TOPIC:
DAVID SPARES SAUL’S LIFE
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BIBLE TEXT:
1 Samuel 24:1 – 22; 26:1-25
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MEMORY VERSE:
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Remember your leaders who spoke the word of God to you, (Hebrews 13:7, NIV).
TARGET:
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To help the child understand that we should respect and be kind to our leaders and those who take care of us, even if they are unkind and mean to us.
OBJECTIVES:
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During and after the lesson, each child will show that he or she understands the lesson by:
- Narrating what happened between Saul and David.
- Demonstrating how David spared Saul’s life the first and the second time.
- Discussing ways he or she can show respect for God, God’s House, his or her parents and teachers, etc.
- Praying to be respectful like David.
OUTLINE:
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- Saul Pursues David to Engedi 1 Sam 24:1-3
- David cuts the corner of Saul’s Robe 1 Sam 24:3-22
- David Takes Saul’s Spear and Water Jug ~ 1Sam 26:1-25.
INTRODUCTION:
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Last week, we saw how Saul and his soldiers surrounded David and his men (they were now six hundred) in the wilderness of Maon. When Saul was about to catch David, God made him receive news that made him to go home. He went back to fight the Philistines who were attacking Israel. We saw that God protected David just as He had promised He would. While Saul was fighting with the Philistines, David had a time of peace. But this did not last long.
In this lesson, we shall see how Saul went after David again and fell into the hands of David two times. But David spared his life those two times.
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LESSON COMMENTARY:
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1. SAUL PURSUES DAVID TO ENGEDI – 1 SAMUEL 24:1-3
When Saul returned from fighting the Philistines, he was told that David was in the wilderness of Engedi. Saul hated David so much that he did not want to give up looking for him. This time, he took three thousand men to help him look for David. These were his best soldiers. They were looking for David to kill him. They searched and searched but could not find David because God was protecting him.
One day, Saul found a big rocky cave at Engedi. He and his men went into this cave to rest. But Saul did not know that David and his men were already hiding in the other side of the cave.
2. DAVID CUTS THE CORNER OF SAUL’S ROBE -1 SAMUEL 24:4-22
When David’s soldiers saw Saul, they urged David to kill him. “This is your chance”, they told David. “The Lord has put Saul, your enemy in your hand so you can kill him and have rest”, they said. At once, David crept in to where Saul was resting, cut off a piece of Saul’s clothing without Saul knowing it. But David’s heart began to trouble him and David said to himself, “May the Lord keep me from doing any harm to my master, a man anointed by God to be king”. So David did not allow his soldiers to kill Saul.
After some time, Saul got up and was walking out of the cave when David called, “Your majesty!” Saul turned around, and David bowed to the ground and said, “My Lord you can see that I am not your enemy, ‘ just now I had a good chance of killing you if I had wanted to, even my men urged me to kill you but I said to myself and to them that I must not harm you because you are the king God has anointed. “Look, My Lord, look at the piece of cloth I cut from your clothing,” he said, holding out the piece. “I could have killed you but instead, I only cut this off.”
“Why then are you going about looking for me to kill me?” David asked Saul. “What evil have I done?” When David had finished speaking, Saul said, “Is that David my son and Saul started crying. Then he said to David, “You are right and I am wrong. You have been so good, to me while I have done such wrong to you! God bless you for what you have done to me today.” After they had talked together, Saul went back home, and David went back to hide.
3. DAVID TAKES SAUL’S SPEAR AND WATER JUG - 1 SAMUEL 26:1-25
Not long afterwards, Saul began to have bad thought about David again. Once more, he chose three thousand of his best soldiers and went in search of David. At this time, David was hiding in the wilderness of Ziph. One night, Saul and his men camped in a valley near the place David and his men were hiding. David sent spies to go and find out whether Saul was really around.
When he discovered it was true, David took one of his men Abishai and sneaked into Saul’s camp. They were all sleeping soundly, Saul was in the middle surrounded by all his men. Quietly, David took Saul’s spear and jug of water that were lying on the ground beside Saul. Then he and his captain hurried out of the camp. No one knew what had happened.
David and his men hurried to the top of the hill. From there, David shouted to Abner, the captain of Saul’s army. It was then that Abner woke up. David accused him of not taking care of the king. He showed him the king’s spear and jug. Saul woke up and asked David if it was him. David told him that he could have killed him but didn’t do so because he feared God.
Saul was sorry that he had tried to kill David. He promised he would never try to hurt him again. He blessed David and went back to his palace. The reason David did not hurt Saul was because he knew that it was God who made Saul king. In the same way, we should respect and obey our leaders and those who take care of us.
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APPLICATION:
The cleaner walked through the door Into the room. He turned around and began to scold and threaten the gateman. He told the gateman that he would destroy him, that he would kill him and make sure he was dead. He said this clearly and boldly to everybody’s hearing.
The two men – the cleaner and the gateman - worked in the same office and they were quarrelling. The gateman did not say anything when the cleaner said he would kill him. He just kept quiet.
Later that day, the cleaner was on break and was sitting outside dozing. He did not know that there was a small hole in the wall near where he was sitting. Suddenly, a big snake crawled out of the hole.
The gateman was passing at the time and saw the snake just on time. He quickly grabbed a big stick and hit the snake so hard that it died. The sound woke up the cleaner who then saw what had happened. A snake was about to bite him and the very man he threatened to kill was the one who killed the snake. His enemy had saved his life. He began to cry. He fell on his knees and asked the gateman to forgive him. It was in similar way that David spared Saul’s life. God wants us to be kind to those who hate us.
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QUESTIONS:
Why did David find it difficult to kill King Saul even when he had the opportunity? Because
(A) David had respect for his leaders (King)
(B) David was afraid to kill him
(C) David’s father told him not to kill Saul
(D) All of the Above
(E) None of the above.How did David show King Saul that he would have killed him
(A) David secretly cut Saul’s cloth
(B) David took Saul’s spear and water jug
(C) David married Saul’s daughter
(D) A and C
(E) A and B.Would God have justified David if he had killed King Saul his enemy?
Yes or NoWe can learn the following from David except
(A) To hate our enemies
(B) To wait for God’s time to fulfil His plan for our lives
(C) To trust God to fulfil His plan for our lives
(D) To hasten God to fulfil His plan for our lives
(E) A and C
(F) B and C.
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DAILY BIBLE DOSE:
Mon: Sow Mercy and Reap Mercy - Matt 5:7
Tue: Forgive Your Enemy Matt 5:21-24
Wed: Desist from Revenge - Matt 5:38-42
Thu: Love Your Enemy - Matt 5:43-48
Fri: Submit to Your Leaders - Rom 13:1-7
Sat: Show Respect to Your Leaders - 1 Peter 2:13-20
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Disclaimer:
####This is the exclusive product and publication of the General Council Sunday School Department, Assemblies of God Nigeria.
