Unit 8: Samuel and King Saul OT8.4 Samuel Anoints Saul as King Lesson · 2018-05-23 · Unit 8:...

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OT8.4 Samuel Anoints Saul as King ©Beverly Wilson 2018

Unit 8: Samuel and King Saul OT8.4 Samuel Anoints Saul as King Lesson

Scripture: I Samuel 8-10

Lesson Goal: Samuel was a prophet that God used to lead the nation of Israel. As the last judge of Israel, Samuel obeyed God when the people demanded a king. In this lesson we will learn how we can choose to serve God.

Introduction: The story of the Samuel is found in 1 Samuel which is the ninth book in the Old Testament. 1 Samuel is in the second group of books in the Old Testament called the historical books. These books begin with Joshua and go through Esther. Let's say these books--Joshua, Judges, Ruth, I Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 2 Kings, 1 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah and Esther.

Attention Getter: “Choices” Every day we all make choices. Some easy choices might be what to wear to school or what to eat for breakfast. Some decisions however are much harder to make. A harder choice would be whether or not to be kind to a kid that is mean to you or whether or not to lie about not finishing your homework. When we make choices about whether we will lie or cheat or whether we will read our Bibles we are choosing whether we will obey God or not. Every day we have to make all kinds of choices. We want to learn to make choices that will help us serve and follow God. In this lesson we will find out what happened when a man named Samuel chose to serve God. He was the last judge of Israel. Opening Prayer: “Father, we love You and we want to please You. Help us to choose to love and serve You. We know that your Son Jesus wants to give us the gift of eternal life. Help us to believe and trust in Him as our Savior. Help us to learn how to make godly choices so that everything we think, or say, or do brings Your name honor. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

Memory Verse: The memory verse is Joshua 24:15 “Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve…. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

Lesson Video: https://youtu.be/ly-OWJ80rn0 Do you know what this is? Yes, it is a crown. Who wears a crown? A king or queen does, that is right. Well, what would you say if someone very important said that you were going to be a king or queen? That would be a big surprise, wouldn’t it? In this Bible lesson we are going to hear about a man who was told that he was going to be king.

God’s people lived in the country of Israel for many years. God took care of them, even though they disobeyed Him over and over. God forgave them and helped them when they asked. He also gave them leaders called judges.

For many years Samuel had been the judge of Israel. He had led and advised the people of Israel according to God’s laws. He would always ask God what he should do. When he grew old he appointed his sons Joel and Abjah as the new leaders. But they were not fair nor did they obey God’s laws like their father Samuel. Samuel’s sons were dishonest and accepted bribes. People started complaining about this injustice to their father Samuel. Just because your father is a man who follows God’s ways does not mean that you do not have to choose to follow Him for yourself.

https://youtu.be/ly-OWJ80rn0

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Joel and Abjah ruled from city called Beersheba. The people began to think about other countries around them. These countries each had a king. The Israelites thought, “Why should we be different?”

So the elders of Israel gathered together to meet Samuel at Ramah. They said, “Samuel, you are old. And your sons are NOT good judges. They do not follow your ways. Give us a King just like other nations have.” So go find a king for us. We want someone who will lead our armies and fight our wars for us.”

Samuel was displeased with the people because he knew that God was the real King of Israel! God did not want Israel to be like other nations and have a king. He wanted them to be an example for others. They were His chosen people.

Samuel didn’t know what to do, so he prayed to God. The Lord told him, “Samuel, it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their King. Warn them what a King will do for them.”

So Samuel told the people about the consequences of choosing a king. He said, “A king will take your sons and put them in his army, others will work in his fields or as craftsmen for him. Your daughters will be taken to become his perfumers, cooks, and bakers. A king will take a tenth of your grain and flocks and you will become his slaves. You will cry out to be rescued from the king but the Lord will not deliver you.”

The people refused to listen and demanded, “We want a king anyway! Give us a king like the other nations have who will lead us and fight our battles.”

Samuel prayed to God again and repeated to God everything the people had said. God said, “Samuel, the people do not want me to be their leader. I will give them a king. Listen to them and give them a king. I will show you who it will be.”

So Samuel went out and told all the Israelites, “Everyone go back to your own town.” Because Israel had made a bad choice in demanding a king they would be heading for spiritual disaster.

About this same time there was a well respected man from the tribe of Benjamin called Kish who had a son called Saul. Saul was a handsome young man who was a head taller than everyone else. Kish had lost his donkeys and he asked his son Saul to take a servant and search the hill country to find them.

Saul and his servant traveled to the hill country of Ephraim and all over the land of Benjamin. They searched for the missing donkeys but could not find them. Saul said, “We can’t find the donkeys. Let’s go home. My father will be very worried about us.” But his servant suggested, “Wait, here is the town of Ramah. The prophet Samuel is here in this town. Maybe God will tell him where the donkeys are. We have some coins that we can give him for his help.”

When Saul and his servant got close to the town they saw some women that had jars on their heads that had come out of the city to get water. They ask them about Samuel. The women told them that Samuel was in town and that he was getting ready to go up to a high place to have the sacrifice. Hurry and you can find him!

As soon as they went into the town they saw Samuel on his way to the sacrifice. He was on his way to the High Place where he worshipped God. The day before God had told Samuel, “About this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin. Anoint him ruler over my people Israel. You are to tell him that he will be the first king of Israel. He will govern my people. He will deliver them from the Philistines. ” God knew that Saul was coming and that He had a plan for His life.

Saul saw Samuel and he asked “Can you tell me where the prophet’s house is?”

“Yes, I am the prophet,” replied Samuel. “Come with me to the High Place of sacrifice today and eat the feast by my side. As for the donkeys, they have been found. The nation is turning to you and your family line. ”

Saul could not believe what he was hearing. He said, “Why should I be so honored to eat with you at the feast? I am just an unknown boy. I am from the smallest tribe and my family is not important.

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But Samuel just took Saul and his servant to the banquet hall. He invited thirty guests to a meal. Later that evening Samuel talked with Saul on the roof of his house. Saul and his servant stayed all night with Samuel.

Early the next morning at daybreak Samuel got up to send Saul on his way. He told Saul to tell his servant to go on ahead up the road so they could talk. Samuel said, “You stay here awhile so that I can give you a message from God.”

When Samuel was alone with Saul he reached into his pack and took out a flask of olive oil. Samuel said, “Saul, the Lord has chosen you to be the king of Israel the ruler over His land. Let me anoint your head with oil. This oil means that God’s spirit is going to come upon you and you will have power to rule.” Saul must have been very surprised.

Samuel then told Saul about three things that would happen to him. At the Oak tree of Tabor he would meet three men on their way to Bethel who would give him two loaves of bread. At Gibeah he would meet a group of prophets worshipping God. The Spirit of the Lord would come on Saul with power and he would prophesy with them. At Zelzah he would be told by a man that his father’s donkeys had been found.

These three things all happened just as Samuel said. They were signs that Saul had really been called by God to be the King. When Saul arrived at Gibeah, a procession of prophets met him. The Spirit of God came powerfully upon him, and he joined in their prophesying. “What is this that has happened to the son of Kish?” the people asked. “Is Saul now a prophet?”

Not long after that Samuel called all the people of Israel together and he told them that since they did not want God to be their leader, God had chosen a king for them. By drawing lots, the tribe of Benjamin was selected, then the clan of Saul and then Saul himself.

But Saul was nowhere to be found. Samuel and the people asked the Lord where he was and the Lord revealed that Saul was hiding among the supplies. Saul was acting afraid and weak. He was not willing to trust that God would help him become a great king.

The people ran and brought Saul out. He stood a head taller than everyone else. Samuel announced, “Do you see the man the Lord has chosen? There is no one else like him.” Then the people shouted, “Long live the king!” Samuel then explained the rights and duties of kingship to everyone and wrote them down on a scroll.

The people went home but not everyone was pleased. Some muttered, “How can this man help us?” They despised Saul and would not bring him gifts. Even though God had chosen Saul and given him every opportunity to serve Him, Saul however was struggling with feelings of doubt and insecurity. The sad part of this story is that he never really committed himself to becoming God’s man.

In this lesson we see that two times God told Saul he was called to be the king. The first time was in the religious ceremony when Samuel anointed Saul by anointing his head with oil. Samuel told Saul then that God had given him the job of being the king to lead the people in the way of the Lord.

God even gave to Saul a measure of His Spirit to prophesy with the prophets. This sign proved that he was really was chosen to lead the people the way God wanted. Although all three signs happened, Saul never really committed himself personally to obey God. You see, God calls all of us to serve Him but we must decide personally if we will obey Him. God wants us to choose to serve Him.

A second time God showed Saul that he was to be king was when the prophet Samuel introduced him to the people as their king in a political ceremony. Saul was still resisting God when he hid among the baggage. Saul did not want to accept the responsibility God was giving him. He wanted to do it his own way.

In contrast to Saul we see that when Samuel the prophet had an important job to do he asked God to help him. God continued to use Samuel to serve the people as their priest, prophet and judge. Samuel chose to obey God.

Eventually Saul did become king and began to exercise more and more political and military power over the tribes of Israel. But as King Saul got more power he began to have many problems because he was not willing to follow God.

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God calls all of us to His special plan and purpose. Just like Saul and Samuel we are given a choice as to whether we will serve and obey God. We can be like Saul and refuse to obey Him or we can be like Samuel who made the choice of loving and serving God. One great choice we all must make is whether we will become a member of God’s family.

What are some ways that we can serve the Lord? First we need to pray and ask Jesus to be our Savior. Then we are his child and we belong to God’s family. Just like when you belong to your family you can ask for things then you can pray and ask God for what you need.

Another way to serve the Lord is to sing songs of praise to Him. That what these children are doing. You can sing praises at church, when you are playing, when you are at home...anywhere!

A very important way to serve the Lord is to read the Bible. In the Bible God talks to us and tells us how to live and what to do that is right. God wants us to serve him by obeying Him.

Telling others about Jesus so they can go to heaven is another important way to serve God. This boy is telling his friends that Jesus is the Son of God and that He came to earth to die on the cross for our sins so we can go to heaven. These are all ways to choose to serve the Lord.

Remember choose to serve the Lord!

Review Questions: “Happy or Sad” Bag Preparation: You will need a bag, slips of paper, pen and the following review questions. Prior to the review time, write point values on slips of paper and put them in a bag. Also put a frowny face on 2 slips of paper and a happy face on 2 slips of paper. Procedure: Form two teams and instruct the first two players from each team to listen as you ask a review question. If they know the answer, they need to run across the room to you. The first one to reach you can answer the question. If they answer correctly, let them choose a point value slip out of the bag. If they answer incorrectly, then the other team gets a turn to answer. Explain that if either team draws a smiley face, their points are doubled and if they get a frowny face then they lose all of their points. Play until all the review questions are answered.

1. Who did God establish as the spiritual leaders of the nation of Israel? (God chose judges to lead the people of Israel and to be his messengers.)

2. Who was the last judge of Israel and how did he lead? (Samuel was the last judge of Israel and he was a godly leader who followed God’s direction and His Word.)

3. What were Samuel’s sons like? (They were dishonest.) 4. What did the people tell Samuel? (They wanted a king so they could be like all the other

nations. They wanted someone who would fight their battles for them.) 5. Why did God not want Israel to have a King? (God did not want Israel to be like other

nations and have a king. He wanted them to be an example for others. He wanted the children of Israel to show people that they trusted and obeyed God. They were His chosen people. He wanted them to follow Him as the leader.)

6. What did Samuel do when he was displeased with the request of the people? (He prayed to the Lord and asked Him what to do.)

7. What did God tell Samuel to warn the people about a king? (A king would not be good for Israel. He would be hard on the people. He would take their sons and daughters and make them serve him. He would charge them taxes and want an army and a big house and lots of servants. They would not like a king.)

8. What did God finally tell Samuel about giving Israel a king? (Because the people had made a wrong choice God would give them what they wanted. He told Samuel to send them home and he would tell Samuel who to anoint as king.)

9. Who was Saul’s father? (He was a well respected man from the tribe of Benjamin called Kish who had a son called Saul.)

10. What distinguished Saul from other men? (He was very tall and handsome.)

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11. Why were Saul and his servant roaming the hillsides of Ephraim and all over the land of Benjamin? (They were searching for Saul’s fathers’ missing donkeys but they could not find them.)

12. What made them stop in the town of Ramah where Samuel lived? (They were hoping that Samuel could give them direction as to where the lost donkeys might be.)

13. Where was Samuel going when Saul and his servant found him? (He was going up to the High Place to worship, offer a sacrifice, and eat the feast.)

14. Why did Samuel invited Saul to go with him to the feast? (God had told Samuel the day before that he would meet the man whom God had chosen to become the king and he would be from the land of Benjamin.)

15. Who did Samuel invite to the feast and who did he honor at the feast? (He invited thirty men to come to the feast and he made Saul the honored guest at the feast.)

16. What did Saul say when Samuel honored him at the feast? (He said, “Why should I be so honored to eat with you at the feast? I am just an unknown boy. I am from the smallest tribe and my family is not important.)

17. What did Samuel do for Saul that evening? (Saul and his servant spent the night with Samuel. He talked with him on the roof of his house.)

18. What happened the next morning at daybreak? (Samuel got up to see Saul off and he told him to tell his servant to go on ahead without him.)

19. When Samuel got Saul alone what did he do? (He anointed his head with oil and told him that he was to become the first king of Israel.)

20. What signs did Samuel tell Saul would happen to show that God had chosen him to be king? (At the Oak tree of Tabor he would meet three men on their way to Bethel who would give him two loaves of bread. At Gibeah he would meet a group of prophets worshipping God. The Spirit of the Lord would come on Saul with power and he would prophesy with them. At Zelzah he would be told by a man that his father’s donkeys had been found)

21. What did the people say when they saw Saul with the prophets? (They knew that God’s spirit had come upon him and they thought that he had become one of the prophets.)

22. How did Saul feel about being king? (He was afraid and unwilling to let God direct him. Later he did become king but he never really gave his heart to becoming a man of God.)

23. Later Samuel announced to the people that Saul was their king. What did Saul do when his family and his name was called? (He hid in the baggage and supplies.)

24. How many times did God tell Saul he was the chosen man to become king? (God called him two times. Once when Samuel anointed him and then later when he was announced to the people.)

25. How were Saul and Samuel different when God called them to lead the people of Israel? (Samuel was willing and depended on God to strengthen and direct him. Saul was unwilling, fearful, and anxious. He trusted himself rather than God and it caused him lots of problems.)

26. What choice does God give to all of us? (We must choose whether we will accept Jesus as our Savior and be willing to follow Him and serve Him.)

27. What are some ways we can serve God? (We can pray, read the Bible, sing praises and worship Him, and tell others about Jesus.)

28. What is the memory verse? (Joshua 24:15 “Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve…. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”)

Bible Memory Verse Activity: “Choosing the Right Path” Say: “Our memory verse is Joshua 24:15 “Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve…. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” Have students locate the verse and read aloud together several times. Say: “This verse means that everyone is given the opportunity to decide who or what will control them. The choice is yours. Will it be God or will it be yourself or some other thing? “ Instruct students to say the verse again together. Procedure: Cut out 22 footprints from construction paper. Make each footprint at least 8-10 inches long. On each footprint write one word of the memory verse. Place the footprints in order on the floor so students can say each word as they walk on the “footprint” path.

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Group Learning Activity: “Who is on the Throne?” Object Lesson (Grades K-5) Purpose: This activity will help students to recognize areas of their lives that have a higher priority than Jesus. Say: “In this lesson we learned that Israel asked Samuel to give them a king. They no longer wanted God to be their ruler and King. They wanted a man for a king. Samuel warned the people that having a king would bring harm to them. He would take their sons and daughters to serve him and make them pay taxes. Today we are going to see what things might rule our life.” Preparation: You will need a chair with arms and a large blanket or sheet piece of fabric that is gold, purple or royal blue to cover it. (See picture) Make a sash from gold cloth or use a wide gold ribbon and make pom pom flowers to tie the sash. You will also need several objects that could control our lives such as a soccer ball, baseball and bat, video game remote, bag of money or gold coins, fashionable clothes, toy car, etc. You will also need a crown to represent Jesus. Procedure: Have students decorate a chair making it into a throne. Using the different objects that could take priority in our lives ask students: “How would other people know that the ____________is king in that person’s life?” (If the object is sports related: “People would know that sports is the king in a person’s life because that’s all they do. They skip church activities for sports. They spend more time practicing for their sport than reading their Bible and prayer.) After discussing the objects ask the students if they can think of anything else that we may have not mentioned that could rule our lives. Finally, place the crown on the throne representing Jesus as the King of our lives. Say: “How would others know that Jesus is King in your life? If you were to ask someone who they thought was the king of your life what would they say? Let’s pray that starting today we would allow Jesus to be the King of our lives.”

Group Learning Activity: “Samuel Anoints Saul” Visual (Grades K-3) Preparation: Print out the template below of Samuel and Saul. Color the figures and cut out along the solid outside lines. Set them upright on a cookie sheet pan. Use a round of play dough or clay to hold the figures upright. You will also need water in a bottle or flask to pour on Saul. Procedure: Retell the story of Samuel Anointing Saul as King. When you get to the part of Samuel pouring oil on Saul’s head, pour the water from the bottle or flask over the figure of the kneeling Saul. The children will love this visual and it will really help them remember the point that Saul was anointed or chosen to be king. Here is a script for the Bible story:

Saul was an impressive man. In all of Israel, no one was more impressive than Saul. On day the donkeys belonging to Saul’s father wandered away. Saul and his helper traveled around searching for the animals. They could not find them. Saul was ready to give up, but the servant suggested they ask the man of God for help. Saul agreed. The two men went into the city to find Samuel. Now the day before, God had told Samuel that he would meet a man the next day that he should appoint as the new king. Samuel invited Saul to eat with him, Samuel told Saul, ”When you leave tomorrow, I will tell you everything that’s in your heart. Also your father’s donkeys have been found.”

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The next day Saul and his helper prepared to leave. The attendant went on, but Saul stayed with Samuel a little while. Samuel took a container of oil and poured it on Saul’s head. (Pour water from bottle onto the head of Saul.) Then he told Saul that God had chosen him to be the king of Israel. Samuel also told Saul several things that would happen that day to help Saul know that Samuel was telling the truth from God. Saul left and everything happened just as Samuel said. Later Samuel gathered all of the people together. He told the Israelites, “This is what God says, “I have brought you from Egypt. I rescued you. But today you have rejected Me—the one who saves you from trouble.” Samuel had the twelve tribes of Israel come forward. He selected the tribe of Benjamin. Then he selected the family of Saul. Finally he selected Saul to be the next king. But Saul was missing. They could not find him. God told Samuel that Saul was hiding in the supplies. When Saul came and stood among the people, they were happy. They said, “Long live the king!” Samuel officially made Saul the king and sent the people home.

Group Learning Activity: “Road Signs” (Grades 3-5) Preparation: Print the template of “Road Signs” below. Procedure: Show picture of Road Sign images. Say: “How do these signs help us?” (Have volunteers from the class name the road sign and tell what that sign means. Allow each student to choose one sign and tell its meaning. Be sure to include all students in the discussion. More signs may be discussed as time allows.) Say: “When we are on a trip we use signs like these to help us know where to go and when we have reached our destination. Many of the Bible stories we have read in scripture talk about a different kind of sign. These signs were given so that people knew that the message they received was from God. They did not have a full copy of God’s Word to read and guide them. Instead many times God would send them a physical sign to confirm they were on the right path or they had arrived at the correct destination.” Have students read 1 Samuel 10:1-5. Ask students to explain the signs God gave Saul.

1. Men give news about donkeys being found: Then Samuel took a flask of olive oil and

poured it on Saul’s head and kissed him, saying, “Has not the LORD anointed you ruler over his inheritance?

[a] 2 When you leave me today, you will meet two men near Rachel’s tomb, at

Zelzah on the border of Benjamin. They will say to you, ‘The donkeys you set out to look for have been found. And now your father has stopped thinking about them and is worried about you. He is asking, “What shall I do about my son?”’ Samuel was giving Saul confidence that his anointing was really from God. Samuel was very specific about where the men would be (Rachel’s tomb) and what they would say! Saul could trust that Samuel was speaking God’s message because this event would confirm that what he said was going to happen (Saul becoming king.) was true!

2. Three men will give your bread: 3 “Then you will go on from there until you reach the great

tree of Tabor. Three men going up to worship God at Bethel will meet you there. One will be carrying three young goats, another three loaves of bread, and another a skin of wine.

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will greet you and offer you two loaves of bread, which you will accept from them. Samuel was again being very specific with the sign. Two loaves of bread would be a strange present but it was another sign of God’s extra ordinary providence that Saul was to be king of Israel.

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Samuel+10%3A1-5&version=NIV#fen-NIV-7420a

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3. Prophets with Musical instruments: 5 “After that you will go to Gibeah of God, where there

is a Philistine outpost. As you approach the town, you will meet a procession of prophets coming down from the high place with lyres, timbrels, pipes and harps being played before them, and they will be prophesying.” When this band of young prophets met Saul he would receive the coming of the Holy Spirit. This meant the Saul would speak as “inspired from the Lord, whether predicting the future, exhorting others, or speaking unto God.” These prophets were playing music and worshipping in praise to God. Saul probably was caught up in their worship and began praising God along with them.

God arranged for each one of these three events to be a sign to Saul. God always confirms His anointing.

Group Learning Activity: “Copy Cat Charades” (Grades 3-5) Say: We learned in this Bible lesson that Israel demanded an earthly king even though their only king was to be God. The reason they decided that they needed a king was because they were looking at how other countries were ruled by kings. They wanted to be like everyone else even though God never meant for them to be like everyone else. God gave them what they wanted but it would come with consequences. We do the same thing or have the same things even if it is not what God wants for us.” Say: “We are going to play a game of charades in which you will act out situations when you might be tempted to want to be like someone else. Then we will talk about what the consequences would be in each situation.” Procedure: Form students into pairs or groups. Instruct them to come up with their situations when you might be tempted to want to be like someone else and discuss how they will act them out (without words.) Then as they present their situations, the rest of the group will try to guess what they are acting out. Say: “As we have played the game today, did you find it difficult to think of things that you might want to be like someone else? (probably not) We all want to be like others but God has a unique plan for each of us. He has created us in a special way with special abilities that are uniquely ours. We should always look for the plan God has for us individually and not just want to be like others.”

Group Learning Activity: “Books of the Bible” (Grades K-5) Preparation: You will need a Bible and a plastic sword or a homemade cardboard sword. Say: “Once upon a time (about three days ago), there were a couple of youngsters who wanted to become knights. At least they thought so. They liked the idea of wearing shiny armor, riding the best horses and hanging out with the royal family. Little did they know that it would take long hours of practice to acquire the skills they would need to become honorable knights. The wise knight practices and then practices again, preparing for battle. Being very wise young people, they decided to add games to their training. These games would be a fun way to gauge the effectiveness of their training and test the level of skill that each of them had attained. In our quest to become stronger Christians, we too need to sharpen our skills by praying and reading God's Word, the Bible. So young Christians, are you ready to sharpen you skills? If so, let the games begin!” Procedure: Divide the kids into two equal teams. Choose one team to go first. This team will name the first book of the Bible. If they are correct, they hand the sword to the other team. Inform them that if they strike others with the toy sword their team will automatically lose the game. The next team names the second book of the Bible. If they name the book correctly, they hand the sword back to the first team. This continues until the kids have named all the books of the Bible or

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until one of the teams cannot name the next book. If a team cannot name the next book, the opposing team must be able to name it in order to win. When the kids get really good at it, you can have them spell the books of the Bible as they take turns reciting them in order. Kids on the same team can help each other. At first, allow the kids to use their Bibles to help learn the books. Optional: Since this lesson comes from the Old Testament Books of History have students find 1 Samuel in the Bible. Say: “1

st Samuel is in the second group of books in the Old Testament called the historical books.

These books begin with Joshua and go through Esther. Let's say these books--Joshua, Judges, Ruth, I Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 2 Kings, 1 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah and Esther.”

Craft Learning Activity: “Paper Bag Donkey Craft” (Grades K-3) Preparation: You will need a brown paper lunch bag. For gray donkey you will need gray construction paper or gray poster paint. You will also need crayons, scissors, glue, big wiggly eyes, brown or gray craft foam depending on the color of donkey you are making, and a copy of the donkey template per child. Say: “In this lesson Saul was a young boy who went out with his servant to look for his father’s lost donkeys. God used the lost donkeys to help Saul get to see Samuel. God was using Samuel to give Saul a message from him. The message was that Saul was to become the first king of Israel. We are going to make some paper bag puppet donkeys to use to retell the story of Samuel anointing Saul as King.” Say: (Give the brown paper lunch bag to children.) “Look at your paper bag. It should be closed and flat like a piece of paper. Just like when they are brand new. On one side, it's all smooth. This will be the BACK of your puppet. (It's important that all the kids get the back and front straight at the beginning!) On the other side there's a flippy tab (which is typically the bottom of the bag when you're carrying your lunch around...) This flippy tab will be the head. Lift the flippy tab up a bit. Underneath of the tab will be the mouth. When the child puts her hand in the bag, she'll be able to make the donkey talk. Look at the rest of the front of the bag. (The 3/4 or so of the bag below the part with the flippy tab) This will be the BODY. Look at the sides of the bag. There should be a FLAP of paper. We'll be slipping the arms of our donkey into this flap. If the kids goof and glue the arms onto the front or back of the bag, it isn't a big deal.”

Procedure: For the gray donkey, cover the paper bag with the gray construction paper by just gluing it on and trimming around the edges or you can have children paint the bag gray. For the brown donkey, just use the brown paper bag. Glue the small circle with the tongue underneath the flippy tab so you can see part of the circle sticking out from under the nose. Glue the nose onto the head. It should overlap the body a bit. Glue the eyes onto the head above the nose. If you like, you can use wiggly eyes instead of the paper template pieces. Glue the ears onto the head. Glue the hair tuft onto the head. Glue the ears onto the head. Glue the hair tuft onto the head.

Craft Learning Activity: “Memory Verse Memo Board” (Grades 3-5) Preparation: You will need small colored craft sticks (8 per student), cardboard, glue, miniature clothespins, scrapbook paper, index cards, markers, and scissors. Prior to class time cut the cardboard into 4 ½ inch squares. Procedure: Give each child 8 craft sticks, a piece of cardboard, an index card, and a clothespin. Instruct students to choose a piece of scrapbook paper and cut it to fit the piece of cardboard and glue it to one side. Then glue 2 of the craft sticks on each side of the cardboard, overlaying the corners of the top and bottom sticks on the corners of the side sticks. Finally glue the clothespin on the inside of the craft sticks, at the top of the cardboard.

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Say: “Now that you have made your memo board, let’s write our Memory Verse on the index card. Each week you can take an index card or piece of paper and write the new memory verse on it. Be sure to display the memory verse on the memo board. Remember that even when Israel rejected Him, God loved and provided for His people.” That is a great truth for us and just one more reason we should fear and serve Him faithfully.”

Craft Learning Activity: “Oil Rubbed Pictures” (Grades K-3) Preparation: You will need plain white copy paper. (Do not use construction paper as it will absorb too much oil). You will also need Bibles, newspaper, mineral or cooking oil, pie tins or jar lids, white paper, and cotton balls. Cover the table with newspaper. Pour a small amount of oil into pie tins or jar lids. Say: “In our Bible lesson God told Samuel to find the king He had chosen. Samuel obeyed God. Samuel put oil on Saul’s head to show that Saul would be the king. The oil showed Saul that God would give him His Holy Spirit to lead the people. The Holy Spirit would make Saul a different man. He would have God’s power. Today we are going to use oil to make pictures that look different. The Bible says that we are to choose whom we will serve. (Read memory verse Joshua 24:15). You are to draw a picture of a way that you can serve the Lord.” Procedure: Children use crayons to draw and color pictures on the white copy paper. When children are finished coloring, children are to place the pictures face down on newspaper and use the cotton balls to rub a small amount of oil over the backs of their pictures. When finished wiping the pictures with oil, the children should hold their papers up to the light to see how the oil changed their pictures.

Craft Learning Activity: “Mural: Choosing to Serve God” (Grades K-3) Preparation: You will need Bibles, sheet of butcher paper, colored markers, tape, construction paper, a variety of drawing utensils (markers, crayons, gel pens, etc.) Print “Choosing to Serve God” on a large sheet of butcher paper and tape the paper to the wall. Procedure: Children are to choose art materials and then write or draw on construction paper ways kids their age can serve God. Examples might be: be kind to friends, tell friends that God loves them, use kind words, pray, read the Bible, show respect to parents, sing praises to God, etc. Say: (Read the memory verse aloud with the children. Joshua 24:15 “Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve…. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”) What does Joshua 24:15 ask us to do? What does it mean to serve God? (Obey God’s commands in the Bible.) what are some things you could draw to show ways to serve and obey God? (Praying hands to show that kids can pray; Bible to show that kids can read Bible verses; being kind to their friends.) What is something you can do this week to show that you choose to serve and obey God? Children should tape the completed pictures to the butcher paper to make a class mural. Display the mural in the classroom or hallway for parents to see.

Craft Learning Activity: “Holy Spirit Dove” (Grades K-3) Say: The Holy Spirit came upon Saul to help him do what God had called him to. God’s Spirit and power was with Saul. This was a sign that God would help Saul if he would choose to serve Him.” Preparation: Make copies of the dove template below (one per child) on white poster board or on white cardstock. You will need scissors, glue, paper hole puncher, white yarn, and a small square of red construction paper for each child.

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Procedure: Distribute the dove outline to each student. Cut out the dove. Using a piece of red construction paper cut out a heart shape large enough to paste the dove on. With a hole puncher, make two holes at the top of the heart. Cut white yarn, just long enough to attach to the heart so that the children can wear them as necklaces. Say: “The dove represents the Holy Spirit and the heart represents our heart. When we become Christians, the Holy Spirit comes to live inside our hearts. The Holy Spirit will help us to do what God has asked us to do.”

Craft Learning Activity: “Crowns” (Grades K-3) Preparation: Print the template below on yellow or white cardstock. You will need colored markers, scissors, construction paper, and stapler. You may also want to use stickers or fake “jewels” from craft section of local store. Procedure: Have students color or paint the crown including the two long bands. Let the children be creative in decorating their crowns. They can cut out “jewels” from colored construction paper or use fake jewel from the craft department of local store. Cut out the crown template pieces. Glue a template band on one edge of the crown. For smaller kids, the length of one band is enough for them to be able to wear the crown. Measure the crown around the head, if it fits, glue the end of the band on the opposite edge of the crown. For bigger kids, glue one template band on the left edge of the crown and the other band on the right edge of the crown. Measure the crown around your head. The bands would definitely be a lot longer than needed. Trim the ends to achieve the right length. Glue or staple the ends of the two bands together. Optional: Have students write “God is our King” on the headband of the crown. Say: “The Israelites didn’t want God to be their king any more, but they wanted a man to rule over them. What can we learn from this story? God is our king and should be obeyed.”

Life Application Challenge: “Making Choices” Pantomime Say: What was the choice that Samuel made in our lesson today? (He chose to obey God and find the new king God had chosen.) What did Samuel do when he needed help? (He prayed to God.) (Read Joshua 24:15.) Joshua 24:15 asks us to choose who we will serve. We can show we are serving God by making good choices. What choices can you make to show that you want to serve and obey God? Say: Let’s pantomime a choice that you have made. The other students in our class will guess what you are acting out. (Examples of actions to pantomime include: We can pray, read the Bible, sing praises and worship Him, and tell others about Jesus.)

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Samuel Anoints Saul as King

Joshua 24:15

“Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve…. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

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Unit 8: Samuel and King Saul OT8.4 Samuel Anoints Saul as King Lesson · 2018-05-23 · Unit 8:...

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Transcript of Unit 8: Samuel and King Saul OT8.4 Samuel Anoints Saul as King Lesson · 2018-05-23 · Unit 8:...