History of Saul Week One

Transcription

1 History of Saul Week One References: 1 Samuel 8-15 Memory Verse: Leviticus 26:12 And I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be My people. Story Points: 1. God had brought the children of Israel into Canaan. 2. They were to be His people - a people different from the other nations. 3. They turned their hearts away from God; they wanted a king. 4. God gave them Saul who built up his own kingdom and did not care for God s kingdom. 5. Saul did not obey God; He rejected the Word of God. 6. God rejected him. Embedded Points: 1. God wants a people. 2. As God s people, we are different from others. 3. As God s people, we regard God s Word. 4. To become the same as others means we have turned our heart away from God. 5. Someone can be popular, capable and attractive but not care for God; we should not be influenced by them. (This is the thought of having heroes ) 6. Pride brings destruction; Saul was proud of his victory, built a monument to himself, and then disobeyed God. Emphasized Points: 1. God s people are different from others; we are under God s rule. 2. It is a blessing to be God s people and not be like the others who are without God. 3. What God says counts; there are consequences for disobeying. 4. We shouldn t insist on our own way when our parents know what is best for us. Visual Aids: 1. Map Songs: 1. Children obey your parents 2. The truth you try so hard to hide - by telling just a little lie Story Sample: The children of Israel had been in the good land, Canaan (use map), for over 300 years. God had brought the children of Israel out of Egypt and into Canaan to be His people, a people absolutely different from all the other nations. First they came out of Egypt (use map) and Jehovah parted the Red Sea and the whole nation of Israel passed through on dry ground. Then Pharaoh s army followed hard after them and SWOOSH! The waters of the Red Sea came back and covered the Egyptians. Then there was the manna and the water out of the rock as 1 2/14/2014

2 they traveled through the wilderness. God did so many amazing things for the children of Israel on that trip. Of course, not everyone was glad to have the children of Israel out of Egypt. There were enemies as they traveled. But time after time the people of God defeated these enemies because Jehovah was with them. The hearts of kings melted and their enemies trembled on account of them. They were Jehovah s terrible army! At first they were happy to be in Canaan and to be God s people. They were happy to be different from other nations. They were willing to know God s Word and to keep His law. God was with them and this put terror into the hearts of the other nations. They were God s kingdom. Let s make a list to show what made them God s people - what made them different from the other peoples around them. (Help the children to list the following items: God chose them. God led them. God brought them into the good land. God was with them. They had God s Word. They could know God and love Him.) All the other nations (use the map) were not like this. But as time went on, things changed among the children of Israel. They turned their hearts away from God and began to serve and worship other gods, the idols of other nations. Yet, there was still a man among them, Samuel, who followed God. He kept God s Word and he went among them speaking God s Word to them. Samuel traveled among them speaking God s Word to them and exercising God s authority over them. All the people respected Samuel and they even feared him because they knew God was with him. But still, no matter what Samuel did or said, not many of the people turned back to God. Now they were very unhappy, discontented, to be different from the other nations. All the nations around them (use map), had kings. The Philistines had a king, the Moabites had a king, the Amalekites had a king, but they had no king. They wanted a king just like the other nations. They did not want God to rule them. They wanted a king, a man they could see, just like the nations around them. So they went to Samuel, the man of God, and demanded a king. Samuel was displeased about this. He did not want to appoint a king for them. He knew that they were God s people and that only God should be their king. But the people clamored for a king. Samuel tried hard to talk them out of it. He told them how awful it would be to have a king over them like the other nations. He told them that they would have to pay taxes to that man, go to battle to win his wars, give him part of the crops from their land and the cattle from their flocks. A king would be harsh on them demanding so much from them. Read 1 Samuel 8:19-20: But the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel and they said, No; but there will be a king over us, that we may also be like the other nations, and that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles. (*Give an example of when you were young, insisting on having what all the other children have even though your parents knew what was best for you.) So, the people rejected God as their King and insisted on having a king. They turned from God to a man. This was a great evil in the sight of God. So even though God was very displeased with this, He gave them a king. Jehovah had Samuel anoint a king for them. The new king was Saul, the son of Kish. 2 2/14/2014

3 Now Saul was a man everyone would admire. He was quite a fighting man and was wealthy. He was strikingly handsome and he was nearly a foot taller than everyone else. There was none like him. This is the one God anointed as ruler over His people. When he was presented to the people they cheered with joy, Long live the king! Now they were no different from the nations which was very sad. While Saul reigned as king he was a valiant warrior. He and his son Jonathan fought well in battle for the children of Israel. BUT during this time he did not keep God s commandments. At the battle against the Amalekites Jehovah told Saul to utterly destroy them and all that they had. Saul was not to save anything alive. God wanted this enemy to be thoroughly destroyed. So Saul with 210,000 men struck the Amalekites. But instead of destroying everything, Saul disobeyed God and he captured their king, Agag, and kept all the best sheep and cattle for himself. And then Saul built a monument to himself so that his great victory and his being king would be remembered by all the people. When the man of God, Samuel, heard the bleating of the sheep and the lowing of the oxen, he asked Saul why he had disobeyed Jehovah. Saul denied disobeying. He said that these sheep and oxen were only kept to be a sacrifice to Jehovah. But Samuel told him that with Jehovah it is better to obey than to sacrifice. Samuel also told Saul that since Saul rejected the Word of Jehovah; so Jehovah had rejected Saul. (*Give an example of when you disobeyed your parents and then lied about it. How did you feel when they caught you in the lie?) Even though Saul was a valiant warrior and fought for Israel he did not keep God s Word. He disobeyed God and then lied about disobeying. When Samuel came to him he did not confess and repent that he had disobeyed God s Word. Saul lied, trying to cover up his sin. Saul was caught red-handed and yet he still did not confess and repent of not destroying everything of the enemy as God had commanded. He rejected God s Word so God rejected him. 3 2/14/2014

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5 God s Selection of David Week Two References: 1 Samuel 16 Memory Verse: Psalm 47:2 For Jehovah Most High is awesome: A great King over all the earth. Story Points: 1. God sent Samuel to find the proper man to be king. 2. Samuel was afraid that Saul would find out. 3. God gave him the way to go find the man. 4. He went to Bethlehem to offer sacrifices to Jehovah. 5. He called Jesse s household to join him. 6. Samuel thought God would choose one of the older sons. 7. God selected the youngest son. Embedded Points: 1. God never gives up. 2. When God speaks to us, we can trust Him to work it out. 3. We must talk to God. 4. Don t be swayed by outward appearances; know the heart. 5. It is good for others to know that we obey God. Emphasized Points: 1. Even though the situation was poor among God s people, there was a man of God, one who would obey God s Word. 2. When God asks us to do something He makes the way for us to do it. 3. God does not regard outward appearance; He looks on the heart. 4. Our heart is seen in our conduct and attitude. 5. God can select us even when we are young. Visual Aids: 1. Map 2. Chart/list on board: jobs in tending sheep/what kind of heart it shows Songs: 1. Lord, today, keep my heart 2. RESPONSIBILITY Story Sample: God would not let the situation among His people remain in such a way, with Saul lying and disobeying Him. God sent Samuel, the man of God, to find a man among the children of Israel who, as king, would not disobey Him but would care for His kingdom. So God sent Samuel to the house of Jesse in Bethlehem. (use map) 5 2/14/2014

6 Read 1 Samuel 16:1b: I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite: for I have selected for Myself a king among his sons. Now, even though it was Jehovah that had told Samuel to go to Bethlehem, he was afraid that King Saul would find out. What would happen if King Saul knew he was going to select a new king for Israel? If a new king was selected that meant Saul s kingship would be over. What would Saul do? He would not let another person be king! Samuel knew that king Saul would kill him if he knew what he was doing. Samuel wanted to obey Jehovah but he was afraid of Saul. What do you think he did? Did Samuel run and hide? (let a child respond) Samuel did not run away from God s Word. Instead he told Jehovah he was afraid and asked Him what to do. Have you ever talked to God about being afraid of something? (*Give your own example maybe you were afraid of the dark and told God about it.) Samuel was really smart to talk to God like this. You see in those days everyone paid attention to what Samuel did. He was the man of God and what ever he did was because God told him to do it. People closely watched where he went and what he did. Whatever he did would be reported to the king right away. So he was wise to ask Jehovah what to do. Jehovah then gave him the way. Samuel would take an offering when he went, so that he could make a sacrifice to Jehovah at Bethlehem. Then instead of stopping by Jesse s house, which would make people suspicious, he would call Jesse s household to come to the sacrifice. No one would think that was unusual. Samuel did as Jehovah said and journeyed to Bethlehem. As he came to the city, the elders (the city rulers) came out to meet him. Read 1 Sam. 16:4-5: So Samuel did what Jehovah said and came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the city came trembling to meet him, and they said, Do you come peaceably? And he said, Peaceably. I have come to sacrifice to Jehovah And he sanctified Jesse and his sons and called them to the sacrifice. You see, the town rulers trembled because they thought God had sent Samuel to judge them. They took Samuel s coming to their town very seriously. Now Jesse s oldest son came before Samuel and Samuel saw him and thought surely this is the one Jehovah will make king. Read 1 Sam 16:7: But Jehovah said to Samuel, Do not regard his appearance and the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For it is not how man sees that matters; for man looks on the outward appearance, but Jehovah looks on the heart. And that is exactly what Samuel had done. When he saw the oldest son he right away was impressed with how tall and strong he was. Based on how he looked this one must be 6 2/14/2014

7 Jehovah s choice! But how wrong Samuel was! Jehovah s answer was that man looks on the outward matters, but He looks on the heart. One time I met a scrawny (very skinny, kind of weak) girl. She had stringy red hair and wore clothes a little too big for her. They were hand-me-down clothes from her sister. She came with her mom each week during the summer to where I worked. She and her mom would spend the day volunteering. That little girl loved to come and help. She would do whatever small jobs we wanted her to do. Now, I am sure that children at school did not think she was popular. And I am sure she was not the first one picked to be on a kickball team, but whenever she came to my work, what I saw was her heart. And of course, seeing that, I really liked her. She was happy to tag along with her mom. She did not complain about being bored. And she was very glad to help others. You see, that shows her heart. Now, what do you think that little girl is today? Would you expect her to be selfish and just looking after herself? Do you think she is going to college so she can make a lot of money and have the best car? (ask a child) Well, she did go to college and she studied to become a nurse. Her heart was to help others, and nurses help a lot of people. So you still can see her heart as she got older. Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel, and each time Samuel knew Jehovah had not chosen that one. Then Samuel asked, Are these all the sons you have? Jesse said that he still had his youngest son who was out looking after the sheep. You see, Jesse had not even thought to call his youngest son. This son was a young teenager and there was nothing about him that he thought should interest Samuel, the man of God. This eighth son was so young that he did the lowest family chores. While his older brothers did all the big important things, he was always sent to look after the sheep. Let s look at what someone does to tend sheep. (Use board or make chart-see example. Discuss the points on the chart. Have the children add a few more.) Now what kind of heart must someone have to do these kinds of things (refer to chart)? So this last son, the eighth among the brothers was sent for. Read 1 Sam 16:12: So he sent for him and brought him in. Now he was ruddy and had beautiful eyes and a handsome appearance. And Jehovah said, Arise; anoint him, for this is he. And this is how the youngest son of Jesse was selected to be Israel s next king. Does anyone know what Jesse s youngest son s name is? (David) 7 2/14/2014

8 Chart for Tending Sheep Keep the sheep all together (how many sheep are in a flock?) Lead them to good grass to eat Make sure that not one is lost Lead them to brooks or ponds to drink Make sure the flock does not go too fast for the baby lambs Protect the flock from wild creatures that would eat them Huddle them all together at night Lose sleep to watch over them at night Protect them from getting scared and running wild Bind up any broken legs Seek out any lost sheep Give them special care when they get sick Carry them when they can t keep up with the flock Heart of a Shepherd Willing to be with the sheep instead of being in a warm bed Willing to listen to their baahs all day long Willing to protect them day and night Caring for the weak or hurt ones. This shows compassion. Give up comforts for oneself for those under his care. This shows a responsible heart. 8 2/14/2014

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10 Entering into Saul s Service Week Three References: 1 Samuel 16:12-23 Memory Verse: Daniel 5:21c...he came to know that God the Most High is the Ruler over the kingdom of men and sets over it whomever He wills. Story Points: 1. The Spirit came upon David and left Saul. 2. An evil spirit terrorized King Saul; Jehovah was no longer with him. 3. David was called to play the lyre before the king. 4. David entered into the king s service. 5. David played the lyre when the evil spirit came upon the king. 6. David became the king s armor bearer. Embedded Points: 1. What kind of job we can do in the future depends on our training as a youth. 2. We should learn to wait and not try to change our situation/environment. 3. We should admit it when we can t do something. 4. It s better to take the advice of the people of God rather than others. Emphasized Points: 1. Jehovah was no longer with Saul. He was with David. 2. Saul should have handed over his kingship. 3. God chose David to be king but David did not try to work it out. 4. God carries out His Word. He does what He says He will do. 5. To be skilled in anything one must apply himself diligently. Visual Aids: 1. Picture or drawing of a battle camp 2. Picture of lyre Songs: 1. God will do what He says He will do. 2. Whatever God says is true. Story Sample: After David (Jesse s youngest son) was anointed by Samuel (the man of God) the Spirit of Jehovah rushed upon David. The Spirit of Jehovah departed from king Saul and an evil spirit sent from Jehovah started to terrorize Saul. Of course Saul knew that Jehovah was no longer with him and that Jehovah was not for his kingship. Wow, if Jehovah was not for Saul or for Saul s being king, what should Saul have done when the Spirit of Jehovah left him and an evil spirit came to terrorize him?? (Ask a child) Right, he should have called for the man of God, Samuel, to see what Jehovah wanted him to do. Saul should have told Samuel that since the Spirit of Jehovah had left him, he would not be king over God s people. The Spirit s leaving Saul 10 2/14/2014

11 made it obvious that God had chosen someone else. But do you think Saul gave up being king? (Ask a child) NO! Instead of taking the advice of a man of God, he took the advice of one of his servants to find someone who could play the lyre to calm him so that he would not be terrorized. (Show picture of LYRE) A lyre is a stringed instrument that is strummed. The music would be soothing and calming, but it could never take away this evil completely! Let s go back to David. He was anointed by Samuel to be king and the Spirit of Jehovah rushed upon him. What do you think he should do now? Should he go to the king and demand that he leave the throne? Should he go to the people of Israel and stir them up to be for him and be against king Saul? Well, David did not do either. David realized that since God had selected him to be king that God would bring him to the throne. So David kept tending his father s flock. He did not do anything to change his situation. He did not try to work out how he was going to be king. He depended on God to do something to bring him into the kingship. READ 1 Samuel 16:18: And one of the attendants said, I have just seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skilled in playing (a lyre) and a mighty man of valor and a man of way and prudent in speech and of good presence, AND JEHOVAH IS WITH HIM. Now, how did David, Jesse s son become skilled at playing a lyre? To play in a skilled way is different from a beginner player who is just learning. Who here plays an instrument in a skilled way? (Pick an older one) Tell us how you are becoming skilled at playing the (piano, etc.). [child should say by taking lessons each week and by practicing for 30 minutes or more everyday] Right, to be skilled we must have lessons to teach us and then we have to practice every day. So David was taught to play the lyre and he practiced everyday. He practiced while tending the flock. Do you know that large herds of animals like sheep or cows are calmed down by gentle music or singing? Well they are. So David must have done a lot of practicing. Then Saul sent a messenger to Jesse and said, Send me David your son, who is among the sheep. So David came to Saul and entered into his service. He became one who served the king. He stood before the king and whenever the evil spirit was upon Saul, frightening him, David took his lyre and played it by hand and Saul was refreshed and was well and the evil spirit departed from him. Time after time David would play the lyre and the terror would leave king Saul. Now remember, we are not talking about a little child being afraid this was the mighty warrior king Saul who was terrorized. What a rescue David s playing was to the king. This made the king love David and he made David his armor bearer. An armor bearer carried all the equipment the king would need to use during the battle. It s kind of like today s golfers who have a caddy to carry all their clubs. Only, this was MUCH MORE dangerous! Now when the king s army went out to battle David went along to keep the king s extra armor, the spears and swords that he would use during battle. And don t think that he stayed behind in the tent. NO! He was there in the midst of the battle alongside the king. So maybe you thought that David was a little soft, maybe weak, since he played the lyre so well. But you were wrong! To stand there in battle loaded down with the spears and swords the king would use meant you were as brave as the king. If the king were killed the armor bearer would kill himself. It was a matter of loyalty to serve in this way. 11 2/14/2014

12 Then when the battle was over for the day did David not get a few days off? Let s consider this. Do you think king Saul s army just left their homes in the morning, marched off to fight a battle and then came home for supper that night and slept in their own beds? No, the army was camped for battle. They might be in battle for weeks and months. And there were thousands of men. The camp was a huge array of tents. (Might show or draw a picture of huge camp) How would the tents be put up? Who would be in which tent? How would they all be fed? There was a lot to administrate. If you did not have bright capable men running the camp it could be chaos. There were no cell phones so you could not just instantly dial a number and find out where your best warriors were. There had to be a lot of planning and detailed work done to set up a battle camp. David was one of the ones that helped carry out these kind of administrative things. (*Give and example about how you were given some responsibility as a child and how important it was for you to do the job well. Then relate how doing that as a child has made you responsible for many things now as an adult at your job, or taking care of your family, household, etc.) So in his younger years David tended sheep now as a young man he tends the army of the king. 12 2/14/2014

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14 Review Week Four The purpose of this week is to review the previous weeks. This is a good way to find out if the children have been listening and to check their long-term memory. In keeping with the burden of getting into the word as a family, we would encourage you to have the review done by family units (parents as well as children). Ask a family to do the review a week before and encourage them to work together to present the review. Remind them that the story time is only 15 minutes, so they do not need to make it last too long. Just touch on the main points of the last three weeks. If you are not able to find a family to help, another way to review would be to divide up into small circles, with one serving one in each group. The children will take turns telling the story (the serving one being there mainly to help by correcting if an error is made, or to give hints that will help them remember). This is also a time to review the memory verses, so choose a game that allows for more than one verse. Another way to review the stories is by using games or crafts. Some ideas: 1. Write small portions of the stories on index cards, doing multiple sets in different colors for teams. Pass the cards out to the children. Have them divide up into their teams. When you say, Go, they will put the story in order, working together, and the first team to do it correctly wins. 2. Run off some word searches for younger and crossword puzzles for older. There are websites that will do this for free you just enter the words or sentences and they automatically put it into the word search format. 3. Draw a picture that represents the story, then cut it up into puzzle pieces. Have them reassemble the pieces. 4. Play Hangman using names or words from the story. 5. Make a craft that in some way retells the story. (A booklet, foldout story or storyboard, etc.) Remember, the purpose is to reinforce the story and to encourage the families to talk about them in the homes, so try to think of ways that will accomplish this goal. 14 2/14/2014

15 Week Five Point to emphasize: Do not challenge or defy your folks, rather submit References: 1 Samuel 17:1-11 Memory verse: Psalm 10:16 Jehovah is King forever and ever. Visuals: 1. Map 2. Illustration of Goliath Activity: 1. Tossing items of different weights Songs: 1. Attitude 2. Be strong and of good courage (chorus only) Story sample: (Dear storyteller: the point of this story is not Goliath s height or weight, etc. Many details are in the story. But do not spend that much time on them. The focus should be on a defiant attitude ) From the time the children of Israel entered the Good Land, it seemed they always had enemies. Someone always wanted their land, and they always had to fight to keep it. Some of these enemies were the Philistines. At the time of David, they were the ones battling for the land. The Philistines gathered their armies for battle in Socoh, which is in Judah. And Saul and his armies gathered in the valley of Elah, and they prepared to do battle. The Philistines were on one mountain on one side of the valley and the Israelites were on another mountain on the other side of the valley. (see sample illustration 1) It seemed they were in order and ready to do battle. One of the Philistines came forward, a champion named Goliath, and called out to the Israelites. And he was a very BIG soldier. The Bible says he was six cubits and a span tall. Let s see now a cubit is about 18 and a span is about 8.75, so who can help me do the math on this? (Have a child come up and measure them first. Do the math on the board) So if Goliath was six cubits 6 times 18 equals 108. And if one foot equals 12, when you divide 108 by 12, you get 9 feet. Add 8.75 and you have Goliath standing at (NOTE: for younger children the math isn t necessary. Just use illustration 2) If he were to come in this room right now, he would have to stoop down just to come through the door. Now that is BIG! So he must have looked pretty frightening to the Israelites, don t you think? (Use illustration as you speak) And he was not just tall and skinny like our stickman Goliath. I m sure he had a lot of muscle to go on that body of his! 15 2/14/2014

16 And not only was he big, he was also dressed for the fiercest of battles. He wore a bronze helmet on his head, so that it would be very hard to harm his head. And then he was clothed with scaled armor, like the scales on a fish. It would be very hard for a spear to get through this armor, wouldn t it? Now this armor was very heavy, so Goliath must have been very strong. It weighed five thousand bronze shekels. Now, if a shekel weighs.4 ounces, then 5000 would weigh how much? 2000 ounces, or 125 pounds. That s a lot of weight to carry isn t it? (Again, for the younger, the math isn t necessary) That would be like carrying an adult on your back. And yet to still be able to move to fight, you would need to be very, very strong. And then his legs were covered with bronze also, for protection. Besides all the protection Goliath had, he also had weapons. He carried a sword, a javelin and a spear. The spear had a shaft the size of a weaver s beam. (show how big this would be) and the head of his spear weighed 600 iron shekels. Now how much does a shekel weigh? (.4 ounce) So 600 would be how much? (240 oz. or 15 lbs.) (Again, for the younger, the math isn t necessary. Instead have something to show them how much 15 lbs. is) This man was really strong. How far do you think you could throw 1 pound? how about 5 pounds? how about 10 pounds? And how about 15 pounds? (Try this either now or during activity time) And not only that, he also had someone go before him to carry his shield. Now Goliath had another weapon he used. It s called attitude. Can you tell me what this means? (How you present yourselves to others, how you behave) Some people have a good attitude. They cooperate, are willing to be reasonable, are pleasant, and usually nice to be around. I really like people with a good attitude, don t you? BUT, other people have a bad attitude. They put others down and make fun of others. They are proud, thinking they are better than anyone else, and always think they are right. They are not willing to cooperate, often not very pleasant, and usually not very nice to be around. They are usually the bullies of the world. I really don t like bad attitudes! Sometimes we have on a good attitude and sometimes we have on a bad attitude. (*Give a personal example of this, either of a time you were bullied, or a time when you showed a bad attitude and then corrected it to a good attitude when you realized you had been wrong) And Goliath well, he had a bad attitude, a defiant attitude. He proposed that if they would send just one Israelite who was willing to fight him, and he won, then the Philistines would become the servants of the Israelites. But if Goliath won, then the Israelites would become the servants of the Philistines. Goliath was so proud, he was sure he could defeat any Israelite. He was defiant. To be defiant is to openly resist authority or to challenge authority. Goliath was challenging all of God s people. He was defying them. You may think that you have never been as bad as Goliath. Well, one time I was with a mom and her daughter. The daughter wanted very much to go to a friend s house to do something special. Her mom told her no. She could not go because she had not finished her homework. That girl became so angry. She stomped her foot, put her hands on her hips and said, I don t care what you say! I am going! Isn t that defiant? I am afraid that some of us can think back just a few days and remember having this kind of attitude. Just telling this story this morning I remember when I was a child and... (use your own example). It made me want to go and tell that person how sorry I was for being defiant. Maybe this story will help us this week to consider our reactions to our folks and teachers-those who are in authority. 16 2/14/2014

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18 References: 1 Samuel 17:12-40 Memory verse: 1 Samuel 8:22 To obey is better than sacrifice. Songs: 1. R-E-S-P-O-N-S-I-B-I-L-I-T-Y 2. Be strong and of good courage (chorus) Story sample: Week Six Point to emphasize: We should be responsible So last week we left big huge Goliath standing there, all dressed for battle. But who would ever fight such a big man? Does anyone know? Yes, David. Now, you ll remember that David was the youngest of eight brothers. His dad was Jesse from Bethlehem. They had a nice big family and David was a good, reliable son. But being the youngest son wasn t always easy. The war with the Philistines went on for many years while David was growing up. When the time came to go off to battle the Philistines, do you think David got to go? Noooo! His oldest three brothers got to go off to fight the enemy. And what did David get to do? Stay home and take care of the sheep. Not quite as exciting, was it? But David did what he was told. He took the best care of those sheep, traveling back and forth between King Saul, who he played for, and Bethlehem, where the sheep were. He was an obedient, responsible son. (Give an example of someone who was the youngest in the family and felt like they never got to do what the older siblings did BUT accepted it and did not complain) But the day came when Jesse asked David to do something special. He asked him to take some food to his brothers on the battle line. I m sure he was probably excited to go off on such an adventure! But did he just take off without taking care of things? No. He made sure that the sheep were taken care of by another keeper first. It was his responsibility to take care of the sheep, so if he wasn t going to be there, then he needed to find another person to take care of them while he was gone. (give example of this point - Taking care of responsibilities before taking off to do something fun; or of failing to do so.) And then, when he got to the battlefield, did he just go running off to find his brothers? No. Remember, his dad Jesse had sent him with food for his brothers. He was responsible for that food and that his brothers receive it. He didn t just drop the food on the ground when he got there and take off to the battlefield. First he gave the food to the keeper of the equipment, making sure the food would be properly distributed. Then he could go off to find his brothers. (Give example of carrying through with chores instead of being swept away by the excitement of something) When I was young, one day my dad woke me up and told me we were going to Red Rock Canyon that day. I was soooo excited, because I loved Red Rock Canyon. There were all these 18 2/14/2014

19 big giant red rocks to climb on and caves to go into it was so much fun. So I jumped out of bed and jumped in my dad s truck and off we went! When we got home late that afternoon though, there stood my mom with the most disappointed look on her face. I had gone off without making my bed. I didn t act very responsibly, did I? Well, David wasn t that way. He was a very obedient, loyal, and responsible young person. Now what are some things that we did last week that showed we were responsible? Who turned in their homework on time? Who forgot to turn in their homework one time this week? (use these everyday examples to talk with the children) Hopefully this coming week we will remember a little about David and be more responsible. 19 2/14/2014

20 References: 1 Samuel 17:41-58 Week Seven Points to emphasize: We need to be diligent to practice; we honor our parents by how we conduct ourselves Memory verses: Exodus 19:5 Now therefore if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be my personal treasure from among all peoples, for all the earth is Mine. Songs: 1. Be strong and of good courage 2. Diligence Story sample: David knew that this was God s battle, not his, and that God always defeats his enemies. He decided that he would go against Goliath in battle. So David stood tall; he reached in his bag and he took one stone out. Then he put it into the sling. David must have been very skilled with the sling. I m sure he practiced a lot, to be such a good shot. Maybe he had even used it in the past to protect the sheep from lions and bears. And David swung that sling and let that stone go. He took perfect aim. David did a good job he did his target right the first time. He didn t even need all five stones. He did it with the first stone. (Give several examples of daily practicing something - piano, multiplication tables - so that under pressure you can do it) READ: 1 Samuel 17:50 Thus David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him; but there was no sword in David s hand The Philistines were standing back watching this whole thing as it happened. Do you think they rose up to fight on behalf of Goliath? NO! They were so frightened when they saw this that they turned and ran. And what about the Israelites? Well, they were encouraged by what they saw. They probably realized that David was right, that Jehovah was really with them. So, as God s people, they were encouraged. And they rose up to go fight the battle. They did not expect David to do it all. They went together and chased the Philistines off and plundered their camp. Sometimes it takes one brave person to stand for God. Then others will follow. I ve heard this from some of you children over the years. Some of the young people have told me stories about how at school they were afraid to tell others that they were Christians. They said the other children at school would tease them so much. Then one brave soul in their group would stand up and speak for the Lord. And the others would be so encouraged that they would do the same. This has happened again and again and again. 20 2/14/2014

21 And when people see this, they are impressed. People usually respect someone who stands for what they believe in. Saul was so impressed with what David did! He asked the captain of his army who David s father was. But Abner didn t know. Saul wanted to know who had raised such a fine young man. Saul asked him, Whose son are you, young man? And David answered him, The son of your servant Jesse the Bethlehemite. He honored the king by naming his father as a servant of the king. So how David behaved reflected his dad. (insert several stories of how your conduct honored your folks.) One time I got called into the principal s office for messing around during class. The principal scolded me and then called my mom. OH, I felt AWFUL as the principal told my mom what I had done. I was so ashamed because what I had done reflected on my mom. Now my mom knew how bad I could be. It was worse that being disciplined for messing around. Missing recess would have been easy but for my mom to be called made me so ashamed of myself. Maybe next week we will all have an example like David s of how we honored our folks by how we conducted ourselves. 21 2/14/2014

22 Week Eight Review The purpose of this week is to review the previous weeks. Remember, the story is not as important as that they remember the character points. For the past weeks, the points to emphasize were: 1. Do not challenge or defy your folks, rather submit 2. We should be responsible 3. We need to be diligent to practice; we honor our parents by how we conduct ourselves Try to find activities or discussions that emphasize these points. This is also a time to review the memory verses, so choose a game that allows for more than one verse. Another way to review the stories is by using games or crafts. Some ideas: 1. On separate pieces of paper, write the monthly verses and the addresses. Tape them on the wall or board, out of order. Have the children match the right ones together. Once finished, mix up the papers and put them up again and again until they are certain that they have the verses right. 2. Divide the class into two teams. Team one starts by saying a portion of the verse, then team two needs to finish the verse. If they can finish it, their team gets a point. If not, the point goes to team one. Then team two starts another verse. (do all three verses) 3. Divide the class into two teams. One will be the X team and the other will be the O team. Draw the tic-tac-toe framework on the board. If the child on a team can correctly say the verse, he or she can choose where to put the X or O. This continues until one team gets three in a row. Note: This can also be played by marking the floor with tape. The children could be given X and O cards (or go by color name badges or clothing) and they can stand in the square as they say it correctly. Draw a picture that represents the story, then cut it up into puzzle pieces. Have them reassemble the pieces. 4. Make a craft that in some way retells the story. (A booklet, foldout story or storyboard, etc.) 22 2/14/2014

23 David s Conduct Week 9 Point to emphasize: Others should see your behavior and look up to you References: 1 Samuel 18 Memory Verse: 1 Samuel 18:14 And David acted prudently in all his campaigns, and Jehovah was with him. Visual Aids: 1. Picture of a crowd 2. Picture of someone standing on a platform above a crowd Songs: 1. R-E-S-P-O-N-S-I-B-I-L-I-T-Y 2. Can you look em in the eye? Story sample: David went forth on every mission that King Saul sent him on. He carried out Saul s missions using sound judgment and managing the matters carefully. David was not rash or hurried; rather he was so wise in how he carried things out. So based upon this excellent performance in carrying out matters Saul set him over the men of battle. And all the people and the servants of Saul approved of David. Without trying to, David became a leader among the people. (insert a story of excellent performance on a project giving the way to rise and gain approval of others.) Now anyone in this position is bound too become well known. If I am a common foot soldier in an army (use picture of 1 person among many in a crowd), no one but my family and those in my unit will know much about me. But once you have such a high position (use picture of 1 person standing on platform above the crowd), it is easy for everyone to see what you do and what you say. And this is how it was for David. Once Saul sent him on missions and set him over the men of battle, it was easy for all to observe how he behaved himself. And how did David conduct himself? The verse says that David acted prudently. Prudently is not a word we hear very often. It means to use good judgment and to use common sense. The opposite of prudent is rash, reckless, hasty and careless. Here are some real situations that I have seen. You tell me if you see good judgment and common sense being used; or careless, hasty and reckless behavior. (discuss how each one s conduct could be changed to become the opposite. Depends on age group which examples you use.) 1) A 3rd grade boy let his little sister walk across the street with him without holding on to her hand. 2) A 2nd grade girl runs into the street chasing her dog. 3) A 1st grade girl puts a marble into her mouth while playing. 4) A 3rd grade boy races into a group of children without slowing down. 23 2/14/2014

24 5) A 5th grade boy reads his homework assignment to write a half page on a certain kind of dog; he decides he can whiz through this in 10 minutes; he writes quickly but does not reread what he wrote. (insert your own story concerning being prudent or rash and the consequences) David became known by his conduct. Likewise, we also become known by our conduct. Since David was prudent when he carried out his responsibilities, others appreciated and looked up to him. Are we known at school as the class clown or as someone who does not pay attention or does not follow instructions or talks back to others? Or are we like David who behaved in such a way that others looked up to him? 24 2/14/2014

25 Saul s Envy Week Ten Point to emphasize: Can you be happy with others success or are you jealous? References: 1 Samuel 18 Memory Verse: Galatians 5:26 Let us not become vainglorious, provoking one another, envying one another. Visual Aids 1. Map Songs: 1. I can choose my friends 2. Good Company Story Sample: At first when Saul was made king he behaved himself quite well. He took care of the nation of Israel by warring against their enemies. Saul was certainly qualified and capable to rule Israel. At first he appeared to be for God s kingdom. He won a mighty victory over the Ammonites (show Ammon on map) when they threatened Israel. This victory uplifted him in the eyes of the people. Then he fought the Philistines (show Philistia on map) and these two victories gave Saul the way to make a name for himself. He became know as a leader and valiant warrior among the people. It is sorry to say but people who have become leaders and are very good at something often become proud. When someone else comes along who can do as well or better they react jealously. When I was young we had spelling bees every year. I was a good speller, so every year I would win for my grade level. All the children in my class expected me to win every year. But when I got to the fifth grade, someone new moved to my school who was a better speller, and he won that year. I was so upset that I couldn t even congratulate him. I was jealous, and envied him for the award he received. Saul was like this. He had started out as a good leader to his people but when someone did better than him, he was jealous. David became the leading one in the battles. He was just better than Saul. Instead of congratulating David, Saul became very angry and jealous of all the attention David was getting. Instead of caring for what was best for the people of Israel Saul only cared about what was best for him! He wanted to get all the attention. He looked at David as his competition, even his enemy. I know that we say sports teaches us teamwork but it depends on our attitude. If you are playing kickball and someone on your team kicks and is able to run the bases what is your reaction? Are you really thrilled or is there something small inside that says, I wish that were me instead. If we are really a good team member then it should not matter to us who scores the points. But many times we have to admit that we are envious, wishing it had been us instead. (storyteller-insert your own experience) 25 2/14/2014

26 This is how Saul was. He and David were really on the same side but Saul was envious! He did not want David to be better than he. Saul became so jealous that sometimes he treated David as an enemy. Instead of being thankful to have someone as good as David with him, he was jealous. This week if we feel that twinge of jealousy towards someone, I hope we will remember this story of Saul and change our attitude to appreciate what others can do. 26 2/14/2014

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28 References: 1 Samuel 18 Week Eleven Points to emphasize: We can choose to be a good friend We should choose friends we can trust Memory Verse: Proverbs 18:24b but there is a true friend that sticks closer than a brother. Visual Aids 1. Yarn and knitting samples Songs: 1. I can choose my friends 2. Good Company 3. A friend loveth at all times Story Sample: Last week I was supposed to deliver an important paper to someone, but I was babysitting my grandson and it would have been very hard to accomplish with him tagging along. I was telling a friend about my problem and she said, How about if I do it for you? I was so relieved! Not only was I able to take care of this situation and take care of my grandson, I was also sure my friend would deliver the paper faithfully. What makes this one a good friend? (Write a list on the board as the children answer; encourage words like trust, respect, loyal, loving, etc. ) So these are good words to know. We should be a friend like this and we should have friends like this. (Give a personal example, describing one of your friends, or telling how you were a friend like this to someone.) In the Bible there is a good story about friends. It s in the book of Samuel. Can anyone tell me the names of these two friends? Yes, David and Jonathan. These two young people became very good friends. Now, we already know quite a bit about David, We know that he was responsible (caring for the sheep), obedient (doing as his father instructed him, taking supplies to his brother), brave (standing against Goliath), and that he believed God (in giving him the victory over Goliath). So Jehovah was with him, even when he fought in many battles for Israel (he was a prudent warrior). He sounds like the kind of friend I would like to have. But we haven t heard that much about Jonathan yet. Jonathan was the son of Saul, the king of Israel. At first, when Saul was made king, he behaved himself quite well. He took care of the nation of Israel by warring against their enemies. But later on, he came to build up a kingdom for himself, instead of taking care of God s kingdom. Saul wanted his son to be king after him. God had chosen Saul to be king but now Saul was choosing his son to be the next king. Saul did everything with the view to passing on the kingship to his son. 28 2/14/2014

29 Jonathan was present when David went up against Goliath. Jonathan, Saul s son, was watching David as he defeated Goliath and as he led the army to defeat Israel s enemies. He could not help but respect and regard what he saw in David. (storyteller-insert an example of seeing how someone conducted themself and how you respected them) When Jonathan saw and heard how David faced the situation, he respected David. Jonathan even befriended David, taking him as a very close friend. What Jonathan had seen in David caused him to pledge himself to support David in every way. David s words and actions showed his greatness and his wisdom and his reliance upon God. Jonathan could not help but admire, respect and highly esteem him for that. Jonathan gave David his robe, his sword, his bow and his belt as a pledge of their friendship. Now, these are things a warrior like Jonathan needed very much. So this shows his heart was knit to David and it shows that Jonathan s heart was very pure. Jonathan took care of David as he would take care of himself. Last week I was with my niece and saw her daughter give a friend her favorite toy, just to show her how much she liked her. She was willing to give up what she liked most for her friend. (Use your own example) READ 1 Samuel 18:1: the soul of Jonathan became knit with the soul of David; and Jonathan loved him like his own soul. Why does it say KNIT? (Show knitting to illustrate.) Do you see how these different strings of yarn are bound together by the knitting? At first there are two separate strings of yarn. You can easily tell one from the other. You can take the one and toss it away and it does not affect the other. But once they are knit, whatever you do with the one affects the other. You cannot undo them easily. This knitting shows how close Jonathan and David became. This is how loyal their friendship was. Next week let s see if you all can come back with a story of something you did for a friend. 29 2/14/2014

30 Review Week Twelve The purpose of this week is to review the previous weeks. Remember, the story is not as important as that they remember the character points. For the past weeks, the points to emphasize were: 1. Others should see your behavior and look up to you 2. Can you be happy with others success or are you jealous? 3. We can choose to be a good friend 4. We should choose friends we can trust Try to find activities or discussions that emphasize these points. This is also a time to review the memory verses, so choose a game that allows for more than one verse. Another way to review the stories is by using games or crafts. Some ideas: 1. Divide the class into two teams. Begin by saying the verse together five times. Team one starts by saying a portion of the verse, then team two needs to finish the verse. If they can finish it, their team gets a point. If not, the point goes to team one. Then team two starts with a portion of the verse. (and on and on) In the end both teams cheer for each other. 2. Run off some word searches for younger and crossword puzzles for older, using words from the stories or verses. 3. On separate pieces of paper, write the monthly verses and the addresses. Tape them on the wall or board, out of order. Have the children match the right ones together. Once finished, mix up the papers and put them up again and again until they are certain that they have the verses right. Remember, the purpose is to reinforce the story and to encourage the families to talk about them in the homes, so try to think of ways that will accomplish this goal. 30 2/14/2014