Kids' Talk - 1 Samuel 18 (David and Jonathan)

[Not the greatest kids talk ever, but I'll post it for the sake of completeness. It is on David and Jonathan in 1 Samuel 18. Andrew preached on 2 Samuel 9-10 which includes the bit about Mephibosheth (Jonathan's son). I had a few guys helping me, playing the parts of Jonathan, David and Saul. Saul should wear a crown. Jonathan should wear a royal robe (a sheet) and have a sword of some sort. David stood on one side of me, Saul on the other, and Jonathan stood in the middle.]

There can only be one king. We can only serve one master. The question is – who is it that we'll serve? Will it be God's king? Or someone else?

This was a big question for Jonathan. Jonathan was a prince. His dad, Saul, was King of Israel. The boss. The big guy. The important one. But was Saul God's King? No. Because of his sin, God had rejected him. Saul might be king now, but he wouldn't be for long. God had picked out someone else instead.

Do you remember who that someone else was? David. The little guy.

God had taken his blessing away from Saul and given it to David. God wasn't helping Saul anymore, so Saul stopped winning battles. When the Philistines came to attack, big Saul couldn't defeat them. But little David could. Remember Golliath?

God made it clear that David was his king, not Saul. Do you think Saul liked that? No. Not one bit. He was jealous. He was angry. He wanted to kill David.

This put Jonathan in a very tricky position. We can only serve one king. Who's side would Jonathan be on? David's? Or Saul's?

Jonathan loved David. The two of them were good friends. And Jonathan could see that God was with David. But Saul was his father.

Saul thought Jonathan should be on his side. “Come on, son!” he said. “Don't you see that as long as David is alive you'll never get to be king. If we kill David, I will stay king and after I die you will be king! Come on! We must kill him!”

Who would Jonathan choose? If he stuck with his father, he would stay prince and one day get oi be king himself! If he joined David's team, it was like he was working for his dad's enemy!

There can only be one king. Jonathan knew that. And Jonathan knew that he had to serve God's king. No matter what. He took of his royal robe. He gave it to David. He took his sword. He gave it to David “You are God's king,” he said, “so you are my king too.”

Because Jonathan helped David, he never got to be king himself. Did he do the right thing?

Absolutely.

We can only serve one king. We need to be like Jonathan. We need to serve God's king, no matter how hard it is.

God's king is Jesus. Are you serving him or someone else?

1 Samuel 16 Kids' Talk

[Previous 1 Samuel kids' talks here and here.  I used some of the same pictures at the start of this one.  I then got 7 guys to pretend to be David's brothers (showing muscles etc) then my little Micah to be David.]

Sometimes we want to be the big guy. The one who is strong and impressive. The leader of the pack. The one who would never get laughed at or teased. The one who tells everyone else what to do.

Saul was the big guy. He stood a head taller than anyone else. He was strong. He was handsome and he was... a very bad king for God's people.

The trouble with being the big guy is that it can make you think that you don't need God. You think that you are big enough to win battles by yourself. You think that you are big enough to make up the rules. And you get a bit too big for your boots.

Which is what happened with Saul. Big King Saul thought that he didn't need to wait for God's prophet. He thought that he could offer sacrifices to God himself. But did God like that? No.

God rejected big King Saul and was looking for a new king. Someone who was... smaller.

God told Samuel to go to the town of Bethlehem and find a man called Jesse. One of Jesse's sons was going to be the new king of God's people. But which one?

Samuel looked at Jesse's oldest boy. His name was Eliab. Samuel liked the look of him. He was big and handsome. Samuel said to himself “Surely this Eliab is the one!”

But God said no. “Don't take any notice of what he looks like or how tall he is, because I have rejected him. God doesn't see like people see. God looks inside. He know what we're really like.”

Hm. Which one then. How about Aminadab?

No. Not him either.

Shammah!

No. God didn't chose him.

Samuel looked at seven of Jesse's sons but God said no to all of them. “The Lord hasn't chosen any of these,” he said to Jesse. “Are there any more? Are these all of your children?”

“There's one other,” Jesse said. “But he's just a boy. He's little and he's out looking after the sheep.”

“Go and get him.” said Samuel. So Jesse sent someone to get his youngest, smallest son.

David came in from the field. Samuel looked at him and said, “this is the one.”

Often we want to be the big guy. But God's not interested in big guys. Big guys (like King Saul) can think they are so big they don't need God. They can think they are too big to keep God's rules. Or to ask God for help. God chooses the little guy. Like David. Like Jesus. People who don't look strong. People who aren't too big for their boots. People who will trust God to win the battle and save them.

1 Samuel 13 (+ 1 Sam 7) kids talk

God's people wanted a King just like all the other countries had [VISUAL 1]. They wanted someone who was mighty and scarry, who could lead Israel out in battle and defeat their enemies. Trouble is, Israel already had a king. Mightier and scarier than any other king. God. They didn't need anyone else.

Let me tell you about how God, Israel king, protected them.

[VISUAL 2] The Philistines were Israel's worst enemy. They were big and tough and they lived right next door to Israel. They were forever coming up in battle against God's people. Israel would manage to drive them out, but sooner than you'd think possible, they'd come back again. Once, the situation looked particularly grim. The Philistines had a way bigger army. They were coming closer and closer and Israel was quaking with fear. What could they do?

There was only one sensible thing they could do. They prayed and asked their king (God) to rescue them. Samuel the prophet took a lamb and offered it as a burnt offering to God [VISUAL 3]. Do you think God would answer?

Yes, he did.

While Samuel was still offering the sacrifice, the Lord thundered from heaven with such a loud thunder against the Philistines [VISUAL 4], that their huge army was thrown into a panic and Israel easily defeated them. Just like that.

God was Israel's king. They didn't need another. [VISUAL 1] But as I told you last week, an invisible God didn't seem good enough to Israel. They wanted a king they could see. A king just like all the other countries had.

It wasn't good thing for them to ask for, but God gave them just what they wanted. A king big and impressive. Strong and scarey looking. Handsome and huge. Cross between a movie star and an overpaid Storm player...

Saul.  [VISUAL 5]

A king for Israel, just like all the other countries had.

Samuel the prophet said, “Even though you have sinned by asking for a king, I will keep on praying for you and I will keep on teaching you what is good and right. But be sure to fear the LORD and serve him faithfully with all your heart. If you keep on doing evil, both you and your king will be swept away.”

Saul was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned over Israel for forty-two years. Saul was strong and he led Israel victorious in many battles, but he didn't fear the LORD and he didn't serve him faithfully with all his heart. Saul was a king just like all the other countries had. A king who liked to be boss. A king who didn't care much for God's way of doing things. A king that God would sweep away.

Let me tell you what happened.  [VISUAL 2]

Once again the Philistines had gathered to fight against Israel. But more of them than ever before. Three thousand chariots, six thousand charioteers, and more soldiers than grains of sand on the sea shore. Or so it seemed. When the people of Israel saw how bad the situation was, they hid in caves and some even ran away to other countries. Saul remained with his army and they were all quaking with fear.

What should they do? Pray? Good idea. They... almost did that.

Someone remembered about how God had saved them that last time with the big thunder. Wouldn't it be great if God would do that again! So they sent for Samuel so he could come and offer another sacrifice to God. Samuel sent word back that he was on the way, and that they should wait for him. Samuel was God's prophet and it was his job to offer sacrifices and to pray to God for the people.

So Saul's army waited for Samuel. Meanwhile, the Philistines were getting closer. They waited some more and some more... but Samuel still hadn't come.

After a while, Saul got sick of waiting. Who's in charge here? He asked himself. Who's king? Samuel or me? It's just a couple of animals. I'll kill them and burn them myself then we can go and get on with winning the battle.

Was that right? No. Offering sacrifices was Samuel's job. Not Saul's. Saul had made the mistake of thinking that he could decide what is right and wrong in Israel. He thought he didn't need to listen to God's prophet. 

[VISUAL 6] So that's what Saul did. He killed the animals and burnt them up... and expected that doing that would be like a magic trick that would make God help them.

Just as he was finishing, Samuel arrived. Do you think he was happy? No.

"You fool!" Samuel said. "You have not kept the command the LORD gave you. If you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time. Your son would have become king after you, then his son after that, then his son after that. But now that will not happen. You have not served the Lord with all your heart. The LORD has will find a man after his own heart and appoint him leader instead of you.” [VISUAL 7]

Israel did not win that battle against the Philistines.  Many, many of God's people were killed.  A king like the other countries had was not a good king for God's people.  Even though King Saul was big and strong and handsome, God swept him away just like that because he didn't remember that God was Israel's real king.  Next time we'll meet the new leader that God's chosen for his people.  Do you think he'll be better than Saul?  We'll have to wait and see.

VISUAL 1 - This picture from last week

VISUAL 2 - This picture, clear perspex over the top

VISUAL 3 - Use the picture from visual 2.  Stick a picture of a lamb onto it (under perspex) and paint red orange and yellow flames onto the wood (on the perspex) to make it look like the lamb is being sacrificed in the fire.

VISUAL 4 - Onto visual 3, paint bolts of lightening in the sky to represent God thundering from heaven

VISUAL 5 - Picture of Saul from last week

VISUAL 6 - Put a new piece of perspex over visual 2.  Add an animal (maybe chop it up first with scissors for effect!) and put it into the fire.  Add flames red, orange and yellow paint.

VISUAL 7 - Onto visual 6, draw a crown in the sky with a sad/angry face on it.

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.

***

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.