In this lesson, children learn that there is only one true God, and that we can always ask Him for help instead of turning to anything else. This lesson suits children ages 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes to teach.
Big Idea
There is only one true God, and we should go to Him, not to made-up gods, when we need help.
Memory Verse
2 Kings 1:3
But the LORD’s angel said to Elijah the Tishbite, “Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and tell them, ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel, that you go to inquire of Baal Zebub, the god of Ekron?
(WEB)
Have children hold both hands up high like they are asking a question, then slowly bring them down together in front of their chests as they say the verse. Repeat it three times, getting a little quieter each time.
The Story: 2 Kings 1 for Kids
A long time ago, a king named Ahaziah lived in the city of Samaria in the land of Israel. One day he fell down through a window in his upper room, and he got very sick. He wanted to know if he would get better, so he sent messengers to ask a false god named Baal Zebub, who was worshiped in the faraway city of Ekron.
But God saw what the king was doing. God sent His angel to a prophet named Elijah and said, “Go and meet the king’s messengers.” Elijah stood on the road and told them, “Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going to ask a false god? Go back and tell the king that he will not get up from his bed. He will die.”
When the messengers returned, the king asked them who had told them this. They said a man with hair all over him and a leather belt around his waist had met them. The king knew right away that it was Elijah the prophet.
The king sent a captain with fifty soldiers to bring Elijah down. Elijah was sitting on top of a hill. The captain shouted, “Man of God, the king says, ‘Come down!'” Elijah answered, “If I am really God’s man, let fire come down from the sky.” Fire came down and burned up the captain and his fifty men.
The king sent a second captain with fifty men, and the same thing happened. Then the king sent a third captain. This captain was wiser. He fell on his knees in front of Elijah and begged, “Please let my life and the lives of my men be precious to you.” God told Elijah to go with him, so Elijah went down to the king.
Elijah told the king to his face that because he had asked a false god instead of the true God, he would die. And just as God had said, the king died. Then his son Jehoram became the new king of Israel.
Read It Together
2 Kings 1:9-10
9 Then the king sent a captain of fifty with his fifty to him. He went up to him; and behold, he was sitting on the top of the hill. He said to him, “Man of God, the king has said, ‘Come down!’” 10 Elijah answered to the captain of fifty, “If I am a man of God, then let fire come down from the sky, and consume you and your fifty!” Then fire came down from the sky, and consumed him and his fifty.
(WEB)
Point out that the captain came to Elijah in a proud way, but God protected His prophet. Ask children what they think God’s power shows about who is in charge.
2 Kings 1:13-14
13 Again he sent the captain of a third fifty with his fifty. The third captain of fifty went up, and came and fell on his knees before Elijah, and begged him, and said to him, “Man of God, please let my life, and the life of these fifty of your servants, be precious in your sight. 14 Behold, fire came down from the sky, and consumed the last two captains of fifty with their fifties. But now let my life be precious in your sight.”
(WEB)
Show children how the third captain humbled himself and asked for mercy. Explain that God is kind to people who come to Him with a humble heart.
2 Kings 1:16
He said to him, “The LORD says, ‘Because you have sent messengers to inquire of Baal Zebub, the god of Ekron, is it because there is no God in Israel to inquire of his word? Therefore you will not come down from the bed where you have gone up, but you will surely die.’”
(WEB)
Point out the reason God gave for the king’s death: he went to a false god instead of asking the true God. Help children see that God wants us to come to Him first.
Talk About It
- What did King Ahaziah do when he got sick, and why do you think he did it?
- Who did God send to speak to the king’s messengers?
- Why is it important to ask the one true God for help instead of other things?
- How do you think the third captain felt when he saw what had happened to the first two groups?
- What are some ways we can ask God for help when we are scared or sick?
Activity Ideas
Draw the Hilltop Scene
You will need paper, crayons or markers, and a pencil. Ask each child to draw Elijah sitting on a hill with a big sky above him. Let them add the king’s messengers on the road below. When they finish, ask them to tell you one thing they see in their picture and what it reminds them about God.
Ask the Real God Game
You will need a few small chairs or pillows to act as hills and a soft ball. Set up two spots, one labeled “Real God” and one labeled “Made-Up Gods.” Read a short sentence about something to ask for help with, and children toss the ball into the spot they think is the right place to go. Talk about why the real God is the best place to turn.
Take-Home Prayer Card
You will need index cards, a marker, and a rubber band for each child. Write “Ask the one true God first” on one side of each card and have children draw a simple sun or sky on the other side. Encourage them to keep the card in a pocket or backpack and read it aloud at bedtime for a week.
Teacher Notes
For adults, this chapter shows that God alone is the true source of life and hope, and that turning to other gods or sources of false comfort leads to ruin. It also shows that God is patient and merciful, as seen in how He spared the third captain and his men when they humbled themselves before Him.
Avoid suggesting that God punishes children or families every time they get sick or hurt, since the chapter is about a king who deliberately turned away from God, not about everyday illness. Keep the focus on trusting God and coming to Him with humble hearts.
A Prayer to Close
Dear God, thank You that You are the one true God and that we can always come to You for help. Help us remember to ask You first when we need something. Thank You that You listen to us. Amen.
