SCRIPTURE PASSAGES
OVERVIEW
My favorite thing about the Bible might be that its heroes are fallible. The Bible isn’t scared to show that being human is hard, and that no one is perfect. In the midst of humanity’s lows, the God of the Bible doesn’t revel in their failure or give up on them. Our God supports, and encourages. It is a very unique look. In Greek culture gods like Zeus don’t do that, their interactions are not about love and care.
The other thing that is very real about this story that we will highlight this week is the real possibility that your deepest lows come after your most impactful spiritual moments. Sometimes the Saturday night after a great sermon or youth group is when I’m the most down or most likely to be tempted or even fall to temptation. I’m sure teenagers feel the same way. Be ready to be honest with them about your challenges. But also be ready to share how God has found you at your lowest moments and whispered healing love and restored your soul.
OPENING ACTIVITY: STILL SMALL VOICE GAME
In this game your students will try to pass a message along with out making any sound, and have their team lip read the information.
- Students should stand several feet apart.
- They can be in a line and try to pass the information, or work as teams.
- Give the person doing the lip reading a piece of paper to write down what they saw.
- Use Bible phrases, GenZ lingo, or nursery rhymes as your phrases.
- Start with one or two words and work up to longer phrases.
DISCUSSION
- What did you like or not like about this game?
- What was hard or easy about this game?
- Why are some people so go at lip reading?
- This game should have been pretty silent. What did you like or not like about the silence?
FINAL QUESTIONS
- Are there times when you feel like your communication with people or even God is like trying to lip read?
- When has that happened to you?
- Do you think it’s more like God is trying to understand what you are saying or like you are having a hard time understanding God?
- As a group talk about strategies you have used to overcome challenges communicating with God.
TRANSITION
This week we are looking at a story of someone in the Bible who had a really rough day. Back in the early 2000’s there was a show called “24” that went through one day in each season and it usually had to do with a hero trying to protect the country from a terrorist act of some sort. This Bible story is just that. A wild 24 hours in Israel’s history when God asks Elijah to protect Israel from the influence of an infiltrating queen who is pushing a false god—Baal.
Last week the lesson started with that mountain top story. Elijah risked his life to show the country that God (Yahweh) is the true God, and it turned into one of the biggest “God showing up” moments in the Old Testament! Fire comes down from heaven and proves that God is the true God, and Baal and the evil prophets are defeated. Elijah is the hero of the story so far! But his day isn’t over. He’s still got a lot to do. So as we continue the story I want you to remember Elijah has just spent an entire day’s worth of energy battling against the false prophets and dark spiritual forces of evil. It had to have been a draining day. But the rain wasn’t falling yet and that is where we pick up the story.
BIBLE STUDY GUIDE
The longest day of Elijah’s life continues as he forges a brief truce with Ahab and in true leader/hero fashion tells the king to go and eat while he does the hard work. Let’s jump into the story here and then launch into some discussion questions!
Read 1 Kings 18:40-46.
40 Then Elijah commanded them, “Seize the prophets of Baal. Don’t let anyone get away!” They seized them, and Elijah had them brought down to the Kishon Valley and slaughtered there.
41 And Elijah said to Ahab, “Go, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a heavy rain.” 42 So Ahab went off to eat and drink, but Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel, bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees.
43 “Go and look toward the sea,” he told his servant. And he went up and looked.
“There is nothing there,” he said.
Seven times Elijah said, “Go back.”
44 The seventh time the servant reported, “A cloud as small as a man’s hand is rising from the sea.”
So Elijah said, “Go and tell Ahab, ‘Hitch up your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.’ ”
45 Meanwhile, the sky grew black with clouds, the wind rose, a heavy rain started falling and Ahab rode off to Jezreel. 46 The power of the Lord came on Elijah and, tucking his cloak into his belt, he ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel.
DISCUSSION
- Why do you think Elijah sent Ahab away while he prayed to God?
- How nervous would you have been if you had promised rain and no rain came immediately? Even though God had shown up in the battle with the prophets of Baal, would you have some seed of doubt? What are some experiences like that in our lives today when God shows up, then we have to wait?
- Why does Elijah seem to care for Ahab in this story? He knows Ahab is a bad and evil king, but he still seems to want to protect him?
Before we jump into the next question. Do you like to run? Have you heard of the story of the Greek runner Pheidippides? It could only be a legend. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pheidippides)
However, if you believe it is a historical event, then 2 other important “facts” should be included from the story. First is that the distance was closer to 25 miles and not 26.2. In addition, he had supposedly run 150 miles in the 2 days prior (an impressive Ultra marathon) to running from Marathon to Athens to announce the Greek victory over Persia in the Battle of Marathon (490 BC). This is how we got the name for our modern marathons!
But the story of Elijah happens about 75 years before this, and depending on where you look, the distance from Mt. Carmel to Jezreel is anywhere from 17 to 30 miles! That is a long run in the rain alongside horses.
Elijah has spent a full day digging holes, and in prayer, doing spiritual battle. Then he runs a marathon in the rain.
- What would your emotional state be at this moment in the story? Have you ever had a crazy week full of tests, sports, and personal issues where the pressure never seems to stop? How do you deal with times like that? How should we deal with these moments?
The story doesn’t stop here. Elijah safely escorts the king back to his wife and the palace in Jezreel. Now, we don’t know if Ahab is a villain at this point or not, but he doesn’t do Elijah any favors when he tells his wife, the evil queen, the lead prophetess of Baal, that Elijah just defeated and executed all of her minions.
Elijah’s day gets longer.
Read 1 Kings 19:1-8.
Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2 So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.”
3 Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, 4 while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” 5 Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep.
All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” 6 He looked around, and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again.
7 The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” 8 So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God.
DISCUSSION
- In v. 3 we learn that Elijah is afraid. Sometimes we think less of him because of that. What do you think? Does he have a right to be afraid? Should he have just put his faith in the God of the rain and fiery altar burning?
- V. 3 also says he left his servant there. That sticks out in this story. Does being alone help in times like this? Why or why not?
Sidebar: Check out this map: https://www.biblecartoons.co.uk/maps/map-of-sinai-showing-a-possible-route-of-elijah-from-jezreel-to-mount-horeb
It shows that the distance from Jezreel to Beersheeba is about 150 miles! Elijah really got his money’s worth from his shoes.
- V. 4 shows the real lows of our journey as humans. A few hours or days before, Elijah is the hero. Now he has hit rock bottom. (Leaders: If you have a story that is appropriately vulnerable here maybe share a time when you’ve had a real shift from a high to a low.)
We talk often about mountain top experiences like a Church Retreat weekend, Summer Camp or Mission Trip. These are mile marker moments in our lives where we feel close to God. But I know in my life it is usually right after these really exciting moments that I’m the most susceptible to significant doubt, and even sometimes depression.
Whether it is the lack of dopamine in my body or the pressures of our old enemy Satan, it can really shake our faith. Perhaps part of the reason this story is in the Bible is to remind us that it is a part of the human experience. Just like these verses tell us God sends his Angels to care for Elijah at his lowest moments. He is just as close to us in our lows as he is during our highs. While our faith might be shaken, God is always faithful to His promise to be our God!
The story concludes with a 40 day trek into the wilderness to Mt. Horeb (also known as Mt. Sinai) where God illustrates one of the most beautiful moments in the Bible.
Read 1 Kings 19:11-13.
11 The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.”
Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.
Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
- Twice God passes by humans on Sinai. Once with Moses and now with Elijah. What is different between this time and other times God reveals himself? Why is it different? What do we learn about God?
- How could teenagers today benefit from realizing that God is in the whisper? How does that track with a culture that wants more likes, and influencers are sometimes role models? What can Christian teens learn from this?
- The story continues with God’s answer to Elijah’s feelings that he is alone. God shares that there are many more on God’s side than Elijah realizes. How do we sometimes feel alone in our walk with God? How might we do better at banding together as followers of Jesus for support? Would a church have made a difference for Elijah? Would he have found fellowship in your group? Why or why not?
Today we finished a journey with Elijah. Being a spokesperson for God isn’t easy. Sometimes it takes us to very rewarding spiritual places. Sometimes it is overwhelming and seems like we are the only ones fighting for “right.” The story of Elijah is important because it shows us very real emotions of being a human. Life is hard. But also it shows us that God cares and God intercedes both for a nation and for individuals. God will always have your back.
APPLICATION
- What are some ways you can be encouraging to people who are leaders in your church? Does your head elder, sabbath school leader, or pastor need you to be a still small voice in their lives?
- Perhaps a gift card or a note from the youth group that you notice the hard work that they are doing and that they are not alone would be a very encouraging effort. It can go a long way in helping spiritual leaders who often feel very alone in their jobs.
SCRIPTURE PASSAGE
LEADER’S NOTE
For a Relational Bible Study (RBS) you’ll want to get into the Scripture passage and encourage the youth to imagine participating in the story while it’s happening. Then you will be able to better apply it to your own situation today.
You will need to ask God for the Holy Spirit to be present as your small group discusses the questions (no more than 3-6 people in a group is recommended). Start with the opening question. It is a personal question and the answer is unique for each individual. There is no right answer and nobody is an expert here, so don’t be surprised when you hear different responses. You are depending on the Holy Spirit to be present and to speak through your group. Say what God prompts you to say, and listen to what others share.
Take turns reading the chapter out loud. Follow that with giving the students some time to individually mark their responses to the questions (a PDF version of the handout is available as a download). This gives each person a starting point for responding when you start to share as a group. Next, begin the discussion by asking the students to share what they marked and why on each question as you work your way through. Feel free to take more time on some questions than others as discussion warrants.
Encourage each person in the group to apply what is discussed to their personal lives and to share with the group what they believe God wants them to do. Then ask them to pray that God will help each of them to follow through in doing so. Remind them to expect that God will show them ways to live out the message of this passage in the coming week, and that they are free to ask others in the group to help hold them accountable.
OVERVIEW
For several weeks we have been tracking the life of Elijah, God’s prophet to the king, leaders, and people of Israel as recorded in 1 Kings. In addition to the miraculous drought Elijah announced—a direct challenge to Baal, the god of rain—precipitation began again once all Israel had re-committed to Yahweh being their God. But that happened after the fire came from heaven and consumed the sacrifice on the altar to Yahweh, with nothing happening for the altar to Baal.
If only the story ended there, right?
While King Ahab had been on the top of Mount Carmel to witness the showdown between Elijah and Yahweh versus the prophets of Baal and Ashtoreth, for some reason Queen Jezebel was a “no show.” When Ahab returned with the story, including the downpour of new rain and the report of all of Jezebel’s prophets of Baal being slain, she reacted viciously. She vowed Elijah would be killed within 24 hours.
If you were Elijah, how would you have responded? That’s what this week’s Scripture passage records. It’s not very flattering for Elijah, especially in comparison to what had just happened. Sometimes people experience major spiritual highs, but then find themselves crashing lower than they had been previously. Maybe it’s the contrast after a short-term mission trip and then going back to selfish, mundane living. It could be a spiritual retreat followed by personal difficulties at home or at school shortly thereafter.
Some people avoid spiritual highs simply because they fear what will happen afterward. They expect a never-ending high, like a surfer whose wave continues for hours rather than riding the wave and then returning for another after a ride, a crash, or even missing the wave and having to paddle back to catch one later.
Let’s let Elijah’s experience help us as we seek to live for God no matter what highs or lows may come.
A Life or Death Message
Have you ever felt like you were about to die?
Read 1 Kings 19:1-21.
Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2 So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.”
3 Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, 4 while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” 5 Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep.
All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” 6 He looked around, and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again.
7 The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” 8 So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. 9 There he went into a cave and spent the night.
And the word of the Lord came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
10 He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”
11 The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.”
Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.
Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
14 He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”
15 The Lord said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. 16 Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. 17 Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu. 18 Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.”
19 So Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen, and he himself was driving the twelfth pair. Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak around him. 20 Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah. “Let me kiss my father and mother goodbye,” he said, “and then I will come with you.”
“Go back,” Elijah replied. “What have I done to you?”
21 So Elisha left him and went back. He took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them. He burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow Elijah and became his servant.
1. Why did Jezebel vow to kill Elijah?
- Elijah had just killed all of Jezebel’s prophets of Baal ( 1 Kings 18:40 ).
- Jezebel was accustomed to killing followers of Yahweh.
- Kill or be killed.
- King Ahab had no control to stop Queen Jezebel.
- It was just a bunch of bravado talk (like 1 Kings 20:10 ).
- Jezebel voiced what Ahab wanted.
- This was a test for the triumphant prophet after Mount Carmel.
- Jezebel actually feared Elijah.
- Other.
2. Why did Elijah run for his life?
- Jezebel threatened to kill him within a day.
- God couldn’t protect Elijah from Jezebel.
- After the high experience on Mount Carmel, Elijah crashed.
- It’s what I would have done.
- Physical exhaustion affected his spiritual stamina.
- Emotional exhaustion overpowered Elijah’s faith/trust in God.
- “Safety first” is the motto for all of God’s followers.
- Elijah forgot what God had already done in his life.
- Other.
3. Why didn’t Elijah die?
- He ran for his life (and he was a great runner— 1 Kings 18:46 ).
- God protected him.
- Jezebel wasn’t really going to kill him.
- Elijah wanted to die—he was suicidal (vs 4).
- God provided food and rest.
- Thousands of faithful Israelites came to Elijah’s aid.
- God still had more for Elijah to do.
- Eventually he did die.
- Other.
4. Which event Elijah experienced do you think was a message from God?
- The angel’s message and actions (vs 5-8).
- Going 40 days to Mount Sinai/Mount Horeb—the mountain of God.
- God’s question: “What are you doing here?”
- The mighty wind (vs 11 cf. Exodus 14:21-22 ; Exodus 19:16 ).
- The earthquake (vs 12 cf. Exodus 19:18-19 ).
- The fire (vs 12 cf. Exodus 3:1-6 ; Exodus 19:18 ).
- The still, small voice (vs 12).
- Other.
5. What was God’s message to Elijah at this time?
- Stop your whining.
- Go back to your post in Israel.
- I want you to kill Jezebel.
- You need to see a counselor.
- What are you doing here?
- You feel like you’re all alone, but you really aren’t.
- I have messages for you to deliver to some key people.
- You need to start mentoring someone who will take your place.
- Other.
6. How do you respond to this story about Elijah?
- I can relate.
- I can’t relate.
- God has never spoken to me.
- I haven’t heard a “still, small voice” (unless it was my own thoughts).
- I’d like to be Elisha.
- I’d like to be Elijah.
- I need more discernment to discover God’s message(s) for me.
- Other.
7. Shortly before his crucifixion, Jesus was “transfigured” (see Mark 9:2-13) and Moses and Elijah met with him. What do you think Elijah might have said to Jesus at that time?
8. If God asked you, “What are you doing here?” what would be your answer? What would be your attitude?
SUMMARY
Elijah ran for his life. He even gave up and asked God to just let him die. Evidently neither Jezebel nor God were going to end Elijah’s life. Elijah ended up at Mount Sinai—the mount of God. It’s probably a good thing to return to where God has been obviously active in the past. And yet God showed up in a brand new way—quite different than what He had done previously at Mount Sinai with His revelations. This is the first mention of “the still small voice” in Scripture. And Elijah had more messages to deliver and a mentoring project for his replacement in ministry. This might be something you should be considering in your Youth Sabbath School as well.
APPLICATION
The stories in Elijah’s life seem bigger than real life, at least for most of us. But in one sentence we read that Elijah traveled 40 days to the mountain of God. What did he do during those 40 days? Apply this week’s Bible story of Elijah’s spiritual crash and God’s follow-up as you put Scripture into practice. Take one of these ideas, or listen to God’s still small voice to discover if he has a different application for you.
- SILENCE AND STILLNESS .
Reading Scripture and listening to inspiring music are good ways to get messages from God. And we have so much available to us!
- Try something quite different: silence and solitude.
- Pick a time and place where you can be alone with just you and God.
- Get into a position of comfort and stop all noise (you might have to borrow someone’s noise-canceling headphones).
- Stay still and listen for God’s still small voice.
- Ask God to speak to you in the silence and stillness. If you fear the silence and/or stillness, or think maybe the devil will take over your mind, be sure to pray and ask God to inhabit the space and keep the devil away. God is bigger and stronger and He wants to be with you, so release that fear to God.
- It might take you 5-10 minutes for your mind to stop fluttering all over the place, and you begin to hear God’s still small voice for you. If you hear nothing and you want a message from God, turn to a passage of Scripture like Psalm 42 (it’s a passage Elijah could have used when he ran away from Jezebel). Some Hebrew manuscripts connect Psalm 43 with 42, so feel free to read them together.
- WHAT HAS GOD DONE?
God’s question came to Elijah several times while he was on the run: What are you doing here? (vs 9, 13).
- Ask yourself this question. On a superficial level you could say something like, “It’s time for Sabbath School, so I’m here (to see my friends).” Continue by going deeper and try answering the same question. Maybe now you will come up with something like, “I feel a need for God, and I’m hoping I connect with him here,” or “I don’t really know.”
- Wrestle with this as a group in your Youth Sabbath School. What are you doing here?
- Take it to the rest of the church. Have people think about it before they answer. Maybe write out your answers anonymously and read some of them aloud before you go to “testimony time.”
- Let this lead you to recount what God has done in the past—either in your life or in the lives of others at your church (or both).
- You could start a mural to write or draw what God has done in the past for people in your church—from yesterday to 50 or even 100 years ago. Recalling what God has done is especially helpful when it seems like God isn’t or hasn’t done much of anything.
- Let that anchor your faith in God for the times when it seems like God isn’t doing anything, or it seems like you’re the only one following God—sort of like how Elijah felt in this week’s Scripture passage.
- MENTORING—IT’S WHAT WE’RE DOING HERE .
We have earlier examples of mentoring in the Bible. Parents always serve as mentors to their child(ren). Moses mentored Joshua. We don’t have a specific example of Elijah mentoring anyone until our story this week. God specifically told Elijah (“Yahweh is my God”) to anoint Elisha (“God is salvation”) to replace Elijah as God’s prophet (1 Kings 19:16).
- If that isn’t already happening in your Youth Sabbath School, start doing it.
- Whoever is functioning in any role (up front, behind the scenes, in small groups, organizing, communicating, etc.), start mentoring someone else to take your place.
- If your Youth Sabbath School has only one or two people, think in terms of involving some of the kids in the younger Sabbath Schools.
- Take this to the whole church, not just Youth Sabbath School. You’ll also find some reverse mentoring (younger people mentoring older people, like with technology, etc.).
- Start gradually, but persist.
- Identify where it’s already happening. Keep adding to it. This takes intentionality and persistence, and it’s definitely worth it!
The Miracle
Created By NAD Youth And Young Adult Ministries
What if the Miracles of Jesus are more than meets the eye?
What if there is so much more to each story than we see?
What if each time Jesus did something supernatural, He was inviting us to look deeper?
Beyond the healing.
Beyond the deliverance.
Beyond the acts that defied the laws of nature.
What if Jesus were inviting us to see something bigger?
Something more amazing about the love of God.
Something mind-blowing.
What if the ultimate Miracle is that God can transform us?
The Miracle Series is an interactive study of 15 of Jesus’ awe-inspiring encounters while here on earth. These lessons, and messages are designed to connect with teens and youth and take them on a journey of discovery. Included in this kit is everything you need:
- Small group scripts
- PowerPoint presentations
- Promotional video and files
- Participant Study Guides
We invite you and your youth to not just study the Miracles of Jesus but to experience The Miracle.
