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Kings and Chronicles, Part 1: The Demise of Kingship

  1. Lesson One
    Rise and Reign of Solomon (1 Kings 1-8)
    20 Activities
    |
    1 Assessment
  2. Lesson Two
    Solomon’s Fall (1 Kings 9-11)
    13 Activities
    |
    2 Assessments
  3. Lesson Three
    Overview of 1 and 2 Kings (1 Kings 12–16, 2 Kings 9–17)
    33 Activities
    |
    1 Assessment
  4. Lesson Four
    The Prophet Elijah (1 Kings 17 – 2 Kings 1)
    26 Activities
    |
    2 Assessments
  5. Lesson Five
    The Prophet Elisha (2 Kings 2–9)
    17 Activities
  6. Course Wrap-Up
    Course Completion
    1 Activity
    |
    1 Assessment

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Grab your Workbook Journal!

[Record your answers in the workbook provided at the beginning of this course.]

Early Christians especially emphasized connections between Elisha and Jesus.

Read the passage below and see if you can figure out the connection many early Christians made between the passion of Jesus and this scene in 2 Kings:

When Elisha came into the house, he saw the child lying dead on his bed. So he went in and shut the door behind the two of them and prayed to the LORD. Then he went up and lay on the child, putting his mouth on his mouth, his eyes on his eyes, and his hands on his hands. And as he stretched himself upon him, the flesh of the child became warm. Then he got up again and walked once back and forth in the house, and went up and stretched himself upon him. The child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes. Then he summoned Gehazi and said, “Call this Shunammite.” So he called her. And when she came to him, he said, “Pick up your son.” She came and fell at his feet, bowing to the ground. Then she picked up her son and went out.

2 Kings 4:32-37 (ESV)

  1. Record your observations in your workbook.
  1. The comment below from Ephrem the Syrian (306-373) is typical of the “typological” connections many early Christians made between this story and the work of Jesus in the New Testament. Summarize this connection in your workbook.

With regard to the fact that the prophet walked back and forth in the house of the dead child, it prefigures the times in which Jesus Christ entered and went out of the houses of humankind and lived with them. Finally the prophet came back and adjusted himself again to the size of the child, and his body covered his body; at that time the dead child was resurrected. Our Lord accomplished this figure and brought it to perfection, when, still alive, He adjusted His dead body in the tomb to the size of the dead Adam. And so God, through His great love for us, after we had died for our sins, brought us back to life with Christ.

— On the Second Book of Kings (4.30-35)