Lesson 16

Elisha 900 BC

Open with prayer.

Introduce and show the Elisha video

Bible reading:

2 Kings: 5: 1-27 healing of military commander, Naaman, from Assyria. Next week we return to
the new capital of Assyria, Nineveh, with our study of Jonah.

This is an opportunity to look into supporting our Biblical study and integrating our study with
world history. Assyria, noted on our map, was a powerhouse for 500 years. Assyria came to
strength and sustained this strength through 5 successive strong kings/leaders. This time frame
fits well on the timeline from 1000 BC to 500 BC. It was this empire that took over the Israelite
Northern Kingdom after the nation of Israel split up after the rule of Solomon. Suggest verse 18
be reread: Naaman tells Elisha that his master, the emperor, will take his hand and go into the
house of what he, Naaman, now knows is a false god and when the emperor bows, he too will
bow to the false god. He tells Elijah he now knows Elijah’s God is the real and only God and he
ask Elijah will God forgive him of this sin basically in advance of his committing this sin. Elisha
knows Naaman’s heart is right and he tells Naaman that God will forgive him.

Naaman, the military leader of Assyria, was asked by Elisha to dip himself 7 times in Jordan
River to be healed of his leper diseased condition.

This reading takes 5 minutes.

Specific questions:

1. What was the name of God’s prophet in this lesson? Elisha

2. What was the name of the military leader we studied today? Naaman
3. What is the name of the great 500 year empire that Naaman was a military leader of?
Assyria

Open ended questions:

1. Did anyone see any difference between what was on the video and what we read in the
Bible? (On the first and second class, tell the kids that this question is coming as we start the
video.)
2. What was the best thing you saw from either the video or the Bible reading?
3. What do you think about Naaman asking to be forgiven in advance for a sin he knows he
will commit and does that relate in any way to you today?
4. Where do you see God’s love for the enemy of the Hebrew nation, Assyria, through its
military leader, Naaman?