Gps-Summer2014 Final Print

ISRAEL A NATION UNDER
CONSTRUCTION
GPS CURRICULUM SUMMER 2014 | PRESTONWOOD BAPTIST CHURCH

Dear Directors and Teachers:
This series of journeys begins with our wandering in the desert with the Israelites
because of their disobedience. We watch as the tabernacle is built. We see Joshua lead
the people at last into the Promised Land as the walls of Jericho come crashing down.
Gideon and Samson take center stage as warrior judges.
The Israelites struggle to establish themselves as a nation and then a love story
emerges as Ruth and Boaz become the ancestors of the coming Messiah. A shepherd
boy slays a giant. Then the prophet Samuel anoints him as a king. He unifies Gods
chosen people into one nation. Then, in the book of Psalms, King David shows us all
how to genuinely praise this sovereign God.
Gods people are finally in place in the land of His covenant promise to Abraham. Its
a land of judges, giants, priests and kings guided by the hand of a loving God. This is
our God at work arranging all things for the arrival of His Son, Jesus, the One who will
ultimately be called the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
Please be mindful of the following considerations as you teach.

Always ESTABLISH THE CONNECTION between the content of the large group
time and the subject of the Bible lesson.
CREATE OPPORTUNITIES for small group discussions by using the Huddle
Group activities every week. Make this a priority in every lesson you prepare.
Ask the students to FIND THE SELECTED BIBLE PASSAGE in their own Bibles.
Limit the use of the lecture method to 1015 minutes. Students learn best by
DOING and TALKING things out.
Conclude by PRESENTING THE PLAN OF SALVATION:
1. A-ADMIT that you are a sinner and ask forgiveness (Romans 3:23).
2. B-BELIEVE in your heart that Christ died to pay the penalty of your sins (1
Corinthians 15:3).
3. C-CONFESS with your mouth that you want Jesus to be your Savior (Romans
10:910).
We praise God for your continued dedication and support. Together let us lay the
foundation for Gods Plan of Salvation as we take kids on a journey through the Bible.
THE CHILDRENS MINISTRY TEAM

Prestonwood Baptist Church
MISSION STATEMENT
GPS (Gods Plan of Salvation) is an integral part of the KIDZ Ministry at Prestonwood.
Prestonwood KIDZ is designed to develop children and preteens into lifelong
disciples for Christ.
CORE VALUES
Prestonwood KIDZ partners with parents to:
Develop students as Christ-followers and teach them to share their faith
Develop students as worshippers
Develop students as prayer warriors
Teach students to make wise choices according to Scripture
Teach students to treat all people equally
Support families with fun, creative ways to enhance each students spiritual journey
GPS SUMMER 2014
TABLE OF CONTENTS
June 78 Journey 1: A COSTLY COW? 3
Moses Intervenes for the Hebrews
June 1415 Journey 2: A DESIGNER TENT? 19
Israel Builds the Tabernacle
June 2122 Journey 3: DIVINE DISCIPLINE 37
Israel Wanders in the Wilderness
June 2829 Journey 4: WILL THE WALL FALL? 53
Joshua Fights the Battle of Jericho
July 56 Journey 5: A NEW JUDGE IN TOWN 71
Gideon Overcomes the Midianites
July 1213 Journey 6: A BAD HAIR DAY? 87
Samson Defeats the Philistines
July 1920 Journey 7: ORDINARY PEOPLE 103
The Love Story of Ruth and Boaz
July 2627 Journey 8: THE KING MAKER 117
Samuel: Judge, Priest and Prophet
August 23 Journey 9: A POOR EXCUSE FOR A KING 131
The Rule of King Saul
August 910 Journey 10: GIANT SLAYER 145
David Slays Goliath
August 1617 Journey 11: LONG LIVE THE KING! 159
David Is Crowned King
August 2324 Journey 12: BAD CHOICES! 173
Davids Sin and Its Consequences
August 3031 Journey 13: SING A PSALM! 189
The Book of Psalms
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JOURNEY 1
A COSTLY COW?
BIBLE BACKGROUND
Journey 1: A Costly Cow?
Key Passages: Key Verse:

Exodus 32:18; 1520; . . . do not be anxious about anything, but in
33:1217 everything by prayer and supplication with
thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
Key Word: Philippians 4:6
Prayer
Key Thought:
Pray for the salvation of others and for Gods direction in their lives.
ESCAPE FROM EGYPT

Just as God had promised, Moses proved to be the Deliverer of Gods chosen people
from 400 years of bondage in Egypt. It took 10 plagues to convince the Pharaoh that
when God said: Let My people go, thats exactly what He meant. The Pharaoh finally
released the people after the devastating night of the Passover. In the middle of the
night, a group of 600,000 families (probably a total of 2 million people if women and
children were counted)1 left the place where they and their ancestors had lived for
430 years.
A CHANGE OF HEART
Meanwhile, back at the pyramids, old Pharaoh was having second thoughts. He had
just sent away the nations primary labor force. The consequences of such a decision
began to unsettle the old ruler. He formed a rather large posse and pursued the
liberated slaves. God was waiting to meet his hostility. As the children of Israel crossed
over the Red Sea, the sound of horses and chariots could be heard in the distance.
The walls of water that were supernaturally held back to allow the Israelites to cross
suddenly crashed. The entire Egyptian army drowned.
1
Exodus 12:37, marginal note, ESV Study Bible, Crossway Bibles, 2008, p. 164. 3
JOURNEY 1
THE DESERT REALITY

God knew this trip into the desert would be stressful for the Israelites. Rather than
sending them straight to the Promised Land of Canaan, He guided their travels in such
a way as to avoid open conflict with enemy tribes.
As slaves, the Israelites never had to make decisions; now they were a free people
and had to find their own food, water and shelter. They whined like little children and
complained to Moses. Moses appealed to God on their behalf and God provided water,
quails and a sweet kind of bread called manna.
Three months after leaving Egypt, the people arrived at the foot of Mount Sinai.
God called Moses to come up to the mountain and there He gave him the Ten
Commandments and other laws that Israel was to live by. These laws were rules and
principles to guide the peoples relationship with God and with one another (Exodus
1920). They were not suggestions but commandments that had to be obeyed. Moses
came down from the mountain to share with the people the terms of this covenant
relationship. The people agreed to do all that God asked of them (Exodus 24:7).
THE TOP AND THE BOTTOM

(Exodus 32:16, 19)
Moses returned again to the mountainthis time for a period of 40 days and 40
nights. God gave him the tablets of stone with the law and the commandments
written with His own hand. Moses also received instructions about the tabernacle, its
construction and furniture, the priesthood, and the sacrificial system. While all of this
was going on at the top of the mountain, chaos broke out at the foot of the mountain.
The people thought Moses had delayed too long in returning. In his absence, they
made their own god in the form of a golden calf with Aarons help. God told Moses
what was happening and threatened to destroy the people He had brought out of
Egypt. Moses interceded on their behalf and God relented of His anger.
With the two tablets of law in his hand, Moses hurried down the mountain. When
he saw the golden calf and the peoples wild, rebellious behavior, he was furious. He
threw the tablets down and broke them into pieces. The actual breaking of the tablets
was a visual picture of the people breaking the first commandment (Exodus 32:19).
How could they have forgotten the power of God who had delivered them out of the
slavery of Egypt? How could they dishonor the One who loved them more than they
4 could ever understand?
JOURNEY 1
THE CONSEQUENCES (Exodus 32:1535)

Moses had the golden idol ground into powder and poured into their water supply
so that all in Israel would taste how filthy their sin was in the sight of God (Exodus
32:20). Moses rebuked Aaron for having helped the people carry out such an atrocity.
Aaron had failed in Moses absence to squelch the fear and doubt the people were
struggling with. Moses stood in front of the camp and demanded a sign from those
who would restrain the people from continuing such idolatry. He cried out for those
who were on the Lords side to come and stand beside him (Exodus 32:26). All the
sons in the tribe of Levi came to stand by him. He instructed them to take their swords
and remove from among the people those who had embraced this idol worship. That
day about 3,000 men died (Exodus 32:28).
Moses returned to speak with the Lord on behalf of the people. He offered his own life
to atone for the sins of the Israelites (Exodus 32:30). God refused to accept his blood.
There would come another who could perform this act, but not Moses. Atonement
required perfection and Moses, though a cherished servant of God, could not fulfill
this requirement. God did recognize how Moses interceded in behalf of the people,
and He was moved.
THE CLEFT OF THE ROCK

(Exodus 33:1823)
Moses took a tent and pitched it outside the camp; he called it the tabernacle of
meeting. There he met with the Lord. The pillar of cloud descended and stood at the
door to indicate Gods presence among His people. It was there that the Bible says
God spoke intimately and personally with Moses, face to face as a man might speak
to his best friend (Exodus 33:11). Moses became a mediator between God and Israel.
For God to speak to Israel through Moses, Moses had to spend time in Gods presence
where He could reveal His plans. Moses begged God not to withdraw His presence
from among His people. His presence was the only thing that set the people apart
from the other nations. Moses wanted all people to know that Israel was a special
treasure to God because He had chosen to live among them (Exodus 33:1617). God
would forgive their sin and allow Moses to take the people to the Promised Land.
Moses had prayed for the people and God had answered his prayer.
God affirmed Moses in a way that must have brought joy and relief to his heart. This
very thing that you have spoken I will do, for you have found favor in my sight, and I
know you by name (Exodus 33:17). God had equipped Moses to lead the people on a 5
JOURNEY 1
journey that would take them home. What lay ahead of them Moses could not know,
but God did. Moses was suited for the task and more importantly, God was pleased
with him.
Moses then made a bold request: Please show me your glory (Exodus 33:18). Gods
reply revealed the awesome nature of His person as He explained that no one, not
even Moses, could behold His face and live. However, God was willing to partially
reveal His glory provided that the following conditions could be met (Exodus
33:1923).
God pointed to a rock near Him where Moses could stand.
Moses was to hide himself in a crack or crevice (cleft) of the rock.
God would cover the crevice as He passed by.
He would then remove His hand and Moses could turn to see His glory passing by,
but Moses could not see His face.
Moses did as God instructed. He caught a glimpse of where God had passed by. It
was impossible for him to see Gods face, for no man can see God as He really is apart
from Jesus Christ (John 14:9). Whatever Moses saw, he did not or could not describe.
God had chosen to show Moses grace and favor just as He does for each of us (Exodus
33:19). Yet, He still gives us the choice to respond obediently.
THE NEW TABLETS (Exodus 34:2428)

On the following morning, God told Moses to come up to Mount Sinai and to bring
with him two tablets cut out of stone. There God passed before Moses again in such a
way that caused Moses to fall to his knees in worship. Moses repeated his request of
the Lord:
To come and be present among His people even though they were a stiff-necked
and stubborn lot
To pardon their iniquity and sin
To take Israel as Your inheritance (Exodus 34:9)
Gods response was to make a covenant before all the people that He would do
wonders and marvels on their behalf, but they must be obedient to His commands
and have no other gods before Him. For 40 days and 40 nights Moses neither ate nor
drank as God dictated the words of the covenant and Moses wrote them down on the
tablets (Exodus 34:28).
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When the work was completed, Moses came down from the mountain, tablets in
hand. When Aaron and Joshua saw him, his face was glowing with the radiance
of Gods own glory (Exodus 34:29). God had allowed Moses to come closer to Him
than any other sinful human being and Moses had been changed by the experience
(Exodus 34:29). Being in the presence of Holy God for 40 days had given him a radiant
appearance that could not be hidden. Now Gods plan could move forward. His chosen
people were at last marching toward the Promised Land.
7
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TEACHING PLAN
Journey 1: A Costly Cow?
Key Passages Key Word/Thought

Exodus 32:18, 1520; 33:1217 Prayer
Pray for the salvation of others and for
Gods direction in their lives.
Introductory Activities Exploring The Bible
Connect the Big Room experience The people make a golden calf.
to the key word/thought for the Moses throws down the Ten
day and the Bible story. Commandments.
Forms of communication popular God punishes the people.
today: e-mail, cell phones, Internet, Moses pleads for Gods mercy.
texting God forgives the people and the
journey to the Promised Land
continues.
The Crossroads Bible Learning Project
Moses was grief-stricken at the Prayer Hands
peoples sin.
He wanted to make atonement for
them.
There is only one person who can
do that. His name is Jesus.
Scripture Memory
. . . do not be anxious about anything, but in everything
by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving
let your requests be made known to God.
Philippians 4:6
Visual Aids
Blank paper for memory verse
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JOURNEY 1
INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITIES
A. CONNECT the Big Room experience with the Bible story by asking
questions about how the things the students saw relate to the key
word and the key thought for the day. Use the following questions to
stimulate conversation:
What do you think about that?
Why is that important?
How would that have made you feel?
B. DISCUSS forms of communication that are popular today: e-mail,

texting, social networks, cell phones. Talk about how important the
cell phone has become in our world today. Take yours out and hold
it so all can see. Talk about all the things it can be used for in this
mobile societyimmediate contact, e-mail, calendar, clock, social
networking, news updates, shopping, ticket purchases, music device,
bank deposits, etc.
Describe some of its drawbacks, like the interruption of activities in

which you are involved with other people, distraction from work that
must be done, etc.
C. DESCRIBE a kind of communication that does not need a hand-held

device or earphone.
You do not have to leave a voice mail or text.
You have immediate access.
You can access the kind of information that brings real success.
It connects you to other people in way that can last a lifetime and
even throughout all eternity.
It is a very simple concept and it has been around for thousands of
years.
Does anybody have any idea what type of communication I am
talking about?
You can transition to the Bible story next. Explain how we will see in
todays study what a difference one prayer can make in the life of a
nation.
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JOURNEY 1
EXPLORING THE BIBLE PASSAGE

A. Briefly explain why the Hebrews are in the desert.
Josephs being sold into slavery in Egypt
His promotion to ruler of Egypt
The slavery of Josephs descendants over a period of 400 years
The deliverance of the people by Moses and the 10 plagues
The journey to the Promised Land
B. A GOD THEY COULD SEE (Exodus 32:18, 1520)

SAY: Moses had been on Mount Sinai for 40 days and the people were
very worried. Fearing something had happened to him, the people
decided that Aaron should make some kind of new idol god they could
see. Have the students read what happened in Exodus 32.
Verses 23: What did the people give Aaron to use?
Verse 4: What did Aaron make for them?
Verse 5: How did the people show they had a new god?
Verses 78: How did God feel about what the people did?
Verses 1516: What did Moses bring down the mountain?
Verses 1920: What happened when Moses saw the Golden Calf?
Which commandment had the people broken? How must God have
felt?
C. MOSES PRAYER (Exodus 32:3235)

SAY: Moses understood what a terrible choice the people had made
when the golden calf was formed. After all God had done for them,
how could they have done such a terrible thing? Moses must have been
grief-stricken.
Verse 30: What did Moses tell the people he would do?
Verse 31: What did Moses tell God about the peoples sin?
Verse 32: What did Moses ask God to do? What did Moses offer to do?
THE CROSSROADS
Use the following ideas to present the Gospel. SAY:
Moses had been willing to give up his own life if God would
pardon the sin of the people.
God would not permit this to happen because He had chosen
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JOURNEY 1
someone else for such a task.
Until the time was right for that person to appear, God put in
place a system of sacrifices that pointed to the One who would
someday come to save the world.
Today we know who God sent to take the punishment for the sin
of others.
We know His name and we know what He did.
When we come into His presence, we are changed like Moses.
If youve never been changed by Jesus, You can be. Its as easy as
A, B, C.
Share the ABCs of Salvation and close in prayer.
HUDDLE GROUP
Make the following statements and then ask questions in Section B.
You may want to let the students share or you may want them to sit
quietly and think about how they would answer each question.
A. STATEMENTS TO MAKE
Moses prayed to God on behalf of the people.
He loved the people even though their sin grieved him.
He knew only God could change their hearts.
He asked God not to take away His presence from among them
(33:1416).
God heard his prayer and continued to lead the people toward the
land He had promised to give them.
B. QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER
Whom do you pray for each day?
Why do you pray for him/her?
What do you want God to do for that person?
What is one thing you could do to make your prayer life better?
Will you do that one thing this week?
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JOURNEY 1
SCRIPTURE MEMORY:
Philippians 4:6
Write the key verse on the board and ask each student to copy it on a
piece of paper.
SAY: God wants us to bring Him all of our concerns. He is the First One
we should think about when we are concerned about something. Our
key verse for today will help us understand how much God wants us to
come to Him.

Circle the key words that are italicized.

Explain what each word means.
Have the students say the verse aloud several times.
Give each student a piece of paper with the key verse written
at the top.
Ask the students to draw a picture to illustrate the verse.
Then ask them to write down the initials or the name of a friend
or family member for whom they want to pray.
Allow one minute for students to pray silently.
Choose one or two students to pray aloud and then you close
the prayer.
HUDDLE GROUP:
A SPECIAL REVELATION
This is an interesting passage to read that describes what happened
when Moses boldly asked the Lord to show him His Glory.
SAY: In Exodus 33:1823, Moses asked to see Gods glory. God allowed
him only to see the place where God has passed through, the backside
of His glory.
Verse 18: What did Moses want to know about God?
Verses 1920: How did God respond to his request?
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JOURNEY 1
Verse 21: What did God tell him to do?
Verse 1923: How did God show Himself to Moses? [Demonstrate this
scene by putting two chairs close together and asking one of the boys to
crouch down between them. Have another student wrapped in a white
sheet walk by slowly to symbolize the backside of Gods glory. The cleft of
the rock gives us an amazing perspective on our omnipotent God.]
Gods glory passed by; Moses only saw His back, but it changed
him forever (Exodus 34:2930). The radiance of Gods glory was
reflected on the face of Moses as he came down from the mountain
(Exodus 34:29).
Moses had seen all of God a human being could see until Peter,
James, and John saw Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration.
Moses knew that God was real because He spoke to him in ways
he could understand. He answered the questions Moses asked
Him. He listened to every prayer Moses said.
Moses was sure now that Gods presence would be with him as he
led the people to the Promised Land.
BIBLE LEARNING PROJECT:

Prayer Hands
Supplies: foam hands; markers
Distribute markers among the students.
Provide each student with a foam hand.
Ask the students to identify five people they know who are not
Christians.
Instruct them to assign one digit to each of these five people, and
then write the names of these people on a finger or thumb.
Direct the students to place the hand in their Bible or tape it to
their bathroom mirror to remind them to pray for each of the five
people they identified who need to know Jesus.
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JOURNEY 1
HUDDLE GROUP: A Look at the Book

The first five books of the Old Testament are called the Books of Law.
Have the students do the following.
Find the names of these books in the table of contents in your Bible.
Write out the name of each book on a sheet of paper. Number
them 1 through 5.
Practice finding each book by yourself without looking for the
page number in the table of contents.
Divide up into two teams for a competition
Locate one of the five books when you call out the name.
Locate these passages from the Books of Law.
Exodus 24:7 The people agree to obey God.
Exodus 34:2728 New tablets are made.
Exodus 34:29 Moses face reflects Gods glory.
Genesis 1:27 God created man in His own image.
Leviticus 18:12 God is the Lord of the Israelites.
Numbers 20:1112 Moses strikes the rock in anger.
Deuteronomy 34:57 Moses dies on the mountain.
REVIEW QUESTIONS
1. How did the Hebrews end up in Egypt? (famine in Israel, Joseph
sold into slavery)
2. Who led the people out of their slavery in Egypt? (Moses)
3. How long had they been in Egypt? (400 years)
4. Where was Moses taking them? (to Canaan, the Promised Land)
5. What was the first obstacle they encountered?
(crossing the Red Sea)
6. How were they able to cross? (God split the water in to two parts
and the people crossed over on dry ground.)
7. Why did Moses go up to Mount Sinai? (God called him to come up.)
8. What did God give him there on the mountain? (Two tablets of
stone called the Ten Commandments)
9. When Moses came down from the mountain, what did he find?
(The people were worshipping a golden calf.)
10. Why had the people wanted a god made with hands? (They
wanted to be able to see God. Moses had been on the mountain for a
long time. They had little faith.) 15
JOURNEY 1
11. What did Moses ask God to do? (forgive their sin and remain in
their midst)
12. Why did God answer the prayer? (Moses had found favor with God
and God was pleased with his faith.)
13. Why does God hate sin? (because it separates us from Him)
14. What can save us from our sins? (faith in Jesus Christ)
15. What was Moses able to see on the mountain? (the back of Gods glory)
16. Like Moses, what does God ask us to do for others? (pray for others
to know Christ)
SETTING UP YOUR TEACHING

BOARD
Lesson Title: A Costly Cow?

Key Word: Prayer
Key Thought: Pray for the salvation of oth-
ers and for Gods direction in their lives.
Exodus 32:18:
What did the Hebrews do while Moses
was on Mount Sinai?
Exodus 32:3032:
What did Moses pray for the Hebrews after he saw what
they did? Why was this not possible?
Exodus 33:1217:
Why did God answer the prayer of Moses in verse 16?
How should we pray to God?

When should we pray to God?
Why should we pray to God?

Philippians 4:6
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JOURNEY 2
A DESIGNER TENT?
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BIBLE BACKGROUND
Journey 2: A Designer Tent?

Exodus 25:131; 27:919; Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel
30:118; 33:710; before the Lord, our Maker! Psalm 95:6
Leviticus 1:14
Key Word:
Worship
Key Thought:
Worship God privately in your heart and publicly as part of His Church.
A WORSHIP TENT (Exodus 33:710)

As the children of Israel traveled toward Canaan, they lived in tents. Moses pitched
a separate tent outside the camp, far away from the people. There God came to
speak with him as a pillar of cloud rested at the entrance. The people watched from a
distance and for as long as the cloud rested on the tent, the people stood in the door
of their own tents to watch and worship (Exodus 33:10).
In Exodus 25, God told Moses to have the people build Him a type of sanctuary, a
tabernacle, inside their camp where He could come and dwell among the people.
This special tent was designed by God Himself. It was a visible reminder that God had
called out these people to be holy and separate. He would dwell among them as the
cloud of His presence hung over the tabernacle structure.
This tabernacle was a portable tent erected and taken down as the people traveled
toward the Promised Land. The people contributed what they had toward the
construction of this meeting place. God asked for the following:
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Gold, silver and bronze
Blue, purple and scarlet yarn
Fine linen
Goat hair
Ram skins dyed red and hides of cows and goats
Olive oil for the light
Spices for the anointing oil and for fragrant incense
Onyx stones and other gems
Acacia wood
This meeting place was to be built by the Israelite craftsmen and artisans according to
Gods specific pattern. Each of the 12 tribes of Israel would pitch their tents around the
tabernacle according to a specific assignment. Each time they moved to a new place,
the tabernacle was taken down, moved, and then set up again.
GODS PERFECT PATTERN

Everything about the tabernacle pointed to a central theme: Gods love for man and
His desire to have fellowship with him. This beautiful tent was filled with rich pictures
and symbols pointing toward Christ. Gods perfect design started with the inside
furnishings and worked its way outward as He described to Moses what He wanted
each area to look like.
The Ark of the Covenant: God told Moses to make a very special box out of
acacia wood and cover it with melted gold. It was to measure 45 inches long,
27 inches wide and 27 inches tall. It would be the most important object in the
tabernacle. In it, God told Moses to place these three objects:
1. The two stone tablets containing the Ten Commandments (Hebrews 9:4)
2. A golden jar of manna, which God had provided daily during their desert
travels (Exodus 16:3234)
3. Aarons rod that budded like a flower to show Gods choice of Aaron as the
high priest (Numbers 17:10)
The Mercy Seat: This was the cover, or lid, God told Moses to make and place
over the top of the ark. It was made from pure gold hammered from one solid
piece. On the top of the lid at both ends there were two golden angels, called
cherubim. Their heads were bowed low toward the ark. They faced each other with
outstretched wings to symbolize Gods throne and His presence between them.
The Most Holy Place: This area is referred to as the Holy of Holies. The ark of the
covenant was kept here behind a thick curtain. The High Priest entered this area only
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JOURNEY 2
once a year on the Day of Atonement when he sprinkled the blood on the mercy seat.
Here Gods wrath against sin was transformed into grace and mercy for His people.
The Veil: In front of the ark of the covenant was a curtain separating the Holy
of Holies from the Holy Place. It represented the barrier between God and man
caused by mans sin. The veil was made of heavy cloth woven with blue, purple
and scarlet threads with images of the cherubim embroidered on the outside. It
hung from four pillars of acacia wood overlaid with gold. When Solomon built the
temple, the same type of design was used for the veil. This was the curtain that
was torn in half from top to bottom the moment Christ died, thus removing the
barrier between God and man (Matthew 27:51).
The Altar of Incense: Outside the veil in the Holy Place stood a golden altar
of incense. Morning and evening, the high priest burned incense, a mixture of
spices and oil God required. As the sweet aroma drifted upward, it represented
the prayers of the priests and pointed to Christ as our intercessor before God
(Hebrews 7:25).
The Golden Lampstand: On the northern side of the Holy Place, there was
placed a seven-branched lampstand made from pure gold. Each lamp bowl was
filled with oil and never allowed to go out except when the tabernacle was being
moved. The lampstand pointed to Jesus, the Light of the World, a light that is
always present (John 8:12).
A Table of Showbread: On the opposite southern side was a gold-covered
wooden table where each week one loaf of bread from each of the 12 tribes was
placed as a memorial of Gods provision of food. This pictured Jesus as the Bread
of Life (John 6:33).
THE COVERINGS
The Holy Place and the Holy of Holies were covered by a tent that was 15 feet by 45
feet. The frame for the tent was made from wood overlaid with gold. The boards
rested in silver sockets. These sockets can be a reminder of the pieces of silver Judas
was paid to betray Jesus (Matthew 26:15).
The roof of the tabernacle was formed from layers of elaborate coverings.
1. The outer protective covering was made with ordinary badger skins. Jesus came
in the form of an ordinary man.
2. The next layer was made of the skins of goats, dyed red, pointing to the blood
Christ shed on the cross.
3. The third layer was made of pure white goats hair, symbolizing Christs purity
and holiness. 21
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4. The innermost covering revealed blue, purple and scarlet threads woven into
white linen, embroidered with cherubim and connected with golden clasps. The
blue represented heaven; the purple reflected the royalty of Christs kingdom and
the scarlet color symbolized the blood Christ would shed.
ONLY ONE DOOR

An outer courtyard was created using a fence 150 feet long by 75 feet wide. (Exodus
27:919). The fence was made of white curtains seven-and-a-half feet long, hung on
silver hooks from 56 bronze pillars on the north, south and west walls. An opening or
gate was placed on the east side using curtains of blue, purple and scarlet. This gate
was the only entrance into the tabernacles courtyard. It pictures Jesus as the only way
to approach God (John 14:6). John 10:9 says that Jesus is the door, through which we
pass from death into everlasting life.
THE SYSTEM OF SACRIFICES

God gave to Moses a precise description of the kinds of sacrifices to be made within
the tabernacle to atone, or cover, the sins of people. Various animals were offered,
depending upon a persons wealth and status. Once a year, the high priest would
enter the Holy of Holies on the Day of Atonement, or Yom Kippur. In Leviticus, Aaron
was to take two goats and sacrifice one as a sin offering. The blood of this goat was
to be spread on the mercy seat. It pointed to the sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross for the
sins of all mankind.
Next, Aaron was to lay his hands on the head of the second goat and confess aloud the
sins of the people. This act symbolized the transfer of the peoples sin to an innocent
substitute. After having done this, Aaron turned the goat over to a man standing by
who led the goat out into the wilderness and set him free (Leviticus 16:2022). This
pictured the removal of the peoples sin and Gods forgiveness as Christ became our
scapegoat. It portrayed the justification that would come at the Cross for us
(Hebrews 7:27).
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JOURNEY 2
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE TABERNACLE

The theme of redemption runs through the scarlet threads of the tabernacle curtains.
Christs life and sacrifice are portrayed at the various stations within the tabernacle. Its
design in every detail symbolizes the work of Christ at Calvary. In the tabernacle we
see Gods sovereignty and His merciful love.
The tabernacle and its contents were lost hundreds of years ago, but its significance
has been preserved in Christ. The writer of Hebrews explained to the early Christian
church how God used the tabernacle to prepare the people of the Old Testament
to recognize His salvation through the tabernacle, the system of sacrifices, and the
messages of the prophets (Hebrews 8:17). Today the Spirit of God lives in the hearts
of all believers. There is no more need for a tabernacle or a temple. We are Gods
temple (1 Corinthians 6:19). Therefore, we can worship Him any time and in any
place. Through Christ, we now have access to God (1 Peter 2:5, 9) because of our new
position as believers. Our sins have been forgiven and we stand justified before God
because of the Cross.
23
24
TEACHING PLAN
JOURNEY 2: A Designer Tent?

Exodus 25:131; 27:919; 30:118; Worship
33:710; Leviticus 1:14 Worship God privately in your heart and
publicly as part of His Church.
Connect the Big Room experience Description of the tabernacle
to the key word/thought for the The furnishings of the tabernacle
day and the Bible story. The veil separating man from God
Describe the worship experience Christ in the tabernacle
where you attend church
Sketch out the worship center and
discuss what happens in each area.
The veil of the tabernacle outside the A Blueprint for the Tabernacle
Holy of Holies was torn when Jesus died.
Jesus became our mercy seat.
Scripture Memory
Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel
before the Lord, our Maker! Psalm 95:6
Visual Aids
Diagrams of tabernacle and its furnishings, 3 pieces of construction paper, one red,
another white and a third one blue
stimulate conversation.
How would that have made you feel? 25
JOURNEY 2
B. ASK the students what the word worship means. Discuss with them
the worship experience in church that elementary-aged students are
beginning to experience. Preteens should be able to give detailed
information. To see how observant they are, ask them to do one of the
following:
1. Give each child a piece of paper and have him or her draw a
picture of the inside of your church.
2. Allow children to work in groups of twos and threes to create a
picture of the inside of the church.
3. They can tell you how to draw the church as you work on a marker
board or piece of poster board.
C. SUGGEST that they include things like the seating plan, the pulpit
area, the choir loft, the baptistery, the offering collection, the altar and
anything else that is outstanding about your church.
Once the drawings are completed, let the students share them
with the class.
Discuss the purpose of each area and how it contributes to the
overall worship experience.
Ask the students why it is important for us to come together as a
group to worship God. (to demonstrate our love and gratitude for
who God is and what He has done in our lives)
Transition to the lesson by asking the students where they think the
children of Israel worshipped in the desert after leaving Egypt since
they had to keep moving from place to place. Did they even know how
to worship since they had been slaves for more than 400 years?

(Exodus 25, 27, 30, 33, Leviticus 1)
SHARE the following information by making these points.
Describe how the people lived in tents during this period of time.
The tents could be rolled up and then taken to the next campsite.
Explain how God gave Moses a specific plan for a worship tent
to be called the tabernacle. The tabernacle was a symbol of how
much God loved these people called Hebrews. He had sent a
26 deliverer to rescue them from Egyptian slavery and now He
JOURNEY 2
was leading them to a land flowing with milk and honey
that He had prepared.
Point out how everything in the tabernacle pointed to Jesus in one
way or another.
Ask the students to open their Bibles to Exodus 25 where they will
find a description of what the tabernacle looked like.
Provide each student with a pen and preprinted guide to the
tabernacle. Have them fill in the guide as each area/item is discussed.
A. THE RAW MATERIALS (Exodus 25:19)

Where would the materials to build the tabernacle come from? Instruct
the students to write the answer to this question on their diagram in
the bottom left-hand side in the first blank. (the people) How is this
process like the modern-day church? (The people are asked to give their
money to purchase the materials.)
B. THE OUTER COURTYARD (Exodus 27:919)

What would be used to lay out the tabernacle? Instruct the students to
write the answer to this question on the diagram in the second blank.
(pillars and hangings) Who would make these hangings? (the skilled
Hebrew craftsmen/women) How long is a cubit? Instruct the students to
write the answer to this question on the guide in the third blank. (It is
1822 inches, the length of the arm from the middle finger to the elbow.
Older students can do some math to see how long and wide it was.)
C. THE HOLY OF HOLIES (Exodus 25:1021)

What item was found here? (ark of the covenant) Instruct the students
to write the answer above the correct picture on their guide.
What was the ark made of and what was it covered with?
(acacia wood and gold)
How was it carried from place to place? (with poles)
What did it contain? (the Law, some manna, and Aarons rod)
What was the lid called? (the mercy seat)
What was it made out of? (gold)
How was it used? (during the sacrifices when blood was placed on
it as a sacrificial offering for sin) [Jesus is the perfect sacrifice. His
death ended the sacrificial system. It is no longer needed.]
What were the carved images that sat on top of the lid?
(cherubim) 27
JOURNEY 2
D. THE HOLY PLACE (Exodus 25:3031; 30:1)
The area outside the Holy of Holies was called the Holy Place. Curtains
formed the outer protective covering. What pieces of furniture were
found in this area? Have the students identify and name the correct
pictures on their guide after each passage has been read.
Exodus 25: 30: The table of showbread to represent Gods sustaining
presence [Jesus is the bread of life.]
Exodus 25:31: The golden lampstand to represent Gods glory [Jesus is
the light of the world.]
Exodus 30:1: The altar of incense where sweet aromas went up along
with the prayers of the priests [Jesus is our intercessor.]
E. THE OUTER COURTYARD (Exodus 27:16; 30:18; Leviticus 1:4)

Have the students identify and name the correct pictures on their guide
after the first two passages have been read.
Leviticus 1:4: The bronze altar for daily sacrifices
Exodus 30:18: The bronze laver where priests washed their hands
Exodus 27:16: The gate, the one and only entrance into the
tabernacle on the east side [Jesus is the only way to God.]
F. THE CLOUD AND THE PILLAR OF FIRE (Exodus 33:9)

Have the students identify and name the correct pictures. The cloud
and the fire signified Gods presence in the desert as He led the people
and in the tabernacle where He dwelled among His people.
G. ABIDING IN THE TABERNACLE

David asked in Psalm 15:1O Lord, who shall sojourn in your tent?
Who shall dwell on your holy hill? Verses 25 give the answer: He
who walks blamelessly and does what is right and speaks truth in his
heart. Discuss what these verses mean. Ask the students if they are fit
for the Lord to dwell with them.
THE CROSSROADS
In the tabernacle, there was a thick curtain that separated the Holy of
Holies from the Holy Place. It was a veil made of heavy woven cloth and
it served as a barrier between God and man (Exodus 26:33). Only the
High Priest could go beyond the veil. [Take three pieces of construction
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JOURNEY 2
paper and place them on top of one another and tear them very slowly
down the middle as you say the following.]
Matthew recorded in his Gospel a very interesting thing that happened

the minute Jesus died. He says in Matthew 27:51 that when Jesus died,
the curtain separating the Holy of Holies from the Holy Place was torn
in two from the top to the bottom as the earth began to shake and
rocks split open.
ASK: What could possibly be the connection between Jesus death and
this veil that was first put into the tabernacle and then into the temple
in Jerusalem? [Stop and wait to see if anyone responds. Then SAY:]
The tearing of the curtain symbolized that Christ had made it possible
for believers to have direct access to God through His death. No longer did
the veil separate man from God. If we believe in Christ and repent of our
sins, we can now be assured of an open relationship with God the Father.
Jesus became our mediator and now He intercedes in our behalf at the
throne of God (Hebrews 7:25) when we receive Him as Savior.
[Share the plan of salvation as you explain how to receive Christs sacrifice
personally. The veil is torn so that you might enter in. Close in prayer.]
HUDDLE GROUP
We now have the privilege of going before God, as only the high priest
could once do, to ask forgiveness of our sin. We can worship God any
place and any time because when we receive Christ, God lives within
us. He tabernacles inside our hearts and minds. Here are some ways
that our worship in church is different from that in the tabernacle, yet
in some ways is very similar. Ask the students to identify these ways as
you write them on the board.
a. We bring offerings to sustain the work and ministry of the church.
b. We offer prayers of thanksgiving and seek forgiveness of sins.
c. Our Pastor preaches from the Bible so that we may remember
Gods goodness and grace and worship Him in spirit and truth.
d. We sing praises to His name.
e. We focus on the supreme sacrifice Jesus made for all of us.
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JOURNEY 2
f. We provide an opportunity for those not covered by Christs
sacrifice to make the decision to receive Him.
ASK the students to share how they feel about their own worship
experiences in church each week. Take any negative remarks and turn
them around into positive comments. Emphasize the need to join in
this corporate worship experience each and every week as the people
of God praise their God together.
SCRIPTURE MEMORY: Psalm 95:6

Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the
Lord, our Maker! Psalm 95:6
Write the key verse on the board or on a poster. Ask the students
to point out the words that indicate Gods majesty and power
(worship, bow down, kneel, and the Lord, our Maker).
Have everyone kneel beside his or her chair.
Begin repeating the verse softly and then louder and then louder.
Ask for volunteers to pray as everyone is kneeling. Remind them
to express their love to God for all He is and for all He has done,
especially by sending His Son to die on the Cross.
Then, as the teacher, you should close this prayer time.
There are 17 words in the key verse. Make two sets of 17 cards and
write one word of the verse on each card. Divide the class into two
teams. The team that finds the cards and assembles the key verse first
wins. Reward the winners (and the losers) with some type of treat.

A Guide to the Tabernacle
Supplies: Preprinted guide referenced in EXPLORING THE BIBLE
PASSAGE; markers
Distribute the markers among the students.
Instruct the students to color their guide sheet and decorate it
with Christian symbols.
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JOURNEY 2
Remind the students that God was always with the Hebrews,
guiding them, just as He is always with us. When we become
believers in Christ, the Holy Spirit lives within us. He helps us know
how to worship God when we are in church and when we are
alone. God is always with us through the Holy Spirit.

Ask the students what book in the Bible was designed to be used in
worship services. It was the book of Psalms because it is filled with
songs the Israelites sung in their worship services in the tabernacle,
in the synagogues, and in the temple.
a. Have the students locate the Psalms in the middle of the Bible.
b. Ask them how many chapters the book has. Have them put their
left hand on the page with chapter 1 and their right hand on
chapter 150. This book is filled with praises to God. Comment on
how important it was to Gods people to praise and worship Him.
c. Ask them to find the longest chapter in this book. It is Psalm 119.
What is this chapter talking about?
d. Tell them to find the shortest chapter in the Bible. It is Psalm 117.
Read the two verses that make up this chapter and describe what
we are to do.
e. Have the students find Psalms 145, 146, 147, 148, 149, and 150. Ask
them to identify six different reasons to praise and worship God.
REVIEW QUESTIONS
1. Why was it necessary to build a tabernacle? (God wanted a
place where people could worship Him. He wanted to symbolically
represent mans sin, his need for redemption and Gods provision for
his salvation.)
2. What was contained in the ark of the covenant? (Ten
Commandments, manna, Aarons rod)
3. Name two of the furnishings in the tabernacle. (the bronze laver,
the bronze altar, the lampstand, the altar of incense, the table of
showbread, the ark of the covenant and the mercy seat)
4. Name two other items in the tabernacle.
5. Where was the veil placed in the tabernacle? (between the Holy of
Holies and the Holy Place) 31
JOURNEY 2
6. What was its function? (to separate man from God)
7. What happened to the veil when Jesus died? (It was split in two
from top to bottom)
8. When we worship God, name one thing that we are
demonstrating.
9. Name something else our worship reveals.
10. Where can we worship God? (any place, any time)
11. Why is it important to worship God? (because we love Him)
THE PATTERN FOR THE TABERNACLE2

[Use these diagrams to describe the layout and the furnishings of the
tabernacle. Details are provided in the Bible Background materials.]
32
2
The MacArthur Study Bible, Thomas Nelson, 1997, p. 134.
JOURNEY 2
THE FURNISHINGS OF THE TABERNACLE3
3
The NIV Study Bible, Zondervan Bible Publishers, 1985, p. 126. 33
JOURNEY 2
SETTING UP YOUR
TEACHING BOARD
Lesson Title: A Designer Tent?

Key Word: Worship
Key Thought: Worship God privately
in your heart and publicly as part of His
Church.
Exodus 25:131; 27:919; 30:118; 33:710;

Leviticus 1:14
What does it mean to worship?
To give honor to God
To affirm His Lordship in our lives
To show our gratitude
To demonstrate our humility
Where are some other places/situations where you

can worship God?
In the middle of a crisis
When I am sad or feel lonely
When I am happy about something
When I see His hand of protection on me
Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before

the Lord, our Maker! Psalm 95:6
34
3
JOURNEY 3
DIVINE DISCIPLINE
35
36
BIBLE BACKGROUND
JOURNEY 3: Divine Discipline

Numbers 2, 13, 14, 21 For the moment all discipline seems painful rather
than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of
Key Word: righteousness. . . Hebrews 12:11
Discipline
Key Thought:
Accept discipline as a way of developing godly character.
GETTING ORGANIZED (Numbers 2)

When the tabernacle was completed, Moses held a ceremony of dedication. The cloud
revealing Gods presence filled the tabernacle. When the cloud lifted, the people knew
it was time to travel toward the Promised Land. Wherever they went, the first thing
they did was to set up the tabernacle again.
Around the outside linen fence, the 12 tribes pitched their tents. On the northern side
were the tribes of Dan, Asher and Naphtali. To the south were the tribes of Rueben,
Simeon and Gad. In front of the gate on the western side were the tribes of Benjamin,
Manasseh and Ephraim. On the east side were the tribes of Judah, Issachar and
Zebulun. Moses and Aaron and his sons from the tribe of Levi also encamped on the
east side. They had been chosen by God to care for the tabernacle.
SPIES IN THE CAMP (Numbers 1314)

Finally, Moses brought the people to the edge of the Promised Land. He told them
to go in and possess the land. They hesitated and asked that spies be sent in to scout
out the territory. Moses chose a representative from each tribe and gave them specific
instructions. From the tribe of Ephraim (one of Josephs sons) Moses chose a man
37
JOURNEY 3
named Joshua. In English, this name would be pronounced as Jesus, meaning God
is our salvation. At the time, Moses did not know that this Joshua would eventually
succeed him as the leader of Israel.
Moses ordered the 12 spies to discover six things about the land of Canaan
(Numbers 13:1720).
1. Were the inhabitants of the land weak or strong?
2. Were there only a few people or were there many?
3. Could the land be considered good or bad?
4. Were the cities like camps or were they well-fortified strongholds?
5. Was the land rich or poor?
6. Did the land contain thriving forests?
After 40 days, the spies returned to give their report. They showed the delicious fruit
taken from the landgrapes, figs, pomegranates. The land was indeed good so that
it flowed with milk and honey. However, there were some obstacles to overcome.
The people who lived there were strong. Their cities were large and well fortified.
The warlike tribes living there would have to be conquered and the Israelites had no
military training.
Caleb, one of the spies, spoke up quickly to calm the people and to assure them that
these inhabitants could be overcome. Ten other spies spoke up in fear, saying that the
inhabitants were like giants and that Israel would appear to them as grasshoppers to
be crushed.
The people told Moses that it would have been better if they had died in Egypt or in
the wilderness. They questioned why God would have brought them here only to die
by the sword. They asked Moses to let them return to Egypt (Numbers 14:34).
Moses and Aaron fell to the ground in disbelief. Joshua and Caleb appealed to the
people to trust in Gods ability to give them the victory and to stop being afraid. The
people responded by saying these two should be stoned.
Suddenly, the glory of the Lord appeared over the tabernacle and Moses went to
speak to the Lord. How long will these people despise Me and the signs and wonders
I have performed among them? (Numbers 14:11) God was prepared to strike the
people down. Moses interceded as he had done so many times before in their behalf.
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JOURNEY 3
He appealed to God for the sake of His own reputation among the nations of the world
to have mercy and pardon their sin.
God yielded to Moses plea but declared that:

No one who had complained and doubted Him would ever enter Canaan
(Numbers 14:34).
All the people must return to the wilderness.
Forty years would pass before there would be another opportunity to enter the
land to correspond with the 40 days the spies had spent in Canaan.
The 10 spies who misled the people would die.
Joshua and Caleb who had given a good report would live and eventually enter
the Promised Land.
The peoples unbelief at this critical point must be punished. The generation of slaves
that left Egypt would not be the generation of conquest. They had forfeited their
rights of possession when they refused to obey God. They would experience divine
discipline from the God who loved them.
THE PEOPLE REBEL AGAIN

When Moses told the people Gods response to their disobedience, they were
angry and attempted to enter the land on their own. This was yet another sign of
their rebellious attitudes. They were quickly driven back by the Amalekites and
the Canaanites. So began the journey of these disobedient Israelites back into the
wilderness for the next 38 years.
THE SERPENT IN THE WILDERNESS

(Numbers 21:19)
The grumbling continued in the desert. The people refused to learn their lessons.
They complained about having to march around the land of the Edomites rather than
going through it (Numbers 21:46). They wanted to go back to Egypt again. They
complained about the manna and called it worthless bread (Numbers 21:5). This
time God took drastic measures to stop the complaining.
He sent among the people fiery serpents whose bite inflicted deadly venom.
Many of the Israelites died so the people repented of their sin to Moses.
Moses interceded on their behalf again.
God told Moses to make a fiery serpent out of bronze and put it on a pole. Those
who had been bitten were to look at the bronze serpent and live.
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JOURNEY 3
THE TORCH IS PASSED

Shortly before Moses died, he called the people of Israel together. He explained to
them that he would not be allowed to go into the Promised Land with them. He
summoned Joshua to stand before them as he passed his leadership role on to this
faithful servant. He told Joshua the following things (Deuteronomy 31:18):
To go forward with strength and courage
Not to be filled with fear or dread
God would go with him and with the people
God would never leave them or forsake them
Moses then prepared to leave.
NONE IN ISRAEL LIKE MOSES

The people were back at the edge of Canaan. God called Moses to go up Mount Nebo.
From this strategic point God showed him the Promised Land. He reminded him that
he would not be allowed to go into the land because of his own disobedience. Shortly
after Miriam died, there had been a shortage of water in the desert. God told Moses to
speak to a certain rock and out of it would come rushing water. Instead, Moses struck
the rock. Moses disobeyed Gods direct command in the presence of the people. For
this reason, he would not be allowed to enter the land of promise, but in His grace,
God allowed him to see it.
God Himself buried Moses in a valley in Moab in an unmarked grave (Deuteronomy

34:56). The people of Israel wept for Moses for 30 days. In all of Israel there was
none like Moses whom the Lord had known face-to-face.
MOSES AND JESUS

Moses is a type of Christ in many ways because he is the only biblical person other
than Christ to fulfill the office of prophet, priest and king. (Moses was not a king, but
he functioned as Israels ruler.)
Both were in danger of death during their early childhood.
Both were saviors of their people.
Both were intercessors.
Both were rejected by their own people.
Moses is undeniably one of the greatest men of faith who ever lived, but he too
40 experienced Gods divine discipline.
TEACHING PLAN
JOURNEY 3: Divine Discipline

Numbers 2, 13, 14, 21 Discipline
Accept discipline as a way of developing
godly character.
Connect the Big Room experience Spies are sent into Canaan.
to the key word/thought for the A mixed report comes back.
day and the Bible story. People rebel against God and give
Pretend to discipline a disruptive in to their fears.
student and send him out of the God punishes them with 40 years
room. of wandering in the desert.
Have students decide if you should Moses dies and Joshua takes over.
have ignored the behavior.
Moses prepares the way for people to Fruit-of-the-Spirit Frame
understand Christs sacrifice.
Scripture Memory
For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields
the peaceful fruit of righteousness Hebrews 12:11
Visual Aids
Optional: tasting samples of figs, grapes, pomegranates
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JOURNEY 3
B. STAGE a scene to illustrate disobedience and its consequences.
Before class, ask a student to talk loudly to his neighbor as you begin
talking about the Big Room experience. Have him/her do this two
or three times. Finally, you should stop talking and just look at the
student. Then ask the student to go and sit apart from the group
because he could not obey. Beforehand, coach the student to yell at
one of his buddies one more time. Then go to the student and put him
outside the class in order not to disturb you or the other students any
longer. Watch the reaction of the class. Ask for their comments and see
if they agree that this behavior was disobedient. Ask if you should have
just ignored it and kept going. Why or why not? Explain how you set
this up before class to illustrate the key thought.
TRANSITION to the Bible story. Explain that God had to discipline the
children of Israel because they would not obey Him. He allowed them
to wander in the desert until they learned to obey and were ready to
enter the Promised Land.

SAY: The tabernacle was finally complete. Moses held a ceremony
of dedication and the glory of the Lord filled the tent as the cloud
covered it. As the people continued their journey to the Promised
Land, the tabernacle traveled with them. Arriving at a new place, the
people would set up the tabernacle again and then pitch their own
tents around it. [You can draw this diagram of the tribes around the
tabernacle. Each tribe had an assigned place for its own tents.]
Dan Asher Naphtali

Ephraim Judah
Manasseh The Tabernacle Issachar
Benjamin Zebulun
Reuben Simeon Gad
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JOURNEY 3
SAY: After many months, the people approached the area near
the land of Canaan. There they pitched camp and awaited Moses
instructions. God told Moses to send out 12 men, one from each of the
tribes, to spy out the land. In Numbers 13 and 14, there is a dramatic
description of what happened to these 12 spies. [Pick out a few verses
for your class to read aloud.]
A. SPIES SENT OUT (Numbers 13:1730)

ASK:
What six things did God tell the spies to find out about the land?
How long did it take to get this information (verse 25)?
What was the report given by 10 of the spies (verse 2629)?
What report did Caleb, one of the spies from the tribe of Judah,
give (verse 30)?
B. THE REPORT PRESENTED (Numbers 14)

ASK:
What did the people want to do after they heard the report
(verses 14)?
What did Joshua say to the people along with Caleb (verses 59)?
What did the people want to do to them (verse 10)?
How did God react to the peoples fears (verses 1112)?
If God allowed the people to die in the desert, what did Moses say
the world would think (verses 1316)?
What did Moses want God to do for the people (verse 19)?
SAY: God did forgive them according to verse 20, but they would have
to suffer the consequences of their sin.
Everyone 20 years or older who had rejected the report of the
spies would die in the desert (Numbers 14:2930).
Their children, under the leadership of Joshua and Caleb, would
enter the Promised Land, but 40 years would pass before this
could happen (Numbers 14:34).
The people refused to accept such a punishment. Instead, they
tried to take the land by themselves without the help of Moses or
God. They were driven back by the Amalekites and the Canaanites
who currently lived in the land (Numbers 14:4445) and soundly
defeated. 43
JOURNEY 3
C. YEARS OF WANDERING (Numbers 20:713)
DESCRIBE in your own words:
The 40 years of wandering in the desert were filled with one
hardship after another. The people had to be disciplined so they
would learn to obey God.
They could not argue with God. They could not challenge Him.
They could not have their own way.
He alone was sovereign. Without His blessing, there could be no
hope of success.
Even Moses was disciplined for failing to do as God commanded
when the people needed water in the desert in Numbers 20:913.
ASK: How did God tell Moses to get water out of the rock? Did Moses
obey? What did he do instead of speaking to the rock? What would be
his punishment? (He would not be the one to lead the people into the
Promised Land.)
D. THE DEATH OF MOSES (Deuteronomy 31, 34)

DESCRIBE in your own words:
In Deuteronomy 31, at the age of 120, Moses spoke to the people for
the last time.
He explained that he would not be going into the land with them
(verses 16).
He turned over his leadership role to Joshua in front of all the
people (verses 78).
Joshua went into the tabernacle with Moses and God
commissioned him with the task of leading the children of Israel
into the land of Canaan (verse 23).
Moses completed the writing of the books of Law (Genesis,
Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy) and gave them to
the high priest to be placed in the ark of the covenant
(verses 2426).
In Deuteronomy 34, the time of Moses death had come.

God then told Moses to go up into the plains of Moab and
look over the land that God had promised the descendants of
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He could see it, but he could not enter
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JOURNEY 3
in (verses 34).
Moses died there in the land of Moab and God Himself buried him
(verses 56).
Joshua then assumed the leadership of the people. The Bible says
he was full of wisdom. God would now work through Joshua to
take the people into the land.
THE CROSSROADS
SAY: For 30 days, the children of Israel mourned the death of Moses
(Deuteronomy 34:8). They called him the prophet whom the Lord
knew face-to-face (Numbers 34:10). God used him as a great
deliverer. He was able to do miraculous signs and wonders before all
the people. He had been an intercessor for the people before God. He
cast a vision for the people of what life would be like if only they would
obey God. In so many ways, Moses was like Jesus.
Like Christ, he was a prophet, priest and kingly ruler.
Both Jesus and Moses were in danger of death as children.
Both came to be a savior for their people.
Both interceded before God in behalf of a sinful and disobedient
people.
Their leadership among those they came to save was rejected.
The life of Moses and Christ had similarities, but there was one
significant difference. Christ was the Son of God and though He, too,
would die, He would eventually bring eternal life to all who believe.
God used Moses to point to Christ through the Passover and through
the system of sacrificial offerings. Moses could not pay for the sins of
the people with his own life but Jesus could and He did.
Share the ABCs of Salvation. Invite anyone who wants to talk about
their decision to follow Christ to speak with you privately.
SCRIPTURE MEMORY:
Hebrews 12:11
For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but
later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.
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JOURNEY 3
Remind the students that discipline is not fun or pleasant, but the
end result is peace with God, peace with parents and peace with
oneself. Obedience is always the best choice so that there is no need
for discipline. We should learn this lesson from the poor Israelites who
wandered through the desert for 40 years.
Bring out your fruit platter and present it to the group. Repeat the key
verse and then offer a piece of fruit to each student who will say the
verse along with you.

Fruit-of-the-Spirit Frame
Supplies: cardboard frame, preprinted insert, self-adhesive foam
fruits, markers, tape
Distribute tape, markers and foam fruits among the students.
Provide each student with a frame and an insert preprinted with
Discipline yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.
Instruct the students to write the name of each fruit of the Spirit
around the frames edge and then add Hebrews 12:11 across the
bottom of the frame.
Have them color the insert and tape it to the back of the frame.
Affix one large piece of fruit and several smaller pieces to the
frame, and decorate as desired.

Locate the following passages that remind us how important it is to be
obedient. What were the consequences when people didnt obey God?
What happened when people did obey?
Genesis 3:67 Psalm 119:7172
Genesis 7:1214 Matthew 10:16
Genesis 12:13 John 19:30
Exodus 4:318 Acts 1:78
Jonah 1:14 Acts 9:1320
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HUDDLE GROUP
ASK: After hearing this weeks lesson about discipline, lets spend
a few minutes discussing the benefits of discipline. You may ask
what benefits? but discipline is really a good thing. Read aloud the
following situations and/or assign each one of them to a different
group of students to discuss.
1. A fourth grader was caught copying the answers to some test
questions from another students paper. Why was this wrong?
What is an appropriate punishment? If you were the childs parent,
what would you say to him/her?
2. Rather than cleaning up her room, Rachel hides her clothes
and stuff in her closet so her parents cant see the mess. Why is
this wrong? What will eventually happen? How should she be
disciplined? How can discipline benefit her in the future?
3. Your little brother thinks its funny to run out in the street. What is
wrong with his lack of obedience? How should he be disciplined?
What are the benefits of disciplining him now?
4. You think its cool to hang around with the kids in school who
bully other kids. What might eventually happen when a kid is
made fun of constantly? How should a bully be disciplined? What
are the benefits of stopping the bullying for everyone involved?
5. You take money out of your moms purse so you can buy a video
game she does not want you to have. Why is this wrong? How
should you be punished? If the behavior continues, what might
happen? As a parent, what would you say to your child?
SUMMARIZE by asking the class:

Is discipline fun?
Is it necessary?
Even if your parents do not see you being disobedient, who does?
Is it important to you to please God? If not, then you need to stop
and rethink your priorities.
How important is it to you to feel like an obedient son and
daughter?
Next time your parents discipline you, thank them!
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JOURNEY 3
For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but
later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.
Hebrews 12:11
REVIEW QUESTIONS
1. Name two things the spies were to find out. (What is land like?
Are people strong or weak? Is the land good or bad? What kind of
towns? Are they walled or unprotected? How many trees are there?)
2. What report did they bring back? (good land, one flowing with milk
and honey, but there are warlike people with fortified cities)
3. Which two spies said they could take the land? (Joshua and Caleb)
4. Whose report did the people believe? (the other 10)
5. What did the people want to do to Joshua and Caleb? (stone them)
6. What did God want to do when the people rebelled? (kill them)
7. What did Moses tell Him? (Other nations will think you could not
bring the people into the land.)
8. How did God discipline the people? (All who rebelled died in the
desert without entering the Promised Land. Their children wandered
for 40 years.)
9. When Moses died, who buried him and where? (God, somewhere
in the land of Moab)
10. How old was he? (120 years)
11. Who then assumed the leadership of the people? (Joshua)
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JOURNEY 3
SETTING UP YOUR
TEACHING BOARD
Lesson Title: Divine Discipline

Key Word: Discipline
Key Thought: Accept discipline as a way
of developing godly character.
SPIES IN THE CAMP: What to look for?
SPIES REPORT: Who said what?
PEOPLE REBEL: Time out?
MOSES DIES: What now?
For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than

pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.
Hebrews 12:11
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JOURNEY 4
WILL THE WALL FALL?
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BIBLE BACKGROUND
JOURNEY 4: Will the Wall Fall?
Key Passage: Key Verse:

Joshua 16 Be strong and courageous . . . for the Lord your God is
with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9
Key Word:
Challenge
Key Thought:
Meet every challenge with confidence and courage in Christ.
THE DEATH OF MOSES

(Deuteronomy 34:18)
Moses died when he was 120 years old. His vision and strength had not deteriorated
with age. God did not allow Moses to cross over in the Promised Land because of
his sin at Meribah (Numbers 20:113). However, He did take him up to the plains of
Moab to Mount Nebo and allowed him to look out over the vastness of the land that
had been promised to the offspring of Abraham (Deuteronomy 34:14). Then the
Bible says that Moses died and that God buried him in the valley somewhere in the
land of Moab. The children of Israel mourned the loss of their deliverer for 30 days.
A NEW MAN IN TOWN (Joshua 1:116)

It was now up to Joshua to lead the people of Israel (about 2 million of them) into
Canaan, the Promised Land. They have been wandering in the desert for more than 40
years. God promised Joshua the same guidance He had given to Moses. He told him to
take courage and be strong because under his leadership the children of God would
take possession of the land. God promised Joshua that He would never leave him or
forsake him (Joshua 1:56).
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JOURNEY 4
Forty years ago, Joshua had been one of the spies sent to check out the land. Now he
stood on the edge of the Jordan River sending out his own spies into Canaan. They
discovered the city was a beautiful, tropical oasis surrounded by a huge wall. Jericho
had its own army, making it one of the strongest walled cities in the area. This is what
the two spies learned.
The people practiced the Canaanite religion which involved worshipping idols and
human sacrifice. Israels conquest of the land would be Gods judgment on the
people.
The spies stayed in a type of inn run by a prostitute named Rahab.
Word reached the king of Jericho about the spies. He sent soldiers to Rahabs house
to find them.
Rahab agreed to help the men by hiding them on the roof under stalks of flax.
She told the soldiers they had been at her house but they left just before the city
gates closed for the night. If they hurried, she said, maybe they could catch up
with them. The men left to find the spies.
RAHABS PLAN (Joshua 2:118)

Rahab returned to the roof to speak with the spies.
She knew that God had given the Israelites the land of Canaan.
Her people were very afraid of the Israelites. They had heard the story of how God
had parted the Red Sea and about how two neighboring kings had been utterly
destroyed as the Israelites passed through their territory (Joshua 2:10).
The people trembled to see Israel approach their city; there would be no escape
and no one left alive.
Your God, Rahab said, is the God of heaven and earth.
She begged the men to show her and those of her household the same kindness she
had shown them. When the Israelites returned, she wanted them to spare her family
from the death and destruction she knew the rest of Jericho would experience.
The spies agreed to do as Rahab asked if she would keep secret their mission and their
whereabouts. She let them down the wall by hanging a scarlet rope out her window.
They climbed over the wall and escaped into the mountains. Before leaving, the
men told her to hang this same scarlet rope out the window when the Israelite army
returned. This scarlet rope would the symbol of the safety and protections promised to
Rahab and her household by the people of God.
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CROSSING THE JORDAN (Joshua 34)

The spies returned to give Joshua a good report. They could take the land. Joshua led
the children of Israel across the Jordan River. God parted the waters and the people
crossed over on dry land. Joshua appointed one man from each of the 12 tribes to
pick up a stone from the riverbed and take it with him to the other side. That day the
stones would be used to erect a memorial that would always remind Israel of Gods
protection and provision for His children.
THE BATTLE OF JERICHO (Joshua 6)

Now on the outside of the wall, the people faced a seemingly impenetrable barrier.
How could they conquer this new land for themselves, if they couldnt even get past
this first obstacle? God had promised Joshua that He would drive out the people who
lived in this land of Canaan. He had promised the land to His children. He would not
fail them now.
As Joshua looked at the huge walled city, the Commander of the Lords army appeared
to him (Joshua 5:1315). This was a preincarnate appearance of Jesus. He stood
before Joshua with a sword drawn. He told Joshua to take off his shoes because he
stood on holy ground. Joshua was being commissioned to possess the land of Canaan
just as Moses had been commissioned to confront Pharaoh. Joshua knew that this was
Gods messenger and he bowed down and worshipped Him. The Lord assured him of
victory and provided a plan of attack that was quite remarkable (Joshua 6:15).
For six days, the army of Israel would march around the city once a day. Seven
priests carrying seven trumpets would march in front of ark of the covenant. The
army would follow behind.
On the seventh day, the army was to march around the city seven times in the
same manner with the priests blowing their trumpets. When the trumpet sound
was heard the seventh time, Joshua told the people: Shout, for the Lord has given
you the city (Joshua 6:16). The people would give a great shout and then the
walls would fall down.
Joshua and the people did as the Lord commanded and the walls fell down.
Jericho was a city with almost nine acres of land. It would have taken 20 to 30
minutes to walk around it once. This unusual battle plan would be another lesson
in faith for the Israelites. The ark was to be prominently displayed at all times so
that the people would know their victory was the work of the Lord.
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JOURNEY 4
The Commander-in-Chief had been present at the battle. He had overseen every
detail. The battle belonged to Him. Joshua had faithfully obeyed His every command.
The Bible says that the Lord was with Joshua and his fame spread throughout all
the country as a result of his victory at Jericho. Faith and obedience make all the
difference.
RAHABS SCARLET CORD

(Joshua 6:2225; Matthew 1:5)
Rahab had no idea the significance of her single act of kindness toward the spies. God
would honor her faith and her story would be repeated for centuries to come.
Rahab placed her faith in the God of heaven and earth.
God knew her faith was genuine.
In spite of her sin, God forgave her and made a way of escape for her and for her
familynot because she deserved itbut because she had faith in the God of
the Israelites and honored His name.
When the invasion finally came, Rahab and her family did as the spies had told her.
She hung the scarlet cord she had used for their escape out her window. Joshuas
men saw the cord and led her and her family to safety. Hundreds of years later,
Matthew recorded that Rahab, as the mother of Boaz, was one of the ancestors of
Jesus (Matthew 1:5). God had forever linked her act of faith with the scarlet cord that
connected the Old Testament with the New.
JESUS AND THE SCARLET

THREAD OF REDEMPTION
Like Rahabs cord, there is another scarlet cord in the Bible. It runs from Genesis to
Revelation.
It is seen in the blood of the sacrifices of the animals in the books of Law.
It appears again in the blood of the Passover Lamb sprinkled on the doorposts.
It permeates the writings of the prophets as they speak of a Messiah to come who
would save His people and set up a new kind of kingdom.
It continues into the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John in the story of
Jesus life, death and resurrection.
It is declared to the world through the witness of disciples in every generation.
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This plan of redemption set in motion before the foundation of the world requires
today the same simple act of faith so vividly portrayed in the life of Rahab and Joshua.
Salvation that seemed impossible to others became possible for them because they
put unwavering faith in God.
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JOURNEY 4
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TEACHING PLAN
JOURNEY 4: Will the Wall Fall?
Key Passage Key Word/Thought

Joshua 16 Challenge
Meet every challenge with confidence
and courage in Christ.
Connect the Big Room experience Joshuas plan of action, step by step
to the key word/thought for the Crossing the Jordan
day and the Bible story. Taking Jericho
Discussion of challenges The Commander-in-Chief appears
Running of obstacle course Rahabs rescue
Rahabs scarlet cord and the plan of Puzzle Challenge
redemption from Genesis to Revelation
Scripture Memory
Be strong and courageous for the Lord your
God is with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9
Visual Aids
Long red cord or ribbon, two blindfolds, two half sheets of paper for each student
questions about how the things they saw relate to the key word and
the key thought for the day. Use the following questions to stimulate
conversation.
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B. ASK the students to share the hardest thing they have ever had to
do. Ask them to explain why it was so hard. How were they able to
complete the task eventually? Listen for any indication that they knew
God helped them to be successful.
C. SET UP an obstacle course in your classroom. Divide the group into

two teams. Ask for a volunteer from each team to run the course. When
they walk to the start line, explain theres one thing you forgot to tell
them. They have to run the course with a blindfold. They must listen
to what their teammates tell them in order to be successful. Debrief
by talking about how their challenge depended on their trust in their
teammates.
Transition to the Bible story by asking them to consider the challenge

that now lay ahead for Joshua as he led the people into the Promised
Land. How could Joshua complete such a task? Was he overwhelmed?
Did he argue with God? Did he try to change the mission? The answers
to these questions are found in todays Bible study.

(Joshua 16)
SAY: Every leader needs a plan in order to accomplish his goals.
Joshua had God on his side so his success was assured. It was Joshuas
responsibility to make sure that everybody else executed their
assignment correctly.
ASK the students to open their Bibles to the book of Joshua to see
Gods plan unfold. You may want to outline these steps on the board.
Depending on your grade level, you may want to pick and choose the
Scriptures you read aloud in class.
A. THE PLAN OF ACTION

STEP 1: Joshua gathered all the courage and confidence he could from
God Himself. God told him to Be strong and courageous for the
Lord your God is with you wherever you go (Joshua 1:9).
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JOURNEY 4
STEP 2: Joshua secured the commitment of the people to follow him.
Joshua 1:16: What did the people promise Joshua?
STEP 3: Joshua sent out two spies to get a report on the challenges to
be faced.
Joshua 2:1: Where did the spies go to gather the information?
Joshua 2:6: Where did Rahab hide them?
Joshua 2:811: Why was she willing to help the men who were about
to take over the town she lived in?
Joshua 2:1213: What did Rahab ask from them in return?
Joshua 2:1718: What would be the signal that Rahabs house was to
be spared on the day the city was invaded?
Joshua 2:24: What did the spies tell Joshua?
STEP 4: It was time to cross the Jordan River.

Joshua 3:3: Who was to cross the river first?
Joshua 3:1516: What happened when the priests stepped into the
water?
Joshua 3:17: What was the riverbed like as they crossed over?
Joshua 4:46: What did Joshua take out of the riverbed? How many
did he tell the men to get?
Joshua 4:9: What did Joshua build in the middle of the riverbed?
Joshua 4:2122: What did Joshua do with the stones the men took
from the river and placed on the other side of the bank?
STEP 5: Joshua prepared to take Jericho.

Joshua 5:1315: Who visited Joshua? Why was this important?
Joshua 6:15: What did the Lord tell Joshua to do?
STEP 6: Joshua did everything the Lord told him to do.

Joshua 6:2021: The people obeyed and what happened?
Joshua 6:2223: What did Joshua tell the two spies to do
with Rahab?
Joshua 6:2627: How did Joshua complete his mission?
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B. RAHABS SCARLET CORD
Show your scarlet cord to the class. SAY: Rahab had no idea of the
significance of her act of hiding the spies.
The scarlet cord she threw out her window had become a scarlet
cord of salvation for her and for her family.
It also symbolized Gods plan of redemption in the Old Testament
and pointed to the life of His Son described in the New.
Rahab allowed God to use her in this first attempt to secure the
Promised Land for Gods people.
She would forever be linked to Jesus through the line of Davids
ancestors. Turn to Matthew 1:5 and read who she became: the
great-great-grandmother of David.
Read aloud what Rahab said about the God of the Israelites in Joshua
2:1011.
For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea
before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two
kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og,
whom you devoted to destruction. And as soon as we heard it, our hearts
melted, and there was no spirit left in any man because of you, for the
Lord your God, he is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath.
The taking of Jericho gives us a wonderful picture of Gods grace and

our salvation. It teaches us these truths.
There is a huge difference between Gods ways and my ways
(Isaiah 55:89).
Gods power is supernatural and goes beyond my limited
comprehension (Psalm 18:1315).
I must obey the truth about God that I understand at this point
(Hebrews 11:30).
Faith without works is dead. I must believe God is with me and
then go forward with that assurance in my heart.
God always keeps His promises even if the situation looks
impossible (Hebrews 6:18).
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THE CROSSROADS
There is a scarlet thread that runs from Genesis to Revelation. God
loved the world so much that He made a wonderful plan to redeem
mankind from the punishment of sin that began in the Garden. This
scarlet thread can be seen in the Bible in many ways:
In the blood of the animals killed to provide coverings for Adam
and Eve.
In the ark Noah built that preserved mankind.
In the blood of the ram Abraham sacrificed in place of Isaac.
In the blood of the lambs used during Passover.
In the blood of the animals sacrificed according to the Mosaic Law.
In the blood of Gods Son shed on the Cross.
This was the plan of redemption set in motion before the foundation of
the world. This is the plan of redemption available to us today by faith.
[Use the scarlet cord to wrap around yourself or around you Bible in order
to make it personal.] Explain how this plan involves for every person a
choice. [Share the ABCs of Salvation and ask any student who has not yet
made that decision to do so today. Then close in prayer.]
SCRIPTURE MEMORY: Joshua 1:9

Be strong and courageous
for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9
What words of comfort these must have been to Joshua as he stood

beside the Jordan River and as he faced the walls of Jericho. He knew
his Commander-in-Chief was with him wherever he went. We, too, can
have that same assurance, provided we have a personal relationship
with the Lord Jesus Christ.
Give each student a blank half-piece of paper.
Ask the students to write at least one challenge they are facing
now that seems overwhelming.
Then give them another half sheet of paper on which you have
written out Joshua 1:9.
Have them place the Joshua 1:9 page on top of the challenge page.
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JOURNEY 4
Call for a time of silence and have each student bow his or her
head, asking God to give them strength and courage to face his or
her challenge.
Close by having everyone say the verse together prayerfully.

Puzzle Challenge
Supplies: blank puzzles, cardstock preprinted with puzzle outlines,
markers, glue sticks
Distribute markers and glue sticks among the students.
Provide each student with a puzzle and piece of cardstock.
Instruct them to copy the key verse onto their puzzle (it is already
posted on your board).
Once done, have them break apart their puzzle and glue each
piece into place on the cardstock, making sure the verse reads
correctly. Decorate as desired.
Discuss with the students how the puzzle may be difficult and
they may not get it right the first time. We should always try our
best even when things are difficult. Even at school or at home,
God will help us to meet the challenges we face each day.
HUDDLE GROUP
Huddle up your students and discuss the following questions.
1. What makes something a challenge?
2. What do you think you need to meet the challenges you currently
face?
3. What is available to you?
4. Who knows how to make something from nothing? Who holds the
world together? Who owns all the cattle on a thousand hills?
5. What kind of a relationship do you have with this Super Creator of
the Universe? This is the place to start. You have to get connected
to Him.
6. How do you get connected?
If you are not yet a Christian, then you need to receive Jesus
as your Savior and repent of your sins.
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JOURNEY 4
If you are a Christian, you need to start digging in Gods Word
like you were hunting for gold.
You need to bring every fear, worry, anxiety, hope, dream and
plan to Him in prayer and lay it at the foot of the cross.
You need to be obedient to the truth that you know so that
God can give you more truth.
You have to want His will more than you want anything else.
7. Joshua learned this very valuable lesson from the get-go. He even
described his secret of success in Joshua 1:8:
This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth,
but you shall meditate on it day and night,
so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it.
For then you will make your way prosperous,
And then you will have good success.

The following promises of God are found in the books of law and
history. Divide the class into groups of twos or threes. Give each group
one of the verses to look up and discover the key word. As time allows,
let each group share their verse with the class, pointing out the key
idea in the verse. Or, use the verses as a Bible drill exercise as you
challenge them to quickly look up each verse and read it aloud.
Genesis 8:22
Exodus 15:13
Exodus 20:12
Deuteronomy 4:29
Joshua 1:9
1 Samuel 26:23
2 Chronicles 7:14
Nehemiah 9:31
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REVIEW QUESTIONS
1. How did Joshua get to be the leader of the Israelites? (God chose
him after Moses died.)
2. What did the people promise Joshua as they prepared to cross the
Jordan River into Canaan? (whatever you tell us to do we will do)
3. What happened to the two spies he sent to search out the land?
(They were almost caught, but Rahab hid them on the roof under
stalks of flax.)
4. Why was she so willing to help the Hebrew spies? (She knew their
God was God.)
5. How did the spies escape her house without being seen? (They slid
down a scarlet rope she dropped out the window.)
6. What request did Rahab make of the spies? (to save her and her
family from death when the Israelites returned to take the land)
7. What challenge did Joshua face after he had led the people across
the Jordan River? (to take the city of Jericho)
8. Whom did Joshua meet who promised him the battle would be
won? (the Commander of the Lords armyJesus)
9. What strategy did the Israelites use? (For six days they were to walk
around the wall once with seven priests in front of the ark carrying
trumpets. On the seventh day, they were to march around the city
seven times with the priests blowing the trumpets. When they heard
a long blast on the trumpets, the people were to give a loud shout
and the walls would fall down.)
10. Was Rahab rescued with her family? (Yes, they were pulled from
their house and placed safely outside the camp of the Israelites.)
11. How does Rahab have a connection with Jesus? (She was the
great-great-grandmother of David whose descendants were Joseph
and Mary of Nazareth.)
12. Explain how the scarlet thread (cord) represents Gods Plan
of Salvation, i.e., GPS? (From Genesis to Revelation, we see the
redemption Christ brought woven into the biblical record like a
beautiful thread woven throughout a garment. It finds fulfillment in
His blood at Calvary.)
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SETTING UP YOUR
TEACHING BOARD
Lesson Title: Will the Wall Fall?

Key Word: Challenge
Key Thought: Meet every challenge with
confidence and courage in Christ.
Check Off
______ Challenge 1: Spy out the land.
______ Challenge 2: Get the spies back home.
______ Challenge 3: Cross the Jordan.
______ Challenge 4: Take the city of Jericho.
______ Challenge 5: Do it Gods way.
______ Challenge 6: Rescue Rahab.
How did Joshua meet

every challenge?
Be strong and courageousfor the Lord your

God is with you wherever you go.
Joshua 1:9
DO WHAT THE COMMANDER SAYS!
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JOURNEY 5
A NEW JUDGE IN TOWN
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BIBLE BACKGROUND
JOURNEY 5: A New Judge in Town

Judges 6:116; 7:124 Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am
your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will
Key Word: uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Trust Isaiah 41:10
Key Thought:
Trust God to prepare you for the challenges life will bring.
THE PROMISED LAND

Under Joshuas capable leadership, one by one, the inhabitants of Canaan were driven
out or destroyed so that Gods people could occupy the land. This Promised Land
measured 180 miles long and 40 miles wide. Its boundaries included the southern
wilderness to the northern ranges of Lebanon. On the east, the land was bounded
by the Euphrates River and on the west, the Mediterranean Sea. God had placed His
children right in the middle of the powerful civilizations of ancient history: Egypt to
the south, Babylon and Persia to the east, and Greece and Rome to the northwest. The
nations surrounding Israel saw her land as a valuable treasure. Throughout history,
Israel has had to fight to keep the land God gave her.
ME AND MY HOUSEHOLD (Joshua 24)

During Joshuas lifetime, the Bible says that Israel served God faithfully. Of all that
the Lord told him to do, it is written that Joshua left nothing undone (Joshua 11:15).
In his final farewell speech to the people, he reminded them of all that God had
done. He challenged them to faithfully continue serving God. His words that day
are often quoted: Choose for yourselves whom you will serve but as for me and
my household, we will serve the Lord (Joshua 24:15). At the age of 110, this great
warrior of Jericho and successor to Moses died.
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HERE COME THE JUDGES!

The book of Judges is a sequel to the book of Joshua. The people had been obedient to
God, but in the book of Judges, the people become disobedient and unfaithful to God.
Judges is a historical record of how the nation of Israel fell into cycles of disobedience.
The following diagram illustrates their repeated failure to obey God.
God allows
Israel turns
Israels
from God enemies to
and worships
overtake
idols.
them.
THE SEVEN
CYCLES
Peace is OF SIN IN The people
JUDGES
restored and repent and
the people cry out for
prosper. Gods help.
God sends a
deliverer (a
judge) to
save them.
These cycles of sin and salvation were played out seven different times in the book
of Judges. Each time, God raised up a different leader, known as a judge, to lead the
people back to faith and obedience. In most instances, these judges acted as military
leaders to defeat the enemies of Israel who wanted the land God had given them.
GIDEONS CALL (Judges 6:127)

One of these judges was Gideon who was called by God to confront the oppressive
Midianites. This group of people was wandering herdsmen who lived east of the Red
Sea. They were worshippers of Baal and extremely warlike and aggressive toward
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the Israelites. They came as robbers and pillagers at the time of harvests and stole
the food supply the Israelites had produced. Eventually, they took possession of
lands controlled by Gods people and caused much injury and loss. The Israelites were
terrified of them and hid in dens, caves, and rocky mountains for safety. After having
endured such attacks for over a period of seven years, God chose Gideon to make a
stand and drive out them out of the land.
The Lord Himself appeared to Gideon in the form of an angel to call him into action.
Gideon did not trust the words he heard the angel speak and asked for a sign to
validate his authority. The angel caused fire to consume food on an altar of sacrifice.
Gideon then accepted his divine commission. There in that place Gideon built an altar
to Yahweh.
GIDEONS ATTACK (Judges 6:2840)

God told Gideon to destroy immediately the altar of Baal. He was to tear it down and
build in its place an altar to Yahweh and make sacrifices on it.
Under cover of darkness, Gideon took 10 men and obeyed Gods instructions.
Mornings light revealed a broken altar of Baal. The Midianite people demanded
Gideons death.
The Midianites gathered their allies and prepared to avenge this atrocity against
their idol god.
Gideon begged God to save Israel. He asked Him to give him a sign that there could
be victory.
Gideon placed a fleece of wool on the threshing floor and asked God to allow
dew to fall only on the fleece, leaving the floor dry. If this happened, then Gideon
would know that God would save the Israelites by giving them the victory.
The next morning as Gideon went into the threshing room, he found the wet
fleece; he wrung it out, filling a bowl full of water, but the floor was perfectly dry.
Gideon wanted more assurance so he asked God to do just the reverse the following
night. He asked that the fleece remain dry while the floor was covered with the
dew. God did exactly as he asked.
GIDEONS ARMY (Judges 7:124)

Now Gideon knew God was with him, He gathered his men and made an
encampment near the plain of Jezreel. There he could look into the valley and see the
tents of the Midianites.
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God warned Gideon that his army was too large (initially around 32,000). God
wanted a smaller group of brave and trusting warriors to do battle for Him. In this
way, God would get the credit by making the outcome miraculous with so few
warriors.
Gideon first asked those who had gathered to fight who among them were afraid.
Out of the 32,000 that had gathered, 22,000 left out of fear. Only 10,000 remained
to fight.
God told Gideon to test the men again by asking them to kneel down and get a
drink of water. Only those who took water in their hands and lapped it up with
their tongues like a dog would be suitable for battle. This behavior indicated an
alertness to danger that God was looking for.
Three hundred men lapped water like a dog. These would be the 300 men God
would use to crush the Midianites.
Gideon and his servant approached the Midianite camp in the darkness of night.
They overheard a man describing a dream about a loaf of barley bread rolling into the
camp and causing a tent to fall. The man interpreted the dream as being the sword
of Gideon destroying the Midianite camp. Gideon was overjoyed to hear such an
interpretation and the Bible says that he worshipped upon hearing such words. Now
he was ready to go into battle.
GIDEONS BATTLE
Gideon divided his 300 men into three companies and told them to surround the
Midianites. He gave them torches and trumpets and empty pitchers. When Gideon
gave the signal, each of the men in the three companies broke their pitchers and blew
their trumpets. They waved their torches and shouted: A sword for the Lord and for
Gideon! Upon hearing such a frightening display of light and sound (shock & awe in a
biblical way), the Midianites were terrified and ran into one another thinking that the
enemy was in their midst. Finally, they ran for their lives. Gideon and his men pursued
them and drove them out of the land.
GODS VICTORY
Perhaps it was the battle cry about a sword for the Lord and for Gideon that struck fear
in the hearts of the enemy. The clanging pots, the horns and the torches convinced
them they were surrounded by the enemy. It had been so unexpected and in the
middle of the night they could not determine how many had surrounded the camp.
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The Midianites witnessed up close and personal the power of God present among
Gideons men.
These Midianites were emotionally overwhelmed. Their idol god lay broken in pieces
but the God of Israel was alive and strong. The Israelites had gone out in the name of
the Lord. They overcame their fears and God helped them be victorious.
Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am

uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Isaiah 41:10
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TEACHING PLAN
JOURNEY 5: A New Judge in Town

Judges 6:116; 7:124 Trust
Trust God to prepare you for the
challenges life will bring.
Connect the Big Room experience Gideon asks God for a sign, and
to the key word/thought for the then another sign.
day and the Bible story. Gideon chooses his men based on
Discuss things that make us afraid. Gods guidelines.
Introduce Gideon as a fearful leader The battle begins.
who became fearless. The confused Midianites kill each
other.
God gets the glory.
How does one get to be part of Victory Sticks
Gods army?
Scripture Memory
Isaiah 41:10
Visual Aids
Four or five small bowls of water, a piece of fabric that looks like a fleece
the key thought for
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the day. Use the following questions to stimulate conversation.
B. DISCUSS the key thought for the day. SAY: Todays key word is
fearless. Make a list of things that cause people to be afraid. Include the
following and add some of your own. You might even ask the students
to help you make the list.
Snakes
Thunder and lightning
Spiders
Giving a speech in front of an audience
A dark room
Shots at the doctors office
Making an F in school
Getting a spanking
Losing TV privileges
Ask the students to rank these things according to their fear factor with
10 causing the most fear and 1 causing the least fear.
Transition to the Bible story by describing a man in the Bible named

Gideon who was visited by an angel and asked to do an important job.
However, Gideon was afraid and doubted his own ability. He put the
angel to a test. If an angel suddenly appeared to you and asked you to
do something that took a lot of courage, how would you respond? Lets
see what Gideon did.

(Judges 6 and 7)
SAY: The story of Gideon is found in the book of Judges. Joshua died
at the age of 110 after having led the children of Israel through a long
period of faithfulness. After his death, whenever an invading force tried
to take over some portion of the land, God called specific persons to come
forward and act as military commanders to eliminate the problem.
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B. GOD CALLS GIDEON INTO SERVICE
SAY: When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he was very
troubled. He thought of himself as a nobody (Judges 6:15) with no ability
to serve the nation of Israel. He questioned why God had allowed the
Midianites, a warlike, idolatrous tribe, to harass their nation.
ASK the students to open their Bibles to Judges 6. USE THESE

QUESTIONS to guide your discussion.
Joshua 6:14: What did the angel want Gideon to do?
Joshua 6:15: What did Gideon tell the angel about himself? What
does this tell you about Gideons fear factor?
Joshua 6:17: What did Gideon ask the angel for?
Joshua 6:1822: Gideon prepared food for the angel and offered it
to him. The angel told him to put it on a rock and then something very
unusual happened. What was it? What did Gideon think it meant?
Joshua 6:23: What did the angel promise Gideon?
Joshua 6:33: Gideon took 10 men and went to pull down the altar of
Baal, the idol god the Midianites worshiped. Gideon was afraid to do it
during the day so he waited until night. The Midianites were not very
happy. What did they prepare to do?
Joshua 6:3637: Gideon asked God for another sign to know if they
would have victory. At this point Gideons fear factor was up to a 10.
What was the first sign he asked for?
Joshua 6:3840: The fleece was exactly as Gideon had asked, but that
was not enough. What did he then ask God to do? [Pull out your fleece
to give the kids an idea about what was happening.]
C. THE ARMY IS CHOSEN

SAY: Finally over his fears, Gideon was ready to proceed against the
Midianites, but God stopped him. What could be wrong now? In Judges
7, God told Gideon there were too many men in his army. He would
have to eliminate some or the people might think they achieved their
own victory without the help of God.
USE THESE QUESTIONS to guide your discussion.

Joshua 7:3: How did Gideon cut down his army? How many men went
away? How many were left?
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Joshua 7:46: God thought there were still too many men in the
army and so He told Gideon to take the army down to the river. What
kind of a test did God give the 10,000 men who were left? [Have some
of the boys demonstrate this test for the group. You could give each one of
them a small bowl of water.]
Joshua 7:78: What did the army look like after that? How were they
ready for battle?
Joshua 7:1525: Now certain of victory, Gideon divided his army
into three groups. The 300 men were equipped with jars, torches and
trumpets.
READ ALOUD what happened in verses 1922. The Midianite soldiers

were so terrified by the noise of the trumpets and the sight of the
torches, they turned on one another and destroyed their own army.
The victory went to Gideon and the army of only 300, just as the
Commander-in-Chief had said.
ASK:
Why had God wanted such a small army? (so He would get
the glory)
What made this group of 300 well-suited for battle? (alertness to
danger, their faith in God, their trust in Gideon as a leader)
What did Gideon learn? (that God does what He says He will do)
Who got the credit for the victory? (God)
CONCLUSION
We can learn from Gideon that despite all our worries and fears about
our own abilities, God will equip us to do His will. We must develop
a fearless faith in His promise to take care of us wherever we go and
whatever we do.
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THE CROSSROADS
We can trust God with our future because He is omnipotent,
omnipresent and omniscient.
He has shown Himself strong in behalf of those who belong to
HimNoah, Abraham, Moses, Joshua, Rahab and Gideon.
He has promised to care for His own and to go before them into
any kind of a battlebe it physical, emotional or spiritual.
God the Father is in the business of taking care of His: those who
march in His army.
The question for us is: Can we be numbered in His army? Are we
on His side? Do we understand that all of lifes challenges are
under His sovereign control?
We can if we have received Jesus as our personal Lord and
Savior. Today are you sure that God can count on you as one of
His soldiers? If not, you can be sure by repenting of your sin and
asking Jesus to forgive you.
CLOSE IN PRAYER as you share the ABCs of Salvation and perhaps voice
the Sinners Prayer. Ask any student who would like to discuss this
decision with you to see you after class.
SCRIPTURE MEMORY: ISAIAH 41:10

Repeat the key verse multiple times: first the boys, then the girls,
then those with blonde hair, those with dark hair, those wearing
blue or black, those wearing red or pink and then everyone.
Have the students stand and line up at attention as if in the army.
In unison have them repeat the verse twice.
Then let them make up motions for the key words as they say the
verse one or two more times.
Remind them that it is a privilege to be in Gods army. He wants us
to be His fearless warriors.
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Victory Sticks
Supplies: spirit sticks, markers
Provide one pair of spirit sticks to each student.
Instruct them to write NO FEAR on each spirit stick and decorate
as desired.
Remind the students that God helps us to overcome our fears and
conquer the challenges we face.
HUDDLE GROUP
DISCUSS the following ideas with your class as a whole or divide them
into smaller groups.
This week we learned that fear should never keep us from doing
what God commands. Have you ever been afraid to share Jesus with
someone? Ask God to give you courage to share His love this week.
Poor Gideon had trouble trusting God until he saw the sign of the
fleece. What signs do you see that God cares for you?
Gideon had to stand up to some big bullies. Have you ever had to
deal with a bully? What does Gods Word say in Isaiah 41:10 about
being afraid?
Gideon and his men prepared to fight in the battle. Did you know
that you are in a battle every day? Read Ephesians 6:1117 and
describe the type of armor you should put on every day.
Is there an area in your life where you need Gods victory? Maybe
youre dealing with a bully or math is giving you a hard time.
Share this with others and ask for their help. Ask God to give you
strength in this area.

Using their Bibles, ASK the students to trace the scarlet thread of
salvation through the Bible.
God promised to send a Savior. (Find Genesis 3:15.)
The Savior would come from the tribe of Judah (Genesis 49:10).
A new king from the house of David would rule
(Isaiah 11:15; Matthew 1:1).
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The new ruler would be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2; Matthew 2:6).
The king would be despised and rejected (Isaiah 53:3).
He would not defend Himself before His accusers (Isaiah 53:7).
Death would not destroy Him (Psalm 16:10; Matthew 28:9).
He will come again someday (John 14:36).
He will come in majesty (Revelation 19:1116).
REVIEW QUESTIONS
1. Describe Gideons first reaction when the angel told him what
God wanted him to do. (fearful, not willing to do it, said he was not
equipped)
2. What was the first sign Gideon asked from God? (that the fleece on
the threshing floor be wet with dew and the floor be dry)
3. What was the second sign he asked God for? (that the ground be
wet and the fleece dry)
4. What god did the Midianites worship? (Baal)
5. How many men came to join the army when the call went out?
(10,000)
6. What was the test God told Gideon to use with the men to find the
ones who were most alert to danger? (He was to ask them to drink
water from the river. The men who cupped their hands and lapped
the water like a dog would be the ones God would use.)
7. How many were finally chosen? (300)
8. Describe the strategy Gideon was to use. (He would divide the
army into three sections and surround the camp of the Midianites.
When the signal was given, the army would sound their trumpets,
break their jars and light their torches. The Israelites watched as the
Midianites killed one another.)
9. Why did this strategy work? (The Midianite soldiers were so
confused when they woke up that they began killing one another.
They believed their own men were the enemy soldiers in the middle
of the camp. The Israelites watched from the surrounding hills.)
10. Name one thing we can learn from Gideons story. (God always
fights for His children. When we overcome our fears by taking action,
God blesses what we do. Gods plans done in Gods way always result
in Gods victory for His children.)
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SETTING UP YOUR
TEACHING BOARD
Lesson Title: A New Judge in Town

Key Word: Trust
Key Thought: Trust God to prepare you for
the challenges life will bring.
List some fears we face:

A. Gideon needs a sign

B. Gideon chooses his men.
C. The battle begins.
D. The Midianites kill each other
E. God gets the glory.
F. God takes care of His children.

Isaiah 41:10
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JOURNEY 6
A BAD HAIR DAY?
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BIBLE BACKGROUND
JOURNEY 6: A Bad Hair Day?

Judges 1316 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right
spirit within me. Psalm 51:10
Key Word:
Consequences
Key Thought:
Avoid the consequences of sin by doing the right thing.
A REBELLIOUS PEOPLE (Judges 2:15)

As the nation of Israel continued its struggle to survive, God used every circumstance
to show her that without Him she could do nothing. Israels lack of faith and
obedience revealed the sin and weakness that dwells within every human being. The
books author, Samuel, summed up Israels state of affairs: In those days there was
no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes (Judges 21:25). What
a sad commentary on the people through whom God had chosen to reveal Himself to
the world.
They had failed to drive out the heathen people in the land.
They adopted the idolatry of the heathens they should have destroyed.
They gave their sons and daughters in marriage to the heathens.
These Israelites lost their distinction as a holy people, set apart and consecrated to
the one true God. Their sin resulted in bondage and the promise of discipline. Yet, ever
faithful to His covenant relationship with them, God extended His grace time and
again by forgiving their sin and sending another deliverer.
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SAMSONTHE JUDGE
(Judges 13:17; 14:114)
For 40 years, the Israelites had been tormented under the rule of the Philistines. An
angel of the Lord, a preincarnate appearance of Christ, presented Himself to a woman
who was barren and spoke of a son whom she would bear (13:35). This child was to
be consecrated to God through the Nazarite vow, meaning dedication by separation.
There were three restrictions that had to be observed if such a vow were to be kept:
1. The man could not drink wine or anything similar to it.
2. He must never take a razor to his head to cut his hair.
3. He must never touch a dead body.
This child that the angel promised the woman would deliver Israel from the
oppression of the Philistines. When the child was born, his parents called him Samson
and the Lord blessed him as he grew strong.
A WIFE AND A RIDDLE (Judges 14:120)

As a young man, Samson took as a wife a woman from among the Philistine people.
This was a bad choice that disappointed his parents. However, God used the situation
to provoke the Philistines. On the way to visit a wedding, a lion suddenly charged at
Samson. Strength filled his body through the Spirit of God as he ripped the lion apart
like a small animal. He left the carcass of the dead animal on the side of the road where
bees built a hive and made honey. He had broken his vow of touching a dead body.
At the wedding, Samson challenged 30 of the Philistines to solve a riddle they
could not possibly do without prior knowledge of how Samson killed the lion: Out
of the eater came something to eat. Out of the strong came something sweet
(Judges 14:14).
The men approached Samsons wife and threatened to kill her if she did not tell
them the answer to the riddle. She begged Samson to reveal the secret of the
riddle to her. After seven days of crying, he told her the answer.
She gave the riddles answer to the Philistines in exchange for her life.
Angered by the betrayal, Samson killed the 30 men and deserted his wife.
His never-to-be father-in-law married his daughter off to another man because
Samson had left her.
Months later when Samson returned to his wife, he discovered she had been given
to his best man.
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FOXES AND A FIELD ON FIRE

(Judges 15:110)
Samsons next act of vengeance started a war. Devastated and angered by his wifes
remarriage, Samson tied together the tails of 300 foxes with torches between them
and set them loose in the ripened wheat fields and olive groves of the Philistines.
They took revenge by burning Samsons wife and her father. With his great strength
Samson ruthlessly slaughtered many of the Philistines (Judges 15:8) and then he ran
to hide himself in the cleft of a large rock.
A DONKEYS JAWBONE AND DEAD

PHILISTINES (Judges 15:1120)
The Philistines camped near Judah in order to capture Samson; they demanded from
the Israelites that he be handed over to them. Furious with his acts of vengeance, the
Israelites coaxed him out, bound him with rope, and delivered him to the Philistines.
He was able to free himself and with the jawbone of a donkey and killed 1,000
Philistines. This restored Israels faith in him and for 20 years Samson judged Israel as a
strong military leader.
DELILAH AND A DUMB DECISION

(Judges 16:1031)
For 20 years, Samson continued to use his gift of strength to honor God and protect
his fellow Israelites (Judges 15:20). Then he fell back into his old ways and became
involved with an immoral woman.
In Gaza, Samson met a woman named Delilah. This woman did not know the God
of Israel; she believed in many gods and was a prostitute.
Samsons encounter with her proved to be his undoing. His involvement with her
led to his breaking of his vows of purity.
Delilah was offered 25 pounds of silver from each of the leaders of the five
Philistine cities if she could tell them the secret of Samsons strength.
After repeated begging, Delilah learned the secret of Samsons strength. It lay in
Gods grace upon him as symbolized in his long hair. If his hair were cut, then his
gift of strength would be removed.
She told the Philistines how this warrior of Israel could be brought down. She
lulled him to sleep and then had a man come in and shave off seven locks of hair
from his head.
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When he woke up, he had no idea what had happened until the Philistines seized
him and gouged out his eyes. He was powerless to resist. They put him in prison to
work like an animal, grinding out grain with a millstone.
THE CHAINS OF BROKEN VOWS

(Judges 16:2331)
For many days, Samson was kept chained in the Philistine prison. There was much
time to think about what he had done and how he had disappointed God and broken
his vow. There in his constant state of pain and darkness, Samson repented of his sin.
He then began to realize that his hair was getting longer. (It takes about one month for
inch of hair to grow, so Samson had plenty of time to think about what he had done.)
As his hair grew, Samson must have hoped that his strength would return.
As the Philistines assembled to worship their god, Dagon, they had Samson brought
from the prison to perform for them. Samson had an idea. He asked a servant to place
him between the pillars supporting the temple (Judges 16:26). Then he begged God
to remember him and to allow his strength to return one last time. God answered
his prayer as he began to push against the pillars with all his might. He would take
down the temple and all who had come inside. He cried out: Let me die with the
Philistines! (Judges 16:2930).
Samson did indeed die that day with the Philistines under the pillars of the pagan
temple. He suffered the consequences of his own sin and his failure to honor God
with his gift of strength. However, with his own death came a great defeat for the
Philistines. As a military leader, Samson could have used his gift to make his nation
secure and to defeat its enemies for many years. However, he made poor choices:
pleasure over purity, leisure over responsibility, sin over holiness, a woman over God.
He paid for these choices with his life. Yet, in the end, this great champion of Israel
repented and turned to God for his final victory. The writer of Hebrews included him in
the list of the faithful (Hebrews 11:32).
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TEACHING PLAN
JOURNEY 6: A Bad Hair Day?

Judges 1316 Consequences
Avoid the consequences of sin by doing
the right thing.
Connect the Big Room experience Samson
to the key word/thought for the Strong, Selfish, Vengeful,
day and the Bible story. Repentant, Humbled
Ask the class a series of riddles to A Riddle
get them ready for Samsons riddle. A Challenge
An Unacceptable Wife
An Unsuitable Girlfriend
A Tragedy
When I repent of sin, God is able to use Bands of ServiceOnly One Life
me for His purposes.
Scripture Memory
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.
Psalm 51:10
Visual Aids
15 paper cups per group to build pillars of repentance
conversation.
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B. EXPLAIN that todays Bible character loved riddles. Lets see how
good you are with riddles. Read a few of the riddles aloud and let the
students guess the answers or make up a riddle sheet and give each
student a copy.
What gets wetter the more it dries? (a towel)
What grows down when it grows up? (a goose)
What month has 28 days? (all of them)
What do sea monsters eat? (fish and ships)
What vehicle is spelled the same backwards and forwards?
(race car)
What goes up but never comes down? (your age)
How much is a skunk worth? (one scent)
What can run but never walks, has a mouth but never talks, has a
head but never weeps, has a bed but never sleeps? (a river)
If you drop a yellow hat in the Red Sea, what does it become?
(wet)
What person in the Bible was most like a doctor? (Job because he
had a lot of patience)
What did Noah use to light the ark at night? (flood lamps)
How did the Red Sea greet the Egyptians when they tried to cross
it? (It waved.)
What person in the Bible was most like an actor? (Samson,
because he brought down the house)
TELL the students that our Bible lesson today has a riddle in it. I am going
to give you the riddle but not the answer. We have to find the answer in
Judges 14. (Dont give them the answer until later.) Heres the riddle:
Out of the eater came something to eat;

Out of the strong came something sweet.
What is it? (Answer: Judges 14:814The bees had made a hive filled
with honey in the carcass of a lion Samson had killed with his bare hands.
He scooped out the honey with his hands and ate it as he walked along.)
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SAY: Throughout the period of the Judges, the nation of Israel would
be faithful to God for a time and then they would fall away and
worship idols. Their enemies would overtake them and then they
would repent and ask God to save them. God would send a military
leader, a judge, to deliver them from their oppressors. Then the nation
would experience a time of peace before they were drawn away again
to worship idols.
It was during one of these times that God called a man named Samson
to serve as a judge and deliver his people from the cruelty of the
Philistines. ASK: Whats another Bible story you remember where
the Philistines were creating a problem? (David and Goliath) God had
given Samson a special gift that would benefit his people. Let find out
if Samson used his gift wisely.
A. SAMSON IS BORN (Judges 13:15, 24)

ASK:
Verse 1: What had happened to the people of Israel?
Verses 23: To whom did an angel of the Lord appear? What was
going to happen to this childless couple?
Verse 5: Why was this child special? After he was born, what must he
never do?
Verse 24: What did the couple name their son?
B. SAMSON TAKES A PHILISTINE WIFE (Judges 14:120)

ASK:
Verses 13: What had Samson seen that he asked his mother and
father to get for him? (A wife who was not an Israelite, but a Philistine
womannot good!)
Verses 56: What happened to Samson on the way to meet the young
woman he wanted to be his wife?
Verses 89: What did Samson do later when he came up on the lions
carcass?
Verses 1214: What riddle did Samson give to the guests at his
wedding?
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Verses 1718: How did the young men finally figure out the answer
to the riddle?
C. SAMSON STARTS A WAR (Judges 15:115)

SUMMARIZE in your own words what caused the Philistines to attack
the people of Judah.
Samson abandoned his wife in anger after she had given away the
answer to the riddle.
When he finally returned, she had married someone else. He was
so angry that he tied the tails of 300 foxes together and put a
torch between them.
As they ran through the fields of the Philistines, the crops were
burned to the ground.
The Philistines retaliated by killing Samsons wife and father-in-
law.
Outraged, Samson took on the Philistines.
READ ALOUD verses 1415 to see how Samson was able to kill 1,000
Philistines at one time. Where did Samsons strength come from?
D. SAMSON MAKES A DUMB DECISION (Judges 16:131)

SAY: Some years later Samson fell in love with a Philistine woman.
ASK:
Verse 4: With whom did Samson fall in love?
Verses 56: What did she ask Samson and why?
Verses 1720: What happened after Samson told Delilah the secret of
his strength?
Verses 2122: What did the Philistines do to Samson? What did
Samson notice about his hair?
E. SAMSONS FINAL VICTORY (Judges 16:2330)

ASK:
Verses 2325: Why did the Philistines think their god was more
powerful than Samsons?
Verses 2627: When Samson was brought out in front of the people,
where did he ask to be placed? How many Philistines were present?
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Verses 2829: What was Samsons last prayer to God? How did God
answer the prayer?
Verse 27: How many people did Samson kill when he died?
HUDDLE GROUP
A. CONSEQUENCES
ASK: The story of Samson is one of missed opportunities. It is sad for
many reasons.
What did Samson do with the gift of strength God had given him?
How did Samson show a lack of wisdom in the choice of the
women he loved?
What physical tortures did Samson have to endure? (eyes gouged
out and a crushing death)
What was Samsons biggest failure? (not putting God first in his
life)
Discuss the meaning of the words repentance and
accountability..
To whom was Samson accountable? How did he fail God?
Did Samson ever repent? How do we know?
Did God forgive him? How do we know?
B. ACCOUNTABILITY
SAY: Every day, we make choices that reveal our commitment to God.
Just because others do things that are wrong, we do not have to join
in.
We stand accountable to God for what we do and say and think.
The life of Samson illustrates the consequences of forgetting this
accountability to God.
We may never have our eyes gouged out, but we may suffer the
loss of Gods blessing and that is the greatest loss of all.
Samson could have done so much more for the people of Israel as
Gods judge.
He let his own desires get in the way. Samson literally said: Me
first!I want what I want now.If you dont give me what I want,
you will get hurt.
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In the end, Samson realized how shamefully he had let God down.
He was willing to die in order to fight one last battle on behalf of
Gods people. God had seen his repentant heart and allowed him one
last spurt of strength. In the end, he served God one last time, but
how much better it would have been if he had made wiser choices
throughout his life.
THE CROSSROADS
One day we will stand before God to receive the rewards of our lifes
service to Him. The desire of our heart should be to hear Him say: Well,
done, good and faithful servant. Our service for Him begins with a
single decision to receive Christ as Savior. Once our eternal destination
is secure, then we must serve Him every day through acts of kindness,
encouraging words, and behavior above reproach. ASK: Have you
repented of your sin? Is your destination set? Are you ready to stand
before Him? You can be today. [Share the plan of salvation and close in
prayer.]

Do-The-Right-Thing Compass
Supplies: Die-cut circle with center hole punched, preprinted compass
base with key word and Scripture references, brads, markers
Provide each student with a die-cut circle, preprinted sheet and
brad.
Instruct the students to write the letters N, S, E, W in the proper
position for a compass, and then decorate with directional arrows
and Do The Right Thing.
Using the brad, affix the compass to the preprinted sheet.
Remind the students that we all make wrong choices from time
to time. Samson is a perfect example of someone who did not
learn from his past mistakes. Tell the students that now while they
are young, doing the right thing should become a habit for them.
They must guard their hearts and minds so as not to let Satan
tempt them. They should recognize that the Bible can be the one
true compass for always guiding them in the right direction.
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Key Word(s)
& Scripture Reference
Guarding Your Heart Witnessing
Proverbs 4:23 Romans 10:910
Tithing Doing Good Works
2 Corinthians 9:7 Romans 12:2021
Speaking Obeying
Ephesians 4:29 Ephesians 6:1
Resisting Temptation Reading Gods Word
Ephesians 6:11 Psalm 119:9799

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.
Discuss the meaning of the verse and then have the class say it
together a few times. Divide the group into two or three teams.
Give each team 15 paper cups to build a pillar of repentance. When
Samson finally repented, God was able to use him to pull down pillars
of stone on those who worshipped idols.
Have students write one word on each cup. You may put two
words on one cup to decrease the total number needed.
Ask students to stack the cups on top of one another, one right
side up, the next one upside down, and so on, until all the words
have been placed in order and can be read.
Remind the students that God is looking for people with clean
hearts who want to honor Him with lives of service. Are you one of
those people?

SAY: Todays Bible study came from the book of Judges. Locate this
book in the Bible. Name the book that comes before Judges and the
book that comes after it. Joshua, Judges, and Ruth are part of the
section of the Old Testament called the Books of History. With Bibles
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open, walk the students through the other books of history in the Bible:
1 and 2 Samuel
1 and 2 Kings
1 & 2 Chronicles
Ezra
Nehemiah
Esther
ASK the students to close their Bibles. Call out one of the books of
history and have them locate it. Also, ask them to name the book
before and the book after. Repeat this process until all the books of
history have been located.
REVIEW QUESTIONS
1. What did an angel tell Samsons mother about the son she would
have? (separated for service to God; no strong drink; nothing
unclean to eat; hair not cut)
2. What did Samson ask his mother and father to do for him? (get for
him a wife from the Philistines)
3. Why were his parents upset about this request? (They wanted a
wife from among the Israelite women for him.)
4. On the way to meet his new wife, how was Samson confronted?
(He was approached by a roaring lion.)
5. What did Samuel do to the lion and where did he leave it? (killed it
and left carcass on side of the road)
6. What did Samson find in the carcass later when he returned?
(honey)
7. What riddle did Samson make up using this encounter? (Out of
the eater came something to eat. Out of the strong came something
sweet.)
8. How did he use the riddle at his wedding? (He promised to give one
of his friends 30 changes of clothes if any of them could solve the
riddle.)
9. What did his friends do when they were unable to solve the
riddle? (They threatened to burn Samsons wife and her fathers
house if she did not get the riddles answer for them.)
10. Angered by the betrayal, what did Samson do? (killed the 30
friends and left his wife)
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11. When he finally returned to his wife, what did he find? (His father-
in-law had given her to another man.)
12. What did Samson do then? (He tied the tails of 300 foxes together
and sent them through the fields of the Philistines.)
13. After the Philistines captured Samson, how was Samson able to
escape? (God renewed his strength and he broke the ropes by which
he was bound. He used the jawbone of a donkey to kill Philistines.)
14. Later in life, with whom did Samson fall in love? (Delilah)
15. How did she help the Philistines capture him once again? (She got
him to tell her that his strength lay in not having cut his hair. While
he slept, she had someone come in and cut his hair; he was then
helpless to defend himself against the Philistine soldiers.)
16. How did the Philistines treat Samson this time? (They bound him
tightly and gouged out his eyes.)
17. What did Samson pray? (He asked God to use him one more time for
the sake of his people.)
18. How was Samson able to do one last thing for God? (As his hair
began to grow, God allowed his strength to return so that he could
pull down the Philistines temple and kill all inside.)
19. How many did he kill that day? (3,000 + 1, including Samson)
20. What was Samsons title and what does it mean? (judge, a military
leader)
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SETTING UP YOUR
TEACHING BOARD
Lesson Title: A Bad Hair Day?

Key Word: Consequences
Key Thought: Avoid the consequences of
sin by doing the right thing.
SAMSON
Strong, Selfish, Vengeful, Repentant, Humbled
A Riddle
A Challenge
An Unacceptable Wife
An Unsuitable Girlfriend
A Tragedy
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit

within me. Psalm 51:10
Only one life, twill soon be past;

Only whats done for Christ will last.
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ORDINARY PEOPLE
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BIBLE BACKGROUND
JOURNEY 7: Ordinary People

Ruth 14 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed
you that you should go and bear fruit. John 15:16
Key Word:
Redemption
Key Thought:
Discover the blessings that come from redemption in Christ.
JOY FROM DESPAIR (Ruth 1:110)

The story of Ruth occurred in the days when the judges ruled Israel. It reveals that
not everyone was evil and did what was right in his own eyes. This book of the Bible
carries forward Gods unfolding plan of redemption.
It begins with heartache, but ends with great joy.
It begins with the death of three ordinary men, but ends with the birth of a
promised king.
It begins in total despair, but ends with hope.
God used a famine in the land of Judah to set in motion a beautiful love story that
would culminate in the birth of a king. The cast of characters includes:
Naomi, the grief-stricken wife, mother-in-law and grandmother
Ruth, a loving and caring daughter-in-law
Boaz, a distant relative who became the Kinsman-Redeemer
Obed, the great-grandfather of King David
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A GOOD DAUGHTER-IN-LAW
(Ruth 1:1118)
Elimelech and his wife, Naomi, lived in the town of Bethlehem when a great famine
consumed the land. They decided to leave and go into the neighboring country of
Moab with their two sons, who married wives while there. Tragically, Elimelech died
in Moab and Naomi was left alone with her sons and daughters-in-law, Orpah and
Ruth.
Almost 10 years later, tragedy struck again when both of Naomis sons died. Naomi
longed to go back to Bethlehem and she told her daughters-in-law to return home
to their own mothers and try to remarry. Orpah finally did as Naomi asked but Ruth
could not bear to leave her mother-in-law alone. Her vow to Naomi stands as one of
the most beautiful statements of commitment in all the Bible.
But Ruth said, Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you.
For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge.
Your people shall be my people, and your God my God.
Ruth 1:16
GOING HOME (Ruth 1:1922)

Naomi and Ruth set out for Bethlehem. Ruth willingly left her own land to care for
her aging mother-in-law whom she dearly loved. In all probability, the two returned
to Naomis old house. Ruth took the responsibility for making sure the house was in
order and that they had food.
It was the beginning of the barley harvest and according to the Hebrew law
(Leviticus 19:910) when crops were harvested, the reapers were to leave some grain
ungathered for the poor, the widows and strangers in need. Ruth knew about this
gleaning allowance. Naomi gave her permission to go and find a field in which she
could gather what had been left behind. Unknowingly, Ruth chose a field belonging
to a relative of her father-in-law, Elimelech. That relatives name was Boaz.
A KIND, CLOSE RELATIVE (Ruth 23)

Boaz had seen Ruth in the field using her shawl or head covering to collect the grain
and had inquired as to who she was. He was told how Ruth had left her homeland to
accompany Naomi back to Bethlehem and how she lovingly cared for her. Boaz was
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struck by her beauty, commitment and humility. He told her to stay in his fields and
glean only under the protection of his reapers. She was touched by the kindness this
man showed to her, a total stranger.
When Ruth returned home to tell Naomi of the encounter with Boaz, Naomi
recognized Gods hand of blessing and mercy. Boaz was one of her close relatives.
Such close relatives were considered redeemers because they had a legal right under
the Law of Moses to redeem or buy back the property of a destitute relative and then
marry the widow of the deceased relative if possible. Naomi hoped that Boaz would
accept this responsibility as a close relative and assume the care of her own property
and take Ruth as his wife.
BOAZ: THE KINSMAN-REDEEMER

(Ruth 3:118; 4:121)
Naomi explained to Ruth this principle of the kinsman-redeemer. She told her how
to present herself to Boaz in the evening by lying down at his feet on the threshing
floor. This would be a sign that Ruth wanted Boaz to assume the responsibility of
kinsman-redeemer. Boaz happily accepted her offer. However, it was necessary for
him to speak to another man who, in reality, was a closer relative than he.
Boaz approached this man to ask if he wanted to take responsibility for Ruth and Naomi.
If he did, Boaz would have to step down. The man refused to take responsibility for them.
In a public show of his desire to be released from the obligation, the close relative took
off his sandal and gave it to Boaz in the presence of 10 witnesses. Boaz then declared
his desire to assume this responsibility by buying the inheritance from Naomi of Ruths
deceased husband and then taking Ruth as his wife.
It was exactly as God had planned. Naomi was overjoyed. God blessed Ruth and Boaz
with a son whom they named Obed. Naomi had returned to Bethlehem a grief-
stricken widow and a childless mother. Now because of Ruths love and affection and
the willingness of Boaz to become the kinsman-redeemer, God blessed Naomi with a
happy home and a beautiful grandson.
THE TRUE KINSMAN-REDEEMER

(Luke 2:16)
Within the 85 verses that compose the book of Ruth, Ruth is described as a kind,
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caring and unselfish young woman. Such qualities are the foundation on which true
godliness is built. God had seen Ruths inner beauty and strength and He used her
marriage to Boaz to bring to the nation of Israel His servant, King David. Through
Davids ancestors would eventually come the Messiah, who literally redeemed
His people from their sin. God used seemingly ordinary people to accomplish His
extraordinary will. The ancestry of David was in place as was that of Jesus, the Christ.
The story of Ruth and Boaz illustrates in several ways how God provides and cares for
those whose hearts are turned toward Him.
Ruth did not just happen to go to the field of Boaz. God led her to his field.
Boaz was very impressed with the kindness and the gentleness he saw in Ruth.
These qualities came from her love for the one true God.
Boaz willingly accepted his responsibility as the close relative and redeemed Ruth
and Naomi from a life of poverty.
Ruth and Boaz built the family out of which came the descendants of Jesus. Boaz and
Ruth knew the prophecies about a coming Messiah, but they knew nothing of the
part they would play in His arrival in history.
Joseph took Mary to Bethlehem because he was of the house and lineage of David,
the great-grandson of Obed, the son of Ruth and Boaz (Luke 2:46). This is why Jesus
was born in Bethlehem as prophesied by Micah (Micah 5:2). Joseph and Mary had
to go to Bethlehem about the time Jesus was born because of the census ordered by
Caesar Augustus, but planned by God. All details had been precisely ordered before
the foundation of the world.
ORDINARY PEOPLE WITH

EXTRAORDINARY FAITH
The first chapter of Ruth paints a picture of a young woman grieving over the loss
of her own husband but faithfully committed to the welfare of her mother-in-law.
These two women were from two diverse backgrounds and two different generations.
Their love and friendship found its root in their extraordinary faith in Yahweh. Their
commitment to one another created the opportunity for God to work in their lives.
The kindness and compassion that Ruth showed to Naomi are the qualities that
attracted Boaz to Ruth.
These are the same qualities Boaz himself showed to both women.
These are the same qualities God has shown to man through the person and work
of Jesus, the true Kinsman Redeemer.
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TEACHING PLAN
JOURNEY 7: Ordinary People

Ruth 14 Redemption
Discover the blessings that come from
redemption in Christ.
Connect the Big Room experience Famine comes to Judah.
to the key word/thought for the Family goes to Moab.
day and the Bible story. Brokenhearted women return.
Game: A Tunnel of Trouble where Theres a struggle to survive.
best friends can be split apart Kinsman-Redeemer comes.
My Future PlansHow Ive Boaz marries Ruth.
Planned My Life A royal line of kings is established.
Jesus is the great Kinsman-Redeemer Heavens Wedding Celebration Invitation
who bought us with His blood.
Scripture Memory
You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that
you should go and bear fruit. John 15:16
Visual Aids
One sheet of writing paper per student; a mans sandal
conversation.
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B. A TUNNEL OF TROUBLES
Divide the class into two groupstroublemakers and best buds.
1. One group will form two lines that twist and turn around the
room. They will make trouble for the best buds as they pass
through.
2. The best-buds group will pair up as partners and walk through the
tunnel with arms linked together.
3. The troublemakers will try to separate the partners using only two
fingers. Remind the troublemakers to be gentle.
4. When all the best buds have walked through the tunnel, then
reverse the roles and repeat the process.
Debrief by asking these questions.

What made it hard to go through the tunnel?
Were you able to hold on to your best bud?
How can difficult times pull friends apart?
Why is it important to have a best bud?
How could you reach out to people who have no close friends?
What makes an extraordinary best bud?
C. MY FUTURE PLANS
Give each student a blank sheet of writing paper.
Ask them to make a list of five different jobs/careers/occupations
they would like to consider when they get older.
Then ask them to rank them according to their own interest level.
Have them indicate why they are drawn to a particular career.
ASK: What do they think you will have to do to prepare for that line of
work? Where would you like to live when you grow upcity, state or
area of the country?
DISCUSS how you will finally figure out Gods purpose for your life.
TRANSITION to the Bible story by explaining that the main character

in todays story thought she had her life all planned out. She discovered
that her best bud was her mother-in-law. The life God planned for
her was very different from the life she had planned for herself. God
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was going to use this ordinary young woman to build an extraordinary
family of kings.

(Ruth 14)
Here are some important points to make as you have the students find
the book of Ruth. SAY:
The story of Ruth took place during the time of the judges in
Israel.
A severe famine drove Naomi, her husband, and her sons into the
neighboring country of Moab.
However, Naomis husband died there. She and her two boys
stayed on and eventually her sons married women from Moab.
Their names were Ruth and Orpah. However, after about 10 years,
both of Naomis sons died. Ruth was left with a grieving mother-
in-law and sister-in-law. Orpah decided to return to her own
parents household and left Ruth and Naomi.
Ruth would not leave Naomi. Read aloud her sweet words of
commitment in Ruth 1:16.
A. SURVIVAL 101 (Ruth 2)

ASK: Back home how would these two women survive? Lets see how
the story turns out.
Verses 12: How was Ruth able to gather food for herself and Naomi?
Verses 810: What did Boaz tell Ruth?
Verses 1113: Why was Boaz so generous to Ruth?
Verses 2023: What did Naomi tell Ruth about Boaz?
B. THE KINSMAN-REDEEMER (Ruth 3:111)

SUMMARIZE briefly the principle of the kinsman-redeemer used
during Bible times to retain the family property of a dead relative. Boaz
would be the kinsman-redeemer for Naomi and Ruth. In doing so, he
presented a picture of Christ acting as the great kinsman-redeemer for
mankind.
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C. BOAZ REDEEMS RUTH (Ruth 4)
CONTINUE reading the story in the Bible as time allows.
Verses 15: What did Boaz ask the man who was a closer relative to
Naomi and Ruth than he was?
Verses 610: What did the man tell Boaz to do? Explain the use of the
sandal as representing a transfer of property rights from one man to
another.
Verses 1315: How did the love story end?
Verse 17: Who is Obed and what is his relationship to David the
shepherd boy and king of Israel?
D. AN EXTRAORDINARY FAMILY TREE

SAY:
Ruths life had not turned out exactly as she planned. It turned out
according to Gods plan. Read Matthew 1:56 to see how Boaz
and Ruth are found in the New Testament.
She had thought she would live a quiet life in Moab with her
husbands parents, but all was changed by a famine.
Grief-stricken, she committed herself to the care of her mother-in-
law and placed her faith in the one true God of Israel, Yahweh.
Her extraordinary kindness and love were noted by all who met
her.
Gods chosen husband for her was a man filled with great kindness
himself.
Her new home would be Bethlehem; her great-grandson would
be born there. He would become the extraordinary King David of
Israel.
Generations later this ordinary woman would also be found in the
genealogy of another Kinsman-Redeemer who would become the
King of Kings.
God had used her faith to fulfill the most extraordinary plan of
allGods redemption of mankind.
THE CROSSROADS
SAY: God is searching for those whose heart is turned toward Him.
He uses ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary things that bring
honor and glory to His name. God knows everything about us and He
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has made us so that we can bring honor to His name. He knows exactly
what choices we will make. He will not force us to do His will; He wants
us to choose to do His will because we love Him.
We can make our plans but we must continually ask God what are His
plans for us. How can He use us best to get the message of Christs love
to a world of lost people? We can choose from a wide variety of careers
but our mission must always be the same:
To live in faith a life that honors God and enables us to share Christ.
The journey begins with a single decision to follow Christ. [Share the
plan of salvation and close in prayer.]

Heavens Wedding Celebration
Invitation
Supplies: preprinted cardstock invitations, self-adhesive jewels,
markers, example sheet with information that should be included
Distribute markers, example sheets and jewels among the
students.
Provide an invitation to each student.
On the cover, instruct the students to write You Are Invited and
decorate with a picture as desired and several jewels.
On the inside, have them fill in the blanks:
Date: ??
Time: ??
Place: Heaven
Occasion: A Wedding Supper
Dress: White Robe
RSVP: Romans 10:910
[Preprinted across the bottom] You did not choose me, but I chose
you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit.
John 15:16
Students may decorate their invitation as desired.
Make sure everyone understands the RSVP. Everyone is invited,
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but you cant come if you dont respond to the invitation. No
one will force you to come, but why would anyone want to miss
spending eternity with Jesus?
Ask the students to think of one person with whom they would
want to share this invitation and then allow a few minutes of
prayer.
SCRIPTURE MEMORY: John 15:16

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that
you should go and bear fruit.
Display the key verse on a marker board or on a large poster. Repeat it

several times and then begin this activity.
Explain what it means to be chosen; to be appointed; and to be a
fruit bearer.
Choose two people to come to the front and together have them
repeat the verse aloud.
Then those two people will each choose one person to join them
at the front and say the verse aloud.
Then those four choose one each and so on until everyone in the
class has been chosen to come to the front and say the verse.
Conclude the activity by standing in front of each person and
saying: I choose you to honor Christ with your life and to share
Gods love with others.
HUDDLE GROUP
SAY: What an unusual love story we read about today! Ruth really
understood what it meant to love God. She went from tragedy to
celebration. Boaz chose her, married her, blessed her, and took care
of her all because he loved her. God loves us even though we dont
deserve it. He allowed His Son to leave heaven and come to earth to die
as a man because of the bad things we each do every single day.
ASK the students the following questions to stimulate conversation.
1. Ruths story has a sad beginning. Have you ever had to go through
a hard time? How did you feel?
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2. Ruth was a good friend to Naomi. What did she tell Naomi she
would do? Do you know someone this week who needs a friend?
What can you do to encourage them?
3. Ruth took good care of Naomi. Do you know an older person for
whom you can care this week? How could you help them?
4. Ruth was one of Jesus ancestors. God had big plans for Ruth just
as He has big plans for you. Ask God to give you the desire to be all
He wants you to be. What is the number one area in your life you
want God to help you with?
5. Who was Ruths great-grandson? Who did he grow up to be? How
can you be an extraordinary person for God this week?

Allow the students an opportunity to locate stories about these
ordinary people in the Bible who did extraordinary things.
Joshua (Joshua 1:15)
Noah (Genesis 7:15)
Gideon (Judges 7:1921)
Adam (Genesis 3:1719)
Abraham (Genesis 12:13)
Samson (Judges 16:2328)
Moses (Duteronomy 34:58)
Joshua at Jericho (Joshua 6:1721)
The Pharaoh (Exodus 12:2932)
Rahab (Joshua 2:814)
REVIEW QUESTIONS
1. Why did Naomi and her family leave Bethlehem and go to Moab?
(famine in the land)
2. What happened to Naomi in Moab? (Her husband and her sons
died.)
3. Who were her daughters-in-law? (Ruth and Orpah)
4. Why did Ruth want to stay with Naomi? (She loved her.)
5. What did she promise Naomi she would do? (go wherever she went)
6. What did Ruth think about Naomis God? (She worshipped the one
true God.)
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7. Explain what a kinsman-redeemer is. (One who accepts the
responsibility for a woman whose husband has died)
8. Who was Boaz? (a relative of Naomis)
9. What provision did Boaz make for Ruth in the fields? (He allowed
her to pick up the leftover wheat in his fields under the protection of
his reapers.)
10. Explain the use of the sandal to represent a business transaction.
(It was used to illustrate that one party was turning over
responsibility to another party.)
11. What is the relationship between Obed and Naomi? (Naomi was
his grandmother.)
12. What is the relationship between Ruth and King David? (She was
his great-grandmother.)
SETTING UP YOUR
TEACHING BOARD
Lesson Title: Ordinary People

Key Word: Redemption
Key Thought: Discover the blessings that
come from redemption in Christ.
Ruth 3:111
The Kinsman-Redeemer
Naomi
RuthBoaz
Obed
Jesse
David

Jesus
You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you
that you should go and bear fruit. John 15:16
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SAMUEL: JUDGE, PRIEST AND PROPHET
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BIBLE BACKGROUND
JOURNEY 8: The King Maker

1 Samuel 18 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and
do not lean on your own understanding. In all
Key Word: your ways acknowledge him, and he will make
Diligence straight your paths. Proverbs 3:56
Key Thought:
Accept each assignment as a special task from the Lord by doing it quickly and joyfully.
DARK DAYS AHEAD

Israel was on the brink of a new period in her history. The people had failed to drive
out the enemy tribes in Canaan as God commanded them to do. Samson, distracted
by pleasure and pride, had only partially dealt with the problem of the Philistines. As
the book of Judges ends, the nation has been devastated by a civil war between the
tribe of Benjamin, named for Josephs younger brother, and the rest of Israel. Having
rejected Gods authority, the people suffer the consequences of their own sin, and yet
still continue to do whatever they want (Judges 21:25).
THE LAST JUDGE (1 Samuel 12)

Gods plan for His beloved Israel included one last judge to guide His people. Born to
a woman barren for many years, the baby Samuel was consecrated to Gods service
by his mother, Hannah, even before he was born. After she had weaned him, Hannah
brought him to the tabernacle at Shiloh and placed him under the care of Eli, the
priest of the tabernacle. Eli had two other sons, but his indulgence of their immoral
behavior was unacceptable to God. It was Samuel whom God had chosen not only to
be a righteous judge but a priest and a prophet to the nation of Israel.
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A CALL TO PROPHESY (1 Samuel 3:1118)

As a young boy one night while sleeping, Samuel heard a voice calling him. Thinking it
was Eli, who was old and blind, Samuel ran to see what he wanted. Eli told the boy he
had not called him. He sent Samuel back to lie down. The same thing happened two
more times. Finally, Eli realized that it was God speaking to the young boy. He told
him to return to his room and the next time the voice spoke, he was to say: Speak, for
your servant hears (1 Samuel 3:10).
Samuel returned to his room and lay quietly, listening for the voice to speak again. He
heard God call his name and he told God he was listening. God then revealed to this
young boy the first of many prophecies: Elis sons had disgraced the name of God and
Eli had not punished them for it. Therefore, Elis house and spiritual lineage would
come to an end. The next morning, Samuel was afraid to tell Eli what God had spoken.
When Eli asked him, Samuel hesitated. Eli told him not to hide the truth but to speak
it boldly lest God be dishonored. Samuel shared the prophecy with Eli and the old
priest accepted Gods just condemnation. From that time on, God spoke to Samuel and
everything He said came to pass. Whenever God spoke, Samuel listened.
RAIDERS OF THE ARK (1 Samuel 4)

The Philistines continued to attack Israel at every opportunity. After having lost a
terrible battle with them, the sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, thought they had a
great idea. They brought the ark of the covenant out of the Holy of Holies and placed
it in the middle of the camp as they fought the invading Philistines. It was their lucky
charm to bring them victory, or so they thought. Instead, the Philistines prevailed
and the ark was captured. This most sacred symbol of Gods presence with His people
held the tablets of stone, a jar of manna from the wilderness and Aarons rod. It
had been carved out of pure gold with cherubim kneeling to form the mercy seat of
sacrifice. How desperate these two brothers had been to win! Both men were killed in
battle as the ark was carried off by an idolatrous people. When their father, Eli, heard
what happened, he fell over backward, broke his neck and died (1 Samuel 4:18).
AN IDOL BESIDE THE ARK (1 Samuel 5)

The Philistines were elated with their capture of the ark. They placed it in a temple in
the city of Ashdod beside the image of their god Dagon. However, somehow during
the night, the Dagon idol fell from its altar. The idols head and hands lay broken
and scattered across the temple threshold. Within days, the people of Ashdod were
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afflicted with tumors on their bodies. The Philistine rulers called a meeting and
decided to move the ark out of the city to see if the plague could be stopped. They
moved the ark to Gath and again the people, young and old, broke out with tumors.
From there, the Philistines moved it to Ekron and a great panic swept the city as again
many died from the infected tumors that consumed their bodies, possibly carried by
mice (1 Samuel 6:4).
GET THIS ARK OUT OF HERE!

(1 Samuel 6:119)
The Philistines decided the ark must be returned to Israel before they were wiped
out by the plague. They put it on a cart and sent it back to Israel along with a peace
offering of tumors and mice carved out of gold. The ark was sacred to Yahweh and was
not to be mishandled. When the people saw the ark coming down the road, they were
curious and went out to see it. At least 70 people were killed because they opened the
ark to examine its contents. The ark was a unique symbol of Gods presence and was
always to be treated as sacred.
THE EBENEZER STONE (1 Samuel 7:1217)

Eventually, it was decided that the ark was to be hidden in the home of Abinadab
and there it remained for 20 years (1 Samuel 7:14) until David moved it closer to
Jerusalem (2 Samuel 6:12) and Solomon later moved it into the temple (1 Kings 8:1).
Samuel called the people together and asked them to cease from their idol worship
and recommit themselves to Yahweh, the God of their forefathers. They poured out
water as a sacrifice to show their own hearts poured out in repentance and humility.
When The Philistines took note of the large gathering of Israelites, they seized the
opportunity to attack. God sent loud claps of thunder to disorient them. Terrified, they
turned back and ran away. The Israelites pursued them and slew them all along the
way. Samuel erected a monument to commemorate their victory. He called the stone
Ebenezer, a stone of help, to signify Gods favor on the people. From that day forth,
the Philistines were subdued and did not invade Israelite territory again while Samuel
lived. 4
4
Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing is a Christian hymn written by the 18th-century pastor and
hymnist Robert Robinson, who penned the words at age 22 in the year 1757. The second stanza con-
tains the lines: Here I raise my Ebenezer; Here by Thy great help Ive come; And I hope, by Thy good
pleasure, Safely to arrive at home. 119
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A KING FOR ISRAEL (1 Samuel 9)

Throughout Samuels judgeship, Gods favor was upon the people.
The Philistines returned control of the towns they had captured to Israel.
Israel was able to deliver the neighboring territory from the control of the
Philistines.
There was peace between Israel and the Amorites.
As Samuel grew older, he appointed his sons as judges, but they failed to follow the
example of their father. As a result of their bribery and corruption, the people wanted
a king for their leader like all the other nations had.
Samuel was greatly disturbed by the peoples demand for a king. He was grieved in his
spirit as he laid the matter before the Lord. However, God had intended to give Israel
a king (Genesis 49:10; Deuteronomy 17:1420), but not yet. The people insisted on
choosing their own king. Samuel understood that God was the only one to establish
and remove kings. God told Samuel to do as the people asked and make Saul their
king. God could teach His people important lessons about obedience even through
their acts of disobedience. Samuel yielded to Gods authority and did as He asked.
Before he died, God would send Samuel to anoint the greatest king Israel would ever
know. Out of this line would come the King of Kingsthe Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth.
Samuel was Gods trusted prophet, who served as a bridge between the judges of
Israel and her rule by kings. God used him to initiate the anointing of a man as the
nations first king, a responsibility he argued with God about (1 Samuel 8:67). He
is grouped with Moses and Aaron as men whose petitions to God were answered
(Psalm 99:6). When Israel was consumed by a spirit of disobedience prior to the
exile, Jeremiah recorded Gods affirmation that the nation was beyond the defense of
Moses and Samuel (Jeremiah 15:1). This is a clear indication of the high regard God
had for Samuel. God knew that He could trust Samuel to do His will and to do it with
excellence. It is humbling to realize the point at which God finds one worthy of His
trust. Samuel understood that blessing would come only through obedience.
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JOURNEY 8: The King Maker

1 Samuel 18 Diligence
Accept each assignment as a special
task from the Lord by doing it quickly
and joyfully.
Connect the Big Room experience Samuel as a child
to the key word/thought for the Samuel with Eli
day and the Bible story. Samuel and the ark of the covenant
Play a game of Trust. Listen for the Samuel as a prophet
word lead to appear in the story.
There is only one king God wants us to The Ebenezer Stone
trust
Jesus, the King of Kings!
Scripture Memory
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In
all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
Proverbs 3:56
Visual Aids
None required
SAY: The key word for the day is trust! What does it mean to trust
someone? (to have complete confidence in the reliability of another
person or thing) Can you name someone you trust? Why are you so
sure about that person? Learning to trust someone requires spending
time with that person and listening and believing that what they tell
you is absolutely one hundred percent true.
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How many times have we heard our parents, a teacher, a coach or a
friend tell us to listen up? What does the phrase mean and why is it
important? These are people we trust to tell us the truth; we should
value their advice and listen carefully to what they say.
Here is an activity to test the students ability to listen. Give these

instructions.
Younger students may line up at the end of the room. Older
students may want to remain in their seats and keep track of the
number of times the word lead is used in the following story. (The
answer is seven.)
Explain that you are going to read a story5 and every time you say
the word lead, the students are to take two giant steps forward.
If they move on the wrong word, they will have to take two giant
steps backward. You will need a helper to watch as you read.
Once there was a boy named Levi who often raked leaves for fun. He
put leaves into piles stacked very high. Leaving his rake beside the
house, Levi loved to lead his friends to the piles. They would leap
and laugh in the leaves and even lead others to join. Before long a
Little League joined in the fun. Lets lead others in raking up leaves
in Leesville, Levi said. With the leaves piled high, the kids would
lead others in jumping and squealing to land on the leaves below.
This game was so great, Levi decided to lead his group into the woods
and there they would pile leaves up to the sky. Hopefully, Levis love
of leaves would lead others to leave their Wiis to go and play in the
leaves. Levi knew how to lead others to leaves.
When you have finished, recognize the good listeners. Transition to

the Bible story by SAYING that in our Bible study today we will meet
a man who learned how to be a good listener when he was a small
child. He grew up learning how to hear God. God placed great trust and
confidence in this man as the nation of Israel was going through a very
difficult time. Lets see what happened.
5
Adapted from The Childrens Workers Encyclopedia of Bible Teaching Ideas: Old Testament, pp.
7374, Group Publishing, 1997.
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(1 Samuel 18)
SAY: Todays lesson is about the last judge God allowed to lead His
people. His name was Samuel and his story is one many of you may
already know. The Israelites struggled constantly with disobeying Gods
commands.
They worshipped idols.
They broke the Ten Commandments.
They failed to conquer their enemies and take the land that was
theirs.
God had called a special boy to serve Him in the house of Eli who was
the high priest and served God in the tabernacle.
A. SAMUEL AS A CHILD (1 Samuel 1)

ASK:
Verses 811: Why was this woman so sad? Where did she go to get
help and what did she pray? What did she promise God?
Verses 1617: What did the priest Eli tell her?
Verse 20: What was the childs name?
Verses 2728: Was Hannah going to be true to her commitment?
B. SAMUEL MINISTERS WITH ELI (1 Samuel 3)

ASK:
Verses 12: With whom did Samuel serve in the tabernacle?
Verses 39: How many times did Samuel hear a voice calling him?
Finally, what did Eli tell him?
Verses 1014: What did Samuel do when He heard Gods voice the
next time? What did God tell him?
Verses 1519: Why was Samuel afraid to tell Eli? How did God bless
Samuel?
Verse 20: Not only would Samuel be a judge, he would also be
recognized as what?
C. SAMUEL AND THE ARK OF THE COVENANT (1 Samuel 57)

SUMMARIZE: The Philistines continued to harass the Israelites. During
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a fierce battle, the sons of Eli thought they could use the ark of the
covenant as a good luck charm. They took the ark out to the battlefield
and set it down; they expected to win the battle because the ark was
present.
ASK:
How was the ark of the covenant captured (1 Samuel 4:111)?
How was it desecrated (1 Samuel 5:16)?
Why was it returned to Israel (1 Samuel 5:116:3)?
How did Samuel call the people to repentance and raise the
Ebenezer Stone (1 Samuel 7:313)?
How did God bless Samuels leadership as a judge (1 Samuel 7:14)?
D. ISRAEL DEMANDS A KING (1 Samuel 8:122)

SAY: Throughout Samuels judgeship, Gods favor was upon the
people. As Samuel grew older, he appointed his sons as judges but they
did not have their fathers character. They were corrupt in their dealings
with the people and the people resented them.
The Israelites began to look at the kings ruling other nations and they
decided they wanted a king too. God had planned to give them a king
at some future point (Deuteronomy 17:1420) but they demanded
one now.
ASK:
Verses 56: How did Samuel react when the people demanded a king?
Verses 1118: What did Samuel tell the people that a king would do
to them?
Verses 1922: What did God finally tell Samuel to do?
E. PEOPLE WHO DONT LISTEN UP!

SAY: Sometimes people appear to be listening but they really dont
comprehend what is being said.
Samuel heard Gods voice on many occasions.
He recognized truth and he acted on it.
The Israelites refused to listen to his counsel.
They wanted a king and they wanted one now.
They refused to listen to Samuel, Gods trusted prophet.
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So many times in Israels history God sent prophets to warn them about
their rebellious behavior but they refused to listen. Therefore, God gave
them what they asked for. Soon they realized it was not what they
needed at all (Psalm 106:15). Eventually, God allowed the nation to be
overtaken by other nations. The people were carried off into captivity
and their cities were destroyed. If only they had been willing to trust
Samuel and the counsel God had given him, things could have been so
much different. God blesses those who listen and do His will.
THE CROSSROADS
SAY: God always gives the best to those who leave the choice to Him.
God had planned a king for Israel from the very beginning.
The king would come from the line of Judah, one of Josephs 11
brothers.
His name would be David and he would be a mighty ruler.
One of Davids descendants would be known as King of Kings and
Lord of Lords.
We know Him as Jesus, Gods Son.
Our ability to trust God and hear His voice begins when we receive
Jesus into our lives.
Once we have received Christ, we can trust Him to care for us and
give us the assurance of eternal life. [Share the plan of salvation
and close in prayer.]

The Ebenezer Stone
Supplies: Styrofoam cups, sheet with preprinted stone pattern and
verse from 1 Samuel 7:12, glue sticks, tape, scissors, small pebbles
Distribute scissors, tape, pebbles and glue sticks among
the students.
Provide each student with a cup and preprinted sheet.
Instruct the students to cut along the outline on the sheet so that
it will fit around the cup.
Have them turn the cup upside down and affix one side of the
paper to the cup with a piece of tape, then wrap the paper around
the cup and secure the edge with another piece of tape.
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Help them apply a liberal amount of glue to the top of their
Ebenezer Stone and affix several pebbles to finish their
monument.
Samuel understood that without Gods help the nation of Israel
could never have defeated the Philistines. Remind the students
that when we trust God, He blesses us and helps us through
difficult times.
SCRIPTURE MEMORY:
Proverbs 3:56
Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths. Proverbs 3:56
POINT OUT the key words in the verse: trust, lean, understanding, all,
and straight. Explain what they mean in this context. Say the verse very
loud, then softer and softer and softer.
ASK the following questions and listen to the responses.

Do you need help making right choices?
Where do you think you can get help?
Do you always want to do the right thing?
Where do we find the truth?
What can keep us from hearing Gods voice?
Are you willing to do whatever it takes to hear Gods voice every day?
CLOSE by having the students say the verse softly, then a little louder
and then very loud. Close in prayer as you challenge the students to
always place their trust in God so that He can place His trust in them.
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HUDDLE GROUP
DISCUSS with the students situations where they feel they let
someone down who was depending on them. Talk about how they
felt, what they did to correct the situation, if anything, and what they
should have done to avoid the difficulty.
ASK the students to describe a time when they disappointed someone

who had trusted them. Ask how they felt and what they did to
make amends. Have the students make lists of the benefits of being
trustworthy and the consequences of being untrustworthy. Discuss
both lists with them and ask them to choose the one they think most
honors God. Close with a few minutes of silent prayer when students
can seek Gods help to become more trustworthy.

ASK the students to look up the following verses to understand better
how God makes Himself known to us so that we can learn to trust Him.
Psalm 19:1through creation
Romans 1:20through our conscience
John 16:13through the Holy Spirit
Romans 10:17through His Word
John 1:18through His Son
Proverbs 11:14through the counsel of godly family and friends
REVIEW QUESTIONS
1. Who was Hannah and why was she so upset? (She was Samuels
mother and she was grieved because she could not have a baby.)
2. Where did she go to seek help? (She prayed to God, where the high
priest Eli overheard her.)
3. What did Hannah promise God? (She promised to dedicate her son
to Gods service all the days of his life.)
4. What was the message God gave Samuel? (Elis sons would be
punished because they did not honor God.)
5. How were the Philistines able to capture the ark of the covenant?
(The sons of Eli used it as a good luck charm in the middle of a
battle and the Philistines won.)
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6. Why did they eventually return the ark to the Israelites? (because
the people in the town where the ark was kept got sick with tumors
and died)
7. Why did the Israelites want a king? (because the other nations
were ruled by a king)
8. Why was having a king not a good idea? (A king would levy taxes,
call up their sons for the army, limit their freedoms, and rule harshly.)
9. How did Samuel feel about Israel getting a king? (He was against it.)
10. How did God feel about the matter? (He told Samuel that the
people were rejecting Him and not the prophet; He told Samuel to let
the people have what they wanted.)
11. What was the meaning of the Ebenezer stone that Samuel raised
up? (God is my helper.)
SETTING UP YOUR
TEACHING BOARD
Lesson Title: The King Maker

Key Word: Diligence
Key Thought: Accept each assignment
as a special task from the Lord by doing it
quickly and joyfully.
Samuel as a Child
Samuel as a Leader
Samuel as a Trusted Prophet
Trust in the Lord with all your heart,

and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths.
Proverbs 3:56
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9
JOURNEY 9
A POOR EXCUSE FOR A KING
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BIBLE BACKGROUND
JOURNEY 9: A Poor Excuse for a King

1 Samuel 8:122; 1315 And you shall do what is right and good in the sight of
the Lord, that it may go well with you.
Key Word: Deuteronomy 6:18
Choices
Key Thought:
Choose to honor God by making good choices.
JUDGE OR KING?
The first book of Samuel describes the transition of leadership in Israel from the
period of the judges to the period of the kings. The people thought it would be easier
to follow an earthly king, but they jumped ahead of Gods planning. They wanted to
pick their own king, forgetting that God gives the best to those who leave the choice
to Him.
Israel had been a loosely knit confederacy of tribes. God called out certain leaders
known as judges to rule and defend the people militarily when necessary. Samuel was
the last of these judges. When he grew old, he made his sons judges over Israel, but
they took bribes and acted unjustly. The elders of the tribes confronted Samuel with
the situation and demanded he appoint a king. They wanted a king like all the other
nations.
SAMUELS OBJECTION (1 Samuel 8:15)

Samuel strongly objected to Israels desire for a king. Perhaps he knew they would
trust an earthly king more than God. Samuel had already seen signs of their limited
faith. The people refused to listen to Samuels concerns. They demanded a king for
themselves. Up to this point, the Lord Himself had fought Israels battles. The problem
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lay not in having a king but rather in wanting to be like all the other nations. Samuel
must have wondered: Do they think that their human king would have greater power
in battle than our omnipotent God?
GODS DECISION (1 Samuel 8:618)

Samuel went to God to lay the situation before Him and to ask for His guidance. The
Lord said to Samuel, Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for
they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them
(1 Samuel 8:7). However, God told Samuel to explain to them what a king would
demand:
The drafting of their sons into the kings army
Taxation of the people by means of their food supply and herds
Confiscation of the best of their fields, vineyards, and olive groves
Limitation of their personal freedoms
If a king is what the people wanted, then God told Samuel to let them have one. He
would give them what they wanted but He would send leanness to their souls.
GODS CHOICE (1 Samuel 9:126)

The people mistakenly thought they were choosing their king; God had already picked
him out. A man named Saul came to see Samuel to inquire about the location of
some lost donkeys. The day before, God had told Samuel that the next day He would
send to him a man from the tribe of Benjamin who would be the king of Israel. As
Saul approached, God spoke to Samuels heart to indicate that this was the man who
would be king.
Samuel invited Saul to spend the night.
The next day as Saul prepared to leave, Samuel revealed to him Gods selection of
him as king.
There in the road, Samuel anointed Saul with oil as a sign of setting him apart as
a special servant for God.
Saul had come from a rich and powerful family of the tribe of Benjamin. He was
tall and handsome and the people were impressed. They were more concerned
about what he had and how he looked than the type of man he was. God knew that
Saul would not always be loyal to Him. The king He wanted for His people would
eventually come from the tribe of Judah (Genesis 49:10) but for a season, God allowed
Samuel to give the people the king they wanted.
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THE CORONATION (1 Samuel 10:1724)

Samuel ordered the tribes of Israel to assemble. He declared that Saul had been
selected from the tribe of Benjamin to be their new king. He used the occasion to
remind the people that it was God who had brought them up out of bondage in the
land of Egypt. By asking for a king, they had rebelled against God (1 Samuel 10:17
19). Then Samuel told them to stand and see the thing God had done for them.
Samuel said of Saul: there is none like him among all the people (1 Samuel 10:24).
The people were moved and shouted out loud: Long live the king!
A KING WITH A FOOLISH HEART

(1 Samuel 14)
King Saul began well in his rule over Israel. He was able to defeat the Ammonites
by quickly mobilizing an army and fighting fiercely against the enemy (1 Samuel
11:1115). Then Saul made a series of mistakes that revealed his weaknesses.
Soon the Philistines threatened the people again. Saul waited seven days for
Samuel to come and dedicate the battle to the Lord, but when he did not arrive,
Saul acted in his place as priest and made the sacrificial offerings himself. Samuel
was shocked that he would take such authority upon himself. God told Samuel
that He would not bless Sauls reign in Israel. Saul failed to acknowledge Samuels
higher authority as Gods divine messenger (1 Samuel 13:1114).
Jonathan, Sauls son, fought bravely to take a garrison of the Philistine army, but
Saul took credit for the victory (1 Samuel 14:1623).
Another Philistine attack became long and drawn out. The Israelite army grew
weary and battle-fatigued. Saul gave orders for the soldiers to fast until the
enemy was routed. The men grew faint as the battle continued. Jonathan had not
heard his fathers command not to eat. That day he ate some honey to give him
strength. When the Israelites could not prevail over the Philistines, Saul blamed
Jonathan for having disobeyed his orders and threatened to kill him. Only when
the people intervened in Jonathans behalf was he spared (1 Samuel 14:4346).
SHOWDOWN WITH THE AMALEKITES

(1 Samuel 15:135)
Samuel told Saul that God had ordered the destruction of the Amalekites who had
warred against Israel for years. The Israelites were to kill every man, woman and
child. All livestock should be destroyed as well. There were to be no prisoners. Saul
disobeyed Gods direct order and brought back the king of the Amalekites and the
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best of his animals to show as examples of his military might. He even erected a
monument to himself.
God told Samuel He regretted ever making Saul king because of his failure to do as
he was commanded (1 Samuel 15:11). Samuel gave Saul a scathing rebuke for his
arrogance and pride. Saul would never rule Israel victoriously. Saul pleaded with
Samuel to pardon his sin. He was afraid of how the people would view him without
Samuels blessing. Samuel relented and returned with Saul so that the people could
praise God for the victory. Samuel himself killed the Amalekite king in obedience to
Gods command. He determined to never lay eyes on Saul again until the day of his
death (1 Samuel 15:3435). Samuels spirit was grieved to see Sauls disregard for
obedience.
SAULS LEGACY
The blessings of God departed from Saul from that point on. He experienced extreme
bouts of depression and anxiety; he withdrew to himself. He was given to fits of rage,
hatred and jealousy. The nation of Israel suffered greatly from his lack of leadership.
He had proven to be a pitiful excuse for a king.
He refused to heed Samuels warnings.
His deliberate disobedience of Gods commands affected everyone in the nation.
His pleas for pardon were only meant to make himself look good in the eyes of
the people.
His descendants would never inherit the throne of Israel.
God knew His every motive and selfish pride. If only Saul had repented, God would
have returned His favor to the king. He gave the people what they wanted and then
they discovered it was not what they needed at all (Psalm 106:15).
The Philistines continued to attack Israel. No battle could secure permanent victory for
Gods people. Then one day a shepherd boy full of boldness and courage appeared on
the scene to face a Philistine named Goliath. Things for Israel were about to change.
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TEACHING PLAN
JOURNEY 9: A Poor Excuse for a King

1 Samuel 8:122; 1315 Choices
Choose to honor God by making
good choices.
Connect the Big Room experience Israels First King
to the key word/thought for the day Sauls Bad Choices
and the Bible story. Samuels Disgust
Play a game: King/Queen for a Day. Gods Rejection
How does one get to be part of Gods Do-Right Signs
kingdom? Born into it? Choose to be in it?
Scripture Memory
And you shall do what is right and good
in the sight of the Lord,
that it may go well with you. Deuteronomy 6:18
Visual Aids
A crown of some kind; fabric or tablecloths to drape over a chair creating a throne;
newsprint, butcher paper or construction paper on which to write each word of key
verse; crown stickers (optional)
INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITY:
KING/QUEEN FOR A DAY
There is a line from the Disney movie The Lion King that says, It is good
to be king. Offer one of your students the opportunity to be King/
Queen for a Day. Ask them to describe the one thing they would do
if they could be a king or queen. Take a few minutes and let different
students sit on the throne and explain what they would do.
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When everyone has had a chance, ask the students to describe what
makes a good king versus a bad king. Listen to their answers and use
them to transition to the story about King Saul. Remind them of last
weeks story about how the Israelites demanded from Samuel that God
give them a king. They were telling God what they wanted rather than
asking what He wanted for them.
NOTE TO TEACHERS: Do the Bible Learning Project first so that the

students may use their signs to indicate their choices as the Bible story
is told.

SAY: Even though the people demanded a king, God was still in
charge. He led Samuel to a man named Saul who was from the tribe of
Benjamin. He was a handsome man and very tall (1 Samuel 9:2). Was
God really going to give the people the king they asked for? Lets see
what happens.
A. SAUL IS CROWNED (1 Samuel 10:2024)
ASK:
Verses 1721: Who called all of Israel together? What did he tell the
people?
Verses 2224: Where was the new king hiding? Why was he hiding?
(bad choice for a new king). How do you feel about Sauls decision to
hide? [Hold up your signs.] How did he appear? What did the people
shout out loud? How would you have voted? (Hold up your sign.)
B. SAUL MAKES POOR CHOICES

SAY: Time and time again Saul chose to do things his way, ignoring
the commands from God that Samuel delivered. Here are some
examples of what he did. [You can let students read the verses aloud or
you can summarize and then ASK the questions.]
1 Samuel 13:1114: Impatient for Samuel to arrive before

battle with the Philistines,6 Saul took his place and acted as a
6
This warlike group of idol worshippers was the leading enemy of Israel from the time of Samson
to the middle of the reign of David. Eventually, the Philistine name came to refer to the southern
part of the land along the Mediterranean Sea known as Palestine, as quoted from The Compact Bible
136 Dictionary, Zondervan Publishing, 1967, p. 457.
JOURNEY 9
priest by offering a sacrifice. What did Samuel think of this? What
did the Lord say? What do you think? [Hold up your signs.]
1 Samuel 14:2223: What had Saul failed to provide his army?
1 Samuel 14:2426: What had Saul kept from his army because
he was so distressed? How can an army fight well without this?
What do you think about this? [Hold up your signs.]
1 Samuel 14:2730: Jonathan had not heard his fathers
order about no eating and so he ate. What did he eat? What did
Jonathan say about the battle and the armys ability to eat?
1 Samuel 15:1524: The Philistines had fled and now Israel
was being attacked by the Amalekites. Samuel told Saul the Lord
wanted him to totally destroy the Amalekites but he was not to
bring any of their livestock back with them. What did Saul do?
What did Samuel say? Whom did Saul fear more than God? What
did Samuel tell Saul? What happened when Samuel turned to
leave? What would you have done? [Hold up your signs.]
1 Samuel 15:2628: Finally, God and Samuel had had enough.
What did Samuel tell Saul was about to happen? How did Saul
react? What happened to Israel that day? Was this a good thing?
[Hold up your signs.]
1 Samuel 15:2223: READ this passage aloud with great
drama. It summarizes Sauls attitude to God.
THE CROSSROADS
SAY: Being king carries with it much responsibility. How could Saul
have been a better king? Jesus spoke many times about His own
kingdom. When He died, what sign did they hang on the cross? How is
Jesus different from Saul as a king?
EXPLAIN: The Israelites lived in Sauls kingdom because they had

been born into Jewish families. How do people become part of Jesus
kingdom? What does a person have to do to be born into Gods forever
kingdom? [Let the students share their ideas and then present the plan
of salvation.] Ask the students what they think the consequences are
for not choosing to be born into Gods kingdom. [Listen to their answers
and then explain how God does not force Himself on us but desires that
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every single person choose to make Jesus the King of their lives.]
Whom would you choose as your king? [Hold up your signs.]

Do-Right Signs
Supplies: small chalkboards, dowel rods, chalk, tape, paper towels,
key Bible verse reference sticker
NOTE: This project is to be completed at the beginning of class so it

may be used as a teaching aid during the Bible lesson.
Distribute chalk, paper towels and tape among the students.
Provide a chalkboard, dowel rod and key verse sticker to each
student.
Instruct the students to affix the key verse sticker at the bottom
center of their chalkboard and then tape the dowel rod to the
center back of the chalkboard.
Explain to the students that as the leader is teaching the lesson,
he/she will ask the students questions. The students are to use
the chalk and chalkboard to write down their responses to the
questions. After each question, the student will use the paper
towel to erase one response so they are ready to write the next
answer when asked.
Remind the students that it is important to make choices that
honor God.
GAME: Making Choices that Honor God

Supplies: Obtain small gifts for each child in your class. They should
vary in price, value and kid-appeal. These items can be a piece of candy,
a large candy bar, balloon, marker set, puzzle or any kind of kid novelty
item.
Wrap each item separately. Some should be wrapped in beautiful
boxes; others in shabby brown craft paper.
Set out all the gifts on a table where everyone can see.
Devise a method for allowing each child to pick one.
Explain that they are not to unwrap the gift until you give the
word.
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When everyone has chosen a gift, ask them if they would like to
trade with the person next to them. Allow this to go on for a few
minutes until everyone is satisfied with their gift.
Explain: We have all made choices and now we must live with the
consequences of that choice. Some will be very pleased with their
choices; others will not.
Now open your gifts.
RESTATE that all choices have consequences. If we want Gods blessing

in our lives, we must make choices that honor Him. What kinds of
consequences do you want?
SCRIPTURE MEMORY:
Deuteronomy 6:18
And you shall do what is right and good in the sight of the Lord,
that it may go well with you.
SAY: Saul would not listen to Samuel or to God. He wanted things his
way, but his way hurt everyone else.
We must be willing always to accept the will of God even when
we do not understand it and when we are tempted to argue and
beg for our own way.
Gods ways are higher than our ways and in time we will come to
understand that He will always give us the best when we leave
the choice to Him (Isaiah 55:89).
Our choice must always begin and end with Jesus.
WRITE each word of the verse on a piece of butcher paper or newsprint

with a marker. Put the words in a circle on the floor. Have the students
march slowly around the circle saying each word as they walk past it.
Then tell them to speed up and walk faster. Give a crown sticker to any
student who can say the verse from memory.
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HUDDLE GROUP
SAY:
God gave the people what they wanted, but He knew that they
would not obey His commandments.
He also knew that King Saul would not consistently heed His voice
and rule the people wisely. He knew Saul would take credit for the
victories that would come.
Ask the students to identify the consequences of Sauls wrong
decisions.
Then ask them to share some of the consequences they have
experienced as a result of not obeying their parents and/or their
teachers.
Read Isaiah 55:89 aloud and ask the students to explain what
the verse means.

Have the students look up the following Scriptures and then tell you
what consequences the Bible characters experienced. Ask them to
identify the kind of choice each person made as good or bad and why.
Genesis 3:2224 Expulsion from the Garden of Eden
Genesis 37:28 Joseph goes to Egypt
Genesis 45:1415 Joseph forgave his brothers; Israel was saved.
Ruth 2:14 Ruth found a good husband.
Judges 16:1820 Samson lost his strength.
1 Samuel 31:14 Saul took his own life.
John 19:1618 Jesus was crucified.
REVIEW QUESTIONS
1. Why did the people want a king? (to be like all the other nations)
2. Why did Saul offer the sacrifice before the battle with the
Philistines? (He couldnt wait for Samuel to arrive.)
3. Who was Sauls son? (Jonathan)
4. After the Philistines fled, what did King Saul order people not to
do? (eat)
5. Had Jonathan heard the order? (no) What did he do? (He ate some
honey.)
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6. What did God tell Saul to do with the Amalekites? (to kill every
man, woman and child and to take no spoils)
7. What did Saul do? (He did not kill their king, Agag, but instead
brought him back to the camp along with the best of their animals.)
8. What did God tell Samuel about Saul then? (That He was sorry He
had made Saul king)
9. Why did God reject Saul as king? (because Saul repeatedly
disobeyed Gods orders)
10. What was Sauls response? (He begged Samuel to come back to him
as he threw himself at Samuels feet and tore his robe.)
SETTING UP YOUR
TEACHING BOARD
Lesson Title: A Poor Excuse for a King!

Key Word: Choices
Key Thought: Choose to honor God by
making good choices.
1. Why a king?
2. Who will it be?
3. What are the criteria?
4. Good king/bad king?
5. What choices did he make?
6. What did Samuel think?
7. What did God think?

And you shall do what is right and good in the
sight of the Lord, that it may go well with you.
Deuteronomy 6:18
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GIANT SLAYER
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BIBLE BACKGROUND
JOURNEY 10: Giant Slayer
David Slays Goliath

1 Samuel 17:158 The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I
fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom
Key Word: shall I be afraid? Psalm 27:1
Courage
Key Thought:
Face challenges with courage because you know God is with you.
A SIMPLE SHEPHERD BOY

David, the shepherd boy, made his way into the courts of King Saul when an aide to
the king remembered a skillful musician in Bethlehem who could play the harp and
possibly soothe the kings troubled soul. Saul had no idea that when he allowed David
to come into his court that he was embracing the man who would eventually take his
place as king.
THE PHILISTINES RETURN

(1 Samuel 17:116)
A fierce battle between the Israelites and the Philistines was beginning to take shape.
Each army occupied a hill located across from one another, each waiting for the other
to attack. Forty days passed without a battle. In ancient times, often a champion from
one army would go out to fight the champion of another army. The champion who
won declared his army the victor; the other army retreated in shame.
Where was the champion of Israel when Goliath came out onto the field of battle and
made his challenge? King Saul should have accepted the challenge himself. Perhaps
he doubted that God would help him defeat such a giant. For days, Goliath taunted
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the armies of King Saul with his own form of psychological warfare. Still, no one came
forward to do battle with him.
A GIANT OF A MAN (1 Samuel 17:47)

Goliath was indeed an overpowering image to see standing on a field of battle. Bible
scholars have determined his physical stature as follows.
Goliath stood approximately 9 feet, 6 inches tall.
His armor alone weighed 125 pounds.
The iron tip of his spear probably weighed around 15 pounds.
Everyone who saw him cowered in fear except for one little shepherd
boy named David.
David had been sent to the field of battle by his father Jesse to check on his brothers.
As he watched what unfolded before his eyes, he could not keep silent. Suddenly, the
faint-hearted warriors of King Saul heard the young boy ask: Who is this Philistine
that he should defy the armies of the living God? (1 Samuel 17:26).
David was shocked to see the helplessness of his fellow countrymen. Davids brothers
were very angry at him for being so impudent and insolent. Who did this kid think he
was? King Saul told David that he was ill-prepared to fight the Philistine champion.
David reminded the king how he had jerked a lamb out of the jaws of a lion with his
bare hands and killed bears that threatened his sheep. David was sure that just as God
had protected him then, so would God protect him now.
A CHAMPION SELECTED
(1 Samuel 17:3740)
Saul finally agreed to let David fight. The weak, cowardly king not only depended on
David for emotional comfort but now allowed him to do battle in his place. King Saul
dressed the boy in his armor. David could hardly walk in the armor and so he took
it off and armed himself with only a staff, a slingshot and five smooth stones. The
stones would have probably been a little smaller than baseballs. When thrown by an
experienced slinger, they could possibly travel around 100 mph.7
SHOCK AND AWE (1 Samuel 17:4154)

Goliath felt nothing but contempt for the pitiful specimen of a boy sent out to fight.
7
Commentary on 1 Samuel 17:40, The NIV Study Bible, Zondervan Bible Publishers, 1985, p. 401.
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He asked David if he thought he were a dog that could be whipped down with only
sticks. He cursed David and assured him that the birds of the air and the beasts of the
field would have him for dinner that night. Davids response reflects a boldness and
confidence only available to those who place their trust in a sovereign God
(1 Samuel 17:4547).
As Goliath moved toward him, David ran to meet him. He reached into his bag and
pulled out one stone and hurled it toward the giant. The stone found its mark and was
implanted deep within the forehead of the Philistine. Goliath fell facedown on the
ground.
David ran toward him to see if he were dead. He picked up Goliaths sword and
beheaded the giant. The Philistine army fled in fear, seeing their champion dead. The
Israelites ran after them to finish the battle. The victory had been won because Davids
faith in the living God had given him the courage to take a stand.
LIFE IN THE PALACE (1 Samuel 18)

After killing Goliath, David apparently became part of Sauls court. Everything that
Saul asked David to do, he did well. Promoted to junior commander in Sauls army,
Davids victories thrilled the nation but only made Saul jealous. Saul eventually
planned to kill David because he saw him as a rival before the people of Israel. Saul
realized the Lord was with David and that the Lords blessings had departed from him.
In the course of his life in Sauls court, David had become great friends with Sauls son
Jonathan. At the time, Jonathan didnt know that David had been anointed by Samuel
to be Sauls successor. However, when Jonathan learned of the anointing, his feelings
for David did not change. They had become close friends. Jonathan saw the blessing of
God upon David. God had chosen David to rule over the nation and Jonathan willingly
pledged his support.
SAULS UNCONTROLLED RAGE

(1 Samuel 1920)
Jonathan was deeply troubled by his fathers contempt for David. Twice Saul had
tried to kill David by hurling a spear at him, but David managed to escape (1 Samuel
18:1011). He devised a plan to determine if it were safe for David to remain in the
kings court. It might be necessary that Jonathan send David away to protect his life.
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Davids plan would determine Sauls true feelings.
David would hide in the field outside the palace, while Jonathan went in to dine
with the king. A signal would be given to let David know if it were safe for him to
come in.
Jonathan would shoot three arrows in Davids direction out in the field.
If the arrows were close to David, then Jonathan would send a boy to get the
arrows and return. This indicated that David could come back to the palace.
If the arrows landed beyond Davids hiding place, then he would tell the boy the
arrows were shot far beyond him. This indicated that David must run for his life.
David did not attend the Feast of the New Moon in the palace. When Saul asked where
he was, Jonathan explained he had gone to Bethlehem, but David was hiding in a
field outside the palace. Furious because David was not there, Saul turned his wrath
on Jonathan for having given him permission to leave. Saul demanded that Jonathan
call David back to court. Jonathan challenged the kings command. Saul told Jonathan
that unless David were killed, Jonathan could never ascend to the throne. In a fit of
rage, Saul threw a spear in Jonathans direction. Jonathan knew that David must
flee for his life. He went out to shoot the arrows so that David would know to run
for his life.
The following day, David and Jonathan met for the last time. David bowed down
in honor of his friend who had risked so much to help him escape. Jonathan saved
Davids life at the peril of losing his own. Davids commitment of friendship to
Jonathan that day extended to protection and provision for Jonathans sons should
something happen to him. The Bible affirms there is no greater love than this, that a
man lay down his life for his friends (John 15:13). Jonathan had made a choice that
honored God and would help to establish Davids royal throne.
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TEACHING PLAN
JOURNEY 10: Giant Slayer
David Slays Goliath

1 Samuel 17:158 Courage
Face challenges with courage because
you know God is with you.
Connect the Big Room experience Israel needs a champion.
to the key word/thought for the day The Philistines challenge Saul.
and the Bible story. David is ready to face Goliath.
Have students make two sets of One smooth stone in the hand of a
David and Goliath outlines. mighty God is a mighty weapon.
One king paved the way for the true king Power Pouch
to come into Israel and from there into
the world.
Scripture Memory
The Lord is my light and my salvation;
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid? Psalm 27:1
Visual Aids
Two 10 lengths of butcher paper, two 5 lengths of butcher paper,
a slingshot and five smooth stones
INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITY
The key word for today is courage. ASK the kids: When you think of
a strong man, what picture pops in your mind? Someone tall, big,
muscular? A wrestler, a fighter, a weight lifter? [Divide the room in
four groups. Give two groups a 10 length of butcher paper. Give two
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other groups the 5 lengths. Explain that todays story is about David and
Goliath and you need their help to make some visual aids. Give them
these instructions.]
Have two groups of students draw a giant figure that could stand
about 9 feet, 6 inches tall to represent Goliath. He needs a suit
of armor including a helmet and a spear. His armor weighed 125
lbs. (1 Samuel 17:5) and the spearhead weighed around 16 lbs. (1
Samuel 17:7).
Have two other groups of students draw another figure that is
about 5 feet tall to represent David. He needs to be dressed in
shepherds clothing with no armor.
When the figures are drawn, hang one set of them in your
teaching area as a backdrop. Keep the other set for an activity
following the story. Be sure to point out the difference in size.
ASK: How willing would you be to face down an adversary of
such size?

(1 Samuel 17:858)
[Depending on the age group you teach, you may want to summarize
some of the Bible content. You may not have enough time to read all the
Scriptures.]
SAY: The Philistines prepared to attack the Israelites again while Saul
was still king. Both armies gathered on either side of the Valley of Elah
and waited. Then the Philistines sent out their secret weapona giant
that stood more than 9 feet tall who gave the challenge. Forty days
passed and neither army advanced (1 Samuel 17:16). King Saul should
have been the one to step forward and accept the challenge but he was
much too cowardly for that.
A. GOLIATHS CHALLENGE (1 Samuel 17:411)

EXPLAIN the use of a champion on a battlefield to determine the
outcome of a conflict. Each side sends out one combatant to represent
the opposing armies. The outcome between the two representatives
determines the outcome of the battle.
Verses 810: Here are the terms of the battle. What was Goliaths
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challenge to the army of Israel?
Verse 11: How did King Saul and the army of Israel feel about the
challenge? (Saul feared men and did not trust God. Goliath was his worst
nightmare come true.)
B. DAVID VISITS HIS BROTHERS (1 Samuel 17:1237)

Verse 12: How many brothers did David have? Where had three of
them gone?
Verses 1718: Why did Jesse send his youngest son David to the
battlefield?
Verses 2325: What did David hear Goliath say? How did he see the
soldiers react? What had Saul promised to the man who killed Goliath?
Verse 26: David saw Goliath differently from the others. How had
Goliath insulted God? Rather than riches, what would the man who
killed Goliath gain? (prestige, good reputation, honor, respect)
Verse 28: How did Davids oldest brother react to his little brothers
remarks? What unkind thing did Eliab say to David?
Verses 3236: What did David tell King Saul he would do? What was
Sauls response? How did David justify his ability to kill this Philistine?
(If he could keep his fathers flocks safe from bears and lions, then he
could keep his country safe from her enemies.)
Verse 37: What did Saul fail to see in Davids life that gave him such
courage? (his unwavering faith in Gods providential care)
C. DAVID MEETS GOLIATH (1 Samuel 17:3857)

Verses 3839: What did King Saul try to give David? Why?
Verse 40: How did David prepare himself to go into battle?
Verse 43: What did Goliath think of Israels champion?
Verse 45: What secret weapon did David tell Goliath he had?
Verses 4647: What did David promise to do for Goliath? What would
Davids victory mean?
Verses 4853: Describe how the battle went.
Verse 57: What did David do with Goliaths head?
D. DAVIDS REWARD (1 Samuel 18:110)

Verses 14: Where did David go to live? Who became his best friend?
Verses 57: How well did David do in Sauls army?
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Verses 89: What happened to make Saul angry with David?
Unknowingly, Saul had predicted what? (Davids becoming king)
E. SAULS ATTEMPTS TO KILL DAVID (1 Samuel 1920)

EXPLAIN how Sauls jealousy led to attempts on Davids life. Sauls son,
Jonathan had become Davids best friend. Their commitment to one
another is a powerful example of genuine friendship. Jonathan should
have been the rightful heir to Sauls throne but God had planned
differently. Jonathan understood what a godly man David was and
what a suitable king he would be for Israel. Therefore, he was willing
to risk his own life so that Davids life could be spared. Read aloud their
parting scene in 1 Samuel 20:4142. David would never see his friend
alive again.
THE CROSSROADS
SAY: The last verse of 1 Samuel 17 declares the true identity of this
giant-slayer. David.
He was the son of Jesse who was the son of Obed, who was the
son of Ruth and Boaz from the tribe of Judah.
His family home was in Bethlehem. In fact, Bethlehem became
known as the City of David.
Hundreds of years later, one of Davids ancestors would be born in
the small town of Bethlehem; He, too, would come from the tribe
of Judah.
He would have the same ancestors as David.
This boy born around 46 B.C. would also be a king, but first He
had to become a sacrifice.
Like David, He went into battle with a fierce adversary and
emerged victorious.
Both men had found the strength they needed to do the will of
God.
That same strength is available to each of us. [Share the plan of

salvation and close in prayer.]
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Power Pouch
Supplies: canvas pouch, five stones/jewels of faith (black, red, white,
green, blue), markers, strips of paper
Write the key verse on the board for students reference.
Distribute markers among the students. Provide a canvas pouch,
strip of paper and one of each colored stone/jewel to every
student.
Direct the students to write the key verse on the strip of paper,
then place it in the canvas pouch with each of the five colored
stones/jewels.
Go over the plan of salvation as represented by the stones/jewels.
Have the students decorate the canvas pouch as desired.
Encourage the students to keep the pouch in their backpacks to
use in telling someone about Christ.
SCRIPTURE MEMORY: PSALM 27:1

whom shall I fear?
of whom shall I be afraid?
PLACE the second set of paper figures of David and Goliath in the
middle of the floor. Give each student a marker and ask the class to
gather around the paper outlines. Point out the difference in the two
biblical characters. One fought in the name of idol gods. The other
fought bravely and confidently in the name of the Living God. David
was not afraid and we need never be afraid if we have Jesus as our
Savior. Give the students the following instructions.
On the figure of Goliath, write the things that make you afraid, the
things that you worry about happening.
On the figure of David, write words and phrases from todays key verse.
ALLOW a few minutes for the students to do this. Then, take a black
marker and write across the figure of Goliath the words of Psalm 27:1
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as the class repeats it aloud. Have everyone place their hand on the
figure of David as you close in prayer.
PRAY: God, give us the courage to take Christ as Savior, to follow Him in
baptism, and to witness boldly to others in His name. Thank you God, for
giving us the courage and strength we need to face our fears. Amen.
HUDDLE GROUP
SAY: When David looked at Goliath, he looked at him differently
than did the soldiers in Sauls army. They saw only the giant standing
before them. David saw a mortal man defying an immortal and
omnipotent God. David looked at Goliath through Gods eyes. That kind
of perspective made Goliath look very small. David must have thought:
Why, I can take this guy out with my sling shot. Viewing impossible
situations from Gods point of view helps us all put giant problems in a
different perspective.
ASK: What giant problems are you facing right now? What things
seem like Goliaths to you? What would happen if you put a big God on
top of your little problem? How would that change its size? How would
that help you find a solution to the challenge? Where does a Christian
find the strength to face lifes challenges?
The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?

The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
Psalm 27:1

Ask the children to find stories in the Bible where a Bible character
showed great strength. You give them the Scripture reference to look
up and they tell you who the Bible character was.
Judges 14:56: Samson
Genesis 32:2428: Jacob
Joshua 6:1620: Joshua
Judges 7:2022: Gideon
1 Samuel 17:5051: David
154 John 20:1718: Jesus
JOURNEY 10
REVIEW QUESTIONS
1. What does it mean when an army sends out a champion to do
battle? (This is a reference to the use of two opponents who fight
one another in order to determine the outcome of conflict between
two armies.)
2. How long had the armies been waiting to begin battle? (40 days)
3. Who are the champions in todays story? (David and Goliath)
4. What two nations did they represent? (David, Israel; Goliath, the
Philistines)
5. Who was the king of Israel during this battle? (King Saul)
6. How tall was Goliath? (approximately 9+ feet)
7. What did King Saul think of Goliath? (He was afraid to go out and
meet him in battle.)
8. What did David say when he realized no one was willing to fight
Goliath? (Who is this man who defies the armies of the Living God?)
9. How did David kill Goliath? (with a slingshot and one smooth stone)
10. Why did David take five stones with him if it only took one to kill
the giant? (David was preparing himself for whatever the battle
would require. Perhaps he thought some of the other Philistines
might attack him after Goliath was taken down. David knew
God was with him and therefore, he had no fear. He wanted to be
prepared so that God could use him any way that was necessary.)
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SETTING UP YOUR
TEACHING BOARD
Lesson Title: Giant Slayer

Key Word: Courage
Key Thought: Face challenges
with courage because you know
God is with you.
A Champion?
A Big Perspective?
A Small Stone?
A Mighty God?

whom shall I fear?
of whom shall I be afraid?
Psalm 27:1
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LONG LIVE THE KING!
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BIBLE BACKGROUND
JOURNEY 11: Long Live the King!

1 Samuel 16 I have found in David the son of Jesse a man after my
2 Samuel 5:111 heart, who will do all my will. Acts 13:22
1 Chronicles 11:19
Key Word:
Plan
Key Thought:
Seek to know Gods plan for your life by studying His Word.
AN UNACCEPTABLE SITUATION
(1 Samuel 15)
King Saul had proved to be a great disappointment to God as a king. God told
Samuel He regretted ever having allowed Saul to become king (1 Samuel 15:1011).
Time after time, God gave specific instructions as to how Saul was to handle battle
situations with the enemies of Israel. Time after time, Saul either did not do what God
had told him or he did it only part way.
Near Hebron, Saul took credit for one of the armys victories and built a monument
to honor himself.
He failed to utterly destroy the Amalekites and gave one excuse after another why
he had disobeyed God.
Instead of destroying everything that belonged to the Amalekites, Saul spared the
kings life and kept the best of the sheep and cattle. He consistently did what he
thought most profitable for himself.
Sauls rejection of Gods divine authority resulted in Gods rejection of Sauls earthly
authority.
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THE SEARCH FOR A NEW KING

(1 Samuel 16:113)
God instructed Samuel to find another to be king. God told him to go to Bethlehem to
the house of Jesse from the tribe of Judah to find a king among his sons. There Samuel
found seven young men in the home of Jesse. The prophet had come, he told them,
to offer a sacrifice to the Lord and invited them to join him. Each of the sons passed
before Samuel, but he was not sure which son God had chosen. Perhaps Samuel was
looking for one who resembled Saul in height and physical strength. God spoke to
Samuel to remind him of an eternal truth: For the Lord sees not as man sees; man
looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart (1 Samuel 16:7).
Finally, when all seven had passed by and Samuel still had not found the one God had
chosen, he asked Jesse if there were any more young men in the house. Jesse said his
youngest son was in the field tending the sheep. Jesse sent for him to return to the
house. When Samuel saw the young man, he knew immediately this was the one.
THE ANOINTED KING (1 Samuel 16:1213)

That day, Samuel anointed David as a sign that he had been set aside by the Lord to
become the king of Israel. David was a man after Gods own heart (Acts 13:22). God
knew this to be true because He could see Davids heart. He knew what David thought,
what he felt, when he was sad, when he was glad, and what he thought of the great
Yahweh. God saw David as a man with a heart like He Himself hadcompassionate,
loving and just. God had chosen David to be king when the time was right. Saul would
eventually be killed by the Philistines along with his son Jonathan. A surviving son of
Saul would war with David but eventually David would become king over all of Israel.
David had always been Gods first choice as a king for His people. However, the people
had wanted Saul. God gave them the desire of their hearts but sent leanness (regret)
to their soul. Finally, Saul and his sons, including Davids beloved friend Jonathan,
were slain during a fierce battle with the Philistines. When Saul realized that the
battle was lost, he fell on his own sword to avoid capture and torture.
David was grief-stricken with the news and spent an entire day in mourning. He
grieved the loss of his friend Jonathan. He regretted that King Saul had met such a
terrible death at his own hand. In his sorrow, David wrote a tribute to Saul and his
sons in 2 Samuel 1:1927.
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A KINGS REIGN (2 Samuel 5:111)

David then turned his thoughts to what God would have him do now. It was time for
him to become the king as Samuel had anointed him to be. David returned to Judah
to meet with the elders of the tribe of Judah. They anointed him king at the age of 30
(2 Samuel 2:17).
Still, there was a problem with the other tribes of Israel. They had fallen under the
leadership of Ishbosheth, Sauls only surviving son. For more than seven years, the
house of Saul struggled with the house of David for the right to rule Israel. David grew
stronger and stronger under the hand of God and the house of Saul grew weaker (2
Samuel 34).
Eventually, David and his army defeated these forces of Sauls son and all the tribes
of Israel came to David at Hebron to acknowledge him as Gods chosen leader. David
made a covenant with them and they anointed him as king. The kingdom was united;
Judah and Israel were one in purpose and heart under the strong leadership of David.
King David and his men marched on the city of Jerusalem to drive out the Jebusites,
one of the tribes who lived in Canaan at the time the children of Israel crossed over
the Jordan. Jerusalem, the great walled city, would be a perfect site for a capital to
unite the two regions since it lay on the border between Israel and Judah. This would
now be called the City of David (2 Samuel 5:9). His kingship had been established
politically and militarily. Next, he must re-establish the nation spiritually. He did
this by returning the ark of the covenant to the capital city and placing it inside the
tabernacle (2 Samuel 6:17).
Under Davids leadership, the nation prospered and its wealth was greatly increased.
It was Israels golden age. None of this would have been of any consequence had
David not put God in the center of Israels worship and national life. There was no idol
worship and so Israel prospered greatly because the people did what was right in the
sight of God.
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A MAN AFTER GODS OWN HEART

(Acts 13:22)
Nowhere in Gods Word is there described a man of such versatility as David possessed.
He was a shepherd boy, a court musician, a courageous warrior, a true friend, an
outcast military leader, a great general, a wise king, a loving father, a gifted poet, a
repentant sinner, a brokenhearted old man, but always a worshipper of God.8 God
sought this man because he loved like God dida man after His own heart. God
wanted a man to reverence and obey Him. While others may look on the outward
appearance, God looks on the inward man. He knew Davids heart and He knew that
it was like His own. That is why God chose this shepherd boy from Bethlehem to be
the greatest king Israel would ever know until Christ. God knew David and David knew
this about God.
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble (Psalm 46:1)
whether David was in the field guarding the sheep; or defeating the Philistine
giant Goliath; or fleeing the wrath of Saul.
Davids victories against the Philistines came through the power of an almighty
God.
Davids wisdom to rule the people came from Gods wisdom that filled his own
heart.
God was totally reliable because God is the same yesterday, today and forever
(Hebrews 13:8).
God would never leave him or forsake him. The Lord is my helper; and I will not fear;
what can man do to me (Hebrews 13:6)?
From the ancestral line of this godly king would come Gods Messiah, the King of Kings
and Lord of Lords. This was the way God had always planned things to be. God made
an unconditional covenant with David to bless him forever (2 Samuel 7:817).
Davids name would be great.
Gods chosen people would have their own land in which to live.
God would bring peace to Israel.
One from Davids family would build a great house for God.
God would establish Davids kingdom forever through One who would come from
his seed, i.e., Christ.
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7
Commentary on 1 Samuel 17:40, The NIV Study Bible, Zondervan Bible Publishers, 1985, p. 401.
TEACHING PLAN
JOURNEY 11: Long Live the King!

1 Samuel 16 Plan
2 Samuel 5:111 Seek to know Gods plan for your life
1 Chronicles 11:19 by studying His Word.
Connect the Big Room experience David is chosen.
to the key word/thought for the day David becomes king of Judah.
and the Bible story. David unites all of Israel.
Game: What criteria do we use to David is a man after Gods own
make choices? heart.
Who is Davids most important A Jeweled Crown
descendant?
Scripture Memory
I have found in David the son of Jesse a man after my heart,
who will do all my will. Acts 13:22
Visual Aids
Three special treats placed in three brown wrinkled bags; three worthless items,
each wrapped in shiny paper with bows; a sample of olive oil;
one red paper heart per student
PREPARE the six gifts and lay them out on the table for the students
to view. Choose three students to come and select one gift each. Have
them open the gifts and show them to the class. Read aloud 1 Samuel
16:7 and then ask the following questions.
Why did you choose a certain gift?
Does God know why you chose the gift you did?
What were you hoping to receive?
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TRANSITION to todays Bible story by telling the kids that God was
most disappointed with Saul as the king of the Israelites and so
was Samuel. Samuel had turned his back on the king because he
continually refused to obey Gods commandments. Now it was time for
God to lead Samuel to a new king and that is exactly what He did. Lets
see how it all unfolded.

SAY: Still mourning over the failures of Saul, Samuel waited for God
to tell him what to do. Where would Israels next king come from? How
would he know when he found him?
A. DAVID IS CHOSEN AND ANOINTED (1 Samuel 16:113)

SAY:
Verse 1: Where did God tell Samuel to go?
Verses 25: Why was Samuel afraid? What did he tell Jesse?
Verse 7: What warning did God give Samuel? What qualities had
people thought would make Saul a good king? (his stature and his
appearance)
Verses 1011: What did Samuel say to Jesse after he had seen seven
of his sons?
Verses 1213: How did Samuel know David was the one? [Explain the
act of anointing as a symbolic way of setting someone aside for a special
service. Show the sample of olive oil you brought.] What does it mean to
say that the spirit of the Lord came powerfully on David? What do you
think his brothers must have been thinking?
EXPLAIN that it would be almost seven years before David would

become king over all of Israel. Samuels anointing had been done
privately and would not be made public for some time. God had
wanted Saul to unify the 12 tribes of Israel. Instead, they were often
at war with one another. Saul continued to rule, but in the end, he
was finally defeated by the Philistines. They killed Jonathan and his
brothers and severely wounded Saul with an arrow. Realizing his
dreams for fame and glory were at an end, Saul committed suicide by
falling on his own sword (1 Samuel 31:4).
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B. DAVID IS ANOINTED KING OF JUDAH (2 Samuel 2:47)
SAY: When news reached David of Jonathans death and the suicide of
Saul, he was grief-stricken. Read 2 Samuel 1:1012 to see how David
reacted. He grieved over Sauls failure to trust in God. He grieved over
the loss of his best friend Jonathan. David waited for God to tell him
what to do.
Verse 1: Where did God tell David to go?
Verse 4: Who came to him there and what happened?
Verse 5: How did David reach out to the other tribes in Israel?
SAY: For five years, Sauls only surviving son, Ishbosheth, struggled to
defeat the Philistines in the northern regions of the Promised Land and
to rule his fathers kingdom. For a time, Israel and Judah were at war
with one another. Eventually, two of his own men killed Ishbosheth in
the middle of the night. He had been a poor ruler and commander of
the northern tribes of Israel.
C. DAVID IS KING OF ALL ISRAEL (2 Samuel 5:15)

SAY: The tribes of Israel were still struggling against the Philistines;
they came to David.
Verse 1: What did the tribes of Israel say to David?
Verse 3: What kind of covenant did they make with David? What did
the elders of Israel do at Hebron? At last the nation was united under
Davids kingship.
Verses 45: How old was David when he was made king of all Israel?
How many years did he rule?
D. A MAN AFTER GODS OWN HEART

What made David different from Saul? The answer is found in the
speech David made to Goliath on the field of battle before he killed
the giant. [Read it aloud in 1 Samuel 17:4547 with great drama and
passion.] There was no doubt that in David God had found a man
whose absolute total trust was in Him. In every battle it was God who
gave David the victory and David understood this full well. Success had
not come by his might or sword but by God showing him favor. God has
a plan for those who give their lives to Him. It was Gods plan for David
to be king of a united Israel. David sought to bring honor to God in
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everything he did and God was able to do mighty things.
David had great victories against the enemies of Israel
(1 Samuel 18:516).
David united the 12 tribes and Israel and Judah become one
nation (2 Samuel 3:1).
Jerusalem becomes the capital city of the nation of Israel
(2 Samuel 5:67).
He brought the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem eventually and
placed it inside the tabernacle (2 Samuel 6:1517).
David desired to build a great house of worship for God
(1 Chronicles 17:45) but this endeavor would be given to his son
Solomon.
THE CROSSROADS
SAY: God had always planned for a king to rule His people from the
tribe of Judah. Now Gods king was finally on the throne. Once a simple
shepherd boy, David considered all that God had done for him and
through him. By the prophet Nathan, God reaffirmed His promise to
establish the throne of Davids kingdom forever. He promised never to
take His mercy from him as He had done with Saul (2 Samuel 7:811).
How did God keep this promise to David? How could Davids kingdom
last forever? Gods perfect plan of redemption would run through the
house of David.
Hundreds of years later, one of Davids descendants would be born
in Bethlehem.
He would have the same ancestors as David: Rahab, Ruth, Boaz,
Obed, Jesse and many others.
The Old Testament prophets foretold His coming and called Him
the Son of David.
Before He would rule as king, He would offer Himself as a sacrifice,
a ransom, for the souls of mankind.
His sacrifice would satisfy the punishment that sin required.
Life in His kingdom would require that one be born into His family,
i.e., to be adopted as one of His children.
[Share the plan of salvation as you explain how to be born into Gods
family. Close in prayer.]
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If you have received Christ as Savior, then you have made the most
important decision you will ever make. Even though you have been
born again into Gods family, there are times when you will sin, as we
all do. When that happens, we must ask God to forgive our sin and
to make us clean again. He has promised to do this whenever we call
upon His name in faith. It is important to stop and pray today for Gods
forgiveness. [Pause for a minute and pray for the unsaved and for the
saved child.]

Jeweled Crowns
Supplies: cardboard frames, craft foil squares, crown tracer sheet,
ballpoint pens, tape, self-adhesive jewels, markers
Distribute pens, markers, tape and jewels among the students.
Provide a frame, foil square and tracer sheet to each student.
Instruct the students to write Gods Plan on the frame and set it
aside.
Next, place the tracer sheet over the foil square and trace the
design with the ballpoint pen, pressing hard.
Once the design is complete, have them tape the foil square to the
back of the frame.
Now they can affix several jewels to their frame and decorate with
markers as desired.
SCRIPTURE MEMORY: Acts 13:22

I have found in David the son of Jesse a man after
my heart, who will do all my will.
Follow these instructions.

Give each student a red paper heart.
Tell them to write the key verse on the heart, but instead of
writing David the son of Jesse, they are to write their own name
and the name of their parents. Put an example on the board.
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I have found in ________________ ,
the son or daughter of _____________,
a young person, after my heart, who will do all my will.
Acts 13:22
Have everyone say the verse, filling in the information about

himself.
Ask the students to put this heart some place special in their
rooms (maybe on a mirror) where they can see it each day and
remember that they, like David, have been anointed, or set aside,
to do Gods will. God has a special plan for each of us who give our
lives to Him in faith.
HUDDLE GROUP
SAY: It is quite significant that God would describe David as a man
after His own heart. ASK the students these questions to stimulate
discussion:
What do you think God meant when He said this about David?
What did you see in Davids life that fit this description?
David was anointed as king by Samuel when he was probably a
teenager. What do you know about David that made him willing
to wait until the time was right? Why would David have been glad
he waited?
Why is it so hard to wait for God to show us His way?
READ Isaiah 55:89. ASK the students to explain what this verse
means. CLOSE by sharing this saying:
God gives the best to those who leave the choice to Him.
What does this saying tell you about Gods plan for your life? If you
want His best in your life, what should you tell Him every day? ALLOW
students to spend a few minutes in quiet prayer and then you close.
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David was an important Bible character. He loved God with his whole
heart. Lets walk through a few books of the Bible to find out other
interesting things about David. Have the students look up the following
Scriptures.
David is chosen as king (1 Samuel 16:1113).
David was a victorious commander (2 Samuel 8:23).
David was a great king (2 Samuel 5:35).
David was a very good friend (1 Samuel 18:13).
David planned to build a temple for God (1 Chronicles 22).
David was an ancestor of the Messiah (Luke 2:4).
David is considered a hero of the faith (Hebrews 11:32).
David passes his rule on to his son Solomon (1 Kings 2:14).
REVIEW QUESTIONS
1. Where did the next king of Israel live? (in Bethlehem)
2. What was his fathers name? (Jesse)
3. How many brothers did he have? (seven)
4. What was his job in the family? (watch over his fathers flocks)
5. Who came to Jesses house in search of a king? (Samuel)
6. What did Samuel do in front of Davids family to show that David
had been set aside for service to God? (anointed him with oil)
7. Why did David have to wait to be king? (Saul was still king. His
appointed time had not come yet.)
8. Describe the relationship between David and Jonathan, Sauls
son? (They were the best of friends.)
9. How did King Saul die? (He was wounded in battle and then killed
himself.)
10. How long did David rule over Israel? (seven years over Judah, then
33 years over a united Judah and Israel)
11. Where was the capital city of the united Israel located?
(Jerusalem)
12. Name two of Davids ancestors. (Ruth, Boaz, Naomi, or Obed)
13. Name his most important descendant. (Jesus)
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SETTING UP YOUR
TEACHING BOARD
Lesson Title: Long Live the King!

Key Word: Plan
Key Thought: Seek to know Gods plan for
your life by studying His Word.
David is chosen.
David is anointed.
David rules Israel.
Davida man after Gods own heart
GODS PLAN IS ALWAYS

THE BEST PLAN!
I have found in David, the son of Jesse

a man after my heart, who will do all my will.
Acts 13:22
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BAD CHOICES!
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BIBLE BACKGROUND
JOURNEY 12: Bad Choices!

2 Samuel 1112 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast
love, According to your abundant mercy, blot out my
Key Word: transgressions. Psalm 51:12
Forgiveness
Key Thought:
Forgive others as God has forgiven you.
THE HUMANITY OF A KING

David became king of Israel at the age of 30. He had been born for this office and this
time in history. He arrived on the scene halfway between Abraham and Christ around
1000 B.C. Through the house of David and the line of Judah, God was building an
eternal kingdom. As king, David built a powerful, wealthy and united Jewish nation
that honored and celebrated God. Yet, David was not a perfect man. The Bible makes
no attempt to cover up his sins but instead exposes them for all to see. His crimes of
adultery and murder brought him both personal and national shame.
DAVID AND BATHSHEBA

(2 Samuel 11:15)
Davids affair with Bathsheba occurred about 10 years after he established himself as
king over both Israel and Judah. He would have been around 47 years old. Up to this
point, he had been an excellent example of godly character. He was modest, brave,
honorable, kind, compassionate and a valiant warrior.
In a moment of weakness, David allowed lust to fill his mind as he looked from his
rooftop to watch a young woman bathing. Struck by her beauty, David made inquiries
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about who she was. He soon learned that she was married to one of the soldiers in his
army. Her name was Bathsheba and her husbands name was Uriah.
When David first saw Bathsheba, her husband was away fighting with the army.
David sent for the woman and had her brought to him. She willingly entered the
presence of the great king. The two of them became involved in an adulterous
relationship and a child was conceived. The king realized their sin would soon be
known unless he intervened in some manner.
THE GREAT COVER-UP (2 Samuel 11:624)

Plan A: David ordered Uriah brought back from battle so that he could go home to
spend the night with his wife. This would then give the appearance that the child
Bathsheba carried was Uriahs. However, Davids plan failed because Uriah refused to
sleep in comfort when his fellow soldiers were still in danger on the battlefield.
Plan B: Next, David sent word to his field commander Joab to send Uriah to the
front of the battle lines where the fighting would be the most dangerous (2 Samuel
11:1417). As David hoped, Uriah was killed as the army advanced. Davids plan had
worked. The husband was out of the way and now David legitimately could take
Bathsheba into the palace as his wife.
A WITNESS TO THE MURDER

(2 Samuel 11:27)
God had seen what David did and it greatly displeased Him. God knew Davids
heart and the sin that drove him to plan Uriahs death. David had broken one
commandment after another: he had coveted anothers mans wife; he had planned
the murder of her husband; and then he lied to cover it up. The man who had once
sought to honor God with his whole heart had now allowed himself to commit a
series of sins that broke Gods heart. David perhaps thought that no one would ever
know what he had done, but the truth of the matter wasGod knew and He is the
One who counts!
Davids sin separated him from God. Davids fellowship with the Lord and the blessing
on his life and the nation were now in jeopardy. David would soon be confronted with
his sin so that he might understand fully Gods perspective on the matter.
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NATHANS PARABLE (2 Samuel 12:17)

God sent the prophet Nathan to confront Davids secret sins. It took great courage for
Nathan to go before the king with Gods message. David had killed once to cover up
his sins and maybe he would again by striking down the prophet. Nathan chose his
words carefully as he stood before the king. He told David a story that would enable
him to see his sin clearly as God saw it.
There were two men living in Davids kingdom.
One was very wealthy with large flocks of sheep. The other was poor and owned
only a small lamb, which he raised as a pet and loved like one of his own children.
One day the rich man had a visitor. He wanted to prepare a special meal for the
visitor but he was too miserly to serve up one of his own sheep.
Instead, he took the poor mans beloved lamb and turned it into a delicious meal
for his guest.
David was outraged when he heard the story. This man deserved to die, David
declared. At the very least, he must pay back four times what he had taken. Nathan let
him finish his ranting and raving and then declared: You are the man. Immediately,
David realized that Nathan knew what he had done, and if Nathan knew, then God
knew.
NATHANS REBUKE (2 Samuel 12:712)

Nathan reminded David of everything God had done for him. David already had a
wife, children, wealth, power, prestige and much more. Yet he took what was not his
because of his desire for pleasure. In Gods eyes David himself had struck down Uriah
the Hittite with the sword and took his wife (2 Samuel 12:10). There was no excuse for
what he had done and there was no need to deny it.
When Nathan finished speaking, David declared that he had sinned against the
Lord. David did not deny the truth or try to make excuses. He openly confessed his
guilt. Nathan assured him of Gods forgiveness but explained the consequences. The
enemies of Israel now had reason to blaspheme the Lord because of Davids cruelty.
The child that Bathsheba was carrying would die.
DAVIDS FULL CONFESSION (Psalm 51)

David took public responsibility for his sins and openly sought Gods forgiveness. His
full confession of sin and plea for forgiveness appear in Psalm 51 as he begs God to
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blot out his transgressions. David had sinned against Bathsheba and Uriah but his
deep-seated grief lay in the realization of his sin against God. David could hide his
sin from men, but he could not hide it from God. God had looked into the innermost
part of Davids soul and there he saw his lust, greed and murderous intent. God had
watched it all unfold and now everyone knew the sins of the king.
THE CONSEQUENCES OF SIN

(2 Samuel 12:1218)
God did forgive David and restored their relationship, but there were consequences
David had to endure.
Death continually plagued the household of the king.
Bathshebas child died.
Years later, Davids own sons followed his sinful example.
David dishonored the name of Yahweh among the nations that surrounded his
kingdom.
Absalom, his beloved son, led a rebellion against him.
GODS COVENANT WITH DAVID

(2 Samuel 7:417)
God promised Abraham that through him all people on earth would be blessed
(Genesis 12:3), but God did not explain to Abraham how He would accomplish this.
Gods covenant with David reveals that the Messiah would come from the offspring
of Davids children, namely Solomon. This covenant relationship with David was
immutable and confirmed to Mary by the angel Gabriel. Through Jesus, Davids
descendant, all the earth will be blessed eternally. The thorn-crowned king of the
Jews will one day be given the throne of His father David and peace on earth will
come to all men through faith in Christ (Acts 2:2935). Forgiven and pardoned, David,
a man after Gods own heart, fulfilled the purpose for which he had been created.
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TEACHING PLAN
JOURNEY 12: Bad Choices!

2 Samuel 1112 Forgiveness
Forgive others as God has forgiven you.
Connect the Big Room experience Davids Sin
to the key word/thought for the day Nathans Parable
and the Bible story. Davids Confession
Gods Forgiveness

To demonstrate the concept of Hearts of Forgiveness
forgiveness, we will use the sin solution
to illustrate how Christ takes our sin away.
Scripture Memory
Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love;
According to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.
Psalm 51:12
Visual Aids
Index cards for Sin Charades, clear glass of water, iodine and an eyedropper, cross
glued to bottom of tin tea light holder, developers fluid
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B. PLAY a game of Sin Charades. On index cards, write descriptions of
common sins young people commit. You can include these ideas:
Talking back to parents

Hitting a brother or sister
Cheating on a test
Stealing a piece of candy
Gossiping about someone
Making fun of other people
Not doing assigned chores
Call on different students to come to the front of the room and draw a
card out of your stack. Then ask them to act out the sin. The class will
try to guess what sin they have committed.

[Teachers of students in Grades 1 and 2 will want to present this
information in general terms. Details will not be necessary. The older
students will read the text and may have questions. Be as discreet as
possible as you respond. The focus is on Davids genuine repentance.]
A. DAVIDS SIN (2 Samuel 11:124)

SAY: David had many good character qualities. He was honest, kind,
compassionate, generous, kind, brave, honorable and just. David loved
the Lord with all his heart and honored His name. Yet, one day David
found himself yielding to great temptation that would break his heart.
He brought to the palace a woman who was not his wife. Her name
was Bathsheba and her husband was Uriah. He was a soldier in Davids
army and he was away fighting. Over a period of time, David decided to
marry the woman. He had one of his army officers make sure that her
husband was placed at the front of the battle so that he might die as
the army advanced.
Just as David planned, the soldier was killed. After a period of

mourning, David had Bathsheba brought to the palace. Have the
students open their Bibles to 2 Samuel 11:2627.
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Did the woman marry the king?
Did she give him a child?
How did God know what David had done? How did God feel about
Davids sin?
SAY: God knew Davids heart and He knew the ugly sins that had
driven him to plan Uriahs death.
David had broken one commandment after another; he had
coveted anothers mans wife; he committed adultery with her; he
had planned the murder of her husband; and then he lied to cover
it all up.
The man who had once brought only honor to God had now
allowed himself to commit a series of sins that broke Gods heart.
David perhaps thought that no one would ever know what he had
done, but the truth of the matter was that God knew and He is the
One who counts!
B. GOD SENDS NATHAN TO CONFRONT DAVID (2 Samuel 12)

SAY: Sin separates us from God and now Davids fellowship with the
Lord and His blessing were in jeopardy. David must be confronted with
his sin.[Have the students turn to 2 Samuel 12:14.]
God sent Nathan the prophet to confront Davids secret sins. It took
courage for Nathan to go before the king with such a message. David
had killed before and maybe he would strike down the prophet.
Nathan chose his words carefully. Rather than accusing the king
directly, he told him a story that would enable David to see his sins as
clearly as God saw them. Here is the story Nathan told.
There were two men living in Davids kingdom.
One was very wealthy with large flocks of sheep. The other was
poor and owned only but a small lamb, which he had raised as a
pet from birth and loved like one of his own children.
One day the rich man had a visitor. He wanted to prepare a good
meal for the visitor but he was too stingy to serve up one of his
own sheep.
Instead, he took the poor mans young lamb and turned it into a
delicious meal for his guest. 179
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David was outraged when he heard the story. The man deserved to die,
David declared. At the very least he must pay back four times what he
had taken. Nathan let him finish his ranting and raving. READ aloud
to the class what Nathan said to the king in 2 Samuel 12:78: You are
the man!
Immediately, David realized that Nathan knew what he had done. If

Nathan knew, then God knew.
Nathan reminded David of everything that God had done for him.
David already had a wife, children, wealth, power, prestige and
much more. He was the rich man in the parable.
Yet, he took what was not his because of his desire for pleasure (2
Samuel 12:10).
David was as guilty of Uriahs death as if he had killed him with his
own sword.
Nathan told David that he had sinned in secret, but God would punish
him publicly (2 Samuel 12:12). There was no excuse. David had repaid
Gods goodness to him with willful acts of disobedience. David had
been caught. What would he do? How would the king defend himself
against Nathans revelation?
C. DAVIDS CONFESSION (2 Samuel 12:13)

SAY: When Nathan finished speaking, Davids heart must have been
beating fast. He openly admitted that he had sinned against the Lord
He did not lie or make excuses. He confessed his sin. By doing this, God
removed from him a sentence of death and his relationship with God
was restored, but there would be consequences to endure.
D. DAVID REPENTS (Psalm 51)

SAY: It was during this period of life that David wrote Psalm 51. It
contains his full confession of sin and plea for forgiveness. David begs
for Gods mercy and asks that He blot out his transgressions. David had
sinned against Bathsheba and her husband but his deepest grief lay
in the realization of how he had sinned against God and disappointed
Him.
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[Have the students open their Bibles to this passage. Read verses 14 to
younger students and verses 113 to the older ones.]
SAY:
David could hide his sin from other men but not from God.
In this innermost part of his being, David knew God had seen all of
his deceitful planning.
God had watched it all unfold in the palace and on the battlefield.
Now everyone knew what he had done.
God did forgive David and restored their relationship but there were
terrible consequences for David to endure.
Years later, his own sons would follow his sinful example.
His own son Absalom led a rebellion against his father.
The child Bathsheba bore for him died.
The name of Yahweh among the Israelites had been shamed.
King David lost respect and admiration that once had been
lavished upon him.
David did find forgiveness and a new awareness of how easily Gods
blessing can be taken away.
THE CROSSROADS
SAY: Just as God saw into Davids heart and knew his sin, He also sees
when we sin and do evil against others. He wants us to repent of our
sin and to confess it to Him. When we do, He is faithful and just to
forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
DEMONSTRATE this concept by doing the following:

Take a clear glass and fill it half full of water.
Explain that todays lesson focused on forgiven sin.
Ask the students to give you some examples of sin. (They should
have no trouble doing this.) Each time a sin is mentioned place a
drop of iodine in the clear water.
As the water gets dirtier and dirtier, explain how our lives become
stained by sin in the same way. Sin separates us from God. That
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is why Jesus had to die on the Cross to make a way for us to be
forgiven.
Glue a 10-inch wooden cross to the inside of a tea light holder. Dip
the tea light holder into developer fluid or you may use bleach.
Immerse the tea light holder into the stained water and swish it
around. Immediately, the water becomes clear.
Explain that in the same way God washes away our sins if we have
trusted in Christ as our Savior.
Share the plan of salvation and close in prayer.
SCRIPTURE MEMORY:
Psalm 51:12
Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love;
According to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.
SAY the verse several times with the whole class. Discuss each of the
underlined key words.
MercyGods goodness shown to us in spite of our sin.
Steadfasta word to describe Gods enduring love for His
children, like that of a parent
Abundant mercyGod has an infinite capacity for forgiveness
Transgressionsanother word for sins
Divide the room into two groups of students and alternate saying
the phrases until everyone has learned the entire verse. For example,
Group 1 says: Have mercy on me, O God,

Group 2 says: According to your steadfast love
Group 1says: According to your abundant mercy
Group 2 says: Blot out my transgressions.
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Hearts of Forgiveness
Supplies: red and white paper with preprinted cut and fold lines,
scissors, markers, tape, glue sticks
Distribute scissors and markers among the students.
Provide each student with a red paper.
Instruct the students to fold along the indicated lines using an
accordion fold. Assist as needed.
Once the paper is folded, help the students locate the two
preprinted cut lines, emphasizing the small edge of the fold that
is not to be cut.
Instruct the students to make their first cut. Emphasize again the
area that they are not to cut, then instruct them to make their
second cut and unfold their hearts.
If any cutting mistakes were made, the leaders may use the
provided tape to make repairs.
Give students a white paper and follow the same instructions
as above.
Have the students write Psalm 51:12 along the edges of both the
red and white hearts and decorate as desired.
Have them paste the back of the red hearts to the back of the
white hearts.
Ask them to keep these hearts of forgiveness somewhere they
can see it each day.
Remind students that God willingly forgives us of our sins when
we ask Him in Jesus name. He wants us to forgive others as an
example of His love lived out in our lives.
HUDDLE GROUP
SAY: Davids sin was premeditated and willful. He just did not
stumble into sinning. He planned for it and manipulated people and
circumstances to get what he wanted. Yet, in Gods eyes, all sin is
unacceptable. Sin is sin and it always separates us from true fellowship
with God.
Psalm 51 tells us what God is looking for in our hearts. READ aloud
verse 6. 183
JOURNEY 12
What does God want to see in our mind and in our will? (truth)
What does He want to plant within our mind and our will?
(His wisdom)
How can we help God get truth and wisdom into our mind? (memorize
Gods mind, i.e., the Bible)
Pick a verse of Scripture from Psalm 51 to memorize. Every time you are
tempted to sin, quote the verse aloud. If we resist the devil, the Bible
tells us that he will flee from us (James 4:7).

WRITE the names of the books of the Old Testament on clothespins before
class.
String a clothesline or rope across your room.
Have the students attach the clothespins to the line in the same order
in which the books of the Old Testament are arranged.
String up two lines, divide the class in half and make another set of
clothespins for the New Testament.
REVIEW QUESTIONS
1. Name two good character traits that describe King David. (brave, bold,
courageous, kind, compassionate, just, faithful, loyal)
2. What was Davids sin? (He took another mans wife as his own.)
3. How did he try to hide his sin? (by having the womans husband killed)
4. Whom did God send to David to confront his sin? (the prophet Nathan)
5. What story did Nathan tell David? (Stolen lamb)
6. Who was the rich man in the story? (David)
7. How did David respond? (He confessed his sin.)
8. Whom did David say he had sinned against? (the Lord)
9. Did God forgive him? How do you know? (Yes, because God is faithful
and just to forgive sin when we are truly sorry.)
10. What chapter in Psalms did David write to express his repentance? (51)
11. What did David ask God to do with his sin? (to show him mercy and blot
it out)
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JOURNEY 12
SETTING UP YOUR
TEACHING BOARD
Lesson Title: Bad Choices!

Key Word: Forgiveness
Key Thought: Forgive others as God has
forgiven you.
Davids Sin
Nathans Parable

Davids Confession
Gods Forgiveness
Have mercy on me, O God,

according to your steadfast love;
According to your abundant mercy
blot out my transgressions.
Psalm 51:12
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186
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JOURNEY 13
SING A PSALM!
188
BIBLE BACKGROUND
JOURNEY 13: Sing a Psalm!
The Book of Psalms

Psalm 23, 51, 119, Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and
139, 145, 150 His greatness is unsearchable. One generation shall
commend your works to another. Psalm 145:34
Key Word:
Praise
Key Thought:
Praise God daily for all He has done for you.
BOOKS OF POETRY
The books of the Old Testament are divided into five major categories: Law, History,
Poetry, Major Prophets and Minor Prophets. The books of poetry offer praise to God in
unique ways.
Job tells the story of a righteous man who suffered greatly. God discusses His
mighty works of creation with Job, and Job affirms Gods sovereignty.
Psalms is a collection of poems and prayers originally set to music that were used
in worship. Their subject matter covers the full range of human emotions and
experiences as praise is offered up to God.
Proverbs provides its readers with practical advice of what is good and bad, wise
and foolish, beneficial and harmful. In all things and in all ways, one is admonished
to walk in fellowship with Godthe true source of all wisdom.
Ecclesiastes discusses purpose and meaning in life as Solomon concludes that
fulfillment only comes from knowing God Himself.
Song of Solomon describes the joy and fulfillment of genuine love within the
marriage relationship God has ordained.
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THE FAVORITE OLD TESTAMENT BOOK

The book of Psalms is considered by many as the best-loved book of the Old
Testament. It describes the emotions every person feels at different points in life: joy,
sorrow, loneliness, despair, failure, remorse, gratitude and victory. It is the longest,
most-often quoted, most diverse book of the Old Testament. It is also quoted more
times in the New Testament than any other book.9
The common theme of the book of Psalms is worship. Its chapters are divided into
five collections of worship songs, prayers, poems and hymns. They were written by
a variety of authors over an extended period of 1,000 years. The book is most often
attributed to David because he is connected directly to 73 chapters. He was called the
sweet psalmist of Israel in 2 Samuel 23:1.
Psalms has more authors than any other book in the Bible. Each chapter heading
identifies its author or those who are connected with it in some way.
David is associated with 73 psalms.
Asaph, a choirmaster for David, wrote 12 in all, Psalm 50 and 7383.
Solomon wrote two, Psalm 72 and 127.
Moses wrote Psalm 90.
Ethan, one of Solomons temple singers, wrote Psalm 89.
The sons of Korah, another group of temple singers, wrote Psalm 4249; 84, 85,
87, and 88.
THE MOST BELOVED PSALM (Psalm 23)

Of the 150 chapters of Psalms, perhaps the one people are most familiar with is
Psalm 23. It portrays a shepherd leading his sheep to lush green pastures. Beside the
pasture, there flows a quiet stream of fresh, running water. Such word pictures reflect
an image of God as Shepherd-King. The sheep do not appear stressed or anxious about
their situation; they simply abide in the company of the shepherd. Here are some
reasons why sheep need a good shepherd.10
Sheep must be led to their food source because they show little initiative in finding
it on their own. Without a shepherd, they can become weak and sickly and may
even die.
9
Psalms, Talk Thru the Old Testament by Bruce Wilkinson and Kenneth Boa, Thomas Nelson
Publishers, 1983, p.155.
10
Feed My Sheep, Commands of Christ, Institute in Basic Life Principles, pub., 2004, pp. 39-40.55.
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Sheep must have the right kind of food or else they might eat poisonous plants
and bushes.
Sheep need constant protection from predators because they are almost
defenseless. They have no sharp claws, no teeth to bite, and no speed to run from
danger. They put up little struggle even when being killed.
Sheep tend to wander off because their only focus is eating. They can easily get
caught in a thicket, fall over a ledge or get lost as they search for food.
Jesus called Himself the Good Shepherd (John 10:11) who gives His life for His
sheep. Like the shepherd in Psalm 23, He promises to care for all of His flock.
He said He knew His sheep and they know Him.
When He called, they heard His voice and they followed Him.
He was willing to lay down his life for the sheep.
He promised eternal life to His flock.
He declared that no one could ever snatch His sheep out of His hand.
This is the doctrine of the eternal security of the believer. No other words of assurance
can be stronger than those that came from the Shepherd Himself (John 10:2730).
A PRAYER OF REPENTANCE (Psalm 51)

This chapter was written by David after the prophet Nathan confronted him regarding
his adulterous relationship with Bathsheba. David confessed his human frailty and
sinfulness. What man covers, God will always uncover. David cried out to God in
deepest sorrow over his sin. He used different phrases to reveal his broken heart.
Have mercy on me, O God (verse 1)
Blot out my transgressions (verse 1)
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity (verse 2)
Hide your face from my sin (verse 9)
Create in me a clean heart (verse 10)
Cast me not away from your presence (verse 11)
Restore to me the joy of your salvation (verse 12)
Davids repentant heart is an example for all believers who look to God in faith for
forgiveness.
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JOURNEY 13
THE LONGEST CHAPTER IN THE BIBLE

(Psalm 119)
Psalm 119 is the longest of the 150 chapters in the book as well as being the longest
chapter in the entire Bible. It is a hymn of praise that exalts the Word of God. Of the
176 verses in the chapter, almost every one of them contains a direct reference to the
Word of God. Eight different terms are used to describe Gods Word:
Law
Testimonies
Ways
Precepts
Statutes
Commandments
Judgments
Word
Here are some familiar verses from this chapter.

I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you (119:11).
Teach me, O Lord, the way of your statutes; and I will keep it to the end (119:33).
Forever, O Lord, your word is firmly fixed in the heavens (119:89).
Your faithfulness endures to all generations; you have established the earth, and it
stands fast (119:90).
Oh, how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day (119:97).
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path (119:105).
Gods Word must always be exalted. His words brought the world into existence. Jesus
is the Word that became flesh and lived among us. Gods Word is settled in heaven
forever. The grass may wither and the flower may fade, but the Word of God will stand
forever (Isaiah 40:8).
THE LOVE OF GOD TO ALL GENERATIONS

(Psalm 145)
This psalm attributed to David reflects a heart overflowing with praise. Each
generation is commanded to praise the works of God to the next generation so
that the story of redemption can be handed down. This chapter contains important
concepts every believer must understand.
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Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and His greatness is unsearchable
(verse 3).
The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love
(verse 8).
The Lord is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made (verse 9).
The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth (verse 18).
THE PINNACLE OF PRAISE (Psalm 150)

The final chapter serves as a doxology to the entire book. The word praise occurs 13
times within the six verses of this chapter. The psalmist tells us
where to praise the Lord;
why we are to praise the Lord
how we are to praise the Lord
who is to praise the Lord
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! Psalm 150:6
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194
TEACHING PLAN
JOURNEY 13: Sing a Psalm!
The Book of Psalms

Psalms 23, 51,119, 139, 145, 150 Praise
Praise God daily for all He has
done for you.
Connect the Big Room experience Psalm 23
to the key word/thought for the day Psalm 51
and the Bible story. Psalm 119
Use praise circles to say something Psalm 145
nice about everyone. Psalm 150
Identify the emotions the book of
Psalms addresses.
We will use Psalm 139 to explain how Praise Boxes
God has made us for Himself.
Scripture Memory
Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and His greatness is unsearchable. One
generation shall commend your works to another. Psalm 145:34
Visual Aids
Two sets of index cards, one each for books in the Old and New Testament
SAY: The book of Psalms is considered the best-loved book of the Old
Testament. It is quoted more times in the New Testament than any
other book. It was used by people during Bible times as a songbook in
their worship. The books key word is praise. In it we find the different
ways the Israelites found to praise God. [Choose one of the following
activities to introduce the lesson.]
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JOURNEY 13
B. SPEND a few minutes going around the room praising each student
for something he or she has done or for something you like about
them. [Allow them to join in with you to praise one another.] When
finished, ASK these questions.
How did you feel when someone said nice things about you?
Was the praise you received truthful?
Did it make you want to say and do more good things?
C. SAY: The book of Psalms helps us see how well God understands
what we feel. The words of the Psalms teach us to praise God in every
situation no matter how we may be feeling. Lets make a list of all the
different emotions or feelings people can have. [LIST them on the
board as the students tell you what they are.]
Happiness Remorse
Sadness Indifference
Joy Fear
Anger Jealousy
Disappointment Thankfulness
Grief Temptation
Hurt Rejection
Hope
EXPLORING THE BOOK OF PSALMS

A. GENERAL INFORMATION
ASK the students to open their Bibles to Psalms. EXPLAIN it is located
about halfway between the Old Testament and the New.
Have students open their Bibles in the middle to see if they can
find Psalms quickly.
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JOURNEY 13
Point out the book has 150 chapters and is the longest book in the
Bible. Have them hold their left hand on Psalm 1 and their right
hand on Psalm 150 to see how big the book is.
Ask them to find the longest chapter in the Bible by locating
Psalm 119. How many verses does this chapter have?
Then tell them to find the shortest chapter in the Bible by looking
at Psalm 117. How many verses does this chapter have?
Ask the students to identify the key word for the book of Psalms.
(praise)
Have them turn to Psalm 150 and count the number of times the
word praise is used in six verses. (13)
B. THE IMPORTANCE OF GODS WORD: Psalm 119

ASK the students to turn to the longest chapter in the Bible. [See if they
remember which one you are talking about.] Lead them to discover the
answers to the following questions.
How can a young person keep from going in the wrong direction?
Read Psalm 119:910.
Why is it important to study and memorize Gods Word? Find the
answer in Psalm 119:11.
Find five different words to describe the Bible in Psalm 119:97
104. How can we have more understanding than our teachers?
Read verse 99.
What does Gods Word bring to us? The answer is in Psalm
119:169176. (understanding, salvation and guidance)
What kind of an animal are people compared to when they sin
against God? Read Psalm 119:176. (a lost sheep)
C. THE BEST-LOVED PSALM

SAY: Of all the 150 Psalms, the one that is most often quoted even
by people who know very little about the Bible is Psalm 23. [Have the
students locate it.] Ask them to read it along with you and then answer
the following questions.
How are people like sheep?
Why do they need a shepherd? Who is the Good Shepherd in the
New Testament? (John 10:11)
What does the Lord do for His sheep? Look in verses 23.
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Why should we never be afraid? See verse 4.
If we follow the Good Shepherd, what will follow us all the days of
our lives? Find the answer in verse 6.
D. SAY: Psalms has many prophecies about the Messiah who would
come to save His people from their sins. As time permits, allow the
students to look up some of these in the book of Psalms. Divide
the class into two groups. Assign persons on one side references
from Psalms. Assign people in the other group the references that
demonstrate its fulfillment. As the Psalms are read aloud, have the
students with the matching fulfillment references come and stand
beside him/her and read their Scriptures.
PSALM PROPHECY ABOUT JESUS FULFILLMENT

2:7 God will declare Him to be His Son. Matthew 3:17
16:10 He will be resurrected. Mark 16:67
22:16 His hands and feet will be pierced. John 20:25,27
22:78 He will be scorned and mocked. Luke 23:35
35:19 He will be hated without a cause. John 15:25
41:9 He will be betrayed by a friend. Luke 22:4748
45:6 His throne will be forever. Hebrews 1:8
68:18 He will ascend to Gods right hand. Mark 16:19
118:26 He will come in the name of the Lord. Matthew 21:9
THE CROSSROADS
SAY: No other book has as many authors as Psalms. King David wrote
at least half of the 150 chapters, but others were written by as many
as six different persons or groups of persons, who were choir leaders in
the temple. The accuracy with which Christ is described in the book is
no coincidence. The writing of this praise hymnal was carefully crafted
by God through the work of the Holy Spirit.
READ aloud Psalm 139:15. Point out that God knows us and sees us
every minute of every day.
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We cannot hide from Him; He sees even in the darkness (verse 78).
He knows us even better than we know ourselves.
He loves us so much that He wants us to be with Him for all
eternity.
He had to make a special way for that to happen because we are
sinners and sin cannot be allowed in His heavenly home.
Thats why He sent Jesus to pay the penalty for our sin.
If we receive the gift of salvation from Jesus, then we can be
assured of a home in heaven.
ASK: Where do you plan on spending eternity? Jesus wants you to

spend it with Him. [Share the plan of salvation and close in prayer.]

Praise Boxes
Supplies: boxes, crosses, glue sticks, preprinted excerpts from Psalm
119 (verses 911; 3337; 7172; 8990; 97100; 175176), markers,
red ribbon
Distribute markers and glue sticks among the students.
Provide a box, cross, red ribbon and a set of Bible verses for
each student.
Instruct the students to glue the cross to the center of the box
then decorate it to look like a Bible.
Afterward, review the Psalm 119 passage. Tell the students to roll
up their passages and place in their boxes.
Have the students also place the red ribbon in their box to
represent the scarlet thread of salvation throughout the Bible.
Challenge the students to find a way every day to give God praise.

Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and
His greatness is unsearchable.
One generation shall commend your works to another.
How many reasons do we have to praise God? [List them on the board.
Be sure that Jesus is included.]
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JOURNEY 13
HUDDLE GROUP
DISCUSS with the students the meaning of the word generation.
SHARE with them briefly your spiritual heritage.
ASK them how far back they can trace their own spiritual heritage.
Ask what they know about their grandparents worship of God?
Their great-grandparents? Their great-great grandparents?
HAVE them think about where they might be without such a
spiritual heritage.
REFLECT on where our church might be without all those who
have come before.
ASK: What does your generation need to do to keep this heritage
alive and well for the next generation?

Write the names of the books of the Bible on index cards.
Use another index card to write something about each book, thus
creating a pair of cards about an individual book.
Shuffle the cards and then turn them face down on the floor or on
a table.
Divide the class into two teams and let them take turns matching
up the pairs. Have a prize for the winning team.
REVIEW QUESTIONS
1. How many chapters does the book of Psalms have? (150)
2. What is the longest chapter in the Bible? (Psalm 119)
3. How many verses does it have in it? (176 verses)
4. What is the theme of this chapter? (how wonderful the written
Word of God is)
5. What chapter in Psalms describes our relationship to God as our
shepherd? (Psalm 23)
6. If we follow the Good Shepherd, what will follow us all the days of
our lives? (goodness and mercy)
7. Why is it important to memorize Gods Word? (so that we might
not sin against God)
8. Name one way Jesus is described in the Psalms. (as Gods Son)
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JOURNEY 13
9. What was the book of Psalms used for in the Old Testament? (as a
hymn book for temple worship)
10. What one word describes the theme for the entire book? (praise)
11. What does Psalm 139 tell us about Gods presence? (He is
everywhere; we cannot hide from Him.)
12. What is the responsibility of our generation to the next
generation? (teach them how and why to praise the Lord, our
Maker)
SETTING UP YOUR
TEACHING BOARD
Lesson Title: Sing a Psalm!

Key Word: Praise
Key Thought: Praise God daily for all He
has done for you.
The Book of Psalms

Psalm 119
Psalm 23
Psalm 139
Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and

His greatness is unsearchable.
One generation shall commend your works to another.
Psalm 145:34
201

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ISRAEL A NATION UNDER

GPS CURRICULUM SUMMER 2014 | PRESTONWOOD BAPTIST CHURCH

Please be mindful of the following considerations as you teach.

THE CHILDRENS MINISTRY TEAM

Key Passages: Key Verse:

ESCAPE FROM EGYPT

THE DESERT REALITY

THE TOP AND THE BOTTOM

THE CONSEQUENCES (Exodus 32:1535)

THE CLEFT OF THE ROCK

THE NEW TABLETS (Exodus 34:2428)

Key Passages Key Word/Thought

B. DISCUSS forms of communication that are popular today: e-mail,

Describe some of its drawbacks, like the interruption of activities in

C. DESCRIBE a kind of communication that does not need a hand-held

EXPLORING THE BIBLE PASSAGE

B. A GOD THEY COULD SEE (Exodus 32:18, 1520)

C. MOSES PRAYER (Exodus 32:3235)

. . . do not be anxious about anything, but in everything

Circle the key words that are italicized.

BIBLE LEARNING PROJECT:

HUDDLE GROUP: A Look at the Book

SETTING UP YOUR TEACHING

Lesson Title: A Costly Cow?

How should we pray to God?

. . . do not be anxious about anything, but in everything

Key Passages: Key Verse:

A WORSHIP TENT (Exodus 33:710)

GODS PERFECT PATTERN

ONLY ONE DOOR

THE SYSTEM OF SACRIFICES

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE TABERNACLE

Key Passages Key Word/Thought

EXPLORING THE BIBLE PASSAGE

A. THE RAW MATERIALS (Exodus 25:19)

B. THE OUTER COURTYARD (Exodus 27:919)

C. THE HOLY OF HOLIES (Exodus 25:1021)

E. THE OUTER COURTYARD (Exodus 27:16; 30:18; Leviticus 1:4)

F. THE CLOUD AND THE PILLAR OF FIRE (Exodus 33:9)

G. ABIDING IN THE TABERNACLE

Matthew recorded in his Gospel a very interesting thing that happened

SCRIPTURE MEMORY: Psalm 95:6

BIBLE LEARNING PROJECT:

HUDDLE GROUP: A Look at the Book

THE PATTERN FOR THE TABERNACLE2

Lesson Title: A Designer Tent?

Exodus 25:131; 27:919; 30:118; 33:710;

Where are some other places/situations where you

Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before

Key Passages: Key Verse:

GETTING ORGANIZED (Numbers 2)

SPIES IN THE CAMP (Numbers 1314)

God yielded to Moses plea but declared that:

THE PEOPLE REBEL AGAIN

THE SERPENT IN THE WILDERNESS

THE TORCH IS PASSED

Moses then prepared to leave.

NONE IN ISRAEL LIKE MOSES

God Himself buried Moses in a valley in Moab in an unmarked grave (Deuteronomy

MOSES AND JESUS

Key Passages Key Word/Thought

EXPLORING THE BIBLE PASSAGE

Dan Asher Naphtali