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Saturday, May 25, 2024

King Hezekiah is Healed, Primary - I, Lesson - 20

PRIMARY

AGE: 6 - 7 YEARS

STANDARD (GRADE): I & II

Permission is granted only for free distribution among Sunday School children.

No part of this document can be modified, sold or used for any commercial purpose.

LESSON – 20

KING HEZEKIAH IS HEALED

Click this link to get the other Primary lessons 

There was a king called Hezekiah who ruled over the Kingdom of Judah. He was a righteous king. He loved God and obeyed His commandments. One time King Hezekiah became very ill. Prophet Isaiah lived in Israel at that time. While King Hezekiah was sick, God sent prophet Isaiah to him with a message. King Hezekiah was disappointed when he heard the message. Prophet Isaiah told King Hezekiah to make arrangements to hand over his responsibilities and set his house in order because he was not going to live long. King Hezekiah decided to ask God for help!

As soon as Prophet Isaiah left, King Hezekiah turned his face towards the wall and cried. He began to pray to God and pleaded with him to remember all the righteous things he had done for God. God listened to King Hezekiah’s prayers. 

 

God told Prophet Isaiah to go back to Hezekiah and tell him that He had heard his prayers and would heal him. In three days, King Hezekiah would be better enough to go to the Temple of God. God revealed through his prophet that He would add fifteen more years to King Hezekiah’s life. Prophet Isaiah did just as God told him to do. He went to King Hezekiah and told him what God said. Prophet Isaiah also instructed King Hezekiah’s servants to apply a lump of pressed figs on the boils causing his illness.  

Fig Fruits

King Hezekiah wanted a sign from the Lord that he would go to the Temple in three days and would live for fifteen more years. Prophet Isaiah asked him whether the shadow on the sundial of Ahaz should go forward ten degrees or go back ten degrees as a sign of his miraculous healing. King Hezekiah said it should go back ten degrees.

Do you know a long time ago people did not have watches or clocks to mark time? They would tell time by the shadows the sun would make as it moved across the sky! An instrument called sundial was used for this purpose. The sun cast a shadow on the dial and as the shadow moved with the declining sun, it would show the passing of time. Normally the shadow would move forward as the day progressed. But God’s sign to Hezekiah was to make the shadow cast by the sun move backwards by ten degrees. 

A Sundial

As King Hezekiah watched, a miracle happened! The shadow from the sun falling on the sundial retreated and moved backwards by ten degrees. King Hezekiah knew God would make him well, since it happened just as Prophet Isaiah told him. King Hezekiah’s servants applied a lump of pressed figs on the boils on his body as advised by Prophet Isaiah. 

King Hezekiah was healed from his illness and lived fifteen more years. King Hezekiah was thankful to God for his delivery. King Hezekiah composed a beautiful song of praise to be sung in the Temple of God with stringed instruments after recovering from his illness (Isaiah 38:20)

Holy Bible Reference: II Kings 20, Isaiah 38

Memory verse: Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; save me and I shall be saved, for You are my praise. (Jeremiah 17:14)

Teacher’s notes:

Even though, it is generally considered that the shadow went backwards in the sundial of Ahaz, there is an alternative explanation given by Bible scholars. The Hebrew word for sundial given in the Holy Bible is “maalah”, which is used to denote "steps" or "stairs" in the Old Testament. Jerusalem was built on a hilly region with two deep valleys. There were steps that descended eastward down the slope, with the Palace buildings on the top. This made the shadow of the Palace roof to fall upon the topmost step, and thereafter the shadow would move down the stairs to the end, as the day progressed. That is the shadow that had gone down ten of the steps (or 'degrees') and turned backward, which was given as a sign to King Hezekiah. According to historian Josephus (Antiquities, Book X, Chapter 2), the shadow had gone down ten steps of the staircase and then returned. 

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ASSESSMENT ACTIVITIES

Answer the following questions:

1. Which Kingdom did King Hezekiah rule over?

   ......................................................................................

2. Who came to visit King Hezekiah when he was ill?

   .......................................................................................

3. How many years did God add to King Hezekiah’s life?

   ........................................................................................

4. How many steps did King Hezekiah want the shadow to go back?

   .......................................................................................

5. Prophet Isaiah told King Hezekiah’s servants to apply a lump of which fruit?

   .......................................................................................

Match the following:

1. Hezekiah                      -              Time

2. Isaiah                           -               Pressed figs

3. Ahaz                             -              King

4. Hezekiah’s servants  -              Prophet                  

5. Shadow                        -               Sundial



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Wednesday, May 8, 2024

Prophet Elijah Prays for Rain, Kinder - I, Lesson - 20

KINDER

AGE: 4 - 5 YEARS

CLASS (GRADE): LKG & UKG

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No part of this document can be modified, sold or used for any commercial purpose.

LESSON – 20

PROPHET ELIJAH PRAYS FOR RAIN

Click this link to get the other Kinder lessons 

Once, a wicked king named Ahab reigned over Israel. He did not fear God and worshipped an idol named Baal. As a punishment, there was no rain over the land of Israel.

People in the olden days were dependent on rain for growing their crops. Rain makes the plants grow and gives food for the people. Without rain there will be scarcity of food and famine.

There was a prophet of God named Elijah who lived in Israel. After three years and six months, God sent Prophet Elijah to King Ahab to inform him that soon there would be rain in the land. Prophet Elijah found King Ahab and told him he could hear the sound of heavy rain. He also told the king to go and have some food. The land was dry and there was no sign of rain anywhere. But King Ahab believed Prophet Elijah and went to have his food.

Prophet Elijah took his servant and climbed up a mountain called Mount Carmel. Prophet Elijah began to pray. He put his head between his knees and prayed fervently. He believed that God would send rain. So, he sent his servant to look out toward the sea for rain clouds.

Do you know how we get rain?

Have you seen clouds in the sky? There are special types of clouds that produce rain. These clouds are made of water droplets. Within a cloud, these droplets continue to grow. When these water droplets get too heavy to stay suspended in the cloud, they fall to Earth as rain.

Meanwhile, Prophet Elijah’s servant came back with news there was no cloud and the skies were clear. After sometime Prophet Elijah sent the servant to look again. The servant returned again saying that there were no clouds. This happened six times. When the servant went the seventh time, he saw a tiny cloud about the size of a man’s hand rising from the sea. Prophet Elijah believed that the tiny cloud was a sign from God that He was sending rain.

Immediately, Prophet Elijah sent a message to King Ahab to get back home immediately before he got in the middle of a storm! As the sky grew dark with huge storm clouds, Prophet Elijah tucked his cloak into his belt and ran down the mountain. God gave Prophet Elijah special strength that he ran in front of King Ahab’s chariot all the way back to Jezreel where the king lived.

Bible Reference: I Kings 18: 1, 41-46

Memory Verse: The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective – James 5:16 b (NIV).

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Wednesday, February 7, 2024

Prophet Elijah and the prophets of Baal, Junior - I, Lesson - 19

JUNIOR

AGE: 10 - 11 YEARS

STANDARD/GRADE: V & VI

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No part of this document can be modified, sold or used for any commercial purpose.

LESSON – 19

PROPHET ELIJAH AND THE PROPHETS OF BAAL

Click this link to get the other Junior Lessons 

In this lesson we are going to learn about one of the greatest prophets in the Old Testament called Prophet Elijah. He was from a place called Tishbe and lived during the reign of a King named Ahab. He was the seventh king of the Northern Kingdom of Israel. King Ahab, just like the other kings of the Northern Kingdom of Israel did not obey God. Ahab married a woman named Jezebel from a place called Sidon. Her father’s name was Ethbaal and he was the King of Sidon. The people of Sidon worshipped a god called Baal-Melkart. Jezebel led Ahab to worship Baal-Melkart. Ahab introduced the worship of Baal in Israel also. Jezebel was evil, she tried to destroy anyone who opposed her. She also challenged God’s great prophets including Prophet Elijah.

Prophet Elijah was a brave man of God. Prophet Elijah was not afraid of Jezebel. He spent much time praying and listening to God and knew that God is much more powerful than Jezebel. One day Prophet Elijah went and spoke to king Ahab in the name of God. He introduced himself as the one who stood before God and delivered an important message. Prophet Elijah declared to King Ahab that there would not be any rain in Israel until he commanded it to rain again. King Ahab was furious. If there is no rain in the land, the plants will not grow and there will be drought and famine. Eventually animals and humans will die of hunger and starvation.

Prophet Elijah sealed the skies and there was no more rain. God sent Prophet Elijah to a brook named Kerith and fed him miraculously. Later he was sent to a place called Zarephath where God had arranged for a widow to provide him with food. King Ahab became desperate and sent people everywhere to find Elijah because he thought Prophet Elijah was responsible for Israel’s troubles. After three years, God sent Prophet Elijah back to King Ahab. Prophet Elijah reminded King Ahab that it was he who was to be blamed for the drought, since he had allowed Jezebel to institute the worship of her false gods in Israel.

Prophet Elijah challenged King Ahab to gather the people of Israel and the prophets of Baal together at Mount Carmel for a contest to see whose god was real. King Ahab did as Prophet Elijah said. People from all over Israel came to watch the contest. Elijah was the only prophet of the God of Israel present there. There were 850 prophets of the false gods, (including 450 prophets of the false god Baal and 400 prophets of the false goddess Asherah) sent by King Ahab and Jezebel standing against him. It was one true man of God against 850 false prophets. We have to remember that there were other true prophets of God in Israel at that time but they remained hidden and scattered because of the persecution by Jezebel and her false prophets. There were 100 prophets who were hidden in a cave by Obadiah, one of the officials of King Ahab. There were also 7000 other true men of God who refused to bow before Baal.

Mount Carmel in modern day Israel

Prophet Elijah got ready for his challenge against the false prophets. He told the people of Israel to make a decision that day and not to be double minded thereafter. If Baal was real and powerful, then they need to worship him. If the Lord God of Isreal was real and powerful, then they need to worship Him. Prophet Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal to prove that Baal was a god in front of the Israelite people. Prophet Elijah asked the prophets of Baal to build an altar and offer a bull as a sacrifice to their god without lighting a fire. Prophet Elijah would also do the same. The God that answers with fire from the sky would be the real and powerful God. The people of Israel and the prophets of Baal agreed.

The prophets of Baal began the contest and offered the sacrifice. They cried out to Baal to answer them with fire. There was no answer! They became desperate and danced around their altar from morning till noon with no answer from Baal. Prophet Elijah began to mock them and asked them to shout even louder! Prophet Elijah even suggested that Baal must be deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. He also wondered whether Baal was sleeping and must be awakened. 

The prophets of Baal seemed to accept Prophet Elijah’s prompting as they shouted louder. They also slashed themselves with swords and spears, as was their custom, until their blood flowed. Midday passed without any response from Baal, so they continued their rituals until the time for the evening sacrifice. There was no response, no one answered, Baal didn’t even seem to pay attention.

Then it was Prophet Elijah’s turn. He asked the people of Israel to come closer. He first repaired the Lord’s altar that had been neglected. He took twelve stones corresponding to the twelve tribes of Israel and built an altar. Prophet Elijah named the altar, “Israel.” He then dug a ditch around it, prepared the sacrifice and arranged it on the altar. Prophet Elijah also ordered that four large jars of water be poured over it. There was so much water that it soaked the sacrifice and all of the wood on the altar. It even ran into the ditch around the altar. The Israelites must have been confused by this. Baal and Asherah could not create even a spark in a dry altar, yet Prophet Elijah was confident that the Lord would set fire to an altar soaked in water!

Once the sacrifice was ready, Prophet Elijah prayed a very simple yet powerful prayer. He prayed to God saying, “Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. Answer me, Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.” He requested God to prove that he is the one true God of Israel, and that Elijah is his prophet. Immediately, the fire of God fell from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust. It also licked up the water in the trench.

The Israelites were dumb struck as the fire consumed the sacrifice, the wood, stones, soil and even the water that had overflowed into the trenches around the altar! The Israelites fell down and proclaimed, “The Lord – he is God!”. They also realized that Prophet Elijah is a true prophet of God. Prophet Elijah captured all the prophets of Baal and destroyed them. After that, God sent heavy rains upon the land of Israel and the drought and famine ended. Later Prophet Elijah anointed Prophet Elisha as his successor. Prophet Elisha along with King Jehu brought an end to the wicked Queen Jezebel’s reign.


Bible Reference: I Kings 18

Memory Verse: Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again, he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops. James 5:17, 18 NIV


ASSESSMENT ACTIVITIES

Fill in the blanks:

1. The people of Sidon worshipped a god called ……………….

2. After ……………. years, God sent Prophet Elijah back to King Ahab.

3. Prophet Elijah ordered that …………. large jars of water be poured over the altar with the sacrifice.

4. Prophet Elisha along with King ……………… brought an end to the wicked Queen Jezebel’s reign.

Give short answers:

1. Who was Jezebel?

 

2. Why was King Ahab furious with Prophet Elijah?

 

3. How did Prophet Elijah make fun of Baal?

 

4. What happened when Prophet Elijah asked God to answer his prayers? 

Answer in brief:

1. What did Prophet Elijah do, when it was his turn to offer the sacrifice and how did the people respond?



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Friday, January 19, 2024

Rehoboam's Unwise Decision, Sub-junior - I, Lesson - 19

SUB-JUNIOR

AGE: 8 - 9 YEARS

STANDARD/GRADE: III & IV

Permission is granted only for free distribution among Sunday School children.

No part of this document can be modified, sold or used for any commercial purpose.

LESSON – 19

REHOBOAM’S UNWISE DECISION

Click this link to get the other Sub-junior lessons 

In this lesson we are going to learn about Rehoboam, the son of King Solomon. When King Solomon died, his son Rehoboam was about to be crowned the next king of Israel. He soon realised that it was not going to be easy. There was trouble and discontent in Israel. In the nation of Israel there were twelve groups of people called as tribes. Out of these twelve tribes, ten tribes of Israel (except two tribes called Judah and Benjamin) lived in the Northern part of Israel. They were not happy with King Solomon's son Rehoboam. There was a man named Jeroboam who had tried to create trouble during the reign of King Solomon. But when King Solomon tried to capture him, he ran away to Egypt. When Jeroboam heard that King Solomon had died, he returned from Egypt.

When King Solomon ruled Israel, he had built many magnificent buildings including the Temple of God in Jerusalem and his own palace which took many years and hard labour. To accomplish this massive work, he had involved large number of Israelites in the labour force. The Israelites were tired of doing hard work. So, when Rehoboam was about to be made the king, Jeroboam and the people of Israel went to meet him. They told him that they would serve him only if he lightened the burden his father Solomon had placed on the people of Israel. Rehoboam told them to give him three days and he would let them know what his decision would be.

Rehoboam knew that it was very important to give the right answer to the people of Israel to make them submit to him. But instead of asking God for wisdom, Rehoboam decided to seek the help of other men. It was an unwise decision. Rehoboam went to two different groups of people and asked them for their guidance.

First, he went to the older men, who were his father’s advisers who gave his father, King Solomon advice when he was king. The elders advised him that he should listen to the people’s request. They told him to be kind to the people and please them. They also counselled him saying that if he spoke appropriately to them with pleasing words, they would be his servants forever. Rehoboam was not convinced, do he decided to go to his friends for advice. 

Rehoboam went to a group of young men who had grown up with him, who did not have any experience in leading a nation. They advised Rehoboam to exercise authority over the people. They told Rehoboam to say, “my little finger shall be thicker than my father’s loins”. The meaning of that statement was, “Rehoboam’s weakest actions will be more severe than his father’s strongest actions.” They also told Rehoboam to say that his father had punished them with whips, but he would punish them with scorpions”. There were special whips called “scorpions” because they were very painful whips, the straps of these whips had pieces of metal or bone embedded in them. Rehoboam was unwise and disregarded the advice of the older men.

When the three days expired, Jeroboam and all the people again assembled to hear Rehoboam’s response to the people’s request. Instead of accepting the sensible advice of the senior advisors, Rehoboam brazenly chose to listen to his inexperienced and immature friends. Rehoboam carelessly answered that he would make the conditions even more harsh and would give heavy punishments. Rehoboam answered the people “roughly” with harshness and in an authoritarian tone.

When the people of Israel saw that the king did not listen to their request, they answered the king saying:
“What portion have we in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse. To your tents O Israel! Look now to your house, David”.  The people decided to reject the descendants of David and rebelled against Rehoboam. They told him that they wouldn’t co-operate with him and would not remain under his leadership anymore and they returned to their homes. They felt there was nothing to be gained by remaining under Rehoboam’s leadership. So, the ten northern tribes chose to break away and form their own kingdom.

The nation of Israel was divided into two kingdoms – the Northern Kingdom and the Southern Kingdom. The Northern Kingdom was also called as the Kingdom of Israel and it consisted of 10 tribes of Israel. The Southern Kingdom was also called as the Kingdom of Judah and consisted of only two tribes, the tribe of Judah and Benjamin. The ten tribes of Israel made Jeroboam their king and Rehoboam, the son of King Solomon reigned in the Southern kingdom that is Kingdom of Judah.

Rehoboam made an unwise decision. When God told his father Solomon to ask what he wanted from him, King Solomon asked for wisdom because he knew that he could not lead the nation without God’s wisdom. But Rehoboam did not ask God for wisdom instead he went to two different groups of people and asked them for their advice. This unwise decision and his subsequent actions of ignoring the elder’s advice led to the division of Israel.

Bible Reference: II Chronicles 10 

Memory Verse: The mouth of the righteous is a well of life, But violence covers the mouth of the wicked. (Proverbs 9:10) 


ASSESSMENT ACTIVITIES

Answer the following questions:

1. Why did King Solomon involve large number of Israelites in the labour force?

    ......................................................................................

2. What did Jeroboam and the people of Israel tell Rehoboam?

    ......................................................................................

3. Who advised Rehoboam that he should listen to the people’s request?

   .......................................................................................

4. Whom did Rehoboam listen to?

    ......................................................................................

5. Which tribes constituted the southern kingdom?

   .......................................................................................

Answer Yes (    ) or No (    ) 

1. Jeroboam was the son of King Solomon (       )

2. Rehoboam ran away to Egypt (       )

3. Rehoboam rejected the advice of the elders (        )

4. The Northern Kingdom was called the Kingdom of Israel (      )

5. The Southern Kingdom had only two tribes (       )


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