VERSES: 1 Samuel 26:1-25
MEMORY VERSE: 1 Samuel 25:21 "Then said Saul, I have sinned; return my son, David: for I will no more do harm to thee..."
BOOK TO REMEMBER: Review the 66 books of the Bible.
PRAYER: May we pray that we are fair to others and treat them as we would like to be treated.
SPECIAL SONG: This Little Light Of Mine (see March - Songs We Sing In Bible Class #3 on this blog)
VISUAL AID: Bible Map, showing Hebron and Ziph. Draw a picture on the whiteboard or chalkboard of a sleeping army and David sneaking in and taking the king's spear.
LESSON POINTS:
- By now, nearly everyone for miles around knew that King Saul was searching desperately for David, intent on killing him. Ziphites came from the city of Ziph to tell King Saul that David was in the wilderness by a certain hill. King Saul organized 3,000 chosen men to go with him and off to the wilderness they went! When they got to the wilderness, King Saul made camp on another hill, but David had seen King Saul and his army coming.
- David sent out spies to check everything out. The spies told David where King Saul was camped and David found where the king had laid down. Even Abner, the king's best man, and the captain of all of his army, was laying down, resting. The king was laying in a small trench and all his army was laying around in a protective formation.
- David asked, "Who wants to go with me?" and Abishai volunteered. So late at night when the king and his army were sleeping, David and Abishai were very brave and walked right into the king's camp. At the head of the sleeping king was the king's spear. Abishai whispered that David should let him kill the king, but David would not let him. King Saul was still God's anointed one. David said that the LORD would let the king die in his own time, perhaps the LORD would kill him or maybe in battle, David did not know, but all David really knew was that HE wasn't going to kill King Saul. David told Abishai that he could take the king's spear and his bottle of water. So Abishai took the king's own personal spear and his bottle of water, and they hurried back to their side of the hill. No one saw them at all because the LORD had caused a deep sleep on all the soldiers and the king.
- When David and Abishai got to the other side of the hill, David stood at the top of the hill quite a ways away from the king. Then David shouted down to Abner, "Abner! Why don't you answer?" Abner woke up and shouted back, "Who are you that cries to the king?" David said that Abner was worthy of death because he had not protected the king. He told him to look and see if he could find the king's spear and bottle. Saul knew David's voice and asked him what he wanted. David said that if everyone said that David was trying to hurt the king that the king should not believe them because David could have killed the king that night, but chose not to because he was the LORD's anointed.
- King Saul said that he had sinned and that he wouldn't search for David anymore to kill him. David told the king to send someone over to pick up the king's spear and he would not be harmed. Saul told David that he would do many great things as king. So King Saul went back home and David went on his way.
- The Ziphites were from Ziph which was to the bottom left of the Salt Sea, 3 miles from Hebron. Check it out on the map.
- No one could say that David did not respect the king. David spared King Saul twice and, finally, King Saul left David alone and didn't bother him anymore. David still stayed out of sight from the king, though, just in case.
Materials needed: 9" x 12" black construction paper, white crayon only, stapler, staples.
- Hand out black paper to students. This story is at night.
- Take the bottom edge of black paper and fold up 3"; crease.
- Take edge of black paper and fold down 2". This is the trench.
- Draw King Saul sleeping trench.
- Draw David and Abishai going away from the king with a spear and a bottle of water.
- Draw Abner on ground sleeping.
- Draw sleeping soldiers around King Saul.
- Draw hills in background.
- Write "David Spares King Saul Again" and "1 Samuel 26:5, 12" at the top of the paper.
- Label everyone (David, Abishai, Abner, King Saul, sleeping soldiers).
- Fold trench up to hide King Saul in the trench.
- Staple on both sides, so the student can peek insid ethe trench to find King Saul sleeping.