Elijah was a bold leader for God. He stood up against kings and mighty men. He prayed for fire to come down from heaven — and it did! Then he ran as fast as a horse when rain finally fell in Israel. But he hid when the wicked queen tried to hurt him.
Why did Elijah hide? He was tired and lonely. God knew Elijah needed a friend to work by his side. So God asked Elijah to anoint and mentor Elisha. A mentor helps someone learn and grow. Elijah would mentor Elisha to take his place.
Called By God
Elisha loved God. He was humble and kind. He worked hard on his father’s farm. He finished what he started, whether a job was big or little. He was cheerful and cared for others. Elisha was ready to be trained as the next leader for God.
Elijah walked where God told him to go. He saw Elisha plowing a field. Elijah threw his cape over Elisha’s shoulders. Elisha gladly followed him.
Elisha was Elijah’s helper for 10 years. He went wherever Elijah went. He watched Elijah pray. He heard Elijah tell people about God. Elisha was happy to learn how to serve God.
As Elijah and Elisha worked together, they trusted God more and more. One day, God brought Elijah to heaven to live with him forever. Elisha was ready to take over Elijah’s job as prophet and leader.
God talked to Elisha, just like He had done with Elijah. God talks to you, too, by His Spirit and through mentors.
When you want to sass your parents but a voice in your mind says no, that’s God’s voice! When you feel a nudge inside you to make friends with a new kid in school, that’s God’s voice too. When a teacher or parent prays with you and helps you make good choices, they mentor you.
You can be a mentor too. You can spend time with other kids. You can be kind, tell them Bible stories and pray with them.
You can read 1 Kings 18:30–39,44,45 and 19:3–21 for family worship.
Teaching Others
You can be a friend and mentor, teaching others about God.
Follow the Leader
Read 2 Kings 2:1–6. Elisha followed Elijah wherever he went. Play follow the leader with your family and tell the story of these two friends. Take turns being the leader. When you’re the leader, make sure to do things that everyone who is following you can do, and take turns being faithful followers.
Make a Cape
Read 2 Kings 2:8–15. Elijah used his cape to part the water in the Jordan River. Drape a bath or beach towel over your shoulders to make a cape. You can use a safety pin to keep it closed.
Pass the Baton
When Elijah went to heaven, he gave his cape to Elisha. Today, we might say we “passed the baton” when someone takes our place. Sometimes people in a race pass a baton — a short stick passed from runner to runner. Plan a race for your friends where teams pass a baton or cape.
Tell the Story With Sock Puppets
To tell the story of Elijah and Elisha, you’ll need:
• Two socks
• Markers
• Red fabric like felt (optional)
• Four googly eyes or buttons (optional)
• Yarn (optional)
• Scissors (optional)
• Glue (optional)
Instructions:
1. Make the mouth.
Put the sock on your hand. The knuckles closest to your palm go into the heel of the sock. Pinch the toe of the sock with your fingers and thumb to form a mouth. Now color in the mouth with a red marker.
You can also make a mouth with fabric. Cut an oval out of red felt or other fabric. The oval should be a little smaller in size than the sole of the sock. Glue along the outside edge and in the middle of the oval. Then, glue the oval to the sole.
2. Make eyes.
When the glue dries, put the sock on your hand with the mouth between your fingers and thumb. Use a marker to make eyes. You can keep the dots as eyes or glue googly eyes or buttons over the dots.
3. Add hair.
If you want, you can add hair to your Elijah puppet. (Elisha was bald, so no hair for him! See 2 Kings 2:23.) Cut 10 strips of yarn. Put glue on the top of your puppet’s head and put the yarn on the glue. Let the glue dry.
4. Put on a show!
You’re now ready for your sock puppet show! Reread the verses and enact the story of Elijah and Elisha.
