FAITH CHALLENGE

Rise of the Kingdom

September 7- October 5

David—Lesson 1-2

Note:  The first three weeks of this unit will be spent watching a video and sequencing the life of David.  It might be helpful to some students to advise them that the battle scenes of the video are graphic. These first three weeks focus on learning the story of David.  Specific passages of scripture, concepts, and memory verses will be highlighted in lessons 4 and 5. 

Scripture:          1 Samuel 16 through 2 Samuel 12

(from David’s anointing through the birth of Solomon)

Objectives:

  • Students will watch a video of the life of David over two weeks. 

Gathering Time/Introduction: (Coach)

1.      NOTE:  For these two lessons, both classes will meet together.  Because of the number of people, it will be best to only have stools in the room—or perhaps no seating at all—and everyone can sit on the floor. 

2.      Post two pieces of chart paper on the wall, one labeled 6th grade and the other 7th grade.  As students arrive, ask them to write anything they know about David on the paper for their class.  No discussion of whether the statements are correct or incorrect is necessary at this time.  Anything the students think they know about David is acceptable.

3.      The Coach leads the opening routine: snack, fellowship, Prayer Wall activity, and Prayer Chain.  Name tags are available.

4.      Introduce the Guides who lead the workshop lesson.

Workshop Lesson Procedure: (Guide takes over from here)

Scripture/Application

1.      Explain that for today and next week we will be watching a video about David.  It is important for the class to understand the context of when David lived.  Refer to the timeline in the classroom and provide a brief summary of the history of the people of Israel up to the time of David.  The main points are:

·         God Creates (the first section of the timeline)

-          God creates the world

-          Adam/Eve

-          Noah

·         God Chooses a People (second section)

-          Abraham, Joseph

-          Moses and the people reach the Promised Land

·         God Judges and Redeems a Nation (third section)

-          The Israelites forget to worship God

-          God sends judges to remind people to worship God

-          The people ask to have a king.  God wants to be king alone but agrees for Israel to have a king. 

-          God chooses Saul as the first king of Israel. 

2.      Begin the video at the scene when God tells Samuel to fill his horn with oil and go visit Jesse.  This is at approximately 0:28:44 minutes into the video.  If students seem confused, feel free to point out which characters are which since this is not the beginning of the video.  See the attached “List of Characters” to help the students understand who some of the characters surrounding David are and how they relate to each other.

3.      Continue the video for approximately 40 minutes and end at Samuel’s funeral procession (1:09:27).

4.      When the movie reaches the following scenes, point out that the script includes psalms that are attributed to David.  For now, just point this out but do not interrupt the movie.  We will talk about this more in week 3.

·         David plays his harp: Psalm 23

·         David brings Saul the head of Goliath: Psalm 66

·         David is fighting the Philistines so that he can marry Michal: Psalm 68

Closing (Coach):

1.      The Coach conducts the closing prayer time.

2.      Close/lock the door and turn off the lights.

Begin week 2

 

Gathering Time/Introduction: (Coach)

1.      Ask any students who were not present last week to write something they know about David on the chart paper for their class (posted last week). 

2.      The Coach leads the opening routine: snack, fellowship, Prayer Wall activity, and Prayer Chain.  Name tags are available.

3.      Introduce the Guides who lead the workshop lesson

Workshop Lesson Procedure: (Guide takes over from here)

Scripture/Application

1.      Ask students who were present last week to briefly explain what happened in the video.  Fill in any missing details so all students have a basic understanding of the story up until now. 

2.      Begin the video where it was stopped last week.  This beginning scene is just after Samuel dies and his funeral procession.  Conclude the video at the birth of Solomon (in tape 2)

3.      When the movie reaches the following scenes, point out that the script includes psalms that are attributed to David.  For now, just point this out but do not interrupt the movie.  We will talk about this more in week 3.

·         David brings the art to Jerusalem: Psalm 91

·         David prays as his child is dying: Psalm 51

Closing (Coach):

3.      The Coach conducts the closing prayer time.

4.      Close/lock the door and turn off the lights.

Guide preparation in advance:

1.      For questions on this lesson plan, call Nancy Stokes, 387-7155 or e-mail her at ncstokes@aol.com

2.      Set up the “city” room with only stools (or perhaps no seating at all so that students can sit on the floor).  Since both classes will be together the room will be crowded and use the stools or not depends on the number of students expected.  

3.      Preview the video.  Make sure you know where to start and stop it during week 1 and where to stop it during week 2.

4.      Move the TV/VCR from the closet in Holywood to the city room and have the video pre-set to the scene where you will begin. 

5.      Place two pieces of chart paper on the wall in the “city” room, one labeled 6th grade and the other 7th grade. 

Supply List

·         TV/VCR

·         Video tape titled “David” from The Bible Collection by Warner Collection

·         Flipchart paper, markers


List of Characters

Samuel

A prophet of God.  Samuel is the son of Elkana and Hannah, who is barren until she prays to God and vows to dedicate her child to God if she is allowed to bear one.  Hannah bears Samuel and keeps her promise, dedicating him to the service of God.  Samuel grows up with the priest Eli and takes his place when Eli dies.  It is Samuel who mediates between God and the Israelites when they beg for a king.

Saul

Chosen by God to be anointed the first king of Israel by Samuel.  God chooses a king for Israel against his will.  It had been God’s plan that Israel would be ruled solely by the law of God.  But the people begged God for a king “like the nations” and God finally relented.  Eventually, Saul begins to disobey God and Samuel.  In 1 Samuel 10:8, Samuel tells Saul to go to Gilgal and wait for Samuel to come make a sacrifice and tell him what to do next.  Saul waits for seven days and then makes the sacrifice himself (1 Samuel 13).  In 1 Samuel 15, God orders Saul to attack the Amalekites and take no prisoners.  But Saul makes a treaty with the Amalekites instead.  Because of his disobedience, God rejects Saul as King and chooses David instead.

Jonathan

The son of Saul.  Jonathan and David become best friends.  When an evil spirit begins to take possession of Saul, Saul grows jealous of David and seeks to kill him.  Jonathan and David make a vow to always be loyal to each other.  In 1 Samuel 20, Jonathan helps David escape from Saul.  After the death of Saul and Jonathan, when David is king, David remembers his vow with Jonathan and takes Jonathan’s son into his home (2 Samuel 9).

Michal

The daughter of Saul.  She falls in love with David and Saul uses this knowledge to try to entrap David.  He promises David the he can marry Michal if David brings Saul the foreskins of 100 Philistines (the arch-enemies of the Israelites).  Saul realizes that this is an impossible task and that David will surely die trying.  David brings back 200 foreskins and Saul grudgingly lets him marry Michal.  Michal helps David escape one night when Saul tries to have him killed.

Ahimelech

A priest who shelters David when Saul is after him to kill him.  Ahimelech gives David and his men sacred bread to eat.  When Saul finds out about this he has the priests killed.

Nabal and Abigail

A wealthy man who refuses to share his food with David and his men when they are running from Saul.  David plans to attach Nabal until Nabal’s wife Abigail intervenes on his behalf.  David relents and when Abigail tells Nabal what she did, Nabal dies of a heart attack.  David and Abigail marry.

Nathan

A prophet of God in the house of David.  When David first proposes to build a temple for the Ark, Nathan supports him.  But then God tells Nathan that David will not build a temple, his son Solomon will.  Nathan is also the prophet who confronts David when David takes Bathsheba and has Uriah killed.

Uriah and Bathsheba

Uriah the Hittite is an officer in David’s army and Bathsheba is his wife.  One day, while Uriah is off fighting David’s war, David orders Bathsheba to his house and sleeps with her.  She gets pregnant and David orders the commander in chief of his army, Joab, to send Uriah to the front lines and then withdraw from him so that Uriah will be killed.  This is David’s way of covering up what he has done.  After Uriah is dead, David marries Bathsheba.