Single lesson
Elisha's Final Message
2 Kings 13:14–25
In this lesson, children trace Elisha’s last message to King Joash, notice what Joash did, and see how the ending matches Elisha’s words. The passage also shows God’s compassion towards Israel during a hard time.
Before you teach
This story begins when Elisha is sick with the illness from which he dies, and King Joash comes to him weeping. Elisha tells the king to use a bow and arrows, speaks about victory over Syria, then dies. Afterward, the passage reports pressure from Syria, the Lord’s compassion, and Israel recovering cities three times.
Students will be able to retell the sequence of 2 Kings 13:14–25, name Joash’s choice to strike only three times, and explain that the passage shows both God’s compassion and a limited outcome.
Welcome: What happened in order?
4 minTell the children they will listen for the order of events in Elisha’s final message. Introduce three key ideas to listen for: Elisha is dying, Joash follows instructions with arrows, and later the result matches Elisha’s words. Write the names Elisha, Joash, Syria and Israel where everyone can see them.
2 Kings 13:14, 2 Kings 13:15, 2 Kings 13:17, 2 Kings 13:19, 2 Kings 13:25
Read and explain: Bow, arrows and the number three
8 minRead the passage aloud in short parts. Explain that Joash weeps when he comes to Elisha. Elisha tells him to take a bow and arrows, open the east window, and shoot. Elisha calls it the Lord’s arrow of victory over Syria. Then Joash strikes the ground three times and stops, and Elisha says the victory will be only three times.
2 Kings 13:14, 2 Kings 13:15, 2 Kings 13:17, 2 Kings 13:18, 2 Kings 13:19
Discuss: What choices and outcomes do we see?
6 minAsk the class to identify Joash’s actions and their outcomes from the text. Help them notice that he did strike the ground, but stopped at three. Then show that the ending says Joash struck Syria three times and recovered the cities. Also notice that the passage says the Lord was gracious and compassionate to Israel.
2 Kings 13:18, 2 Kings 13:19, 2 Kings 13:23, 2 Kings 13:25
Make and respond: Three-time sequence cards
8 minChildren make simple sequence cards for the story and place them in order. Include these moments: Joash comes to Elisha, the arrow is shot, the ground is struck three times, Elisha dies, a man revives at Elisha’s tomb, and Joash recovers cities three times. As they order the cards, ask what each step teaches from the passage.
2 Kings 13:14, 2 Kings 13:17, 2 Kings 13:18, 2 Kings 13:20, 2 Kings 13:21, 2 Kings 13:25
Closing: God’s compassion and the final result
4 minFinish by summarising the account together. Elisha’s words about three victories are fulfilled in the final verse. The class should also hear that while Syria oppressed Israel, the Lord was gracious, had compassion, and did not destroy them. Invite each child to say one true sentence from the passage about God or about Joash’s actions.
2 Kings 13:22, 2 Kings 13:23, 2 Kings 13:25
Questions to explore
Why was Elisha angry when Joash struck the ground only three times?
Guide children to compare Elisha’s explanation with Joash’s action: Elisha says more striking would have meant a fuller defeat of Syria, but three strikes meant only three victories.
2 Kings 13:18, 2 Kings 13:19
How does the end of the passage match Elisha’s earlier message?
Point the class to the repeated number three: Elisha says Joash will strike Syria three times, and the last verse says Joash struck him three times and recovered the cities.
2 Kings 13:19, 2 Kings 13:25
What does this passage say about God when Israel was under pressure from Syria?
Encourage children to answer with the words of the verse: the Lord was gracious, had compassion, and favoured them because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
2 Kings 13:22, 2 Kings 13:23
Make, think or respond
Arrow and Sequence Cards
What you’ll need
- paper or card
- pencils or textas
- scissors
- six small sticky notes or scraps of paper
Try it together
- Write or draw six story moments on separate cards: Joash visits Elisha, take bow and arrows, shoot through the window, strike the ground three times, Elisha dies, Joash recovers cities three times.
- Mix the cards and have children work alone or in pairs to place them in order.
- Ask children to mark the cards that show Joash’s choices with a small arrow symbol.
- Read 2 Kings 13:25 again and let children check which earlier card matches the ending.
- Invite each child to choose one card and tell what it shows about God or people in the passage.
This activity helps children sequence the account from 2 Kings 13:14–25 and connect Joash’s choice in 2 Kings 13:18–19 with the outcome in 2 Kings 13:25.
Adapt for your group
- For younger children, reduce the sequence to four cards and use simple pictures instead of full sentences.
- For older or confident readers, ask them to add a caption from the passage to each card, especially for God’s compassion in 2 Kings 13:23 and the three victories in 2 Kings 13:25.
An optional closing prayer
‘God, thank you for what this passage shows about your compassion. Please help us listen carefully to your word and speak truthfully about what it says. Amen.’
Read the Bible passage World English Bible Classic
2 Kings 13
14 Now Elisha became sick with the illness of which he died; and Joash the king of Israel came down to him, and wept over him, and said, “My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and its horsemen!”
15 Elisha said to him, “Take bow and arrows;” and he took bow and arrows for himself.
16 He said to the king of Israel, “Put your hand on the bow;” and he put his hand on it. Elisha laid his hands on the king’s hands.
17 He said, “Open the window eastward;” and he opened it. Then Elisha said, “Shoot!” and he shot. He said, “Yahweh’s arrow of victory, even the arrow of victory over Syria; for you will strike the Syrians in Aphek until you have consumed them.”
18 He said, “Take the arrows;” and he took them. He said to the king of Israel, “Strike the ground;” and he struck three times, and stopped.
19 The man of God was angry with him, and said, “You should have struck five or six times. Then you would have struck Syria until you had consumed it, but now you will strike Syria just three times.”
20 Elisha died, and they buried him. Now the bands of the Moabites invaded the land at the coming in of the year.
21 As they were burying a man, behold, they saw a band of raiders; and they threw the man into Elisha’s tomb. As soon as the man touched Elisha’s bones, he revived, and stood up on his feet.
22 Hazael king of Syria oppressed Israel all the days of Jehoahaz.
23 But Yahweh was gracious to them, and had compassion on them, and favored them because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would not destroy them and he didn’t cast them from his presence as yet.
24 Hazael king of Syria died; and Benhadad his son reigned in his place.
25 Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz took again out of the hand of Benhadad the son of Hazael the cities which he had taken out of the hand of Jehoahaz his father by war. Joash struck him three times, and recovered the cities of Israel.
World English Bible Classic. Public domain.