Lesson - God Keeps His Promise To Jehu

VERSES:   2 Kings 10; 13:1-21; 14:29

MEMORY VERSE:   2 Kings 13:21.  "...and when the man was let down, and touched the bones of Elisha, he revived, and stood up on his feet."

BOOK TO REMEMBER:   Habakkuk.  Write "Habakkuk" on small slips of paper and hand out at the end of class.

PRAYER:   Pray that we grow in our love for God and want to keep His commandments because it pleases Him.

SPECIAL SONG:   Day 1, Day 1 (see March - Lesson - God Created Everything on this blog)

VISUAL AID:   Draw a picture on the whiteboard of Jehu destroying the house of Baal.

LESSON POINTS:

• As time went by, the kings of Israel were still evil and wicked kings. They did many bad things and worshiped Baal, a stone statue, instead of the living God. Jehu, one of the bad kings of Israel, did something good in God's sight and that was to kill all the remaining relatives or bloodline of the terrible king Ahab (2 Kings 10:17) (see September - Lesson - Ahab, The Most Wicked King of Israel on this blog). He also killed all of the worshipers of Baal and did not leave one alive. After that, he went and tore down all the images out of the house of Baal and burned them. He broke down the image of Baal and tore down the house of Baal. The Bible says in 2 Kings 10:28 that Jehu destroyed Baal out of Israel.
• Now, while destroying the image of Baal and all of the other statues was good, still Jehu did not worship the LORD God. He worshiped the golden calves at Dan and Bethel which was a terrible sin, too. Yet, Jehu found favor in God's sight concerning Ahab's house and was rewarded by God promising that Jehu would have four of his generations sit on the throne of Israel (2 Kings 10:30). But still Jehu did not walk in God's ways, he showed no respect to God and did not listen to God's Law at all.
• But God is different. God is good. God always keeps his promises. He promised Jehu four of his generations would rule over Israel and they did!  Jehu reigned over Israel, his son named Jehoahaz (2 Kings 13:1) ruled over Israel, his grandson named Johoash (2 Kings 13:19) ruled over Israel, and his great-grandson named Jeroboam (2 Kings 13:13) ruled over Israel, and finally his great-great grandson named Zechariah (2 Kings 14:29) ruled over Israel. They all ruled as kings of Israel because God had promised Jehu. God kept his promise.
• During part of this time, Elisha was having a hard time. He had fallen sick  and died. Elisha had been a good prophet of God all of his days, beginning when Elijah had found him working with twelve yoke of oxen (see September - Lesson - Elisha Takes Elijah's Place on this blog). Even in his death, Elisha showed the power of God. Elisha had died and was buried a little while before the Moabites invaded the land. A man had died and, as the men who were burying him saw a group of Moabites coming, they quickly placed him in Elisha's tomb. The minute the dead man touched Elisha's bones, the man revived and stood up on his feet again! Elisha had asked for a double portion of Elijah's spirit, perhaps this showed that his request had been granted.

"Older Student" Tips:

• Discuss differences in the idol, Baal, and the Living God. (One made with men's hands; one who made the Universe, etc.) There is but one God, and that God is the LORD God.
• Talk about making promises. Do we keep our word as God keeps His promises?

ACTIVITY:   
Materials needed:  9" x 12" brown light brown construction paper, 3" x 18" tan construction paper, marker, crayons, tape, crayons.

1. Hand out light brown paper.
2. Scrunch up brown paper in a ball.
3. Unscrunch and flatten out brown paper. This is the torn-down house of Baal.
4. At top of paper, write "God promised the kingdom to Four Generations of Jehu because..."
5. At the bottom of paper, write "Jehu Destroyed the House of Baal and Ahab's family."
6. Write "2 Kings 10" and "God's Promise" close together on the brown paper.
7. Write "2 Kings 13, 14"  and "God Kept His Promise" close together on the brown paper.
8. Draw designs on brown paper to resemble the torn-down house of Baal.
9. Write "house" and "of" and "Baal" on torn down pieces of Baal's house.
10. Hand out tan paper.
11. Fold tan paper in half.
12. Fold up 3" of the open end of tan paper, doubled.
13. On one side of tan paper, draw the front of Jehu.
14. On the other side of tan paper, draw the back of Jehu.
15. Make tan paper stand up in a triangle, overlapping short ends.
16. Tape to secure.
17. Stand Jehu up in the middle of the crumpled brown paper. Tape is not necessary, making this project portable.