Prophet Elijah trains Elisha to one day replace him as God's prophet
Psalm 46 v 1 God is our refuge Part 5
re-told by Debbie Dunn
Story highlights:
* Elijah heard God speak to him in gentle whisper after wind-earthquake-fire
* God sent Elijah to train Elisha to one day replace him as God's prophet
* Elisha agreed to leave home to train as God’s prophet
Bible tale begins:
As we continue this
series about how we can always call on God to help us in times of trouble, let's
have a volunteer read Psalm 46:1.
Psalm 46:1 (NLT) God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble.
Question: What does refuge mean?
Answer: A safe hiding place.
To help you remember this word better, imagine yourself playing Hide-and-Seek. Just like you try to find a safe hiding place for yourself, God guides us to find safe hiding places, as well.
To help you remember this word better, imagine yourself playing Hide-and-Seek. Just like you try to find a safe hiding place for yourself, God guides us to find safe hiding places, as well.
Psalm 46:10 is another cool Bible
verse.
Let's get a volunteer
to read that one.
Psalm 46:10 (AMP) God says: "Be still and know [recognize, understand] that I am God."
Last week, we heard an
encouraging story about when Elijah was feeling sad and lonely. After spending
the night in a cave on Mt. Sinai, God spoke to Elijah and said:
Father God: Elijah, go out and stand before me on the mountain.
You might recall that
there was a windstorm, then an earthquake, and then a fire.
RINGLEADER: But, ...,
the Lord was not in any of those.
[Group repeats]
After that, there was the
sound of a gentle whisper.
God can definitely
choose to speak to us in a loud voice. But perhaps, more often than not, He
speaks to us in a quiet voice. That is what happened in Elijah's case. God
quietly said:
Father God:
Elijah, what are you doing here?
That is when God gave
Elijah a chance to share his concerns.
RINGLEADER: Hooray for God making Elijah feel better!
[Group repeats]
God gave Elijah some
tasks to do. The coolest task was this one.
Father God:
Elijah, I want you to meet up with Elisha and
anoint him as My prophet who will eventually replace you.
So, Elijah began his
mission. His starting point was Mt. Sinai.
Question: What amazing thing happened when Moses first climbed to the top of Mt. Sinai?
Answer: Moses saw the burning bush and heard the voice of God.
Question: When Moses spent 40 days and 40 nights at the top of Mt. Sinai with God, what did he bring back to show the Israelite people?
Answer: 2 Stone tablets that held the 10 Commandments
RINGLEADER: How far did Elijah have to travel to see Elisha?
[Group repeats]
Elijah probably had to
walk about 250 to 300 miles to reach Elisha. It very likely took the prophet around
three weeks to walk that distance.
RINGLEADER: What was Elisha doing when Elijah finally saw him for the first time?
[Group repeats]
Elisha was plowing his
field.
RINGLEADER: What did Elijah do next?
[Group repeats]
We learn in 1 Kings
19:19 that Elijah went over to Elisha and threw his cloak across Elisha's
shoulders. Then, Elijah walked away.
RINGLEADER: What did it
mean when a prophet did that?
[Group repeats]
Elisha very likely knew
who Elijah was - a great prophet. Back in those days, if a great prophet threw
his cloak over your shoulders, it meant that God was calling you to be
His special prophet, as well.
RINGLEADER: Did Elisha agree to go with Elijah?
[Group repeats]
Yes, Elisha did agree
to go after he kissed his parents goodbye and had one last goodbye party with
the people of his town.
After that, Elisha went
with Elijah to train to become a prophet of God and to serve Elijah as his
assistant and helper.
RINGLEADER: How long did Elisha's training sessions last?
[Group repeats]
The Bible doesn't give
an exact number of years. Before the Chariot of Fire story, which we will hear
about next week, they probably spent 6 to 10 years together.
Question: Any questions or comments?
Are you a Bible enthusiast or do you lead a Youth Group or Family Bible Study? To get a FREE PDF download of this story, click on this link below:
Free PDF download of About Elijah part 5.
Do you want more stories about prophets like Elijah, Elisha, Samuel, & Nathan? If so, visit the More Prophets of Israel chapter from my EXPLORE BIBLE STORY dot org website.
Click here to get more stories about prophets like Elijah, Elisha, Samuel, & Nathan.
My ever-expanding Explore Bible Story dot org website includes Bible stories and Biblical Family Trees about
- Creation, Adam, & his Descendants
- Noah, the Ark, & the Flood
- Abraham & Sarah
- Isaac & Rebekah, Esau & Jacob
- Jacob & his 4 wives
- 12 sons of Jacob who became known as the 12 Tribes of Israel
- Moses who was from the line of Levi
- Joshua who became leader of Israelites after death of Moses
- 12 Judges of Israel including Deborah, Gideon, & Samson
- Kings of Israel including Saul, David, & Solomon
- 4 Major Prophets of Israel: Isaiah, Daniel, Jeremiah, Ezekiel
- 12 Minor Prophets of Israel
- More Prophets of Israel: Samuel, Nathan, Elijah, & Elisha
- Women from Old & New Testament
- Jesus Christ, our Messiah, Lord, Savior, & King of king
- 12 Disciples of Jesus
- Apostle Paul & other Significant Followers of Christ
- Triune God: God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit
- The Free Gift of Salvation & The Sinner's Prayer
- About Website: Explore Bible Story.org
- About the author: Debbie Dunn
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