VERSES: 2 Samuel 8:1-9:13
MEMORY VERSE: 2 Samuel 9:1 "And David said, Is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul that I may show him kindness for Jonathan's sake?"
BOOK TO REMEMBER: Does everyone in the class know Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy? Let's review those first five books of the Old Testament one more week. Write those five books on small slips of paper and hand out at the end of class.
PRAYER: Pray that we may always be kind to everyone that we know as David was to Mephibosheth. May we always keep our promises.
SPECIAL SONG: No, Not One (see June - Songs We Sing In Bible Class #6 on this blog)
VISUAL AID: A large Activity (see below)
LESSON POINTS:
- God had told David that he could not build a house for the ark of the covenant, but that did not mean that David could not store things up for the building of that house. Many kings sent David gifts after David had fought and won so many battles with his neighbors. Perhaps they wanted to be David's friend, or were conquered by King David and became his servants, bringing gifts with them, or maybe they had heard that David had won a battle with someone's enemy and that someone would bring a present to King David--whatever the reason, many kings sent David presents of gold, silver and brass which David then stored up for God's house.
- One day, David asked if there were any of Saul's family that were still alive that he could show kindness to. One of David's servants named Ziba said that Jonathan had one son who could not walk, but was still alive. Ziba told David where Mephibosheth was living and David sent someone to bring Mephibosheth to King David.
- As soon as Mephibosheth came into King David's presence, he fell on his face out of reverence and honor to the king. David told Mephibosheth not to be afraid because he was going to show kindness to him because his father, Jonathan, and David had been very good friends. David did something else that was unheard of during the times of the kings. David gave Mephibosheth all the land that his grandfather, King Saul, owned before he died and also told Mephibosheth that he would eat at David's table. David called for Ziba and told him that he had given Mephibosheth all of Saul's land and that he, and all of Ziba's fifteen sons and his twenty servants should farm all of this land for Mephibosheth and give him the crops that were gathered so that Mephibosheth's son, Micha, could eat. Mephibosheth would be eating at David's table in Jerusalem. What a happy ending for the friendship of David and Jonathan!
"Older Student" Tips:
- What David did for Mephibosheth showed his great friendship for Jonathan. By showing kindness to Jonanthan's son, Mephibosheth, he was honoring and keeping a promise that he had made to Jonathan many years before. It is always good to keep your promises.
ACTIVITY: David Keeps His Promise to Jonathan
Materials needed: 9" x 10" brown construction paper, 4" x 6" blue construction paper, 3" x 4" red construction paper, 1" x 3" brown paper, two paper towels, scrap of orange construction paper, three shiny stickers or paper, tape, scissors, marker, small brown lunch sack.
- Hand out large brown paper.
- Fold brown paper in half, then in half again.
- Unfold paper.
- Fold into a 'box' and tape. This is David's table.
- Hand out blue paper.
- Fold in blue paper in half, and in half again.
- Fold in a triangle; tape to secure. This David's robe.
- Hand out red paper.
- Fold in red paper in half, and in half again.
- Fold in a triangle; tape to secure. This is Mephibosheth's robe.
- Hand out small brown paper in half, and in half again. Tape to secure. This is Mephibosheth's stool or chair.
- Squeeze a paper towel in a ball and insert in the top of David's robe. This is David's head.
- Squeeze the other paper towel in a ball and insert into the top of Mephibosheth's red robe. This is Mephibosheth's head.
- With marker, draw faces on heads.
- Cut a small crown out of the orange scrap of paper. This is David's crown.
- Fit around David's head and secure with tape.
- Add stickers, sequins, or shiny paper circles to crown.
- Write "Mephibosheth sits at David's table" on one side of David's table.
- Write "David Keeps His Promise To Jonathan" on another side of the table.
- Write "2 Samuel 9" on a third side of the table.
- Sit Mephibosheth on his stool at one end of the table and King David at the other end of the table.
- At the end of class, place chair, table, King David, Mephibosheth inside the lunch sack to take home.
- The student can re-tell the lesson at home to anyone who will listen!
