Do you have a parent who gets upset over the clothes you wear or your hairstyle? Maybe both you and your parent can get some help from this passage. As soon as the king’s messengers described the clothes Elijah wore, Ahaziah knew who he was. In the same way, teens tell each other who they are by their clothes and hairstyles. The trouble is, you might feel like your parent doesn’t know the trends. So if they object to what you want to wear, don’t get upset. Talk it over with them. Explain that the clothes you wear identify you as one of the good guys.
Q: Who asked for a double portion of Elijah’s spirit?
BONUS: What did that request mean?
A girl I know told a huge secret to someone she thought was her friend. Spreading this girl’s story became her “friend’s” mission. After all this, I’m worried about telling my friends things. How can I know if I can trust my friends?
Gabriella
Dear Gabriella,
Ben Franklin said, “Three can keep a secret if two of them are dead.” It sounds funny, but there’s lots of truth in it. I mention that because if something is that damaging, perhaps telling a friend isn’t the best idea. It’s fun to share some things with friends, however.
The prophet Elisha was friends with a woman in Shunem. When her son died, she went to see Elisha. His servant asked her what was wrong. “Everything is all right,” she replied (2 Kings 4:26). But when she got to Elisha, she told him that her son had died. She believed that her friend could help her and spoke only to him about her situation. She showed wisdom confiding in the person she thought could help her with her great trouble.
Like this woman, choose who you share with carefully when you have something important to share. Galatians 6:2 says, “Carry each other’s burdens.” Sometimes it’s nice to have someone to talk to. If you keep your friends’ trust, perhaps they will see you are someone to be trusted and will try to do the same for you.
Jordan
Take a look at Gehazi in this Bible story. He was upset when his boss, Elisha, wouldn’t take the wealth offered him for healing Naaman. So Gehazi ran after Naaman and begged for 150 pounds of silver and two suits of clothing. When Gehazi returned to Elisha, he was punished with leprosy for his lie. Suddenly Gehazi learned there are more important things in life than possessions. Things like health. Things like self-respect and the respect of others. Don’t be a Gehazi. Don’t buy into the notion that possessions are the most important things in life.
Elisha’s servant couldn’t see God’s protecting army until God opened his eyes. Then he saw “horses and chariots of fire all around” (2 Kings 6:15–17), protecting Elisha from the enemy army. Do God’s angels protect ordinary people like you and me, or just prophets? Here are some things the Bible says about angels:
• Angels minister to Christians (Hebrews 1:14).
• Angels protect people from their enemies (Psalm 91:11–14).
• Angels guard children (Matthew 18:10) and churches (Revelation 2–3).
Pretty exciting, isn’t it? Look around you. You may not see them with your eyes, but you can be sure they are there.
Probably the most common idea people have about salvation is that as long as you believe in God, you’ll be OK; as long as you live a reasonably good life, God will just have to accept you. Of course that’s not what the Bible teaches. Jesus made it very clear that there’s only one way to approach God, and that is through faith in him (John 14:6). After all, why would Christ have had to die if there were other ways to heaven? Like people who have food while others are starving, it’s not right for Christians to “keep to ourselves” the good news that Jesus, and only Jesus, saves.
Q: Who was the first woman in the Bible reported to use cosmetics?
BONUS: What cosmetics did women use in Old Testament times?
There are some things you just have to wait for. Like a license to drive. Like graduating from school and getting a good job. Marriage is another “wait” kind of thing. After all, it would be hard to have a home or raise kids on wages you’d earn flipping burgers at the local fast-food place. It was hard for the priest Jehoiada to wait for six long years during the rule of evil Queen Athaliah until he was able to reveal the hidden boy king, Joash. But Jehoiada had to wait. Waiting is always hard. But the outcome of this Bible story reminds you that waiting on God’s timing in life really is best.
Are you destined to become just like your parents? Abusive? Alcoholic? Generous? Loving? Bitter? For some teens, turning out like their parents would be terrible; for others, terrific. You can have terrific parents and go wrong, or you can have terrible parents and become a good person. Follow this family’s story (2 Kings 8–21):
• Ahaz was a wicked king; his son Joash was godly.
• Joash’s son Amaziah was godly, and so was Amaziah’s son Uzziah.
• Uzziah’s son Jotham was godly, but Jotham’s son Ahaz was wicked.
• Ahaz’s son Hezekiah was godly, but Hezekiah’s son Manasseh was the most wicked of all Judah’s kings.
What does this pattern tell you? Having good parents won’t make you good. And bad parents won’t make you bad. The kind of person you become is up to you.
Have you ever wondered why God answers prayers? Because he loves you? Because you’ve been good and deserve a reward? Because you keep on asking? Because you ask in faith? It’s not really possible to say why God chooses to answer a particular prayer. But King Hezekiah’s experience is educational. An Assyrian army threatened Jerusalem, yet Hezekiah didn’t plead for the lives of his people. He asked God to deliver the city “so that all the kingdoms on earth may know that you alone, LORD, are God” (2 Kings 19:19). When you can honestly ask God to answer your prayers for his glory, there’s a good chance he will say yes.
Chris was a popular guy in high school. He was on the varsity football and baseball teams. He was elected to the student council and was president of a few school clubs. Chris is now studying for the ministry. Maybe Chris doesn’t fit the stereotype some people have of a “godly” teenager, but he fits this description of young King Josiah. Josiah was committed to getting rid of everything in Judah that was corrupting and sinful. Chris is just as committed to being personally pure. Josiah was committed to worship. Chris is committed to worship too. Commitment to the Lord does bring challenges. But it also brings a satisfying lifestyle.
2 Kings
Warnings?
God warned his people, but they refused to listen. Even when Israel was taken captive by Assyria, Judah still wouldn’t change its ways and return to God.