King Ahab & King Jehoshaphat
1. HOOK: Duckie Wuckie
- Everyone sits in a circle. One blindfolded person goes around outside the circle, tapping each head (like Duck, Duck, Goose).
- When the blindfolded person decides to stop, he/she asks, “Is there a Duckie Wuckie there?” The person being tapped has to disguise their voice and say, “Duckie Wuckie who?” Then the blindfolded person has to guess who the person is.
- If the guess is right, they switch places, and the person who was sitting down has to be blindfolded.
- Today we will learn about how a king tried to disguise himself so he wouldn’t be killed.
2. REVIEW: Kings of Israel
3. LESSON: King Ahab & King Jehoshaphat (2 Chron 17-18)
- Last month, we looked at a king of Israel (Northern Kingdom; 10 tribes). He was very wicked. What was his name? Ahab
- We also looked at a prophet of God who brought God’s message to Ahab. What was his name? Elijah. Remember how Elijah had a showdown with the false prophets of Israel by calling down fire from heaven?
- Today, we look at a king of Judah (Southern Kingdom; 2 tribes). His name was King Jehoshaphat!
- When King Asa died, his son, Jehoshaphat became the king of Judah. Jehoshaphat followed God, like King David. He did not worship other false gods. God gave him power and wealth. The kings in the lands surrounding Judah did not dare to go to war against Jehoshaphat because they feared God. (1 Chronicles 17: 1-6, 10)
- However, although he could have relied totally on God to protect him, Jehoshaphat allied himself with the evil king of Israel, Ahab. He made his son, Jehoram, marry Ahab’s daughter. God’s word tells us not to be yoked with unbelievers — don’t get into any partnership with people who do not want to do things God’s way! Because when we partner with them, we end up doing pretty dumb things and get ourselves into trouble.
- Because of his partnership with Ahab, Jehoshaphat agreed to partner Ahab to attack Ramoth Gilead, which belonged to the King of Aram.
- Ahab’s false prophets told the kings, “Attack Ramoth Gilead and be victorious!”
- But God’s prophet, Micaiah, told the kings that the attack would be disastrous for them. “I saw all Israel scattered on the hills like sheep without a shepherd, and the Lord said, ‘These people have no master. Let each one go home in peace.’”
- Did King Ahab listen? No! Instead he sent Micaiah to prison for telling the truth.
- So the kings of Israel and Judah headed to battle against the king of Aram at Ramoth Gilead. <illustrate by getting 2 kids to the front as King Ahab and King Jehoshaphat; get them to wear paper crowns and cloaks, if possible>
- King Aham had a plan. He said to Jehoshaphat, “I will enter the battle in disguise, but you wear your royal robes.” He thought that if he didn’t wear his royal robes, he would be safe from the enemy. So the king of Israel disguised himself and went into battle.<remove the crown and cloak from “King Ahab”; replace with a different cloak>
- Meanwhile, the king of Aram had ordered his commanders, “Do not fight with anyone, except Ahab.”
- When the commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they thought that he was Ahab as he was dressed like a king. So they turned to attack him, but Jehoshaphat cried out, and the Lord helped him. God drew them away from him. The chariot commanders saw that he was not Ahab and they stopped chasing him. God protected King Jehoshaphat.
- How about King Ahab? He was disguised as a common soldier. But someone drew his bow randomly. And the arrow hit Ahab, and he died! <get “King Ahab” to fall down “dead”>
Conclusion
A. Trust God.
- Don’t depend on your flesh — your cleverness, your own ideas etc — and take matters into your own hands
- King Jehoshaphat could have trusted God for his security instead of forming partnership with ungodly men. But when the King of Aram’s soldiers wanted to kill him, Jehoshaphat called on the Lord, and God saved him! God was His helper. The Lord kept him alive! (Psalm 54:5)
- King Ahab thought he was so smart when he went into battle in disguise — just as the game we played earlier where we tried to disguise our voices so that we won’t be recognised. But King Ahab was still taken down by a “random” arrow — it was not a coincidence. God’s word that the battle would be disastrous for him came true!
B. Jesus cares!
- God’s prophet, Micaiah, told the kings, “I saw all Israel scattered on the hills like sheep without a shepherd.’” Human kings make mistakes. Human kings may depend on themselves rather than on God. The result is the people suffer like sheep without shepherd.
- When Jesus came to earth, he saw the crowds and had compassion on them, because “they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” (Matt 9:36)
- Jesus is the perfect Forever King. Jesus is the Good Shepherd who came to heal, teach and bring life to all of us, so that we won’t be harassed and helpless anymore!
4. ACTIVITY SUGGESTIONS
- Memory Verse: Psalm 54:4 (NLT) But God is my helper. The Lord keeps me alive!
