|
Elijah Ran From JezebelDear Parents,
Thank you for continuing this journey of The Gospel Project® for Kids. Today’s Bible story immediately follows Elijah’s confrontation with King Ahab and the false prophets of Baal. Elijah saw God send fire from heaven. God showed King Ahab, the Israelites, and all the people who worshiped the false god Baal that God is the one true God. Elijah probably felt very happy and victorious, but he was about to face trouble. King Ahab’s wife, Jezebel, was furious with Elijah. Jezebel had already killed many of God’s prophets. After Baal’s defeat at Mount Carmel, Jezebel sent a message to Elijah: she was going to kill Elijah like she had killed God’s prophets. Elijah was afraid! He ran away from Jezebel and hid in the wilderness. Overcome with despair, Elijah begged the Lord to take his life. (See 1 Kings 19:4.) God sent an angel to bring food and water to Elijah while he rested. Then Elijah traveled to Mount Horeb—another name for Mount Sinai—to have a personal encounter with God. God revealed Himself to Elijah in a voice, a soft whisper. Elijah’s circumstances were difficult, but God didn’t leave him. God gave him Elisha, a friend and successor. God assured Elijah that he was not alone; there were 7,000 people in Israel who had not turned to worship Baal. Elijah was God’s prophet, but Jezebel wanted to kill him. God was in control, and He protected Elijah. Jesus is the true and final Prophet. People hated Jesus and wanted to kill Him. God was in control. He used Jesus’ enemies to fulfill His plan to save people from sin. |
2nd- 5th |
|
|
Preschool- 1st |
|
|
Elijah Ran from Jezebel
1 Kings 19
The prophet Elijah knew God’s power. When God sent re from heaven, He displayed His power to King Ahab, the Israelites, and the worshipers of the false god Baal. Elijah must have felt very glad that God showed that He is the one true God. But more trouble was coming for Elijah.
King Ahab told his wife, Jezebel, about what happened at Mount Carmel and that Elijah had defeated the prophets of Baal. Jezebel was angry. She sent a messenger to Elijah. The messenger told Elijah that Jezebel planned to kill him like she killed the other prophets of God.
Elijah was afraid! He ran far away into the wilderness where Jezebel couldn’t nd him. Elijah prayed to God, “I can’t handle this. Lord, take my life.” Then Elijah lay down and slept under a broom tree.
God did not take Elijah’s life. Instead, He sent an angel to help Elijah. The angel touched Elijah and said, “Get up and eat.” A loaf of baked bread and a jar of water was nearby, and Elijah ate and drank and lay down again.
A second time, the angel came and touched Elijah. “Get up and eat,” the angel said. “This journey is too hard for you.” Elijah ate and drank. The food gave him strength to travel forty days and forty nights to Horeb (HOH reb), the mountain of God.
When Elijah got to the mountain, he went into a cave and spent the night there. The word of the Lord came to Elijah. God said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
“Lord, I’ve done my best to obey You,” Elijah replied. “But Your people have not obeyed You! They have killed Your prophets, and now they are trying to kill me!”
“Go out and stand on the mountain,” God said. Then the Lord passed by. A strong wind rushed by the mountain, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind, there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake, there was a re, but the Lord was not in the re. And after the re, there was a voice—a soft whisper. When Elijah heard the whisper, he hid his face and stood at the opening of the cave.
“What are you doing here, Elijah?” a voice asked.
“Lord, I’ve done my best to obey You,” Elijah replied. “But your people have not obeyed you! They have killed Your prophets, and now they are trying to kill me!”
Then the Lord said to Elijah, “Go back to the Wilderness of Damascus.”
God gave Elijah instructions to anoint certain men as leaders: Hazael (HAZ ay el) as king of Aram (A ruhm), Jehu (JEE hyoo) as king of Israel, and Elisha as prophet in his place.
Elijah obeyed God. When he found Elisha, Elisha was plowing a eld. Elisha left his work to follow Elijah and serve him.
Christ Connection: Elijah was God’s prophet, but Jezebel wanted to kill him. God was in control, and He protected Elijah. Jesus is the true and nal Prophet. People hated Jesus and wanted to kill Him. God was in control. He used Jesus’ enemies to ful ll His plan to save people from sin.
1 Kings 19
The prophet Elijah knew God’s power. When God sent re from heaven, He displayed His power to King Ahab, the Israelites, and the worshipers of the false god Baal. Elijah must have felt very glad that God showed that He is the one true God. But more trouble was coming for Elijah.
King Ahab told his wife, Jezebel, about what happened at Mount Carmel and that Elijah had defeated the prophets of Baal. Jezebel was angry. She sent a messenger to Elijah. The messenger told Elijah that Jezebel planned to kill him like she killed the other prophets of God.
Elijah was afraid! He ran far away into the wilderness where Jezebel couldn’t nd him. Elijah prayed to God, “I can’t handle this. Lord, take my life.” Then Elijah lay down and slept under a broom tree.
God did not take Elijah’s life. Instead, He sent an angel to help Elijah. The angel touched Elijah and said, “Get up and eat.” A loaf of baked bread and a jar of water was nearby, and Elijah ate and drank and lay down again.
A second time, the angel came and touched Elijah. “Get up and eat,” the angel said. “This journey is too hard for you.” Elijah ate and drank. The food gave him strength to travel forty days and forty nights to Horeb (HOH reb), the mountain of God.
When Elijah got to the mountain, he went into a cave and spent the night there. The word of the Lord came to Elijah. God said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
“Lord, I’ve done my best to obey You,” Elijah replied. “But Your people have not obeyed You! They have killed Your prophets, and now they are trying to kill me!”
“Go out and stand on the mountain,” God said. Then the Lord passed by. A strong wind rushed by the mountain, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind, there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake, there was a re, but the Lord was not in the re. And after the re, there was a voice—a soft whisper. When Elijah heard the whisper, he hid his face and stood at the opening of the cave.
“What are you doing here, Elijah?” a voice asked.
“Lord, I’ve done my best to obey You,” Elijah replied. “But your people have not obeyed you! They have killed Your prophets, and now they are trying to kill me!”
Then the Lord said to Elijah, “Go back to the Wilderness of Damascus.”
God gave Elijah instructions to anoint certain men as leaders: Hazael (HAZ ay el) as king of Aram (A ruhm), Jehu (JEE hyoo) as king of Israel, and Elisha as prophet in his place.
Elijah obeyed God. When he found Elisha, Elisha was plowing a eld. Elisha left his work to follow Elijah and serve him.
Christ Connection: Elijah was God’s prophet, but Jezebel wanted to kill him. God was in control, and He protected Elijah. Jesus is the true and nal Prophet. People hated Jesus and wanted to kill Him. God was in control. He used Jesus’ enemies to ful ll His plan to save people from sin.