Holy Word Cinema - David and Saul

Overview:

Students will view the Superbook DVD “David and Saul” and answer review questions.

Memory Verse (“The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation.”

(Psalm 18:2, NIV)

Preparation

1. Review Bible Background notes and read scripture passages mentioned to familiarize yourself with this month’s Bible story.
2. Pray for the children and for your teaching of the lesson.

Materials List:

• DVD Player 
• Projector 
• Superbook DVD:  David and Saul (note: the picture on the DVD may vary depending on the source of purchase)
• PowerPoint Review Questions for “David and Saul” (attached download)
  
  

Lesson Plan:

Show the movie “David and Saul.”

After the movie, use the PowerPoint review questions to test the kids’ comprehension of the story.  When there is any doubt in the answer, show the Scripture verse onscreen to connect the video to the Bible.  It may be a good thing to do that whether kids know the answers or not to strengthen their Bible knowledge.

Once review questions have been answered, close the session with prayer.

A Lesson written by Rev. Ron Shifley of Immanuel Evangelical Church, Needville, TX

Permission to copy materials granted for non-commercial use provided credit is given
and all cited references remain with this material.
Printed from Rotation.org

Eat Your Way Through The Bible - David and Saul

Overview:

Students will make En Gedi Cave rolls and use Play-Doh to retell the story of David and Saul.

Memory Verse:  “The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation.”  (Psalm 18:2 , NIV)

Materials List:

• Play-Doh (one container per student)
• Laptop computer/ TV
• Download of YouTube video "Psalm 18 Song - "I Will Call Upon the Lord"
• Ingredients for En Gedi Cave rolls (see below)

Intro:

The climax of this month’s story about David and King Saul takes place in a cave out in the Judean wilderness called En Gedi.

Do you remember why David fled to this wilderness cave?

Answer: King Saul was trying to kill him because he had become jealous of David and was afraid that David would try to steal his throne.  (1 Samuel 18:10-11)

Because of his fear, David fled from Saul.  Instead of being strong as a rock, David’s fear made him feel soft and vulnerable as a marshmallow.  David was right to fear King Saul.  Once after fleeing Saul, David sought refuge at the Tabernacle (the Lord's sanctuary) in Nob.  King Saul learned that David had been there and that the priests who took care of the Ark of the Covenant had helped him out.  In a fit of rage, King Saul had all of the priests at the Tabernacle killed in revenge (1 Samuel 22:11-21).  

And so, David traveled to the Judean wilderness, to a place where only wild goats lived, to hide him and his followers from King Saul and his army.  Yet, David was not alone, even in his fears.  Psalm 18:1-6  are lyrics written by David that express that even in his fear, David knew that God was with him to give him protection.  At the cave and during his encounter with King Saul, David remembered his own anointing by God to be king and the sweet joy that comes from knowing that God is always near.

Today we’ll be making En Gedi Cave Rolls to help us understand what David experienced when he encountered  King Saul and God in the cave in the middle of the Judean desert.

[Explain the symbolism of all the ingredients  that make up these delicious sweet rolls.  Omit the “cavity in bun” until the rolls have come out of the oven.]

Symbolism of En Gedi Cave Rolls:

Large marshmallows – fears that filled David as he hid from King Saul

Crescent roll – the cave that David and his men hid in at En Gedi

Melted Butter – God’s promised anointing of David for kingship

Cinnamon and sugar mix- the sweetness of dwelling in God’s protection (Psalm 18:2)

Oven – The hot seat: David facing his fears and temptation to end Saul’s life

Cavity in bun – the cave void of fear

HOW TO MAKE EN GEDI ROLLS

Separate rolls into eight triangles. Combine sugar and cinnamon. Dip each marshmallow into butter, roll in cinnamon-sugar and place on a triangle. Pinch dough around marshmallow, sealing all edges. Make sure to seal well or all the marshmallow will escape.

Dip tops of dough into remaining butter and cinnamon-sugar. Place with sugar side up in greased muffin cups. It helps to use jumbo muffin tins so that the juice doesn’t overflow.

Bake at 375 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes or until rolls are golden brown. Allow to cool slightly then eat warm.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 (8 ounce or 12 ounce) package refrigerated crescent rolls (the bigger size makes it a little easier to wrap around the marshmallow)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 8 large marshmallows
• 1/4 cup butter, melted

Telling the Story while baking

As the En Gedi Cave rolls are baking in the oven, use the Play-Doh to retell the story of 1 Samuel 24 as follows:

1. Roll your dough into a ball, In the years before David became the king of Israel, he spent a lot of his time running for his life, He was being chased by King Saul.  You see, King Saul wanted to kill David, and David feared for his life.
   
   
2. Make an angry face on the ball. Saul wanted to kill David because he was so jealous of David and angry with him. The people in Saul’s kingdom seemed to love David better than Saul. Saul’s son Jonathan was David’s best friend, and Saul’s daughter Michal was married to David! Besides that, Saul knew that God had planned for David to be the king one day.
   
   

3. Change face into a hill with a cave in it, Now King Saul had just heard that David was hiding with some of his friends out in the desert hills of En Gedi,  so Saul chose 3,000 of his best fighting men to help him capture David, He set out to look for David and his friends with this huge army.  David and his friends could see Saul’s army coming in the distance, so they hid in the back of a cave. They were probably hoping that Saul and his men would pass right by.  But guess who came riqht into the cave? It was Saul! He came in without his soldiers David and his friends must have stared in amazement. They could clearly see him— King Saul was all alone at the opening of the cave. David s friends whispered “Look! It’s Saul! God has put him here, so you can get him.

4. Now use your dough to make a robe shaped like a cape. Now, David had the chance to kill Saul if he wanted,  He could even take Saul as a prisoner. But David decided to keep control of his feelings about the mean way Saul was treating him. Quiet as a shadow, David unsheathed his knife and slipped to the front of the cave. Saul’s outer robe was lying behind him on the cave floor. Quietly, quickly, David held his breath and sliced a corner from Saul’s robe.
   
   

5. Pinch a corner from the robe. Saul picked up his robe, left the cave and began walking down the hillside, never knowing anyone had been near him, Suddenly, Saul heard a very familiar voice from behind him! “My lord, the king!” David shouted.  Saul whirled around. Standing in the opening of the cave was David.  David said, “Why do you listen to people who tell you I want to hurt you? Do you realize what just happened? While you were in the cave, my men and I were right there! They wanted me to kill you; but I said, ‘I can’t hurt Saul, He is God’s chosen king.’  “Do you see what I have in my hand? It’s the corner of your robe! I was that close to you, with my knife in my hand, but I only cut the corner from your robe. I will not hurt you, no matter what you do to me,”

6. Roll dough into a ball and make a sad face, Saul felt very sad and ashamed! He said, “David, you treated me well, but I have treated you badly. May God reward you for the way you treated me.”  Saul went on his way then, and David and his friends went back up into a safe place in the mountains. Even when Saul kept trying to hurt him, David was wise.  David knew that God would be with him and that it was up to God to decide when Saul should stop being king.  Later when David did become king, he was glad God had helped him treat Saul in ways that showed grace and mercy.

Conclusion

After the story is over and the rolls are out of the oven, invite kids to each take one and open them up.  Note that the “fear” that David had when he first hid in the cave has vanished, because of God’s protection.  All that is left of the experience is the sweetness of God’s presence.

Let the kids eat their En Gedi Cave rolls as you watch the music video “I Call Upon the Lord” of Psalm 18 on a laptop computer or projected onto a TV screen.  Mention that this Psalm, written by David, expresses the sweetness of knowing God's strength and protection that David experienced in the cave at En Gedi.  We can have that same sweetness of God's presence as well if we "call upon the Lord" and put our trust in him.

Close the class session with prayer.

A Lesson written by Rev. Ron Shifley of Immanuel Evangelical Church, Needville, TX

Permission to copy materials granted for non-commercial use provided credit is given
and all cited references remain with this material.

Printed from Rotation.org.

Creation Station/Art - David and Saul

Overview:

Students will watch an authentic harp being played and make a replica of David’s harp while learning one of the Psalms that David wrote and sung.

Memory Verse:  “The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation.”   (Psalm 18:2 , NIV)

Supplies:

• Videos of harp music and Psalm 18
• Computer and TV monitor
• Wooden coat hangers
• Fishing line (30 pound or greater)
• Eye hooks
• Wooden craft balls
• Paint brushes
• Psalm 18:1-3, 28-31 written out on dry erase board
• Wood stain
• Paint shirts for each student

Materials Needed for this weeks lesson:

1. Wooden Clothes hangers:  They may be purchase these at a dollar store. Kroger or Walmart. Remember to take the hook off them.
2. Small eye let's (Picture below) These work as the tuners for the harps. After the holes are drilled and the wooden Balls are tied you run the line through the hanger and tie it at the Eye hook.

         3. Nylon fishing line (30 pound or greater will be used as strings.

1. "Stain" the harps in the natural wood. This also looks great.
2. Small paint brushes.
3. Small washers if you are not using the wooden balls. Wooden balls can be purchased at most craft stores.

Pre drill the wooden hangers and place the I hooks at the top. You will drill 3 holes at the bottom. The wire strings are pulled through a small washer so the string will hold then the strings are tied around the I hocks at the top. The children will stain the pre-stringed harps.  The teacher should make a harp before class to show the students before they start staining them.) Get stain that is water/soap clean up, place down papers on a table and let them use the small brushes for staining. The wire for the harps can be purchased at a craft store along with the wood stain.

The Bible Lesson

Ask: How many of you like to listen to music?  How many of you wish you had the ability to play a guitar, fiddle, drums or keyboard like a famous country singer or rock band?  Today, we’re going to take a look at how playing an instrument played an important role in the life of David, the great hero of the Bible.

The harp, also called a lyre or kinnor, was a very popular instrument during the times of the Bible.  It was played by Israelite musicians in worship at the Temple in Jerusalem, and more famously, it was played by King David, both when he was a boy in the palace of King Saul and when he was an adult.  We can imagine David playing the lyre/kinnor as he composed the lyrics to many of the songs in the book of Psalms that were written by him.

1 Samuel 16:15-23 tells how David was brought into the palace and household of King Saul to play his lyre/kinnor for the king.

15 Saul’s attendants said to him, “See, an evil spirit from God is tormenting you.

16 Let our lord command his servants here to search for someone who can play the lyre. He will play when the evil spirit from God comes on you, and you will feel better.”

17 So Saul said to his attendants, “Find someone who plays well and bring him to me.”

18 One of the servants answered, “I have seen a son of Jesse of Bethlehem who knows how to play the lyre. He is a brave man and a warrior. He speaks well and is a fine-looking man. And the Lord is with him.”

19 Then Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, “Send me your son David, who is with the sheep.” 20 So Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, a skin of wine and a young goat and sent them with his son David to Saul.

21 David came to Saul and entered his service. Saul liked him very much, and David became one of his armor-bearers. 22 Then Saul sent word to Jesse, saying, “Allow David to remain in my service, for I am pleased with him.”

23 Whenever the spirit from God came on Saul, David would take up his lyre and play. Then relief would come to Saul; he would feel better, and the evil spirit would leave him.

[1 Samuel 16:15-23]

Ask:  How do you think it must have felt to be chosen to play for the king?  Do you think David was scared to play at the palace, or do you think he was excited?  Why?

Say: David's harp, or kinnor, had a significant impact upon the court of King Saul. His music, though undoubtedly entertaining and exhilarating to the senses, possessed a unique quality - it touched the innermost being of the listener - it reached into the very spirit of his audience. David's music possessed healing properties because the Healer (God) was with him. I Samuel 16:23 states that Saul was not only refreshed by David's harp but  would also "feel better (made well)."

Ask: How does music make you feel better when you’re feeling grumpy or depressed?

Say: Of course, music doesn’t always make us feel better.  1 Samuel 18:10-12 recounts a time when Saul was feeling very jealous of David, because he thought the crowds like David better, and when David played his lyre/kinnor, King Saul let his anger get the best of him.

10 The next day an evil spirit from God came forcefully on Saul. He was prophesying in his house, while David was playing the lyre, as he usually did. Saul had a spear in his hand

11 and he hurled it, saying to himself, “I’ll pin David to the wall.” But David eluded him twice.

12 Saul was afraid of David, because the Lord was with David but had departed from Saul.

[1 Samuel 18:10-12]

Ask: How do you think David felt being attacked by king like that?  Do you think this situation is what prompted David to flee with his friends to the Cave at En Gedi?  Why or why not?

Show: Video of man playing harp on TV or Computer

Say: Today we’re going to get a chance to watch a video of someone playing a lyre, which is very similar in sound to the harp/kinnor that David played in the Bible.  As you watch the video, try to imagine David playing his kinnor.

The Art Project

Say: Now we get a chance to make our own lyre/harp/kinnor to as a keepsake to help us remember the faith and music that David shared throughout his life.

Let kids stain and/or decorate their harps.

Conclusion:

Say: David not only played the harp, but he also composed songs that I’m sure he would sing while playing the harp.  These songs are collected in the middle of the Bible in the Old Testament book of Psalms.  Let’s take a look at one of David’s songs, Psalm 18 that he wrote after God saved him from King Saul at the cave of En-Gedi.

Refer students to Psalm 18:1-3, 30-31 that you have written out on the dry erase board.  Have students read the Psalm together.

If there is time: Give kids the opportunity to make up tunes and adlib singing Psalm 18.

Finally: Then play video of Psalm 18 being sung. [Make sure you leave enough class time for this music video.]

Close with prayer, thanking God for the songs that David wrote which still help us worship God.

A Lesson written by Rev. Ron Shifley of Immanuel Evangelical Church, Needville, TX

Permission to copy materials granted for non-commercial use provided credit is given
and all cited references remain with this material.

Printed from Rotation.org.

Bible Games - David and Saul

Overview:

Students will watch the Bible Background video “Where David Hid From Saul” and play a life size board game to re-enact David’s adventure in the cave of En Gedi.

Memory Verse:  “The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation." (Psalm 18:2)

Supplies:

• TV, DVD Player
• “Where David Hid From Saul” Bible Background DVD
• Large dice
• Life size game board made on the floor.
• Cloth resembling a royal robe draped over volunteer sitting on a 5-gallon bucket
• Crown for volunteer pretending to be King Saul to wear
• Scissors
• Bible Review Questions
• Bibles

Leader Preparation

• Familiarize yourself with the Scriptural Passage; bookmark it in your Bible.
• Familiarize yourself with the lesson plan.
• Watch the videos in advance to familiarize yourself with their content.

Welcome and Introduction

Welcome students.  Ask students what they remember about the story of David and Saul.

Say: We’re going to spend a few minutes to watch a video from the actual location that David and his men hid from King Saul so you can see where this story of David took place.  As we watch the video, think about what it might have been like if you had been one of David’s men hiding with him at the cave of En Gedi.

Show: “Where David Hid From Saul” “Bible Background” video segment.

After video is played, say: Now that we’ve learned more about, let’s take a closer look at the story of David and Saul by reading the story for ourselves

Read: 1 Samuel 24:1-22  (Let kids take turns reading a couple of verses at a time according to their ability, or read the story to them.  Make sure you use your voice to give voice to the characters of David and King Saul.)

Play the Game:

Divide kids into 2 or 3 teams depending on class size.  Each Team will roll the dice to determine how many spaces they can move forward on the life size game board on the floor.  Each floor space will have a number on it which determines which category of questions they will be asked.  The object of the game is to reach Saul’s robe and cut a corner off his robe  before the other teams can get there.  The first team to reach Saul’s robe and cuts off a corner wins.

Categories are:

1. Bible Trivia
2. Lessons from the Cave
3. Wrong Way vs. Right Way

Bible Trivia

1. What did King Saul use to try to kill David while he was playing his harp in the palace?
   Answer: a spear (1 Samuel 18:10-11)
   
   
2. What was the name of King Saul’s daughter, whom David was married to, as a reward for killing the giant Goliath?
   Answer: Michal (1 Samuel 18:20-21)
   
   
3. How many soldiers did King Saul take with him to hunt down David in the wilderness?
   Answer: 3,000 (1 Samuel 24:2)
   
   
4. Where did David go to hide?
   Answer: the Desert of En Gedi  (1 Samuel 24:1)
   
   
5. According to the video what kind of animal lived on the steep cliffs at En Gedi?
   Answer:  wild goats (1 Samuel 24:2)
   
   
6. While David and his men were hiding at the Cave of En Gedi, King Saul happened to enter that same cave to do what?
   Answer: He had to go potty (1 Samuel 24:3)
   
   
7. While King Saul was going potty, what did David do?
   Answer: He snuck up behind King Saul and cut off the corner of his royal robe.
   
   
8. After King Saul left the cave, what did David do?
   Answer:  He called out to him, showed him the piece of his robe that had been cut off, and declared that he was not King Saul’s enemy. (1 Samuel 24:8-11)
   
   
9. How did King Saul respond when he saw David, saw the corner of his robe that had been cut off, and learned that David had spared his life?
   Answer: He says that David is a better man than him, and the now he knows that David will one day be made king of Israel. (1 Samuel 24: 17-20)
   
   
10. What request does King Saul make of David to promise to for when David does become king?
    Answer: He asks David not to kill off all of his family.

Lessons From The Cave

1. How do you think you would have felt, if you had been hiding inside the cave at En Gedi and discovered that King’s Saul’s army had camped outside?
   
   
2. Why do you think David’s men wanted him to strike down King Saul while he was going potty inside the cave? (1 Samuel 24:4)
   
   
3. Why do you think that David was overcome with guilt for cutting off the corner of King Saul’s robe? (1 Samuel 24:5-6) Why do you think he held “the Lord’s anointed” to such as a sacred thing?  (See 1 Samuel 16:13 – because David himself had been anointed to be King)
   
   
4. What do you think it means to be “the Lord’s anointed?” (Set apart for something special)   Do you think God has anointed you, set you apart, to do something special?  What might that be?
   
   
5. After watching the video, what three strategic things did the Cave at En Gedi provide David and his men as they sought refuge there from King Saul?
   1. The large cave – a place to hide, that was big enough for David and his men to hide.
   2. The spring – plenty of water to drink in the middle of the wilderness.
   3. The wild goats – there was plenty of meat of eat even though they were in a wilderness.
   
   
6. What do you think David meant in 1 Samuel 24:13 when he quoted the proverb to King Saul, “As the old saying goes, ‘From evildoers come evil deeds,’ so my hand will not touch you?”
   
   
7. What do you think our tour guide meant in the video when he said, “When the Lord takes you into the wilderness, you do not come out the same person?”
   
   
8. In the video, our tour guide said, “David chose to surrender completely to God no matter what the consequences might be.” What do you think he meant by that?  How did David live out that statement?
   
   
9. David composed Psalm 18 as a song reflecting on the time that Saul tried to kill him at En Gedi. Verse 3 says, “I called upon the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and I have been saved from my enemies.”  What role do you think prayer played in this experience?  Why do you think that David claims that God saved him from his enemy King Saul?
   
   
10. What do you think David’s men learned from watching this encounter between David and King Saul at the cave of En Gedi? What can we learn from this encounter?

Wrong Way vs. Right Way

*(In this category, have students think about what’s the wrong way to handle each situation. Then, have them think about what the right way might be to handle the situation (like David).

1. A friend at school gets mad (jealous) at you because you get a better grade than him or her on your art project. What would you do?
   
   
2. The class bully steals your homework out of your backpack so that you’re unable to turn it in. What would you do?
   
   
3. A friend of yours shop lifts some bubble gum from the local gas station/grocery store. What would you do?
   
   
4. Some kids at school are making fun of the new kid that has just moved into town because of the clothes that he/she wears. What would you do?
   
   
5. Although you’ve made the baseball/softball team, you never get called to bat. Your friend always seems to get to play in every game.  What would you do?
   
   
6. A classmate of yours seems depressed all of the time. You find out that his/her parents are going through a divorce.  What would you do?
   
   
7. Your parents tell you not to watch certain videos on YouTube because they think the content is not appropriate for you. These shows happen to be your favorite.  What would you do?
   
   
8. You’ve been wanting the DVD/Blu-ray of your favorite movie ever since it was released, but your parents won’t buy it for you. As you’re walking through the parking lot of Walmart, you happen to see a customer who bought that very DVD/Blu-ray and it falls out of their grocery cart unnoticed.  What would you do?
   
   
9. Your youth pastor asks you to pray for a certain family in the community going through a difficult situation. One of the kids in that family is a bully from school who you don’t like.  What do you do?
   
   
10. A friend of yours, who did you wrong, comes up and asks forgiveness for what they did to you. What do you do?

Closing

Conclude the class by watching the music video of Psalm 18 that David wrote after his experience of being chased by King Saul at the Cave of En Gedi.

When the video is over, ask, “In what ways can you turn to God as your strength, rock and deliverer as you live life today?”

Have kids discuss this question.

Close with prayer.

A Lesson written by Rev. Ron Shifley of Immanuel Evangelical Church, Needville, TX

Permission to copy materials granted for non-commercial use provided credit is given
and all cited references remain with this material.

Printed from Rotation.org.