Leader Guide
Craft
- Bible or the Superbook Bible App
- Cardstock or paper
- Pencils
- Glue
- Crayons or markers
- Pea gravel, pebbles, or tiny stones, 12 per child plus extras
- Whiteboard and marker, or chalkboard and chalk
On the board, list the elements children should include in their drawings:
1. Altar with twelve stones.
2. Trench of water around altar.
3. Wood on the altar.
4. Fire from heaven.
5. People bowing down to worship God.
Listen closely to what the Bible says about Elijah when it was time for him to take his turn during the challenge.
Read 1 Kings 18:30–39:
Then Elijah called to the people, “Come over here!” They all crowded around him as he repaired the altar of the Lord that had been torn down. He took twelve stones, one to represent each of the tribes of Israel, and he used the stones to rebuild the altar in the name of the Lord. Then he dug a trench around the altar large enough to hold about three gallons. He piled wood on the altar, cut the bull into pieces, and laid the pieces on the wood. Then he said, “Fill four large jars with water, and pour the water over the offering and the wood.” After they had done this, he said, “Do the same thing again!” And when they were finished, he said, “Now do it a third time!” So they did as he said, and the water ran around the altar and even filled the trench. At the usual time for offering the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet walked up to the altar and prayed, “O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, prove today that You are God in Israel and that I am Your servant. Prove that I have done all this at Your command. O Lord, answer me! Answer me so these people will know that You, O Lord, are God and that You have brought them back to Yourself.” Immediately the fire of the Lord flashed down from heaven and burned up the young bull, the wood, the stones, and the dust. It even licked up all the water in the trench! And when all the people saw it, they fell face down on the ground and cried out, “The Lord—He is God! Yes, the Lord is God!”
What did Elijah do first after he called all of the people to come near him?
He had to rebuild the altar because it had been torn down. How many stones did Elijah use for the altar? Twelve.
Why were there twelve stones? They represented the 12 tribes of Israel.
Today, we are going to make a drawing of the altar scene. Make sure to show all twelve stones.
Distribute the markers/crayons, glue, stones, pencils, and card stock to the children. Point to the board and go over the elements to include in their drawing. Have the children write their names on their crafts and glue the stones on their drawings as the last step. Children may walk around the table and view all of the drawings. Set aside the drawings on a flat surface to dry.
Your drawings are awesome! Now, try to imagine what it would have been like to be King Ahab, one of the false prophets, or the people of Israel who had chosen to worship idols instead of God. How do you think they felt when the idol Baal did not answer?
What were they thinking and feeling as the fire fell from heaven?
The Lord is the only true, living, all-powerful God; the Creator of heaven and Earth. He will not share worship with any man-made idol! Let’s say our SuperTruth together: “There is only one God.”