ISRAEL A NATION UNDER CONSTRUCTION JOURNEYS 7 12 GPS CURRICULUM SUMMER 2017 PRESTONWOOD BAPTIST CHURCH DR. JACK GRAHAM, PASTOR

Transcription

1 ISRAEL A NATION UNDER CONSTRUCTION JOURNEYS 7 12 GPS CURRICULUM SUMMER 2017 PRESTONWOOD BAPTIST CHURCH DR. JACK GRAHAM, PASTOR

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3 CONTENTS July 15/16 Journey 7: ORDINARY PEOPLE 7 The Love Story of Ruth and Boaz July 22/23 Journey 8: THE KING MAKER 23 Samuel: Judge, Priest and Prophet July 29/30 Journey 9: A POOR EXCUSE FOR A KING 41 The Rule of King Saul Aug 5/6 Journey 10: GIANT SLAYER 55 David Slays Goliath Aug 12/13 Journey 11: LONG LIVE THE KING! 71 David Is Crowned King Aug 19/20 Journey 12: BAD CHOICES! 89 David s Sin and Its Consequences

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5 7ORDINARY PEOPLE THE LOVE STORY OF RUTH AND BOAZ

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7 JOURNEY 7 BIBLE BACKGROUND You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit. John 15:16 ORDINARY PEOPLE THE LOVE STORY OF RUTH AND BOAZ PASSAGE Ruth 1 4 THOUGHT Discover the blessings that come from redemption in Christ. WORD Redemption JOY FROM DESPAIR (RUTH 1:1 10) The story of Ruth occurred in the days when the judges ruled Israel. It reveals that not everyone was evil and did what was right in his own eyes. This book of the Bible carries forward God s unfolding plan of redemption. It begins with heartache, but ends with great joy. It begins with the death of three ordinary men, but ends with the birth of a promised king. It begins in total despair, but ends with hope. God used a famine in the land of Judah to set in motion a beautiful love story that would culminate in the birth of a king. The cast of characters includes: Naomi, the grief-stricken wife, motherin-law and grandmother Ruth, a loving and caring daughterin-law Boaz, a distant relative who became the Kinsman-Redeemer Obed, the great-grandfather of King David A GOOD DAUGHTER- IN-LAW(RUTH 1:11 18) Elimelech and his wife, Naomi, lived in the town of Bethlehem when a great famine consumed the land. They decided to leave and go into the neighboring country of Moab with their two sons, who married wives while there. Tragically, Elimelech died in Moab and Naomi was left alone with her sons and daughters-in-law, Orpah and Ruth. Almost 10 years later, tragedy struck again when both of Naomi s sons died. Naomi longed to go back to Bethlehem and she told her daughters-in-law to return home to their own mothers and try to remarry. Orpah finally did as Naomi asked but Ruth could not bear to leave her mother-inlaw alone. Her vow to Naomi stands as one of the most beautiful statements of commitment in all the Bible. But Ruth said, Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. Ruth 1:16 7

8 J SEVEN GOING HOME (RUTH 1:19 22) Naomi and Ruth set out for Bethlehem. Ruth willingly left her own land to care for her aging mother-in-law whom she dearly loved. In all probability, the two returned to Naomi s old house. Ruth took the responsibility for making sure the house was in order and that they had food. It was the beginning of the barley harvest and according to the Hebrew law (Leviticus 19:9 10) when crops were harvested, the reapers were to leave some grain ungathered for the poor, the widows and strangers in need. Ruth knew about this gleaning allowance. Naomi gave her permission to go and find a field in which she could gather what had been left behind. Unknowingly, Ruth chose a field belonging to a relative of her father-in-law, Elimelech. That relative s name was Boaz. A KIND, CLOSE RELATIVE (RUTH 2 3) Boaz had seen Ruth in the field using her shawl or head covering to collect the grain and had inquired as to who she was. He was told how Ruth had left her homeland to accompany Naomi back to Bethlehem and how she lovingly cared for her. Boaz was struck by her beauty, commitment and humility. He told her to stay in his fields and glean only under the protection of his reapers. She was touched by the kindness this man showed to her, a total stranger. When Ruth returned home to tell Naomi of the encounter with Boaz, Naomi recognized God s hand of blessing and mercy. Boaz 8 was one of her close relatives. Such close relatives were considered redeemers because they had a legal right under the Law of Moses to redeem or buy back the property of a destitute relative and then marry the widow of the deceased relative if possible. Naomi hoped that Boaz would accept this responsibility as a close relative and assume the care of her own property and take Ruth as his wife. BOAZ: THE KINSMAN- REDEEMER (RUTH 3:1 18; 4:1 21) Naomi explained to Ruth this principle of the kinsman-redeemer. She told her how to present herself to Boaz in the evening by lying down at his feet on the threshing floor. This would be a sign that Ruth wanted Boaz to assume the responsibility of kinsman-redeemer. Boaz happily accepted her offer. However, it was necessary for him to speak to another man who, in reality, was a closer relative than he. Boaz approached this man to ask if he wanted to take responsibility for Ruth and Naomi. If he did, Boaz would have to step down. The man refused to take responsibility for them. In a public show of his desire to be released from the obligation, the close relative took off his sandal and gave it to Boaz in the presence of 10 witnesses. Boaz then declared his desire to assume this responsibility by buying the inheritance from Naomi of Ruth s deceased husband and then taking Ruth as his wife. It was exactly as God had planned. Naomi was overjoyed. God blessed Ruth and Boaz with a son whom they named Obed.

9 SEVEN J Naomi had returned to Bethlehem a griefstricken widow and a childless mother. Now because of Ruth s love and affection and the willingness of Boaz to become the kinsman-redeemer, God blessed Naomi with a happy home and a beautiful grandson. THE TRUE KINSMAN- REDEEMER (LUKE 2:1 6) Within the 85 verses that compose the book of Ruth, Ruth is described as a kind, caring and unselfish young woman. Such qualities are the foundation on which true godliness is built. God had seen Ruth s inner beauty and strength and He used her marriage to Boaz to bring to the nation of Israel His servant, King David. Through David s ancestors would eventually come the Messiah, who literally redeemed His people from their sin. God used seemingly ordinary people to accomplish His extraordinary will. The ancestry of David was in place as was that of Jesus, the Christ. The story of Ruth and Boaz illustrates in several ways how God provides and cares for those whose hearts are turned toward Him. Ruth did not just happen to go to the field of Boaz. God led her to his field. Boaz was very impressed with the kindness and the gentleness he saw in Ruth. These qualities came from her love for the one true God. Boaz willingly accepted his responsibility as the close relative and redeemed Ruth and Naomi from a life of poverty. Ruth and Boaz built the family out of which came the descendants of Jesus. Boaz and Ruth knew the prophecies about a coming Messiah, but they knew nothing of the part they would play in His arrival in history. Joseph took Mary to Bethlehem because he was of the house and lineage of David, the great-grandson of Obed, the son of Ruth and Boaz (Luke 2:4 6). This is why Jesus was born in Bethlehem as prophesied by Micah (Micah 5:2). Joseph and Mary had to go to Bethlehem about the time Jesus was born because of the census ordered by Caesar Augustus, but planned by God. All details had been precisely ordered before the foundation of the world. ORDINARY PEOPLE WITH EXTRAORDINARY FAITH The first chapter of Ruth paints a picture of a young woman grieving over the loss of her own husband but faithfully committed to the welfare of her mother-in-law. These two women were from two diverse backgrounds and two different generations. Their love and friendship found its root in their extraordinary faith in Yahweh. Their commitment to one another created the opportunity for God to work in their lives. The kindness and compassion that Ruth showed to Naomi are the qualities that attracted Boaz to Ruth. These are the same qualities Boaz himself showed to both women. These are the same qualities God has shown to man through the person and work of Jesus, the true Kinsman Redeemer. 9

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11 GRADES 1 4 TEACHING PLAN JOURNEY 7 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit. John 15:16 ORDINARY PEOPLE THE LOVE STORY OF RUTH AND BOAZ PASSAGE Ruth 1 4 THOUGHT Discover the blessings that come from redemption in Christ. WORD Redemption INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITIES A. A TUNNEL OF TROUBLES Divide the class into two groups troublemakers and best buds. 1. One group will form two lines that twist and turn around the room. They will make trouble for the best buds as they pass through. 2. The best-buds group will pair up as partners and walk through the tunnel with arms linked together. 3. The troublemakers will try to separate the partners using only two fingers. Remind the troublemakers to be gentle. 4. When all the best buds have walked through the tunnel, then reverse the roles and repeat the process. Debrief by asking these questions. What made it hard to go through the tunnel? Were you able to hold on to your best bud? How can difficult times pull friends apart? Why is it important to have a best bud? How could you reach out to people who have no close friends? What makes an extraordinary best bud? B. MY FUTURE PLANS Give each student a blank sheet of writing paper. Ask them to make a list of five different jobs/careers/occupations they would like to consider when they get older. Then ask them to rank them according to their own interest level. Have them indicate why they are drawn to a particular career. 11

12 J SEVEN GRADES 1 4 ASK: What do they think you will have to do to prepare for that line of work? Where would you like to live when you grow up city, state or area of the country? DISCUSS how you will finally figure out God s purpose for your life. TRANSITION to the Bible story by explaining that the main character in today s story thought she had her life all planned out. She discovered that her best bud was her mother-in-law. The life God planned for her was very different from the life she had planned for herself. God was going to use this ordinary young woman to build an extraordinary family of kings. EXPLORING THE BIBLE (Ruth 1 4) Here are some important points to make as you have the students find the book of Ruth. SAY: The story of Ruth took place during the time of the judges in Israel. A severe famine drove Naomi, her husband, and her sons into the neighboring country of Moab. However, Naomi s husband died there. She and her two boys stayed on and eventually her sons married women from Moab. Their names were Ruth and Orpah. However, after about 10 years, both of Naomi s sons died. Ruth was left with a grieving mother-in-law and sister-in-law. Orpah decided to return to her own parents household and left Ruth and Naomi. Ruth would not leave Naomi. Read aloud her sweet words of commitment in Ruth 1:16. A. SURVIVAL 101 (Ruth 2) ASK: Back home how would these two women survive? Let s see how the story turns out. Verses 1 2: How was Ruth able to gather food for herself and Naomi? Verses 8 10: What did Boaz tell Ruth? Verses 11 13: Why was Boaz so generous to Ruth? Verses 20 23: What did Naomi tell Ruth about Boaz? B. THE KINSMAN-REDEEMER (Ruth 3:1 11) SUMMARIZE briefly the principle of the kinsman-redeemer used during Bible times to retain the family property of a dead relative. Boaz would be the kinsman-redeemer for Naomi and Ruth. In doing so, he presented a picture of Christ acting as the great kinsman-redeemer for mankind. 12

13 GRADES 1 4 SEVEN J C. BOAZ REDEEMS RUTH (Ruth 4) CONTINUE reading the story in the Bible as time allows. Verses 1 5: What did Boaz ask the man who was a closer relative to Naomi and Ruth than he was? Verses 6 10: What did the man tell Boaz to do? Explain the use of the sandal as representing a transfer of property rights from one man to another. Verses 13 15: How did the love story end? Verse 17: Who is Obed and what is his relationship to David the shepherd boy and king of Israel? D. AN EXTRAORDINARY FAMILY TREE SAY: Ruth s life had not turned out exactly as she planned. It turned out according to God s plan. Read Matthew 1:5 6 to see how Boaz and Ruth are found in the New Testament. She had thought she would live a quiet life in Moab with her husband s parents, but all was changed by a famine. Grief-stricken, she committed herself to the care of her mother-in-law and placed her faith in the one true God of Israel, Yahweh. Her extraordinary kindness and love were noted by all who met her. God s chosen husband for her was a man filled with great kindness himself. Her new home would be Bethlehem; her great-grandson would be born there. He would become the extraordinary King David of Israel. Generations later this ordinary woman would also be found in the genealogy of another Kinsman-Redeemer who would become the King of Kings. God had used her faith to fulfill the most extraordinary plan of all God s redemption of mankind. THE CROSSROADS SAY: God is searching for those whose heart is turned toward Him. He uses ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary things that bring honor and glory to His name. God knows everything about us and He has made us so that we can bring honor to His name. He knows exactly what choices we will make. He will not force us to do His will; He wants us to choose to do His will because we love Him. We can make our plans but we must continually ask God what are His plans for us. How can He use us best to get the message of Christ s love to a world of lost people? We can choose from a wide variety of careers but our mission must always be the same: To live in faith a life that honors God and enables us to share Christ. The journey begins with a single decision to follow Christ. [Share the plan of salvation and close in prayer.] 13

14 J SEVEN GRADES 1 4 BIBLE LEARNING PROJECT: Heaven s Wedding Celebration Invitation Supplies: Preprinted invitations, self-adhesive jewels, Fill-in-the-Blanks example sheet, markers Distribute markers, example sheets and jewels among the tables. Provide each student with an invitation, and have them fold it in half. On the cover, instruct the students to write You Are Invited and decorate with several jewels. On the inside, have them fill in the blanks using the example sheet. Date: Time: Place: Occasion: Dress: RSVP:?? Heaven A Wedding Supper White Robe Romans 10:9 10 [Preprinted across the bottom] You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit. John 15:16 Students may decorate their invitation as desired. Make sure everyone understands the RSVP. Everyone is invited, but you can t come if you don t respond to the invitation. No one will force you to come, but why would anyone want to miss spending eternity with Jesus? Ask the students to think of one person with whom they would want to share this invitation and then allow a few minutes of prayer. SCRIPTURE MEMORY: John 15:16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit. 14 Display the key verse on a marker board or on a large poster. Repeat it several times and then begin this activity. Explain what it means to be chosen; to be appointed; and to be a fruit bearer. Choose two people to come to the front and together have them repeat the verse aloud. Then those two people will each choose one person to join them at the front and say the verse aloud. Then those four choose one each and so on until everyone in the class has been chosen to come to the front and say the verse. Conclude the activity by standing in front of each person and saying: I choose you to honor Christ with your life and to share God s love with others.

15 GRADES 1 4 SEVEN J HUDDLE GROUP SAY: What an unusual love story we read about today! Ruth really understood what it meant to love God. She went from tragedy to celebration. Boaz chose her, married her, blessed her, and took care of her all because he loved her. God loves us even though we don t deserve it. He allowed His Son to leave heaven and come to earth to die as a man because of the bad things we each do every single day. ASK the students the following questions to stimulate conversation. 1. Ruth s story has a sad beginning. Have you ever had to go through a hard time? How did you feel? 2. Ruth was a good friend to Naomi. What did she tell Naomi she would do? Do you know someone this week who needs a friend? What can you do to encourage them? 3. Ruth took good care of Naomi. Do you know an older person for whom you can care this week? How could you help them? 4. Ruth was one of Jesus ancestors. God had big plans for Ruth just as He has big plans for you. Ask God to give you the desire to be all He wants you to be. What is the number one area in your life you want God to help you with? 5. Who was Ruth s great-grandson? Who did he grow up to be? How can you be an extraordinary person for God this week? HUDDLE GROUP: A Look at the Book Allow the students an opportunity to locate stories about these ordinary people in the Bible who did extraordinary things. Joshua (Joshua 1:1 5) Noah (Genesis 7:1 5) Gideon (Judges 7:19 21) Adam (Genesis 3:17 19) Abraham (Genesis 12:1 3) Samson (Judges 16:23 28) Moses (Duteronomy 34:5 8) Joshua at Jericho (Joshua 6:17 21) The Pharaoh (Exodus 12:29 32) Rahab (Joshua 2:8 14) REVIEW QUESTIONS 1. Why did Naomi and her family leave Bethlehem and go to Moab? (famine in the land) 2. What happened to Naomi in Moab? (Her husband and her sons died.) 3. Who were her daughters-in-law? (Ruth and Orpah) 4. Why did Ruth want to stay with Naomi? (She loved her.) 5. What did she promise Naomi she would do? (go wherever she went) 6. What did Ruth think about Naomi s God? (She worshipped the one true God.) 15

16 J SEVEN GRADES Explain what a kinsman-redeemer is. (One who accepts the responsibility for a woman whose husband has died) 8. Who was Boaz? (a relative of Naomi s) 9. What provision did Boaz make for Ruth in the fields? (He allowed her to pick up the leftover wheat in his fields under the protection of his reapers.) 10. Explain the use of the sandal to represent a business transaction. (It was used to illustrate that one party was turning over responsibility to another party.) 11. What is the relationship between Obed and Naomi? (Naomi was his grandmother.) 12. What is the relationship between Ruth and King David? (She was his greatgrandmother.) 16

17 PRETEEN TEACHING PLAN JOURNEY 7 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit. John 15:16 ORDINARY PEOPLE THE LOVE STORY OF RUTH AND BOAZ PASSAGE Ruth 1 4 THOUGHT Discover the blessings that come from redemption in Christ. WORD Redemption INTRODUCTION MY FUTURE PLANS Give each student a blank sheet of writing paper. Ask them to make a list of five different jobs/careers/occupations they would like to consider when they get older. Then ask them to rank them according to their own interest level. Have them indicate why they are drawn to a particular career. ASK: What do they think you will have to do to prepare for that line of work? Where would you like to live when you grow up city, state or area of the country? DISCUSS how you will finally figure out God s purpose for your life. TRANSITION to the Bible story by explaining that the main character in today s story thought she had her life all planned out. She discovered that her best bud was her mother-in-law. The life God planned for her was very different from the life she had planned for herself. God was going to use this ordinary young woman to build an extraordinary family of kings. TRUTH (Ruth 1 4) Here are some important points to make as you have the students find the book of Ruth. SAY: The story of Ruth took place during the time of the judges in Israel. A severe famine drove Naomi, her husband, and her sons into the neighboring country of Moab. However, Naomi s husband died there. She and her two boys stayed on and eventually her sons married women from Moab. Their names were Ruth and Orpah. However, after about 10 years, both of Naomi s sons died. Ruth was left with a grieving mother- 17

18 J SEVEN PRETEEN in-law and sister-in-law. Orpah decided to return to her own parents household and left Ruth and Naomi. Ruth would not leave Naomi. Read aloud her sweet words of commitment in Ruth 1:16. A. SURVIVAL 101 (Ruth 2) ASK: Back home how would these two women survive? Let s see how the story turns out. Verses 1 2: How was Ruth able to gather food for herself and Naomi? Verses 8 10: What did Boaz tell Ruth? Verses 11 13: Why was Boaz so generous to Ruth? Verses 20 23: What did Naomi tell Ruth about Boaz? B. THE KINSMAN-REDEEMER (Ruth 3:1 11) SUMMARIZE briefly the principle of the kinsman-redeemer used during Bible times to retain the family property of a dead relative. Boaz would be the kinsman-redeemer for Naomi and Ruth. In doing so, he presented a picture of Christ acting as the great kinsman-redeemer for mankind. C. BOAZ REDEEMS RUTH (Ruth 4) CONTINUE reading the story in the Bible as time allows. Verses 1 5: What did Boaz ask the man who was a closer relative to Naomi and Ruth than he was? Verses 6 10: What did the man tell Boaz to do? Explain the use of the sandal as representing a transfer of property rights from one man to another. Verses 13 15: How did the love story end? Verse 17: Who is Obed and what is his relationship to David the shepherd boy and king of Israel? 18 D. AN EXTRAORDINARY FAMILY TREE SAY: Ruth s life had not turned out exactly as she planned. It turned out according to God s plan. Read Matthew 1:5 6 to see how Boaz and Ruth are found in the New Testament. She had thought she would live a quiet life in Moab with her husband s parents, but all was changed by a famine. Grief-stricken, she committed herself to the care of her mother-in-law and placed her faith in the one true God of Israel, Yahweh. Her extraordinary kindness and love were noted by all who met her. God s chosen husband for her was a man filled with great kindness himself. Her new home would be Bethlehem; her great-grandson would be born there. He would become the extraordinary King David of Israel. Generations later this ordinary woman would also be found in the genealogy of another Kinsman-Redeemer who would become the King of Kings. God had used her faith to fulfill the most extraordinary plan of all God s redemption of mankind.

19 PRETEEN SEVEN J SCRIPTURE MEMORY: John 15:16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit. Display the key verse on a marker board or on a large poster. Repeat it several times and then begin this activity. Explain what it means to be chosen; to be appointed; and to be a fruit bearer. Choose two people to come to the front and together have them repeat the verse aloud. Then those two people will each choose one person to join them at the front and say the verse aloud. Then those four choose one each and so on until everyone in the class has been chosen to come to the front and say the verse. Conclude the activity by standing in front of each person and saying: I choose you to honor Christ with your life and to share God s love with others. SAY: What an unusual love story we read about today! Ruth really understood what it meant to love God. She went from tragedy to celebration. Boaz chose her, married her, blessed her, and took care of her all because he loved her. God loves us even though we don t deserve it. He allowed His Son to leave heaven and come to earth to die as a man because of the bad things we each do every single day. ASK the students the following questions to stimulate conversation. 1. Ruth s story has a sad beginning. Have you ever had to go through a hard time? How did you feel? 2. Ruth was a good friend to Naomi. What did she tell Naomi she would do? Do you know someone this week who needs a friend? What can you do to encourage them? 3. Ruth took good care of Naomi. Do you know an older person for whom you can care this week? How could you help them? 4. Ruth was one of Jesus ancestors. God had big plans for Ruth just as He has big plans for you. Ask God to give you the desire to be all He wants you to be. What is the number one area in your life you want God to help you with? 5. Who was Ruth s great-grandson? Who did he grow up to be? How can you be an extraordinary person for God this week? A LOOK AT THE BOOK Allow the students an opportunity to locate stories about these ordinary people in the Bible who did extraordinary things. Joshua (Joshua 1:1 5) Noah (Genesis 7:1 5) Gideon (Judges 7:19 21) Adam (Genesis 3:17 19) Abraham (Genesis 12:1 3) 19

20 J SEVEN PRETEEN Samson (Judges 16:23 28) Moses (Duteronomy 34:5 8) Joshua at Jericho (Joshua 6:17 21) The Pharaoh (Exodus 12:29 32) Rahab (Joshua 2:8 14) REVIEW QUESTIONS 1. Why did Naomi and her family leave Bethlehem and go to Moab? (famine in the land) 2. What happened to Naomi in Moab? (Her husband and her sons died.) 3. Who were her daughters-in-law? (Ruth and Orpah) 4. Why did Ruth want to stay with Naomi? (She loved her.) 5. What did she promise Naomi she would do? (go wherever she went) 6. What did Ruth think about Naomi s God? (She worshipped the one true God.) 7. Explain what a kinsman-redeemer is. (One who accepts the responsibility for a woman whose husband has died) 8. Who was Boaz? (a relative of Naomi s) 9. What provision did Boaz make for Ruth in the fields? (He allowed her to pick up the leftover wheat in his fields under the protection of his reapers.) 10. Explain the use of the sandal to represent a business transaction. (It was used to illustrate that one party was turning over responsibility to another party.) 11. What is the relationship between Obed and Naomi? (Naomi was his grandmother.) 12. What is the relationship between Ruth and King David? (She was his greatgrandmother.) NOW WHAT? SAY: God is searching for those whose heart is turned toward Him. He uses ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary things that bring honor and glory to His name. God knows everything about us and He has made us so that we can bring honor to His name. He knows exactly what choices we will make. He will not force us to do His will; He wants us to choose to do His will because we love Him. We can make our plans but we must continually ask God what are His plans for us. How can He use us best to get the message of Christ s love to a world of lost people? We can choose from a wide variety of careers but our mission must always be the same: To live in faith a life that honors God and enables us to share Christ. The journey begins with a single decision to follow Christ. [Share the plan of salvation and close in prayer.] 20

21 8THE KING MAKER SAMUEL: JUDGE, PRIEST AND PROPHET

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23 JOURNEY 8 BIBLE BACKGROUND Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Proverbs 3:5 6 THE KING MAKER SAMUEL: JUDGE, PRIEST AND PROPHET PASSAGE 1 Samuel 1 8 THOUGHT Trust God to work out situations in your life for your good. WORD Trust DARK DAYS AHEAD Israel was on the brink of a new period in her history. The people had failed to drive out the enemy tribes in Canaan as God commanded them to do. Samson, distracted by pleasure and pride, had only partially dealt with the problem of the Philistines. As the book of Judges ends, the nation has been devastated by a civil war between the tribe of Benjamin, named for Joseph s younger brother, and the rest of Israel. Having rejected God s authority, the people suffer the consequences of their own sin, and yet still continue to do whatever they want (Judges 21:25). THE LAST JUDGE (1 SAMUEL 1 2) God s plan for His beloved Israel included one last judge to guide His people. Born to a woman barren for many years, the baby Samuel was consecrated to God s service by his mother, Hannah, even before he was born. After she had weaned him, Hannah brought him to the tabernacle at Shiloh and placed him under the care of Eli, the priest of the tabernacle. Eli had two other sons, but his indulgence of their immoral behavior was unacceptable to God. It was Samuel whom God had chosen not only to be a righteous judge but a priest and a prophet to the nation of Israel. A CALL TO PROPHESY (1 SAMUEL 3:11 18) As a young boy one night while sleeping, Samuel heard a voice calling him. Thinking it was Eli, who was old and blind, Samuel ran to see what he wanted. Eli told the boy he had not called him. He sent Samuel back to lie down. The same thing happened two more times. Finally, Eli realized that it was God speaking to the young boy. He told him to return to his room and the next time the voice spoke, he was to say: Speak, for your servant hears (1 Samuel 3:10). 23

24 J EIGHT Samuel returned to his room and lay quietly, listening for the voice to speak again. He heard God call his name and he told God he was listening. God then revealed to this young boy the first of many prophecies: Eli s sons had disgraced the name of God and Eli had not punished them for it. Therefore, Eli s house and spiritual lineage would come to an end. The next morning, Samuel was afraid to tell Eli what God had spoken. When Eli asked him, Samuel hesitated. Eli told him not to hide the truth but to speak it boldly lest God be dishonored. Samuel shared the prophecy with Eli and the old priest accepted God s just condemnation. From that time on, God spoke to Samuel and everything He said came to pass. Whenever God spoke, Samuel listened. RAIDERS OF THE ARK (1 SAMUEL 4) The Philistines continued to attack Israel at every opportunity. After having lost a terrible battle with them, the sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, thought they had a great idea. They brought the ark of the covenant out of the Holy of Holies and placed it in the middle of the camp as they fought the invading Philistines. It was their lucky charm to bring them victory, or so they thought. Instead, the Philistines prevailed and the ark was captured. This most sacred symbol of God s presence with His people held the tablets of stone, a jar of manna from the wilderness and Aaron s rod. It had been carved out of pure gold with cherubim kneeling to form the mercy seat of sacrifice. How desperate these two brothers had been to win! Both men were killed in battle 24 as the ark was carried off by an idolatrous people. When their father, Eli, heard what happened, he fell over backward, broke his neck and died (1 Samuel 4:18). AN IDOL BESIDE THE ARK (1 SAMUEL 5) The Philistines were elated with their capture of the ark. They placed it in a temple in the city of Ashdod beside the image of their god Dagon. However, somehow during the night, the Dagon idol fell from its altar. The idol s head and hands lay broken and scattered across the temple threshold. Within days, the people of Ashdod were afflicted with tumors on their bodies. The Philistine rulers called a meeting and decided to move the ark out of the city to see if the plague could be stopped. They moved the ark to Gath and again the people, young and old, broke out with tumors. From there, the Philistines moved it to Ekron and a great panic swept the city as again many died from the infected tumors that consumed their bodies, possibly carried by mice (1 Samuel 6:4). GET THIS ARK OUT OF HERE! (1 SAMUEL 6:1 19) The Philistines decided the ark must be returned to Israel before they were wiped out by the plague. They put it on a cart and sent it back to Israel along with a peace offering of tumors and mice carved out of gold. The ark was sacred to Yahweh and was not to be mishandled. When the people saw the ark coming down the road, they were curious and went out to see it. At least 70 people were killed because they opened the ark to examine

25 EIGHT J its contents. The ark was a unique symbol of God s presence and was always to be treated as sacred. THE EBENEZER STONE (1 SAMUEL 7:12 17) Eventually, it was decided that the ark was to be hidden in the home of Abinadab and there it remained for 20 years (1 Samuel 7:1 4) until David moved it closer to Jerusalem (2 Samuel 6:12) and Solomon later moved it into the temple (1 Kings 8:1).Samuel called the people together and asked them to cease from their idol worship and recommit themselves to Yahweh, the God of their forefathers. They poured out water as a sacrifice to show their own hearts poured out in repentance and humility. When The Philistines took note of the large gathering of Israelites, they seized the opportunity to attack. God sent loud claps of thunder to disorient them. Terrified, they turned back and ran away. The Israelites pursued them and slew them all along the way. Samuel erected a monument to commemorate their victory. He called the stone Ebenezer, a stone of help, to signify God s favor on the people. From that day forth, the Philistines were subdued and did not invade Israelite territory again while Samuel lived. 4 A KING FOR ISRAEL (1 SAMUEL 9) Throughout Samuel s judgeship, God s favor was upon the people. The Philistines returned control of the towns they had captured to Israel. Israel was able to deliver the neighboring territory from the control of the Philistines. There was peace between Israel and the Amorites. As Samuel grew older, he appointed his sons as judges, but they failed to follow the example of their father. As a result of their bribery and corruption, the people wanted a king for their leader like all the other nations had. Samuel was greatly disturbed by the people s demand for a king. He was grieved in his spirit as he laid the matter before the Lord. However, God had intended to give Israel a king (Genesis 49:10; Deuteronomy 17:14 20), but not yet. The people insisted on choosing their own king. Samuel understood that God was the only one to establish and remove kings. God told Samuel to do as the people asked and make Saul their king. God could teach His people important lessons about obedience even through their acts of disobedience. Samuel yielded to God s authority and did as He asked. Before he died, God would send Samuel to anoint the greatest king Israel would ever know. Out of this line would come the King of Kings the Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth. Samuel was God s trusted prophet, who served as a bridge between the judges of Israel and her rule by kings. God used him to initiate the anointing of a man as 4 Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing is a Christian hymn written by the 18th-century pastor and hymnist Robert Robinson, who penned the words at age 22 in the year The second stanza contains the lines: Here I raise my Ebenezer; Here by Thy great help I ve come; And I hope, by Thy good pleasure, Safely to arrive at home. 25

26 J EIGHT the nation s first king, a responsibility he argued with God about (1 Samuel 8:6 7). He is grouped with Moses and Aaron as men whose petitions to God were answered (Psalm 99:6). When Israel was consumed by a spirit of disobedience prior to the exile, Jeremiah recorded God s affirmation that the nation was beyond the defense of Moses and Samuel (Jeremiah 15:1). This is a clear indication of the high regard God had for Samuel. God knew that He could trust Samuel to do His will and to do it with excellence. It is humbling to realize the point at which God finds one worthy of His trust. Samuel understood that blessing would come only through obedience. 26

27 GRADES 1 4 TEACHING PLAN JOURNEY 8 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Proverbs 3:5 6 THE KING MAKER SAMUEL: JUDGE, PRIEST AND PROPHET PASSAGE 1 Samuel 1 8 THOUGHT Trust God to work out situations in your life for your good. WORD Trust INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITIES SAY: The key word for the day is trust! What does it mean to trust someone? (to have complete confidence in the reliability of another person or thing) Can you name someone you trust? Why are you so sure about that person? Learning to trust someone requires spending time with that person and listening and believing that what they tell you is absolutely one hundred percent true. How many times have we heard our parents, a teacher, a coach or a friend tell us to listen up? What does the phrase mean and why is it important? These are people we trust to tell us the truth; we should value their advice and listen carefully to what they say. Here is an activity to test the students ability to listen. Give these instructions. Younger students may line up at the end of the room. Older students may want to remain in their seats and keep track of the number of times the word lead is used in the following story. (The answer is seven.) Explain that you are going to read a story 5 and every time you say the word lead, the students are to take two giant steps forward. If they move on the wrong word, they will have to take two giant steps backward. You will need a helper to watch as you read. 5 Adapted from The Children s Workers Encyclopedia of Bible Teaching Ideas: Old Testament, pp , Group Publishing,

28 J EIGHT GRADES 1 4 Once there was a boy named Levi who often raked leaves for fun. He put leaves into piles stacked very high. Leaving his rake beside the house, Levi loved to lead his friends to the piles. They would leap and laugh in the leaves and even lead others to join. Before long a Little League joined in the fun. Let s lead others in raking up leaves in Leesville, Levi said. With the leaves piled high, the kids would lead others in jumping and squealing to land on the leaves below. This game was so great, Levi decided to lead his group into the woods and there they would pile leaves up to the sky. Hopefully, Levi s love of leaves would lead others to leave their Wii s to go and play in the leaves. Levi knew how to lead others to leaves. When you have finished, recognize the good listeners. Transition to the Bible story by SAYING that in our Bible study today we will meet a man who learned how to be a good listener when he was a small child. He grew up learning how to hear God. God placed great trust and confidence in this man as the nation of Israel was going through a very difficult time. Let s see what happened. EXPLORING THE BIBLE (1 Samuel 1 8) SAY: Today s lesson is about the last judge God allowed to lead His people. His name was Samuel and his story is one many of you may already know. The Israelites struggled constantly with disobeying God s commands. They worshipped idols. They broke the Ten Commandments. They failed to conquer their enemies and take the land that was theirs. God had called a special boy to serve Him in the house of Eli who was the high priest and served God in the tabernacle. A. SAMUEL AS A CHILD (1 SAMUEL 1) ASK: Verses 8 11: Why was this woman so sad? Where did she go to get help and what did she pray? What did she promise God? Verses 16 17: What did the priest Eli tell her? Verse 20: What was the child s name? Verses 27 28: Was Hannah going to be true to her commitment? B. SAMUEL MINISTERS WITH ELI (1 SAMUEL 3) ASK: Verses 1 2: With whom did Samuel serve in the tabernacle? 28

29 GRADES 1 4 EIGHT J Verses 3 9: How many times did Samuel hear a voice calling him? Finally, what did Eli tell him? Verses 10 14: What did Samuel do when He heard God s voice the next time? What did God tell him? Verses 15 19: Why was Samuel afraid to tell Eli? How did God bless Samuel? Verse 20: Not only would Samuel be a judge, he would also be recognized as what? C. SAMUEL AND THE ARK OF THE COVENANT (1 SAMUEL 5 7) SUMMARIZE: The Philistines continued to harass the Israelites. During a fierce battle, the sons of Eli thought they could use the ark of the covenant as a good luck charm. They took the ark out to the battlefield and set it down; they expected to win the battle because the ark was present. ASK: How was the ark of the covenant captured (1 Samuel 4:1 11)? How was it desecrated (1 Samuel 5:1 6)? Why was it returned to Israel (1 Samuel 5:11 6:3)? What did God do that resulted in the defeat of the Philistines? What is an Ebenezer Stone (1 Samuel 7:3 13)? How did God bless Samuel s leadership as a judge (1 Samuel 7:14)? D. ISRAEL DEMANDS A KING (1 SAMUEL 8:1 22) SAY: Throughout Samuel s judgeship, God s favor was upon the people. As Samuel grew older, he appointed his sons as judges but they did not have their father s character. They were corrupt in their dealings with the people and the people resented them. The Israelites began to look at the kings ruling other nations and they decided they wanted a king too. God had planned to give them a king at some future point (Deuteronomy 17:14 20) but they demanded one now. ASK: Verses 5 6: How did Samuel react when the people demanded a king? Verses 11 18: What did Samuel tell the people that a king would do to them? Verses 19 22: What did God finally tell Samuel to do? E. PEOPLE WHO DON T LISTEN UP! SAY: Sometimes people appear to be listening but they really don t comprehend what is being said. Samuel heard God s voice on many occasions. He recognized truth and he acted on it. The Israelites refused to listen to his counsel. They wanted a king and they wanted one now. They refused to listen to Samuel, God s trusted prophet. 29

30 J EIGHT GRADES 1 4 So many times in Israel s history God sent prophets to warn them about their rebellious behavior but they refused to listen. Therefore, God gave them what they asked for. Soon they realized it was not what they needed at all (Psalm 106:15). Eventually, God allowed the nation to be overtaken by other nations. The people were carried off into captivity and their cities were destroyed. If only they had been willing to trust Samuel and the counsel God had given him, things could have been so much different. God blesses those who listen and do His will. THE CROSSROADS SAY: God always gives the best to those who leave the choice to Him. God had planned a king for Israel from the very beginning. The king would come from the line of Judah, one of Joseph s 11 brothers. His name would be David and he would be a mighty ruler. One of David s descendants would be known as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. We know Him as Jesus, God s Son. Our ability to trust God and hear His voice begins when we receive Jesus into our lives. Once we have received Christ, we can trust Him to care for us and give us the assurance of eternal life. [Share the plan of salvation and close in prayer.] BIBLE LEARNING PROJECT: The Ebenezer Stone Supplies: Styrofoam cups, sheet with preprinted stone pattern and verse from 1 Samuel 7:12, glue sticks, tape, scissors, small pebbles Distribute scissors, tape, pebbles and glue sticks among the students. Provide each student with a cup and preprinted sheet. Instruct the students to cut along the outline on the sheet so that it will fit around the cup. Have them turn the cup upside down and affix one side of the paper to the cup with a piece of tape, then wrap the paper around the cup and secure the edge with another piece of tape. Help them apply a liberal amount of glue to the top of their Ebenezer Stone and affix several pebbles to finish their monument. Samuel understood that without God s help the nation of Israel could never have defeated the Philistines. Remind the students that when we trust God, He blesses us and helps us through difficult times. 30

31 GRADES 1 4 EIGHT J SCRIPTURE MEMORY: Proverbs 3:5 6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Proverbs 3:5 6 POINT OUT the key words in the verse: trust, lean, understanding, all, and straight. Explain what they mean in this context. Say the verse very loud, then softer and softer and softer. ASK the following questions and listen to the responses. Do you need help making right choices? Where do you think you can get help? Do you always want to do the right thing? Where do we find the truth? What can keep us from hearing God s voice? Are you willing to do whatever it takes to hear God s voice every day? CLOSE by having the students say the verse softly, then a little louder and then very loud. Close in prayer as you challenge the students to always place their trust in God so that He can place His trust in them. HUDDLE GROUP DISCUSS with the students situations where they feel they let someone down who was depending on them. Talk about how they felt, what they did to correct the situation, if anything, and what they should have done to avoid the difficulty. ASK the students to describe a time when they disappointed someone who had trusted them. Ask how they felt and what they did to make amends. Have the students make lists of the benefits of being trustworthy and the consequences of being untrustworthy. Discuss both lists with them and ask them to choose the one they think most honors God. Close with a few minutes of silent prayer when students can seek God s help to become more trustworthy. HUDDLE GROUP: A Look at the Book ASK the students to look up the following verses to understand better how God makes Himself known to us so that we can learn to trust Him. Psalm 19:1 through creation Romans 1:20 through our conscience John 16:13 through the Holy Spirit Romans 10:17 through His Word John 1:18 through His Son Proverbs 11:14 through the counsel of godly family and friends 31

32 J EIGHT GRADES 1 4 REVIEW QUESTIONS 1. Who was Hannah and why was she so upset? (She was Samuel s mother and she was grieved because she could not have a baby.) 2. Where did she go to seek help? (She prayed to God, where the high priest Eli overheard her.) 3. What did Hannah promise God? (She promised to dedicate her son to God s service all the days of his life.) 4. What was the message God gave Samuel? (Eli s sons would be punished because they did not honor God.) 5. How were the Philistines able to capture the ark of the covenant? (The sons of Eli used it as a good luck charm in the middle of a battle and the Philistines won.) 6. Why did they eventually return the ark to the Israelites? (because the people in the town where the ark was kept got sick with tumors and died) 7. Why did the Israelites want a king? (because the other nations were ruled by a king) 8. Why was having a king not a good idea? (A king would levy taxes, call up their sons for the army, limit their freedoms, and rule harshly.) 9. How did Samuel feel about Israel getting a king? (He was against it.) 10. How did God feel about the matter? (He told Samuel that the people were rejecting Him and not the prophet; He told Samuel to let the people have what they wanted.) 11. What was the meaning of the Ebenezer stone that Samuel raised up? ( God is my helper. ) 32

33 PRETEEN TEACHING PLAN JOURNEY 8 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Proverbs 3:5 6 THE KING MAKER SAMUEL: JUDGE, PRIEST AND PROPHET PASSAGE 1 Samuel 1 8 THOUGHT Trust God to work out situations in your life for your good. WORD Trust INTRODUCTION SAY: The key word for the day is trust! What does it mean to trust someone? (to have complete confidence in the reliability of another person or thing) Can you name someone you trust? Why are you so sure about that person? Learning to trust someone requires spending time with that person and listening and believing that what they tell you is absolutely one hundred percent true. How many times have we heard our parents, a teacher, a coach or a friend tell us to listen up? What does the phrase mean and why is it important? These are people we trust to tell us the truth; we should value their advice and listen carefully to what they say. Here is an activity to test the students ability to listen. Have the students listen to you read the paragraph below. Ask them to keep track of how many times you say the word lead. They should count seven times in all. Once there was a boy named Levi who often raked leaves for fun. He put leaves into piles stacked very high. Leaving his rake beside the house, Levi loved to lead his friends to the piles. They would leap and laugh in the leaves and even lead others to join. Before long a Little League joined in the fun. Let s lead others in raking up leaves in Leesville, Levi said. With the leaves piled high, the kids would lead others in jumping and squealing to land on the leaves below. This game was so great, Levi decided to lead his group into the woods and there they would pile leaves up to the sky. Hopefully, Levi s love of leaves would lead others to leave their Wii s to go and play in the leaves. Levi knew how to lead others to leaves. 33

34 J EIGHT PRETEEN When you have finished, recognize the good listeners. Transition to the Bible story by SAYING that in our Bible study today we will meet a man who learned how to be a good listener when he was a small child. He grew up learning how to hear God. God placed great trust and confidence in this man as the nation of Israel was going through a very difficult time. Let s see what happened. TRUTH (1 Samuel 1 8) SAY: Today s lesson is about the last judge God allowed to lead His people. His name was Samuel and his story is one many of you may already know. The Israelites struggled constantly with disobeying God s commands. They worshipped idols. They broke the Ten Commandments. They failed to conquer their enemies and take the land that was theirs. God had called a special boy to serve Him in the house of Eli who was the high priest and served God in the tabernacle. A. SAMUEL AS A CHILD (1 Samuel 1) ASK: Verses 8 11: Why was this woman so sad? Where did she go to get help and what did she pray? What did she promise God? Verses 16 17: What did the priest Eli tell her? Verse 20: What was the child s name? Verses 27 28: Was Hannah going to be true to her commitment? B. SAMUEL MINISTERS WITH ELI (1 Samuel 3) ASK: Verses 1 2: With whom did Samuel serve in the tabernacle? Verses 3 9: How many times did Samuel hear a voice calling him? Finally, what did Eli tell him? Verses 10 14: What did Samuel do when He heard God s voice the next time? What did God tell him? Verses 15 19: Why was Samuel afraid to tell Eli? How did God bless Samuel? Verse 20: Not only would Samuel be a judge, he would also be recognized as what? C. SAMUEL AND THE ARK OF THE COVENANT (1 Samuel 5 7) SUMMARIZE: The Philistines continued to harass the Israelites. During a fierce battle, the sons of Eli thought they could use the ark of the covenant as a good luck charm. They took the ark out to the battlefield and set it down; they expected to win the battle because the ark was present. 34

35 PRETEEN EIGHT J ASK: How was the ark of the covenant captured (1 Samuel 4:1 11)? How was it desecrated (1 Samuel 5:1 6)? Why was it returned to Israel (1 Samuel 5:11 6:3)? How did Samuel call the people to repentance and raise the Ebenezer Stone (1 Samuel 7:3 13)? How did God bless Samuel s leadership as a judge (1 Samuel 7:14)? D. ISRAEL DEMANDS A KING (1 Samuel 8:1 22) SAY: Throughout Samuel s judgeship, God s favor was upon the people. As Samuel grew older, he appointed his sons as judges but they did not have their father s character. They were corrupt in their dealings with the people and the people resented them. The Israelites began to look at the kings ruling other nations and they decided they wanted a king too. God had planned to give them a king at some future point (Deuteronomy 17:14 20) but they demanded one now. ASK: Verses 5 6: How did Samuel react when the people demanded a king? Verses 11 18: What did Samuel tell the people that a king would do to them? Verses 19 22: What did God finally tell Samuel to do? E. PEOPLE WHO DON T LISTEN UP! SAY: Sometimes people appear to be listening but they really don t comprehend what is being said. Samuel heard God s voice on many occasions. He recognized truth and he acted on it. The Israelites refused to listen to his counsel. They wanted a king and they wanted one now. They refused to listen to Samuel, God s trusted prophet. So many times in Israel s history God sent prophets to warn them about their rebellious behavior but they refused to listen. Therefore, God gave them what they asked for. Soon they realized it was not what they needed at all (Psalm 106:15). Eventually, God allowed the nation to be overtaken by other nations. The people were carried off into captivity and their cities were destroyed. If only they had been willing to trust Samuel and the counsel God had given him, things could have been so much different. God blesses those who listen and do His will. 35

36 J EIGHT PRETEEN CONNECTION: Proverbs 3:5 6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Proverbs 3:5 6 POINT OUT the key words in the verse: trust, lean, understanding, all and straight. Explain what they mean in this context. Say the verse very loud, then softer and softer and softer. ASK the following questions and listen to the responses. Do you need help making right choices? Where do you think you can get help? Do you always want to do the right thing? Where do we find the truth? What can keep us from hearing God s voice? Are you willing to do whatever it takes to hear God s voice every day? DISCUSS with the students situations where they feel they let someone down who was depending on them. Talk about how they felt, what they did to correct the situation, if anything, and what they should have done to avoid the difficulty. ASK the students to describe a time when they disappointed someone who had trusted them. Ask how they felt and what they did to make amends. Have the students make lists of the benefits of being trustworthy and the consequences of being untrustworthy. Discuss both lists with them and ask them to choose the one they think most honors God. Close with a few minutes of silent prayer when students can seek God s help to become more trustworthy. A LOOK AT THE BOOK ASK the students to look up the following verses to understand better how God makes Himself known to us so that we can learn to trust Him. Psalm 19:1 through creation Romans 1:20 through our conscience John 16:13 through the Holy Spirit Romans 10:17 through His Word John 1:18 through His Son Proverbs 11:14 through the counsel of godly family and friends 36

37 PRETEEN EIGHT J REVIEW QUESTIONS 1. Who was Hannah and why was she so upset? (She was Samuel s mother and she was grieved because she could not have a baby.) 2. Where did she go to seek help? (She prayed to God, where the high priest Eli overheard her.) 3. What did Hannah promise God? (She promised to dedicate her son to God s service all the days of his life.) 4. What was the message God gave Samuel? (Eli s sons would be punished because they did not honor God.) 5. How were the Philistines able to capture the ark of the covenant? (The sons of Eli used it as a good luck charm in the middle of a battle and the Philistines won.) 6. Why did they eventually return the ark to the Israelites? (because the people in the town where the ark was kept got sick with tumors and died) 7. Why did the Israelites want a king? (because the other nations were ruled by a king) 8. Why was having a king not a good idea? (A king would levy taxes, call up their sons for the army, limit their freedoms, and rule harshly.) 9. How did Samuel feel about Israel getting a king? (He was against it.) 10. How did God feel about the matter? (He told Samuel that the people were rejecting Him and not the prophet; He told Samuel to let the people have what they wanted.) 11. What was the meaning of the Ebenezer stone that Samuel raised up? ( God is my helper. ) NOW WHAT? SAY: God always gives the best to those who leave the choice to Him. God had planned a king for Israel from the very beginning. The king would come from the line of Judah, one of Joseph s 11 brothers. His name would be David and he would be a mighty ruler. One of David s descendants would be known as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. We know Him as Jesus, God s Son. Our ability to trust God and hear His voice begins when we receive Jesus into our lives. Once we have received Christ, we can trust Him to care for us and give us the assurance of eternal life. [Share the plan of salvation and close in prayer.] 37

38 J EIGHT PRETEEN 38

39 9A POOR EXCUSE FOR A KING THE RULE OF KING SAUL

40 40

41 JOURNEY 9 BIBLE BACKGROUND And you shall do what is right and good in the sight of the Lord, that it may go well with you. Deuteronomy 6:18 A POOR EXCUSE FOR A KING THE RULE OF KING SAUL PASSAGE 1 Samuel 8:1 22; THOUGHT Make good choices so that things may go well with you. WORD Choices JUDGE OR KING? The first book of Samuel describes the transition of leadership in Israel from the period of the judges to the period of the kings. The people thought it would be easier to follow an earthly king, but they jumped ahead of God s planning. They wanted to pick their own king, forgetting that God gives the best to those who leave the choice to Him. Israel had been a loosely knit confederacy of tribes. God called out certain leaders known as judges to rule and defend the people militarily when necessary. Samuel was the last of these judges. When he grew old, he made his sons judges over Israel, but they took bribes and acted unjustly. The elders of the tribes confronted Samuel with the situation and demanded he appoint a king. They wanted a king like all the other nations. SAMUEL S OBJECTION (1 SAMUEL 8:1 5) Samuel strongly objected to Israel s desire for a king. Perhaps he knew they would trust an earthly king more than God. Samuel had already seen signs of their limited faith. The people refused to listen to Samuel s concerns. They demanded a king for themselves. Up to this point, the Lord Himself had fought Israel s battles. The problem lay not in having a king but rather in wanting to be like all the other nations. Samuel must have wondered: Do they think that their human king would have greater power in battle than our omnipotent God? 41

42 J NINE GOD S DECISION (1 SAMUEL 8:6 18) Samuel went to God to lay the situation before Him and to ask for His guidance. The Lord said to Samuel, Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them (1 Samuel 8:7). However, God told Samuel to explain to them what a king would demand: The drafting of their sons into the king s army Taxation of the people by means of their food supply and herds Confiscation of the best of their fields, vineyards, and olive groves Limitation of their personal freedoms If a king is what the people wanted, then God told Samuel to let them have one. He would give them what they wanted but He would send leanness to their souls. GOD S CHOICE (1 SAMUEL 9:1 26) The people mistakenly thought they were choosing their king; God had already picked him out. A man named Saul came to see Samuel to inquire about the location of some lost donkeys. The day before, God had told Samuel that the next day He would send to him a man from the tribe of Benjamin who would be the king of Israel. As Saul approached, God spoke to Samuel s heart to indicate that this was the man who would be king. Samuel invited Saul to spend the night. The next day as Saul prepared to leave, Samuel revealed to him God s selection of him as king. There in the road, Samuel anointed Saul with oil as a sign of setting him apart as a special servant for God. Saul had come from a rich and powerful family of the tribe of Benjamin. He was tall and handsome and the people were impressed. They were more concerned about what he had and how he looked than the type of man he was. God knew that Saul would not always be loyal to Him. The king He wanted for His people would eventually come from the tribe of Judah (Genesis 49:10) but for a season, God allowed Samuel to give the people the king they wanted. THE CORONATION (1 SAMUEL 10:17 24) Samuel ordered the tribes of Israel to assemble. He declared that Saul had been selected from the tribe of Benjamin to be their new king. He used the occasion to remind the people that it was God who had brought them up out of bondage in the land of Egypt. By asking for a king, they had rebelled against God (1 Samuel 10:17 19). Then Samuel told them to stand and see the thing God had done for them. Samuel said of Saul: there is none like him among all the people (1 Samuel 10:24). The people were moved and shouted out loud: Long live the king! 42

43 NINE J A KING WITH A FOOLISH HEART (1 SAMUEL 14) King Saul began well in his rule over Israel. He was able to defeat the Ammonites by quickly mobilizing an army and fighting fiercely against the enemy (1 Samuel 11:11 15). Then Saul made a series of mistakes that revealed his weaknesses. Soon the Philistines threatened the people again. Saul waited seven days for Samuel to come and dedicate the battle to the Lord, but when he did not arrive, Saul acted in his place as priest and made the sacrificial offerings himself. Samuel was shocked that he would take such authority upon himself. God told Samuel that He would not bless Saul s reign in Israel. Saul failed to acknowledge Samuel s higher authority as God s divine messenger (1 Samuel 13:11 14). Jonathan, Saul s son, fought bravely to take a garrison of the Philistine army, but Saul took credit for the victory (1 Samuel 14:16 23). Another Philistine attack became long and drawn out. The Israelite army grew weary and battle-fatigued. Saul gave orders for the soldiers to fast until the enemy was routed. The men grew faint as the battle continued. Jonathan had not heard his father s command not to eat. That day he ate some honey to give him strength. When the Israelites could not prevail over the Philistines, Saul blamed Jonathan for having disobeyed his orders and threatened to kill him. Only when the people intervened in Jonathan s behalf was he spared (1 Samuel 14:43 46). SHOWDOWN WITH THE AMALEKITES (1 Samuel 15:1 35) Samuel told Saul that God had ordered the destruction of the Amalekites who had warred against Israel for years. The Israelites were to kill every man, woman and child. All livestock should be destroyed as well. There were to be no prisoners. Saul disobeyed God s direct order and brought back the king of the Amalekites and the best of his animals to show as examples of his military might. He even erected a monument to himself. God told Samuel He regretted ever making Saul king because of his failure to do as he was commanded (1 Samuel 15:11). Samuel gave Saul a scathing rebuke for his arrogance and pride. Saul would never rule Israel victoriously. Saul pleaded with Samuel to pardon his sin. He was afraid of how the people would view him without Samuel s blessing. Samuel relented and returned with Saul so that the people could praise God for the victory. Samuel himself killed the Amalekite king in obedience to God s command. He determined to never lay eyes on Saul again until the day of his death (1 Samuel 15:34 35). Samuel s spirit was grieved to see Saul s disregard for obedience. THE RIGHT KING God told Samuel to stop grieving over His rejection of Saul as king. God s original plan for Israel s king was about to take shape. God sent Samuel to a little village in Bethlehem to look for a man named Jesse. There among the sons of Jesse, Samuel would find God s choice for His king. 43

44 J NINE Samuel found seven young men in the home of Jesse. He told them he had come to offer a sacrifice to the Lord, and he invited them to join him. Each of the sons passed before Samuel, but he was not sure which son God had chosen. Perhaps Samuel was looking for one who resembled Saul in height and physical strength. God spoke to Samuel to remind him of an eternal truth: For the Lord sees not as man sees; man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart (1 Samuel 16:7). Finally, when all seven had passed by, and Samuel still had not found the one God had chosen, he asked Jesse if there were any more young men in the house. Jesse said his youngest son was in the field tending the sheep. Jesse sent for him to return to the house. When Samuel saw the young man, he knew immediately this was the one. That day Samuel anointed David as a sign that he had been set aside by the Lord to become the king of Israel. David was a man after God s own heart (Acts 13:22). God knew this to be true because He could see David s heart. He knew what David thought, what he felt, when he was sad, when he was glad, and what he thought of the great Yahweh. God saw David as a man with a heart as He Himself had compassionate, loving and just. God had chosen David to be king when the time was right. Saul would eventually be killed by the Philistines along with his son Jonathan. A surviving son of Saul would war with David over the kingship, but eventually David would become king over all of Israel. SAUL S LEGACY The blessings of God departed from Saul from that point on. He experienced extreme bouts of depression and anxiety; he withdrew to himself. He was given to fits of rage, hatred and jealousy. The nation of Israel suffered greatly from his lack of leadership. He had proven to be a pitiful excuse for a king. He refused to heed Samuel s warnings. His deliberate disobedience of God s commands affected everyone in the nation. His pleas for pardon were only meant to make himself look good in the eyes of the people. His descendants would never inherit the throne of Israel. God knew his every motive and selfish pride. If only Saul had repented, God would have returned His favor to the king. He gave the people what they wanted and then they discovered it was not what they needed at all (Psalm 106:15). The Philistines continued to attack Israel. No battle could secure permanent victory for God s people. Then one day a shepherd boy full of boldness and courage appeared on the scene to face a Philistine named Goliath. Things for Israel were about to change. 44

45 GRADES 1 4 TEACHING PLAN JOURNEY 9 And you shall do what is right and good in the sight of the Lord, that it may go well with you. Deuteronomy 6:18 A POOR EXCUSE FOR A KING THE RULE OF KING SAUL PASSAGE 1 Samuel 8:1 22; THOUGHT Make good choices so that things may go well with you. WORD Choices INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITY: King/Queen for a Day There is a line from the Disney movie The Lion King that says, It is good to be king. Offer one of your students the opportunity to be King/Queen for a Day. Ask them to describe the one thing they would do if they could be a king or queen. Take a few minutes and let different students sit on the throne and explain what they would do. When everyone has had a chance, ask the students to describe what makes a good king versus a bad king. Listen to their answers and use them to transition to the story about King Saul. Remind them of last week s story about how the Israelites demanded from Samuel that God give them a king. They were telling God what they wanted rather than asking what He wanted for them. NOTE TO TEACHERS: Do the Bible Learning Project first so that the students may use their signs to indicate their choices as the Bible story is told. EXPLORING THE BIBLE SAY: Even though the people demanded a king, God was still in charge. He led Samuel to a man named Saul who was from the tribe of Benjamin. He was a handsome man and very tall (1 Samuel 9:2). Was God really going to give the people the king they asked for? Let s see what happens. 45

46 J NINE GRADES 1 4 A. SAUL IS CROWNED (1 Samuel 10:20 24) ASK: Verses 17 21: Who called all of Israel together? What did he tell the people? Verses 22 24: Where was the new king hiding? Why was he hiding? (bad choice for a new king). How do you feel about Saul s decision to hide? [Hold up your signs.] How did he appear? What did the people shout out loud? How would you have voted? (Hold up your sign.) B. SAUL MAKES POOR CHOICES SAY: Time and time again Saul chose to do things his way, ignoring the commands from God that Samuel delivered. Here are some examples of what he did. [You can let students read the verses aloud or you can summarize and then ASK the questions.] 1 Samuel 13:11 14: Impatient for Samuel to arrive before battle with the Philistines, 6 Saul took his place and acted as a priest by offering a sacrifice. What did Samuel think of this? What did the Lord say? What do you think? [Hold up your signs.] 1 Samuel 14:22 23: What had Saul failed to provide his army? 1 Samuel 14:24 26: What had Saul kept from his army because he was so distressed? How can an army fight well without this? What do you think about this? [Hold up your signs.] 1 Samuel 14:27 30: Jonathan had not heard his father s order about no eating and so he ate. What did he eat? What did Jonathan say about the battle and the army s ability to eat? 1 Samuel 15:15 24: The Philistines had fled and now Israel was being attacked by the Amalekites. Samuel told Saul the Lord wanted him to totally destroy the Amalekites but he was not to bring any of their livestock back with them. What did Saul do? What did Samuel say? Whom did Saul fear more than God? What did Samuel tell Saul? What happened when Samuel turned to leave? What would you have done? [Hold up your signs.] 1 Samuel 15:26 28: Finally, God and Samuel had had enough. What did Samuel tell Saul was about to happen? How did Saul react? What happened to Israel that day? Was this a good thing? [Hold up your signs.] 1 Samuel 15:22 23: READ this passage aloud with great drama. It summarizes Saul s attitude to God This warlike group of idol worshippers was the leading enemy of Israel from the time of Samson to the middle of the reign of David. Eventually, the Philistine name came to refer to the southern part of the land along the Mediterranean Sea known as Palestine, as quoted from The Compact Bible Dictionary, Zondervan Publishing, 1967, p. 457.

47 GRADES 1 4 NINE J THE CROSSROADS SAY: Being king carries with it much responsibility. How could Saul have been a better king? Jesus spoke many times about His own kingdom. When He died, what sign did they hang on the cross? How is Jesus different from Saul as a king? EXPLAIN: The Israelites lived in Saul s kingdom because they had been born into Jewish families. How do people become part of Jesus kingdom? What does a person have to do to be born into God s forever kingdom? [Let the students share their ideas and then present the plan of salvation.] Ask the students what they think the consequences are for not choosing to be born into God s kingdom. [Listen to their answers and then explain how God does not force Himself on us but desires that every single person choose to make Jesus the King of their lives.] Whom would you choose as your king? [Hold up your signs.] BIBLE LEARNING PROJECT: Do-Right Signs Supplies: Black cardstock cut to 4 x5, craft sticks, chalk, tape, paper towels or tissues, label preprinted with Deuteronomy 6:18 NOTE: Complete this project at the beginning of class so it may be used as a teaching aid during the lesson. Distribute tape among the tables. Provide each student with a piece of cardstock, craft stick, piece of chalk, verse sticker and a paper towel or tissue. Instruct the students to affix the verse label at the bottom center of their cardstock then turn it over and tape the craft stick to the back. Explain that as the lesson is being taught, the teacher will ask questions. The students are to use their chalk to write the answer on their chalkboard. After each question, students can use their paper towel or tissue to erase their answer. Remind students that it is important to make choices that honor God. SCRIPTURE MEMORY: Deuteronomy 6:18 And you shall do what is right and good in the sight of the Lord, that it may go well with you. SAY: Saul would not listen to Samuel or to God. He wanted things his way, but his way hurt everyone else. We must be willing always to accept the will of God even when we do not understand it and when we are tempted to argue and beg for our own way. God s ways are higher than our ways and in time we will come to understand that He will always give us the best when we leave the choice to Him (Isaiah 55:8 9). Our choice must always begin and end with Jesus. 47

48 J NINE GRADES WRITE each word of the verse on a piece of butcher paper or newsprint with a marker. Put the words in a circle on the floor. Have the students march slowly around the circle saying each word as they walk past it. Then tell them to speed up and walk faster. Give a crown sticker to any student who can say the verse from memory. HUDDLE GROUP SAY: God gave the people what they wanted, but He knew that they would not obey His commandments. He also knew that King Saul would not consistently heed His voice and rule the people wisely. He knew Saul would take credit for the victories that would come. Ask the students to identify the consequences of Saul s wrong decisions. Then ask them to share some of the consequences they have experienced as a result of not obeying their parents and/or their teachers. Read Isaiah 55:8 9 aloud and ask the students to explain what the verse means. HUDDLE GROUP: A Look at the Book Have the students look up the following Scriptures and then tell you what consequences the Bible characters experienced. Ask them to identify the kind of choice each person made as good or bad and why. Genesis 3:22 24 Expulsion from the Garden of Eden Genesis 37:28 Joseph goes to Egypt Genesis 45:14 15 Joseph forgave his brothers; Israel was saved. Ruth 2:1 4 Ruth found a good husband. Judges 16:18 20 Samson lost his strength. 1 Samuel 31:1 4 Saul took his own life. John 19:16 18 Jesus was crucified. REVIEW QUESTIONS 1. Why did the people want a king? (to be like all the other nations) 2. Why did Saul offer the sacrifice before the battle with the Philistines? (He couldn t wait for Samuel to arrive.) 3. Who was Saul s son? (Jonathan) 4. After the Philistines fled, what did King Saul order people not to do? (eat) 5. Had Jonathan heard the order? (no) What did he do? (He ate some honey.) 6. What did God tell Saul to do with the Amalekites? (to kill every man, woman and child and to take no spoils) 7. What did Saul do? (He did not kill their king, Agag, but instead brought him back to the camp along with the best of their animals.) 8. What did God tell Samuel about Saul then? (That He was sorry He had made Saul king) 9. Why did God reject Saul as king? (because Saul repeatedly disobeyed God s orders) 10. What was Saul s response? (He begged Samuel to come back to him as he threw himself at Samuel s feet and tore his robe.)

49 PRETEEN TEACHING PLAN JOURNEY 9 And you shall do what is right and good in the sight of the Lord, that it may go well with you. Deuteronomy 6:18 A POOR EXCUSE FOR A KING THE RULE OF KING SAUL PASSAGE 1 Samuel 8:1 22; THOUGHT Make good choices so that things may go well with you. WORD Choices INTRODUCTION: King/Queen for a Day There is a line from the Disney movie The Lion King that says, It is good to be king. Offer one of your students the opportunity to be King/Queen for a Day. Ask them to describe the one thing they would do if they could be a king or queen. Take a few minutes and let different students sit on the throne and explain what they would do. When everyone has had a chance, ask the students to describe what makes a good king versus a bad king. Listen to their answers and use them to transition to the story about King Saul. Remind them of last week s story about how the Israelites demanded from Samuel that God give them a king. They were telling God what they wanted rather than asking what He wanted for them. TRUTH SAY: Even though the people demanded a king, God was still in charge. He led Samuel to a man named Saul who was from the tribe of Benjamin. He was a handsome man and very tall (1 Samuel 9:2). Was God really going to give the people the king they asked for? Let s see what happens. A. SAUL IS CROWNED (1 Samuel 10:20 24) ASK: Verses 17 21: Who called all of Israel together? What did he tell the people? Verses 22 24: Where was the new king hiding? Why was he hiding? (bad choice for a new king). How do you feel about Saul s decision to hide? How did he appear? What did the people shout out loud? How would you have voted? 49

50 J NINE PRETEEN B. SAUL MAKES POOR CHOICES SAY: Time and time again Saul chose to do things his way, ignoring the commands from God that Samuel delivered. Here are some examples of what he did. [You can let students read the verses aloud or you can summarize and then ASK the questions.] 1 Samuel 13:11 14: Impatient for Samuel to arrive before battle with the Philistines, 7 Saul took his place and acted as a priest by offering a sacrifice. What did Samuel think of this? What did the Lord say? What do you think? 1 Samuel 14:22 23: What had Saul failed to provide his army? 1 Samuel 14:24 26: What had Saul kept from his army because he was so distressed? How can an army fight well without this? What do you think about this? 1 Samuel 14:27 30: Jonathan had not heard his father s order about no eating and so he ate. What did he eat? What did Jonathan say about the battle and the army s ability to eat? 1 Samuel 15:15 24: The Philistines had fled and now Israel was being attacked by the Amalekites. Samuel told Saul the Lord wanted him to totally destroy the Amalekites but he was not to bring any of their livestock back with them. What did Saul do? What did Samuel say? Whom did Saul fear more than God? What did Samuel tell Saul? What happened when Samuel turned to leave? What would you have done? 1 Samuel 15:26 28: Finally, God and Samuel had had enough. What did Samuel tell Saul was about to happen? How did Saul react? What happened to Israel that day? Was this a good thing? 1 Samuel 15:22 23: READ this passage aloud with great drama. It summarizes Saul s attitude to God. CONNECTION: Deuteronomy 6:18 And you shall do what is right and good in the sight of the Lord, that it may go well with you. SAY: Saul would not listen to Samuel or to God. He wanted things his way, but his way hurt everyone else. We must be willing always to accept the will of God even when we do not understand it and when we are tempted to argue and beg for our own way. God s ways are higher than our ways and in time we will come to understand that He will always give us the best when we leave the choice to Him (Isaiah 55:8 9). Our choice must always begin and end with Jesus This warlike group of idol worshippers was the leading enemy of Israel from the time of Samson to the middle of the reign of David. Eventually, the Philistine name came to refer to the southern part of the land along the Mediterranean Sea known as Palestine, as quoted from The Compact Bible Dictionary, Zondervan Publishing, 1967, p. 457.

51 PRETEEN NINE J SAY: God gave the people what they wanted, but He knew that they would not obey His commandments. He also knew that King Saul would not consistently heed His voice and rule the people wisely. He knew Saul would take credit for the victories that would come. Ask the students to identify the consequences of Saul s wrong decisions. Then ask them to share some of the consequences they have experienced as a result of not obeying their parents and/or their teachers. Read Isaiah 55:8 9 aloud and ask the students to explain what the verse means. A LOOK AT THE BOOK Have the students look up the following Scriptures and then tell you what consequences the Bible characters experienced. Ask them to identify the kind of choice each person made as good or bad and why. Genesis 3:22 24 Expulsion from the Garden of Eden Genesis 37:28 Joseph goes to Egypt Genesis 45:14 15 Joseph forgave his brothers; Israel was saved. Ruth 2:1 4 Ruth found a good husband. Judges 16:18 20 Samson lost his strength. 1 Samuel 31:1 4 Saul took his own life. John 19:16 18 Jesus was crucified. REVIEW QUESTIONS 1. Why did the people want a king? (to be like all the other nations) 2. Why did Saul offer the sacrifice before the battle with the Philistines? (He couldn t wait for Samuel to arrive.) 3. Who was Saul s son? (Jonathan) 4. After the Philistines fled, what did King Saul order people not to do? (eat) 5. Had Jonathan heard the order? (no) What did he do? (He ate some honey.) 6. What did God tell Saul to do with the Amalekites? (to kill every man, woman and child and to take no spoils) 7. What did Saul do? (He did not kill their king, Agag, but instead brought him back to the camp along with the best of their animals.) 8. What did God tell Samuel about Saul then? (That He was sorry He had made Saul king) 9. Why did God reject Saul as king? (because Saul repeatedly disobeyed God s orders) 10. What was Saul s response? (He begged Samuel to come back to him as he threw himself at Samuel s feet and tore his robe.) 51

52 J NINE PRETEEN NOW WHAT? SAY: Being king carries with it much responsibility. How could Saul have been a better king? Jesus spoke many times about His own kingdom. When He died, what sign did they hang on the cross? How is Jesus different from Saul as a king? EXPLAIN: The Israelites lived in Saul s kingdom because they had been born into Jewish families. How do people become part of Jesus kingdom? What does a person have to do to be born into God s forever kingdom? [Let the students share their ideas and then present the plan of salvation.] Ask the students what they think the consequences are for not choosing to be born into God s kingdom. [Listen to their answers and then explain how God does not force Himself on us but desires that every single person choose to make Jesus the King of their lives.] Whom would you choose as your king? [Hold up your signs.] 52

53 10GIANT SLAYER DAVID SLAYS GOLIATH

54 54

55 JOURNEY 10 BIBLE BACKGROUND The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? Psalm 27:1 GIANT SLAYER DAVID SLAYS GOLIATH PASSAGE 1 Samuel 17:1 58 THOUGHT Face challenges with courage because you know God is with you. WORD Courage A SIMPLE SHEPHERD BOY David, the shepherd boy, made his way into the courts of King Saul when an aide to the king remembered a skillful musician in Bethlehem who could play the harp and possibly soothe the king s troubled soul. Saul had no idea that when he allowed David to come into his court that he was embracing the man who would eventually take his place as king. THE PHILISTINES RETURN (1 SAMUEL 17:1 16) A fierce battle between the Israelites and the Philistines was beginning to take shape. Each army occupied a hill located across from one another, each waiting for the other to attack. Forty days passed without a battle. In ancient times, often a champion from one army would go out to fight the champion of another army. The champion who won declared his army the victor; the other army retreated in shame. Where was the champion of Israel when Goliath came out onto the field of battle and made his challenge? King Saul should have accepted the challenge himself. Perhaps he doubted that God would help him defeat such a giant. For days, Goliath taunted the armies of King Saul with his own form of psychological warfare. Still, no one came forward to do battle with him. A GIANT OF A MAN (1 SAMUEL 17:4 7) Goliath was indeed an overpowering image to see standing on a field of battle. Bible scholars have determined his physical stature as follows. Goliath stood approximately 9 feet, 6 inches tall. His armor alone weighed 125 pounds. The iron tip of his spear probably weighed around 15 pounds. Everyone who saw him cowered in fear except for one little shepherd boy named David. 55

56 J TEN David had been sent to the field of battle by his father Jesse to check on his brothers. As he watched what unfolded before his eyes, he could not keep silent. Suddenly, the faint-hearted warriors of King Saul heard the young boy ask: Who is this Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God? (1 Samuel 17:26). David was shocked to see the helplessness of his fellow countrymen. David s brothers were very angry at him for being so impudent and insolent. Who did this kid think he was? King Saul told David that he was ill-prepared to fight the Philistine champion. David reminded the king how he had jerked a lamb out of the jaws of a lion with his bare hands and killed bears that threatened his sheep. David was sure that just as God had protected him then, so would God protect him now. A CHAMPION SELECTED (1 SAMUEL 17:37 40) Saul finally agreed to let David fight. The weak, cowardly king not only depended on David for emotional comfort but now allowed him to do battle in his place. King Saul dressed the boy in his armor. David could hardly walk in the armor and so he took it off and armed himself with only a staff, a slingshot and five smooth stones. The stones would have probably been a little smaller than baseballs. When thrown by an experienced slinger, they could possibly travel around 100 mph. 8 SHOCK AND AWE (1 SAMUEL 17:41 54) Goliath felt nothing but contempt for the pitiful specimen of a boy sent out to fight. He asked David if he thought he were a dog that could be whipped down with only sticks. He cursed David and assured him that the birds of the air and the beasts of the field would have him for dinner that night. David s response reflects a boldness and confidence only available to those who place their trust in a sovereign God (1 Samuel 17:45 47). As Goliath moved toward him, David ran to meet him. He reached into his bag and pulled out one stone and hurled it toward the giant. The stone found its mark and was implanted deep within the forehead of the Philistine. Goliath fell facedown on the ground. David ran toward him to see if he were dead. He picked up Goliath s sword and beheaded the giant. The Philistine army fled in fear, seeing their champion dead. The Israelites ran after them to finish the battle. The victory had been won because David s faith in the living God had given him the courage to take a stand. LIFE IN THE PALACE (1 SAMUEL 18) After killing Goliath, David apparently became part of Saul s court. Everything that Saul asked David to do, he did well. Promoted to junior commander in Saul s army, David s victories thrilled the nation but only made Saul 8 Com8mentary on 1 Samuel 17:40, The NIV Study Bible, Zondervan Bible Publishers, 1985, p

57 TEN J jealous. Saul eventually planned to kill David because he saw him as a rival before the people of Israel. Saul realized the Lord was with David and that the Lord s blessings had departed from him. In the course of his life in Saul s court, David had become great friends with Saul s son Jonathan. At the time, Jonathan didn t know that David had been anointed by Samuel to be Saul s successor. However, when Jonathan learned of the anointing, his feelings for David did not change. They had become close friends. Jonathan saw the blessing of God upon David. God had chosen David to rule over the nation and Jonathan willingly pledged his support. SAUL S UNCONTROLLED RAGE (1 SAMUEL 19 20) Jonathan was deeply troubled by his father s contempt for David. Twice Saul had tried to kill David by hurling a spear at him, but David managed to escape (1 Samuel 18:10 11). He devised a plan to determine if it were safe for David to remain in the king s court. It might be necessary that Jonathan send David away to protect his life. David s plan would determine Saul s true feelings. David would hide in the field outside the palace, while Jonathan went in to dine with the king. A signal would be given to let David know if it were safe for him to come in. Jonathan would shoot three arrows in David s direction out in the field. If the arrows were close to David, then Jonathan would send a boy to get the arrows and return. This indicated that David could come back to the palace. If the arrows landed beyond David s hiding place, then he would tell the boy the arrows were shot far beyond him. This indicated that David must run for his life. David did not attend the Feast of the New Moon in the palace. When Saul asked where he was, Jonathan explained he had gone to Bethlehem, but David was hiding in a field outside the palace. Furious because David was not there, Saul turned his wrath on Jonathan for having given him permission to leave. Saul demanded that Jonathan call David back to court. Jonathan challenged the king s command. Saul told Jonathan that unless David were killed, Jonathan could never ascend to the throne. In a fit of rage, Saul threw a spear in Jonathan s direction. Jonathan knew that David must flee for his life. He went out to shoot the arrows so that David would know to run for his life. The following day, David and Jonathan met for the last time. David bowed down in honor of his friend who had risked so much to help him escape. Jonathan saved David s life at the peril of losing his own. David s commitment of friendship to Jonathan that day extended to protection and provision for Jonathan s sons should something happen to him. The Bible affirms there is no greater love than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends (John 15:13). Jonathan had made a choice that honored God and would help to establish David s royal throne. 57

58 J TEN 58

59 GRADES 1 4 TEACHING PLAN JOURNEY 10 The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? Psalm 27:1 GIANT SLAYER DAVID SLAYS GOLIATH PASSAGE 1 Samuel 17:1 58 THOUGHT Face challenges with courage because you know God is with you. WORD Courage INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITY The key word for today is courage. ASK the kids: When you think of a strong man, what picture pops in your mind? Someone tall, big, muscular? A wrestler, a fighter, a weight lifter? [Divide the room in four groups. Give two groups a 10 length of butcher paper. Give two other groups the 5 lengths. Explain that today s story is about David and Goliath and you need their help to make some visual aids. Give them these instructions.] Have two groups of students draw a giant figure that could stand about 9 feet, 6 inches tall to represent Goliath. He needs a suit of armor including a helmet and a spear. His armor weighed 125 lbs. (1 Samuel 17:5) and the spearhead weighed around 16 lbs. (1 Samuel 17:7). Have two other groups of students draw another figure that is about 5 feet tall to represent David. He needs to be dressed in shepherd s clothing with no armor. When the figures are drawn, hang one set of them in your teaching area as a backdrop. Keep the other set for an activity following the story. Be sure to point out the difference in size. ASK: How willing would you be to face down an adversary of such size? EXPLORING THE BIBLE (1 Samuel 17:8 58) [Depending on the age group you teach, you may want to summarize some of the Bible content. You may not have enough time to read all the Scriptures.] SAY: The Philistines prepared to attack the Israelites again while Saul was still king. Both armies gathered on either side of the Valley of Elah and waited. Then the Philistines sent out their secret weapon a giant that stood more than 9 feet tall who gave the challenge. Forty days passed and neither army advanced (1 Samuel 17:16). King Saul should have been the one to step forward and accept the challenge but he was much too cowardly for that. 59

60 J TEN GRADES A. GOLIATH S CHALLENGE (1 Samuel 17:4 11) EXPLAIN the use of a champion on a battlefield to determine the outcome of a conflict. Each side sends out one combatant to represent the opposing armies. The outcome between the two representatives determines the outcome of the battle. Verses 8 10: Here are the terms of the battle. What was Goliath s challenge to the army of Israel? Verse 11: How did King Saul and the army of Israel feel about the challenge? (Saul feared men and did not trust God. Goliath was his worst nightmare come true.) B. DAVID VISITS HIS BROTHERS (1 Samuel 17:12 37) Verse 12: How many brothers did David have? Where had three of them gone? Verses 17 18: Why did Jesse send his youngest son David to the battlefield? Verses 23 25: What did David hear Goliath say? How did he see the soldiers react? What had Saul promised to the man who killed Goliath? Verse 26: David saw Goliath differently from the others. How had Goliath insulted God? Rather than riches, what would the man who killed Goliath gain? (prestige, good reputation, honor, respect) Verse 28: How did David s oldest brother react to his little brother s remarks? What unkind thing did Eliab say to David? Verses 32 36: What did David tell King Saul he would do? What was Saul s response? How did David justify his ability to kill this Philistine? (If he could keep his father s flocks safe from bears and lions, then he could keep his country safe from her enemies.) Verse 37: What did Saul fail to see in David s life that gave him such courage? (his unwavering faith in God s providential care) C. DAVID MEETS GOLIATH (1 Samuel 17:38 57) Verses 38 39: What did King Saul try to give David? Why? Verse 40: How did David prepare himself to go into battle? Verse 43: What did Goliath think of Israel s champion? Verse 45: What secret weapon did David tell Goliath he had? Verses 46 47: What did David promise to do for Goliath? What would David s victory mean? Verses 48 53: Describe how the battle went. Verse 57: What did David do with Goliath s head? D. DAVID S REWARD (1 Samuel 18:1 10) Verses 1 4: Where did David go to live? Who became his best friend? Verses 5 7: How well did David do in Saul s army? Verses 8 9: What happened to make Saul angry with David? Unknowingly, Saul had predicted what? (David s becoming king)

61 GRADES 1 4 TEN J E. SAUL S ATTEMPTS TO KILL DAVID (1 Samuel 19 20) EXPLAIN how Saul s jealousy led to attempts on David s life. Saul s son, Jonathan had become David s best friend. Their commitment to one another is a powerful example of genuine friendship. Jonathan should have been the rightful heir to Saul s throne but God had planned differently. Jonathan understood what a godly man David was and what a suitable king he would be for Israel. Therefore, he was willing to risk his own life so that David s life could be spared. Read aloud their parting scene in 1 Samuel 20: David would never see his friend alive again. THE CROSSROADS SAY: The last verse of 1 Samuel 17 declares the true identity of this giant-slayer David. He was the son of Jesse who was the son of Obed, who was the son of Ruth and Boaz from the tribe of Judah. His family home was in Bethlehem. In fact, Bethlehem became known as the City of David. Hundreds of years later, one of David s descendants would be born in the small town of Bethlehem; He, too, would come from the tribe of Judah. He would have the same ancestors as David. This boy born around 4 6 B.C. would also be a king, but first He had to become a sacrifice. Like David, He went into battle with a fierce adversary and emerged victorious. Both men had found the strength they needed to do the will of God. That same strength is available to each of us. [Share the plan of salvation and close in prayer.] BIBLE LEARNING PROJECT: Power Pouch Supplies: Canvas pouches, glass gems in faith colors (black, red, white/clear, blue, green, yellow), paper plates, Bible verse cards, permanent markers Distribute markers and a plate to each Huddle Group. Provide each student with a pouch, Bible verse card and one of each color of glass gem (put the gems on the plate and let the students take them when ready). Instruct the students to write Power Pouch on their canvas pouch and decorate as desired. Have them color the Bible verse card, fold it and place it inside the pouch. Go over the plan of salvation as represented by the color of each gem» Black: We have all sinned.» Red: Jesus shed His blood for us on the Cross.» White/Clear: Our sins are forgiven once we ask Jesus into our heart.» Blue: We follow Christ in baptism. 61

62 J TEN GRADES 1 4»» Green: We grow in our Christian faith.»» Yellow: We spend eternity with God in heaven. Have the students place one of each color in their pouch. Remind students that, as Christians, we should face challenges with courage because we know God is with us. He is our light, salvation and stronghold. Keep your Power Pouch as a reminder that we can face each day knowing that God is with us, and also as a way to share His salvation with others. SCRIPTURE MEMORY: Psalm 27:1 The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? PLACE the second set of paper figures of David and Goliath in the middle of the floor. Give each student a marker and ask the class to gather around the paper outlines. Point out the difference in the two biblical characters. One fought in the name of idol gods. The other fought bravely and confidently in the name of the Living God. David was not afraid and we need never be afraid if we have Jesus as our Savior. Give the students the following instructions. On the figure of Goliath, write the things that make you afraid, the things that you worry about happening. On the figure of David, write words and phrases from today s key verse. ALLOW a few minutes for the students to do this. Then, take a black marker and write across the figure of Goliath the words of Psalm 27:1 as the class repeats it aloud. Have everyone place their hand on the figure of David as you close in prayer. PRAY: God, give us the courage to take Christ as Savior, to follow Him in baptism, and to witness boldly to others in His name. Thank you God, for giving us the courage and strength we need to face our fears. Amen. HUDDLE GROUP SAY: When David looked at Goliath, he looked at him differently than did the soldiers in Saul s army. They saw only the giant standing before them. David saw a mortal man defying an immortal and omnipotent God. David looked at Goliath through God s eyes. That kind of perspective made Goliath look very small. David must have thought: Why, I can take this guy out with my sling shot. Viewing impossible situations from God s point of view helps us all put giant problems in a different perspective. 62

63 GRADES 1 4 TEN J ASK: What giant problems are you facing right now? What things seem like Goliaths to you? What would happen if you put a big God on top of your little problem? How would that change its size? How would that help you find a solution to the challenge? Where does a Christian find the strength to face life s challenges? The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? Psalm 27:1 HUDDLE GROUP: A Look at the Book Ask the children to find stories in the Bible where a Bible character showed great strength. You give them the Scripture reference to look up and they tell you who the Bible character was. Judges 14:5 6: Samson Genesis 32:24 28: Jacob Joshua 6:16 20: Joshua Judges 7:20 22: Gideon 1 Samuel 17:50 51: David John 20:17 18: Jesus REVIEW QUESTIONS 1. What does it mean when an army sends out a champion to do battle? (This is a reference to the use of two opponents who fight one another in order to determine the outcome of conflict between two armies.) 2. How long had the armies been waiting to begin battle? (40 days) 3. Who are the champions in today s story? (David and Goliath) 4. What two nations did they represent? (David, Israel; Goliath, the Philistines) 5. Who was the king of Israel during this battle? (King Saul) 6. How tall was Goliath? (approximately 9+ feet) 7. What did King Saul think of Goliath? (He was afraid to go out and meet him in battle.) 8. What did David say when he realized no one was willing to fight Goliath? (Who is this man who defies the armies of the Living God?) 9. How did David kill Goliath? (with a slingshot and one smooth stone) 10. Why did David take five stones with him if it only took one to kill the giant? (David was preparing himself for whatever the battle would require. Perhaps he thought some of the other Philistines might attack him after Goliath was taken down. David knew God was with him and therefore, he had no fear. He wanted to be prepared so that God could use him any way that was necessary.) 63

64 J TEN GRADES

65 PRETEEN TEACHING PLAN JOURNEY 10 The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? Psalm 27:1 GIANT SLAYER DAVID SLAYS GOLIATH PASSAGE 1 Samuel 17:1 58 THOUGHT Face challenges with courage because you know God is with you. WORD Courage INTRODUCTION The key word for today is courage. ASK the kids: When you think of a strong man, what picture pops in your mind? Someone tall, big, muscular? A wrestler, a fighter, a weight lifter? [Have the students discuss their various answers.] Have the students discuss a giant figure that could stand about 9 feet, 6 inches tall to represent Goliath. He needs a suit of armor including a helmet and a spear. His armor weighed 125 lbs. (1 Samuel 17:5) and the spearhead weighed around 16 lbs. (1 Samuel 17:7). Continue the discussion by talking about David, who was probably about five-and-ahalf feet tall. When finished discussing, have the students point out major differences. Be sure to point out the major size differences. ASK: How willing would you be to face down an adversary of such size? TRUTH (1 Samuel 17:8 58) SAY: The Philistines prepared to attack the Israelites again while Saul was still king. Both armies gathered on either side of the Valley of Elah and waited. Then the Philistines sent out their secret weapon a giant that stood more than 9 feet tall who gave the challenge. Forty days passed and neither army advanced (1 Samuel 17:16). King Saul should have been the one to step forward and accept the challenge but he was much too cowardly for that. 65

66 J TEN PRETEEN A. GOLIATH S CHALLENGE (1 Samuel 17:4 11) EXPLAIN the use of a champion on a battlefield to determine the outcome of a conflict. Each side sends out one combatant to represent the opposing armies. The outcome between the two representatives determines the outcome of the battle. Verses 8 10: Here are the terms of the battle. What was Goliath s challenge to the army of Israel? Verse 11: How did King Saul and the army of Israel feel about the challenge? (Saul feared men and did not trust God. Goliath was his worst nightmare come true.) B. DAVID VISITS HIS BROTHERS (1 Samuel 17:12 37) Verse 12: How many brothers did David have? Where had three of them gone? Verses 17 18: Why did Jesse send his youngest son David to the battlefield? Verses 23 25: What did David hear Goliath say? How did he see the soldiers react? What had Saul promised to the man who killed Goliath? Verse 26: David saw Goliath differently from the others. How had Goliath insulted God? Rather than riches, what would the man who killed Goliath gain? (prestige, good reputation, honor, respect) Verse 28: How did David s oldest brother react to his little brother s remarks? What unkind thing did Eliab say to David? Verses 32 36: What did David tell King Saul he would do? What was Saul s response? How did David justify his ability to kill this Philistine? (If he could keep his father s flocks safe from bears and lions, then he could keep his country safe from her enemies.) Verse 37: What did Saul fail to see in David s life that gave him such courage? (his unwavering faith in God s providential care) C. DAVID MEETS GOLIATH (1 Samuel 17:38 57) Verses 38 39: What did King Saul try to give David? Why? Verse 40: How did David prepare himself to go into battle? Verse 43: What did Goliath think of Israel s champion? Verse 45: What secret weapon did David tell Goliath he had? Verses 46 47: What did David promise to do for Goliath? What would David s victory mean? Verses 48 53: Describe how the battle went. Verse 57: What did David do with Goliath s head? D. DAVID S REWARD (1 Samuel 18:1 10) Verses 1 4: Where did David go to live? Who became his best friend? Verses 5 7: How well did David do in Saul s army? Verses 8 9: What happened to make Saul angry with David? Unknowingly, Saul had predicted what? (David s becoming king) 66

67 PRETEEN TEN J E. SAUL S ATTEMPTS TO KILL DAVID (1 Samuel 19 20) EXPLAIN how Saul s jealousy led to attempts on David s life. Saul s son, Jonathan had become David s best friend. Their commitment to one another is a powerful example of genuine friendship. Jonathan should have been the rightful heir to Saul s throne but God had planned differently. Jonathan understood what a godly man David was and what a suitable king he would be for Israel. Therefore, he was willing to risk his own life so that David s life could be spared. Read aloud their parting scene in 1 Samuel 20: David would never see his friend alive again. CONNECTION: Psalm 27:1 The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? Go over the verse a few times with the students. Allow them to recite it back to you until everyone can say it. SAY: When David looked at Goliath, he looked at him differently than did the soldiers in Saul s army. They saw only the giant standing before them. David saw a mortal man defying an immortal and omnipotent God. David looked at Goliath through God s eyes. That kind of perspective made Goliath look very small. David must have thought: Why, I can take this guy out with my sling shot. Viewing impossible situations from God s point of view helps us all put giant problems in a different perspective. ASK: What giant problems are you facing right now? What things seem like Goliaths to you? What would happen if you put a big God on top of your little problem? How would that change its size? How would that help you find a solution to the challenge? Where does a Christian find the strength to face life s challenges? The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? Psalm 27:1 A LOOK AT THE BOOK Ask the children to find stories in the Bible where a Bible character showed great strength. You give them the Scripture reference to look up and they tell you who the Bible character was. Judges 14:5 6: Samson Genesis 32:24 28: Jacob 67

68 J TEN PRETEEN Joshua 6:16 20: Joshua Judges 7:20 22: Gideon 1 Samuel 17:50 51: David John 20:17 18: Jesus REVIEW QUESTIONS What does it mean when an army sends out a champion to do battle? (This is a reference to the use of two opponents who fight one another in order to determine the outcome of conflict between two armies.) How long had the armies been waiting to begin battle? (40 days) Who are the champions in today s story? (David and Goliath) What two nations did they represent? (David, Israel; Goliath, the Philistines) Who was the king of Israel during this battle? (King Saul) How tall was Goliath? (approximately 9+ feet) What did King Saul think of Goliath? (He was afraid to go out and meet him in battle.) What did David say when he realized no one was willing to fight Goliath? (Who is this man who defies the armies of the Living God?) How did David kill Goliath? (with a slingshot and one smooth stone) Why did David take five stones with him if it only took one to kill the giant? (David was preparing himself for whatever the battle would require. Perhaps he thought some of the other Philistines might attack him after Goliath was taken down. David knew God was with him and therefore, he had no fear. He wanted to be prepared so that God could use him any way that was necessary.) NOW WHAT? SAY: The last verse of 1 Samuel 17 declares the true identity of this giant-slayer David. He was the son of Jesse who was the son of Obed, who was the son of Ruth and Boaz from the tribe of Judah. His family home was in Bethlehem. In fact, Bethlehem became known as the City of David. Hundreds of years later, one of David s ancestors would be born in the small town of Bethlehem; He, too, would come from the tribe of Judah. He would have the same ancestors as David. This boy born around 4 6 B.C. would also be a king, but first He had to become a sacrifice. Like David, He went into battle with a fierce adversary and emerged victorious. Both men had found the strength they needed to do the will of God. That same strength is available to each of us. [Share the plan of salvation and close in prayer.] 68

69 11 LONG LIVE THE KING! DAVID IS CROWNED KING

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71 JOURNEY 11 BIBLE BACKGROUND I have found in David the son of Jesse a man after my heart, who will do all my will. Acts 13:22 LONG LIVE THE KING! DAVID IS CROWNED KING PASSAGES 1 Samuel 16 2 Samuel 5: Chronicles 11:1 9 THOUGHT Seek to know God s plan for your life by studying His Word. WORD Plan AN UNACCEPTABLE SITUATION (1 SAMUEL 15) King Saul had proved to be a great disappointment to God as a king. God told Samuel He regretted ever having allowed Saul to become king (1 Samuel 15:10 11). Time after time, God gave specific instructions as to how Saul was to handle battle situations with the enemies of Israel. Time after time, Saul either did not do what God had told him or he did it only part way. Near Hebron, Saul took credit for one of the army s victories and built a monument to honor himself. He failed to utterly destroy the Amalekites and gave one excuse after another why he had disobeyed God. Instead of destroying everything that belonged to the Amalekites, Saul spared the king s life and kept the best of the sheep and cattle. He consistently did what he thought most profitable for himself. Saul s rejection of God s divine authority resulted in God s rejection of Saul s earthly authority. THE SEARCH FOR A NEW KING (1 SAMUEL 16:1 13) God instructed Samuel to find another to be king. God told him to go to Bethlehem to the house of Jesse from the tribe of Judah to find a king among his sons. There Samuel found seven young men in the home of Jesse. The prophet had come, he told them, to offer a sacrifice to the Lord and invited them to join him. Each of the sons passed before Samuel, but he was not sure which son God had chosen. Perhaps Samuel was looking for one who resembled Saul in height and physical strength. God spoke to Samuel to remind him of an eternal truth: For the Lord sees not as man sees; man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart (1 Samuel 16:7). 71

72 J ELEVEN 72 Finally, when all seven had passed by and Samuel still had not found the one God had chosen, he asked Jesse if there were any more young men in the house. Jesse said his youngest son was in the field tending the sheep. Jesse sent for him to return to the house. When Samuel saw the young man, he knew immediately this was the one. THE ANOINTED KING (1 SAMUEL 16:12 13) Before David fought Goliath, Samuel had anointed him as a sign that he had been set aside by the Lord to become the king of Israel. David was a man after God s own heart (Acts 13:22). God knew this to be true because He could see David s heart. He knew what David thought, what he felt, when he was sad, when he was glad, and what he thought of the great Yahweh. God saw David as a man with a heart like He Himself had compassionate, loving and just. God had chosen David to be king when the time was right. Saul would eventually be killed by the Philistines along with his son Jonathan. A surviving son of Saul would war with David but eventually David would become king over all of Israel. David had always been God s first choice as a king for His people. However, the people had wanted Saul. God gave them the desire of their hearts but sent leanness (regret) to their soul. Finally, Saul and his sons, including David s beloved friend Jonathan, were slain during a fierce battle with the Philistines. When Saul realized that the battle was lost, he fell on his own sword to avoid capture and torture. David was grief-stricken with the news and spent an entire day in mourning. He grieved the loss of his friend Jonathan. He regretted that King Saul had met such a terrible death at his own hand. In his sorrow, David wrote a tribute to Saul and his sons in 2 Samuel 1: A KING S REIGN (2 SAMUEL 5:1 11) David then turned his thoughts to what God would have him do now. It was time for him to become the king as Samuel had anointed him to be. David returned to Judah to meet with the elders of the tribe of Judah. They anointed him king at the age of 30 (2 Samuel 2:1 7). Still, there was a problem with the other tribes of Israel. They had fallen under the leadership of Ishbosheth, Saul s only surviving son. For more than seven years, the house of Saul struggled with the house of David for the right to rule Israel. David grew stronger and stronger under the hand of God and the house of Saul grew weaker (2 Samuel 3 4). Eventually, David and his army defeated these forces of Saul s son and all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron to acknowledge him as God s chosen leader. David made a covenant with them and they anointed him as king. The kingdom was united; Judah and Israel were one in purpose and heart under the strong leadership of David. King David and his men marched on the city of Jerusalem to drive out the Jebusites, one of the tribes who lived in Canaan at the time the children of Israel crossed over the

73 ELEVEN J Jordan. Jerusalem, the great walled city, would be a perfect site for a capital to unite the two regions since it lay on the border between Israel and Judah. This would now be called the City of David (2 Samuel 5:9). His kingship had been established politically and militarily. Next, he must re-establish the nation spiritually. He did this by returning the ark of the covenant to the capital city and placing it inside the tabernacle (2 Samuel 6:17). Under David s leadership, the nation prospered and its wealth was greatly increased. It was Israel s golden age. None of this would have been of any consequence had David not put God in the center of Israel s worship and national life. There was no idol worship and so Israel prospered greatly because the people did what was right in the sight of God. A MAN AFTER GOD S OWN HEART (ACTS 13:22) Nowhere in God s Word is there described a man of such versatility as David possessed. He was a shepherd boy, a court musician, a courageous warrior, a true friend, an outcast military leader, a great general, a wise king, a loving father, a gifted poet, a repentant sinner, a brokenhearted old man, but always a worshipper of God. 9 God sought this man because he loved like God did a man after His own heart. God wanted a man to reverence and obey Him. While others may look on the outward appearance, God looks on the inward man. He knew David s heart and He knew that it was like His own. That is why God chose this shepherd boy from Bethlehem to be the greatest king Israel would ever know until Christ. God knew David and David knew this about God. God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble (Psalm 46:1) whether David was in the field guarding the sheep; or defeating the Philistine giant Goliath; or fleeing the wrath of Saul. David s victories against the Philistines came through the power of an almighty God. David s wisdom to rule the people came from God s wisdom that filled his own heart. God was totally reliable because God is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8). God would never leave him or forsake him. The Lord is my helper; and I will not fear; what can man do to me (Hebrews 13:6)? From the ancestral line of this godly king would come God s Messiah, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. This was the way God had always planned things to be. God made an unconditional covenant with David to bless him forever (2 Samuel 7:8 17). David s name would be great. God s chosen people would have their own land in which to live. God would bring peace to Israel. One from David s family would build a great house for God. God would establish David s kingdom forever through One who would come from his seed, i.e., Christ. 9 Commentary on 1 Samuel 17:40, The NIV Study Bible, Zondervan Bible Publishers, 1985, p

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75 GRADES 1 4 TEACHING PLAN JOURNEY 11 I have found in David the son of Jesse a man after my heart, who will do all my will. Acts 13:22 LONG LIVE THE KING! DAVID IS CROWNED KING PASSAGES 1 Samuel 16 2 Samuel 5: Chronicles 11:1 9 THOUGHT Seek to know God s plan for your life by studying His Word. WORD Plan INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITY Prepare four small gifts. Put a candy bar in each of two plain, brown sacks. Use two pretty gift bags for the last two gifts. Place a cracker in each of these gift bags. Choose four students to come and select one gift. Have them open the gift and then discuss the reaction of each person. Ask the students why they were disappointed. Comment on the way they reacted as each bag was opened. Explain that Samuel felt the same dissatisfaction with the kind of king that Saul had turned out to be. Read 1 Samuel 16:7 and discuss. How does this verse relate to the choices you made about the gift bags? You thought the prettiest bag would hold the best gift, but that is not always the case, is it? Shortly thereafter, David fought and killed Goliath. Transition to the lesson for today. God had led Samuel to the home of Jesse in Bethlehem in search of a new king. There he found the young boy David and anointed him as Israel s future king. Soon David enlisted in the service of King Saul (1 Samuel 16:21). EXPLORING THE BIBLE Briefly review how Samuel had found David in the home of Jesse and anointed him as the future king of Israel. A. DAVID IS CHOSEN AND ANOINTED (1 Samuel 16:1 13) SAY: Verse 1: Where did God tell Samuel to go? Verses 2 5: Why was Samuel afraid? What did he tell Jesse? 75

76 J ELEVEN GRADES 1 4 Verse 7: What warning did God give Samuel? What qualities had people thought would make Saul a good king? (his stature and his appearance) Verses 10 11: What did Samuel say to Jesse after he had seen seven of his sons? Verses 12 13: How did Samuel know David was the one? [Explain the act of anointing as a symbolic way of setting someone aside for a special service. Show the sample of olive oil you brought.] What does it mean to say that the spirit of the Lord came powerfully on David? What do you think his brothers must have been thinking? EXPLAIN that it would be almost seven years before David would become king over all of Israel. Samuel s anointing had been done privately and would not be made public for some time. God had wanted Saul to unify the 12 tribes of Israel. Instead, they were often at war with one another. Saul continued to rule, but in the end, he was finally defeated by the Philistines. They killed Jonathan and his brothers and severely wounded Saul with an arrow. Realizing his dreams for fame and glory were at an end, Saul committed suicide by falling on his own sword (1 Samuel 31:4). B. DAVID IS ANOINTED KING OF JUDAH (2 Samuel 2:4 7) SAY: When news reached David of Jonathan s death and the suicide of Saul, he was grief-stricken. Read 2 Samuel 1:10 12 to see how David reacted. He grieved over Saul s failure to trust in God. He grieved over the loss of his best friend Jonathan. David waited for God to tell him what to do. Verse 1: Where did God tell David to go? Verse 4: Who came to him there and what happened? Verse 5: How did David reach out to the other tribes in Israel? SAY: For five years, Saul s only surviving son, Ishbosheth, struggled to defeat the Philistines in the northern regions of the Promised Land and to rule his father s kingdom. For a time, Israel and Judah were at war with one another. Eventually, two of his own men killed Ishbosheth in the middle of the night. He had been a poor ruler and commander of the northern tribes of Israel. C. DAVID IS KING OF ALL ISRAEL (2 Samuel 5:1 5) SAY: The tribes of Israel were still struggling against the Philistines; they came to David. Verse 1: What did the tribes of Israel say to David? Verse 3: What kind of covenant did they make with David? What did the elders of Israel do at Hebron? At last the nation was united under David s kingship. Verses 4 5: How old was David when he was made king of all Israel? How many years did he rule? 76

77 GRADES 1 4 ELEVEN J D. A MAN AFTER GOD S OWN HEART What made David different from Saul? The answer is found in the speech David made to Goliath on the field of battle before he killed the giant. [Read it aloud in 1 Samuel 17:45 47 with great drama and passion.] There was no doubt that in David God had found a man whose absolute total trust was in Him. In every battle it was God who gave David the victory and David understood this full well. Success had not come by his might or sword but by God showing him favor. God has a plan for those who give their lives to Him. It was God s plan for David to be king of a united Israel. David sought to bring honor to God in everything he did and God was able to do mighty things. David had great victories against the enemies of Israel (1 Samuel 18:5 16). David united the 12 tribes and Israel and Judah became one nation (2 Samuel 3:1). Jerusalem became the capital city of the nation of Israel (2 Samuel 5:6 7). He brought the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem eventually and placed it inside the tabernacle (2 Samuel 6:15 17). David desired to build a great house of worship for God (1 Chronicles 17:4 5) but this endeavor would be given to his son Solomon. THE CROSSROADS SAY: God had always planned for a king to rule His people from the tribe of Judah. Now God s king was finally on the throne. Once a simple shepherd boy, David considered all that God had done for him and through him. By the prophet Nathan, God reaffirmed His promise to establish the throne of David s kingdom forever. He promised never to take His mercy from him as He had done with Saul (2 Samuel 7:8 11). How did God keep this promise to David? How could David s kingdom last forever? God s perfect plan of redemption would run through the house of David. Hundreds of years later, one of David s descendants would be born in Bethlehem. He would have the same ancestors as David: Rahab, Ruth, Boaz, Obed, Jesse and many others. The Old Testament prophets foretold His coming and called Him the Son of David. Before He would rule as king, He would offer Himself as a sacrifice, a ransom, for the souls of mankind. His sacrifice would satisfy the punishment that sin required. Life in His kingdom would require that one be born into His family, i.e., to be adopted as one of His children. [Share the plan of salvation as you explain how to be born into God s family. Close in prayer.] If you have received Christ as Savior, then you have made the most important decision 77

78 J ELEVEN GRADES you will ever make. Even though you have been born again into God s family, there are times when you will sin, as we all do. When that happens, we must ask God to forgive our sin and to make us clean again. He has promised to do this whenever we call upon His name in faith. It is important to stop and pray today for God s forgiveness. [Pause for a minute and pray for the unsaved and for the saved child.] BIBLE LEARNING PROJECT: Jeweled Crowns Supplies: Cardboard frames, tracer sheet preprinted with a crown image, craft foil squares, pens, tape, self-adhesive jewels, markers Distribute markers, pens, tape and jewels to each table. Provide each student with a cardboard frame, tracer sheet and foil square. Instruct the students to use markers to write Jesus across the top of the frame, and God s Plan across the bottom, and set it aside. Next, place the tracer sheet over the foil square and trace the design with the pen, pressing hard. Once the tracing is complete, have the students tape the foil to the back of the frame. Now they can affix several jewels to their frame and decorate with markers as desired. SCRIPTURE MEMORY: Acts 13:22 I have found in David the son of Jesse a man after my heart, who will do all my will. Follow these instructions. Give each student a red paper heart. Tell them to write the key verse on the heart, but instead of writing David the son of Jesse, they are to write their own name and the name of their parents. Supply an example for each Huddle Group. I have found in, the son or daughter of, a young person, after my heart, who will do all my will. Acts 13:22 Have everyone say the verse, filling in the information about himself. Ask the students to put this heart some place special in their rooms (maybe on a mirror) where they can see it each day and remember that they, like David, have been anointed, or set aside, to do God s will. God has a special plan for each of us who give our lives to Him in faith.

79 GRADES 1 4 ELEVEN J HUDDLE GROUP SAY: It is quite significant that God would describe David as a man after His own heart. ASK the students these questions to stimulate discussion: What do you think God meant when He said this about David? What did you see in David s life that fit this description? David was anointed as king by Samuel when he was probably a teenager. What do you know about David that made him willing to wait until the time was right? Why would David have been glad he waited? Why is it so hard to wait for God to show us His way? READ Isaiah 55:8 9. ASK the students to explain what this verse means. CLOSE by sharing this saying: God gives the best to those who leave the choice to Him. What does this saying tell you about God s plan for your life? If you want His best in your life, what should you tell Him every day? ALLOW students to spend a few minutes in quiet prayer and then you close. HUDDLE GROUP: A Look at the Book David was an important Bible character. He loved God with his whole heart. Let s walk through a few books of the Bible to find out other interesting things about David. Have the students look up the following Scriptures. David is chosen as king (1 Samuel 16:11 13). David was a victorious commander (2 Samuel 8:2 3). David was a great king (2 Samuel 5:3 5). David was a very good friend (1 Samuel 18:1 3). David planned to build a temple for God (1 Chronicles 22). David was an ancestor of the Messiah (Luke 2:4). David is considered a hero of the faith (Hebrews 11:32). David passes his rule on to his son Solomon (1 Kings 2:1 4). 79

80 J ELEVEN GRADES 1 4 REVIEW QUESTIONS 1. Where did the next king of Israel live? (in Bethlehem) 2. What was his father s name? (Jesse) 3. How many brothers did he have? (seven) 4. What was his job in the family? (watch over his father s flocks) 5. Who came to Jesse s house in search of a king? (Samuel) 6. What did Samuel do in front of David s family to show that David had been set aside for service to God? (anointed him with oil) 7. Why did David have to wait to be king? (Saul was still king. His appointed time had not come yet.) 8. Describe the relationship between David and Jonathan, Saul s son? (They were the best of friends.) 9. How did King Saul die? (He was wounded in battle and then killed himself.) 10. How long did David rule over Israel? (seven years over Judah, then 33 years over a united Judah and Israel) 11. Where was the capital city of the united Israel located? (Jerusalem) 12. Name two of David s ancestors. (Ruth, Boaz, Naomi, or Obed) 13. Name his most important descendant. (Jesus) 80

81 PRETEEN TEACHING PLAN JOURNEY 11 I have found in David the son of Jesse a man after my heart, who will do all my will. Acts 13:22 LONG LIVE THE KING! DAVID IS CROWNED KING PASSAGES 1 Samuel 16 2 Samuel 5: Chronicles 11:1 9 THOUGHT Seek to know God s plan for your life by studying His Word. WORD Plan INTRODUCTION Imagine that you have six gifts, and you could only choose three of the gifts. Read aloud 1 Samuel 16:7 and then ask the following questions. Why did you choose a certain gift? Does God know why you chose the gift you did? What were you hoping to receive? TRANSITION to today s Bible story by telling the kids that God was most disappointed with Saul as the king of the Israelites and so was Samuel. Samuel had turned his back on the king because he continually refused to obey God s commandments. Now it was time for God to lead Samuel to a new king and that is exactly what He did. Let s see how it all unfolded. TRUTH Briefly review how Samuel had found David in the home of Jesse and anointed him as the future king of Israel. A. DAVID IS CHOSEN AND ANOINTED (1 Samuel 16:1 13) SAY: Verse 1: Where did God tell Samuel to go? Verses 2 5: Why was Samuel afraid? What did he tell Jesse? Verse 7: What warning did God give Samuel? What qualities had people thought would make Saul a good king? (his stature and his appearance) Verses 10 11: What did Samuel say to Jesse after he had seen seven of his sons? Verses 12 13: How did Samuel know David was the one? [Explain the act of 81

82 J ELEVEN PRETEEN anointing as a symbolic way of setting someone aside for a special service. Show the sample of olive oil you brought.] What does it mean to say that the spirit of the Lord came powerfully on David? What do you think his brothers must have been thinking? EXPLAIN that it would be almost seven years before David would become king over all of Israel. Samuel s anointing had been done privately and would not be made public for some time. God had wanted Saul to unify the 12 tribes of Israel. Instead, they were often at war with one another. Saul continued to rule, but in the end, he was finally defeated by the Philistines. They killed Jonathan and his brothers and severely wounded Saul with an arrow. Realizing his dreams for fame and glory were at an end, Saul committed suicide by falling on his own sword (1 Samuel 31:4). B. DAVID IS ANOINTED KING OF JUDAH (2 Samuel 2:4 7) SAY: When news reached David of Jonathan s death and the suicide of Saul, he was grief-stricken. Read 2 Samuel 1:10 12 to see how David reacted. He grieved over Saul s failure to trust in God. He grieved over the loss of his best friend Jonathan. David waited for God to tell him what to do. Verse 1: Where did God tell David to go? Verse 4: Who came to him there and what happened? Verse 5: How did David reach out to the other tribes in Israel? SAY: For five years, Saul s only surviving son, Ishbosheth, struggled to defeat the Philistines in the northern regions of the Promised Land and to rule his father s kingdom. For a time, Israel and Judah were at war with one another. Eventually, two of his own men killed Ishbosheth in the middle of the night. He had been a poor ruler and commander of the northern tribes of Israel. C. DAVID IS KING OF ALL ISRAEL (2 Samuel 5:1 5) SAY: The tribes of Israel were still struggling against the Philistines; they came to David. Verse 1: What did the tribes of Israel say to David? Verse 3: What kind of covenant did they make with David? What did the elders of Israel do at Hebron? At last the nation was united under David s kingship. Verses 4 5: How old was David when he was made king of all Israel? How many years did he rule? 82

83 PRETEEN ELEVEN J D. A MAN AFTER GOD S OWN HEART What made David different from Saul? The answer is found in the speech David made to Goliath on the field of battle before he killed the giant. [Read it aloud in 1 Samuel 17:45 47 with great drama and passion.] There was no doubt that in David God had found a man whose absolute total trust was in Him. In every battle it was God who gave David the victory and David understood this full well. Success had not come by his might or sword but by God showing him favor. God has a plan for those who give their lives to Him. It was God s plan for David to be king of a united Israel. David sought to bring honor to God in everything he did and God was able to do mighty things. David had great victories against the enemies of Israel (1 Samuel 18:5 16). David united the 12 tribes and Israel and Judah become one nation (2 Samuel 3:1). Jerusalem becomes the capital city of the nation of Israel (2 Samuel 5:6 7). He brought the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem eventually and placed it inside the tabernacle (2 Samuel 6:15 17). David desired to build a great house of worship for God (1 Chronicles 17:4 5) but this endeavor would be given to his son Solomon. CONNECTION: Acts 13:22 I have found in David the son of Jesse a man after my heart, who will do all my will. SAY: It is quite significant that God would describe David as a man after His own heart. ASK the students these questions to stimulate discussion: What do you think God meant when He said this about David? What did you see in David s life that fit this description? David was anointed as king by Samuel when he was probably a teenager. What do you know about David that made him willing to wait until the time was right? Why would David have been glad he waited? Why is it so hard to wait for God to show us His way? READ Isaiah 55:8 9. ASK the students to explain what this verse means. CLOSE by sharing this saying: God gives the best to those who leave the choice to Him. What does this saying tell you about God s plan for your life? If you want His best in your life, what should you tell Him every day? ALLOW students to spend a few minutes in quiet prayer and then you close. 83

84 J ELEVEN PRETEEN A LOOK AT THE BOOK David was an important Bible character. He loved God with his whole heart. Let s walk through a few books of the Bible to find out other interesting things about David. Have the students look up the following Scriptures. David is chosen as king (1 Samuel 16:11 13). David was a victorious commander (2 Samuel 8:2 3). David was a great king (2 Samuel 5:3 5). David was a very good friend (1 Samuel 18:1 3). David planned to build a temple for God (1 Chronicles 22). David was an ancestor of the Messiah (Luke 2:4). David is considered a hero of the faith (Hebrews 11:32). David passes his rule on to his son Solomon (1 Kings 2:1 4). REVIEW QUESTIONS 1. Where did the next king of Israel live? (in Bethlehem) 2. What was his father s name? (Jesse) 3. How many brothers did he have? (seven) 4. What was his job in the family? (watch over his father s flocks) 5. Who came to Jesse s house in search of a king? (Samuel) 6. What did Samuel do in front of David s family to show that David had been set aside for service to God? (anointed him with oil) 7. Why did David have to wait to be king? (Saul was still king. His appointed time had not come yet.) 8. Describe the relationship between David and Jonathan, Saul s son? (They were the best of friends.) 9. How did King Saul die? (He was wounded in battle and then killed himself.) 10. How long did David rule over Israel? (seven years over Judah, then 33 years over a united Judah and Israel) 11. Where was the capital city of the united Israel located? (Jerusalem) 12. Name two of David s ancestors. (Ruth, Boaz, Naomi, or Obed) 13. Name his most important descendant. (Jesus) 84

85 PRETEEN ELEVEN J NOW WHAT? SAY: God had always planned for a king to rule His people from the tribe of Judah. Now God s king was finally on the throne. Once a simple shepherd boy, David considered all that God had done for him and through him. By the prophet Nathan, God reaffirmed His promise to establish the throne of David s kingdom forever. He promised never to take His mercy from him as He had done with Saul (2 Samuel 7:8 11). How did God keep this promise to David? How could David s kingdom last forever? God s perfect plan of redemption would run through the house of David. Hundreds of years later, one of David s descendants would be born in Bethlehem. He would have the same ancestors as David: Rahab, Ruth, Boaz, Obed, Jesse and many others. The Old Testament prophets foretold His coming and called Him the Son of David. Before He would rule as king, He would offer Himself as a sacrifice, a ransom, for the souls of mankind. His sacrifice would satisfy the punishment that sin required. Life in His kingdom would require that one be born into His family, i.e., to be adopted as one of His children. [Share the plan of salvation as you explain how to be born into God s family. Close in prayer.] If you have received Christ as Savior, then you have made the most important decision you will ever make. Even though you have been born again into God s family, there are times when you will sin, as we all do. When that happens, we must ask God to forgive our sin and to make us clean again. He has promised to do this whenever we call upon His name in faith. It is important to stop and pray today for God s forgiveness. [Pause for a minute and pray for the unsaved and for the saved child.] 85

86 J ELEVEN PRETEEN 86

87 12BAD CHOICES! DAVID S SIN AND ITS CONSEQUENCES

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89 JOURNEY 12 BIBLE BACKGROUND Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love, According to your abundant mercy, blot out my transgressions. Psalm 51:1 2 BAD CHOICES! DAVID S SIN AND ITS CONSEQUENCES PASSAGE 2 Samuel THOUGHT Forgive others as God has forgiven you. WORD Forgiveness THE HUMANITY OF A KING David became king of Israel at the age of 30. He had been born for this office and this time in history. He arrived on the scene halfway between Abraham and Christ around 1000 B.C. Through the house of David and the line of Judah, God was building an eternal kingdom. As king, David built a powerful, wealthy and united Jewish nation that honored and celebrated God. Yet, David was not a perfect man. The Bible makes no attempt to cover up his sins but instead exposes them for all to see. His crimes of adultery and murder brought him both personal and national shame. DAVID AND BATHSHEBA (2 SAMUEL 11:1 5) David s affair with Bathsheba occurred about 10 years after he established himself as king over both Israel and Judah. He would have been around 47 years old. Up to this point, he had been an excellent example of godly character. He was modest, brave, honorable, kind, compassionate and a valiant warrior. In a moment of weakness, David allowed lust to fill his mind as he looked from his rooftop to watch a young woman bathing. Struck by her beauty, David made inquiries about who she was. He soon learned that she was married to one of the soldiers in his army. Her name was Bathsheba and her husband s name was Uriah. When David first saw Bathsheba, her husband was away fighting with the army. David sent for the woman and had her brought to him. She willingly entered the presence of the great king. The two of them became involved in an adulterous relationship and a child was conceived. The king realized their sin would soon be known unless he intervened in some manner. 89

90 J TWELVE 90 THE GREAT COVER- UP (2 SAMUEL 11:6 24) Plan A: David ordered Uriah brought back from battle so that he could go home to spend the night with his wife. This would then give the appearance that the child Bathsheba carried was Uriah s. However, David s plan failed because Uriah refused to sleep in comfort when his fellow soldiers were still in danger on the battlefield. Plan B: Next, David sent word to his field commander Joab to send Uriah to the front of the battle lines where the fighting would be the most dangerous (2 Samuel 11:14 17). As David hoped, Uriah was killed as the army advanced. David s plan had worked. The husband was out of the way and now David legitimately could take Bathsheba into the palace as his wife. A WITNESS TO THE MURDER (2 SAMUEL 11:27) God had seen what David did and it greatly displeased Him. God knew David s heart and the sin that drove him to plan Uriah s death. David had broken one commandment after another: he had coveted another s man s wife; he had planned the murder of her husband; and then he lied to cover it up. The man who had once sought to honor God with his whole heart had now allowed himself to commit a series of sins that broke God s heart. David perhaps thought that no one would ever know what he had done, but the truth of the matter was God knew and He is the One who counts! David s sin separated him from God. David s fellowship with the Lord and the blessing on his life and the nation were now in jeopardy. David would soon be confronted with his sin so that he might understand fully God s perspective on the matter. NATHAN S PARABLE (2 SAMUEL 12:1 7) God sent the prophet Nathan to confront David s secret sins. It took great courage for Nathan to go before the king with God s message. David had killed once to cover up his sins and maybe he would again by striking down the prophet. Nathan chose his words carefully as he stood before the king. He told David a story that would enable him to see his sin clearly as God saw it. There were two men living in David s kingdom. One was very wealthy with large flocks of sheep. The other was poor and owned only a small lamb, which he raised as a pet and loved like one of his own children. One day the rich man had a visitor. He wanted to prepare a special meal for the visitor but he was too miserly to serve up one of his own sheep. Instead, he took the poor man s beloved lamb and turned it into a delicious meal for his guest. David was outraged when he heard the story. This man deserved to die, David declared. At the very least, he must pay back four times what he had taken. Nathan let him finish his ranting and raving and then declared: You are the man. Immediately, David realized that Nathan knew what he had done, and if Nathan knew, then God knew.

91 TWELVE J NATHAN S REBUKE (2 SAMUEL 12:7 12) Nathan reminded David of everything God had done for him. David already had a wife, children, wealth, power, prestige and much more. Yet he took what was not his because of his desire for pleasure. In God s eyes David himself had struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife (2 Samuel 12:10). There was no excuse for what he had done and there was no need to deny it. When Nathan finished speaking, David declared that he had sinned against the Lord. David did not deny the truth or try to make excuses. He openly confessed his guilt. Nathan assured him of God s forgiveness but explained the consequences. The enemies of Israel now had reason to blaspheme the Lord because of David s cruelty. The child that Bathsheba was carrying would die. DAVID S FULL CONFESSION (PSALM 51) David took public responsibility for his sins and openly sought God s forgiveness. His full confession of sin and plea for forgiveness appear in Psalm 51 as he begs God to blot out his transgressions. David had sinned against Bathsheba and Uriah but his deep-seated grief lay in the realization of his sin against God. David could hide his sin from men, but he could not hide it from God. God had looked into the innermost part of David s soul and there he saw his lust, greed and murderous intent. God had watched it all unfold and now everyone knew the sins of the king. THE CONSEQUENCES OF SIN (2 SAMUEL 12:12 18) God did forgive David and restored their relationship, but there were consequences David had to endure. Death continually plagued the household of the king. Bathsheba s child died. Years later, David s own sons followed his sinful example. David dishonored the name of Yahweh among the nations that surrounded his kingdom. Absalom, his beloved son, led a rebellion against him. GOD S COVENANT WITH DAVID (2 SAMUEL 7:4 17) God promised Abraham that through him all people on earth would be blessed (Genesis 12:3), but God did not explain to Abraham how He would accomplish this. God s covenant with David reveals that the Messiah would come from the offspring of David s children, namely Solomon. This covenant relationship with David was immutable and confirmed to Mary by the angel Gabriel. Through Jesus, David s descendant, all the earth will be blessed eternally. The thorn-crowned king of the Jews will one day be given the throne of His father David and peace on earth will come to all men through faith in Christ (Acts 2:29 35). Forgiven and pardoned, David, a man after God s own heart, fulfilled the purpose for which he had been created. 91

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93 GRADES 1 4 TEACHING PLAN JOURNEY 12 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love, According to your abundant mercy, blot out my transgressions. Psalm 51:1 2 BAD CHOICES! DAVID S SIN AND ITS CONSEQUENCES PASSAGE 2 Samuel THOUGHT Forgive others as God has forgiven you. WORD Forgiveness INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITY PLAY a game of Sin Charades. On index cards, write descriptions of common sins young people commit. You can include these ideas: Talking back to parents Hitting a brother or sister Cheating on a test Stealing a piece of candy Gossiping about someone Making fun of other people Not doing assigned chores Call on different students to come to the front of the room and draw a card out of your stack. Then ask them to act out the sin. The class will try to guess what sin they have committed. EXPLORING THE BIBLE [Teachers of students in Grades 1 and 2 will want to present this information in general terms. Details will not be necessary. The older students will read the text and may have questions. Be as discreet as possible as you respond. The focus is on David s genuine repentance.] A. DAVID S SIN (2 Samuel 11:1 24) SAY: David had many good character qualities. He was honest, kind, compassionate, generous, kind, brave, honorable and just. David loved the Lord with all his heart and 93

94 J TWELVE GRADES honored His name. Yet, one day David found himself yielding to great temptation that would break his heart. He brought to the palace a woman who was not his wife. Her name was Bathsheba and her husband was Uriah. He was a soldier in David s army and he was away fighting. Over a period of time, David decided to marry the woman. He had one of his army officers make sure that her husband was placed at the front of the battle so that he might die as the army advanced. Just as David planned, the soldier was killed. After a period of mourning, David had Bathsheba brought to the palace. Have the students open their Bibles to 2 Samuel 11: Did the woman marry the king? Did she give him a child? How did God know what David had done? How did God feel about David s sin? SAY: God knew David s heart and He knew the ugly sins that had driven him to plan Uriah s death. David had broken one commandment after another; he had coveted another s man s wife; he committed adultery with her; he had planned the murder of her husband; and then he lied to cover it all up. The man who had once brought only honor to God had now allowed himself to commit a series of sins that broke God s heart. David perhaps thought that no one would ever know what he had done, but the truth of the matter was that God knew and He is the One who counts! B. GOD SENDS NATHAN TO CONFRONT DAVID (2 Samuel 12) SAY: Sin separates us from God and now David s fellowship with the Lord and His blessing were in jeopardy. David must be confronted with his sin. [Have the students turn to 2 Samuel 12:1 4.] God sent Nathan the prophet to confront David s secret sins. It took courage for Nathan to go before the king with such a message. David had killed before and maybe he would strike down the prophet. Nathan chose his words carefully. Rather than accusing the king directly, he told him a story that would enable David to see his sins as clearly as God saw them. Here is the story Nathan told. There were two men living in David s kingdom. One was very wealthy with large flocks of sheep. The other was poor and owned only but a small lamb, which he had raised as a pet from birth and loved like one of his own children. One day the rich man had a visitor. He wanted to prepare a good meal for the visitor

95 GRADES 1 4 TWELVE J but he was too stingy to serve up one of his own sheep. Instead, he took the poor man s young lamb and turned it into a delicious meal for his guest. David was outraged when he heard the story. The man deserved to die, David declared. At the very least he must pay back four times what he had taken. Nathan let him finish his ranting and raving. READ aloud to the class what Nathan said to the king in 2 Samuel 12:7 8: You are the man! Immediately, David realized that Nathan knew what he had done. If Nathan knew, then God knew. Nathan reminded David of everything that God had done for him. David already had a wife, children, wealth, power, prestige and much more. He was the rich man in the parable. Yet, he took what was not his because of his desire for pleasure (2 Samuel 12:10). David was as guilty of Uriah s death as if he had killed him with his own sword. Nathan told David that he had sinned in secret, but God would punish him publicly (2 Samuel 12:12). There was no excuse. David had repaid God s goodness to him with willful acts of disobedience. David had been caught. What would he do? How would the king defend himself against Nathan s revelation? C. DAVID S CONFESSION (2 Samuel 12:13) SAY: When Nathan finished speaking, David s heart must have been beating fast. He openly admitted that he had sinned against the Lord He did not lie or make excuses. He confessed his sin. By doing this, God removed from him a sentence of death and his relationship with God was restored, but there would be consequences to endure. D. DAVID REPENTS (Psalm 51) SAY: It was during this period of life that David wrote Psalm 51. It contains his full confession of sin and plea for forgiveness. David begs for God s mercy and asks that He blot out his transgressions. David had sinned against Bathsheba and her husband but his deepest grief lay in the realization of how he had sinned against God and disappointed Him. [Have the students open their Bibles to this passage. Read verses 1 4 to younger students and verses 1 13 to the older ones.] SAY: David could hide his sin from other men but not from God. In this innermost part of his being, David knew God had seen all of his deceitful planning. 95

96 J TWELVE GRADES 1 4 God had watched it all unfold in the palace and on the battlefield. Now everyone knew what he had done. God did forgive David and restored their relationship but there were terrible consequences for David to endure. Years later, his own sons would follow his sinful example. His own son Absalom led a rebellion against his father. The child Bathsheba bore for him died. The name of Yahweh among the Israelites had been shamed. King David lost respect and admiration that once had been lavished upon him. David did find forgiveness and a new awareness of how easily God s blessing can be taken away. THE CROSSROADS SAY: Just as God saw into David s heart and knew his sin, He also sees when we sin and do evil against others. He wants us to repent of our sin and to confess it to Him. When we do, He is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. DEMONSTRATE this concept by doing the following: Take a clear glass and fill it half full of water. Explain that today s lesson focused on forgiven sin. Ask the students to give you some examples of sin. (They should have no trouble doing this.) Each time a sin is mentioned place a drop of iodine in the clear water. As the water gets dirtier and dirtier, explain how our lives become stained by sin in the same way. Sin separates us from God. That is why Jesus had to die on the Cross to make a way for us to be forgiven. Glue a 10-inch wooden cross to the inside of a tea light holder. Dip the tea light holder into developer fluid or you may use bleach. Immerse the tea light holder into the stained water and swish it around. Immediately, the water becomes clear. Explain that in the same way God washes away our sins if we have trusted in Christ as our Savior. Share the plan of salvation and close in prayer. 96