The Story of the Prophet Elijah
Background
Focus: Elijah, a confronter of kings and one who could hear God in the stillness (1 Kings 16-19;
2 Kings 2)
Elijah challenged the kings of Israel for their idolatry and immorality. When he died, a whirlwind
carried him up into heaven in a fiery chariot. A whirlwind carried him up into heaven. Elisha
picked up Elijah’s robe and continued Elijah’s work. We have no writings from either of these
two prophets, but we have their stories in 1 and 2 Kings.
Material
The story of the prophet Elijah is in a basket on one of the Old Testament shelves.
The basket contains:
a dark brown felt strip
a crown
a black raven
a small sack of flour
a container of oil
2 wooden blocks for altars
a small box containing 12 small stones
picture of Elijah in his chariot
You’ll also need the mountain.
As you tell the story of Elijah, place objects on the underlay to remind you of each important
event. Unroll the underlay slowly, providing just enough space for each object as it’s presented,
as if you are unrolling a life. At the end of the wondering, place each object back in the basket
saying something about each event, like “Here is one of the ravens that fed Elijah by the river,”
and so forth. Lastly, model how to roll up the underlay and place it in the basket.
Movements Words
Move with deliberation to the Watch. Watch where I go.
shelf where the material waits.
Pick up the basket containing
the material and return to the
circle.
Then go and get the mountain Oh… we need one more thing.
from the shelf as you say:
1
As you return to the circle you Everyone needs to be ready.
may need to say:
Remove the underlay from the This is the story of Elijah, the prophet. The prophets are
basket and unroll it just enough people who come so close to God and God comes so
so that the first object will fit, close to them that they know what God wants. When the
from right to left (storyteller’s people do not like the message, they often become very
perspective). angry with the prophet. It’s not easy being a prophet.
Place the crown on the There once was a king called Ahab who ruled over Israel.
underlay. He married a woman named Jezebel from a different land.
She persuaded Ahab to worship her god, a god called
Baal.
Ahab even built a temple and placed a statue of Baal in it.
He told the Israelites to bow down and worship Baal. God
sent the prophet Elijah to warn the king there would be
little rain for the next three years because the people were
not following God’s laws and were worshiping Baal. This
made the king very angry, and Elijah had to go into hiding.
Place the black raven on the Elijah went to live in the valley of Kerith where there was a
underlay. running brook. Morning and night, God sent ravens to
feed him with bread and meat. And so with both food and
water, Elijah was able to stay alive. Still there was no rain
in the land, so the brook dried up and Elijah journeyed to a
town called Zarepath.
Place small sack of grain and In Zarepath Elijah met a woman gathering sticks for a fire.
container of oil on the underlay. He asked her for water and bread. The woman told him
Touch the sack of flour and oil that all she had was a little flour and oil to make bread, just
as you mention them. enough to feed herself and her son. This would be their
last meal. Elijah told her to trust in God and if she fed him
just a small piece of her bread, the family would never go
hungry again. The woman did as Elijah asked, and his
promise came true. She was able to feed Elijah and her
son for many, many days.
Place the two wooden altars on Three years passed. Elijah returned to speak to the king.
the underlay, leaving room for Ahab was still angry with Elijah, but he listened because
the 12 stones to surround the there had been no rain.
second altar. Place them on the
underlay when you mention Elijah told the king to gather all the priests of Baal. There
them. were 450 of them.
2
The people gathered around them. Elijah said, “You need
to choose. Will you worship Baal or the one true God?”
Two altars were built. When everything was ready for the
sacrifice, Elijah said, “Pray to your god and I will pray to
mine, and we will see which one sends down fire to light
the offering.”
The priests of Baal prayed and prayed all day long for the
fire to come. They danced around their altar, but nothing
happened. Elijah taunted them: “Shout louder! Maybe
your god is thinking. Maybe he’s just too busy. Perhaps
he’s on vacation. I know, maybe he’s asleep and you
need to wake him up!” The prophets of Baal shouted
louder and louder, but still nothing happened.
Finally it was evening, and Elijah called the people to him.
Place the twelve stones around
He placed twelve stones, one for each of the tribes of
the second altar.
Israel, around God’s altar. He dug a deep trench around
the altar.
He prepared the sacrifice, and when everything was ready,
Wave your hand over it all to
water was poured all over the altar. The trench was filled
indicate the water.
and overflowing. Then Elijah prayed to God. Fire fell from
the heavens and burned up the offering and dried up all
the water. The people fell on their knees saying, “The Lord
is God.”
It began to rain.
The king Ahab and his wife Jezebel were now even angrier
Place the mountain on the
with Elijah, so he had to run for his life and hide on the holy
underlay.
mountain of God. There he found a cave and went inside
to sleep.
3
In the night he thought he heard God calling to him.
“What are you doing, Elijah?” Elijah answered, “I have
done everything you asked of me, but the people do not
accept that you are the one true God and they have killed
your prophets. I am the only one left, and they are trying to
kill me, too.” God said, “Go out and stand on the
mountain. I will come to you.”
As you mention the wind, A powerful wind blew around the mountain, so strong that
earthquake, and fire, make it smashed the rocks as it passed, but God was not in the
gentle movements with your wind. An earthquake shook the ground, shattering it. But
hands over the mountain. God was not in the earthquake. A raging fire came and
burned everything in its path. But God was not in the fire.
Then there was sheer silence. When Elijah heard it, he
wrapped his cape around him and stood at the mouth of
the cave. He heard a still, small voice and knew it was
God. God told him to go back to the people, so he did.
Ahab and Jezebel died, but he was a prophet in the land of
Israel for the rest of his days.
Place the picture of Elijah and When Elijah was about to die, he was with his friend
the chariot on the underlay as Elisha. Elisha wanted to inherit a double share of the spirit
you speak of Elijah going into of God that rested on Elijah. Elijah said, “If you see me as
heaven. I am taken from you by God, then your request will be
granted.”
As they were speaking, it was as if a chariot of fire
appeared, with horses made of fire, and the two men were
separated. Elisha watched as Elijah was taken up into
heaven in a whirlwind, and he knew God’s spirit was with
him, and the people knew, too. Elisha became a great
prophet.
4
Sit for a moment and look at the
lesson from beginning to end to
let the story rest. Then begin
the wondering.
I wonder what part of this story you liked best?
I wonder what part was the most important?
I wonder what part was about you or what part you
were in?
I wonder what part we could leave out and still have
all the story that we need?
After the wondering is over, put
the story away carefully. Pick
up each object in reverse order
and remind the children what
the object is, saying for
example, “Here is one of the
ravens that fed Elijah by the
brook.” After all the objects are
back in the basket, carefully
model how to roll the underlay
back up and place it in the
basket as well. Return the
basket to its place on the shelf.
Then return to your spot in the
circle and dismiss the children
one by one to their work.
Jerome W. Berryman, The Complete Guide to Godly Play Volume 6: 15 Enrichment Presentations for Fall
(2006), pp. 86-93.