Surprise It’s David
Day 1 1Samuel 16:1-13 David Anointed King
Key verse 1Samuel 16:13a
Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him (David) in the presence of his brothers.
Short paraphrase- Samuel anointed David.
Craft Idea: Crowns or other things related to royalty
Game idea: Where is the Button?
Place a button on a string circle large enough for all students to stand around. Students move the button around with hands over button. All students should move their hands like they are moving the button to hide where the button is. One student is in the middle. Depending on the skill level of other players the student may keep his eyes open. After counting to ten, the student in the middle takes 3 guesses to find the button. The button can continue to move while the student in the middle guesses.
Snack idea: a snack fit for a king…royal…velvet cake
Bible Story:
Students should have Bibles for all lessons
Helpful materials for day 1 would be a horn with anointing oil and a crown.
Greet the students and open with prayer, (Dear God, Be with us today as we learn what is important to you.)
Introduce the story.
Make students familiar with God’s chosen people Israel, who Samuel was and what it means to be anointed with oil. One way to introduce the words is by allowing the students to share what they know first. Here are a few sample questions.
Did you know God has a nation of people who are special to him? (He does) Do you know what country that is? (Israel) Today’s story is from the time when Israel had its first king.
Does anyone know who Samuel from the Old testament in the Bible is? (He was a man chosen to be a prophet of God. A prophet is someone who gets messages from God to tell others)
What does it mean to be anointed with oil? (Oil is poured on someone’s head) This would be a good place to show oil and a horn or pictures of them.
Why would someone be anointed with oil? (In the time of Samuel, it was to honor or bless someone. It may have been a special blessing for someone who was ill. We still do this today. It was also used to show that someone was to become something special like a king, such as happens in our story today.
Have students open their Bibles to 1Samuel 16:1-13 (If there are enough helpers, have even students who can’t read do this. Have them see the Bible!)
Give a little background to the story. Here is an example. Israel was God’s chosen people. When our story takes place, Saul was their king, but God was unhappy with him. It was time for God to choose who would be the next king.
Read the scripture. Explain parts that are hard to understand as needed while reading.
Those who cannot read well yet will listen. Older students could take turns reading. Reading aloud to the group should be by students who choose to or an adult. This is a time to check the clock. More experienced readers read faster. Make sure to leave time for Act it Out!
Act it Out.
Choose one student to pretend to be Samuel. All other students line up tallest to shortest. A couple leaders could go first. Have students one or two at a time tell Samuel why they should be king or show how strong they are by showing their muscles (It is ok if students choose not to speak). End by having Samuel choose the last “most unlikely” to be king. Samuel could do this by pretending to anoint or placing a crown on his or her head.
Final Discussion.
Why do you think God chose David to be king? (Remember 1Samuel 16:7 where God said to Samuel “Do not consider his appearance or his height…the Lord looks at the heart.” In the New Testament (Acts 13:22) God is quoted as saying I have found David son of Jesse a man after my own heart.
How would you describe God’s heart? (loving…)
Do you think God would choose you as King? (Students may shout out answers, but encourage students to think about this question to answer for themselves…not to be shared with the group.)
At the end of the lesson ask the question from opening. Who did God choose to be the second king of Israel? (David)
Close in prayer.
Dear God,
Please help us to have a heart like yours.
Amen