TEACHER BIBLE STUDY The Ammonites were no strangers to the Israelites. They often fought over the region of Gilead, which stretched east of the Jordan River. David had tried showing kindness to the Ammonites, but they humiliated the Israelite ambassadors. (See 2 Samuel 10:1-5.) Thus began a war between the Israelites and Ammonites. This context sets the scene for the story of David s sin and restoration. One evening, David looked from his rooftop and saw Bathsheba bathing. He inquired about her and found out that she was the wife of Uriah, one of David s elite soldiers. Her married status alone made her off-limits to David, but he nevertheless called for her and slept with her. David probably assumed his sin would go unnoticed, until Bathsheba told him she was pregnant with his child. With Uriah gone to war, it was obvious the baby was not his. But David had a plan. He called Uriah home from the battle and encouraged him to be with his wife. But Uriah refused. Uriah didn t think it was fair for him to be with his wife while other men were at war. So David moved to plan B. He instructed the commander of the army to position Uriah in the most violent part of the battle so he would be killed. This time, David s plan worked. Uriah was killed, and David took Bathsheba as his wife. God knew David s sin and sent Nathan the prophet to confront David. David realized he had sinned against God. God issued a punishment: David s son died. David s confession is recorded in Psalm 51. David knew making sacrifices would not be enough to please God and pay for his sin. God wanted David s heart to change so he would not want to sin again. Like David, we need more than a changed lifestyle to be made right with God; we need new hearts. Jesus died to satisfy God s wrath against sin so that we could be made alive in Him. LESSON OVERVIEW/SCHEDULE Session Title: David Sinned and Was Restored Bible Passage: 2 Samuel 11:1 12:14; Psalm 51 Big Picture Question: What should we do when we sin? We should repent and ask God to forgive us. Key Passage: Psalm 51:10 Unit Christ Connection: God provided the first kings to rule His people Israel; Christ, the final King, rules over all people as Savior. Through David s family, God sent Jesus Christ, the Messiah. 1
Transition Time Welcome time Activity sheet/table Centers Session starter (10 minutes) Lesson Countdown Introduce the session (1 minute) Timeline Map (1 minute) Big picture question (1 minute) Sing (5 minutes) Key passage (4 minutes) Tell the Bible story (10 minutes) Discussion starter video (3 minutes) The Gospel: God s Plan for Me (optional) Prayer (5 minutes) Table Time Timeline map (1 minute) Bible story review (10 minutes) Large Group Review / Activities Key passage activity (5 minutes) Activity choice (10 minutes) Prayer (5 minutes) THE BIBLE STORY/OVERVIEW David Sinned and Was Restored 2 Samuel 11:1 12:14; Psalm 51 David was king of Israel. As king, David s responsibility included protecting the Israelites by leading the army. In the springtime, kings commonly went to war with their armies. One spring, David sent out the army, and he put Joab in charge of them. The Israelites fought the Ammonites, but David stayed in Jerusalem. One evening, David was walking on the roof of his palace when he saw Bathsheba. Bathsheba was a beautiful woman, and she was the wife of Uriah, one of David s best warriors in the Israelite army. David sent his messengers to get Bathsheba, and she came to David s house. Later, Bathsheba told David that she was going to have a baby; the baby would be David s. David knew what he had done was wrong. Bathsheba was married to Uriah. David should 2
not have a baby with someone who was not his wife. But David had a plan to make sure no one found out that Bathsheba s baby was his. David called Uriah home from the battle and told him to go spend time with his wife. But Uriah didn t think it was fair for him to relax at home while the other men were at war. He slept on David s doorstep and refused to see his wife. No matter what David did or said, Uriah did not go home. David s plan was not working, so he made up another plan. This time, he instructed Joab, the leader of the army, to send Uriah into the hardest part of the battle so he would be killed. Joab did what David wanted. He sent Uriah to the place where the fighting was most dangerous, and the Ammonites killed Uriah. Joab sent a messenger to David to deliver the news that Uriah was dead. When Bathsheba heard that her husband was dead, she was very sad. David took Bathsheba into his house to be his wife, and she gave birth to a baby boy. It seemed as though David had gotten away with his sin, but God knew what David had done, and God was not happy with David. God sent Nathan the prophet to talk to David. Nathan told David a story. There was a rich man and poor man who lived in the same city. The rich man had many animals, but the poor man only had one little lamb, which he loved. A traveler came to the rich man. Instead of offering one of his own animals to the traveler, the rich man took the poor man s lamb and prepared it for the traveler to eat. David listened to the story, and he was angry. The rich man should die! he said. And he should give the poor man four lambs to make up for the one he took. You are the man! Nathan said. Nathan explained that God had given David a position of great power with everything he needed. But David killed Uriah to take his wife. David realized he had sinned against God. David deserved to die. You won t die for this, Nathan assured David, but God will punish you. Your son will die instead. After Nathan spoke to David, David wrote a psalm. He confessed his sin and asked God to restore him. God, create a clean heart for me, David prayed. David realized he could try to make sacrifices to please God, but that wouldn t be enough to pay for his sin. God wanted David s heart to change so that he would not want to sin again. Christ Connection: When David sinned against God, God forgave him, but sin always comes with a price. God spared David s life, but David s son died. When we sin, we can receive God s forgiveness because God sent His Son Jesus to pay the price for our sin. Jesus died the death we deserve so that we could be made right with God. 3
TRANSITION TIME Session Title: David Sinned and Was Restored Bible Passage: 2 Samuel 11:1 12:14; Psalm 51 Big Picture Question: What should we do when we sin? We should repent and ask God to forgive us. Key Passage: Psalm 51:10 Unit Christ Connection: God provided the first kings to rule His people Israel; Christ, the final King, rules over all people as Savior. Through David s family, God sent Jesus Christ, the Messiah. Welcome time Tip: As kids arrive this is a great time to collect the offering, fill out attendance sheets, and help new kids connect to your group. Arriving Activity: Sticky Stuff any number of the following items: tape, stickers, a wet sucker, glue, honey, syrup allergy alert Set out some items that have one thing in common: They are all sticky. You might consider using tape, stickers, a wet sucker, glue, honey, and syrup. Invite the kids to survey the items and try to figure out what they have in common. Say What do you think these things have in common? All of these things are sticky in one way or another. In today s Bible story, David found himself in a sticky situation, and he didn t have any of these things to blame. Activities/Table Centers (5 minutes) Table Centers (Miscellaneous Activities) Falling Apart activity sheet / Bible Story Coloring Sheet, 1 per kid markers, colored pencils, crayons Guide boys and girls to complete the activity page. Say David was a good king, but he was not perfect. We will find out what happened when David s life fell to pieces and who put the pieces back together again. If time remains, allow kids to complete the coloring page provided with this session. Session Starter (10 minutes) Option 1: Filter Butterfly coffee filter, 1 per kid chenille stem, 1 per kid markers Invite kids to color both sides of a coffee filter. Demonstrate how to wrap a chenille stem around the middle of the filter to create a butterfly. Mold the ends of the chenille stem to make the butterfly s antennas. 4
Say Butterflies start off without color and beauty. They are just caterpillars, but God turns them into something beautiful. When we seek God s forgiveness, He does something similar to us. What should we do when we sin? We should repent and ask God to forgive us. God can take our ugly sin, forgive us, and make us like new again. God does this because He sees that His Son, Jesus, has paid the price for our sin. Option 2: Invisible Ink water baking soda paper or plastic bowls grape juice paintbrushes, 1 per kid paper Combine an equal amount of water and baking soda to create invisible ink. Distribute paper or plastic bowls with a small amount of the ink to every three or four kids. Provide every kid with a piece of paper and a paintbrush. Encourage them to draw a picture or write their name or make a design on the paper after dipping their brush into the solution. Give the solution a couple of minutes to dry and give the kids a chance to see the message disappear. Provide a paper or plastic bowl to every three or four kids with a small amount of grape juice in it. Demonstrate how to use the brush to cover the message with grape juice. The message should appear again. Say Your message appeared to be gone but it was still there. In today s Bible story, King David thought he had covered up something, but it was still there. Transition to large group LESSON Session Title: David Sinned and Was Restored Bible Passage: 2 Samuel 11:1 12:14; Psalm 51 Big Picture Question: What should we do when we sin? We should repent and ask God to forgive us. Key Passage: Psalm 51:10 Unit Christ Connection: God provided the first kings to rule His people Israel; Christ, the final King, rules over all people as Savior. Through David s family, God sent Jesus Christ, the Messiah. Countdown countdown video (on provided DVD with lesson videos and worship) Show the countdown video as you clean-up table centers, set up classroom chairs for lesson and set it to end as large group time begins. 5
Introduce the session (1 minute) mouse trap [Large Group Leader enters holding a mouse trap.] Leader Hello there! Old castles tend to get unwanted guests. Not you, of course! I m talking about the small four-legged kind. We call them rats. That s why I keep these traps around. If the rat gets in one of these traps, there is no way out. That reminds me of a situation King David once found himself in. Let s continue our exploration of the first kings of Israel. Unfortunately, this will be our last look at those first two kings. I m sorry you never got to meet the king of this castle. He did tell me to pass along a message. He hopes you enjoyed your time here. I assured him that you had. Timeline Map (1 minute) Timeline Map (small group visual pack copies provided for Table Time Review) Leader We ve learned a lot about Saul and David over the last several weeks. The Israelites did not like those leading them, so they asked for a king. God chose Saul and the people were happy that he looked like a king tall and handsome. However, Saul didn t obey God. He was not the perfect king God wanted for His people. God was sorry that He chose Saul. Next, God chose David. God prepared David to be king long before he was actually crowned. God gave him the power to defeat a giant. God also protected David from Saul s anger and jealousy by giving him a friend in Jonathan, Saul s son. It started to look like David might be that perfect king God wanted for His people, but today s story says otherwise. It s called David Sinned and Was Restored. Big picture question (1 minute) Big Picture Question: What should we do when we sin? - 11x17 poster provided Leader Restore means to make something old look or work like new again. The Bible talks about restoring us through Jesus. He can take away our sin and make us like we had never sinned before. If you want to know more, you have to look in your Bible. Do you have your Bible today? The Bible will always answer our big picture question. Are you ready? What should we do when we sin? Sing (5 minutes) Worship Song: Generous King (on provided DVD) Leader God knew no one even the best king could go without sinning. That s why He gave us Jesus, a generous King who died for our sin. Sing together Generous King. 6
Key passage (4 minutes) Key Passage Poster: Psalm 51:10 (provided) Worship Song: A Clean Heart (on provided DVD) Leader After today s Bible story, we will understand our key passage better. David knew he had sinned and was asking for a clean heart, only something God could give. See if you can say our key passage without looking. Show the slide or poster of the unit s key passage, Psalm 51:10. Lead the boys and girls to read the verse together. Sing together A Clean Heart. Tell the Bible story (10 minutes) David Sinned and Was Restored video (on provided DVD) Bibles, 1 per kid Bible Story Picture Slide or Poster Leader Let s open our Bibles to 2 Samuel 11. We ll see how David sinned and was restored. We will also find out the answer to the big picture question. What should we do when we sin? Show the David Sinned and Was Restored video, or choose to tell the Bible story in your own words using the script provided. For a shorter version of the story, read only the bolded text. Leader David would normally have been out fighting with his army, but he stayed home. He saw a woman named Bathsheba and thought she was pretty. David asked Bathsheba to stay with him, but she was already married. Her husband, Uriah, was fighting for David s army. When David found out Bathsheba was pregnant, he asked Uriah to come home. David wanted everyone to believe it was Uriah s baby. That didn t work because Uriah refused to be at home while all the other men were fighting. Uriah stayed at the palace instead. Finally, David made a new plan. He would have Uriah killed in battle. David murdered Uriah and then married Bathsheba. David was sure he had gotten away with the first sin by sinning again. God knew what David had done and sent His prophet Nathan to David. Nathan told David the story of a rich man who had lots of animals and a poor man who had only one lamb he loved very much. When a visitor came, the rich man had the little lamb killed to serve his guest. David was angry that someone would ever do something like that. He didn t know Nathan was talking about him and Uriah. Uriah had little but loved his wife. David was rich with everything he could ever want. Nathan told David he would be punished for his sin. David realized what he had done and asked God for forgiveness. What should we do when we sin? We should repent and ask God to forgive us. David even wrote a psalm to God. God forgave David, but there were still consequences to David s sin. Their baby died. Ask the following review questions: Where was David while his men were fighting the Ammonites? (in Jerusalem, 2 Samuel 11:1) Who was the woman David saw from his rooftop? (Bathsheba, 2 Samuel 11:3) 7
Why didn t Uriah go home when David ordered him to? (He thought it was unfair for him to be home while the other Israelites were fighting, 2 Samuel 11:11) Who told David that he would be punished for his sin? (Nathan, 2 Samuel 12:7-10) What should we do when we sin? We should repent and ask God to forgive us. Discussion starter video (3 minutes) Unit 11, Session 6 - Discussion Starter Video (on provided DVD) Big Picture Question: What should we do when we sin? - 11x17 poster provided Leader Have you ever tried to hide something you did wrong? Watch this video. Show the Unit 11 Session 6 discussion starter video. Leader Did you ever get caught trying to hide something? David thought no one would know about his sins. He sinned by having a baby with Bathsheba and by killing her husband. We may be able to hide our sins from our parents, but we can t hide them from God. What should we do when we sin? We should repent and ask God to forgive us. We all have sinned, and sin comes with a price. Thankfully, Jesus paid the price for our sin by dying on a cross and rising again. The Gospel: God s Plan for Me (optional) Use Scripture and the guide provided with this session to explain to boys and girls how to become a Christian. Assign individuals to meet with kids who have more questions. If this is not possible, encourage boys and girls to ask their parents, small group leaders, or other Christian adults any questions they may have about becoming a Christian. Prayer (5 minutes) Big Picture Question: What should we do when we sin? - 11x17 poster provided Show the big picture question slide or poster. Leader Does anyone know the answer to the big picture question? What should we do when we sin? We should repent and ask God to forgive us. Encourage the kids to close their eyes. While their eyes are closed, invite one of the kids to hide somewhere in the room. Let the kids guess where the hidden kid is. Whoever guesses correctly gets to ask the big picture question while the other kids answer. Repeat a few times. Before transitioning to small group, make any necessary announcements. Lead the kids in prayer. Pray that God will forgive us for the sins we try to hide from Him. Dismiss to small groups for Table Time 8
The Gospel: God s Plan for Me Ask kids if they have ever heard the word gospel. Clarify that the word gospel means good news. It is the message about Christ, the kingdom of God, and salvation. Use the following guide to share the gospel with kids. God rules. Explain to kids that the Bible tells us God created everything, and He is in charge of everything. Invite a volunteer to read Genesis 1:1 from the Bible. Read Revelation 4:11 or Colossians 1:16-17 aloud and explain what these verses mean. We sinned. Tell kids that since the time of Adam and Eve, everyone has chosen to disobey God. (Romans 3:23) The Bible calls this sin. Because God is holy, God cannot be around sin. Sin separates us from God and deserves God s punishment of death. (Romans 6:23) God provided. Choose a child to read John 3:16 aloud. Say that God sent His Son, Jesus, the perfect solution to our sin problem, to rescue us from the punishment we deserve. It s something we, as sinners, could never earn on our own. Jesus alone saves us. Read and explain Ephesians 2:8-9. Jesus gives. Share with kids that Jesus lived a perfect life, died on the cross for our sins, and rose again. Because Jesus gave up His life for us, we can be welcomed into God s family for eternity. This is the best gift ever! Read Romans 5:8; 2 Corinthians 5:21; or 1 Peter 3:18. We respond. Tell kids that they can respond to Jesus. Read Romans 10:9-10,13. Review these aspects of our response: Believe in your heart that Jesus alone saves you through what He s already done on the cross. Repent, turning from self and sin to Jesus. Tell God and others that your faith is in Jesus. Offer to talk with any child who is interested in responding to Jesus. TABLE TIME LEADER Session Title: David Sinned and Was Restored Bible Passage: 2 Samuel 11:1 12:14; Psalm 51 Big Picture Question: What should we do when we sin? We should repent and ask God to forgive us. Key Passage: Psalm 51:10 Unit Christ Connection: God provided the first kings to rule His people Israel; Christ, the final King, rules over all people as Savior. Through David s family, God sent Jesus Christ, the Messiah. Bible story review (10 minutes) Bibles, 1 per kid Timeline (small group visual pack extra copies provided for Table Time Review) Big Picture Question: What should we do when we sin? (11x17 poster provided in classroom) Tip: Divide children into small groups for table time. Each group should include an adult leader at the table. Encourage the kids to find 2 Samuel 11 in their Bibles. Help them as needed. Say Is 2 Samuel in the Old or New Testament? (Old Testament) What book comes after 2 9
Samuel? (1 Kings) Second Samuel is in what division of the Bible? (History) Which king does 2 Samuel tell us about? (David) Use the small group visual pack to show kids where today s Bible story is on the timeline. Review the Bible story provided using the bolded text, or summarize the story in your own words. Remind kids that sin is when we disobey God. Explain that you are going to say a few statements from today s story. The kids who believe that statement was the right thing to do can clap in a circular motion. The kids who believe it was the wrong thing to do can stomp their feet over and over again. David invited Bathsheba to stay at his house. (wrong) Uriah refused to go home because he cared for the men he was fighting with. (right) David put Uriah in a place where he would be killed. (wrong) Nathan told David what he did was wrong. (right) David asked God for forgiveness. (right) Say Saul and David were not perfect kings. They both sinned. There would only be one perfect king of Israel. That s Jesus. God knows we can t live a perfect, sinless life. Jesus lived a perfect life, died, and rose again. Because of that, He could take the punishment for us. All we have to do is put our faith in Him, repent, and ask God to forgive us. Show the big picture question slide or poster. Say That reminds me of our big picture question and answer. I bet you can answer it now, too. What should we do when we sin? We should repent and ask God to forgive us. LARGE GROUP REVIEW AND ACTIVITIES Key passage activity (5 minutes) Without Peeking Instructions Key Passage Poster: Psalm 51:10 (provided) Make sure the key passage, Psalm 51:10, is visible for each child, either as the printed poster or written on a dry erase board. Read the verse together. Say This verse was part of David s psalm that he wrote to God. He knew he had sinned and was asking God to forgive him and make him like before he had sinned. What should we do when we sin? We should repent and ask God to forgive us. After six weeks, the kids will likely know the verse. Invite individual kids to come and face away from the poster or dry erase board. Encourage them to say the verse. If a kid needs help, he must say help. Let the kids say the next word together. Continue allowing those who want to say the verse a chance to do so. 10
Activity choice (10 minutes) Option 1: Spied Out Choose a volunteer and name a color. Give her 30 seconds to run to as many items of that color in the room as she can find. Invite the other kids to look while she is searching. The first kid to find that color in a place she didn t gets to be the next volunteer. If no one can find something she missed, she gets to choose the next volunteer. Continue playing as time allows. Say We may not always see the sins of others, just like you didn t always find the assigned color. However, God sees everything. He always sees when we sin. What should we do when we sin? We should repent and ask God to forgive us. Option 2: Statue Still Choose a volunteer. The volunteer must close his eyes and not peek. Invite the rest of the kids to scramble around the room until you say, statue. All the kids must then freeze like a statue. The volunteer must continue to keep his eyes closed. He must listen for any noise and try to tag someone. Make sure to guide the volunteer away from any obstacles. Say We can t hide what we do from God. He always sees it. David found that out the hard way. Prayer and Clean-Up (5 minutes) Say Quick! Someone tell me the answer to the big picture question. What should we do when we sin? We should repent and ask God to forgive us. If time remains, take prayer requests. Pray, thanking God for forgiving our sins. Pray for each child by name, asking God to help the kids remember to repent and ask God for forgiveness when they sin. Clean-up room. 11
6 8 Instructions: Write the number of the matching puzzle piece in the picture to complete it. 7 9 1 2 10 11 LifeWay 3 12 13 5 4 14 15 UNIT 11 Session 6 Younger Kids Activity Pages 2013 LifeWay Christian Resources. Saul and David
David Sinned and Was Restored 2 Samuel 11:1 12:14; Psalm 51 2013 LifeWay Christian Resources. LifeWay
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Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Psalm 51:10 OK TO PRINT Saul and David