Reader's Theater Script – Promised Land 09
God Sees All
II Kings 19:27
Characters:
Narrator (Wendy), Elijah (Nathaniel), Ahab (Ian), Boys (Samantha/Emily), Girls (Samantha/Emily)
Reader’s Theater - Slide 1
Narrator: This is a story about the Prophet Elijah and his contest with the prophet of the false god Baal. It is
found in the book of II Kings. And our theme verse is II Kings 19:27.
(Trumpets sound an entrance!)
Narrator: Elijah was spitting mad! After Solomon’s death, David’s great kingdom split in half. A series of evil
kings ruled the land of Israel in the north. In the southern kingdom of Judah, some of the kings were good. Most
were very, very bad.
Girls: When they were good, they were very, very good. And when they were bad, they were (pause) atrocious!
Narrator: One evil king named Ahab built altars to the fertility god, Baal.
Boys: Actually, the Baals were a series of gods, but we won’t go into that right now.
Girls: When they were good, they were very, very good. And when they were bad, they were (pause) atrocious!
Narrator: God sent the prophet Elijah to warn him.
Elijah: Thus says the one true God…
Boys & Girls: Ditch the idols!
Elijah: Ditch the idols! If you don’t, not a drop of rain will fall on the land until I say so.
Ahab: Yeah, yeah. Get lost! My god Baal controls the weather.
Elijah: You’ll be soooooooooooooooooory!
Ahab: Bring it on!
Elijah: That sounds a little arrogant if you ask me.
Ahab: (Shouting) Bring it on!
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Reader’s Theater - Slide 2 (Click to advance)
Narrator: Elijah hid from Ahab in a gully as the sun baked the land dry and all of the clouds disappeared. God
sent ravens to bring Elijah food every morning and evening.
Elijah: Bread from heaven? Sounds vaguely familiar.
Boys: Weeks passed.
Elijah: What? More carbs?
Ahab: This is getting old fast.
Girls: Months passed.
Narrator As flocks and herds began to starve, evil Ahab’s anger burned hot against God’s prophet.
Reader’s Theater - Slide 3 (Click to advance)
Ahab: Find Elijah and kill him.
Narrator: One long dry year passed.
Boys: No rain!
Narrator: Two long dry years passed.
Boys: (Louder) No rain!
Narrator: Three long dry years passed.
Boys: (Louder) Still no rain!
Narrator: Finally God told Elijah to waltz right into the king’s court and issue a challenge.
Elijah: God’s going to make you an offer you can’t refuse.
Narrator: Ahab scowled.
Ahab: I’m listening, crow boy.
Elijah: Assemble 450 prophets of Baal, and 400 of that other god you worship. Let’s have us a little contest here.
If my God is more powerful, they die. If your so-called gods win, you can kill me. What do you say? Deal… or no
deal?
Ahab: Deal!
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Narrator: The prophets of Baal assembled. They built a stone altar, placed a sacrifice upon it, then called upon
their gods to take the offering.
Girls: Nothing happened!
Elijah: Nothing. Nada. Zip.
Reader’s Theater - Slide 4 (Click to advance)
Narrator: They sang and prayed. They cut themselves with knives and danced themselves into a frenzy. Still
nothing!
Girls: Nothing! Nothing! Nothing!
Elijah: Nothing. Nada. Zip!
Narrator: Elijah mocked them.
Boys: He what?
Elijah: I what?
Narrator: He mocked them.
Elijah: But there’s 850 of them with swords and they’ve danced themselves into a frantic frenzy!
Narrator: You forget. You have God on your side.
Elijah: (Pausing, counting on fingers, looking up, then looking to audience) Okey dokey then.
Narrator: Elijah continued to mock and insult them…
Elijah: A rather dangerous thing to do…
All Voices: Unless you have God on your side.
Narrator: He mocked and mocked and mocked until midday.
Elijah: Mock, mock, mock. Double mock. Triple mock. Quadruple mock with insults and more insults upon it.
Narrator: Can you give them an example? From the Bible?
Elijah: Mock. Mock. Example? Okay. Here goes. (Clearing throat) Ha! Is that all you got? Cry louder! Maybe your
god is sleeping. Or maybe he’s on a little vacation. No! I got it! I got it! He’s going to the bathroom and doesn’t
want to be disturbed! Haaaa!
Narrator: The prophets of Baal danced and prayed, but nothing happened.
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Girls: Nothing happened.
Narrator: Then Elijah built an altar, set a sacrificial bull upon it, and poured 12 huge jars of water over it. He
prayed:
Reader’s Theater - Slide 5 (Click to advance)
Elijah: O Lord God of Abraham and Isaac and Israel, let it be known this day that you are God!
Narrator: Suddenly fire flashed from heaven and burned up the entire offering. Even the water was consumed!
Elijah’s God had won. He quickly seized all 850 false prophets and had them killed. Angry Ahab vowed revenge.
Ahab: I vow revenge!
Narrator: Elijah was forced into hiding again. He escaped to a cave where he sat sulking.
Elijah: Sulk. Sulk. Sulk. I did everything you asked me, and now I’m as good as dead!
Narrator: God told Elijah to stand at the entrance of the cave and wait. A great wind passed by, smashing rocks
and breaking trees.
Boys: But God was not in the wind.
Narrator: Next an earthquake and a fire passed by.
Girls: But God was neither in the quake nor the flame.
Narrator: Finally, there came the sound of sheer silence… a still small voice.
Boys: (Mouthing “Psssst! What’s wrong, Elijah?” without sound)
Reader’s Theater - Slide 6 (Click to advance)
Narrator: A still small voice.
Boys: (Mouthing “Psssst! What’s wrong, Elijah?” without sound)
Narrator: A not quite so still and small voice.
Boys: (Quietly) Psssst! What’s wrong, Elijah?
Elijah: What’s wrong? Ahab vows to kill me!
Voices: I’ll take care of Ahab. You get going! I have work for you to do.
Elijah: But I’m all alone here!
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Girls: Alone? Ha! Don’t you know that God plus one always makes a majority? I’ll take care of Ahab. You, get
going and purify Israel.
Narrator: Elijah went to work. He found 7000 in Israel who had not bowed down to worship Baal.
Boys: Actually, the Baals were a whole series of gods, but we won’t go into that.
Narrator: Together they set out to bring the nation back to God.
Boys: Years passed.
Girls: Ahab died.
Ahab: (Screaming and dropping dead) Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!
Narrator: Many kings came and went.
Girls: Some were good.
Boys: Most were bad.
Narrator: God continued to send Israel prophets to remind them that nothing escapes the watchful eye of God.
Boys: No kindness.
Girls: No evil.
Boys: God sees.
Girls: God knows.
Narrator: God remembers.
Boys: I know your rising and your sitting…
Girls: Your going out and coming in.
Voices: You are my people and I love you. Just ditch the idols, okay?
Elijah: Okay!
(Applause)
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