Single lesson

God Feeds Elijah through Ravens

1 Kings 17:1–7

This lesson helps children follow the order of Elijah’s story at the brook Cherith and notice what people did, what God said, and what happened next. It keeps close to the passage and invites a thoughtful response.

6–10 years30 minutes

Before you teach

In these verses, Elijah speaks to Ahab about a time without dew or rain. Then Yahweh tells Elijah to go eastward and hide by the brook Cherith before the Jordan. Yahweh says Elijah will drink from the brook and that ravens have been commanded to feed him there.

Learning aim

Students will be able to retell the events of 1 Kings 17:1–7 in order and identify how Elijah obeyed Yahweh’s word and how his needs were met in this passage.

Welcome: What happens first?

5 min

Show children the reference and explain that this story has a clear order. Ask them to listen for who speaks, where Elijah goes, and what changes by the end. Introduce key names simply: Elijah speaks to Ahab, and Yahweh gives Elijah instructions. Children can hold up one finger each time they hear a new event.

1 Kings 17:1, 1 Kings 17:2

Read and explain: Elijah speaks and Yahweh directs

7 min

Read verses 1 to 4 slowly. Point out that Elijah says there will not be dew or rain for years, and then Yahweh’s word comes to him. Yahweh tells Elijah to go away, turn eastward, and hide by the brook Cherith. Yahweh also says Elijah will drink there and that ravens will feed him there.

1 Kings 17:1, 1 Kings 17:2, 1 Kings 17:3, 1 Kings 17:4

Discuss the choices and outcomes

6 min

Help children notice the choice Elijah makes. Verse 5 says he went and did according to Yahweh’s word. Then talk about the outcome in verse 6: the ravens brought bread and meat morning and evening, and Elijah drank from the brook. Keep the focus on what the text actually states.

1 Kings 17:5, 1 Kings 17:6

Make and respond: Sequence cards

8 min

Children make five simple cards showing the main events: Elijah speaks to Ahab, Yahweh speaks, Elijah goes to Cherith, ravens bring food, the brook dries up. As they arrange the cards, ask them to say one sentence from the passage about each step. This turns the story order into something visible and memorable.

1 Kings 17:1, 1 Kings 17:3, 1 Kings 17:4, 1 Kings 17:6, 1 Kings 17:7

Closing: The story does not end here

4 min

Finish by reading verse 7 and noticing that the brook dried up because there was no rain in the land. This reminds children that the passage gives one part of Elijah’s story. Invite them to summarise the whole account in order using the words said, go, feed, drank, and dried up.

1 Kings 17:7

Questions to explore

What did Elijah tell Ahab would not happen for years?

Look carefully at Elijah’s words and name both things mentioned in the verse.

1 Kings 17:1

What exactly did Yahweh tell Elijah to do and where to go?

Use the action words in the passage, including go away, turn eastward, and hide by the brook Cherith.

1 Kings 17:3

How do we know Elijah obeyed, and what happened after he obeyed?

First find the verse that says he did according to Yahweh’s word, then describe how he was fed and what he drank.

1 Kings 17:5, 1 Kings 17:6

Make, think or respond

Elijah Story Sequence Cards

What you’ll need

plain paper or card
pencils or markers
scissors
Bible

Try it together

Read 1 Kings 17:1–7 aloud once more.
Help children choose five main events from the passage and draw one event on each card.
Mix the cards up and ask children to place them back in the correct order.
Have each child retell the account using the cards and one phrase from the verses.

This activity helps children sequence the events of 1 Kings 17:1–7 and connect Elijah’s obedience with what happened next in the passage.

Adapt for your group

For younger children, prepare the five event titles orally and let them draw only one picture for each part before arranging them in order.
For older or more confident children, ask them to add the matching verse reference to each card and explain which details come directly from the text.

An optional closing prayer

Dear God, thank you for your word. Please help us listen carefully to what you say in Scripture and remember what we learned from Elijah today. Amen.

Read the Bible passage World English Bible Classic

1 Kings 17

¹ Elijah the Tishbite, who was one of the settlers of Gilead, said to Ahab, “As Yahweh, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.”

² Then Yahweh’s word came to him, saying,

³ “Go away from here, turn eastward, and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, that is before the Jordan.

⁴ You shall drink from the brook. I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.”

⁵ So he went and did according to Yahweh’s word, for he went and lived by the brook Cherith that is before the Jordan.

⁶ The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening; and he drank from the brook.

⁷ After a while, the brook dried up, because there was no rain in the land.

World English Bible Classic. Public domain.