We Want a King! You can read the full storyline of Israel getting their first king in 1 Samuel 8. Background Info When Israel moved into the Promised Land, they had to fight many battles to gain control of the land. But God was with them, as He had promised, and He led them to many miraculous victories. It was clear they would not have defeated their enemies without God on their side. Eventually peace came to Israel. During this time, God was the king of Israel, and the people were led by judges—men and women who God had chosen to save them from their enemies. They were the moral and spiritual leaders of the nation, but a time came when two judges (Joel and Abijah, the sons of the prophet Samuel) didn’t live honestly—they were taking bribes in exchange for favorable judgments (1 Sam. 8:3). The people were angry and demanded a king—a human king they could see and show off and, presumably, control. Samuel was offended and went to the Lord, who said, “They have not rejected you. They have rejected me from being their king” (1 Sam. 8:7). Samuel warned them what would happen if they had a king, but the people refused to listen to Samuel’s advice and continued to demand a king. So finally God said, “Give them a king” (1 Sam 8:22). Life had been good. God had been good. But the people of Israel wanted to control their own lives. God gave them (and us) free will to make their own decisions, but we see time and again that things would have been much better for Israel if they had submitted to God’s plan for them. Definitions The following words are used in the conversation starters and explanations below. These simplified definitions are meant to help young children grasp the concepts more easily. Judges—people chosen by God to lead the nation of Israel when they didn’t have a king. Free Will—the freedom we have to make choices in our lives Glorify—to show others that something is really good Conversation Starters 1. When God’s people moved into their new land, they had to be brave adventurers. Giants and dangerous men lived in the land there. What do you think it was like to be a soldier in God’s army? Does your son or daughter love superheroes, brave knights, or army guys? Then they should love the narrative of Israel taking over the Promised Land. It was a land filled with exotic food, lush landscapes, and dangerous men … even giants! Let them explore the limits of their imagination as you talk about what it would have been like to fight as a soldier in God’s army. 2. What do you think life at home must have been like in the Promised Land? Scholars tell us that tools and supplies during this era in history would have been primitive and minimal. Joshua couldn’t run over to Home Depot to get hammers, nails, and wood to make his home. Instead, the Israelites searched the area for stones to make the walls of their homes. Often scorpions and snakes would sneak through the cracks in these walls and come into the houses! They had a flat roof that they’d sleep on in the hot summer months. Homes were built in a circle, and the outside walls served as protection for the city against invading armies. Each family was expected to defend their portion of the walls, so families filled up their back rooms (the ones facing these walls) with debris and rocks to protect them from intruders. This is pretty different from our life today, isn’t it?! 3. What do you think children and parents who lived in the Promised Land did every day? Homes in the Promised Land had a center courtyard where much of the daily activity happened. Women cooked, cleaned, wove fabric, and stored grain in these courtyards. They were the like the family room and the kitchen all in one. Men during this time were either fighting in the army, hunting, or working in the fields. Many also made tools. Children were expected to help too—consider David, who worked as a shepherd even as a young boy. 4. God was the king of Israel, and he sent judges to save Israel from its enemies. Can you name any of the judges were and what they did for God’s people? The Bible says the judges were sent to save Israel from their enemies. They were smart, strong, and loyal men and women who God helped in battle and at home. He gave them wisdom to make good decisions for the people of Israel—so when people had arguments or disagreed, the judges would decide who was right. Their job was to help Israel do a better job of following God and loving Him. Some of the judges include: Gideon, Deborah, Samson, Ehud, and Samuel. 5. Why did the Israelites want a human king? Weren’t they happy with God being their king? There were many reasons why the Israelites wanted a human king. The nations they saw around them all had one and they were tired of being different. Also, some of the judges that were in charge were doing things they should not be doing, and it wasn’t fair. The people weren’t happy about this. Even though God was a very good king for them—a perfect king—
they couldn’t see Him. They had to remember to have faith, which was hard for them to do. 6. How did God feel about Israel wanting a king? God wanted Israel to be set apart, to be different, so that everyone they met would know that God was in charge of them. He wanted his people to glorify Him, and one way they could do that was by honoring Him as their king. But when they demanded a king, He let them have one. It was part of the free will that He’d created inside people. 7. What does this story show us about God’s promise? God stayed faithful to His people, even when they were not faithful to Him. And when we sin and make mistakes, God will still be faithful to us. He’ll never leave us. He’ll always love us. Activity Explore the culture of this time period with your kids this week. Take a walk through your yard and collect rocks, then use them to build a miniature version of an Israelite home. Make iron weapons by covering cardboard with aluminum foil. You can even use the weapons to “attack” your houses if you want to! Or you can weave “blankets” for dolls or action figures to use. Tape the ends of five different-­‐colored strips of paper to a sheet of white paper. Then weave more colored strips through in the opposite direction in an over-­‐under, over-­‐under pattern, being sure to tape all the ends securely when you’re done. (You can also do this with fabric strips, stitching the ends securely, if you’re handy with a needle and thread.) Discuss daily life in Israel as you work on your projects. When finished, thank God for His faithfulness to us even when we demand our own way! Saul and David You can read the full storyline of Saul and David in 1 and 2 Samuel. Background Info Israel’s first king was Saul. He fit the natural description of a king—tall, handsome … regal. God chose him to be the leader of Israel, and Samuel anointed him with oil as a sign of God’s favor. Saul reigned over Israel from the age of thirty years old until he was seventy-­‐two. He had some amazing accomplishments as king—great victories over his enemies and establishing the royal tradition in Israel. Even though Saul reigned for so many years, it didn’t take long for God to reject him as king in His heart. Saul had some major issues going on at a personal level. The power and authority God had given him went to his head, and he began to make his own decisions instead of following God’s instructions. Because of this, God rejected him. His sons would not be kings over Israel after him. He was tormented by an evil spirit and needed music to soothe his soul. David, a young shepherd from Bethlehem, was called to play his harp for Saul, and he was the one God had chosen to be the next king of Israel. David was, in many ways, the opposite of Saul. Although he was a “fine-­‐looking man,” “brave,” and “a warrior” (1 Sam. 16:18 NIV), he was not chosen based on his looks. God told Samuel not to look at the outward appearance because the Lord looks at the heart of man (1 Sam. 16:7). David was human through and through. He’s almost as famous for his sins as for his accomplishments, but he’s called “a man after God’s own heart” throughout Scripture. Ultimately, his passion to know and worship God was the priority in his life. Definitions The following words are used in the conversation starters and explanations below. These simplified definitions are meant to help young children grasp the concepts more easily. Anoint—This was something people did during the Bible times to show everyone that God had chosen or blessed a person. In this story we see God’s prophet, Samuel, anointing the heads of the men with oil to signify whom God had chosen to be the king of Israel. Prophesy—Throughout the Bible, God gives special information to certain people called “prophets.” These prophets would tell the people messages from God, usually about what would happen in the future. Jerusalem—this is an important city in Israel’s history. It’s where King David lived, and it would be the capital city of Israel for many years. Conversation Starters 1. Why did God tell Samuel to choose Saul as the first king of Israel? Saul was from the smallest family in the smallest tribe in all of Israel. He wasn’t a big, important person everyone looked to as a leader. But God chose him, and that’s what was important. When God’s Spirit came upon Saul, he was able to do things he’d never done before—like prophesy (tell about the future). The Bible doesn’t tell us exactly why God chose Saul, but we can figure out from his narrative that Saul wasn’t famous or important, so it was really easy to see that everything good Saul did came from God, not Saul. 2. What did the Israelites like about Saul? What are some of the good things Saul did as king? When God chose Saul, He said, “He will save my people from the Philistines,” and “he will rule my people” (1 Sam. 9:16–17). And Saul did these things for Israel. He led them in many successful battles against the Philistines. Can you remember a famous Philistine that Israel won a battle against when Saul was king? Goliath! The young shepherd boy David knocked him out with five smooth stones from the creek bed. 3. What problems did Saul have? Saul was impatient, and sometimes he’d make decisions on his own instead of waiting for God to do what he promised he’d do (read 1 Sam. 13:1–15). Eventually the Spirit of God left Saul, and he was tormented. The only thing that would soothe his spirit was to hear the beautiful music of the harp, which David played for him. 4. What happened to make God decide Saul should not be the king of Israel anymore? You can read in 1 Samuel 15 about God rejecting Saul as king of Israel. It was the last straw, as Saul had continually failed to listen to God’s instruction (just like the Israelites in the wilderness). God told Saul to go fight against some enemies called the Amalekites (uh-­mal-­eh-­
kites). He gave Saul very specific rules on what he was supposed to do when he fought them, but Saul didn’t listen to those rules. He obeyed almost exactly, but he chose make some of his own decisions. God was tired of Saul thinking he was equal to God, that he could make the rules too. 5. What was David doing before God chose him to be king? David was the youngest son in his father’s house, and he had the job of watching the sheep the family owned. He’d sit on the hillside protecting the sheep from danger all day and all night. He fought lions and bears that tried to eat the sheep. But he did other jobs as well. We know that he took meals to his brothers while they were fighting in the army, and he went to the palace and played the harp for King Saul. 6. David is remembered for being a hero—what are some of the great things he did? David fought Goliath and won a great victory for Israel before he was king. As king, David led Israel in a great battle that won the city of Jerusalem—which would be an important city for the rest of the history of Israel and Christianity. He wrote beautiful psalms, which we still read today. He was a great king; in fact, many people still consider him to be one of the greatest kings of all time. 7. What are some of the mistakes David made? Why do you think he forgot to follow God when he made these mistakes? David, even though he was a great king, was still a sinner. He still made mistakes. He was not the perfect Redeemer Israel had been waiting for. David sinned with his neighbor, a woman named Bathsheba, and he made her husband be killed fighting in a war (2 Sam. 11). His life is a reminder to us that no one is perfect and all of us need God’s love. 8. How does this story remind you of God’s promise to send us a Redeemer to forgive us for our sins? We talked about how David’s life reminds us that even great kings of Israel need to be redeemed by God. All of us are sinners, and all of us need God’s promise. But God also promised David something special. He promised that He would never take his love away from David and his family, and that his kingdom would last forever. This came true when Jesus was born to one of David’s great-­grandchildren. Activity Most children love the narratives of David and Goliath. It’s one of the felt-­‐board classics that church kids grow up with. Maybe they relate to the idea of a small person confronting someone much taller since that’s what their life is like on a daily basis! You can teach your kids this story through some creative play this week. Draw a giant on the sidewalk or driveway with chalk. (A stick figure will suffice, if that’s the extent of your artistic ability!) Collect five rocks from your yard for each person who will play the game. Take a few minutes for everyone to color their rocks—one color per person, so you’ll know which rock belongs to which person once the game starts. Draw a line on the ground about five feet from the chalk-­‐Goliath you’ve drawn. Everyone should take turns tossing their rocks, and whoever ends up with the rock closest to Goliath’s head wins! If you’re crafty, you can tweak this game by painting a Goliath on fabric and using beanbags instead of rocks … or any other variation you can think of! Daniel You can read the full storyline of Daniel in the book of Daniel. Background Info As the years in the Promised Land passed, Israel went through some changes. They had good kings and bad kings, and eventually the nation split. The northern kingdom, called Israel, was made up of ten tribes who rejected Solomon’s son Rehoboam as king. Its capital was Samaria. In the year 720 BC, it was captured by the Assyrians. The process took three years, and the Assyrian king Sargon wrote in his journals, “Samaria … I captured; 27,280 men who dwelt in it I carried away [to Assyria].” The southern kingdom of Judah was made up of the two remaining tribes (Judah and Benjamin) who were loyal to Rehoboam. It lasted until 586 BC, when it was conquered by the Babylonian empire. This is where we find Daniel—a Jewish man, faithful to Yahweh, living in Babylon under the reign of King Nebuchadnezzar. God protected Daniel and his notable friends (Shadrach, Meschach and Abed-­‐nego) during their time in Babylon. He gave them gifts of discernment and wisdom, and He protected them when they were attacked for their faith. During this time we see that, even though the people of God weren’t at home in Jerusalem, God’s promise was kept alive in the faith of those who loved Him. Definitions The following words are used in the conversation starters and explanations below. These simplified definitions are meant to help young children grasp the concepts more easily. Laws—rules that apply to everyone who lives in a certain place Protection—making sure you are safe Kingdom—the land where people who share the same king live together Conversation Starters 1. If Daniel and his friends were Jews, why were they living in Babylon instead of Israel? As the years passed, the Israelites didn’t all agree on what God had promised them. They argued and eventually decided to become two different kingdoms. Then both of those kingdoms were taken captive by enemy armies. The people of God had to leave and live in those new places, or they stayed at home but these other nations were now in charge of the places where they lived. Daniel and his friends ended up in a nation called Babylon and were expected to follow the rules there. 2. What rules did King Nebuchadnezzar make that Daniel didn’t want to follow? First, the king told Daniel he had to eat the food that the other people in the royal palace ate, but Daniel and his friends wanted to follow the rules about food that God had given the people of Israel. So they asked the king for permission to follow their normal eating habits as an experiment to see who would be stronger and healthier—and Daniel won! Then the king said that no one could pray and instead they had to worship the king. Daniel refused—he and his friends continued to pray to God only. 3. What did the king’s men do to Daniel and his friends when they refused to listen to the king’s bad rules? Daniel’s friends were thrown into a big, fiery furnace—which is like a huge hot oven with fire. The people who threw them in expected Daniel’s friends to burn up. Again, this was meant to be a punishment for not following the rules. Later, another king threw Daniel into a lion’s den—this was a big pit where lions lived. It wasn’t like a zoo; the lions weren’t there for people to admire. No, the lions were there to eat people who didn’t obey the king. 4. What happened to Daniel and his friends when they were thrown in the lion’s den and the fiery furnace? God protected them. Both times they were completely safe. Because of that, people began to believe in God. They knew that only Daniel’s God could have saved them in those situations. 5. Why was it okay for Daniel and his friends to disobey the rules? Even though they were disobeying laws the king made, they were doing it so they could honor God. The king was making bad laws that told people to disobey God. So Daniel and his friends knew that it was more important to listen to God and His true rules for living than to listen to a person who was giving them bad rules for living. 6. What does Daniel’s story tell us about God’s promise? God stepped into Daniel’s life and saved him. He protected His people at home and far away, when they were slaves to enemy nations. He does the same thing for us—coming into our lives and saving us from our sins. Activity We know that God hears and answers our prayers just like He did for Daniel. We can be glad for the opportunity to teach them about God’s protection and provision even when it seems there’s no chance of rescue! To explore the story with your kids more, you can create a reminder of this truth.
My Prayer Chain •
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Construction paper in an assortment of colors cut into strips 1" x 8.5" Scissors Crayons Stickers (suggestions: hearts; people—family, doctors, teachers; home.) Glue sticks, clear tape, or stapler Marker ENGAGE You will have a chance to create something that will help you to remember the things we can pray for and to help us to remember that God responds to the prayers of His people. Who are God's people? (Children respond) We are God's people, that's right! On our table, we have strips of different colored paper, crayons, and some stickers. If you would like, you can make a chain of all of the things you are praying for or would like to pray for. You can draw a picture of each prayer on a strip of paper. Or, you may choose to put a sticker of what you want to pray for on your paper. Then, when you have finished creating pictures of your prayers, you can connect all of the pieces together to make a prayer chain. You can hang it in your home to remind you of the things you are praying for and to help you celebrate when you see how God responds to your prayers.