PRIMARY 6 LESSON 34 ELIJAH AND THE FALSE PROPHETS OF BAAL
(source: lds.org)
CLASSROOM PREP
Post up part of Matthew 6:24
Post up part of Joshua 24:15"Choose you this day whom ye will serve...but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."
Post the gospel artwork for this lesson:
Post up this question:
OPENING DISCUSSION
Show this and discuss it:
https://www.lds.org/media-library/images/mormonad-two-masters-1118199?lang=eng
:29 They kept waiting from noon until evening but still no voice or answer.
:30-:35 (read all of these in a row, one kid at a time - perhaps draw it as they read it)
:36-:37 Elijah prays to the Lord! He wants their hearts turned back to Him.
:38 The fire came etc.
:39 The people recognized the Lord is the God rather than Baal.
1 Kings 19
So Jezebel was not there for this, but heard about it and she sought Elijah’s life.
He knew this and he went away “for his life” (verse 3)
:4 He goes and sits under a tree
:9 the Lord asks what he’s doing there?
:10 Elijah explains how he’s feeling
:11-12 The Lord speaks to him in a still small voice
Post up part of Matthew 6:24
“No man can serve two masters.”
Post up part of Matthew 12:30
Post up part of Matthew 12:30
“He that is not with me is against me.”
Post up part of Joshua 24:15"Choose you this day whom ye will serve...but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."
Post the gospel artwork for this lesson:
Post up this question:
What do we worship today, perhaps without even realizing we are doing so?
OPENING DISCUSSION
Show this and discuss it:
https://www.lds.org/media-library/images/mormonad-two-masters-1118199?lang=eng
LESSON
So let’s recap what we’ve learned so far about Elijah.
So let’s recap what we’ve learned so far about Elijah.
His interactions with the widow - what do you remember? (she showed great faith, he showed faith in following what the Lord wanted him to do, he used the Priesthood faithfully, Ahab and Jezebel, Baal, etc)
So today is part two about Elijah from our manual!
Let’s turn to 1 Kings 18.
Remember - was Ahab a good leader or not? (no!)
No, under the leadership of Ahab and his wife Jezebel, most people had chosen wickedness and were worshipping false gods.
The drought Elijah brought upon the land was because of their wickedness.
Many prophets had been killed by Jezebel, but Elijah had survived.
Elijah tells a man named Obadiah, a governor of Ahab, to tell Ahab that Elijah wants to meet with him.
:14 Go tell thy Lord (Ahab), Behold, Elijah is here.
So then what? (verse 16)
And what happens when Ahab saw Elijah? (verse 17)
Ahab asks Elijah, are you the troublemaker of the Israelites? (likely referring to the drought)
Elijah says no, I have not troubled Israel...who does he says has troubled Israel?
:18 thou and thy father’s house
And why? (ye have forsaken the commandments of the Lord and thou hast followed Baalim)
So here we have the meeting of two people -- Ahab and Elijah.
How are they different? (one worships Baal and one worships God)
Do you foresee some sort of showdown about to happen? (yes)
Let’s see what Elijah says to Ahab.
:19 Gather to me all Israel unto Mount Carmel and the prophets of Baal.
How many prophets? (Baal 450 and of the groves 400 = 850)
:20 Ahab does this
And what does Elijah say to them? (verse 21)
(Reference scriptures on the board)
:22 I am a prophet of God but Baal has 450 prophets!
So then Elijah has a plan. What is it? (verse 23)
To get some meat prepared to be cooked on a fire - he will do this and the prophets of Baal should do this.
But no fire shall be put under.
Then what in verse 24? (they will each call upon their respective God/gods and the one that answers by fire is the true God)
So who is excited to hear what happens?
But what do you know in your heart will happen?
:26 The prophets of Baal did according to plan and they called upon Baal from morning until noon.
What happened? (no voice, no answer - they also leapt upon their altar and it broke!)
So today is part two about Elijah from our manual!
Let’s turn to 1 Kings 18.
Remember - was Ahab a good leader or not? (no!)
No, under the leadership of Ahab and his wife Jezebel, most people had chosen wickedness and were worshipping false gods.
The drought Elijah brought upon the land was because of their wickedness.
Many prophets had been killed by Jezebel, but Elijah had survived.
Elijah tells a man named Obadiah, a governor of Ahab, to tell Ahab that Elijah wants to meet with him.
:14 Go tell thy Lord (Ahab), Behold, Elijah is here.
So then what? (verse 16)
And what happens when Ahab saw Elijah? (verse 17)
Ahab asks Elijah, are you the troublemaker of the Israelites? (likely referring to the drought)
Elijah says no, I have not troubled Israel...who does he says has troubled Israel?
:18 thou and thy father’s house
And why? (ye have forsaken the commandments of the Lord and thou hast followed Baalim)
So here we have the meeting of two people -- Ahab and Elijah.
How are they different? (one worships Baal and one worships God)
Do you foresee some sort of showdown about to happen? (yes)
Let’s see what Elijah says to Ahab.
:19 Gather to me all Israel unto Mount Carmel and the prophets of Baal.
How many prophets? (Baal 450 and of the groves 400 = 850)
:20 Ahab does this
And what does Elijah say to them? (verse 21)
(Reference scriptures on the board)
:22 I am a prophet of God but Baal has 450 prophets!
So then Elijah has a plan. What is it? (verse 23)
To get some meat prepared to be cooked on a fire - he will do this and the prophets of Baal should do this.
But no fire shall be put under.
Then what in verse 24? (they will each call upon their respective God/gods and the one that answers by fire is the true God)
So who is excited to hear what happens?
But what do you know in your heart will happen?
:26 The prophets of Baal did according to plan and they called upon Baal from morning until noon.
What happened? (no voice, no answer - they also leapt upon their altar and it broke!)
What does Elijah do?
:27 At noon, Elijah mocked them - maybe their god is talking, pursuing, in a journey, or sleeping
:27 At noon, Elijah mocked them - maybe their god is talking, pursuing, in a journey, or sleeping
How did the prophets of Baal react? (crying, cutting themselves!)
:29 They kept waiting from noon until evening but still no voice or answer.
:30-:35 (read all of these in a row, one kid at a time - perhaps draw it as they read it)
:36-:37 Elijah prays to the Lord! He wants their hearts turned back to Him.
:38 The fire came etc.
:39 The people recognized the Lord is the God rather than Baal.
1 Kings 19
So Jezebel was not there for this, but heard about it and she sought Elijah’s life.
He knew this and he went away “for his life” (verse 3)
:4 He goes and sits under a tree
:9 the Lord asks what he’s doing there?
:10 Elijah explains how he’s feeling
:11-12 The Lord speaks to him in a still small voice
POST-LESSON DISCUSSION
What have we learned from this? (The Lord’s power is greater than the power of men, and the Lord can help us know that He is the true God :source Seminary manual:)
How does the Lord speak to Elijah? (still small voice)
And how does He speak to us? (same way)
When we pray to Heavenly Father in the name of Jesus Christ, our answers come through the Holy Ghost, usually as a peaceful thought in our minds or a warm feeling in our hearts.
When we pray and listen for the still small voice and obey it, we are worshipping Heavenly Father.
What have we learned from this? (The Lord’s power is greater than the power of men, and the Lord can help us know that He is the true God :source Seminary manual:)
How does the Lord speak to Elijah? (still small voice)
And how does He speak to us? (same way)
When we pray to Heavenly Father in the name of Jesus Christ, our answers come through the Holy Ghost, usually as a peaceful thought in our minds or a warm feeling in our hearts.
When we pray and listen for the still small voice and obey it, we are worshipping Heavenly Father.
VIDEO: DISCOVERING TRUTH
This is a wonderful video that will help us learn how to focus on truth from God, not looking for truth in other things we may worship or in false gods in our daily life.
https://www.mormonchannel.org/watch/series/mormon-messages/discovering-truth
https://www.mormonchannel.org/watch/series/mormon-messages/discovering-truth
WORSHIPPING ACTIVITY
So let’s talk about what we worship? (ideas from the manual include money, power, popularity, celebrities, recreation, sports, tv shows, clothing)
(Have those items written on wordstrips and have other wordstrips ready and pass them out to each student, give them a minute or two to prepare a haiku, and remind them the 5-7-5 syllable rules for haikus, about the item on their wordstrip.)
For example:
Recreation’s fun
But keep the Sabbath day holy
And use time wisely
Did the Israelites know not to worship false gods?
Yes! Moses had received that as a commandment - Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
We should place Heavenly Father first in our lives and worship him.
If anything else is more important to us, it is an idol or a false god.
(Have those items written on wordstrips and have other wordstrips ready and pass them out to each student, give them a minute or two to prepare a haiku, and remind them the 5-7-5 syllable rules for haikus, about the item on their wordstrip.)
For example:
Recreation’s fun
But keep the Sabbath day holy
And use time wisely
Did the Israelites know not to worship false gods?
Yes! Moses had received that as a commandment - Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
We should place Heavenly Father first in our lives and worship him.
If anything else is more important to us, it is an idol or a false god.
TESTIMONY/TAKE HOME
I am grateful that we have a loving Heavenly Father and a Savior Jesus Christ.
I’m grateful for the Holy Ghost and the still small voice by which we may know the truth of all things.
That’s how I knew this was the true Church - I prayed about it and I felt a witness through the Holy Ghost.
We may not have a false god named Baal in our life, but we are tempted by things to “worship” and I’m grateful I can think about that this week and what I perhaps “worship” over God.
Take home ideas along with a scripture or the words to The Still Small Voice songbook song
- Something related to hearts turning or to serving God
- Something reminding them to worship only God throughout the week
- Something related to music to reference the Mormon Ad
- Caramels to reference Mt. Carmel (it's a stretch, yes) but beware if any kids have braces and can't eat that
I am grateful that we have a loving Heavenly Father and a Savior Jesus Christ.
I’m grateful for the Holy Ghost and the still small voice by which we may know the truth of all things.
That’s how I knew this was the true Church - I prayed about it and I felt a witness through the Holy Ghost.
We may not have a false god named Baal in our life, but we are tempted by things to “worship” and I’m grateful I can think about that this week and what I perhaps “worship” over God.
Take home ideas along with a scripture or the words to The Still Small Voice songbook song
- Something related to hearts turning or to serving God
- Something reminding them to worship only God throughout the week
- Something related to music to reference the Mormon Ad
- Caramels to reference Mt. Carmel (it's a stretch, yes) but beware if any kids have braces and can't eat that
