S.S.S. Study Kings and Prophets
Family School at Faith Baptist Church
Week 1
Brief overview of the lives of King Saul and David
The first king of Israel, King Saul
1st Samuel 8:5-20 The people of Israel cry out for a king.
9:1-2 Saul introduced, Saul is everything outwardly a "good king" would be in those days.
10:1, 20-24 Saul with a humble spirit, Saul just as many of us was humble at his first encounter with Gods touch on his life, but as he grew used to being Gods chosen king, we will see he became vain and foolish, practicing religion instead of faith.
Saul sins directly against God twice
1st Samuel 13:6-9 Saul makes an offering which was only to be made by Samuel, it seems that his mindset about sacrifice was similar to many peoples mindset about church today, it is not reverent but simply something to do or take part in in order to be blessed by God.
13:10-14 Samuel arrives and passes judgment on Saul, also telling Saul what he would have enjoyed if he had obeyed- an everlasting kingdom. We are given a promise as well in Romans 8:17-18. Unfortunately Saul missed out.
15:1-3 Samuel gives Gods instructions to Saul to utterly destroy Amalek, instructions pretty much as simple as "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." Mark 16:15b, but just as many of us, Saul disobeys and makes excuses.
15:7-21 Saul disobeys Gods command and spares all things of value and the king of the amalekites. These instructions from God are a clear picture of what happens when God desires us to as Hebrews 12:1b states "let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us" it is easy to get rid of sin that we find no value or pleasure in, but the sins we cling to we keep, and when someone points out our wrong doing we, as Saul did blame others or even claim the sin to be righteous. (Best example would be the sin of compromising truth to "make the gospel more attractive", or altering Gods word to make it "easier to understand")
15:22-26 God wants obedience, not tradition, religion, excuses, or good intentions just simple obedience, Saul fails this final test and is rejected by God.
15:32-33 When a Christian simply does not obey Gods will for his life, God will raise someone else up to the task, Samuel completed Sauls task for him, showing him that what God wants accomplished will be done, but how often today in America does the burden your supposed to have for your peers, the witnessing, praying, learning, etc, those things which you are supposed to do for yourself get pushed off onto the preacher? Often people point their pastor at a loved one whom they are not witnessing to and ask him to do their job for them, it ought not be so.
God raises up a man after His own heart, David
1st Samuel 16:1 God sends Samuel to leave mourning for Saul and anoint a new king. At times in your life you may have Christian friends, family, or ministers let you down, but we cannot allow "christians" to dissuade our service to Christ.
16:4-13 God chooses out David telling Samuel in verse 7 "But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart." Israel already had it's outwardly appealing king, now it will have one with a heart for the job. Many times in the New Testament we read that God is not a respecter of persons Romans 2:11, Acts 10:34, we need to forget big, or small, black or white, smart or dumb, and just see souls!
16:14-23 David is hired by Saul as a musician and knowing that he has already been anointed king, he becomes Saul's servant.
17:1-58 David comes to the aid of the entire nation and king Saul when he has the faith in God to stand before Goliath, in verse 58 we see that after the battle Saul had not even recognized David from his service as a musician, but now God was exalting David in the eyes of all the people. 1st Peter 5:6 is a clear picture of what David did as a lowly servant to the king knowing that he was next in line for the throne.
18:1-6 David knowing he is the next king, and having defeated Goliath, continues to faithfully serve Saul. He knew his place.
Saul turns on David
1st Samuel 18:7-8 Samuel begins to see his greatest servant as a threat, Saul already knows that God has taken his kingdom from him, and now he suspects David may be the man to replace him, Saul attempts to cling to his power no matter what.
Chapters 18-20 Saul tries to kill David multiple times, twice with his spear (David returned to serving the king even after he had once tried to kill David talk about being faithful to work!) David's wife Mi-chal helped him escape Saul and David's flight takes him to the town of nob to the priest Ahimelech.
21:1-10 David tells the priest he is on the kings business (wether he did it for fear of being turned in, or to try and protect the priest from consequences for helping David we do not know.) Since David fled from Saul in such a hurry, he had no sword and in verses 8-9 he requests a weapon and the only weapon the priest has in the temple is the sword of Goliath which he gives to David. God is great at giving us reminders of our past victories, often through Gods man the priest, or today, the preacher, we are reminded of Gods works in our lives and it encourages us to press on for Him.
22:16-20 Saul accuses the priest of treachery for helping David and commands his men to kill the priests, Saul's footmen refuse his order, this is the second time that simple soldiers have stood up to Saul, in 1st Samuel 14:43-45 Saul commanded his men to kill his own son Jonathan, and they refused. All throughout history simple men of God have stood for right, Acts 5:27-29. Saul does find a willing man and all but one of the priests (85 total) are slaughtered and even the women and children of the town were all killed by the kings command that day.
David shows faith in restraint (Just as against Goliath he showed faith in taking action)
24:3-7 David, after all that Saul has done both to him, and to those who helped him, unjustly, and without cause, with an evil heart, David has the chance to kill Saul, even David's men practically beg him to kill him, telling him that it is Gods will in verse 4, but David only cuts the robe of Saul and feels guilty even for that, David has the mindset that God is in control and God will take vengeance for David, not himself. Romans 12:19 "Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord." Today too many Christians get distracted by politics and corrupt leaders but the bible says, Proverbs 21:1 "The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will." Focus on God and leave "getting even" to Him.
24:8-20 David confronts Saul, and when Saul sees that David spared his life, he repents realizes the stark contrast between David's righteousness and his sins, (verse 17) just as a sinner who would come to know Christ must first see his need for a savior Romans 3:10-12, and submits to Gods will for David to be king (verse 20) Just as one day all men will submit to the King of Kings Philippians 2:10-11.
The end result
2nd Samuel 7:5-16 God gives David rest from his enemies and a promise of an everlasting throne (verse 16). It is worth it to faithfully serve God, 2nd Timothy 4:7-8.
Jeffrey S. Lynn
S.S.S. Study Kings and Prophets
Family School at Faith Baptist Church
Week 1
Brief overview of the lives of King Saul and David
Student Test/Notes
For what reasons did the people of Israel want a king?
2. 1st Samuel 10:1 Shows that at a time, Saul had what trait?
3. When Samuel arrives after Saul made the burnt offering, who does Saul imply blame too?
4. When Samuel arrives after Saul spares Agag and the enemies best possessions, what is the first thing Saul says to Samuel?
5. What did Samuel do to king Agag?
6. What would Saul have had if he had not sinned against God?
7. What did Samuel tell Saul that God desires more than burnt offerings?
8. When looking at Jesse's sons what did God say that He (God) looks at?
9. List one verse from the New Testament that tells us God is not a respecter of persons.
10. David is hired by King Saul as a servant, what was his job and for what reason did Saul need him?
11. When David defeated Goliath, did Saul recognize David from his prior service?
12. When Saul began to see David as a threat what does the Bible say that Saul did from then on?
13. How many times did Saul try to kill David with his spear?
14. Who disobeyed Saul's order to kill the priests of The Lord?
15. How many priests (not including the women and children of the town) did Saul have killed?
16. What did David do when given the chance to kill Saul?
17. List a verse that tells us not to take vengeance for ourselves.
18. What made Saul finally repent?
19. What did God promise David?
20. Homework: This week for every question go back and write one paragraph on what each means to you, or what you can learn from each, for the questions that ask only for a scripture reference find two more references that you believe apply and tell why.
Suggested Schedule for Homework completion:
Thursday questions 1-4, Friday questions 5-9, Saturday questions 10-13,Sunday read and pray, Monday questions 14-16, Tuesday questions 17-19
Suggested reading for next weeks lesson:
1st Chronicles 11-29, 1st Kings 1-11, 2nd Chronicles 1-9, 2nd Samuel 1-24, 1st Samuel 25-31, these are by no means required reading but they are the segments in scripture we will be mostly focusing on in next weeks lesson.
Memory Verse: 1st Samuel 15:22 "And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams."
S.S.S. Study Kings and Prophets
Family School at Faith Baptist Church
Week 1
Brief overview of the lives of King Saul and David
Student Test/Notes
Thursday
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Friday
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9.
Saturday
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Monday
14.
15.
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Tuesday
17.
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19.
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