David is anointed

 

key words

biblical reference

1 Samuel 16:1-13

memory verse

“The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7b, NIV*).

lesson objective

To help children to understand that God does not value our appearance, but our love and obedience to Him.

prepare yourself to teach

When we scrutinize this first book of Samuel, we see how God rejected Saul as king of Israel, even when he had chosen him some time before. God ordered Samuel to anoint a new king he had chosen, one of the eight sons of Jesse.

Samuel was afraid and aware of what would happen if Saul discovered there would be a new king anointed. The Lord directed him to fast and present a sacrifice during his visit to Bethlehem, as these priestly customs granted protection on the mission to which they were called.

Samuel evaluated each of Jesse’s sons according to their appearance; the oldest was big and strong, which is why he thought that he was the one the Lord had chosen. But the Lord said to him, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” After rejecting the first seven sons, Jesse called his eighth son who was caring for the sheep. Nobody would have expected the future king of Israel would come from a place as small as Bethlehem and that an insignificant shepherd would become the king of God’s people.

When Samuel saw him, God said, “Arise, anoint him, for this is he.” And that was how Samuel anointed David as king of Israel in a ceremony used to designate priests, prophets, and kings. The popularity of the phrase “the Lord’s anointed” reflects a divine initiative, which denotes an exclusive relationship between the God of Israel and the king who was named, to whom he gave power and authority to rule in his name. The king was God’s representative on earth, who should be a faithful reflection of his character.

adaptation

Very often, we, just as Samuel did, judge others according to their appearance and let our own opinions lead us. In the same way, children, though they are small, are very aware of the importance of appearances. Their hair and clothing can become the key to feeling accepted by society and their peers. God has a completely different view of human beings. He does not judge us by our social status, and much less by our physical appearance or intellectual capacity. He knows who we truly are.

In this stage of development, children begin to conform their appearance according to pressure exerted by their social context. We cannot prevent this from happening, but we can give them peace and strength, laying in their hearts the foundation of truth that God, who is superior to humanity, does not judge or value us according to our appearance. In this way, we teach them the precious value of the person on the inside.

introduce the lesson

Vote for the king

Be sure Student Activity Sheet #141-A #141-B are aligned and printed back to back.  ALso, provide a pencil for each person. (Note: you will need the top of Student Activity Sheet #141-A for this activity. You will use the bottom half with SAS #141-B later for the “What do you see?” activity.) Talk to them about how we choose leaders for games and what characteristics we look for. Ask them to tell you what they know about what people look for in a leader.

Read the instructions on the upper part of the activity, and give the children time to vote for a king. Ask for some volunteers to explain who they voted for and why.

teach the lesson

Before the session carefully study 1 Samuel 16:1-13 and be ready to tell the story in your own words. Prepare in advance a crown and eight small signs with string attached to the top two corners so it can be hung around the neck of a child. Write a phrase on each sign like: the most beautiful, the most famous, the tallest, the thinnest, the smartest, the strongest, the best athlete, the purest heart.

Ask children who wish to participate to choose a sign and hang it around their necks. As you tell the story, walk past by each one, pretending that they are the sons of Jesse. Make sure that the child wearing the “purest heart” sign is last.

Tell them the story of how God choose a new king for his people. Draw attention to how God did this.

Ask, “Would God have chosen the same king that we voted for?”

As you get to the part about the selection of the new king of Israel, invite the children representing Jesse’s sons to come to the front so that everyone can read their signs. Emphasize that each one is not exactly what God is looking for in a leader. Continue until you come to the last sign and put the crown on the child who represents David.

connect the lesson

What do you see?

You will need Student Activity Sheet #141-B, scissors, envelopes, cards (e.g. Uno) and markers. Follow the instructions on the worksheet to prepare for and play this game. (If you are making copies, be sure to copy both sides of the worksheet onto the sheets you give the children, or glue the two sheets together so that the cards have something written on the front and the back.)

To begin, each child will need their own cards to play alone or play with the group using one deck of cards and have your children take turns. It is likely that children will draw cards with different combinations. This affirms the truth that external appearances are not an accurate guide of what is on the inside of a person.

Explain to your children that it is difficult to know a person just by looking at them. A stranger can look very kind, but be very dangerous. Maybe some children do not have the prettiest toys or the best clothes. Regardless, they can be our best friends. It is good to know that God does not value us based on our external appearances, but on who we are on the inside.

Challenge for the week: my heart

Prepare a template of a heart (possibly out of construction paper) so that all children can make one. Distribute sheets of red paper or pieces of construction paper, pencils, and scissors to each child. Help them make a heart to take home as a reminder that:

God knows our hearts;

Appearance, toys, and clothes are not the most important parts of a person;

We should try to have a clean and pure heart every day.

Ask children to write on their paper hearts all the good things that God sees in them.

practice the memory verse

Discover the verse

You will need Student Activity Sheet #141-B. In class, help children to discover the memory verse with the help of the drawings. The illustrations will help them understand and remember the passage because they do not all know how to read or read well. Tell them that this verse is part of today’s Bible story. This is what God revealed to the prophet Samuel about what he values in people.

Remind children that the word “man” in this verse does not only refer to adults, but to everyone.

wrap-up

Pray

Ask if anyone has a prayer request, and ask a child to volunteer to pray and include those prayer requests.

Encourage

Encourage the children finish any remaining work and tell them that they will learn the story of David throughout this unit.

Invite

Encourage the group to bring friends to the next session and to tell their family about today’s Bible lesson.

* Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™