Israel's First King
Songs
Song 1: He's Got the Whole World in His Hands
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Song 2: I've Got Peace Like a River
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Bible Cartoon
Samuel anoints Saul King
Read from The Beginner's Bible
Page: 164
Bible reference: 1 Samuel 8-10
Devotional
Before Saul, Israel had no kings. All the other countries had kings. But Israel’s king was God. When the people trusted God and obeyed him, God fought for them. But when they didn’t trust and obey God, God let the Israelites fight for themselves. Their enemies were strong, and the Israelites would lose their battles. Their enemies would steal all their things, and the Israelites would have a lot of trouble. The Israelites hated losing their battles, and they hated it when their enemies stole all their things. They could have been safe from their enemies if they had just trusted God. But they didn’t want to trust God and obey him. So they came up with a different idea. They told Samuel about their idea. Samuel was the leader that God gave them. The Israelites told Samuel they wanted a king. They thought a king would give them the peace and safety that they wanted. Samuel told the Israelites that a king would cause a lot of trouble for them. But the Israelites wanted a king anyway, because they didn’t want God to be their king. So God gave them their king. Saul was a big, strong man. He looked like he could fight. Everyone was happy when he became their king. But after a while, Saul made a lot of trouble for them. And Saul couldn’t keep them safe. Only God could give them the peace and safety that they wanted. This is a sad story, and it still repeats itself today. Any time a person does not trust God with the big things in their lives, there is a sad story that comes afterwards. But if we trust God to be our king and we follow him carefully, he will take care of us.
Discussion Questions
- Why did the people want a king?
- Why didn't the people need a king?
Craft
See the paper crown template on this website: Click here
Memory Verse
Psalm 20:7 (CEV). Some people trust the power of chariots or horses, but we trust you, Lord God.