The Biblical Path of Life

Tag: Y2Q1

  • Lesson 4: 2 Kings 3 – 9:10: Elisha

    Key Verse

    For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. —Hebrews 10:36

    Key Verse Thought: After you read the Key Verse, use the following definitions to help you understand it better. 

    • patience: endurance; perseverance or constancy under suffering in faith and duty
    • will: purpose; God’s law; decree
    • promise: salvation in Christ

    Does one really understand patience? Does it take patience to do something that doesn’t always make sense? For example (here are a few examples, or you may thing of some better ones!):

    • Making your bed when you’re going to sleep in it that night — it keeps your room neat and your covers straight;
    • Going to bed at a regular bedtime even though you still have work to do — keeps you from always being tired or rundown which allows you to get sick easier;
    • Eating foods that are good for you, as opposed to junk food all of the time — also keeps you healthier;
    • Submitting to your authority, even though you think you know best!

    Today we will see many people who were asked to do things that didn’t necessarily make sense to them at the time. The important thing for them to learn was to do what the prophet of the Lord told them to do, obeying God’s Words. We will also see what happened for those who patiently did the will of God and see what God gave them.

    Emphasis: In this lesson, we should learn to obey God’s Word, patiently, even if it seems too hard or it does not necessarily make sense to us. Be encouraged to put your faith and trust in Jesus and to live your life according to God’s Word.

    Lesson Summary: In this lesson, we will continue learning the history of the nation Israel, the Northern Kingdom. Once we saw Elijah taken, we read Elisha established as the prophet of the Lord. Elisha had requested Elijah to give him a double portion of Elijah’s spirit. In this lesson, we will see that this is just what Elisha received. Not only did he have dealings with many Israelites, but we will also see that he took the Word of the Lord to the kings. His fame even spread by an Israelite maiden taken captive into the home of a captain in the Syrian army. His name was Naaman. Because he obeyed the words spoken by the prophet of the Lord, Elisha, Naaman was healed of his leprosy. Notice the many different, and even unusual things, people were asked to do, obeying the words of the prophet of the Lord. It would also be good to notice the blessings, and even the salvation from the enemies, the people received when they obeyed.

    Year Two Quarter One – Lesson 4 Questions

    Year Two Quarter One – Lesson 4 Children’s Worksheets

    You could let your students make a coloring book of their own using pictures of Naaman, the Leper, and Elisha.

  • Lesson 3: 2 Kings 1-2: Elijah and Elisha

    Key Verse

    Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised) —Hebrews 10:23

    Key Verse Thought: After reading the verse, understand that the word faithful means “constant in the performance of duties or services — like a faithful servant.” In this verse, faithful also means “as God with his promises.”

    When we understand the faithfulness of God, it helps us as we “hold fast the profession of our faith.” That means we have and retain the faith we have of the Gospel message of Jesus (that He died to cleanse us from our sins). Moreover, that we do it without “wavering.” Wavering means “steady, without giving way.” In this lesson, we will continue looking at the life of Elijah, and we will begin to learn about Elisha. Both of these prophets of God held fast, knowing God would be faithful.

    Emphasis: Just as Elijah was faithful in doing what God asked of him (no matter how difficult we may think it might have been), we, too, are to remain faithful doing what God asks of us (no matter how hard it may seem!).  

    Lesson Summary: After the people of Israel professed, “The LORD, he is the God; the LORD, he is the God” (1 Kings 18:39), there continued to be idol worship in the land. We begin today with Ahab’s son, Ahaziah, as king of Israel, seeking the answer to his question from Baalzebub, the god of Ekron. When the king was injured (he fell through a lattice), instead of inquiring an answer from God, he inquired for a word from a false god. So God sent Elijah with a word for the king – words that the king did not receive (for he did not like the message). The king sent captains with their fifties to bring Elijah to the king. Two times Elijah called fire down from heaven that consumed them. On the third time, because of the captain’s words, he and his men lived. Elijah returned with a message for the king himself. The king would die from his injury — and he did. We will then look back to the call of Elisha as the servant of Elijah, soon to be the one to replace the prophet Elijah (I Kings 19:16). As we remember Elijah’s life, we find he knew he was about to leave the earth. Recall the familiar events of Elijah taken alive into heaven by a chariot of fire and horses of fire as Elisha stood as a witness. Don’t just recall the familiar events, read them again with the intention of learning more about just what really happened. Especially think about the faithfulness displayed, as Elisha never left Elijah’s side — even when Elijah told him to stay. Notice the reward Elijah, and even Elisha, received for their faithfulness. See what the 50 men of the sons of the prophets recognized about Elisha.

    Year Two Quarter One – Lesson 3 – Questions

    Year Two Quarter One – Lesson 3 – Children’s Worksheets

    You could cut out the shape of a coat from foam and let the children lace it. This could remind them of Elijah’s mantle that Elijah picked up and kept.

  • Lesson 1: 1 Kings 12–15: Rehoboam, Jeroboam, and the Divided Kingdom

    And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation … —Matthew 12:25a

    Key Verse Thought: Have you ever heard the phrase “there is strength in numbers?” Think of the following instances to help in the understanding of this concept: Work is completed faster with more workers; a choir has a stronger voice with more choir members singing; the more papers you have stacked together, the harder it is to tear them in two; it is harder to break a bundle of sticks bound together than just one stick, etc. What happens when more than one person tries to explain rules to a game (especially if they list different rules)? Unless everyone agrees, or works together, it is almost impossible to play the game or even to accomplish a task. Also remember the following: “And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken” (Ecclesiastes 4:12). In this lesson we will see what happened that caused the nation of Israel to become divided.  In our key verse for this lesson, the word desolation means “be laid waste; be made desolate (deprived of inhabitants; neglected; destroyed).”

    Emphasis: We must learn from history. Israel rejected God and chose idol worship bringing division and destruction to the nation. The same division and destruction will occur in our lives if we reject God.

    Lesson Summary: Now that we have completed the Personal Books (mostly written by David and Solomon), we will continue with the History Books. If you remember, the people rejected God as their king and wanted a man like all of the other nations to rule over them. God gave the people a man to become their king, just like they wanted. We learned about the first three kings: Saul, David, and Solomon. Saul disobeyed God, and the kingdom was removed from him and his family. David was known as a man after God’s own heart, and God promised him the kingdom would never be removed from his family. Solomon, David’s son, became the next king, but he ended up allowing his heart to be turned from God to idols. God promised to divide the kingdom because of this great sin, but because of God’s promise to David, two tribes would be left to his family. 

    In this lesson, we will learn that Rehoboam, Solomon’s only son, was a very foolish king. God left two tribes for him to rule. They became known as Judah (also known as the Southern Kingdom). God gave the other ten tribes to Jeroboam, and they became known as Israel (the Northern Kingdom). When Jeroboam became king over the Northern Kingdom, Israel, he did not allow the people return to Jerusalem to worship God. He was afraid that he would lose his kingdom, and the divided kingdom would reunite as one. So he set up two places of worship, Dan and Bethel, with golden calves in each city for the people to worship. When Jeroboam was warned by a prophet of God while offering at the altar, Jeroboam rejected his words. King Jeroboam’s hand was withered and then restored. Later, when confronted with his wickedness, he rejected God’s prophet, and God rejected Jeroboam telling him the kingdom would be removed from him and his family. And it came to pass – just as God said.

    Israel and Judah warred against each other continually. After this lesson, we will primarily continue our study with the Northern Kingdom (Israel). Afterward we will learn of the Southern Kingdom (Judah). To help keep the kings straight and find out a verse listed where they became king, refer often to the chart “The Kings and their Prophets.”

    Year Two Quarter One – Lesson 1 Questions

    Year Two Quarter One – Lesson 1 Children’s Worksheets

    One idea would be to have your children make a crown to help them remember the divided kingdom.