Bible Story: A Room for Elisha (2 Kings 4:8-13) Bible Phrase: Help one another in love (Galatians 5:13). Bible Truth: God wants me to help others in need. Old Testament Unit 11: Elijah, Elisha and Jonah Lesson 2: A Room for Elisha God s Unfolding Story 1. God created everything. 2. People disobeyed God. 3. God chose a special people. 4. God sent Jesus to help us. 5. Jesus began the Church. Suggested Schedule: Arrival Centers 25 minutes Clean-up Time 5 minutes Bible Story Time 15 minutes Craft Time 10 minutes Snack Time 10 minutes Game Time/Dismissal Hour A 6. Jesus is preparing heaven for us. Unfolding God s Story for Teachers Please read our story of the prophet Elisha from 2 Kings 4:8-13. In the Old Testament, prophets were used of God to challenge and guide the rulers and His chosen people. Prophets were both men and women and were the Lord s messengers. They foretold coming events, encouraged people to repent from sin and obey God, and warned the people of God s punishment when they disobeyed. Many prophets spoke of the coming Messiah. We first learn of Elisha when the prophet Elijah appointed him as his successor in 1 Kings 19:15-21. Elisha forsook his means of income and left everything to follow and serve the prophet. 2 Kings 2:1-12 records the end of Elijah s ministry when God took him to heaven in a whirlwind. Elisha took up Elijah s mantle or cloak, signifying that he would carry on the monumental task as Israel s spiritual leader (see vv. 13-15). Just as Elijah had done, Elisha traveled from place to place ministering and guiding the Israelites. A wealthy couple lived in the town of Shunem, located a few miles south of Nazareth. They offered hospitality to Elisha when he visited the area. Apparently they found much in common because each time Elisha was in Shunem, he would eat with them. Elisha made such an impression on the woman that she wanted to build him a room so he would have a place to rest when he came to town. The wife recognized Elisha as a holy man of God and wanted to do something for him not for her own personal gain but possibly because of the impact he had made in their lives. They built Elisha a room over their roof and furnished it. Elisha was grateful for what the couple had done. The story did not end there; later God blessed the couple with a child. There are several lessons that arise from this very short story. First, we note the sensitivity of the woman to meet Elisha s need for a place of his own to rest. May the Holy Spirit train our hearts and ears to recognize needs we can address and then enable us to do what we can. Another lesson is the purity in which the gift of the room was given. There was no hidden motive in this couple s action, just pure love and a desire to demonstrate that love. In light of this true story, we should consider our own motivations for offering hospitality or any other means of help to others. Have we been led of God to demonstrate kindness? Are our actions pure, or do we secretly hope others will notice? Do we expect something in return? God may call on us to share our resources to meet any number of needs. We do not have to be wealthy to help someone. Ultimately, God will reward our willingness to obey the Him out of love and make sacrifices where necessary. Lesson Plan Arrival Greet children at eye level and express how happy you are to see them. Be sure each child has a name tag and the security measures of your church are followed. Label all coats and personal belongings. Strongly encourage children who have brought items from home, such as toys and books, to place them on a shelf while they are working with other materials. Assure children their items will be safe and they can take them home at the end of the session. Help each child make a choice where he or she would like to begin his or her Center Time. God s Unfolding Story for Older Preschoolers, Copyright 2014 - SundaySchoolZone.com OT11 Lesson 2 Hour A Page 1
Puzzle Center: Work Puzzles Offer a variety of non-fantasy wooden or cardboard puzzles for children to work. What to Do: Encourage preschoolers to finish puzzles they begin. Affirm children as they work together to complete the puzzles. Link to the Bible Story: As children work, look for opportunities in conversation to say the Bible phrase or to briefly tell the Bible story. Bible Learning Center: Picture Search Copies of Activity Page: Picture Search, A Room for Elisha (Reproducible) Washable markers or crayons What to Do: Invite children to search the larger picture to find the smaller pictures at the bottom of the page. Link to the Bible Story: As children work, use the picture to talk about the Bible story. For instance, you might say, This is a picture of the prophet Elisha. Elisha went from town to town telling people about God and how God wanted them to live. A couple in the town of Shumen decided to build Elisha a room where he could stay when he came to their town. Center Time Art Center: Food Collage Large sheet of white paper for class collage or construction paper (1 sheet per child) Pictures of foods cut from old magazines What to Do: Print today s Bible Phrase, Help one another in love (Galatians 5:13), on each paper or on the class paper. Invite children to make a collage with the food pictures. Link to the Bible Story: As preschoolers work, say something like, In our Bible story today, the prophet Elisha traveled to different cities to tell people about God and His love. He often would stay with people in the town and have meals with them. We will hear about one couple Elisha stayed with in our story today. Block Center: Build with Blocks Wooden blocks Option: plastic tool set or workbench What to Do: Provide a small carpet if possible. Blocks are best located in a corner of the room away from the traffic flow. If a plastic tool set or workbench is available, invite children to pretend to build something with the tools. Link to the Bible Story: While children are engaged in building with the blocks or playing with the tools, listen for opportunities to share part of the Bible story, Bible phrase, or Bible truth. Comment that in today s Bible story a couple built Elisha the prophet a room over their roof so he would have a place to stay when he came to their town. Home Living Center: Role Play Small rocking chair, sink and stove unit and small table and chairs; plastic dishes, child pots and pans; pretend food items; doll, doll bed, and doll accessories What to Do: Home living items naturally encourage children to act out roles and activities they observe at home. Encourage children to use the food items to prepare a meal. Link to the Bible Story: As children work and play together, listen for opportunities to talk about the Bible story. Say, Our Bible story today is about a prophet named Elisha. Elisha would walk from town to town telling people about God. In each town, he usually would eat a meal with someone who lived there. God s Unfolding Story for Older Preschoolers, Copyright 2014 - SundaySchoolZone.com OT11 Lesson 2 Hour A Page 2
Clean-up Time Encourage preschoolers to help at clean-up time. Assign specific tasks for preschoolers to do such as placing all the crayons in the basket, throwing away the trash, gathering all the glue sticks, etc. Guide children to the Bible Story Time area. Bible Story Time Bible Teaching Picture A Room for Elisha (Reproducible) God s Unfolding Story Cube (Reproducible/Cardstock) Introduction Show the God s Unfolding Story Cube. Express to the boys and girls that even though we find many stories in the Bible, the Bible really tells one big story, and all the little stories are a part of the big one we can call God s Unfolding Story. Tell children that each picture represents a chapter in God s Unfolding Story. Turn the cube and talk about each part of the story. (Refer to page 1.) Express that every story from the Bible is from one of these main chapters in God s Unfolding Story. Today s story is from the third chapter, God chose a special people. Introduce the story by saying something like, What does your family do to get ready for a visit from a relative such as Grandma or Grandpa? Does Mommy want to clean the house and prepare a room for them to stay? In our Bible story today, a couple enjoyed having the prophet Elisha visit and eat meals with them. A prophet was a man who helped the Israelites know how God wanted them to live. In some ways they were like our pastors today. The couple decided to do something special for Elisha. Listen to hear what they did. Bible Story A Room for Elisha (2 Kings 4:8-13) Elijah knew his ministry was drawing to a close. God helped him choose a new prophet to take his place. His name was Elisha. Elisha continued to do the things that Elijah had done, such as traveling from town to town and teaching people about God. One day, Elisha walked to a town called Shunem. Elisha preached to the people in the town. A man and a woman who lived there heard Elisha talk about God. After the meeting, they invited Elisha to their home for a meal, and of course Elisha was grateful to have a place to eat and rest. Elisha left the town and walked to several other places to help the people learn more about God but whenever he returned to the town of Shunem, he would enjoy a visit with this kind couple. One day the woman told her husband, I know Elisha is a man of God. I want to build him a room to stay in while he is here in our town. So the couple built Elisha a room on top of their roof. There may have been a ladder to get to the room, or stairs on the outside of the house. The man and his wife built the room and placed inside it several items to make Elisha comfortable a bed, a table, a lamp, and a chair for Elisha to use. The next time Elisha came to Shunem, perhaps the man and his wife ran to meet him. They may have said, Elisha, we have a surprise for you! Don t you know that when Elisha saw his new room he was excited and happy? Now he would have a place of his own when he came to teach the people in Shunem about God. Elisha was very grateful to the man and his wife for building him a special room. Talk Time 1. Show the teaching picture for today s Bible story. Review by using these or similar questions. What was Elisha s job? How did the man and his wife help Elisha? How did Elisha feel about his new room? 2. Read the Bible phrase on the teaching picture. Say the phrase together: Help one another in love (Galatians 5:13). Explain, Because the man and his wife loved God, they wanted to help the prophet Elisha. God wants us to help others as well. What are some ways we can be helpful to mommy and daddy, or to our friends and neighbors? Let s say our Bible Phrase again, Help one another in love (Galatians 5:13). 3. Close the Bible Story Time by inviting children to join you in prayer. Say a prayer asking God to help each person to be loving and caring toward others. God s Unfolding Story for Older Preschoolers, Copyright 2014 - SundaySchoolZone.com OT11 Lesson 2 Hour A Page 3
Craft Time: Bible Phrase Kite Copies of Bible Phrase Kite (Reproducible, cardstock recommended, 1 copy for every child) Crayons or markers Yarn, tape, hole punch What to Do: Cut out kites and tags. Punch holes in the tags. Ask children to color their kite and tags. Tape a length of yarn to the back of each kite and invite children to string their tags on the yarn. Link to the Bible Story: Read the Bible phrase and ask children how the couple in our Bible story showed kindness to Elisha. Talk about ways each of them can show kindness at home and in their neighborhoods. Read the activities on the tags as suggestions of ways they can be helpful to others. Snack Time Be sure to wash hands or use hand sanitizer. Say a thank-you prayer to God for the snack. When snack time has ended, encourage preschoolers to help with cleaning up. Game Time / Dismissal: Bumble Bee, Bumble Bee What to Do: Arrange children in a circle to play a guessing game. Begin the game by chanting, Bumble bee, bumble bee, I see something you can see and it is (describe something in the room by color, shape or purpose). Children should try to guess what you are seeing. Give more clues if needed. At the close of the game, ask the children if they can remember some of the things the couple placed in the new room for Elisha, such as bed, lamp, table and chair. Dismiss children as parents arrive. Be sure to follow the security procedures of your church God s Unfolding Story for Older Preschoolers, Copyright 2014 - SundaySchoolZone.com OT11 Lesson 2 Hour A Page 4
Resources and Supplies Old Testament Unit 11: Elijah, Elisha and Jonah Lesson 2: A Room for Elisha Hour A Standard Art Supplies (Supplies that are generally in the room) Washable markers Crayons Child scissors Playdough and accessories Drawing paper Easel (optional) Glue/glue sticks Tempera paint, 4 colors Tape/masking tape Pencils/colored pencils Hole punch Teacher scissors Stapler/staples Permanent markers Watercolors Paintbrushes Yarn Standard Equipment (Equipment that is generally in the room) Bible Small beanbag for Bible Story Time Assorted wooden/cardboard puzzles Set of wooden blocks Small cars and trucks Doll bed Baby doll (soft plastic) Stove/sink unit Play dishes/pots and pans Small table and chairs Small carpet for block area Play food items Storage shelf for blocks Tables and chairs for art, puzzles, and Bible Learning Center CD player/children s Worship CDs Reproducibles (Included with the lesson plan downloads) Activity Page: Picture Search, A Room for Elisha (1 per child) Bible Phrase Kite (1 copy for every child, cardstock recommended) Teaching Picture: A Room for Elisha (1 copy per class) God s Unfolding Story Cube (Cardstock 1 copy per class) Parent Page (1 copy per child) Coloring Page, A Room for Elisha Additional Art Materials Construction paper or large sheet of paper for class collage (1 sheet per child) Cut out pictures of foods from old magazines Additional Block Materials Option: Plastic tools or child s workbench God s Unfolding Story for Older Preschoolers, Copyright 2014 - SundaySchoolZone.com OT11 Lesson 2 Hour A
A Room For Elisha Bible Learning Center Activity page: Picture Search, A Room for Elisha Instructions: One copy per child. Search the larger picture to find the smaller pictures at the bottom of the page. Circle the pictures when they are found. OT11 Lesson 2 Hour A Bible Learning Center God s Unfolding Story for Older Preschoolers, Copyright 2014 - SundaySchoolZone.com
God s Story Cube Instructions: Cut out on dotted lines, fold on solid lines. Glue or tape to form a cube.
Be kind to my neighbor. Help one another in love. Galatians 5:13 Clean my room Set the table Bible Phrase Kite Craft Time: Bible Phrase Kite Instructions: Copy 1 for every child. Cardstock recommended. Follow the instructions for making the Bible Phrase Kite in the Teacher Pages. OT11 Lesson 2 Hour A Craft Time God s Unfolding Story for Older Preschoolers, Copyright 2014 - SundaySchoolZone.com
Help one another in love. Galatians 5:13 Coloring Page A Room for Elisha OT11 Lesson 2 Optional God s Unfolding Story for Older Preschoolers, Copyright 2014 - SundaySchoolZone.com