When God says “no”
key words
biblical reference
2 Samuel 7:1-29
lesson objective
To help children accept God’s authority when he says “NO.”
memory verse
“It is the Lord your God you must follow, and him you must revere. Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him” (Deuteronomy 13:4, NIV*).
prepare yourself to teach
God gave David victory over his enemies, and now the kingdom enjoyed times of peace. After years of conflict, the Israelites felt secure (2 Samuel 7:1-29).
David lived in a beautiful palace made of cedar wood. But he was ashamed that while he lived in such a place, the Ark of the Covenant was in a tent.
Nathan, a prophet of God, agreed with David in his plan to build a temple. David’s request was good, but God said “no”. This is not to say that God rejected David, but that He was planning something even greater in David’s life than allowing him the privilege of building a temple for him.
God revealed to Nathan the prophet that this was not his plan, and he went to tell David. God told David that his job was to unite and guide Israel, and to destroy their enemies. David accepted his role in God’s plan and did not try to go any further with his desire to build the temple.
Why did God say “no” to David? It is not known. Perhaps he wanted him to recognize that God cannot be limited to being in one place. To the Israelites, the Ark of the Covenant signified the presence of God in the midst of them.
This lesson teaches us that in our walk with God, we often receive a “no” as a response to what we ask. Do we trust him when his answer goes against our wishes? Are we willing to wait for God’s timing, as David did? Do we accept God’s role for us? Do we trust that he will do the best for us?
It is not unusual for children of this age, and adults for that matter, to get highly frustrated when they do not get what they want when they want it. We must learn to accept the God’s answer at all times, even when he tells us “no”, and to continue following him, even if we do not understand the reason for his answer.
introduce the lesson
The big “NO”
Ask the group: “Who is your authority?” Then say loudly: “NO!” and if possible on the blackboard write a large “NO.” Then ask the following questions. Record the different answers given by the children.
• Are there times when your parents say “no” to something you want to do? (Watch certain TV shows, buy certain kinds of clothes, have certain friendships, etc.)
• Why would they say “no”? (Talk about this.)
• There are times when teachers say “no” when you want to do something. Do you remember something for which your teacher said “no”? (Chewing gum in class, talking when others are talking, running down the aisles, etc. Discuss these reasons.)
There are times when police officers say “no” to people, for example:
• Crossing the street without looking.
• Going through red traffic lights.
• Not wearing a seat belt, etc.
(Discuss these reasons.)
Does God ever say “no” to Christians? (Yes)
When and why do you think God tells us “no” sometimes? (When we are selfish, when we want something that does not benefit us, when what we desire may harm another person, etc.) Explain that whenever God says “no”, he does it for our good and what is best for the whole group.
teach the lesson
The one who said “no” to the king
Tell your children that this story will teach them that when God says “no”, even kings have to accept it.
“At last there is peace in my kingdom,” King David thought. “The army of Israel has defeated the Philistines, and they wo not bother us for a while. Now I can enjoy my beautiful palace.”
One day, Nathan the prophet visited King David and the king said to him, “Look, I live in a cedar house, while the Ark of God is in a tent. It does not seem right. I think I’ll build a beautiful place for God.”
“Do all that is in your heart, for the Lord is with you,” answered Nathan.
“I’ll have to make plans,” David said.
But that night, the word of the Lord came to Nathan, and he immediately went to speak with David to communicate the message of God.
“God has given me a message for you, David,” Nathan told him. “Thus says Yahweh; shall you build me a house where I’ll dwell? I have never lived in a house from the day that I brought the children of Israel out of Egypt to this day, but dwelled in the tent and in the tabernacle. Did I ever ask you to build me a house?”
“God favors you, David,” Nathan continued, “but he wants it to be one of your children and not you that builds a house for him.” After the prophet Nathan left, David prayed:
“You have become great, O Lord God, because there is none like you, and there is no God beside you. I wanted to build this house for you, but you have said that it will not be me who does it. O sovereign Lord, you are God.”
connect the lesson
Challenge the children to continue to seek the will of God when making choices during the week. Tell them to be prepared to tell you in what situation God said “no” and answer the questions: How did they know that God told them “no”? Was it something that was good as what David wanted to do? Why do you think God told them “no”? How do they know what God wants them to do? (Reading the Bible, praying, asking the pastor or church leaders, etc.)
Why did God say “NO”?
Prior to the session and ask six volunteers to prepare to participate as actors. Direct the children’s attention towards this activity.
scene 1
Characters: Matias, Sergio and Leonel.
These three friends meet at school during lunchtime.
Matias: What do you think about Sunday school?
Sergio: It is AWESOME! I love what we learn from the Bible in every class.
Matias: Hey! I did not know that God says “no” to important people like David. I thought He would be saying “no” just to children like us.
Leonel: Yes, but what was wrong with wanting to build a temple for God?
Matias: That is not the point, Leonel.
Sergio: God often says “yes”. But when he says “no”, it is for some reason.
Matthias: Of course, even if we do not know that reason, God is sovereign. This means that he does not have to tell us why he says “yes” or “no”.
Leonel: I thought that God says “no” to prevent us from getting into trouble, like the commandments that keep us from doing evil.
At the end of the scene, ask: “Why do you think God sometimes says ‘no’, to what we ask?”
scene 2
Characters: Diana, Elizabeth and Liliana
The three girls meet in a house to do their homework. While Elizabeth and Liliana study, Diana sighs deeply and looks very sad.
Elizabeth: Diana, is something wrong?
Diana: Today I had a terrible day. I got a bad grade on my exam and I do not understand why.
Liliana: Maybe some of your answers were wrong.
Diana: Very funny! I know that my answers were wrong, but I thought that God would help me.
Liliana: What do you mean?
Diana: I knew we were going to have a test. I even took the books to my house to study. The problem was that I was watching a TV show...
Elizabeth: So you did not study enough?
Diana: Well ... no. But when I went to school, I started praying before I started the exam!
At the end of the scene, ask, why do you think God did not give Diana the correct answers? (Because she did not do her part by preparing for the exam.)
practice the memory verse
Word attack
Give the group Student Activity Sheet #297 entitled “Word attack” and read the memory verse for this lesson. Help the students define the key words, and then put the letter of the correct answer in the blank space.
You can also prepare in advance a small paper to give to each child who wishes to participate in a memory verse contest. Tell them to write the verse, and give them time to do so. When they are done, check to see that they have written it out correctly, and if you want, you can give them a prize.
wrap-up
Pray
At the end of the session, pray with the group.
Encourage
Thank your students for their attendance and encourage them not to forget what they learned.
Invite
Announce something about the next session to increase the group’s interest. 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.™