1 Samuel 8-9 kids' talk

Andrew is preaching through 2 Samuel at the moment, and I'm using the kids' time to go over some 1 Samuel stuff.  Here's today's effort.  I had a last minute crisis of confidence over my application (should it have been more Jesus-y?) but ran with it anyway cause I had nothing else.  I also took some license with the story.  Probably a step further than I'd normally go, but...  I drew my pictures on A2 paper and coloured them with chalkey pastel things.  So fast.  I wish I'd discovered them years ago.  As effective as paint, but much less effort.  I copied the Saul picture from here.

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It's hard to be different. It's no fun when you stand out. When you wear your uniform on a free dress day. When you have a healthy lunch and everyone else has junk food. When you try to do things that Jesus likes when everyone else is doing whatever they like...

God's people didn't like being different either. They'd been living in God's land for a while when they started to notice that they weren't the same as the countries around about them. They had all these funny rules they had to follow. They didn't worship idols like everyone else did and they didn't have a king. Not a king that you could see, anyway.

God, of course, knew that his people were different and that's the way he wanted it. He was their king. He was looking after them. He was loving them in a way that he didn't love any other country...

But God's people didn't see it like that. They were only afraid of looking silly in front of the other countries. God's people wanted to be the same as everyone else.

“It's not fair,” they grumbled. “Why do we always have to be the odd country out. All the other countries get to have a king. Why not us?”

“Yeah,” said someone. “Egypt has one. Philistia has one. Amon has one. Even Moab has one. Everyone apart from poor-old-backward Israel has a king.” And they grumbled and grumbled.

“Kings are just the best.” someone said. “They're strong and brave and they have great palaces and wear splendid clothes. They lead their armies out to battle looking really fierce. You remember that king from Edom last week? With all the armor and the chariot? Scared the pants off us. We beat him, of course... But gee it would be great if we could have a king.”

The talk of kings spread all through Israel and eventually the elders of the people went to see Samuel the prophet. “All the other countries have kings,” they said. “Appoint a king for us so that we can be like them.”

When Samuel heard what they wanted, he became sad. Didn't Israel know that they did have a king? God was their king. He ruled over them. He went out with them in battle. God looked after them and made them win. Couldn't they see that?

Samuel prayed to God. He asked God what he should do. God said, “In asking for a king, they have rejected me. I am their king. But, if they want a king just like all the other countries, then give them one. Give them a king just like the other countries have.”

And that's what Samuel did. He chose a king for God's people who looked as impressive and scary as the kings of Edom or Egypt or Ammon.

His name was Saul.

And he was quite something.

In all Israel there was not a man better looking than Saul. So handsome. And big. He stood a head higher than everyone else. He was the kind of man who looked fierce in battle, who could stand at the front of an army and scare his enemies away. Somewhere in between a movie star and and a rugby league player, Saul was a king just like the kings of the other countries.

Do you think he was a good king for God's people to have? No. Next week I'll tell you some things he did.

It is really hard being different. God's people Israel weren't brave enough to stand up and say to themselves and the other countries - “We have a king. God is our king. He loves us and looks after us and we will do what he says even if we get laughed at.”

We have a king.  Jesus.  We can't see Jesus, but if we follow him we will be different to our friends who don't know him.  It's not much fun to stand out, but I wonder if we can have more courage than the Israelites.  I wonder if we can be brave and do things that Jesus likes even when it makes us look different.