Listen up, little ones
Listen for the names Elijah and Elisha.
Reading
1 Kings 19:1–21 (13-21 for littles)—Then I Will Follow You
Optional Reading
Luke 9:23-62
Keys for kids
- Elijah was a prophet of the Lord.
- In spite of threats on his life, the Lord said to keep working.
- Elijah called Elisha to follow him in service to the Lord.
Questions
- How did Elijah call Elisha to follow him?
- Why was Elisha allowed to go home & kiss his parents goodbye?
- How urgent is it that we follow Jesus now? Why?
Catechism
WSC #94
What is Baptism?
Baptism is a Sacrament, wherein the washing with water, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, doth signify and seal our ingrafting into Christ, and partaking of the benefits of the covenant of grace, and our engagement to be the Lord’s.
Children's Catechism 122-123
How many sacraments are there? Two. What are they? Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.
Notes
(See Saturday for authors.)
At the beginning of this chapter, Elijah the prophet is under severe threat of death. So, he runs for his life. God provided him with food, water to drink, and sleep. Then he walked a long way to Mt. Horeb. Here the Lord met with him, speaking in a soft whisper.
God assured Elijah that he was not the only faithful one serving Him, and that He is at work and will continue to work. Elijah needs to continue to work until God provides him a replacement in Elisha. The Lord, in effect, calls Elijah to keep following Him.
Then Elijah meets and puts his coat on Elisha. Elisha seems to be the son of a wealthy farmer, and he is plowing the field with a team of 12 oxen. Elisha seems to recognize this act as a call from Elijah for Elisha to leave his home and his work and follow after Elijah as he follows after God. Soon Elisha will replace Elijah as God’s prophet.
But Elisha asks if he can go back home, kiss his parents good-bye, then follow Elijah. Elijah grants that request. It seems clear that Elisha was going home to make a break from his family and his labor (he killed the oxen and fed the people). Then he followed Elijah.
By contrast, in Luke 9:59-60, Jesus perceived that the one asking him if he could go home first was actually delaying following Jesus. Further, as Woodhouse notes, the importance, priority, and urgency of following Jesus was even greater than Elijah’s call to Elisha.
And indeed it is. Follow Jesus. Now!
Swedish Method questions
Praise
Psalm 105b, 22c
Prayer
- Ask God to help you follow Jesus urgently.
- Give thanks for something from last Lord’s Day’s sermons.
- Pray for a member of our church, for your family, and for a non-Christian friend/family member.