Covenant with David
key words
biblical reference
1 Chronicles 17, Luke 1:31-33, 68-71
lesson objective
To help the students as they look at the covenant God made with David to understand that God keeps his promises in a much better way than we could ever hope
memory verse
“ʻThough the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,ʼ says the Lord, who has compassion on youʺ (Isaiah 54:10, NIV*).
prepare yourself to teach
At this age, preadolescents work well with daily repetition and with structures that help them feel confident and safe. They need to have a defined routine to perform their activities, such as homework or going to bed at set times.
Most preadolescents expect answers to their questions and approval. If, for example, you handed out gifts during some sessions, they’ll expect you to regularly do so. They may feel disappointed when things do not happen as they expect, but they are very satisfied when they happen better than they expected.
God extends his covenant to everyone and promises to fulfill it. But people do not always fulfill their part of the covenant, just as it happened with the Israelites.
Help the students understand that God wants us to do our part in our relationship with him. It is up to us to love him, serve him, and obey him. God promised that he would do his part, and he always keeps his promises!
In fact, God keeps his promises in a much better way than we can imagine.
biblical commentary
Read 1 Chronicles chapter 17. The author of Chronicles speaks of a time when, finally, peace came through David, who was the king of Israel. Chronologically, this happened after the battles he fought, near the end of his life. But the writer places David here to emphasize his interest in the ark of the covenant and the construction of the temple.
David was the king. Saul had been defeated in battle, and David’s authority had already been established.
For the first time, David had a moment to reflect on himself and his kingdom. And the first thing he noticed was that he lived in an elegant palace built with cedar wood. But, there was no temple for God. The ark of the covenant, a symbol of God’s presence, was in Jerusalem in a tent built for this purpose (1 Chronicles 16:1). The tabernacle, where offerings and sacrifices were made, remained in Gibeon (v. 39). Then, with the best intention, David asked Nathan, a prophet and his spiritual mentor, for permission to build a permanent residence or temple for God. But David was known as a man of war, and God denied him that privilege. Instead, David’s son Solomon, who was known to have brought rest and peace to Israel, would receive the honor of building the temple for the Lord.
God promised David that instead of building the temple, he would allow him to erect or establish a dynasty, a royal house that would remain forever. His family would represent a kingdom that would never cease and would bring salvation and peace to the people of God. David responded with great humility, recognizing that he did not deserve the favor of the Lord.
But the divine plan went far beyond anyone’s imagination: David would be included in the long line of Jesus’ ancestors. And this kingdom would remain forever.
What a magnificent inheritance that David, whose humble desire was only to serve God, obtained!
Read Luke 1:31-33 and 68-71. When Mary heard that she had been chosen to be the mother of the Messiah, the angel assured her of God’s favour with the promise of 1 Chronicles 17 to Jesus: He would be given David’s throne. “His kingdom will never end” (v. 33). Also Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus, was a descendant of David (see Luke 3:23- 38 and Matthew 1:1-17). Despite not being Jesus’ biological father, Joseph was the legal father. In Israel, a legal son participated in the family inheritance in the same way as a biological son.
Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, added this description of Jesus: God redeemed his people by sending his Son, “a mighty Savior” (Luke 1:69). The words “a mighty Savior” tells us that Jesus’ saving work is effective. It is only through Jesus that we can know God and have a personal relationship with him.
introduce the lesson
Grandfather’s gift
Say: “Sometimes, the people we know or love give us a special gift. Sometimes, the gifts are really special because they’re more than what we had asked for or expected. How do you feel when you receive a special gift that’s more than what you expected?” (Happy, surprised, excited)
Guide your students to the first activity from Student Activity Sheet #386-A (Grandfather’s Gift). Read or let someone read the story. Ask: “What did the grandpa do for his granddaughter Anita?” (He provided the money for her university studies.) “Did Anita expect to receive what her Grandpa gave her?” (Yes, she expected money for her university studies because her grandfather told her that he would give it to her.) “What was the surprise for Anita, something she did not expect and received?” (She was surprised that there was also money for her children’s university studies.) “How can you complete this sentence? Grandpa’s gift to Anita was (fill in the blank) than what she could imagine or expect.” (Accept all reasonable answers.)
Explain: “Sometimes we receive more than we expect. That’s a beautiful surprise! Our Bible story today tells about someone who received a promise from God, which was more than he expected. Let’s pay attention as we read it to discover what that was.”
teach the lesson
The King’s Plan
Tell or read the Bible story from Student Activity Sheet #386-B and #386-C. You may also give each paragraph to a different student to read.
Then, ask if they have any idea who is the one who would reign forever. If they are not sure, do the activity “An Extra Gift for David” from the students’ resources. After doing so, your students will be able to guess that the King who would reign forever is Jesus.
Say: “God chose David to be the next king of Israel because he knew that David loved him and wanted to serve him. After David died, his son Solomon became the new king of Israel. Solomon was the king who God chose to build a beautiful temple for him.”
An extra gift for David
Ask some volunteers to read the verses of Student Activity Sheet #386-C (An Extra Gift for David). Ask: “Who and what do these verses talk about?” (Of a King whose reign would never end. Of the promise God had made to David that one of his descendants would rule in Israel forever.) “Who is the descendant of King David who would reign forever?” (Jesus, the son of God) “Does that mean that Jesus would be the earthly king of Israel? Or what does it mean?” (No, Jesus is our Lord and Savior. It is through Jesus that we can know and love God, ask Him to forgive us, be forgiven, and leave sin. It is through Jesus that we have the promise of eternal life with God.)
Explain: “When God promised David that one of his descendants would be on the throne of Israel, David had no idea that God was talking about Jesus, the Messiah. That was much more than he could imagine or expect. God did more than what was expected when he fulfilled the promise of the covenant he had made with David.”
connect the lesson
Create your own prayer
Tell your students: “Today we’re going to create prayers to thank God. Distribute the last student activity for this session in Student Activity Sheet #386-D (Create a prayer). Have volunteers read the prayers found there. Give each student a piece of cardboard or poster board (the size of a letter sheet) to make a sign with the prayer of thanks, so they can take it home.
Say: “Cut out these phrases of thanks to God and stick them on your cards to make a poster that you will then hang in your room or home.” Allow time for them to do it. Distribute markers, crayons, stickers, and figures to decorate the posters. Then have them write their names on them. At the end, ask some volunteers to read the prayers they made.
practice the memory verse
Use this activity to help those who are still trying to memorize the verse for this unit, and to reinforce those who already know it by memory. Write the memory verse (Isaiah 54:10) on the blackboard. Have students sit in a circle on the floor. Place an empty bottle in the center (approx. 1.5 liter), so that it lies on its side. Spin it at high speed. When the bottle stops, the child at which the mouth of the bottle points (the part where the lid is put on) will erase a word from the verse on the board. Then everyone must recite the text together. Keep playing so that every child has an opportunity to erase a word and until everyone can say the memory verse without any written words.
wrap-up
Pray
Have some students pray, thanking God for fulfilling his promise and giving us much more than expected or imagined: his Son Jesus.
Say: “I pray you will fulfill your part of the covenant by living each day for God. Ask him to help you do the right thing and to help others know him. This week, when you pray your prayers of thanks at home, remember to ask God to help you fulfill your part of the covenant and live to please him.”
Encourage
Encourage your students to practice a daily devotional time alone with God. Tell them to think about the seriousness of this covenant that they made with him, that it will last for eternity.
Invite
Tell the group something of interest about the next session to encourage them to attend it. Remind them that visitors are welcome.
* 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.™