3. Elijah Runs Away (1 Kings 19)

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Lesson

PPT TITLE

Main Point: God is with us even when we fail. He is the God of new beginnings.

Key Verse:

I knew that you are gracious. You are tender and kind. You are slow to get angry. You are full of love. You are a God who takes pity on people. You don’t want to destroy them. - Jonah 4:2b

Props: Fresh baked bread (warm and fragrant, and outside the room if possible), a small jug of water

Background/Review

Say: God’s chosen people, the Israelites, had turned their backs on God. King Ahab and his wife, Jezebel, constructed altars to the false god, Baal, and the Israelites worshipped a made up god who could do nothing for them. God sent a prophet named Elijah (eh-LY-juh) to declare that God would send a drought in the land. The drought lasted over three years, and the people suffered. Elijah proposed a challenge. He told the false prophets to prepare a bull to be sacrificed on an altar for Baal. But the prophets were not allowed to start the fire. They had to call on Ball to send fire. Ask: What happened? Absolutely nothing! Say: A god that is not real cannot send fire, or anything else! After hours and hours of waiting, Elijah rebuilt an altar to the one true God. Just to make it more challenging, he told the people to pour lots and lots of water on the sacrifice and altar. Then he prayed for God to send fire. Ask: What happened? God sent fire! Say: God proved that He is the only God when He sent fire down from heaven. His fire not only burned up the sacrifice, but it burned up the altar, the dirt it stood on, and the water that was on it.

The people were amazed. They fell face down and shouted that God is the ONLY God. Then, according to God’s law, the false prophets were killed. Elijah prayed to the Lord. Soon, the sky was black with clouds and God sent a great rainstorm. God showed that He could bring fire and rain, while Baal could do neither.

Death Threat (1 Kings 18:46 - 19:9)

Say: King Ahab left Mount Carmel and went home to Jezreel.

Then the Lord gave special strength to Elijah. He tucked his cloak into his belt and ran ahead of Ahab’s chariot all the way to the entrance of Jezreel. - 1 Kings 18:46

Elijah was able to run 15 miles, quicker than a chariot! Now, King Ahab had seen what had happened on top of Mount Carmel, and it appears that he realized that Elijah was truly sent by the one true Lord (1 Kings 18:44b, 45b). All of the people turned back toward God, and all the false prophets were dead. But there was still one more enemy that Elijah would have to deal with. Ask: Can anyone guess who this would be? Jezebel. Say: Ahab’s wife, Jezebel, did not go to Mount Carmel. How do you think she will react when she finds out that her dear friends, the false prophets, have been killed, and her beloved Baal has been proven to be a fake? Listen for answers.

Say:

Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done. He told her how Elijah had killed all of the prophets with his sword. So Jezebel sent a message to Elijah. She said, “You can be sure that I will kill you, just as I killed the other prophets. I’ll do it by this time tomorrow. If I don’t, may the gods punish me greatly.” - 1 Kings 19:1-2

Say: Now, Elijah had just seen with his own eyes that God sent fire from heaven. He saw God deliver 750 enemies (the false prophets) into his hand, and he heard the entire kingdom of Israel shouting praises when they turned back to God. So, we might expect that Elijah would burst out laughing when he heard Jezebel’s death threat that she swore in the name of gods that didn’t even exist. But that is not at all what happened.

Elijah became afraid, and he ran away. He went over 100 miles south, to Beersheba. Elijah fled out of fear, not because God told him to. Remember, the first time that Elijah went to hide out (after he announced to Ahab that a drought was coming) God told him to go and hide. At that time, hiding was God’s plan. God was allowing time for the drought to take effect. This time, hiding was not God’s plan. We can only imagine what amazing thing God would have done to protect Elijah, and defeat Jezebel, if only Elijah would have listened to God’s voice once again.

Application: One time, hiding was God’s plan. The next time, hiding was not His plan. Only God knows everything. He sees what we cannot. He knows what the future holds. He knows exactly what is best for us. We must abide - walk with Him, sit with Him, daily - to know His perfect will, and to be used by Him.

Note to Teacher: We may have every reason in the world why we should or should not do something. Our reasons may be good and logical. However, what we should really ask is, “What has God spoken on the issue - either through His written word, His whispered voice, or His prompting by the Holy Spirit?” Very often, emotions and logic can mislead us. We must stand firm on God’s omniscient instruction (Proverbs 3:5-6).

Say: After going to Beersheba, Elijah walked into the desert wilderness for a day. He sat under a small tree where he offered a sad and desperate prayer to the Lord.

“Lord, I’ve had enough,” he said. “Take my life. I’m no better than my people of long ago.” Then he lay down under the tree. And he fell asleep. - 1 Kings 19:4-5a

Note to Teacher (NOT to be shared with children): If Elijah were to have consulted a psychiatrist, I believe he would have been diagnosed as suicidal. In fact, I believe that in our text Elijah is actively trying to kill himself. He is doing the very things people do when they are trying to kill themselves. He is depressed. He is angry. He is tired of life and wants out. He leaves his servant behind so that he will be alone. This way, no one can stop him. He then goes out into the wilderness, where there is no food or water, and this after he has run 15 or so miles from Mount Carmel to Jezreel, and another 100 miles or so from Jezreel to Beersheba. Now, another day’s journey into the wilderness, he lays down under a scrubby tree to die. It is just as though he has taken a bottle of sleeping pills and never plans to wake up. His final words say it all: “He… asked to the LORD to take his life, ‘I’ve had enough! Now, O LORD, take my life. After all, I’m no better than my ancestors.’”¹

Say: It is here that we see Elijah give up. He told the Lord that he was fed up and he would rather die than go any further. But God was not ready to give up on Elijah! Notice that even though Elijah had failed, and fled in fear, God was still with him.

Suddenly an angel touched him. The angel said, “Get up and eat.” Elijah looked around. Near his head he saw a flat cake of bread. It had been baked over hot coals. A jar of water was also there. So Elijah ate and drank. Then he lay down again.

The angel of the Lord came to him a second time. He touched him and said, “Get up and eat. Your journey will be long and hard.”

So he got up. He ate and drank. The food gave him new strength. He traveled for 40 days and 40 nights. He kept going until he arrived at Horeb. It was the mountain of God. There he went into a cave and spent the night. - 1 Kings 19:5b-9a

Elijah was at the end of his rope. After all the amazing things God had done, Elijah could only focus on the fact that one woman was threatening his life. At this moment, Elijah forgot that God is infinitely more powerful than Jezebel. He was looking at things through human eyes, only seeing the threat in front of him. Elijah needed to refocus!

Application: I’m afraid that, at times, most believers are guilty of doing what Elijah did. Even though God has taken away our sin, given us new life, and continues to pour out His blessings on us, when something goes wrong, that one thing is all we can see. At times, we all need to refocus!

Say: But God did not leave Elijah to lie there and focus on himself. God sent an angel to him. Elijah awoke the smell of fresh bread baking. Have you ever smelled homemade bread baking in the oven? Teacher: Have someone bring in the fresh bread, and walk around the room with it so the kids can smell it. Wow, there is no more comforting smell than that. Smelling that would certainly make me feel better! Elijah sat up and ate some of that bread and drank the fresh water God provided. The angel told him to have “seconds”, because he was about to go on a long journey.

Strengthened by the food, Elijah traveled for 40 days and nights until he got to Horeb. Ask: Who remembers the story of Moses and the burning bush? Say: God first appeared to Elijah’s ancestor, the great prophet Moses, at this place called Horeb, in the Sinai desert. It was at Horeb that God told Moses to remove his sandals because God was right in front of him and he was standing on holy ground. At Horeb, God now had a question for Elijah.

The Lord Appears To Elijah (1 Kings 19:9 - 19:18)

A message came to Elijah from the Lord. He said, “Elijah, what are you doing here?” - 1 Kings 19:9b

Say: Of course, God knew exactly what Elijah was doing there. We see many times in the Bible that God asks people questions (Genesis 3:9, 4:9). God knows everything! His reason for asking cannot be to find out information that He did not know. He asks to make people think about the answer. Often times, it is so the person can realize they have sinned, confess the sin to God, and seek forgiveness. Isn’t God kind to approach His fallen children this way, instead of blasting them with scolding words?

PPT VERSE

(Elijah) replied, “Lord God who rules over all, I’ve been very committed to You. The people of Israel have turned their backs on Your covenant. They have torn down Your altars. They’ve put Your prophets to death with their swords. I’m the only one left. And they are trying to kill me.” - 1 Kings 19:10

Say: Elijah made a good argument. Most of those things had happened. Ask: But what was the real reason that Elijah was out in the wilderness? He was afraid of Jezebel. Say: He was afraid that Jezebel was more powerful than God. He doubted that God would protect him his time.

Elijah’s real problem was that he was focused on Jezebel, not on God. God wanted to refocus Elijah’s attention to where it should be. God was about to do something amazing. Keep in mind that because God is perfectly holy, and people are utterly sinful, whenever God came near His people there was a barrier between them. In the tabernacle, there was a curtain about four inches thick, which separated God and man.

The Lord said, “Go out. Stand on the mountain in front of Me. I am going to pass by.”

As the Lord approached, a very powerful wind tore the mountains apart. It broke up the rocks. But the Lord wasn’t in the wind.

After the wind there was an earthquake. But the Lord wasn’t in the earthquake.

After the earthquake a fire came. But the Lord wasn’t in the fire.

And after the fire there was only a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his coat over his face. He went out and stood at the entrance to the cave.

Then a voice said to him, “Elijah, what are you doing here?” - 2 Kings 19:11-13

Say: God asked the very same question again. This is sort of when your mom or dad has asked a question and they know you have not given a completely honest answer. They ask again to give you another chance to answer honestly. Look at Elijah’s first response on the screen while I read his second response.

He replied, “Lord God who rules over all, I’ve been very committed to You. The people of Israel have turned their backs on Your covenant. They have torn down Your altars. They’ve put your prophets to death with their swords. I’m the only one left. And they are trying to kill me.” - 2 Kings 19:14

Ask: What was different in Elijah’s second response? Listen for answers. Say: Absolutely nothing was different! This is so sad. God purposely displayed His power right in front of Elijah. He sent wind that tore mountains apart, an earthquake that shook the ground Elijah stood on, and fire from heaven. This should have changed Elijah’s focus back to the power of God. Then in a gentle voice, God gave Elijah the opportunity to repent of his mistrust and underestimation of God’s goodness and power. But Elijah did not change one bit!

The proper response would have been for Elijah REPENT. Elijah should have fallen on his face and said, “Lord Almighty, I have doubted your power to protect me. I forgot about how you provided for me during the drought, how You raised a boy from the dead, and how you ALWAYS keep your promises. Please forgive me and help me to keep my focus on You. Thank you for giving me another chance. Please continue to use me.”

Without a humble and repentant heart, Elijah’s time of being used by God would end. God gave Elijah one last set of instructions.

The Lord said to him, “Go back the way you came. Go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael as king over Aram. Also anoint Jehu as king over Israel... And anoint Elisha (ee-LY-shuh) from Abel Meholah as the next prophet after you.” - 1 Kings 19:15-16a

God named two men that He wanted Elijah to annoint over two parts of the kingdom. God also told Elijah that he was not the only faithful believer in Israel after all. There were 7,000 people who did not worship Baal. Strangely, Elijah did not anoint the kings as God had instructed. (This will be done later by Elisha.)

The Call Of Elisha (1 Kings 19:19-21)

Elijah left and found Elisha plowing a field with a pair of oxen. There were eleven other men in front of him, and each one was also plowing with a pair of oxen. Elijah went over and put his own coat on Elisha. Elisha stopped plowing and ran after him. “Let me kiss my parents good-by, then I’ll go with you,” he said.

“You can go,” Elijah said. “But remember what I’ve done for you.”

Elisha left and took his oxen with him. He killed them and boiled them over a fire he had made with the wood from his plow. He gave the meat to the people who were with him, and they ate it. Then he left with Elijah and became his assistant. - 1 Kings 19:19-21 CEV

Elijah put his prophet’s coat on Elisha as a sign that he wanted Elisha to come with him. This was like telling him that he had been chosen to be the next prophet of God. Elisha went willingly. But first, he killed his team of oxen and cooked them over a fire he made by burning the wood from his plow. Clearly, Elisha was not planning to return to his home and his farming. He had been called to be God’s servant, and for him, there was no turning back. Then Elisha became Elijah’s assistant, training to become a prophet.

Application: We all become discouraged at times. At times, each of us will fail. But just as we saw with Elijah, God does not leave us. He gently gives us the opportunity to repent and draw close to Him again. When God entered our world in the form of the Man, Jesus, He faced every trial and temptation that we face. He is not a God who is far from us. He understands what you and I go through. It is so important for us to turn from our pride and confess our sin when God brings it to our attention. As we saw with the sad ending of Elijah’s ministry, if we refuse to humble ourselves and turn back to God, we will not be useful servants for the Lord. If we remain unrepentant, will not be able to bring glory to God.

But notice that God’s plans cannot be stopped - even by the sin of stubborn people. When Elijah refused to repent, God had another man waiting to take his place. God does not need you or me to fulfill His plan. It is our honor and privilege to be used by God. Do not miss out on the joy of being in the middle of God’s plan because you refuse to turn from your sin. Instead, be quick to listen to the Lord and confess every sin.

PPT KEY VERSE

Key Verse:

I knew that you are gracious. You are tender and kind. You are slow to get angry. You are full of love. You are a God who takes pity on people. You don’t want to destroy them. - Jonah 4:2b

PPT MAIN POINT

Main Point: God is with us even when we fail. He is the God of new beginnings.

Unless otherwise noted the Scriptures taken from: Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version, (NIrV®)

Special thanks to John R. Cross, The Stranger on the Road to Emmaus, GoodSeed International.

4. Ahab & Naboth's Vineyard (1 Kings 21)

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Lesson

PPT TITLE

Main Point: God is perfectly loving and perfectly just.

Key Verse:

I am the Lord God. I am merciful and very patient with My people. I show great love, and I can be trusted. I keep My promises to My people forever, but I also punish anyone who sins. - Exodus 34:b-7a CEV

Props: A large bunch of grapes

Background/Review (1 Kings 20)

Say: Last week we learned that God is a God of new beginnings. He seeks after us; He wants us to turn from our sin and follow Him. Even when the prophet Elijah gave up and ran away, God went after Him. God gently prodded Elijah to see that fearing the evil Jezebel and running away was sin. But Elijah did not repent. Once again, God displayed His power before Elijah’s eyes, but Elijah still would not repent. So God appointed a new prophet for Elijah to train up. Soon, Elisha would take Elijah’s place.

The next chapter of the Bible, 1 Kings 20, centers around two wars. King Ahab, King of Israel, was under attack by the King of Syria and 32 other kings combined! Though Ahab was an evil king, God was faithful to the promises He had made to His people, the Israelites (Deuteronomy 20:10-13). God sent a prophet to tell Ahab, "The Lord says, 'Do you see this huge army? I will hand it over to you today. Then you will know that I am the Lord.' " (1 Kings 20:13) Not once, but twice, God brought victory to Israel, even though the army they fought was almost twenty times larger than their own army.

But even though God showed incredible grace and mercy to Ahab, Ahab did not follow God’s law. God’s law said that when the Israelites defeated an enemy at war, every man must be killed (Deuteronomy 20:13). Ahab did what was right in his own eyes. He made a treaty with the enemy King of Syria and let him go free because he promised to give Ahab many cities. God sent a prophet to speak to Ahab once again. This time, the news was not good for Ahab.

He told the king, "The Lord says, 'You have set a man free. But I had said he should be set apart to the Lord in a special way to be destroyed. So you must pay for his life with yours. You must pay for his people's lives with the lives of your people.' "

The king of Israel was angry. He was in a bad mood. He went back to his palace in Samaria. - 1 Kings 20:42-43

King Ahab did not die right away, but his time was coming.

Ahab & Naboth’s Vineyard (1 Kings 21:1-16)

Now there was a man named Naboth, from Jezreel, who owned a vineyard in Jezreel beside the palace of King Ahab of Samaria. One day Ahab said to Naboth, “Since your vineyard is so convenient to my palace, I would like to buy it to use as a vegetable garden. I will give you a better vineyard in exchange, or if you prefer, I will pay you for it.”

But Naboth replied, “The Lord forbid that I should give you the inheritance that was passed down by my ancestors.”

So Ahab went home angry and sullen because of Naboth’s answer. The king went to bed with his face to the wall and refused to eat! - 1 Kings 21:1-4 NLT

Say: Let’s try to picture this scene. King Ahab wanted a piece of land to plant a garden. He chose a vineyard right next to His palace. Ask: Who knows what a vineyard is used for? Growing grapes. Teacher: Hold up a bunch of grapes. Say: A vineyard is land that is used to grow grapes. But Naboth, the owner of the land, said he could not sell it. Naboth wasn’t just being stubborn here. He had a really good reason for refusing the King. Naboth was following God’s orders. Back when God handed out the land to the twelve tribes of Israel, He forbid them to sell or give their part of the land to another tribe or family (Leviticus 25:23).

King Ahab offered Naboth a better piece of land. Using human logic, Naboth would have been better off taking the King’s offer. But Naboth was not doing what was right in his own eyes; he was obeying God.

So King Ahab did not get what he wanted. We might imagine that a wealthy King might have shook the man’s hand, thanked him for his time, and rode off to find another piece of land. But instead, this grown man stormed off, pouting! He probably looked a lot like this. Teacher: Make a scowl face, sticking out your bottom lip with your arms crossed in a huff. Say: Okay - let’s see it. Everyone show me your best pouting face! Say: That’s it exactly! You all look like toddlers who didn’t get what you wanted! And that is exactly how King Ahab looked! He went home, crawled in bed and refused to eat! That was no way for a King to behave!

Soon, his wife, Jezebel, came in. She asked what had made him so upset. Let’s listen very carefully to Ahab’s answer.

PPT VERSE

“I asked Naboth to sell me his vineyard or trade it, but he refused!” Ahab told her. - 1 Kings 21:6 NLT

Ask: What was wrong with Ahab’s answer? Listen for answers. Say: Look carefully at what Ahab said. Ask: Was his statement TRUE? Yes. Ask: Was it the WHOLE truth? No. Say: Ahab left out the most important part of the story. He didn’t tell his wife why Naboth refused to sell the land. We will see that this is going to cause a whole lot of trouble!

Application: There are many times in our lives when we may be tempted not to tell the whole truth. If we have done something wrong, leaving out details might seem like a convenient way to stay out of trouble. For example, what if you were playing baseball in your yard? When it was your turn to bat, you closed your eyes and swung your hardest. Immediately you heard glass breaking. The ball went right through your neighbor’s window, but no one was home at your neighbor’s, so you hid the bat and didn’t say a word. Later, your mom came and asked, “Honey, did you see what happened to the neighbor’s window?” Since your eyes were closed, you quickly reply, “No.” You may not have seen it, but you certainly knew what happened.

Or, at times, we might want to give a certain impression by leaving details out of our story. Little Jacob might point to his sister and scream, “She hit me!” But the part that Jacob left out is that he actually hit his sister first. Jacob wants to leave the impression that his sister is all in the wrong, and he is completely blameless. This was the case with King Ahab. He gave the impression that Naboth was just being stubborn, when the whole truth was that Naboth was obeying God.

We must understand that a half-truth is not the truth at all. Truth matters, and as believers in Jesus, who is “the Truth,” we should always tell the whole truth.

Say: With the impression that Naboth was stubborn and selfish, Jezebel decided to take matters into her own hands.

His wife Jezebel said, "Is this how the King of Israel acts? Get up! Eat something! Cheer up. I'll get you the vineyard of Naboth from Jezreel." - 1 Kings 21:7

Jezebel came up with an evil plan. She wrote a letter to the leaders of the town where Naboth lived. She ordered that the leaders to call everyone in town together for a day of prayer. She said to give Naboth a special seat, and then call in two bad men who would lie about Naboth, saying that he had cursed God and cursed the King. She said that the townspeople must stone Naboth to death. Jezebel signed the King’s name to the orders. She even stamped it with the King’s seal to make it look official.

Sadly, since the order had been sealed with the King’s seal, it had to be followed. The leaders did as they were told. The townspeople believed that Naboth had cursed God and the King. They stoned him to death.

When Jezebel heard the news, she said to Ahab, “You know the vineyard Naboth wouldn’t sell you? Well, you can have it now! He’s dead!” So Ahab immediately went down to the vineyard of Naboth to claim it. - 1 Kings 21:15-16 NLT

Note to Teacher: Jezebel’s plan is both ironic and disturbing. The irony is that she would falsely accuse a man of cursing God when she had spent her entire life cursing God, and even murdering His prophets. It is very interesting that even though she was not an Israelite, she knew enough about Israelite law to use it against an Israelite. She knew that blasphemy bore the punishment of death by stoning (Leviticus 24:14-16). It is indeed disturbing that she knows so much about the God of Israel, she has seen His hand at work, and her gods had been proven to be false, yet, she continued in her ways, without fear of the one true God.

Judgement On Ahab (1 Kings 21:17-26)

Say: God sent Elijah to Naboth’s vineyard to give King Ahab a VERY serious message. The Lord was going to punish Ahab for being a part of Naboth’s murder.

Ahab said to Elijah, "My enemy! You have found me!"

"I have found you," he answered. "That's because you gave yourself over to do evil things. You did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. So the Lord says, 'I am going to bring horrible trouble on you. I will destroy your children after you. I will cut off every male in Israel who is related to you. It does not matter whether they are slaves or free... You have made me very angry. You have caused Israel to commit sin.' " - 1 Kings 21:20-22

Elijah told Ahab that Jezebel would also be killed. These are some very strong words, but Ahab had earned his punishment. God had blessed him with being made the earthly King of God’s own people, and Ahab turned his back on God and all this was right. The Bible says, “There was never anyone like Ahab. He gave himself over to do what was evil in the sight of the Lord. His wife Jezebel talked him into it. He acted in the most evil way. He worshiped statues of gods.” (1 Kings 21:25-26a)

AHAB REPENTS (1 Kings 21:27-28)

Say: Ahab took Elijah’s prophecy seriously. He tore his clothes and put on black clothes. This was a sign of mourning, as if someone had died. Ahab stopped eating and began to act very humble. God sent another message to Elijah about Ahab.

It said, "Have you seen how Ahab has made himself low in My sight? Because he has done that, I will not bring trouble on him while he lives. But I will bring it on his royal house when his son is king." - 1 Kings 21:29

God had already decreed a punishment - Ahab, Jezebel, and their sons would be destroyed. But because Ahab finally bowed down to the Lord, and acted with humility, God would not punish Ahab’s sons until after Ahab had died.

In time, all that God had spoken came to pass. Ahab died in battle when the Lord decided it should happen (1 Kings 22:20, 37). Jezebel died in the exact way Elijah had prophesied (1 Kings 21:23, 2 Kings 9:33-37). And eventually, all of Ahab’s descendants were killed (2 Kings 10:11).

I want you to know that the Lord has spoken against Ahab's royal house. Not a word of what He has said will fail. The Lord has done exactly what He promised through His servant Elijah." - 2 Kings 10:10

Application: In today’s story, we see that God is just, and He is also loving. Another word for just is fair. Like a good judge, God must punish sin. It would not be fair for a judge to allow someone to break the law and not punish him. In the same way, God must punish sin. But this makes God very sad (Genesis 6:6) because God loves people very much (1 John 4:8).

In the book of Exodus, God told Moses, “I am the Lord God. I am merciful and very patient with My people. I show great love, and I can be trusted. I keep My promises to My people forever, but I also punish anyone who sins.” (Exodus 34:b-7a CEV)

As we saw, God was very patient with Ahab and Jezebel. He gave them many, many opportunities to repent and turn to Him. But Ahab insisted on having things his way. He did not give a second thought to God’s command about the land. God’s way is always best, but Ahab and Jezebel thought that they knew better than God. Finally, the perfect and patient God had had enough. He decreed the punishment for this prideful, selfish, idol-worshipping couple. Notice that Ahab and Jezebel’s sin brought terrible consequences for their children. They lived wicked lives in front of their children. So their children followed their wicked behavior, and they too would be punished (1 Kings 22:52, 2 Kings 2-3). Our sin ALWAYS ruins things, and it almost always affects other people.

Yet, even after all of the horrible things that Ahab had done, God showed mercy to him because he repented of his sin. God did not bring punishment to Ahab’s sons while Ahab was alive. Even though God is just, and must punish sin because He is holy, He is also completely loving, giving us every opportunity to turn from our sin, and turn to Him.

There is no greater proof of this than the fact that God sent His Son, Jesus, to save us (John 3:16). Just like Ahab, each one of us has done evil in God’s sight, and we deserve to be punished by our just God (Romans 3:23). But God loves us so much, that He sent Jesus to pay for our sin. There is nothing we can do to save ourselves. Only our faith in Jesus takes our sin away and brings us back to God.

PPT KEY VERSE

Key Verse:

PPT MAIN POINT

Main Point: God is perfectly loving and perfectly just.

Unless otherwise noted the Scriptures taken from: Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version, (NIrV®)

Special thanks to John R. Cross, The Stranger on the Road to Emmaus, GoodSeed International.

Related Topics: Prophets

10. God Rescues Daniel from the Lions (Daniel 6)

Related Media

Lesson

PPT TITLE

Main Point: God rescues His people.

Key Verse:

(God) rescues people and sets them free by working great miracles. Daniel’s God has rescued him from the power of the lions. - Daniel 6:27 NLT

Props: A “scroll” with Darius’ decree (at end of lesson, or create your own!)

Background/Review

Say: Last week, we read the amazing letter that Nebuchadnezzar, the King of Babylon, wrote to the entire world. He told the story of how he once thought he was so great and powerful. But this was wrong thinking! God was the great and powerful One, and everything that Nebuchadnezzar had - his wealth, position, and kingdom - came from God. Because Nebuchadnezzar was proud, his heart was far from God. Then God took away all of the things that he was so proud of. God humbled Nebuchadnezzar. For seven years, the once-great King lived like a wild animal. Finally, he turned toward the one true God, and Nebuchadnezzar’s twisted mind was made right. From that day on, Nebuchadnezzar knew that God was in control of all things. He learned that, “God makes everything work out according to His plan.” (Ephesians 1:11b NLT) Nebuchadnezzar praised the Lord for who He is and what He does.

Additional teaching for older students: Looking back, we can certainly see that God worked out everything according to His plan. Back when the Israelites lived in Israel and Judah, the Israelite Kings and people stopped worshipping God. There were only a few Israelites who still trusted and followed God. So God allowed the Israelites to be kidnapped and taken to Babylon. Little by little, through the lives of Daniel and his friends, God revealed Himself to the Babylonian King, Nebuchadnezzar. Finally, that King came to know God and worship Him in front of the entire world. God worked out everything so that a foreign King would come to know Him and worship Him. So even while they were in captivity, God’s people where led by a King who followed the One true Lord. This made the way for the Israelites to remain faithful to God.

Nebuchadnezzar ruled in Babylon for over forty years. Several years after Nebuchadnezzar died, the kingdom of Babylon was taken over - just as God had foretold! Do you remember when God gave the dream of a large statue to Nebuchadnezzar? God gave Daniel the meaning of this dream. He said that the golden head was a symbol for Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom, and after him would come another kingdom that was not as powerful as his (Daniel 2:39). This happened when Babylon was taken over by the Persians and the Medes. Today we are going to read about one of the kings who ruled this kingdom, King Darius.

King Darius’ Decree (Daniel 6:1-9)

Say: Daniel was a faithful servant to King Nebuchadnezzar, and the kings after him. Daniel was such a wise and godly man that every King kept him in a high position. When King Darius was in power, he made Daniel one of the top three officials in Babylon.

Darius divided his kingdom into a hundred and twenty states and placed a governor in charge of each one. In order to make sure that his government was run properly, Darius put three other officials in charge of the governors. One of these officials was Daniel. And he did his work so much better than the other governors and officials that the king decided to let him govern the whole kingdom.

The other men tried to find something wrong with the way Daniel did his work for the king. But they could not accuse him of anything wrong, because he was honest and faithful and did everything he was supposed to do. - Daniel 6:1-4 CEV

Say: The other leaders wanted to find a reason to arrest Daniel. Ask: If Daniel did everything so well, why do you think the other leaders wanted to get rid of him? Listen for answers. Say: I’m sure some were jealous of Daniel, but there is probably more to it than that. These men (Persian “Satraps”) were appointed to help the King look after his kingdom and his wealth (Daniel 6:2). They collected taxes, judged court cases, and were in charge of the armies. These were very important jobs. Some men in this position were greedy and misused their position. With all that money and power, we can be sure that some of the men used their jobs to take money that belonged to the King. But Daniel would never do such a thing. These men were probably afraid that if Daniel were in charge of the entire kingdom, they would no longer be able to do what they wanted.

Note to Teacher: Daniel is described as standing out from all the other satraps and administrators because of his “exceptional qualities.” Indeed, “they could find no corruption in him.” (Daniel 6:3-4 NIV) If “no corruption” distinguishes him from the others, we can assume that corruption could be found in those who sought to get rid of him.

These men sound very much like the Pharisees who plotted to get rid of Jesus. Filled with corruption (Matthew 23), the Pharisees could find no fault in Jesus, and it made them furious. Jesus said, “Everyone who does evil things hates the light. They will not come into the light. They are afraid that what they do will be seen. But anyone who lives by the truth comes into the light. He does this so that it will be easy to see that what he has done is with God’s help.” (John 3:20-21) Like the Pharisees, these leaders plotted in secret to get rid of the innocent man (Psalm 64).

Application: People who do what’s wrong don’t usually like people who do what’s right! (John 3:20) When you stand up for the right thing, you will almost always have to face people who will be mean to you (John 15:20). For example, if you refuse to cheat on a test, or take an extra cookie from the lunch line when the cafeteria worker isn’t looking, you may be teased by those who are doing it themselves. Isn’t it strange that the ones who break the rules are the ones who tease those who don’t? When this happens, remember that you are in GREAT company. It happened to men like Noah, Moses, and Daniel. And it happened to Jesus.

Say: Daniel did everything in the right way. He didn’t cheat, lie, or steal. He was respectful and wise. The other leaders could not find anything that he did wrong. They knew they would have to set a trap for Him. They how knew faithful Daniel was to obeying God. They used this for their trap!

So the two leaders and the royal rulers went as a group to the king. They said, “King Darius, may you live forever! All of the royal leaders, high officials, royal rulers, advisers and governors want to make a suggestion. We’ve agreed that you should give an order. And you should make sure it’s obeyed. Here is the command you should give. King Darius, during the next 30 days don’t let any of your people pray to any god or man except to you. If they do, throw them into the lions’ den.

“Now give the order. Write it down in the laws of the Medes and Persians. Then it can’t be changed.” So King Darius put the order in writing. - Daniel 6:6-9

Teacher: Show your scroll. Explain that it would have been passed out to every state. DANIEL OBEYS GOD, NOT MEN (Daniel 6:10)

Say: Now we’ll see why the leaders came up with this plan. Daniel had a wonderful habit of praying to the Lord three times a day. He didn’t pray just anywhere. He had a special place to pray. He went upstairs in his house, and he prayed at the window that faced his homeland, the city of Jerusalem. This may seem a little strange. After all, we can pray anywhere, anytime. But Daniel had a really good reason for praying this way.

Way back, many years before Daniel was even born, King Solomon prayed a special prayer to the Lord, in front of all of the Israelites. He prayed in front of the Temple in Jerusalem. He praised God and asked God’s blessings over the people. Solomon knew that Moses had prophesied that one day the Israelites would turn from God and would be kidnapped and taken to a foreign land (Deuteronomy 28:36). Solomon prayed for that time:

“But suppose Your people change their ways in the land where they are held as prisoners. They turn away from their sins. They beg You to help them in the land where they are prisoners. They say, ‘We have sinned. We’ve done what is wrong. We’ve done what is evil.’...There they pray toward the land You gave their people long ago. They pray toward the city You have chosen. And they pray toward the temple I’ve built for Your Name. Then listen to them from heaven. It’s the place where you live. Listen to their prayer. Listen to them when they ask you to show them your favor. Stand up for them...Please forgive them. - 2 Chronicles 6:36-39

Say: Daniel was one of the faithful few who prayed toward the Temple in Jerusalem the way King Solomon instructed. Daniel was asking God for help (Daniel 6:11). He asked God to forgive His people for turning away from Him. And Daniel did not hide his prayer. He prayed where others could see him. He did this because he was not ashamed to pray to the one true God. Perhaps as a leader of his people, he also wanted to set an example for his follow Israelites that they, too, should pray toward Jerusalem and ask God’s forgiveness.

After Daniel heard the King’s order that no one could pray unless they prayed to King Darius, he had a choice to make.

He could pray to King Darius,
He could stop praying for 30 days,
He could pray to God secretly, or
He could continue to pray at his window as he always had.

Ask: Who would like to read Daniel 6:10 nice and loud so we can find out what Daniel chose to do? Choose a volunteer to read aloud. Say: Daniel continued to pray just as he had every single day. Daniel was not trying to defy the King, but the King’s order was directly opposed to what He knew God wanted - His people, remembering His promises, praying to Him and seeking His forgiveness. Daniel would not spend one day without praying to His Lord. But he would not pray in secret. He would let everyone know that He depended on God every day, even if it meant facing a den full of hungry lions.

Say: The men who set this trap for Daniel were clever, in a very bad way. They knew that they were setting a law that was against what God wanted. They knew that Daniel would either have to disobey the King or disobey God (Psalm 64:2-6).

Application: Daniel chose to obey God, not men. Daniel did what was right even when the man in authority over him ordered that he do what was wrong. You may have times of decision like Daniel. For example, you might go to a friend’s house to watch a movie. His or her parents may rent a movie that you know your parents would not allow you to watch. God’s word says to obey your parents. Your friend’s parents may say it’s no big deal. They won’t tell your parents. What should you do? Listen for answers. Say: Choose to obey God, and let Him take care of the rest!

Daniel Faces The Lions (Daniel 6:11-15)

Say: The sneaky trap-setters waited for Daniel to pray at his window, then they went to the King to “tattle” on him. But before they mentioned Daniel’s name, they said, “O King, didn’t you make an unchangeable law that no one can pray to anyone but you for 30 days? If someone breaks that law, won’t he be thrown into a den of hungry lions?” Of course, the King agreed.

Then they spoke to the king again. They said, “Daniel is one of the prisoners from Judah. He doesn’t pay any attention to you, King Darius. He doesn’t obey the order you put in writing. He still prays to his God three times a day.”

When the King heard that, he was very upset. He didn’t want Daniel to be harmed in any way. Until sunset, he did everything he could to save him. - Daniel 6:13-14

Say: Poor King Darius was in a mess! Daniel was the best, the wisest, and the most honest man in the whole kingdom. King Darius really liked Daniel, and now he would have to throw him to the lions! The King tried to think of any way to get out of this terrible situation, but there was no way. The men reminded him that once a law was passed, it could not be changed. Because of his own law, Darius was now powerless to rescue Daniel.

King Darius wasn’t a bad guy. He never wanted to harm Daniel. The trouble was that he listened to men who had evil intentions. He did not think through the law that he passed. Just imagine how different things would have been if he had prayed and asked what God thought about the law!

Application: You must be very careful whom you listen to! It is great to have friends of all kinds - both believers and non-believers. You should have friends who are not believers, so that you can share God’s love and truth with them. But you should not be influenced by people who do not know God’s truth, as King Darius was. If you are ever unsure whether a friend’s advice honors God and brings His blessings, look into God’s word.

God Rescues Daniel (Daniel 6:16-28)

So at last the king gave orders for Daniel to be arrested and thrown into the den of lions. The king said to him, “May your God, whom you serve so faithfully, rescue you.”

A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den. The King sealed the stone with his own royal seal and the seals of his nobles, so that no one could rescue Daniel. Then the King returned to his palace and spent the night fasting. He refused his usual entertainment and couldn’t sleep at all that night. - Daniel 6:16-18 NLT

Say: King Darius knew that Daniel’s fate was no longer in his hands. Daniel was well known for his faithfulness to the Lord, and King Darius encouraged Daniel by saying, “May your God rescue you.” No doubt Darius had heard the stories of how God rescued Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego from the fiery furnace. The King spent a sleepless night, staring out his window, waiting for daybreak.

As soon as the sun began to rise, the King got up. He hurried to the lions’ den. When he got near it, he called out to Daniel. His voice was filled with great concern. He said, “Daniel! You serve the living God. You always serve Him faithfully. So has He been able to save you from the lions?”

Daniel answered, “My king, may you live forever! My God sent His angel. And His angel shut the mouths of the lions. They haven’t hurt me at all. That’s because I haven’t done anything wrong in God’s sight. I’ve never done anything wrong to you either, my King.”

The King was filled with joy. He ordered his servants to lift Daniel out of the den. So they did. They didn’t see any wounds on him. That’s because he had trusted in his God. - Daniel 6:19-23

Say: Wow, this seemed like an impossible situation! There was nothing that Daniel could do, nor was there anything that the King could do. But God can do ANYTHING! The Bible tells us, “The things that are impossible with people are possible with God.” (Luke 18:27 NASV) God had a rescue plan for Daniel. He sent His angel to shut the mouths of the lions! Don’t you wish there were video cameras back then? I would LOVE to see what that looked like! This may have been the same angel that stepped into the fiery furnace with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.

Then King Darius gave another order. It was about those evil men who tricked the King into making the bad law. Ask: What do you think was a fair punishment for these men? Listen for answers. Say: They were thrown into the lion’s den. These men did not trust in God, and they were crushed by the lions.

King Darius then sent this message to all people of every nation and race in the world: “Greetings to all of you! I command everyone in my kingdom to worship and honor the God of Daniel. He is the living God, the One who lives forever. His power and His kingdom will never end. He rescues people and sets them free by working great miracles. Daniel’s God has rescued him from the power of the lions.”

All went well for Daniel while Darius was king, and even when Cyrus the Persian ruled. - Daniel 6:25-28 CEV

Say: Here we have another non-Israelite King praising the name of the one true Lord. God’s plan is incredible, and because Daniel trusted God, he was right in the middle of God’s plan and God’s blessings!

Application: Time and time again in the Bible, we see that God rescues His people. He rescued Noah and his family from the flood, He rescued Moses from the Nile River, He rescued the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, He rescued Daniel’s three friends from the raging furnace, and He rescued Daniel from a pride of hungry lions. God is ABLE to rescue, because there is nothing that God cannot do. And He is WILLING to rescue, because He is so good and He loves us so much. God is happy to show people that He is a Rescuer (Exodus 10:1-2, 11:9).

God’s rescues from fire, flood, famine, war, and even wild beasts are AMAZING! But the greatest rescue that God offers is the rescue from our own sin. Our sin brings death and punishment. Our sin separates us from God forever. But God is ABLE to rescue you. He sent His perfect Son to become the sacrifice that is ABLE to take away your sin. And God is WILLING to rescue you because He is so good. He loves you and wants you to be with Him forever. When you place your trust in Jesus, God’s rescue plan, you will be saved from the punishment of your sin.

If you have been rescued, won’t you tell others about God, the Rescuer? Tell them that God is ABLE and WILLING to rescue them.

PPT KEY VERSE

Key Verse:

(God) rescues people and sets them free by working great miracles. Daniel’s God has rescued him from the power of the lions. - Daniel 6:27 NLT

PPT MAIN POINT

Main Point: God rescues His people.

Unless otherwise noted the Scriptures taken from: Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version, (NIrV®)

Special thanks to John R. Cross, The Stranger on the Road to Emmaus, GoodSeed International.

2. Elijah on Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18)

Related Media

Lesson

PPT TITLE

Main Point: The Lord is the one true God.

Key Verse:

All of the people saw it. Then they fell down flat with their faces toward the ground. They cried out, “The Lord is the one and only God! The Lord is the one and only God!” - 1 Kings 18:39

Props: “Most Wanted” poster (included at end of lesson)

Background/Review

Say: Last week we talked about a prophet named Elijah (eh-LY-juh) and a king named Ahab. God’s people, the Israelites, were divided into two kingdoms at that time. Ahab was the King over part of Israel. His wife, Queen Jezebel, worshipped a false god named Baal. Ahab built a temple and altars to Baal. And worst of all, Ahab, who was an Israelite himself, chose to worship the false god of Baal! Ahab chose to turn his back on the Creator of the universe, and worshipped an imaginary creature that was made up by people. The Israelites followed their King, and worshipped Baal also. This was VERY evil in God’s sight. Following false gods is very bad for several reasons:

1) It breaks God’s first commandment, so it is sin. God said, “Do not put any other gods in place of Me.” (Exodus 20:3)

2) It does not do any good for the person. The prophet Jeremiah said, “Our fathers possessed nothing but false gods, worthless idols that did them no good.” (Jeremiah 16:19 NIV)

3) It keeps us separated from God. Without faith in God alone, we cannot be forgiven for our sins. Romans 3:22 says, “We are made right with God by putting our faith in Jesus Christ.”

4) It robs God of the worship that belongs to Him. “Let them praise the name of the Lord. His name alone is honored. His glory is higher than the earth and the heavens.” Psalm 72:18

God sent Elijah to tell King Ahab that there would not be any rain, and not even one drop of dew, until Elijah called for it. After many weeks, the plants began to wither and die. After many months, the drought dried up the streams and rivers. The lack of food and water caused animals to die, and soon people would also die. The drought lasted over three years, but God took care of Elijah’s needs every single day.

We will see that it was not God’s intention to make His people suffer. He sent the drought to get their attention. He wanted them to see that He is the only God, so they would turn away from false gods and choose to follow Him only.

Elijah & Obadiah (1 Kings 18:1-15)

The King’s wife, Jezebel, not only worshipped a false god, but she decided to kill all of the prophets of the one true God! Now there was a man named Obadiah who worked for King Ahab, running the King’s palace. Obadiah had great respect for the Lord. He wanted to help the prophets. He hid one hundred prophets in two caves, fifty in each cave. He supplied them with food and water.

It was now three years since it had rained. A message came to Elijah from the Lord. He said, “Go. Speak to Ahab. Then I will send rain on the land.” So Elijah went to speak to Ahab. - 1 Kings 18:1:2a

About that same time, King Ahab went to Obadiah and told him they must go into the land, looking for any spring of water that had not yet dried up completely. The people were beginning to starve. Ahab thought that if they found water, they might find grass to feed some of the animals. So Ahab and Obadiah set out to search the land. Ahab went in one direction, and Obadiah went in the other.

As Obadiah was walking along, Elijah met him. Obadiah recognized him. He bowed down to the ground. He said, “My master Elijah! Is it really you?”

“Yes,” he replied. “Go and tell your master Ahab, ‘Elijah is here.’ “- 1 Kings 18:7-8

Ask: Why do you think Obadiah bowed down to Elijah and called him master? Listen for answers. Say: Elijah had become sort of famous by then. For the people who loved God, he was a hero, because he spoke out against King Ahab and his false god. But for the people who followed King Ahab and worshipped Baal, Elijah was a terrible enemy.

Ahab was very angry with Elijah for declaring the drought. Ahab had sent people all over the surrounding kingdoms looking for Elijah. It was sort of like this. Teacher: Show “Wanted” poster.

In fact, Obadiah was scared that Ahab would kill him just for speaking with Elijah. Obadiah was afraid that he would tell Ahab that he found Elijah, then Elijah would leave, and Ahab would be furious. He said, “If I go and tell Ahab and he doesn’t find you, he’ll kill me.”

Elijah said, “I serve the Lord who rules over all. You can be sure that He lives. And you can be just as sure that I will speak to Ahab today.” - 1 Kings 18:15

Elijah On Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18:16-46)

Obadiah went back to Ahab. He told Ahab that Elijah wanted to see him. So Ahab went to where Elijah was. When he saw Elijah, he said to him, “Is that you? You are always stirring up trouble in Israel.”

“I haven’t made trouble for Israel,” Elijah replied. “But you and your father’s family have. You have turned away from the Lord’s commands. You have followed the gods that are named after Baal.

“Now send for people from all over Israel. Tell them to meet me on Mount Carmel. And bring the 450 prophets of the god Baal. Also bring the 400 prophets of the goddess Asherah. All of them eat at Jezebel’s table.” - 1 Kings 18:16-19

So Ahab instructed all 750 of his false prophets, and all the other Israelites, to come to Mount Carmel. Elijah stood up in front of everyone. He announced that it was time for the people to make a decision. He said if God was the one true God, they should follow Him. But if Baal was the one and only god, they should follow him. The people were silent.

Then Elijah said to them, “I’m the only one of the Lord’s prophets left. But Baal has 450 prophets. Get two bulls for us. Let Baal’s prophets choose one for themselves. Let them cut it into pieces. Then let them put it on the wood. But don’t let them set fire to it. I’ll prepare the other bull. I’ll put it on the wood. But I won’t set fire to it. Then you pray to your god. And I’ll pray to the Lord. The god who answers by sending fire down is the one and only God.” - 1 Kings 18:22-24a

Elijah proposed a challenge, and everyone agreed it was a good idea. Elijah let the prophets of Baal have first pick of the bulls. They prepared the bull and placed it on an altar for Baal. They prayed to Baal, asking him to send fire down to the altar. They prayed all morning long. They prayed until noon. “Baal, answer us!” they shouted, but nothing happened. They even danced around the altar - but not a sound from Baal.

At noon Elijah began to tease them. “Shout louder!” he said. “I’m sure Baal is a god! Perhaps he has too much to think about. Or maybe he has gone to the toilet. Or perhaps he’s away on a trip. Maybe he’s sleeping. You might have to wake him up.” - 1 Kings 18:27

They shouted louder and louder. They continued praying and shouting with all their might until evening. But there was no reply.

So Elijah gathered the people to himself. He rebuilt the Lord’s altar that had been destroyed. He put twelve stones on the altar - one for each of the twelve tribes of Israel. He placed firewood on top of the stones, and dug a ditch around the altar. He prepared the bull and placed it on top of the wood on the altar.

Then Elijah did something really amazing! He told some people to fill four large jars with water, and pour them out on the altar! Perhaps the people used the last drops of water they had to pour on the sacrifice, or maybe it was salt water carried up from the Mediterranean Sea below. They soaked the bull, the wood and the stones with water. Then he told them to do it again. Then Elijah had them do it a third time. The altar was drenched with water!

Ask: Why do you think Elijah would do this? Listen for answers. Say: Elijah wanted to prove - beyond a doubt - that God was powerful. By pouring water on the altar, he showed that he was not cheating in any way. He wanted to take away every excuse the people might come up to explain how the Lord’s altar would catch on fire.

When it was time to offer the evening sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward. He prayed, “Lord, You are the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel. Today let everyone know that You are God in Israel. Let them know I’m Your servant. Let them know I’ve done all of these things because You commanded me to. Answer me. Lord, answer me. Then these people will know that You are the one and only God. They’ll know that You are turning their hearts back to You again.” - 1 Kings 18:36-37

Ask: What do you think happened next? God sent fire! Say: The fire of the Lord God Almighty came down! It not only burned up the sacrifice. It burned up the wood, and the stones, and the soil! And guess what? It even licked up the water in the ditch! Now everyone knows that ordinary fire doesn’t burn up dirt or rocks. And it certainly can’t burn up water! But that is exactly what happened. Elijah prayed for God to show Himself, and He sure did!

All of the people were stunned. They fell with their faces to the ground, and the yelled out, “The LORD is the one and only God!”

Elijah ordered the people to grab the false prophets of Baal, and they were put to death. God is VERY serious about false prophets, because false prophets lead people away from God. He had commanded long ago that false prophets must be killed.

Then Elijah told Ahab to go eat and drink, because rain was on its way. Elijah climbed to the top of Mount Carmel. He bent down low and prayed to the Lord. He sent his servant to look out over the sea. His servant returned saying, “I don’t see anything.” Elijah sent him back six more times. Finally, the servant returned and reported to Elijah that he could see a tiny cloud the size of a man’s hand. Elijah knew what this meant. He sent word to Ahab that the rain was coming.

Black clouds filled the sky. The wind came up and heavy rains began to fall. - 1 Kings 18:45a

Ask: How do you think the people felt to feel the rain falling after three years of dry, dusty, drought? Happy, relieved, refreshed. Say: I can just imagine the people standing out in the rain. Maybe they even danced for joy as the rain fell down and soaked into the thirsty ground! Ask: And whom do you think they praised for the rain now? The one true God of Israel!

Say: Certainly, it was difficult for them to go through the time of drought, but it was FAR better for them to have faced the hard time and come out knowing God in the end. If God had not come to them and brought the drought, they would not have returned to Him. They would have remained in their sin, separated from the Lord.

Application: First of all, it is MOST important for you to know that there is ONE God. He is the Creator. He is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The Bible says that everything that was created was made so that we would look at it and know that the Creator is amazingly powerful, creative, and good (Romans 1:20). There is no other God besides Him.

Nowadays, most of us don’t make up a god, call it a god, and worship it. But we have other ways of putting something in the place of God. We are called to place God above everything else in our life. We should trust Him, and love Him with all our heart. If this does not describe you, then you have put something else is in God’s place. For example, some of us care more about what our friends think than what God thinks. And, some of us care more about our sport or hobby than spending time with God. As I mentioned at the beginning of our time together, it is not only sin to worship what is not God, it is foolish. And it robs God of the worship that only He deserves. Think about what is the absolute most important thing to you. If it is not God, ask Him to change your heart (Psalm 51:10). Turn away from the thing that distracts you and turn back to the Lord.

Secondly, let’s look at the example of Elijah. He did not fear men. Instead, he loved and trusted God. He stood in front of an entire nation of people and proclaimed that God was the only God. He abided with God. He heard God’s voice. He obeyed God’s commands. He trusted that God would do exactly what He promised to do. (And God certainly kept His promises!) Can you just imagine being Elijah when God’s fire burst from the sky? You can have faith just like Elijah! Abide with God; remain with Him. Listen for His voice and obey His commands. Your faith will grow as you spend time with the one true God.

PPT KEY VERSE

Key Verse:

All of the people saw it. Then they fell down flat with their faces toward the ground. They cried out, “The Lord is the one and only God! The Lord is the one and only God!” - 1 Kings 17:16

PPT MAIN POINT

Main Point: The Lord is the one true God

Unless otherwise noted the Scriptures taken from: Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version, (NIrV®)

Special thanks to John R. Cross, The Stranger on the Road to Emmaus, GoodSeed International.

1. Elijah Fed by Ravens (1 Kings 17)

Related Media

Lesson

PPT TITLE

Main Point: God provides for those who trust in Him.

Key Verse:

The jar of flour wasn’t used up. The jug always had oil in it. That’s what the Lord had said would happen. He had spoken that message through Elijah. - 1 Kings 17:16

Props: 3 identical bottles, each containing about 1/4 cup of oil; Clay jar of flour; bowl; cardboard box with flaps, set on its side to resemble a cabinet. Before class begins, place the jars of oil in the box, turn it so kids cannot see inside when you open the flap.

Background/Review

Say: Let’s take a minute to review the Kings of Israel. You’ll remember that having a human king was not God’s best for His people. God warned the Israelites that having an earthly king was a bad idea. God wanted to be their only King, but the people begged and begged to be like other nations who had a king. God gave in to their request and anointed Saul. It did not take long for Saul to forget about God and do many evil things. God replaced Saul with David. He was a man after God’s own heart. But he was not perfect either. David passed down his thrown to his son Solomon. Solomon started out well, but in time, he began to worship false gods. Sin always spoils things. God promised that the kingdom of Israel would be divided after Solomon died. And that is exactly what happened.

The kingdom was divided into two parts - the southern part was called Judah and the northern part was called Israel.and many bad kings ruled the Israelites in these kingdoms. A man named Ahab began to rule over the northern part, Israel. Listen to what the Bible says about him:

Ahab, the son of Omri, did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. He did more evil things than any of the kings who had ruled before him. - 1 Kings 16:30

Wow. Of all the evil kings that ruled Israel and Judah, Ahab was the worst! He married a woman named Jezebel. She was the daughter of the king of Sidon. In Sidon, the people worshipped a false god named Baal.

This was VERY evil in the sight of God. God’s first commandment to the Israelites was, “Do not put any other gods in place of Me.” (Exodus 20:3) The second commandment was very much like it, “Do not make statues of gods that look like anything in the sky or on the earth or in the waters. Do not bow down to them or worship them. I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God.” (Exodus 20:4-5a)

King Ahab began to serve and worship Baal. He built a temple for Baal, and built an altar for Baal in the temple. He also made a pole that was used to worship a goddess named Ashera. Just imagine: The Israelites were the people chosen by God to be set apart, to know Him and worship Him. Yet their King was worshipping false gods! The people followed the King and the land was full of idol worship. Jezebel even began having all the prophets of the one true God killed! (Note: This will be an important point for future lessons.) God sent a prophet to speak out against Ahab and his worship of false gods, and to turn the hearts of His people back to Him.

What Is A Prophet? (Deuteronomy 18:14-22)

A prophet is a person chosen by God to be His messenger. The prophet’s authority, or his power and right to be heard, does not come from his family background, his education, or his own wisdom. His authority comes from God alone.

In the Old Testament book of Deuteronomy, God told Moses that He chooses the prophets. God said, “I will give My message to that prophet, who will tell the people exactly what I have said. Since the message comes from Me, anyone who doesn’t obey the message will have to answer to Me.” (Deuteronomy 18:18b-19 CEV). God also warned against becoming a prophet for a false god. (This will be an important point next week.)

God even said there was a test to know if someone was truly a prophet from God.

If the prophet speaks in the Lord’s name but his prediction does not happen or come true, you will know that the Lord did not give that message. That prophet has spoken without My authority and need not be feared. - Deuteronomy 18:22 NLT

God allowed His prophets to know important events that were going to happen, ahead of time. The prophets told people what was going to happen, and then when it did happen, the people knew the messenger was really from God. God used prophecies about events to get the people’s attention so they would listen to the prophet’s message. Most often, the message was about the hearts of the people toward God.

Elijah & The Ravens (1 Kings 17:1-6)

Say: God sent a prophet named Elijah (eh-LY-juh), with a strong message for King Ahab. Elijah means. “My God is Jehovah.” Jehovah is God’s proper name. It means, “the existing One.” God IS! He always was, and He always will be. The word LORD is the English word for the Hebrew word, Jehovah. When you use the word LORD, you are declaring that God is, was, and will always be.

Elijah was from Tishbe in the land of Gilead. He said to Ahab, “I serve the Lord. He is the God of Israel. You can be sure that He lives. And you can be just as sure that there won’t be any dew or rain on the whole land. There won’t be any during the next few years. It won’t come until I say so.” - 1 Kings 17:1

In order to get King Ahab’s attention, Elijah announced that a drought was about to begin, and it would last for years. A drought is when no rain falls at all. Ask: What is the problem with a drought? People have nothing to drink; Plants and animals die; People go hungry. Say: Without water, nothing can survive for very long.

Well, Elijah sort of came out of nowhere, and King Ahab might have thought he was just a crazy man. Ask: When do you think Ahab would believe that Elijah was speaking with God’s authority? When the drought came!

God sent Elijah to hide out while he was waiting for the drought to be noticed by Ahab. God gave very unusual instructions to Elijah. Listen to this!

Then a message from the Lord came to Elijah. It said, “Leave this place. Go east and hide in the Kerith Valley. It is east of the Jordan River. You will drink water from the brook. I have ordered some ravens to feed you there.”

So Elijah did what the Lord had told him to do. He went to the Kerith Valley. It was east of the Jordan River. He stayed there. The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning. They also brought him bread and meat in the evening. He drank water from the brook. - 1 Kings 17:2-6

It didn’t rain that day, or the next day, or the next day. At first, Ahab must have thought that the dry weather was just a coincidence. Then after a week, a month, two months, he must have felt a bit uneasy. The funny thing was that the “god” Ahab worshipped was supposed to be a storm god! Baal was supposed to specialize in weather. Yet, not a drop came out of the sky for Ahab.

Meanwhile, Elijah was out in the wilderness, but God did not forget about him! Elijah had fresh water to drink from the brook, and ravens brought food to him! Ravens are large black birds. They are one of the smartest species of birds. They are about 2 feet long, and they eat plants and animals. What an amazing way for God to provide for His faithful prophet. Every morning and every evening, the ravens brought a variety of food to Elijah. God’s people weren’t obeying Him, but the birds were!

Elijah & The Widow (1 Kings 17:7-16)

Things were drying up in Israel. The ground was cracked and the plants were withered. The storehouses of grain were becoming empty and there was no new grain to eat. We wonder how many times Ahab thought back to the words of Elijah.

As the drought continued, Elijah’s brook dried up. This was no surprise to God! It was all part of His plan, and God told Elijah the next step to take.

A message came to Elijah from the Lord. He said, “Go right away to Zarephath in the territory of Sidon. Stay there. I have commanded a widow in that place to supply you with food.”

So Elijah went to Zarephath. He came to the town gate. A widow was there gathering sticks. He called out to her. He asked, “Would you bring me a little water in a jar? I need a drink.”

She went to get the water. Then he called out to her, “Please bring me a piece of bread too.”

“I don’t have any bread,” she replied. “And that’s just as sure as the Lord your God is alive. All I have is a small amount of flour in a jar and a little olive oil in a jug. I’m gathering a few sticks to take home. I’ll make one last meal for myself and my son. We’ll eat it. After that, we’ll die.”

Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid. Go home. Do what you have said. But first make a little bread for me. Make it out of what you have. Bring it to me. Then make some for yourself and your son.

“The Lord is the God of Israel. He says, ‘The jar of flour will not be used up. The jug will always have oil in it. You will have flour and oil until the day the Lord sends rain on the land.’ “- 1 Kings 17:8b-14

The town that God sent Elijah to was right in the middle of Jezebel’s hometown, Sidon. Most of the people there worshipped Baal. How would the prophet of the one true God ever be welcomed or taken care of there? God had made the way for Elijah. God had hand picked a woman to help him. This woman, whose husband had died, was also suffering because of the drought. She lived with only her son, and they were out of food. Elijah promised her that if she would do what he said, God would provide the flour and oil she needed until He ended the drought and food was plentiful again. Elijah was asking her to trust the Lord of Israel. Let’s see what happened.

She went away and did what Elijah had told her to do. So Elijah had food every day. There was also food for the woman and her family. The jar of flour wasn’t used up. The jug always had oil in it. That’s what the Lord had said would happen. He had spoken that message through Elijah. - 1 Kings 17:15-16

Ask: Did the Lord keep His promise? Yes! Say: God promised to provide for Elijah, the widow, and her son. God ALWAYS keeps His promises! Each day, the woman would go to her cupboard, get her bottle of oil and make bread. Teacher: Show your jar of flour. Pour some flour into the bowl. Take out one bottle of oil. Pour out ALL the oil into the bowl. Place the bottle back into the box. Say: No matter how many times the widow went to get oil and flour, it NEVER ran out. Reach back into the box, get another bottle (the students should think it is the same bottle), and pour the contents into the bowl. Then place it back in the box. The next day, guess what? It was full of oil again! Take the third bottle out & pour the oil into the bowl. As often as she needed oil, it just kept pouring! She could never use up what God provided. One of God’s names in the Bible is “The Lord Will Provide.” (Genesis 22:14) He provides all of our needs to overflowing! We can never use up what He provides.

God Heals The Widow’s Son (1 Kings 17:17-24)

Some time later, the woman’s son got very, very sick. Finally, he stopped breathing. The woman called out to Elijah. She thought her son was dying as a punishment for her sin (1 Kings 17:18). But God had a different reason for this trial.

Elijah took the boy up to his room. He cried out to God on the woman’s behalf. He stretched out over the boy.

He said, “Lord my God, give this boy’s life back to him!”

The Lord answered Elijah’s prayer. He gave the boy’s life back to him. So the boy lived. Elijah picked up the boy. He carried him down from the upstairs room into the house. He gave him to his mother. He said, “Look! Your son is alive!”

Then the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God. I know that the message you have brought from the Lord is true.” - 1 Kings 17:21b-24

What a relief it was to this mother for her son to be healed! Her tears of sadness turned to tears of joy. He was all she had left, and he was returned to her alive. Ask: Who can tell me what God’s purpose was in allowing this boy to die and be brought back? Listen for answers. Say: Let’s look again at what the boy’s mother said when she saw her son alive and well.

Then the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God. I know that the message you have brought from the Lord is true.” - 1 Kings 17:24

Say: God allowed this trial so that she could see the power of the one true God. She had to understand that Elijah was God’s prophet so she would believe his message that only God is worthy of worship.

This story is far from over! Come back next week to see what happens with Elijah, King Ahab, and 850 false prophets!

Application: Elijah abided with God and obeyed Him every step of the way. It would have been scary for Elijah to go to King Ahab to announce the drought was coming when Jezebel was killing off God’s prophets. But Elijah went boldly. It must have sounded very strange when God promised Elijah that wild birds would bring him food, but Elijah did not doubt God. Also, Elijah did not hesitate to go to Sidon, even though it was full of his enemies. And, also, the widow trusted God enough to give her last bit of bread to Elijah, when God promised to provide.

God did not disappoint! God ALWAYS keeps His promises! God took care of Elijah’s needs. He fed the widow and her son, and even brought the boy back to life! Boys and girls, there is NO safer place to be than wherever God wants you to be. Abide in Him, remain with Him, hear His voice, and obey His instructions. God will never send you into a place where He doesn’t go with you, and He will provide all that you need - in abundance!

PPT KEY VERSE

Key Verse:

The jar of flour wasn’t used up. The jug always had oil in it. That’s what the Lord had said would happen. He had spoken that message through Elijah. - 1 Kings 17:16

PPT MAIN POINT

Main Point: God provides for those who trust in Him.

Unless otherwise noted the Scriptures taken from: Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version, (NIrV®)

Special thanks to John R. Cross, The Stranger on the Road to Emmaus, GoodSeed International.

Related Topics: Prophets

9. God Humbles Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 4)

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Lesson

PPT TITLE

Main Point: We will have peace when we understand that God is in control of everything.

Key Verse:

At the end of that time I, Nebuchadnezzar, looked up toward heaven. My mind became clear again. - Daniel 4:34a

Props: A modern-day letter, signed at the bottom.

Background/Review

Say: Everyone open your Bibles to the book of Daniel. (You may want to say: It’s about 2/3 from the front of your Bible.) Keep your Bibles open there.

For the last several weeks, we have studied the Israelites as they were kidnapped and taken to Babylon. The Babylonians did not worship the one true God. They worshipped many false gods and idols. Their King, Nebuchadnezzar (Neh-byoo-kuhd-NEHZ-er), was a very powerful man who also worshipped false gods and idols. However, God had a plan to reveal Himself to King Nebuchadnezzar. God saw to it that Nebuchadnezzar’s path crossed with some of His few faithful followers, Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego (Jeremiah 25:11, Daniel 1:2). By watching the relationship that these men had with the living God, King Nebuchadnezzar learned more and more about their God.

In Daniel 1, Daniel and his friends decided ahead of time not to disobey God by eating the King’s food. Because they obeyed God and depended on Him, God gave them great wisdom. King Nebuchadnezzar found that these Israelites were ten times wiser than all of the His other wise men. So King Nebuchadnezzar honored God’s men.

Then, in Daniel 2, the Lord gave Nebuchadnezzar a dream that only Daniel could interpret. Daniel made it very clear that the dream and the interpretation had come for the one true God. Through this dream, King Nebuchadnezzar learned that only God’s Kingdom will last forever. The King learned that God is wise and He reveals truth. So King Nebuchadnezzar admitted that Daniel’s God was the best of all the “gods.”

Finally, last week we studied Daniel 3. In the fiery furnace, King Nebuchadnezzar saw that the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego was faithful; He could do what none of his “gods” could do - God could rescue His people. Nebuchadnezzar saw that the Lord would step into a blazing furnace to be with those who trust in Him. So King Nebuchadnezzar made a law that no one could speak against the God of Israel.

All of these were steps toward knowing God, but Nebuchadnezzar did not yet understand that God was the ONLY God and that He was in control of EVERYTHING. Nebuchadnezzar thought that he, himself, was almost like a god. He had one more very important lesson to learn.

Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream (Daniel 4:1-18)

Say: Everyone turn to Daniel 4. This chapter is actually a letter. When we write a letter, we sign it at the bottom. Teacher: Show your modern-day letter, and where it is signed. Back in Bible times, they did something interesting when they signed their letters. They signed them at the beginning of the letter. This actually makes a lot of sense. This way, when a person received a letter, he or she knew right away who sent it. So, look at the first couple words in Daniel 4. Ask: Who was this letter from? King Nebuchadnezzar. Say: And right after the letter writer’s name, he tells us who the letter is written to. Ask: Who would like to read verse 1 aloud so we can see whom this letter is written to? Choose a volunteer to read. Say: This letter is written to everyone in the whole world! Wow. This must contain some really cool stuff. Let’s see what this mighty King thought was so important that he should write a letter to the entire world. He begins:

I am pleased to tell you what has happened. The Most High God has done miraculous signs and wonders for me. His miraculous signs are great. His wonders are mighty. His kingdom will last forever. His rule will never end. - Daniel 4:2-3

Say: Now this is much higher praise than Nebuchadnezzar had ever spoken about God. Something big has happened in the King’s life and he wants to tell everyone about it.

I was at home in my palace. I was content and very successful. But I had a dream that made me afraid. I was lying on my bed. Then dreams and visions passed through my mind. They terrified me. - Daniel 4:4-5

Say: Uh-oh. Another dream. Once again, King Nebuchadnezzar called on all of his wise men to explain the dream to him. And, of course, none of them could. Finally, he called on Daniel. Nebuchadnezzar called Daniel by a Babylonian name, Belteshazzar (bel-te-SHAZ-er). He told Daniel his dream:

“Here are the visions I saw while I was lying on my bed. I looked up and saw a tree standing in the middle of the land. It was very tall. It had grown to be large and strong. Its top touched the sky. It could be seen anywhere on earth. Its leaves were beautiful. It had a lot of fruit on it. It provided enough food for people and animals. Under the tree, the wild animals found shade. The birds of the air lived in its branches. Every creature was fed from that tree.

“While I was still lying on my bed, I looked up. In my visions, I saw a holy messenger. He was coming down from heaven. He called out in a loud voice. He said, ‘Cut the tree down. Break off its branches. Strip its leaves off. Scatter its fruit. Let the animals that are under it run away. Let the birds that are in its branches fly off. But leave the stump with its roots in the ground. Let it stay in the field. Put a band of iron and bronze around it.

“ ‘Let King Nebuchadnezzar become wet with the dew of heaven. Let him live like the animals among the plants of the earth. Let him no longer have the mind of a man. Instead, let him be given the mind of an animal. Let him stay that way until seven periods of time pass by.

“ ‘The decision is announced by holy messengers. So all who are alive will know that the Most High God is King. He rules over all of the kingdoms of men. He gives them to anyone He wants. Sometimes He puts the least important men in charge of them.’ “- Daniel 4:10-17

Daniel Explains The Dream (Daniel 4:1-18)

Say: Daniel knew that this dream was all about King Nebuchadnezzar, and it was not all good news. He told Nebuchadnezzar that he wished the dream were about the King’s enemies instead of the King. He explained:

“My King, you are that tree! You have become great and strong. Your greatness has grown until it reaches the sky. Your rule has spread to all parts of the earth.” - Daniel 4:22

That was the good news. But there was plenty of bad news too:

“My King and master, here is what your dream means. The Most High God has given an order against you. You will be driven away from people. You will live like the wild animals. You will eat grass just as cattle do. You will become wet with the dew of heaven. Seven periods of time will pass by for you. Then you will recognize that the Most High God rules over all of the kingdoms of men. He gives them to anyone he wants.

“But he gave a command to leave the stump of the tree along with its roots. That means your kingdom will be given back to you. It will happen when you recognize that the God of heaven rules.

“So, my king, I hope you will accept my advice. Stop being sinful. Do what is right. Give up your evil practices. Show kindness to those who are being treated badly. Then perhaps things will continue to go well with you.” - Daniel 4:24-27

God sent a clear warning to Nebuchadnezzar. Through Daniel, the Lord encouraged Nebuchadnezzar to repent of his sin before it was too late. However, the King did not take this warning to heart.

Note to Teacher: Nebuchadnezzar’s sins were very much like those of Pharaoh in Egypt and the Pharisees in Jesus’ day. All of these men were puffed up with pride, and they mistreated the lowly (Exodus 1:11, 5:2; Matthew 23). Pride was the very sin of Satan (Ezekiel 28:15-17). C.S. Lewis writes, “The essential vice, the utmost evil, is pride. Unchastity, anger, greed, drunkenness, and all that, are mere fleabites in comparison: it was through Pride that the devil became the devil: Pride leads to every other vice: it is the complete anti-God state of mind.” It is no wonder that God detests pride and opposes the proud (James 4:6, Proverbs 6:16-17). It is pride that leads men to believe we can live without Him.

Application: God wants us to stay close to Him and far from sin. When we are in sin, or close to things that tempt us, God gives us correction in several ways. He instructs us in His word (2 Timothy 3:16), through Bible teaching, and preaching (Matthew 12:41). He speaks to us through prayer (Daniel 9:20-22). Often, He also uses those close to us - our parents, teachers, and friends - to let us know when we are making wrong decisions (Proverbs 13:1, 2 Samuel 12:9). It is so important for us to pay attention to God’s correction. God is patient, but when we choose to ignore His loving warnings, we will face the consequences of our sin (Proverbs 1:24-33).

The Dream Comes True (Daniel 4:28-33)

Say: Patiently, God gave Nebuchadnezzar an entire year in which to turn from his evil ways. Remember, this is the King’s own letter we are reading. He said:

All of that happened to me. It took place twelve months later. I was walking on the roof of my palace in Babylon. I said, “Isn’t this the great Babylon I have built as a place for my royal palace? I used my mighty power to build it. It shows how glorious my majesty is.” - Daniel 4:28-30

Say: Let’s take a closer look at Nebuchadnezzar’s attitude as he looked out over the kingdom.

I said, “Isn’t this the great Babylon I have built as a place for my royal palace? I used my mighty power to build it. It shows how glorious my majesty is.”

Say: There is a word that comes to mind. It is P-R-I-D-E. Pride is thinking too highly of oneself. Nebuchadnezzar thought that he had built the kingdom. In truth, God was the one who handed all of his prisoners over to him (Daniel 1:2). When Daniel interpreted his first dream, he said, “The God of heaven has given you authority and power. He has given you might and glory.” (Daniel 2:37) Pride makes us think that we do not need God. Pride separates us from God. Nebuchadnezzar did not give credit to his Creator, and His Creator had had enough. Listen to what happened next (in Nebuchadnezzar’s own words).

I was still speaking when a voice was heard from heaven. It said, “King Nebuchadnezzar, here is what has been ordered concerning you. Your royal authority has been taken from you. You will be driven away from people. You will live like the wild animals. You will eat grass just as cattle do. Seven periods of time will pass by for you. Then you will recognize that the Most High God rules over all of the kingdoms of men. He gives them to anyone He wants.”

What had been said about me came true at once. I was driven away from people. I ate grass just as cattle do. My body became wet with the dew of heaven. I stayed that way until my hair grew like the feathers of an eagle. My nails became like the claws of a bird. - Daniel 4:31-33

Say: God had warned Nebuchadnezzar and had been very patient with him. But finally, the prediction came true. All of the things that he was so proud of were taken away. Remember the fine food at the King’s table that we read about in Daniel 1? That was taken from Nebuchadnezzar; he had to eat grass just like the goats and cows! He was used to living in a grand palace, but now he had no shelter over his head. For 7 years, the great King Nebuchadnezzar lived out in the wilderness like an animal. He lost his mind; he became crazy (Daniel 4:34). Without God, he was helpless.

Application: God’s word tells us that God stands against those who are proud (James 4:6). If we are proud of our own talents or abilities, looks or possessions, God may take those things away so we will see what is true - God is the One who gives every good thing that we have (James 1:17). Without God we are helpless. We should never brag about what we have accomplished (1 Corinthians 5:6). The only thing we should ever brag about is that we know the Lord! (Jeremiah 9:24)

Note to Teacher: King Nebuchadnezzar reigned from 605 BC–562 BC. There is a notable absence of any record of acts or decrees by King Nebuchadnezzar during 582 to 575 BC. - Gleason L. Archer, Vol 7 Expositor’s Bible Commentary.

Nebuchadnezzar Is Restored (Daniel 4:34-37)

Say: Our story has a very happy ending though. Remember at the beginning of his letter, Nebuchadnezzar was bragging about the goodness of God. Here is why:

PPT KEY VERSE

At the end of that time I, Nebuchadnezzar, looked up toward heaven. My mind became clear again. Then I praised the Most High God. I gave honor and glory to the One who lives forever. His rule will last forever. His kingdom will never end. He considers all of the nations on earth to be nothing. He does as He pleases with the powers of heaven. He does what He wants with the nations of the earth. No one can hold His hand back. No one can say to Him, “What have you done?”

My honor and glory were returned to me when my mind became clear again. The glory of my kingdom was given back to me. My advisers and nobles came to me. And I was put back on my throne. I became even greater than I had been before.

Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, give praise and honor and glory to the King of heaven. Everything he does is right. All of his ways are fair. He is able to bring down those who live proudly. - Daniel 4:34-37

Say: After seven years of living like an animal, Nebuchadnezzar finally looked to God. Nebuchadnezzar changed his focus from himself to the one true God who deserved to be worshipped and praised. He turned from his pride and became humble. Right away, his mind was made right. God forgave Nebuchadnezzar and returned all that he had lost, plus a lot more.

Proud people want to hide their mistakes so other people won’t know that they have faults. Humble people admit when they make mistakes. Nebuchadnezzar showed that he became humble when he admitted his sin of pride in this letter that he wrote for the entire world to read. He also used the letter to praise God and declare that God was in control of everything.

We should notice that God brought Nebuchadnezzar low for his GOOD, not for his destruction. It was far more important for Nebuchadnezzar to know the one true God, and enter into God’s eternal Kingdom, than for him to live a carefree life on earth and die without knowing God.

Application: Today, we can struggle with pride just as much as Nebuchadnezzar did. Our pride makes us focus on ourselves instead of on God. Notice that “I” is in the center of PRIDE. If you are focused on yourself, and you think that you can control the things in your life, your mind will be filled with fear and worry - just like Nebuchadnezzar in the wilderness. But when you understand the truth that God is in control of everything, your mind will be healthy and clear, and you will feel God’s peace (Galatians 5:22).

At times you will face difficult people or difficult situations in your life. When this happens, ask yourself this question: “Is God in control?” Of course, the answer is always YES! Knowing that God is in control, and that He always wants what’s best for you, will give you true peace.

Note to Teacher: “Our sanity is directly linked to God’s sovereignty.” (Pastor Buddy Hoffman, Grace Fellowship Church) Legally speaking, insanity is when a person cannot distinguish reality from fantasy. In other words, a person who is insane cannot tell what is true and what is not true. It is not until a person recognizes that God is sovereign (supreme or highest in power or authority; controlling; preeminent; indisputable; being above all others in character, importance, excellence; greatest, utmost, paramount) that the person recognizes the ultimate truth. Without this knowledge, a person’s thoughts are consumed with fear, worry, and stress. With this knowledge, a person’s mind is transformed and at peace.

Key Verse:

At the end of that time I, Nebuchadnezzar, looked up toward heaven. My mind became clear again. - Daniel 4:34a

Main Point: We will have peace when we understand that God is in control of everything.

Unless otherwise noted the Scriptures taken from: Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version, (NIrV®)

Special thanks to John R. Cross, The Stranger on the Road to Emmaus, GoodSeed International.

Related Topics: Prophets

11. Isaiah says, “Send Me!” (Isaiah 6)

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Lesson

PPT TITLE

Main Point: We should listen to God’s call to go and tell His message that Jesus saves.

Key Verse:

Then I heard the voice of the Lord. He said, “Who will I send? Who will go for us?” I said, “Here I am. Send me!” - Isaiah 6:8

Props: Several pieces of paper in various shades of cream, tan, off-white, some with smudges; a very bright light source such as a lamp with the shade removed or a very bright flashlight

Background/Review

Say: We have talked about how God’s people, the Israelites, demanded to have a king like all the other countries around them. God warned them that this was a very bad idea. He was their Ruler. He was perfect, and no human ruler could be better than Him! But the people wouldn’t listen, so God gave them what they asked for. First there was Saul, then David, then David’s son Solomon. Under Solomon, the people turned from God and worshipped false gods. After Solomon died, God allowed the nation of Israel to be divided into two kingdoms. Many kings came after Solomon. A few of them were good, but most of them were not. Some were terrible! Ask: Who can remember one of the terrible kings we have learned about? Ahab and his son Joram.

Say: About one hundred years after the time of King Ahab, came a king named Uzziah (yoo-ZAI-uh). He was a really good King for most of his reign. He ruled over the southern kingdom, called Judah. Uzziah was only 16 years old when he became King! During the reign of the kings, God sent prophets - messengers who spoke on God’s behalf. We have talked about Elijah and Elisha. Today we will talk about another prophet named Isaiah. God used Isaiah to proclaim His message for 50 years! When we hear Isaiah’s words to the Israelite people, let’s listen closely to hear how his words apply to us today.

Meet Isaiah (Isaiah 1 - 5)

Say: It appears that Isaiah came from a wealthy family. Historians believe that his father was a friend of King Uzziah’s father. Isaiah lived in Jerusalem, which was in Judah (the southern half of the kingdom).

God began speaking through Isaiah during the reign of King Uzziah. This King started out very well. He was faithful to the Lord, and the Lord helped him. He did many great things for his people, and became famous far and wide (2 Chronicles 26:15). Even with a godly king, the people were not faithful to God (2 Chronicles 27:2). The prophet Isaiah spoke boldly against the wicked ways of God’s people. He said the people rebelled against the Lord. They gave offerings that were meaningless because they didn’t even care when they sinned. They lied and murdered. Their land was full of idols; they worshipped things they made with their own hands. Isaiah warned that punishment was coming for the people’s wicked deeds.

Then, when King Uzziah became powerful, like many kings, he became proud and he sinned greatly against the Lord. Uzziah sinned against the Lord inside of God’s holy Temple (2 Chronicles 26:16-21). Immediately, God gave Uzziah the skin disease, leprosy. Uzziah had to give up the kingdom and live alone. His son had to take over. Uzziah was no longer allowed in the Temple. He suffered with leprosy until he died.

Isaiah’s Vision (Isaiah 6:1-8)

Say: In time, King Uzziah died. Ever since Isaiah had been alive, Uzziah was the great King that he admired and served. It must have been difficult for Isaiah, first to see his King sin against the Lord, then to see him removed from the throne, and then pass away. In this difficult time, God gave Isaiah a vision. It was not a dream. It was a VISION. God allowed Isaiah to see something that truly exists, but is usually hidden from people. God allowed Isaiah to see into the very throne room of heaven.

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord. He was seated on His throne. His long robe filled the temple. He was highly honored.

Above Him were seraphs. Each of them had six wings. With two wings they covered their faces. With two wings they covered their feet. And with two wings they were flying. They were calling out to one another. They were saying, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord who rules over all. The whole earth is full of his glory.”

The sound of their voices caused the stone doorframe to shake. The temple was filled with smoke. - Isaiah 6:1-4

Let’s look closely at the things Isaiah saw. First of all, he saw that God was alive. King Uzziah was dead, but God was alive! God is the everlasting God! He has always been alive, and He always will be alive (Psalm 90:2). The Israelites had begged for an earthly king, but every human king will die at some time. God will always be alive!

Next, Isaiah saw that God was ON HIS THRONE. Though King Uzziah had lost his place on the earthly throne, God was in His rightful place - seated on the throne of heaven. We often see T-shirts that say “Girls rule” or Boys rule.” This truth is: God rules! He is in control of everything. Nothing happens that is not allowed by Him. His plans stand forever and no one can stop them (Psalm 33:11).

And Isaiah saw God’s robe filling the temple. The best comparison we have to this is when a bride wears a beautiful gown with a long train - that is the fabric at the back of the dress. Queens and princesses often wear dresses with long trains. Several years ago, Princess Diana of Whales wore a wedding dress with a train that was 25 feet long. Through history, a long flowing train was a symbol of importance. When Isaiah saw that God’s robe filled the temple, this was a symbol of God’s importance and His splendor.

In the vision, God was highly praised and honored. He was high and lifted up. This is because God is higher than anything else. There is nothing above God. He is FAR greater than anyone else. He answers to no one! He deserves all praise, and in heaven He gets it!

Then Isaiah tells of the seraph, or seraphim, that he saw flying in the temple. These are some type of angel. They are not mentioned anywhere else in the Bible. These were not sweet, chubby babies with wings as some paintings may show. The very sound of their voices shook the doorframes! Each seraph had six wings. With two wings, they covered their faces. Even though they live in heaven, they hid their face from the holy God. These beings were much wiser than the men and women on the earth who lived their lives sinning against God. They knew that God is to be highly respected.

And what did Isaiah hear? He heard the seraphs calling out, “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord!” Holy means, completely pure, 100% perfect, and set apart. God is holy. He is unlike anything else. He is in His own category. Think about this for a minute. Everything in the world can be put in a category. Ask: If I give you this list: poodle, Labrador, and beagle, what category am I talking about? Dogs. And if I say: snake, lizard, and crocodile, what category am I talking about? Reptiles. But if I wanted to put God in a category, what else or who else would be with Him? Nothing! Say: God is in His own category. Nothing else is holy and perfect like He is. The seraphs repeated this word three times because it is so important. Holy is the best word we have to describe God.

Then these unusual angels said, “The whole earth is full of His glory.” Glory is God’s magnificence or greatness. Psalm 91:1 says the heavens declare His glory. Romans 1:20 tells us that when we look at God’s incredible creation, we can learn more about what God is really like. When we see the earth, the stars, the sun, the sunsets, the tiniest seashell, a newborn baby, and each other - we can see how powerful and brilliant and creative and caring God is. Literally, the WHOLE earth is full of His glory. The whole earth sings out how magnificent God is.

Application: This was an amazing vision! Isaiah saw that God was alive, in control, most important, praised, respected, holy, and His glory is everywhere. Sometimes I wish this vision were made into a movie so I could see everything that Isaiah saw! But the Bible is very clear that those who place their trust in Jesus will live in heaven one day (John 14:2-3, Philippians 3:20). One day, in heaven, all believers will see the fullness of God. In the meantime, look for God’s glory here on earth. When you spend time with Him, He will point it out to you (Exodus 33:18-19). And when you do God’s will, you show God’s glory to others (John 17:4, 1 Peter 2:12).

Isaiah’s Response (Isaiah 6:5-8)

Ask: What do you think Isaiah’s reaction was to what he saw? Listen for answers. Say: We might think it was pretty great for Isaiah to get to see this vision. But Isaiah’s first thought was not how blessed he was to see this. Let’s read his reaction:

“How terrible it is for me!” I cried out. “I’m about to be destroyed! My mouth speaks sinful words. And I live among people who speak sinful words. Now I have seen the King with my own eyes. He is the Lord who rules over all.”

A seraph flew over to me. He was holding a hot coal. He had used tongs to take it from the altar. He touched my mouth with the coal. He said, “This has touched your lips. Your guilt has been taken away. Your sin has been paid for.” - Isaiah 6:5-7

Note to Teacher: The coal was taken out of the altar that is in heaven. In the book of Revelation, John also speaks of an altar in heaven. It is in front of the throne of God. It has fire on it and a cloud of incense above it. An angel ministers at it, and the prayers and thanksgiving of believers are offered on it (Revelation 6:9, 8:3-5).

Say: Isaiah was scared to death! In the Bible, every time a person sees God’s glory or God’s angels, they become very frightened because when they come face to face with the holiness God, all of a sudden they can see how unholy they are (Daniel 10:7-10, Luke 2:10, Acts 9:3-4). It’s sort of like this. Show your many colors of gray, cream, and off-white papers. Ask: Of all these papers, which is the brightest? Allow students to choose the brightest paper, and hold it in the front of your stack. Say: We are a people of “compare-ers.” We compare our actions to those of others to see whether we are acting right. And, quite honestly, compared to all the people in the world, Isaiah was probably one of the best people there was. But when he saw the glory of God, all of a sudden it was like this. Turn on your light source and hold it up with the paper. Ask: Now which is brightest? Say: There is NO COMPARISON! Although Isaiah was better than most people, he knew that he was filthy compared to God’s pure holiness. Isaiah admitted that he was a sinner. He did not make excuses for his sinfulness. He did not blame anyone else, and he did not run and hide from God.

So what could Isaiah do about his sinful condition? Absolutely nothing! God’s messenger flew to Isaiah, took a burning coal from the altar, and touched his lips. (Now, this was a vision - he was not actually burned with a coal.) Fire is used in the Bible to purify things (Malachi 3:2-3). This burning coal from God’s altar was a symbol that God was the One who made Isaiah pure. Only God can save someone from his sins (Revelation 7:10). God did not just cover up Isaiah’s sin. God took Isaiah’s sins away! Isaiah’s sins would not be remembered or talked about ever again because God took them away!

Application: Just as God took away all of Isaiah’s sins, God wants to take away your sin also. He sent His Son, Jesus, to become the perfect sacrifice that takes away your sin. If you believe this, AND you place your faith in Him, do you know what the Bible says that God does with your sin?

God purifies us from your sins by the blood of Jesus (1 John 1:7).
God takes your sins from you as far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12).
Your sins can never be found (Jeremiah 50:20).
He forgives you of your sin and cleans you from all wickedness (I John 1:9).
God will trample on your sins under His foot. Just imagine God stomping His foot on your sin! And God throws all your sins into the deepest part of the sea (Micah 7:19).

Say: After God took away Isaiah’s sin, Isaiah actually heard God speak!

Then I heard the voice of the Lord. He said, “Who will I send? Who will go for us?”

I said, “Here I am. Send me!” - Isaiah 6:8

God was looking for the person who would be His messenger. Isaiah did not hesitate. He wanted to be the one used by God. Isaiah had seen the AMAZING splendor, power, and holiness of God. God had wiped out his sin and made him PURE. Now Isaiah would go anywhere and do anything for the Lord. He wanted to proclaim God’s message. Just think: The burning coal was touched to Isaiah’s lips because those lips, that were once sinful, would now be used to proclaim God’s truth!

Application: If you have put your trust in Jesus, you, too, have been purified by the perfect, holy God. God is still looking for people who are willing to tell His message. Will your response be just like that of Isaiah?

God’s Message Through Isaiah (Isaiah 6:8-13)

Say: After this incredible time with the Lord, God instructed Isaiah to go and speak to His people, the Israelites. Certainly Isaiah was eager to tell God’s message, but it would be a very difficult one. God even warned Isaiah that almost no one would listen to him (Isaiah 6:9-10). But that wouldn’t stop Isaiah from telling! He spoke BOLDLY.

God’s people had turned their backs on God. The people ignored God’s laws and did whatever they wanted. Because of their sin, they were separated from God (Isaiah 8:17). The people did not think about the cost of doing things their own way! They didn’t think about how terrible their lives would be without God in it. You see, God is the only good that we have in this world. Without God, things become more and more evil. Through Isaiah, God announced the consequences of living without the holy God.

Jerusalem is about to fall. And so is Judah. They say and do things against the Lord. They dare to disobey Him to His very face. The look on their faces is a witness against them. They show off their sin, just as the people of Sodom did. They don’t even try to hide it. How terrible it will be for them! They have brought trouble on themselves. - Isaiah 3:8-9

The people were going to lose wars, go without food, and even kill each other! Through Isaiah, God warned of these things. God gave these warnings because the Israelites had to understand their problem before they would accept God’s solution. They had to know how sad and difficult their lives would become without Him before they would accept the Savior that God was going to send.

Isaiah didn’t only tell bad news. After His vision, he also told the great news about the Savior that God was going to send. God had promised this Savior from the beginning (Genesis 3:15), and God ALWAYS keeps His promises! Isaiah did not tell Jesus’ name, but he told so many things about Him. Listen to just a few of the prophecies that Isaiah spoke:

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. - Isaiah 9:6 NIV

But the servant was pierced because we had sinned. He was crushed because we had done what was evil. He was punished to make us whole again. His wounds have healed us. - Isaiah 53:5

He was arrested and sentenced to death. Then He was taken away. He was cut off from this life. He was punished for the sins of my people. - Isaiah 53:8

Isaiah proclaimed God’s message for over 50 years! The vision that Isaiah saw at the beginning of his ministry never grew dim in his memory because he remained with God; he abided in Him. God is so patient. For 50 years, He pleaded with His people:

People of Israel, return to the Lord. - Isaiah 31:6a

Application: God does not change! (Malachi 3:6) He is still everything that Isaiah saw. We have not had the vision that Isaiah had. We have not seen God’s glory displayed in His throne room in heaven, although one day all believers will see that - and that will be SO COOL! But the Bible tells us that the whole world shows us the glory of God. So right now, let’s think of what we have seen. Everyone close your eyes for a minute. Think of the most magnificent scene you have ever witnessed. Maybe it is the vast Grand Canyon, or a beautiful mountain range on a crisp fall day, or a sunset that seemed to set the sky on fire. Now, in your mind, back up, way up. Picture the earth from outer space. Our enormous planet was simply spoken into existence by God. Now that is a powerful, magnificent, perfect, holy God. And if you have put your trust in His Son, He has lifted your sins from you. He has stomped on them and cast them into the deepest part of the ocean. He remembers them no more.

There are so many people who have not heard the message that God loved them enough to send His only Son, Jesus, to die on the cross to take away their sin. Today, that glorious God is asking, “Who will I send? What (1st, 2nd, 3rd...Grader*) will go and tell people that I have made a way for them through Jesus? Who will tell their friends that I can save them?” Now, will you say, just like Isaiah, “Here I am! Send me!”? Pause for kids to respond inwardly.

*Teacher - adapt this age group to the ages of the students you are teaching.

Okay, open your eyes. If you said, “Here I am, send me!” Let your huddle group leader know. He or she would love to pray for you. And, if you closed your eyes and pictured God’s glory, but you know you have not been cleansed from your sin by putting your trust in Jesus, please see me after class. I would love to talk to you about how God wants to take away your sin and throw it into the deepest part of the sea!

PPT KEY VERSE

Key Verse:

Then I heard the voice of the Lord. He said, “Who will I send? Who will go for us?” I said, “Here I am. Send me!” - Isaiah 6:8

PPT MAIN POINT

Main Point: We should listen to God’s call to go and tell His message that Jesus saves.

Unless otherwise noted the Scriptures taken from: Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version, (NIrV®)

Special thanks to John R. Cross, The Stranger on the Road to Emmaus, GoodSeed International.

Related Topics: Prophets

7. Kidnapped (Daniel 1)

Related Media

Lesson

Main Point: We must decide ahead of time to follow God in all that we do.

Key Verse:

Daniel made up his mind to eat and drink only what God had approved for His people to eat. - Daniel 1:8a CEV

Props: Large clear glass of water; handful of “pollution”: (dirt, candy wrappers, etc.)

Optional teaching tool: Before class, recruit four adults to act out the “Donut Drama” during Background/Review section. Props needed for Drama: 5 copies of “Donut Drama” (at end of lesson), trash can, clean trash can liner, half-eaten donut, clean crumpled paper, plate with a healthy breakfast

Background/Review

Note to Teacher: Daniel is not called a prophet in the book of Daniel, however Jesus calls him a prophet in Matthew 24:15. In the book of Daniel we find the fulfillment of previous prophecies that told of the exile of God’s people. We also find prophecies given to Daniel of things yet to come. Daniel is given visions for the fate of his people, the first and second coming of the Messiah, and God’s eternal Kingdom.

Say: Let’s look at our map. We call this land “the Promised Land,” because God had promised Abraham that He would give this land to his HUGE family. Before they even entered the Promised Land, God spoke to Abraham’s descendants through His prophet Moses. God made an if-then promise. He said that if they were faithful to Him and worshipped ONLY Him, then He would bless, protect, and fight for them. But if they disobeyed God and worshipped false gods, then they would be punished. Among other things, God made it very clear that they would be removed from the Promised Land.

The land became known as Israel, and God Himself was their king. In time, the people insisted that they wanted a human king. This was a very bad choice. Under King Solomon, the people began to worship false gods. So after Solomon died, Israel was divided into two kingdoms. The Northern part was still called Israel, and the Southern part was called Judah. Through the years, they had many kings. Some were good because they followed God, but most were bad, sinning against God.

Over and over, God sent prophets to remind the people about His if-then promise. The prophet Isaiah specifically said that Babylon would conquer Judah, and some of the men from Judah would serve the King of Babylon (Isaiah 39:5-7). Ask: Did the people listen to the warnings? No. Optional: Insert Donut Drama here. Say: Because the Israelites disobeyed God, and worshipped false gods, they would be taken out of the Promised Land. God ALWAYS keeps His promises!

In 740 BC, the Assyrians came and fought against the people in Israel. (Refer to map.) They took many Israelites as prisoners and brought them back to Assyria. Over the next 20 years, there were many wars and all the people of Israel were taken to Assyria. God protected the people of Judah at that time because their King was a great and godly man named Hezekiah (heh-zeh-KIE-uh).

But about 120 years later, during a run of very bad kings in Judah, the people from Babylon conquered the people living in the kingdom of Judah. The Babylonians, led by their King, Nebuchadnezzar (neh-byoo-kuhd-NEHZ-er), took these people back to Babylon as prisoners. You could say they had been kidnapped. Obviously this was a terrible thing that was caused by the disobedience of God’s people. But today we will see that God is always in control and He can make great things come out of terrible situations.

Meet Daniel (Daniel 1:7)

Say:

The Lord handed Jehoiakim (jee-HOY-uh-kim), the king of Judah, over to (Nebuchadnezzar). Nebuchadnezzar also took some of the articles from God’s temple. He carried them off to the temple of his false god in Babylonia. He put them among the treasures of his god.

The king gave Ashpenaz (ASH-pee-nahz) an order. Ashpenaz was the chief of Nebuchadnezzar’s court officials. The king told him to bring in some of the Israelites. He wanted nobles and men from the royal family. He was looking for young men who were healthy and handsome. They had to be able to learn anything. They had to be well educated. They had to have the ability to understand new things quickly and easily. The king wanted men who could serve in his palace. Ashpenaz was supposed to teach them the Babylonian language and writings.

The king had his servants give them food and wine from his own table. They received a certain amount every day. The young men had to be trained for three years. After that, they could begin to serve the king.

Some of the men were from Judah. Their names were Daniel, Hananiah (han-uh-NIE-uh), Mishael (MISH-ay-el) and Azariah (az-uh-RIE-uh). The chief official gave them new names. He gave Daniel the name Belteshazzar (behl-SHAZ-er). He gave Hananiah the name Shadrach (SHAY-drak). He gave Mishael the name Meshach (MEE-shak). And he gave Azariah the name Abednego (uh-BED-ne-go). - Daniel 1:2-7

Say: Notice that the Lord handed King Jehoiakim over to Nebuchadnezzar. Nothing happens unless God allows it. King Nebuchadnezzar was not a follower of the one true God. He and his people worshipped false gods.

Nebuchadnezzar ordered his top official to pick the very best and brightest of the Israelite young men to serve him. Daniel was one of these men. Ask: From Nebuchadnezzar’s list of requirements, what do we learn about Daniel? Listen for answers. Say: He must have had royal ancestors (Isaiah 39:7). He was young, healthy, handsome, and smart. We will learn that Daniel and his three friends were some of the few Israelites who had NOT turned away from God. They loved and trusted the Lord. Certainly, their relationship with God made them wise, and this is one of the things the King was looking for.

The men who were chosen by the King’s official would be trained up for 3 years, probably in or near the palace. They had to learn a new language (Aramaic), the history of their new country, and maybe even some “new math.” They were given the best food and drink, so they would be the healthiest and best that they could be in order to serve the King well. Some would probably become military leaders; some would be advisors to the King.

Daniel’s Challenge (Daniel 1:9-21)

Say: Daniel and his friends had a problem. God had clear rules for His people about what they were allowed to eat (Leviticus 11). Certain foods were not allowed. For example, God said that pig, rabbit, and camel meat were not allowed. I doubt that anyone here has eaten a camel-burger, but the list does include some of the foods that we eat. God had specific rules just for the Israelites. The Babylonians did not follow these rules. Most of the food from the King’s table was considered “unclean” for the Israelites.

Daniel decided not to make himself “unclean” by eating the king’s food and drinking his wine. So he asked the chief official for a favor. He wanted permission not to make himself “unclean” with the king’s food and wine.

God had caused the official to be kind and friendly to Daniel. But the official refused to do what Daniel asked for. He said, “I’m afraid of the king. He is my master. He has decided what you and your three friends must eat and drink. Why should he see you looking worse than the other young men who are the same age you are? When he sees how you look, he might kill me.”

So Daniel spoke to one of the guards. The chief official had appointed him over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. Daniel said to him, “Please test us for ten days. Give us nothing but vegetables to eat. And give us only water to drink. Then compare us with the young men who eat the king’s food. See how we look. After that, do what you want to.” So the guard agreed. He tested them for ten days. - Daniel 1:8-14

Ask: When did Daniel decide not to eat the King’s food? Listen for answers. Say: He decided at the VERY beginning! As soon as he was offered the food, he chose not to take it. Notice that he DID NOT sit at the table, smell the spices, taste this food and that food, and then decide if he would follow God’s rules. He decided to obey God ahead of time! The Bible says he set in his heart and mind that he would not pollute himself by disobeying God. We all know what pollution is, and we know that it RUINS things. Teacher: Hold up a clear glass of water. Say: This water is pure. I would love to take a drink of pure water. Take a sip. But if it is polluted, it is good for nothing. Drop in dirt and candy wrappers. Now I can’t drink it or wash my dishes with it. I can’t even water the lawn with it. Daniel was determined to keep his heart pure towards the Lord. He wanted to be used by God, and he certainly was!

Application: Boys and girls, we live in a world much like the world that Daniel and his friends were taken to. We are surrounded by people who do not follow God. We are surrounded by those who never think about what God wants them to do. In your lives, you will be offered MANY things that go against God’s rules. Just like Daniel, you must decide ahead of time that you will follow God in all you do. Do not sit at the table of temptation before you make up your mind! Keep a pure heart with God so that He can use you in His awesome plan.

Say: Notice that even though Daniel was SURE that he would not eat the food, he was very respectful and polite. He didn’t throw his plate in the floor and refuse to eat. He didn’t ask the King’s chef to make anything special for him. Most of God’s rules were about meat, so Daniel asked if he and his friends could go “vegetarian.” They would eat only vegetables and drink only water.

Application: We should take Daniel’s example to heart. If someone in authority asks us to do something that is against what God wants, we should first try to find a way to be respectful. For example, if your class is asked to read a book that talks about bad things, you could go to your teacher and explain that you do not feel comfortable reading the book. You could politely ask your teacher if you could read a different book. More than likely, she will think that you are wise to think about what you are reading. It is far better to use kind, respectful words than to be harsh and demanding when you are in this situation. Your gentle attitude will be a wonderful godly example.

Say: In Daniel’s situation, the official thought the young men would end up losing weight and looking sickly, but one of the guards agreed that they could try it. This would take discipline. If you were offered EVERTHING from the King’s table, it might be hard to turn down steak, burgers, and chocolate cake! But these men were determined to follow God. Ask: At the end of ten days, what do you think happened? Listen for answers. Ask a student to read Daniel 1:15-16:

After the ten days they looked healthy and well fed. In fact, they looked better than any of the young men who ate the king’s food. So the guard didn’t require Daniel and his friends to eat the special food or drink the wine. He gave them vegetables instead.

Say: Doing things God’s way is ALWAYS best! Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah knew the Lord. They knew His rules and they wanted to obey Him. God blessed them with great health. They looked better than any of the other students in “Babylon College”! God not only blessed their bodies, but also their minds and their spirits. God gave these four young men knowledge and understanding of everything they studied. God gave Daniel the ability to understand visions and dreams.

After their three-year education, Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were brought before King Nebuchadnezzar. After talking with them, he was more pleased with them than any other of the men who had been trained. He chose them to become his advisors. He went to them for advice when he had difficult decisions to make. Listen to what the Bible says: “(The King) always found their answers to be the best. In fact, the men were ten times better than anyone in his kingdom who claimed to get knowledge by using magic.” (Daniel 1:20b)

Of course their answers were the best! Their wisdom came from the all-powerful, all-knowing Creator of the universe! As we continue in our study of Daniel, we will see how God used Daniel’s captivity for good in many ways.

Application: There is nothing like living in the blessings of God! God has an awesome plan for you, just as He did for Daniel and his friends. Decide right now that you will follow God in all you do. Don’t even get near things that are against God. Satan is very clever. He has a way of getting people to try a little sin, and then he traps us into more sin. Jesus said to pray every day for God to show you where sin is, and help you stay away from it (Matthew 6:13). If you make up your mind to follow God ahead of time, every decision after that will be easy, and you will find yourself in God’s blessings.

PPT KEY VERSE

Key Verse:

Daniel made up his mind to eat and drink only what God had approved for His people to eat. - Daniel 1:8a CEV

PPT MAIN POINT

Main Point: We must decide ahead of time to follow God in all that we do.

Unless otherwise noted the Scriptures taken from: Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version, (NIrV®)

Special thanks to John R. Cross, The Stranger on the Road to Emmaus, GoodSeed International.

Related Topics: Prophets

8. Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream (Daniel 2)

Related Media

Lesson

Main Point: The Kingdom of God will last forever.

Key Verse:

In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom. It will never be destroyed... it will last forever. - Daniel 2:44

Optional Props: Four wooden blocks - one painted or wrapped in paper to represent gold, one silver, one bronze, one iron; One rock

Background/Review

Say: Last week we met the prophet Daniel. He was from the Southern kingdom of Judah. Because God’s people had turned from God and gone their own way, God allowed the Babylonians to defeat the Israelites in battle. The Babylonians kidnapped the Israelite and took them to Babylon. Ask: Who can remember what the Babylonian King’s name was? Nebuchadnezzar.

Say: King Nebuchadnezzar wanted to use the very best of the captured men to serve him. He chose the smartest, strongest, best looking Israelite young men. He put them through three years of training. He gave them food and drink from his own table. But Daniel and his three close friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, did not want to eat the king’s food. The King ate food that God had told the Israelites not to eat. Daniel and his friends decided ahead of time that they would not do anything against God’s laws. So they asked if they could skip the King’s buffet and eat only vegetables. In the end, they were healthier than all the other young men who had eaten the King’s food. Not only were these four men healthier, but also Nebuchadnezzar found that they were ten times wiser than all of his other advisors and magicians. They were so wise because their wisdom came from God!

Note to Teacher: The other young men in Nebuchadnezzar’s training program were also Israelites (Daniel 1:3). They were under the same food-restricting laws that Daniel and his friends were under, yet they did not forgo the King’s food. Though most of God’s people followed the way of the world, there was a remnant that chose to obey their Lord. We see this repeated throughout Scripture in the examples of Noah (Genesis 6:5, 9), Moses (Exodus 14:12-14; 32:1, 19), Joshua and Caleb (Numbers 14:6-9), and others. Jesus clearly states this truth, “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” (Matthew 7:13-14)

Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream (Daniel 2:1-16)

Say: Some time later, the King had a dream. Part of the dream seemed good, and part of it seemed bad. He could not figure out what the dream meant, so he wanted his advisors to explain it to him.

In the second year of Nebuchadnezzar’s rule, he had a dream. His mind was troubled. He couldn’t sleep.

So the king sent for those who claimed to get knowledge by using magic. He also sent for those who practiced evil magic and those who studied the heavens. He wanted them to tell him what he had dreamed. They came in and stood in front of the king. He said to them, “I had a dream. It troubles me. So I want to know what it means.”

Then those who studied the heavens answered the king. They spoke in Aramaic. They said, “King Nebuchadnezzar, may you live forever! Tell us what you dreamed. Then we’ll explain what it means.”

The king replied to them, “I have made up my mind. You must tell me what I dreamed. And you must tell me what it means. - Daniel 2:1-5a

Now, Daniel and his three friends were not part of the advisors called in by the King. Nebuchadnezzar told his magicians and astrologers that they first had to tell him what he dreamed, and then explain the dream to him. Nebuchadnezzar was pretty smart. He knew that if he told someone what he dreamed, they could make up any explanation for what it meant. But it would take more than a human mind to know his exact dream. If someone was able tell him his dream, then he could be sure that his explanation was true. He said that if they could not tell him his dream, then he would kill them!

These advisors did not believe in the one true God. They had no way of knowing what the King dreamed. Once again, they asked the King to tell them his dream so they could interpret it. Nebuchadnezzar said, “I want you to tell me what I dreamed. Then I’ll know that you can tell me what it means.” Ask: Do you think the men were getting a little nervous by now?

They told the king that no man could do what he was asking them to do. Nebuchadnezzar did not like their answer. In fact, it made him furious. He ordered that every wise man in Babylon be killed!

Application: The magicians and astrologers had spent their whole lives following after idols and false gods. Their “gods” were worthless - they could not speak, much less interpret a dream. Only the one true God is living and powerful and able to rescue His people. Are you following after something that is worthless? If you trust in anything other than the one true God, you are wasting your time and you are in danger.

Say: Nebuchadnezzar’s order to kill all of the wise men included Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. The King’s commander went out to gather all the wise men in order to kill them. Daniel spoke to the commander wisely and carefully. Daniel asked why Nebuchadnezzar had given the terrible order, and the commander explained all that had happened. Daniel went to the King. He said he would be able to explain his dream if the King would give him a little time. The King agreed.

Daniel Prays (Daniel 2:17-23)

Say: Daniel went home and explained everything to his three friends. Daniel asked Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to pray to God for mercy. He wanted God to tell him the King’s dream and what it meant. He wanted God to save him and his friends from being killed.

Ask: Does God answer prayers? Yes! Say: That very night, God gave Daniel a vision. He showed Daniel the King’s dream and explained it to him. And immediately when he awoke, Daniel began praising God!

He said, “May God be praised for ever and ever! He is wise and powerful. He changes times and seasons. He sets up kings. He removes them from power. The wisdom of those who are wise comes from him. He gives knowledge to those who have understanding. He explains deep and hidden things. He knows what happens in the darkest places. And where He is, everything is light. God of my people, I thank and praise You. You have given me wisdom and power. You have made known to me what we asked You for. You have shown us the King’s dream.” - Daniel 2:20-23

Daniel did not forget about God when he got what he needed. He praised God. The original language tells us that Daniel was on his knees blessing and praising God. He was overwhelmed with gratitude. He fell to his knees in humility because God did what ONLY He could do.

Application: Daniel did EXACTLY what he should have done. He went to God. When you are in a situation that seems impossible, you can be glad! That is the perfect time for God to show you and others just how mighty He is. God says, “My power is strongest when you are weak.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)

Daniel’s friends were the best kind of friends - friends who pray for each other. They did not hesitate to ask God for the help that only He could give. A praying friend is a gift from God. Ask God for friends who will pray for you. And, be a friend who prays. Each week we share prayer requests in our huddle groups. Do you pray for each other during the week? Prayer is also a wonderful way to show God’s love to a friend who is not a believer. When your friend is having a problem, simply tell him or her. “I’ll pray for you.” Then remember to pray! It is such a blessing to hear how God has answered a prayer that you have been praying! And, just as Daniel did, praise God for His mighty answers to your prayers.

Daniel Speaks To The King (Daniel 2:24-49)

Daniel went to the King’s commander and told him not to kill the wise men because he could tell the King all about his dream. Daniel was taken to Nebuchadnezzar. Daniel said:

“You have asked us to explain a mystery to you. But no wise man can do that. And those who try to figure things out by using magic can’t do it either. But there is a God in heaven who can explain mysteries. Nebuchadnezzar, He has shown you what is going to happen. Here is what you dreamed. And here are the visions that passed through your mind while you were lying on your bed.” - Daniel 2:27-28

Ask: Did Daniel take credit for knowing the King’s dream? No. Say: Daniel gave all the credit to the Lord. Daniel told Nebuchadnezzar that God wanted him to understand his dream. Ask: Are you curious about what the dream was? Optional: As you describe the dream, stack the colored blocks with the gold piece on top. Use the rock to demonstrate how the rock hit the feet and toppled the statue. Say: Daniel began:

“King Nebuchadnezzar, you looked up and saw a large statue standing in front of you. It was huge. It shone brightly. And it terrified you. The head of the statue was made out of pure gold. Its chest and arms were made of silver. Its stomach and thighs were bronze. Its legs were made out of iron. And its feet were partly iron and partly baked clay.

“While you were watching, a rock was cut out. But human hands didn’t do it. It struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay. It smashed them. Then the iron and clay were broken to pieces. So were the bronze, silver and gold. All of them were broken to pieces at the same time. They became like straw on a threshing floor at harvest time. The wind blew them away without leaving a trace. But the rock that struck the statue became a huge mountain. It filled the whole earth.” - Daniel 2:31-35

Say: Wow! God showed the dream to Daniel, and Daniel was able to tell the King what his dream was. By God’s prompting, Nebuchadnezzar knew that the dream was very important. He was probably on the edge of his seat as Daniel explained what it meant:

“That was your dream. Now I will tell you what it means. Nebuchadnezzar, you are the greatest king of all. The God of heaven has given you authority and power. He has given you might and glory. He has put everyone under your control. He has also given you authority over the wild animals and the birds of the air. It doesn’t matter where they live. He has made you ruler over all of them. You are that head of gold.

“After you, another kingdom will take over. It won’t be as powerful as yours. Next, a third kingdom will rule over the whole earth. The bronze part of the statue stands for that kingdom.

“Finally, there will be a fourth kingdom. It will be as strong as iron... And the fourth kingdom will crush and break all of the others. You saw that the feet and toes were made out of iron and baked clay... the fourth kingdom will be partly strong and partly weak. You saw the iron mixed with baked clay. And the fourth kingdom will be made up of all kinds of people. They won’t hold together any more than iron mixes with clay.” - Daniel 2:36-43

Say: Each piece of the statue was a symbol of an earthly, human kingdom. The gold head stood for the Babylonian kingdom led by Nebuchadnezzar, and there were three kingdoms after it. Each of those kingdoms would take the place of the kingdom before it. Many people have tried to figure out exactly which kingdoms are represented in the dream. They have really great ideas about this. (Teacher Note: They probably stand for the Persian, Greek, and Roman kingdoms.) But God did not give that specific information to Daniel, so we should concentrate on the information that God did reveal. By far, the most important part of the dream was this:

“In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom. It will never be destroyed. And no other nation will ever take it over. It will crush all of those other kingdoms. It will bring them to an end. But it will last forever. That’s what the vision of the rock cut out of a mountain means. Human hands didn’t cut the rock out. It broke the statue to pieces. It smashed the iron, bronze, clay, silver and gold.

“The great God has shown you what will take place in days to come. The dream is true. And you can trust the meaning I have given you for it.” - Daniel 2:44-45

Say: Through this dream, God was teaching Nebuchadnezzar about the Kingdom of God. What exactly is the Kingdom of God? A Kingdom is wherever the will of the King is done. So, the Kingdom of God is wherever God’s will is done. We know that God’s will is done in heaven (Matthew 6:10). For a short time, God’s will was done on earth. When God created the earth, everything was good and Adam and Eve did the will of God. But when Adam and Eve chose to sin, the Kingdom was no longer on earth. Their sin separated them from God, their King. They were no longer able to do His will. Every person after Adam and Eve has sinned. We have each chosen not to do God’s perfect will.

But God longed to restore the Kingdom. Throughout the Old Testament, God gave promises about the coming Kingdom (Jeremiah 31:33-34). He gave His people glimpses of what the Kingdom would be like (Hebrews 8:5). When John the Baptist came to announce that Jesus, the Messiah, had come, he said, “The time has come. The Kingdom of God is near.” (Mark 1:15) Jesus prayed for the Kingdom to come, for God’s will to be done on earth as it is already was heaven (Matthew 6:10). The Kingdom of God was set up for good on earth when Jesus laid down His life for our sin, and was raised to give us new life. John came to announce that entering into God’s Kingdom was possible for everyone who would place his or her faith in Jesus. When we put our trust in Jesus, our sin is taken away, we are given Jesus’ righteousness, and we can once again do God’s will. God’s Kingdom is a spiritual kingdom (1 Corinthians 15:50), though one day we will be able to see it with our eyes (Revelation 21:1).

God’s Kingdom is far, far greater than any Kingdom that is ruled by men. Through the dream, God showed that His Kingdom is not created by human hands. Human kingdoms will all pass away, but the Kingdom of God will stand forever (Luke 1:33).

Nebuchadnezzar was the very powerful king of a very powerful kingdom. When he spoke, people listened. When he gave an order, it happened (Daniel 5:19). It was very easy for him to focus on himself and think that he did not need God. But God wanted him to see that Babylon, like every earthly kingdom, would one day crumble. God really wanted Nebuchadnezzar to focus on God’s Kingdom instead of his own kingdom. After all, it was God who gave Nebuchadnezzar the dream in the first place, and it was God who brought the prophet Daniel into Nebuchadnezzar’s captivity (Daniel 2:28; 1:2). Let’s read in Daniel 2:47 to see how Nebuchadnezzar reacted to Daniel’s explanation:

The King said to Daniel, “I’m sure your God is the greatest God of all. He is the Lord of kings. He explains mysteries. That’s why you were able to explain the mystery of my dream.”

Nebuchadnezzar bowed down in front of Daniel, and he gave Daniel many gifts. He put Daniel in charge of all the wise men, and gave Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego very important jobs also. And don’t forget all the other wise men that were about to be killed. God saved their lives by giving the vision to Daniel. Those men were not godly, but they were blessed just by working near Daniel and his friends.

Application: It’s very important that we do not focus on ourselves or the world around us. Everything you can see around you will pass away one day. But the Kingdom of God will never end! When we are focused on the Kingdom of God, we will spend our time on things that will last instead of things that will fade away. Some of the things that fade away are houses, cars, toys, and video games. But some of the things that last forever are God, the souls of people, and the good things that we do to build God’s Kingdom. Knowing God and pointing others to Jesus is the best possible way to spend your time on the things that will last forever (Matthew 6:19-21).

PPT KEY VERSE

Key Verse:

In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom. It will never be destroyed... it will last forever. - Daniel 2:44

PPT MAIN POINT

Main Point: The Kingdom of God will last forever.

Note to Teacher: God revealed that the Kingdom of God would be established by a rock cut out of a mountain, but not by human hands (Daniel 2:47).

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning... The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. - John 1:1-2, 14

1 Corinthians 10:4 calls Jesus the Rock (also, Isaiah 28:16, Romans 9:33). This Rock was not created by human hands. As Gabriel explained to Mary, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.” (Luke 1:35) So, the Son of God was divinely “carved out” of the Father. He was sent from heaven to Earth to make the Kingdom of God available to all who would believe.

Unless otherwise noted the Scriptures taken from: Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version, (NIrV®)

Special thanks to John R. Cross, The Stranger on the Road to Emmaus, GoodSeed International.

Related Topics: Prophets

5. Elijah Taken Up Into Heaven (2 Kings 2)

Related Media

Lesson

PPT TITLE

Main Point: God gives people what they need in order to do His will.

Key Verse:

“Please give me a double share of your spirit,” Elisha replied. - 2 Kings 2:9b

Props: Animal skin (fake fur is fine); small bowl of salt

Teaching Option: The two names of the prophets are very similar sounding. If you feel it would make the teaching more clear, you may want to call on an adult leader, and a well-behaved student to sit on two stools at the front of the classroom. As you begin the review section, introduce the adult leader as Elijah, and the student as Elisha. Begin with your animal skin on the adult leader, and transfer the skin to the student at the appropriate time. As you teach, point to the adult or student to clarify which prophet you are speaking about. Dismiss your adult leader when Elijah is “taken up.” Make sure the students realize that Elisha was younger than Elijah, but he was a grown man.

Background/Review

Say: We have learned about God’s prophet Elijah (ee-LY-dzhuh). The Lord used him in a very mighty way. But when Elijah became discouraged and would not repent, God chose another man to take his place (1 Kings 19:16). The new prophet was Elisha (ee-LY-shuh). Elisha’s name means “God is Salvation.” God allowed plenty of time for Elisha to learn from Elijah. During this training period, God still had work for Elijah to do. Notice that Elijah was not allowed to quit being a prophet when he wanted to (1 Kings 19:4). The timing for Elijah’s ministry was in God’s hand, not in Elijah’s.

At this time, there were actually prophet schools where young men were taught the ways of a prophet. The Bible calls these schools, “companies of prophets.” (2 Kings 2:3, 9:1). Though there were many prophets, Elijah was known as the greatest of God’s prophets. And all the lesser prophets knew that Elisha had been chosen by God to be specially trained by Elijah. Elisha went everywhere with Elijah, and served him loyally.

Elijah’s Farewell (2 Kings 2:1-10)

Say: Elijah’s time on earth had come to an end, but he was not going to die. God was about to take this prophet up into heaven in an amazing way. God had made it known to Elijah, Elisha, and the other prophets that Elijah was going to be taken away from Elisha on a certain day (2 Kings 2:3, 5). That day, Elijah went to visit the prophet schools in Bethel, Jericho, and beside the Jordan River. Perhaps Elijah had some final words of wisdom for the young prophets. Several times Elijah told Elisha to stay behind, but Elisha was determined to go with Elijah every step of the way. He said, “I won’t leave you. And that’s just as sure as the Lord and you are alive.” (2 Kings 2:4) Then Elijah walked to the edge of the Jordan River, with Elisha right beside him.

Fifty men from the company of the prophets followed them. The men stopped and stood not far away from them. They faced the place where Elijah and Elisha had stopped at the Jordan River. Elijah rolled his coat up. Then he struck the water with it. The water parted to the right and to the left. The two of them went across the river on dry ground.

After they had gone across, Elijah spoke to Elisha. He said, “Tell me. What can I do for you before I’m taken away from you?”

“Please give me a double share of your spirit,” Elisha replied.

“You have asked me for something I can’t give you,” Elijah said. “Only the Lord can give it. But suppose you see me when I’m taken away from you. Then you will receive what you have asked for. If you don’t see me, you won’t receive it.” - 2 Kings 7-10

Say: Then, Elijah rolled up his prophet’s coat. This was a coat made of animal fur. When he struck the Jordan River with it, the water parted. Ask: When have we seen this happen before? Moses and the Red Sea, Joshua and the Jordan. Say: Each time we have seen waters part in the Bible, God is inviting His people into a new era, or a new beginning. When Moses parted the Red Sea, by faith the Israelites crossed out of slavery and into freedom. When Joshua parted the Jordan River, by faith, a new generation of Israelites crossed into the Land that God had promised to bless them with decades before. This time was no different. Elijah crossed the Jordan by faith, sure that he is going to a new place, where God wanted him to go. And back at the shore, some distance away, stood 50 of the lesser prophets. God had made it known to them that Elijah was about to leave. These prophets knew the amazing miracles God had performed through Elijah. Surely they wanted to see the way God would take Elijah from their presence.

Say: When Elijah offered to do anything for Elisha, Elisha asked for the best thing he could ask for. He wanted even more of God’s Spirit than God had given to Elijah. It might seem to us that Elisha was being greedy, or that he wanted to become more famous than his master, Elijah. But that was not the case. In Bible times, a double-portion was the amount of property and belongings that a father gave to his oldest son. Now, Elijah was not Elisha’s actual father, but Elijah had become like a spiritual father to Elisha. Elisha did not ask for anything that he could touch or hold. He knew that God’s Spirit was better than anything this world has to offer, and he wanted as much as God would give him. Of course, this was not up to Elijah - it was up to God. Elijah told him that if God allowed him to see his master taken up into heaven, he would know that God had given him what he asked for.

Application: There is no such thing as greed when it comes to wanting more of God. Greed is wanting more of earthly things. Ask: What are some earthly things that people become greedy about? Money, games, sports abilities. Say: The Bible says that being greedy for worldly things is sinful (Isaiah 57:17). However, God does not refuse those who want more of Him (Exodus 33:18-19). Wanting to know God more, or be more controlled by the Holy Spirit, or wanting to see God’s hand at work more is exactly where God wants us!

Elijah Taken Up To Heaven (2 Kings 2:11-12)

(Elijah and Elisha) kept walking along and talking together. Suddenly a chariot and horses appeared. Fire was all around them. The chariot and horses came between the two men. Then Elijah went up to heaven in a strong wind.

Elisha saw it. He cried out to Elijah, “My father! You are like a father to me! You are the true chariots and horsemen of Israel!”

Elisha didn’t see Elijah anymore. Then Elisha took hold of his own clothes and tore them apart. - 2 Kings 2:11-12

Wow! That must have been an amazing sight! A fiery chariot and horses rode between the two prophets, and then God took Elijah up to heaven in a swirling windstorm. This entire sight was not visible to the other prophets who stood at a distance watching. But God allowed Elisha to see it, more than likely as sign that God was answering his request to have a double portion of God’s Spirit. Elisha had been a wonderful and humble servant to Elijah. Even though this was a miraculous moment, Elisha was upset to see his master taken away. He tore his own clothes as a symbol of his great sadness. Elisha loved, admired, and respected Elijah, the great prophet of God. But, Elijah had to leave in order for Elisha to take his place.

Application: Sometimes, even though we are right in the middle of God’s will, we can be sad about things that happen. For example, a missionary may have to leave his or her parents to go to another country and tell others the good news about Jesus. But, God promises to be with us. God gave Elisha a double portion of His Spirit, and He will be with us in the same way.

Elisha Takes Elijah’s Place (2 Kings 2:13-18)

Say: As Elijah went up in the whirlwind, his prophet’s coat fell to the ground. This coat would become a symbol for people to see that Elisha was taking Elijah’s place as the most important prophet of that time.

(Elisha) picked up the coat that had fallen from Elijah. He went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan River. Then he struck the water with Elijah’s coat. “Where is the power of the Lord?” he asked. “Where is the power of the God of Elijah?” When Elisha struck the water, it parted to the right and to the left. He went across the river.

The company of the prophets from Jericho were watching. They said, “The spirit of Elijah has been given to Elisha.” They went over to him. They bowed down to him with their faces toward the ground. “Look,” they said. “We have 50 able men. Let them go and look for your master. Perhaps the Spirit of the Lord has lifted him up. Maybe He has put him down on a mountain or in a valley.” - 2 Kings 2:13-16a

Elisha knew that Elijah had been taken into heaven, so he told the men not to bother looking for him. But the men kept insisting that they wanted to look for him. The men looked for three days, but of course, they did not find him.

Say: Elisha began his ministry with the same miracle that Elijah ended his with: He parted the Jordan River. It was clear to everyone watching that Elisha now had God’s hand upon him, and he was to be greatly respected. This was just the beginning of the amazing plan God had for Elisha. Elisha would soon perform many more miracles, raise people from the dead, and help deliver the nation of God’s people from enemy armies. But God never intended for Elisha to do these things in his own strength! God blessed Elisha with twice the amount of His Spirit than Elijah had. It was by God’s strength that Elisha would live out this incredible plan.

Application: God gives people what they need in order to do His will. Ask: Does this still apply to us today? Yes! Ask: Does this apply to you and me? Say: Of course it does! God does not change! He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He still has incredible plans. He wants SO many people to enter His Kingdom. He will use you and me to tell others about what Jesus did to free people from sin and bring them back to God. He does not expect us to do this in our own strength! He gives all believers His Holy Spirit, and He will give us everything else we need to do His work.

Elisha Purifies The Water (2 Kings 2:19 -25)

Say: The very next verses in the Bible tell us of another miracle God performed through Elisha.

The men of Jericho spoke to Elisha. “Look,” they said. “This town has a good location. You can see that for yourself. But the spring of water here is bad. So the land doesn’t produce anything.”

“Bring me a new bowl,” Elisha said. “Put some salt in it.” So they brought it to him.

Then he went out to the spring. He threw the salt into it. Teacher: Take your small bowl of salt and throw pinches of it out in front of you. He told them, “The Lord says, ‘I have made this water pure. It will never cause death again. It will never keep the land from producing crops again.’ “The water has stayed pure to this very day. That’s what Elisha had said would happen. - 2 Kings 2:19-22

Say: The water in Jericho was not good for drinking or watering crops. This water was good for nothing. People cannot exist in a town without a good water source, so the men of Jericho came to Elisha to present their problem. Ask: Look at our verse. Who made the water pure? God did. Say: It was not Elisha or the salt that made the water pure. It was God. Through Elisha, God purified the water, giving life to this entire city. Certainly, this fresh, clean, new water was a daily reminder for the people living in Jericho that God was a God of life. He brought living water to their city.

Teaching for Older Students: Next we are told that Elisha left Jericho and walked 25 miles to Bethel. A large crowd of young men came along and began to yell insults at him. These young men had no respect for the man God had appointed as His prophet. It would seem that they had no respect for God. God had warned His people about their disobedience and disrespect for His messengers (2 Chronicles 36:15-16). God even declared a punishment of wild animals against those who were hostile to Him (Leviticus 26:21-22). Elisha called down a curse on these men. Then two bears came out of the woods and attacked 42 of the men. Be sure that Elisha had no power over wild bears, but God did. It is clear that God was very serious about His prophet. After all, Elisha was appointed by God to speak the very words of God on His behalf. He was a man that should have been well respected.

Application: God is constantly sending out His message of new life. He involves people - just like you and me - in His work. Though God’s prophets did amazing things, the Bible says they were not extraordinary people. They were people just like you and me (James 5:17-18). God fills us with His Spirit and gives us what we need to do His will, just like He did for Elijah and Elisha.

PPT KEY VERSE

Key Verse:

The company of the prophets from Jericho were watching. They said, “The spirit of Elijah has been given to Elisha.” - 2 Kings 2:15a

PPT MAIN POINT

Main Point: God gives people what they need in order to do His will.

Unless otherwise noted the Scriptures taken from: Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version, (NIrV®)

Special thanks to John R. Cross, The Stranger on the Road to Emmaus, GoodSeed International.

Related Topics: Prophets

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3. Elijah Runs Away (1 Kings 19)

Lesson

Background/Review

Death Threat (1 Kings 18:46 - 19:9)

The Lord Appears To Elijah (1 Kings 19:9 - 19:18)

The Call Of Elisha (1 Kings 19:19-21)

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4. Ahab & Naboth's Vineyard (1 Kings 21)

Lesson

Background/Review (1 Kings 20)

Ahab & Naboth’s Vineyard (1 Kings 21:1-16)

Judgement On Ahab (1 Kings 21:17-26)

AHAB REPENTS (1 Kings 21:27-28)

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10. God Rescues Daniel from the Lions (Daniel 6)

Lesson

Background/Review

King Darius’ Decree (Daniel 6:1-9)

Daniel Faces The Lions (Daniel 6:11-15)

God Rescues Daniel (Daniel 6:16-28)

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2. Elijah on Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18)

Lesson

Background/Review

Elijah & Obadiah (1 Kings 18:1-15)

Elijah On Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18:16-46)

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1. Elijah Fed by Ravens (1 Kings 17)

Lesson

Background/Review

What Is A Prophet? (Deuteronomy 18:14-22)

Elijah & The Ravens (1 Kings 17:1-6)

Elijah & The Widow (1 Kings 17:7-16)

God Heals The Widow’s Son (1 Kings 17:17-24)

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9. God Humbles Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 4)

Lesson

Background/Review

Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream (Daniel 4:1-18)

Daniel Explains The Dream (Daniel 4:1-18)

The Dream Comes True (Daniel 4:28-33)

Nebuchadnezzar Is Restored (Daniel 4:34-37)

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11. Isaiah says, “Send Me!” (Isaiah 6)

Lesson

Background/Review

Meet Isaiah (Isaiah 1 - 5)

Isaiah’s Vision (Isaiah 6:1-8)

Isaiah’s Response (Isaiah 6:5-8)

God’s Message Through Isaiah (Isaiah 6:8-13)

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7. Kidnapped (Daniel 1)

Lesson

Background/Review

Meet Daniel (Daniel 1:7)

Daniel’s Challenge (Daniel 1:9-21)

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8. Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream (Daniel 2)

Lesson

Background/Review

Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream (Daniel 2:1-16)

Daniel Prays (Daniel 2:17-23)

Daniel Speaks To The King (Daniel 2:24-49)

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5. Elijah Taken Up Into Heaven (2 Kings 2)

Lesson

Background/Review

Elijah’s Farewell (2 Kings 2:1-10)

Elijah Taken Up To Heaven (2 Kings 2:11-12)