Elijah

OBJECTIVE

• Introduce the relationship between prophets and kings, study in depth the life of Elijah, and recognize types of Christ

HOOK - 5 Minutes

• A boy thought that he is the best player on his basketball team
• When the coach told him "There's no I in TEAM," he responded "But there is in WIN"
• However, the problem was the kid wasn't very good at all----he was even below average
• His pride and refusal to pass or cooperate led to the team losing time and time again
• The coach asked the team captain to have a heart-to-heart with him, but the boy accused him of being jealous and continually insulted him
• It wasn't until the coach decided to indefinitely bench him that the boy saw his team cooperate, make plays, and win games
• The coach explained to him that as long as he relied on himself and didn't trust his teammates, he was going to hold them all back from ever winning a game
• As losses, the intervention of the team captain, and the actions of the coach were necessary to convince a basketball player to stop relying on himself, God allowed wars, sent prophets, and even performed great wonders so the kings of Israel and Judah would stop relying on themselves and turn back to Him
• Today's lesson will talk about the ministry of Elijah in Israel

HOLY SCRIPTURE - 5 Minutes

• 11 Then He said, "Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord." And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; 12 and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice. 13 So it was, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him, and said, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" 14 And he said, "I have been very zealous for the Lord God of hosts; because the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life" (1 Kg. 19:11-14)

Memory Verse

And it came to pass, at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near and said, "Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your word (1 Kg 18:36).

CONTENT (KEY POINTS) - 25 Minutes

Introduction: Kings and Prophets

• Division of the Kingdom
• After the death of King Solomon, the single, united Kingdom of the Jews was divided into two: the Northern Kingdom (Israel) and Southern Kingdom (Judah)
• The various kings were wicked and made agreements with foreign nations, adopting their cultures their gods instead of remaining loyal to the true God

• The Need for Prophets
  • God used war, famines, and even miracles to try to remind His people to turn from sin and return to Him
  • In order to warn the people and change their hearts, God sent prophets to the kings and the people to proclaim the will of God, give instruction, and interpret events
  • The historical books speak about many of the actions of the prophets, while the Major and Minor books of the Prophets catalogue their words and some history
• King Ahab and Jezebel (1 Kg. 16:29-17:7)
  • When Ahab became king of Israel (Northern Kingdom) in 874 BC, he was declared to be the most wicked king
  • He married Jezebel, the daughter of the king of Tyre, who turned his heart away from God and towards the false god Baal, who Canaanite men fashioned to be an enemy of God
  • When Ahab built a temple, atlar, and wooden image for the Baal, God sent His prophet Elijah (born 900 BC) to convince him this was sin and call him to repent from evil
  • Elijah went to Abah and told him it would not rain because of his sin, resulting in a drought lasting three and a half years

Ministry of Elijah

• Elijah and the Widow (1 Kg. 17)
  • During the drought, God told Elijah that He commanded a widow to provide for him
  • Elijah asked her for a morsel of bread and water, but she said she only had a handful of flour in a bin and a little oil in a jar for her and her son
  • Elijah told her to make him a cake, then for her and her son, and neither the bin nor the jar would run dry
  • Later, when her son became sick and died, Elijah stretched himself upon the child three times and prayed, and God raised her child from the dead
• Elijah and the Prophets of Baal (1 Kg. 18)
  • After three years, Elijah sought Ahab and told him to summon all 450 prophets of Baal for a challenge to see whether Baal or God would accept a sacrifice of a bull on wood with no fire
  • The prophets of Baal spent the entire day until evening crying out and even cutting themselves so that their false god would accept the sacrifice, but nothing happened
  • Elijah arranged twelve stones around the altar (representing the twelve tribes of Israel), cut the bull into pieces, then poured water three times upon the offering
  • When Elijah offered the evening sacrifice, he prayed to God, who immediately accepted the offering and sent fire from heaven to consume it
  • Elijah then executed all the prophets of Baal, removing evil from the land
• Elijah flees and Meets with God (1 Kg. 19)
  • Not too long after these events took place, God ended the drought, and Jezebel learned about what happened to the prophets of Baal
  • When Elijah learned that Jezebel sought his life, he took a nap under a broom tree, was visited by an angel, and was given a cake baked on coals and a jar of water
  • This meal lasted him forty days and forty nights as he went to mount Horeb
  • He stood before the mountain of God and although there was a great wind, an earthquake, and a fire, Elijah heard the voice of God in a still small voice
  • After this even, Elijah found Elisha, threw his mantle on him, which signified that Elisha was now his disciple
• Elijah Condemns Ahab, who Repents (1 Kg. 21)
  • When Ahab coveted the vineyard of a man named Naboth, Jezebel organized a plot to kill him, and then told Ahab to claim the vineyard for himself
  • When Ahab heard the words of Elijah, who was sent by God to condemn him, he tore his clothes, fasted and lay in sackcloth, and mourned
  • God accepted the repentance of Ahab and told Elijah that since Ahab humbled himself before the Lord, the Lord would spare him until the days of his sons
• Elijah Ascends to Heaven (2 Kg. 2)
  • When it was time for Elijah to be taken up into heaven, he crossed the Jordan River with Elisha and asked whether his disciple had a final request
  • Elisha asked for a double portion, and when a chariot of fire came and took Elijah to heaven, Elijah's mantle fell upon Elisha, which fulfilled his request

Typology in Elijah

• To review, we study types of Christ within the Old Testament to learn more about Him through hidden images that weren't recognized until the coming of Christ
  • This is an example of using the New to read the Old Testament
• Baptism
  • The pouring of water three times and the fire that consumed the offering is a type of Baptism, so we are submerged three times in the name of the Trinity, and so the Lord baptizes with the fire of the Holy Spirit
    • As the fire consumed the entire offering, so the fire of the Holy Spirit descends upon us and entirely consumes our sins
  • Elijah crossing the Jordan river before being taken up into heaven was a type of baptism because through baptism, we have access to heaven
  • Elisha passed through the Jordan river and received a double portion, which signifies receiving the Holy Spirit
• 40 Days Fasting
  • The Church recognizes the 40 days fasting of Elijah at Mt. Horeb, which is analogous to the fasting of Moses for forty days, which typify the Lord fasting forty days in the desert
• Eucharist
  • Images of bread in the Old Testament are usually recognized by the Fathers to be symbols of the Eucharist, because Christ is the bread of life that sustains us
  • Therefore the bread that sustains Elijah for forty days may be a type of the Eucharist
  • As Elijah ate the bread and heard God, so we too through participation in the Eucharist are united with God
• Resurrection
  • Elijah raising the widow's son is a type of Resurrection
• Ascension
  • Elijah ascending into heaven is a type of Christ ascending into Heaven
  • As Elijah ascended and his mantle fell upon Elisha who received a double portion, Christ ascended into heaven and sent the Holy Spirit upon His apostles

DISCUSSION (Challenge) - 10 Minutes

• What was the goal of Elijah's ministry regarding Ahab?
• How did Elijah approach the problem of evil in Israel?
• What does Elijah listening for the voice of God teach us about listening for His voice?

LIFE APPLICATION - 2 Minutes

• Elijah was called to ministry because Ahab, the king of Israel, had committed atrocities against God, yet God desired the repentance of Ahab; therefore, Elijah's ministry was complete when Ahab repented
• Elijah reminded Ahab that the Lord God is the true God by showing the futility of Baal
  • At times when we become too self reliant or reliant on other things, God allows us to fail so that we may learn to rely on Him
• As Elijah heard God in the quiet, so we too, if we wish to listen for the voice of God, must learn to sit in the quiet place, silence our hearts and thoughts, and patiently wait for the silent voice of the Lord

ACTIVITY - 5 Minutes

Have the students complete this crossword puzzle using their Bibles

SERVANT RESOURCES

• Fr. Tadros on 1 Kings

PARENTS CORNER/HOMEWORK

• Read 1 Kg. 16-19, and 21 with your child (a chapter a day) and ask them to share any points they remember for Sunday School
• Review the timeline with your child to remind them of where Elijah and Elisha fall in history
• Arrange to have quiet time with your child, such as a time where all devices are turned off, and sit silently so that your child may learn to love and be comfortable with a life of stillness and quiet

LESSON ATTACHMENTS