May 11, 2025 – 1 Kings 18

Lesson Date: May 11, 2025

Focal Scripture Passage: 1 Kings 18:1, 17-40

AIM: To lead students to discover the choice Elijah challenged the people of Israel to make, and to examine themselves so they can choose to reject idols and serve the Lord Jesus with their whole heart.

 

Before class: Read the notes on 1 Kings 18 found in the Sunday School Teacher Book.  Write the word “Choose” on the board or screen.

 

INTRODUCTION (Create Learning Readiness): Direct the students’ attention to the word “Choose” written on the board or screen.  Ask: “What does the word ‘choose’ mean?” (to select one of multiple options).

Ask: “How many of you set an alarm clock or an alarm on your phone before going to bed?” (most probably do).  Tell the class the alarm wakes us from sleep and immediately forces us to make a choice.  Ask: “What choice must we make when the alarm goes off?” (whether to get up or stay in bed).  Ask: “What are some possible consequences if we choose to turn off the alarm and stay in bed?” (we might be late for work or other obligations, we might fail to keep a promise or fulfill a commitment, etc.).  Tell the students the alarm clock presents us with just the first of hundreds of choices we must make throughout the day.

Tell the students that throughout human history, God has required people to choose whether to follow Him or follow their own fleshly desires.  For example:

• Adam and Eve had to choose whether to obey God or eat the forbidden fruit.
• Noah had to choose whether to build the ark or die with the rest of humanity.
• Moses and the children of Israel had to choose whether to believe God or remain in Egypt.
• When the Israelites settled in the Promised Land and were surrounded by idol worship, Joshua challenged them with these words, “And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” (Josh. 24:15).
• When Jesus came to earth, the Jews had to choose whether to believe Him or reject Him.
• People today still face that same choice.

Tell the students the title of today’s lesson is Choose You This Day!  Tell them we will examine the choice the prophet Elijah challenged the ancient Israelites to make, and examine ourselves so we can make the right choice today.

 

HEART OF THE LESSON (Bible Study):

1. Review.
   • Remind everyone that we are studying the Old Testament book of 1 Kings.
   • Ask: “What was last week’s lesson about?” (Wicked Kings and an Obedient Prophet; we contrasted the behavior and fate of six wicked kings of the Northern Kingdom of Israel with the behavior and blessings of the obedient prophet Elijah).
   • Ask if any volunteer would recite last week’s memory verse (Romans 6:16).
2. The Promise of Rain.
   • Read 1 Kings 17:1.
   • Remind the class that because of Israel’s sin and their wicked, idol-worshiping king, God told Elijah to announce that there would be no rain for years.
   • Ask a volunteer to read 1 Kings 18:1-2.
   • Ask: “According to verse 1, what did the Lord tell Elijah to do?” (go to King Ahab).
   • Ask: “What did God say He was going to do?” (send rain).
   • Tell the class that there had been no rain for more than three years (James 5:17).
   • Ask: “What does verse 2 say about conditions after years without rain?” (there was a severe famine, especially in Israel’s capital city of Samaria).
   • Tell the students to imagine the terrible conditions that must have existed after more than three years without rain: the land dried up, food crops died, and many people and animals undoubtedly starved to death.
   • Summarize: After years of drought and famine, the Lord graciously promised to send rain upon the idol-worshiping Northern Kingdom of Israel.
3. The Challenge on Carmel.
   • Ask a volunteer to read 1 Kings 18:17-18.
   • Tell the class that since Elijah had delivered God’s message that there would be no rain, wicked King Ahab accused him of bringing trouble upon Israel.
   • Ask: “According to verse 18, who did Elijah say was the real cause of Israel’s trouble?” (Ahab and his father’s house).
   • Ask: “What had they done to bring trouble upon Israel?” (forsook the Lord and followed the false god Baal).
   • Remind the students that Ahab’s wife Jezebel was a Baal worshiper (1 Kings 16:31).
   • Read 1 Kings 18:19-20.
   • Ask: “What did Elijah tell Ahab to do?” (gather all Israel and all the 850 false prophets to Mount Carmel; locate Mount Carmel on the Map).
   • Tell the class that Mount Carmel was considered by the Phoenicians to be the sacred dwelling place of Baal; in other words, it was Baal’s home turf.
   • Ask a volunteer to read 1 Kings 18:21.
   • Ask: “What did Elijah ask the people?” (how long are you going to vacillate between two different opinions).
   • Explain the following:
     • The people of the Northern Kingdom of Israel still gave lip service to following Jehovah God, while also engaging in the wicked and immoral worship of Baal.
     • God clearly said, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me” (Ex. 20:3).
   • Ask: “What did Elijah challenge them to do?” (make a choice to either follow the Lord or follow Baal, and stop pretending to follow both).
   • Ask: “How did the people answer Elijah?” (they didn’t say a word).
   • Read 1 Kings 18:22-24.
   • Tell the class that Elijah said he was the only remaining prophet of the Lord, but Baal had 450 prophets.
   • Ask: “What challenge did he propose to determine which was the real God?” (the prophets of Baal were to take a bull, cut it in pieces for a burnt offering, lay it upon the wood on an altar, but not set fire to the wood; Elijah would do the same thing, and the God who answered by sending fire would prove Himself to be the true God).
   • Explain the following:
     • The people of Israel accepted Elijah’s challenge.
     • Most old westerns end with a showdown between the hero and the villain.
     • God inspired Elijah to challenge Baal to a showdown.
     • Elijah was in enemy territory, like a sports team playing on their opponent’s home field.
     • Elijah was outnumbered and alone.
   • Summarize: God inspired Elijah to challenge Ahab and the prophets of Baal to a showdown, and challenged the people to choose between Baal and the Lord as their God.
4. The Failure of Baal.
   • Read 1 Kings 18:25-29.
   • Ask: “According to verse 26, what did the prophets of Baal do?” (cried out all morning for Baal to answer).
   • Ask: “What did Elijah do in verse 27?” (mocked their so-called god).
   • Tell the class that the prophets of Baal continued calling upon him to answer all afternoon, even cutting themselves to try to get his attention).
   • Ask: “Did Baal answer by sending fire upon the sacrifice?” (no).
   • Stress the fact that Baal couldn’t answer because he doesn’t even exist; he is a fake.
   • Summarize: Hundreds of false prophets cried out to their false god almost all day, but he couldn’t answer because he is not real and has no power.
5. The Fire of the Lord.
   • Ask a volunteer to read 1 Kings 18:30-35.
   • Ask: “What did Elijah do in verses 30-33a?” (he calmly built an altar, dug a trench around it, cut up the bull, and put it on the wood on the altar).
   • Ask: “What strange thing did he tell the people to do next?” (soak the bull, wood, and altar with water three times, until the altar was saturated and the trench was filled with water).
   • Ask a volunteer to read 1 Kings 18:36-37.
   • Ask: “What did Elijah ask the Lord to do?” (prove to the people that He is God, and draw their hearts back to Him).
   • Tell the class that the false prophets of the false god yelled and leaped and cut themselves all day long, but Elijah only said a simple prayer.
   • Read 1 Kings 18:38-40.
   • Ask: “What happened in verse 38?” (the Lord sent fire from heaven to burn up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones of the altar, and all the water that was in the trench).
   • Ask: “How did the people react in verse 39?” (they fell on their faces and proclaimed that the Lord is the true God).
   • Ask: “What did Elijah do in verse 40?” (told the people to take all the prophets of Baal down to the brook, where he killed them).
   • Ask: “Why do you think he killed them?” (so they could no longer spread false teaching about their false god).
   • Summarize: In stark contrast to Baal’s failure, the Lord sent fire to consume the sacrifice and altar, convincing the people that He is the one and only true God.

 

PERSONAL APPLICATION: Direct the students’ attention once again to the word “Choose” written on the board.  Remind them that the title of today’s lesson is Choose You This Day!

Remind the class that the people of Israel were giving lip service to Jehovah God, while also engaging in the wicked and perverse worship practices of the false god Baal.  Ask: “What choice did Elijah challenge the people of Israel to make?” (to decide whether the Lord or Baal was truly God, and then to wholeheartedly follow whichever one they chose).

Tell the class that ancient people worshiped statues and images of their so-called gods.  Tell them idolatry is still a problem today, but most people don’t worship statues.  Stress the fact that an idol can be anything that takes the place of God in our lives, or anything we give more devotion to than we do to the Lord.  Ask: “What are some modern day idols?” (they could name things like comfort, money, success, approval, sex, sports, social media, entertainment, leisure, etc.).

Explain that we might think it strange that the ancient Israelites worshiped both God and Baal, but many modern Christians do the same thing, giving as much or more love and devotion to modern day idols then they do to the Lord Jesus.  Ask: “Have you allowed any idols to creep in and steal your devotion to Jesus?  If so, are you ready to ‘choose you this day’ to turn from your idols and give your wholehearted devotion to the Lord?”  Remind everyone that Jesus told us to, “love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.” (Matt. 22:37).

Ask everyone to bow their head and close their eyes.  Tell them to confess the sin of not putting the Lord Jesus first in their life.  Tell them to reject and turn from any idols in their life.  Tell them to make a willful choice to follow the Lord with their whole heart.  Allow a moment for silent prayer, and then voice a closing prayer to turn from idols and follow Jesus only.

 

CONCLUSION: Ask everyone to memorize 1 Kings 18:21.  Tell them to watch out for false gods that seek to distract them from serving the true and living God.