TEACHER BIBLE STUDY Samuel had anointed Saul as king over Israel, but it wasn t long before Saul s disobedience led God to reject him as king. God sent Samuel to Bethlehem to meet Jesse and his sons. God had chosen one of Jesse s sons to be Israel s king. Jesse had many sons. Eliab was Jesse s oldest son. When Samuel saw Eliab, he thought, This must be the one God has chosen! Eliab was likely tall and good-looking. Why wouldn t God choose someone like that? But God doesn t make decisions like people do. Read what God said to Samuel in 1 Samuel 16:7. Jesse s sons took turns passing before Samuel, one by one. Samuel was probably eager to hear which son God had chosen to be Israel s next king! Abinadab? No, not him. Shammah? No. The Lord hasn t chosen this one either. Jesse had one more son; his youngest, David, was out tending the sheep. David came in and God said, This is he. Samuel anointed David, and the Spirit of the Lord took control of David. David was still a youth and was not yet king when he found himself at the battle where the Philistines had gathered to fight the Israelites. The story of David and Goliath is one of the most well-known accounts in the Old Testament. When the Israelites cowered in fear, David stepped up and defeated the enemy with just a sling and a stone. As you teach this week, help the kids relate to the Israelites. Apart from Christ, we are powerless before our enemies of sin and death. David reminds us of Jesus, the greatest hero, who came to save us. When we look to Jesus, He gives us salvation and eternal life. LESSON OVERVIEW/SCHEDULE Session Title: David Was Anointed and Fought Goliath Bible Passage: 1 Samuel 16 17 Big Picture Question: Who gave David power to defeat Goliath? God gave David power to defeat Goliath. 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. Transition Time Welcome time Activity sheet/table Centers Session starter (10 minutes) 1
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 Was Anointed and Fought Goliath 1 Samuel 16 17 Saul was not going to be king of Israel anymore. He had disobeyed God. Israel needed a new king, a better king. God told Samuel to visit a man in Bethlehem named Jesse. Jesse had eight sons, and one of them would be Israel s king. Samuel did what God told him to do. He went to Bethlehem to meet with Jesse and his sons. Jesse s oldest son, Eliab, was tall and handsome. This must be the one God chose to be king, Samuel thought. Samuel, he s not the one, God said. Do not pay attention to what he looks like. You look at what you can see on the outside, but I see the heart. One by one, Jesse s sons approached Samuel, but God had not chosen any of them. Do you have any more sons? Samuel asked. Yes, Jesse said. My youngest son, David, is in the field taking care of the sheep. Jesse sent for David. When David arrived, God told Samuel, He s the one! Samuel poured oil on David s head and the Spirit of the Lord was with David. Then Samuel went back home. 2
The Spirit of the Lord was not with Saul anymore. In fact, Saul was bothered by an evil spirit. Saul s servants suggested Saul find someone who could play the harp. Hearing beautiful music might make Saul feel better when the evil spirit bothered him. One of Saul s officials knew just the person to play the harp David, son of Jesse. David came to Saul and whenever Saul felt troubled, David played his harp and Saul felt better. At this time, Israel s enemies, the Philistines, got ready for war. They were going to attack a town in Judah. King Saul got his army ready to fight. The Israelites camped on one hill while the Philistines camped on another. There was a valley between them. The Philistines had a great warrior named Goliath. At 9 feet 9 inches tall, Goliath was their hero. Goliath shouted at the Israelites, Why are you lined up, ready for battle? Send me your best man, and we ll fight one-on-one. But none of the Israelites wanted to fight Goliath. They were afraid of him. Jesse s three oldest sons were part of the Israelite army camped on a hill. Jesse sent David to check on his brothers and to give them something to eat. David saw Goliath and watched the Israelites run away in fear. David heard that Saul had offered a great reward to the man who killed Goliath, and David volunteered to fight. You don t stand a chance against Goliath, Saul argued. I have killed wild animals, David explained. God will keep me safe. Saul allowed David to fight Goliath. He offered his armor to David, but David could hardly move. He took off the armor and chose five smooth stones from a nearby stream. David was armed only with the stones and a slingshot. Goliath saw David and made fun of him because he was just a boy. You come to fight with a spear and sword, David replied, but I come to fight in the name of God! You have insulted Him, and God always wins His battles! David ran toward Goliath. He slung a rock at Goliath, and the rock hit Goliath in the forehead. Goliath fell facedown, and David killed him without even having a sword. Christ Connection: The Israelites were up against their toughest enemies, the Philistines. They didn t stand a chance against Goliath, the mighty Philistine warrior. God gave David power to defeat Goliath. David reminds us of Jesus, who came to save us from our greatest enemies: sin and death. Jesus, the ultimate hero, gives us salvation and eternal life. 3
TRANSITION TIME Session Title: David Was Anointed and Fought Goliath Bible Passage: 1 Samuel 16 17 Big Picture Question: Who gave David power to defeat Goliath? God gave David power to defeat Goliath. 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: Measure Up large sheet of paper measuring tape marker tape Tape a large sheet of paper vertically on the wall. Place a measuring tape beside it, high enough to measure the kids in your room. As they arrive, measure them and mark their heights. Invite each kid to put her name next to the mark. Talk with them about the advantages of being taller and the advantages of being shorter. Ask them how tall they hope to be when they grow up. Say Today, we will talk about the tallest man ever and how God used a young man as the unlikely hero in a battle against this giant. Activities/Table Centers (5 minutes) Table Centers (Miscellaneous Activities) Facing the Giant activity sheet / Bible Story Coloring Sheet, 1 per kid markers, colored pencils, crayons Guide boys and girls to complete the activity page. Say Listen closely to see if you hear how each item you just found is part of today s Bible story. If time remains, allow kids to complete the coloring page provided with this session. Session Starter (10 minutes) Option 1: Line Up Form two or more groups of three or more kids. This game works better with several kids in a group. A leader should call out a physical attribute, and the kids must line up in order within their group. The first group to line up correctly wins that round. If there is a tie, those kids can line up in any order. Here are some ideas: shortest to tallest, lightest hair to darkest hair, 4
youngest to oldest, largest feet to smallest feet, shortest arms to longest arms, and so forth. Say How we look on the outside is often very important to us, but what is important to God? Today s Bible story will tell us. Option 2: Way Up tape colored index cards paper, 3 pieces Tape one colored index card to the wall as high as you can or as close to 9 feet as possible. Invite the kids to line up single file several feet from the card. Provide three paper wads to the first child. Encourage the kids to see how many of them can hit the index card by throwing the paper wads at it. If you have a large group of kids, form several small groups and add additional targets. Say If you think hitting that target is difficult, imagine trying to hit someone as tall as our target with a rock and a sling. In today s Bible story, that s what you will hear. Transition to large group LESSON Session Title: David Was Anointed and Fought Goliath Bible Passage: 1 Samuel 16 17 Big Picture Question: Who gave David power to defeat Goliath? God gave David power to defeat Goliath. 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. Introduce the session (1 minute) yardstick [Large Group Leader enters with a yardstick.] Leader Welcome back to the castle. Are you excited to hear more about the greatest kings of Israel? You should be, because today s Bible story has giants and a young hero with a 5
seemingly rocking super power. Before we get too far into the story, I have a question for you. How many of you would like to be taller? What if I told you that you would meet someone taller than me even with this yardstick on my head? [Place the yardstick above your head.] Now imagine being the one to fight someone that tall. Timeline Map (1 minute) Timeline Map (small group visual pack copies provided for Table Time Review) Leader Who was the first king of Israel? That s right! It was Saul. Saul became king after the Israelites decided they wanted a king. God lead Samuel to Saul. Last time we saw how Saul disobeyed God more than once. God wanted obedience from the man whom He made king, so God regretted making Saul the king. In a few minutes we will meet the young man who would become the next king. We will also see how he was very different from Saul. Today s Bible story is called David Was Anointed and Fought Goliath. Big picture question (1 minute) Big Picture Question: Who gave David power to defeat Goliath? - 11x17 poster provided Leader The story of David and Goliath is one of the most often told stories from the Bible. Speaking of which, how many of you have a Bible today? The Bible is filled with great stories all telling of one big story about the greatest King ever: Jesus. Let s see what question we will answer from our Bibles today. Who gave David power to defeat Goliath? Sing (5 minutes) Worship Song: Generous King (on provided DVD) Leader David was willing to fight a giant to free the people of Israel from their terrible enemy, the Philistines. Jesus gave His life to free us from a terrible enemy called sin. Jesus gave everything. He is our generous King. Sing together Generous King. Key passage (4 minutes) Key Passage Poster: Psalm 51:10 (provided) Worship Song: A Clean Heart (on provided DVD) Leader God wanted a king who would obey Him because he loved God and wanted to be faithful to Him. That king was not Saul. Our key passage was written by the second king of Israel. 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. 6
Tell the Bible story (10 minutes) David Was Anointed and Fought Goliath video (on provided DVD) Bibles, 1 per kid Bible Story Picture Slide or Poster Leader Who would be the second king of Israel? Let s find out by opening our Bibles to 1 Samuel 16. Make sure you listen for the answer to our big picture question. Who gave David power to defeat Goliath? Show the David Was Anointed and Fought Goliath 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 Saul was still king, but God was already preparing the next king. God told Samuel to go to Jesse s house to find the next king. Jesse was Obed s son. Obed was the son of Ruth and Boaz. Samuel met Jesse s eight sons one by one. The first son looked like a king to Samuel, but none of them were chosen by God. God said He was looking at the heart, not how they looked on the outside. When Samuel asked if Jesse had any more sons, Jesse said his youngest son was taking care of their sheep. When Samuel met David, God said David was the one. Meanwhile, Saul was feeling bad and his servants thought music might help. They knew David played the harp. David played the harp for Saul when he felt bad, and it made Saul feel better. David spent a lot of time with Saul. One day, the Philistine army came close to Israel s land. The Israelite army went to keep them from invading. Three of David s brothers were in the army. David s dad asked him to bring them some food and make sure they were OK. David did and couldn t believe what he saw. There was a man who was almost 10 feet tall making fun of the Israelites and God. None of the Israelites would fight him. David told Saul that he would fight this man named Goliath. David tried on the king s armor but it was too heavy. Instead, David chose a sling that he used to keep wild animals from attacking the sheep. He picked out five stones and headed to face the giant. After the giant made fun of him, David said that God was going to fight for him. David ran at Goliath with his sling ready. The rock flew from his sling and hit Goliath in the head. He fell to the ground, and David took Goliath s sword and killed him. Who gave David power to defeat Goliath? God gave David power to defeat Goliath. Ask the following review questions: How many sons did Jesse have? (eight, 1 Samuel 16:10-11) What was David doing when Samuel sent for him? (taking care of the family s sheep, 1 Samuel 16:11) What instrument did David play for Saul? (harp or lyre, 1 Samuel 16:23) What did David use to defeat Goliath? (a sling and a stone, 1 Samuel 17:49) Who gave David power to defeat Goliath? God gave David power to defeat Goliath. 7
Discussion starter video (3 minutes) Unit 11, Session 3 - Discussion Starter Video (on provided DVD) Big Picture Question: Who gave David power to defeat Goliath? - 11x17 poster provided Leader It seemed like David must have some kind of super power to defeat such a giant. Do you ever wish you could be a superhero? Watch this video. Show the Unit 11 Session 3 discussion starter video. Leader Do any of you have super powers? No, but that doesn t mean you can t be a hero to somebody. David didn t have any special powers, but he had the best thing of all. He had God on his side. Who gave David power to defeat Goliath? God gave David power to defeat Goliath. God can use you the same way when you put your trust in Him. There s only one real superhero. His name is Jesus. Jesus saved us from sin, just like David saved the Israelites from Goliath and the Philistines. 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: Who gave David power to defeat Goliath? - 11x17 poster provided paperwad Show the big picture question slide or poster. Leader Let s take one more peek at our big picture question and answer. Who gave David power to defeat Goliath? God gave David power to defeat Goliath. Toss a paper wad toward the kids, pretending it is a rock. Whoever catches it can ask the big picture question and then call on the name of a kid to give the answer. If that kid doesn t want to answer, the kid with the paper wad may call on another kid. Before transitioning to small group, make any necessary announcements. Lead the kids in prayer. Pray that the kids will see and understand that God uses kids just like them to do great things in His name. 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 Was Anointed and Fought Goliath Bible Passage: 1 Samuel 16 17 Big Picture Question: Who gave David power to defeat Goliath? God gave David power to defeat Goliath. 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: Who gave David power to defeat Goliath? (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 1 Samuel 16 in their Bibles. Help them as needed. 9
Say Is 1 Samuel in the Old or New Testament? (Old Testament) Which division of the Bible is 1 Samuel in? (History) What are some of the stories we ve learned about in 1 Samuel? (Eli and Boy Samuel, The Ark Was Captured, Israel Demanded a King, God Rejected Saul as King, and David Was Anointed and Fought Goliath) 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. Before you tell the story, choose the smallest kid in class to play the part of David. Choose the tallest kid to play Goliath. Choose one kid to be Samuel and another to be Saul. Encourage these kids to act out the part of their Bible person as you tell the story. Invite the other kids to cheer on David, especially when he is about to face Goliath. Say Throughout David s young life, God was preparing him to be the king of the Israelites. God used David s ability to play the harp to get him close to King Saul to allow him to see what being king was like. God also used David s ability of protecting the sheep with a sling to bring down an enemy of the Israelites the same way. That brings us to our big picture question. Let s see if any of you can answer it. Show the big picture question slide or poster. Say Who gave David power to defeat Goliath? God gave David power to defeat Goliath. LARGE GROUP REVIEW AND ACTIVITIES Key passage activity (5 minutes) Hidden Stones Instructions Key Passage Poster: Psalm 51:10 (provided) stone cards (x3 sets per classroom) 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 David was not chosen to be the next king because he looked the part. There was something about who David was that God was looking for. However, David knew he needed God to give him the kind of heart that wanted to please God. A stone card has been provided for every word of the key passage. Hide the stones around your classroom. Invite the kids to look for the hidden stones and bring them to you as they are found. Mix up the stones and ask the kids to work as a group to put them in the right order. If you have several kids, form groups and use an extra set of stones. Three sets of stone cards have been provided in your classroom. 10
Activity choice (10 minutes) Option 1: Battlefield Form two groups. One group will be Israelites and the other group will be Philistines. Ask one group to go to one side of the room. Invite the other group to go to the opposite side of the room. Choose a volunteer from each group to battle each other in the center. The volunteer represents the entire team. Change the game each time new volunteers are chosen. Consider these battle ideas: do 10 jumping jacks the fastest; play Paper, Rock, Scissors ; thumb wrestle; stare until someone laughs or blinks; do the most pushups in one minute; fastest one to say the alphabet backwards; and so forth. The team who wins the most individual battles is the champion. Say David picked the stone and hurled it at the giant, but he wasn t the real reason Goliath fell that day. Who gave David power to defeat Goliath? God gave David power to defeat Goliath. Option 2: Picture Frame Harp inexpensive picture frames, 1 per kid rubber bands, assorted sizes markers, paint, or stickers Before class, carefully remove the back and glass from the picture frames, leaving only the square frames. Provide each kid with a frame. Invite the kids to decorate the frames with markers, paint, or stickers. Provide a handful of rubber bands for each kid. Demonstrate how to wrap the rubber bands around the frame to create a harp. The harp will have different sounds if the rubber bands vary in size and length. Encourage them to spend a few minutes plucking the rubber bands to see what sounds they can make. Say God gave David the ability to play the harp to make King Saul feel better. God even prepared David to one day be king in Saul s place. God also used David to defeat Goliath. Who gave David power to defeat Goliath? God gave David power to defeat Goliath. Prayer and Clean-Up (5 minutes) Say Who can give me the big picture question? Who gave David power to defeat Goliath? Who can tell me the answer to the big picture question? God gave David power to defeat Goliath. If time remains, take prayer requests. Pray, thanking God for using Jesus to defeat our greatest enemy just as He used David to defeat the Israelites enemy. Pray for each kid by name, asking God to use those kids in great and mighty ways. Clean-up room. 11
Instructions: See if you can find the items hidden in this picture. They are all items you will hear about today. The hidden items are: lamb harp oil stone sling sword LifeWay UNIT 11 Session 3 Younger Kids Activity Pages 2013 LifeWay Christian Resources. Saul and David
David Was Anointed and Fought Goliath 1 Samuel 16 17 2013 LifeWay Christian Resources. LifeWay
Family Journal Page Saul and David, ral easy games (limbo ve se se oo Ch. ics pm oly a family can Plan a game night for p, and so forth). You m ju g lon e, us ho e th around thumb wrestling, race kid friendly. e sure the games are ak m t bu, es m ga d ar also use card or bo me that ber to talk about a ga em m ily m fa ch ea ow All r Keep score below. how sin is impossible fo t ou ab lk Ta in. w to possible seemed hard or even im h r us through His deat fo it ed at fe de s su Je us to defeat, but and resurrection. Session Title: %BWJE 8BT "OPJOUFE BOE 'PVHIU (PMJBUI Bible Passage: 4BNVFM m Preschool Key Passage: 1TBMN Big Picture Question: 8IP HBWF %BWJE QPXFS UP EFGFBU (PMJBUI (PE HBWF %BWJE QPXFS UP EFGFBU (PMJBUI Christ Connection: The men in Israel s army were afraid of Goliath, the mighty Philistine warrior. Nobody would fight him. But God gave David power to beat Goliath. David reminds us of Jesus. Jesus came to save us from our biggest enemies: sin and death. Jesus is the hero who saves us so we can live with Him forever in heaven. Kids Key Passage: 1TBMN Big Picture Question: 8IP HBWF %BWJE QPXFS UP EFGFBU (PMJBUI (PE HBWF %BWJE QPXFS UP EFGFBU (PMJBUI Christ Connection: The Israelites were up against their toughest enemies, the Philistines. They didn t stand a chance against Goliath, the mighty Philistine warrior. God gave David power to defeat Goliath. David reminds us of Jesus, who came to save us from our greatest enemies: sin and death. Jesus, the ultimate hero, gives us salvation and eternal life. 6/*5 r 4FTTJPO -JGF8BZ $ISJTUJBO 3FTPVSDFT OK TO PRINT
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Psalm 51:10 OK TO PRINT Saul and David