VERSES: 2 Samuel 14:28-15:6
MEMORY VERSE: 2 Samuel 15:6 "...so Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel."
BOOK TO REMEMBER: Ruth. Write "Ruth" on small slips of paper and hand out to the students at the end of class.
PRAYER: Pray to God that our families will love each other, help each other and trust each other. Families need each other in so many different ways.
SPECIAL SONG: The Family In God's Plan (see March - Songs We Sing In Bible Class #4 on this blog)
VISUAL AID: Large Activity (see Activity below)
LESSON POINTS:
- Absalom had been living with his grandfather in Geshur for three years until Joab, the captain of King David's army, went to Geshur and brought him back to Jerusalem. Because Absalom had killed his brother, Amnon, King David said that Absalom would not see King David's face and he did not see his father at all for two years.
- But after a while, Absalom wanted to see the king, so he sent a message to Joab to come and talk to him, but Joab did not come. Absalom sent another message to Joab, but Joab ignored that request, too. Then Absalom did something that got Joab's attention. He told his servants to set Joab's field of barley on fire! Joab went straight to Absalom's house and asked him why his servants had set his barley on fire. Absalom told Joab that he sent for him to ask Joab why he had come from Geshur to Jerusalem. Absalom wanted to see the king. If Absalom had any sin in him, then let King David kill him. So Joab told the king what Absalom wanted and David called for Absalom. When Absalom came in to see David, he bowed to the ground and the king kissed Absalom.
- After that, Absalom began preparing chariots and horses and he had fifty men run before him, telling everyone in the street, "Here comes Absalom! Here's comes Absalom!" so the people could get out the way and look to see who was coming. Absalom received a lot of attention. Also, Absalom rose up very early in the morning and stood by the gate of the city. When a man came to King David to settle a problem, Absalom would tell them that there was no one appointed of the king to hear their problem. Then, Absalom would say, "Oh, that I were to be made a judge, I would do him justice!" Soon, the people were coming to Absalom instead of the king and would bow low to Absalom and Absalom would take the person's hand and would kiss or honor him. This is the way that Absalom soon stole the hearts of all Israel.
- Under the Old Testament law, a murderer died by the hand of the victim's next of kin. In this case, that would have been David since he was Amnon's father. (Numbers 35)
Materials needed: 9" x 12" orange construction paper, 6" x 12" tan construction paper, half-sheet of orange tissue paper, glue, black marker.
- Hand out orange construction paper.
- Hand out tan paper.
- Cut tan paper in a zig-zag motion, resulting in something that may resemble grass. This is the barley field.
- Glue barley at the bottom of orange construction paper.
- Hand out orange tissue paper.
- Crumple tissue paper into a small tiny ball, without tearing it.
- Smooth out tissue paper a little.
- Glue tissue paper on top of barley field.
- Write "Absalom Burns Joab's Barley" and "2 Samuel 14:30."
