Elisha Feeds a Hundred Men Preschool Lesson
Preschool lesson (ages 3–6, 20 minutes)
1. Welcome (3 min)
Sit in a circle, greet every child by name and show one thing from the story to touch.
2. The little story (5 min)
Teach the refrain first: “Twenty loaves for a hundred men!”
Elisha was a prophet – a man who told people God’s words. He lived in Israel. But there was a famine in the land. A famine is when there is not enough food. Many people were hungry.
One day Elisha came to a town called Gilgal. A group of men sat with him there. They were called the sons of the prophets. They were learning to serve God, like Elisha.
Elisha said to his servant, “Get the large pot. Boil stew for the sons of the prophets.” Stew is a hot soup with lots of good things in it.
One man went out into the field. He looked for plants to put in the pot. He found a wild vine with round fruits on it. He picked a whole lap full. He cut them up and put them into the pot. But nobody knew what kind of fruit it was.
Bubble, bubble! The stew cooked in the big pot. Can you stir a big pot with your arms? Stir, stir, stir!
Then they poured out the stew for the men. The men began to eat. But then they cried out. “Man of God, there is something bad in the pot!” They could not eat it.
Elisha said, “Then bring meal.” Meal is flour, like for baking bread. Elisha threw it into the pot. He said, “Serve it to the people, that they may eat.” And there was nothing harmful in the pot. Nothing that could hurt them! Now they could eat.
Then a man came to Elisha. He came from a town called Baal Shalishah. He carried a sack. In the sack were twenty loaves of barley bread. There was fresh grain too. It was bread from the very first grain of the harvest. It was a gift for the man of God.
Twenty loaves! Can you show ten fingers? Now show them again! Ten and ten make twenty. Twenty loaves for a hundred men!
But a hundred men were with Elisha. A hundred is a lot! It is much, much more than twenty.
Elisha said to his servant, “Give to the people, that they may eat.” Twenty loaves for a hundred men!
The servant looked at the bread. Then he looked at all the men. So many men! So little bread! “What, should I set this before a hundred men?” he asked.
But Elisha said, “Give it to the people, that they may eat. For the LORD says, ‘They will eat, and will have some left over.’” Twenty loaves for a hundred men!
So the servant set the bread before the men. They took the bread, and they ate. Munch, munch, munch! Can you rub your tummy and say, “Mmm”?
The men ate and ate. What do you think? Was there enough bread for everyone?
Yes! And look! When they were done, there was still bread left over. It happened just as the LORD had said.
In the hungry time, God gave the men food. He gave more than enough! God keeps his word, and he cares for hungry people. Twenty loaves for a hundred men!
3. Talk together (3 min)
- What do you think the servant thought when he saw so many hungry men?
- How do you think the men felt when there was still bread left over?
4. Move (3 min)
Refrain Freeze: move around the room; when you say the refrain, everyone freezes and says it together.
5. Make (4 min)
Draw a line to who said it.
6. Verse and prayer (2 min)
“They will eat, and will have some left over.” — 2 Kings 4:43 (They will eat → hand to mouth; some left over → hold out both hands, full)
Dear God, thank you for our food. Thank you that you always keep your word. Amen.
Lesson for older kids (ages 6–10)
Big idea: God makes a little into a lot
Memory verse: “The LORD says, "They will eat, and will have some left over."” — 2 Kings 4:43 · WEB
The Bible story
When a hungry crowd of a hundred men had only twenty little loaves, Elisha trusted God for a wonderful surprise that no one could explain.
Talk about it
- Who was the prophet who shared the bread? — Elisha
- What was happening to the food in the land? — There was not much food
- What did the man bring to Elisha in his sack? — Twenty barley loaves
- What did Elisha tell his helper to do with the bread? — Give it to the men
- How many hungry men were there? — A hundred men
- Why was the helper worried? — It was too little bread
Where is Jesus in this story?
Many years later, Jesus did something very much like this. When a huge crowd of thousands was hungry, a little boy shared his five loaves and two small fish, and Jesus fed everyone with baskets full left over. Just like Elisha, Jesus showed that God cares about hungry people and can do amazing things with a small gift. Jesus is the greatest gift of all, the Bread of Life, who fills our hearts and never runs out of love for us.
What God wants to tell us
This story shows us that nothing is ever too small for God. When Elisha offered up twenty little loaves and trusted God's promise, God turned that small gift into more than enough for a hundred hungry men, with some left over. God loves it when we share what we have, even if it feels tiny. We do not need to be big or have lots of things to help others. We just need a willing heart and a little trust, and God can do wonderful things through us that we could never do on our own.
Prayer
Dear God, thank You that You always see me and care for me. Thank You that nothing I have is ever too small for You. Please help me to trust You and to share what I have with others, just like Elisha did. I know You can do wonderful things with even a little. Amen.
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