Lesson Learned: Elijah was taken up to Heaven suddenly.
Materials Needed: 2 paper plates, drinking straw, tape, orange or yellow construction paper, scissors, pencil
Bible Verse:
2 Kings 2:2-11
But Elisha said, “As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel.
3 The company of the prophets at Bethel came out to Elisha and asked, “Do you know that the Lord is going to take your master from you today?”
“Yes, I know,” Elisha replied, “so be quiet.”
4 Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here, Elisha; the Lord has sent me to Jericho. ”
And he replied, “As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So they went to Jericho.
5 The company of the prophets at Jericho went up to Elisha and asked him, “Do you know that the Lord is going to take your master from you today?”
“Yes, I know,” he replied, “so be quiet.”
6 Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here; the Lord has sent me to the Jordan.”
And he replied, “As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So the two of them walked on.
7 Fifty men from the company of the prophets went and stood at a distance, facing the place where Elijah and Elisha had stopped at the Jordan. 8 Elijah took his cloak, rolled it up and struck the water with it. The water divided to the right and to the left, and the two of them crossed over on dry ground.
9 When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?”
“Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit,” Elisha replied.
10 “You have asked a difficult thing,” Elijah said, “yet if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours—otherwise, it will not.”
11 As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind.
Talking Points: Elijah was a very important prophet of God. A prophet is a person who can someone else God’s plan before it happens. Elijah performed many, many miracles and heard God’s voice often. One day, Elijah was walking with his friend, Elisha, when suddenly God took Elijah up to Heaven in a chariot of fire. His friend, Elisha,was very surprised that Elijah had disappeared so suddenly.
Questions: Do you know what a chariot is? Who do you think was driving the chariot? Where do you think Elijah went? Why do you think Elijah was taken up to Heaven this way?
Activity:
The Chariot of Fire
Step 1: Draw the outline of several flames on the yellow and orange construction paper and let the child cut them out.
Step 2: While they cut out the flames, use the pencil to draw a circle in the middle of each of the paper plates with spokes coming out to the edge of the plate. Then let the child trace over the pencil with a black marker to turn the paper plates into chariot wheels.
Step 3: Let the child tape the flames onto each wheel of the chariot.
Step 4: Bend about 1/4 – 1/2 inch of each end of the straw and tape each end to the inside of the paper plate (for the axle of the chariot).
Step 5: Lift the chariot high above your head and fly it down to the child and pretend to take them on a ride.
Prayer: Holy Father and Lord. You can do anything! Open our hearts and minds to always remember that. Amen!