Theme: The Holy Spirit
Theme Verse: "'Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit', says the LORD of Hosts." Zechariah 4:6
Readings: 1 Samuel 24
Memory Verse: "You have heard it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:43-45 (Pre-K to grade 3)
Background David had been anointed as future king by Samuel. After David the Shepherd boy had killed Goliath, King Saul added him to his household and David sometimes played music for Saul when Saul was in a bad mood. David was also a warrior for Saul, but soon Saul began to be very jealous of David because people were singing songs like, "Saul has killed his thousands and David has killed his ten thousands". Saul began to try to kill David. Finally David's close friend Jonathan, Saul's son, made a covenant with David and helped him escape. David hid out in the wilderness near Engedi (see map) which had lots of caves and sheep were often pastured there. Part of it is real desert.
David is now living in the wilderness and keeps moving around. He had about 600 men with him who were also hiding there. (1 Samuel 25:26, 31) King Saul comes after David with 3,000 picked soldiers! Clearly the purpose of this show of power is to make David and his men fearful and give up. This is just one of the times Saul hunted David. Not only was he jealous but he feared that his son would not inherit the throne.
Saul picks a cave that David and his men were hiding in (very far back) to go to the toilet. David's men tell him, now's your chance to kill Saul. God has given him into your power. David does not kill Saul, but quietly cuts off a piece of Saul's royal robe without Saul noticing anything. David immediately feels he has done wrong to do this because Saul is God's anointed king. "Afterward, David was conscience-stricken for having cut off a corner of his robe." (1 Samuel 24:5) A word received: I want you to respond as David did when he was troubled by what he did: he confessed his sin and repented.
David also forbad his men to attack and kill Saul. Saul leaves without knowing what had happened. "He [David] said to his men, 'The LORD forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the LORD'S anointed, or lift my hand against him; for he is the anointed of the LORD.'" (1 Samuel 24:6) A word received: I want you to have the same respect for my anointed servants that David had. I want you to honor them. In David's time kings and priests were anointed with oil, representing the Holy Spirit. David knew all the bad things that Saul was doing but he honored and respected the office Saul held (king) and God having set him apart. Who are "God's anointed" today? (priests, bishops).
Notice that this does not mean David excused Saul's wrong doing but he respects Saul's office and leaves it to God to deal with Saul's wrong doing. In the Old Testament Psalm 94 says, "O God who avenges, shine forth…Pay back to the proud what they deserve….But the Lord has become my fortress, … He will repay them for their sins." Notice that in the Psalms, David and the other writers are asking God to punish those who have wronged them. They do not try to get even themselves! (CS Lewis pointed this out.) In the New Testament, we are told by Jesus and Paul to go one step further, because God is the one who is the Judge. Read Romans 12:17-21 "Vengeance is mine; says the Lord. I will repay" and "if your enemy is hungry, feed him…Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." Now look at the Memory Verse for what Jesus tells us. "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous." (Matthew 5:43-45) PRAYER: Holy Spirit, please help me to hear what Jesus is saying to me. We will need to ask Jesus for the power of the Holy Spirit to do this, because it is the opposite of what the world says and does! Jesus is showing us the better way, to do good instead of evil, by forgiving even 70 times 7 (stop counting). Forgiving does not say that what the person did was OK but it gets the poison of unforgiveness out of us and gives the situation to God. We are to leave it to God, ask God to deal with the ones who treat us in an evil way. This is God's kind of love (agape) that does what is best for the other person but not a warm fuzzy feeling. Word received: Use David as your example of how to treat your enemies. Be wise and the truth will shine forth in My time. Do you remember what happened to King Saul? Did David become King in God's time??
Notice how David forbad his men to attack and kill Saul. Saul leaves without knowing what had happened. "With these words David rebuked his men and did not allow them to attack Saul. And Saul left the cave and went his way." (1 Samuel 24:7) A word received: I am calling on you to restrain your friends when they contemplate doing evil.
Now look at what David did next. (vs.8f) "Then David went out of the cave and called out to Saul, "My lord the king!" When Saul looked behind him, David bowed down and prostrated himself with his face to the ground." (1 Samuel 24:8) A word received: "But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you. " (Matthew 5:44) David did this many times; can you count the times you have loved and blessed those who persecute you and spitefully use you? David risks his life to tell and show King Saul that he is not a traitor or wrong doer. He proves to Saul, by waving the piece of Saul's robs, that he could have easily killed him. David says, "I have not sinned against you, though you hunt my life to take it." Then David tells Saul that he is asking God to punish Saul but that he would not touch the King. Again in vs.15, David is asking God to deal with the situation. [ An interesting parallel is between what David says, "but my hand shall not be against you."… "may the Lord therefore be judge…and deliver me from your hand" and the three young men facing the fiery furnace. In Daniel 3:17 they refused to worship the King's golden image and told King Nebuchadnezzar "Our God, whom we serve, is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace…and out of your hand. (vs.18) But if not, be it known to you, O King, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image." The King threw them into the furnace and God rescued them.]
Then David said, "May the LORD judge between you and me. And may the LORD avenge the wrongs you have done to me, but my hand will not touch you." (1 Samuel 24:12) A word received: Are you willing to leave judgment in my hands? I want you to let me deal with those who have hurt and abused you. Then Saul repents (for a little while) and declares, in front of his own men, that David has returned good for evil and acknowledges that David will be ding some day. Then he asks David to promise not to kill his family and David does.
Notice that in vs.22 David was wise, not foolish. He didn't trust Saul. He went back to one of his strongholds in the wilderness.
In the next chapter, Abigail keeps David from taking revenge on Nabal. Even David needed to hear "restraining advice" sometimes.
Now look at the fruit of the Spirit in David. Look at how David answered Saul's desire to kill him with kindness and agape love. David was faithful in trusting and obeying God and trusting God for his future. That was also goodness. He had self-control to resist any desires to get even or kill Saul. That also showed David's patience in waiting for God's time. David chose peace over revenge.
NOTE on "sons" in the Memory Verse. Jesus says to love enemies and pray for those who persecute you so that you may be sons of your Father in heaven." Jesus calls us to follow him and walk (do) as he did. The word "son" in the Bible means not only to be a biological son of someone but to be like someone/something as in "sons of thunder". It also means to have a relationship with them and obey them. A "son" is one who obeys/acknowledges the father's authority and has his character. Colossians 3:6 (in some translations) talks about the "sons of disobedience." Jesus talks about the "sons of this world" in Luke 16:8 and the "sons of light." As Christians we become "sons" (includes women) of God by adoption (Galatians 4:5) which God does by sending the Holy Spirit of His Son, Jesus, into our hearts.
Teaching Ideas for Lesson 10
Please read the Study Guide first. Go over Memory Verse to make sure the children understand it and then if they have memorized it.
Remind them their parents need to sign a report slip monthly if they have read the lessons, so they will get credit at the end of the year.
Make sure they know what happened in the story. Get them to tell you.
Basic points of the lesson for little ones:
1. When Saul tried to kill David, David did not try to get even or hurt him. That is showing the fruit of the spirit: mercy and kindness, and self-control.
2 Even when David could have killed Saul, he didn't do it because David respected God's anointed one. That doesn't mean that what Saul did was OK, but David trusted God to punish Saul and protect himself.
3 God blessed David because he respected his enemy and returned good for evil.
4 God wants each of us to act like David did , when someone hurts us or makes fun of us. Jesus said to "love your enemies". What does that mean? We don't have to like or trust them but we are to return good for evil, pray for those who are mean to us, forgive them and ask God to deal with them. The Bible says, if your enemy is hungry, feed him!
5. David was not foolish. He kept on hiding from his enemy Saul, who hadn't really changed.
No comments:
Post a Comment