in our homes, churches, communities, and world today? MEMORY PASSAGES This unit offers a main memory verse passage, plus several bonus passages.