Free Bible lesson for kids · Elijah and Elisha
The Shunammite’s Son
A great woman in Shunem made a little room for Elisha, and God gave her the son she had never had. Years later the boy was taken ill in the field and died on his mother’s knees, but she hurried to Elisha, and when his servant asked about the child, she said, “It is well.” Elisha shut the door and prayed unto the LORD, and the child sneezed seven times and opened his eyes.
- Bible passage
- 2 Kings 4:8–37
- Big idea
- Nothing is too hard for God, so we can bring Him our biggest troubles.
- Memory verse
Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?
Jeremiah 32:27 (KJV)- Ages
- Preschool to preteen (3 to 12), with tips for each age
- Time
- About 45 minutes
- Included, free
- Animated story film, coloring page, class sheet, teacher guide, questions and answers, a game
The story
A great woman in Shunem often fed Elisha, and she and her husband made him a little room with a bed, a table, a stool and a candlestick (2 Kings 4:8–10). She had no child, but Elisha told her, “thou shalt embrace a son,” and just as he said, she had a son (2 Kings 4:14, 16–17).
Later the boy said to his father, “My head, my head,” and he died on his mother’s knees (2 Kings 4:18–20). She laid him on Elisha’s bed and hurried to the man of God. When asked about the child, she said, “It is well” (2 Kings 4:21, 26). Elisha came, shut the door, “and prayed unto the LORD” (2 Kings 4:33). Then “the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes” (2 Kings 4:35).
Read it in the Bible: 2 Kings 4:8–37 (KJV)
8And it fell on a day, that Elisha passed to Shunem, where was a great woman; and she constrained him to eat bread. And so it was, that as oft as he passed by, he turned in thither to eat bread. 9And she said unto her husband, Behold now, I perceive that this is an holy man of God, which passeth by us continually. 10Let us make a little chamber, I pray thee, on the wall; and let us set for him there a bed, and a table, and a stool, and a candlestick: and it shall be, when he cometh to us, that he shall turn in thither. 11And it fell on a day, that he came thither, and he turned into the chamber, and lay there. 12And he said to Gehazi his servant, Call this Shunammite. And when he had called her, she stood before him. 13And he said unto him, Say now unto her, Behold, thou hast been careful for us with all this care; what is to be done for thee? wouldest thou be spoken for to the king, or to the captain of the host? And she answered, I dwell among mine own people. 14And he said, What then is to be done for her? And Gehazi answered, Verily she hath no child, and her husband is old. 15And he said, Call her. And when he had called her, she stood in the door. 16And he said, About this season, according to the time of life, thou shalt embrace a son. And she said, Nay, my lord, thou man of God, do not lie unto thine handmaid. 17And the woman conceived, and bare a son at that season that Elisha had said unto her, according to the time of life. 18And when the child was grown, it fell on a day, that he went out to his father to the reapers. 19And he said unto his father, My head, my head. And he said to a lad, Carry him to his mother. 20And when he had taken him, and brought him to his mother, he sat on her knees till noon, and then died. 21And she went up, and laid him on the bed of the man of God, and shut the door upon him, and went out. 22And she called unto her husband, and said, Send me, I pray thee, one of the young men, and one of the asses, that I may run to the man of God, and come again. 23And he said, Wherefore wilt thou go to him to day? it is neither new moon, nor sabbath. And she said, It shall be well. 24Then she saddled an ass, and said to her servant, Drive, and go forward; slack not thy riding for me, except I bid thee. 25So she went and came unto the man of God to mount Carmel. And it came to pass, when the man of God saw her afar off, that he said to Gehazi his servant, Behold, yonder is that Shunammite: 26Run now, I pray thee, to meet her, and say unto her, Is it well with thee? is it well with thy husband? is it well with the child? And she answered, It is well. 27And when she came to the man of God to the hill, she caught him by the feet: but Gehazi came near to thrust her away. And the man of God said, Let her alone; for her soul is vexed within her: and the LORD hath hid it from me, and hath not told me. 28Then she said, Did I desire a son of my lord? did I not say, Do not deceive me? 29Then he said to Gehazi, Gird up thy loins, and take my staff in thine hand, and go thy way: if thou meet any man, salute him not; and if any salute thee, answer him not again: and lay my staff upon the face of the child. 30And the mother of the child said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And he arose, and followed her. 31And Gehazi passed on before them, and laid the staff upon the face of the child; but there was neither voice, nor hearing. Wherefore he went again to meet him, and told him, saying, The child is not awaked. 32And when Elisha was come into the house, behold, the child was dead, and laid upon his bed. 33He went in therefore, and shut the door upon them twain, and prayed unto the LORD. 34And he went up, and lay upon the child, and put his mouth upon his mouth, and his eyes upon his eyes, and his hands upon his hands: and he stretched himself upon the child; and the flesh of the child waxed warm. 35Then he returned, and walked in the house to and fro; and went up, and stretched himself upon him: and the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes. 36And he called Gehazi, and said, Call this Shunammite. So he called her. And when she was come in unto him, he said, Take up thy son. 37Then she went in, and fell at his feet, and bowed herself to the ground, and took up her son, and went out.
Questions to ask
What did the woman and her husband make for Elisha?
A little chamber on the wall with a bed, a table, a stool and a candlestick (2 Kings 4:10).
When she was asked, “Is it well with the child?” what did she answer?
“It is well” (2 Kings 4:26). She trusted God and went to His prophet.
What did Elisha do before the child came back to life?
He shut the door and prayed unto the LORD (2 Kings 4:33).
What this story teaches
- Nothing is too hard for the LORD our God (Jeremiah 32:27).
- God blessed the woman who was kind to His prophet (2 Kings 4:10, 17).
- Faith trusts God even when things look very bad (2 Kings 4:26).
- We can bring our biggest troubles to God in prayer (2 Kings 4:33).
- God hears prayer and has power over death (2 Kings 4:33–35).
Jesus Has Power Over Death
God gave the Shunammite her son back. Jesus once raised a widow’s only son to life and gave him back to his mother.
Luke 7:12–15
A 45-minute lesson plan
| 5 min | Welcome and pray. Greet each child by name and pray: Thank God that nothing is too hard for Him, and bring Him something hard in our lives. |
|---|---|
| 10 min | The story. Play the story film: each verse appears on screen in the King James Version while the scene plays. Pause to ask what happens next. |
| 10 min | Talk about it. Ask the three questions below. Then ask: “Nothing is too hard for God, so we can bring Him our biggest troubles.” What does that mean for us? |
| 5 min | Memory verse. Say Jeremiah 32:27 together, covering one word at a time until the children can say it alone. |
| 10 min | Activity. Younger children color the coloring page while you retell the story; older children do the class sheet (memory-verse fill-in, word search and questions). |
| 5 min | Pray and send home. Pray together and send the sheet home so families can talk about the first question this week. |
- Preschool: keep it short and physical. Act out the story, use a simple prop, and repeat the big idea in one sentence.
- Elementary: let children find the passage in their own Bibles. Ask “who, what, where” questions first, then “why.”
- Preteens: read the verses before and after the passage, and ask how this story fits the whole story of the Bible.
Game time
For kids · game · indoors · about 10 minutes
A Little Room for Elisha
You need: Items for each team: a pillow (bed), a book (table), a small chair (stool), a flashlight (candlestick)
- Hide the items around the room.
- Teams race to find a bed, a table, a stool and a candlestick and set up a “little room”.
- The first team to finish invites a leader in as Elisha.
The woman made a room for Elisha. When her son died, she said, “It is well,” and God gave him back to her.
For youth group · activity · indoors · about 20 minutes
It Is Well
You need: The story of the hymn “It Is Well with My Soul”, a recording of it
- Tell the true story of Horatio Spafford, who wrote the hymn after losing his children at sea.
- Listen to the hymn together.
- Talk: how can someone say “it is well” in a hard time?
The Shunammite said, “It is well,” and went straight to God’s prophet. Faith runs to God when life is hard.
Pray
Thank God that nothing is too hard for Him, and bring Him something hard in our lives.