This lesson teaches children that God always keeps his word, even when wicked kings seem to be in charge. It is designed for children ages 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes to teach, including the story, Bible reading, and activity.
Big Idea
God is in charge, and everything he says will happen. Even when bad people make bad choices, God’s word always comes true.
Memory Verse
1 Kings 16:2
“Because I exalted you out of the dust, and made you prince over my people Israel, and you have walked in the way of Jeroboam, and have made my people Israel to sin, to provoke me to anger with their sins…
(WEB)
Hold both hands out flat like a book, then slowly lift them up above your head as you say the verse together. Lifting the hands shows that God is higher than any king. Repeat it three times with the motion, getting a little softer each time.
The Story: 1 Kings 16 for Kids
Long ago, the people of Israel had a king named Baasha. Baasha was a bad king. He did many evil things, and he led the whole nation of Israel into sin. God did not like this at all. God sent a prophet named Jehu to tell Baasha that his family would be wiped out because of his wicked choices.
Baasha died, and his son Elah became the next king. But Elah was not a good king either. While Elah was drinking too much at a friend’s house, a man named Zimri, who was one of his servants, came in and killed him. Then Zimri became king. He began to destroy everyone in the family of Baasha, just as God had said would happen.
Zimri did not stay king for long. Only seven days later, the Israelite army heard about what he had done. They made their army captain, Omri, the new king. Zimri knew he would lose, so he went into the king’s house and set it on fire, and he died inside.
After that, some of the people wanted a man named Tibni to be king, and others wanted Omri. The people who followed Omri won the fight, and Omri became the king of Israel. Omri built a new city called Samaria and made it the capital. But Omri also did what was evil in the Lord’s sight.
Then Omri’s son Ahab became king. Ahab was the worst king Israel had seen so far. He married a woman named Jezebel, who worshiped a false god called Baal. Ahab built a altar for Baal and even made a wooden idol called an Asherah. The people were led far away from the one true God.
At the end of the chapter, a man named Hiel rebuilt the city of Jericho. Everything happened just as God had said it would through Joshua many years before. The chapter reminds us that the word of the Lord always comes true, even when people do not listen.
Read It Together
1 Kings 16:7
Moreover the LORD’s word came by the prophet Jehu the son of Hanani against Baasha and against his house, both because of all the evil that he did in the LORD’s sight, to provoke him to anger with the work of his hands, in being like the house of Jeroboam, and because he struck him.
(WEB)
Point out that God saw everything Baasha did and did not stay silent about it. Ask children what it means that God sees what we do. Remind them that God sees us too, and that he loves us even when we make mistakes.
1 Kings 16:25
Omri did that which was evil in the LORD’s sight, and dealt wickedly above all who were before him.
(WEB)
Explain that the Bible describes Omri as doing evil in God’s eyes. Help children see that a leader’s choices affect many other people. Encourage them to choose to follow God in the small choices they make each day.
1 Kings 16:31
As if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, he took as wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and went and served Baal, and worshiped him.
(WEB)
Show children that Ahab made a foolish decision when he chose to serve Baal instead of God. Explain that choosing to follow someone other than God leads us away from the good things he wants for us. Ask them who they choose to follow.
Talk About It
- What did God promise would happen to King Baasha’s family, and how did it come true?
- Why do you think the king’s servant Zimri decided to kill his own king?
- How did God’s word stay true even when the kings made bad choices?
- What are some ways we can follow God instead of doing what is wrong?
- How does it make you feel to know that God’s promises always come true?
Activity Ideas
Crown Drawing Craft
You will need paper, crayons or markers, scissors, and tape. Have each child draw a crown on the paper, then cut it out. On the front, they can write the words “God is King” or draw a cross. Tape the crown on a headband or hang it on the wall as a reminder that God is the true King over every earthly ruler.
Follow the Leader Game
Gather the children in an open space and choose one child to be the “king.” Everyone else follows the king’s movements, like marching, clapping, or hopping. After a minute, switch to a new leader. Talk about how we should always follow God as our true leader, not people who might lead us the wrong way.
Promise Keeper Card
You will need an index card and a pen for each child. Have each child write or draw one promise God has made, such as “God is always with me” or “God keeps his word.” Encourage them to take the card home and put it on the fridge or by their bed. This helps them remember that God always keeps his promises.
Teacher Notes
For adults, this chapter is a sobering look at what happens when a nation turns away from God. The kings of Israel repeatedly made choices that led people into idolatry, and the chapter shows how quickly political power can shift through violence and conspiracy. Yet the chapter also shows that God’s word is never empty. Every prophecy spoken through Jehu and earlier through Joshua came to pass, which should give adults confidence that God’s promises are reliable.
When teaching children, avoid overstating the violence in the story. The killings and the burning of the king’s house can be described simply as bad things that happened because people made wicked choices. Focus on God’s faithfulness and the call to follow him rather than on graphic details.
A Prayer to Close
Dear God, thank you that you are our true King and that you always keep your word. Help us to follow you, even when others around us make bad choices. Help us to trust your promises every day. Amen.
