Background Information

• Things were not very good for the Israelites at the end of Judges. They worshipped idols, the judges were dishonest, and the priests were corrupt.
• At the beginning of 1 Samuel, we start seeing a reversal though. God raised up Samuel to be a prophet and a good judge for Israel.
• When Samuel was old, the people told Samuel to find them a king. Samuel knew this wasn’t the best idea because they had the perfect King-God himself. But God told him to go ahead and give them what they asked for. Read more about this in 1 Samuel 8.
• God chose Saul to be the first king of Israel. Read about how Saul was chosen in 1 Samuel 9-10.

Day 1-Saul and Jonathan

• Pray.
• Review the memory passage. Add another another verse from the passage in Ephesians 6 to your memory work.
• Before you start, have a little math lesson. Show your kids two numbers at a time. For younger kids use smaller numbers, and for older kids use numbers in the hundreds or thousands, whatever is age appropriate. Have them tell you if the number on the left is greater than, less than, or equal to the number on the right.
• Connect the math lesson to the story by having them listen for the number of people who were on Israel’s side verses the number of people who were on the Philistine side for the battle that they were getting ready to have.
• Read or summarize 1 Samuel 13:1-7.
• Ask, “Who had the greater army?”
• Explain that Samuel, the prophet of God, had previously instructed Saul to wait where he was for seven days. Saul grew impatient and worried because his people were scattering and the Philistines were wanting a battle, so he decided he would get things started on his own without waiting for Samuel. He disobeyed God by doing this. When Samuel finally got there, he knew Saul had done something he shouldn’t have. He told Saul that God wanted him to obey and because of his disobedience, someone else would eventually be king. (1 Samuel 13:8-14)
• After all of this, Saul was left with only about 600 men. Plus, the only people who had real weapons were Saul and his son Jonathan. The other men had to use their tools that they had at home, like their axes and hoes (1 Samuel 13:15-23).
• Read or tell in your own words what happened in 1 Samuel 14:1-15.
• Ask:
  • How did Jonathan show his faith in God (verse 6)?
  • What did God do to help Jonathan and to show His great power (verse 15)?
  • Would God have also helped Saul in a great way if he had just been patient and obeyed God?
  • Do we sometimes get impatient and wonder if our way is better instead of trusting God and His power to help us even if it seems impossible?
• Read 1 Samuel 14:16-23.
• The earthquake caused great confusion to the Philistines; they fled and turned on one another. This gave the Israelites, even the ones who were hiding and the ones who had deserted the army, confidence to come back and fight. Even though their king was disobedient, God was faithful to save His people from their enemies.

Day 2- David and Goliath

• Pray.
• Review the memory passage.
• Have your kids listen as you read the whole story. Have them picture in their head what is taking place. Tell them to be listening for evidence that David chose to put on the full armor of God.
• Read 1 Samuel 17:1-1-51.
• Go through each piece of the full armor of God from Ephesians 6:13-17 and decide together if David had that piece on or not. Ask them for evidence from the story that backs up their answer. You may even want to write them down and put a checkmark beside each piece of the “armor” that David wore.
  • belt of truth
  • breastplate of righteousness
  • feet covered with the gospel of peace (so he could stand his ground knowing he was at peace with God)
  • shield of faith
  • helmet of salvation
  • sword of the Spirit
• Ask, “How was David was able to have such a strong confidence that God would save him from Goliath (see verses 34-37)?”
• David remembered what God had done in the past and He knew that God does not change. This gave him confidence and courage for the future.
• Ask, “How can we know that David knew that having on God’s armor was more important than having on actual armor (see verse 45)?”
• Pray. Ask the Lord to give your kids courage like David. Pray that they will put on the full armor of God so they will be ready for whatever battles come. Thank God that He does not change, and He promises to go with us and fight for us.

Day 3-A Battle Between Two

• Pray.
• Review the memory passage from Ephesians 6.
• As you are getting ready to do your Bible time today, have some harp music playing in the background. I found a good playlist on Pandora. David would play the harp for Saul when he got angry or fearful or upset, and his music would help to calm King Saul.
• After David had killed Goliath, David did not return home. King Saul had him stay with him. He put David in charge of other men at war and he had success. The people really liked David (1 Samuel 18:1-5).
• Read 1 Samuel 18:6-9.
• Ask, “How was Saul feeling about David now? Why was he feeling this way?”
• Read 1 Samuel 18:10-16.
• Ask, “Does it seem like Saul had been putting on the full armor of God (Ephesians 6:13-17)? How can you tell?”
• Saul had been walking away from God’s plans for sometime now. He had let his jealousy and fear get in the way. He was not repenting, not turning away from his sin and coming back to God.
• It’s easy to let our emotions and fears take over, but this is not what God wants for us. He wants us to come to Him with all of our troubles. He is ready and wants to help us.
• Read what Jesus said about this in Matthew 11:28-29.
• Talk about how Saul’s life and decisions would have been different if he would have come to God with his troubles and let Him show Saul what to do.

Day 4-The Battle with Saul Continues

• Pray.
• Review the memory passage.
• As you read the Bible with your kids today, let them drive the conversation. You can ask them:
  • What do you think about this?
  • How would you feel/what would you do if you were in that situation?
  • What do we learn about God from this story?
  • How does this story help us in our lives right now/
  • What stands out to you in this story?
• Read or summarize
  • 1 Samuel 19:1-18
  • 1 Samuel 20
  • 1 Samuel 24

Day 5-David Asks the Lord

• Pray.
• Review the memory passage from Ephesians 6.
• Play “Mother May I”, either while they are eating (“Mother, may I eat four bites of yogurt?” “Mother, may I take two sips of milk?” Or you can go outside and play in the yard the regular way).
• Ask, “What are some things we should ask God about?”
• David was a good king. He didn’t do everything perfectly and he certainly sinned. But David had a heart that wanted to do what God wanted him to do (1 Samuel 13:14, Acts 13:22). He knew He needed to ask God for help and wisdom as he led the people.
• Read or summarize 1 Samuel 30:1-20. Be sure to read aloud verse 8.
• The city where David and his men had been living had been destroyed and their wives and children had been taken. It seems natural for David to want to immediately run after the bad guys and get revenge.
• Ask, “What did David wisely do (verse 6b and verse 8)?”
• Read or summarize 2 Samuel 5:17-25. Be sure to read verses 19 and 23.
• Ask, “After winning many battles in the past, you’d think that David could have just gone out and fought his enemies just like he always had without a lot of questions or doubts. Why did he keep asking God for wisdom and help? Why did he want God to tell him if it was okay or not to pursue a battle?
• Read Psalm 18:1-3, 16-19, 29-36, 46-50.
• Ask
  • After reading these verses that David wrote, does it seem like David had on the full armor of God (Ephesians 6:13-17)?
  • How was David able to have such confidence in the Lord?
  • What do we learn about God after reading today?
• Have older kids highlight in their Bibles some words/phrases/verses from Psalm 18 that will give them confidence when they are in battles of their own.

End of the Week Activity

My kids love to listen to a radio drama called Paws and Tales; I love it too! You can listen on your podcast app or go to https://pawsandtales.org/. There is an episode that goes well with what we have been reading about this week, especially on Day 5. It is called “Powers and Principalities.” They also have a three-part story on King Saul. I would highly recommend this show for kids of all ages.

Day 6-Solomon

• Pray.
• Review the memory passage from Ephesians 6 and add the remaining portion to your memory work.
• Introduce Solomon. Ask, “What do you already know about Solomon?”
• Solomon was David’s son and he became the king after David died. Explain that for much of Solomon’s reign, the nation of Israel experienced peace. The Lord gave Solomon more wisdom than any man who had ever lived (1 Kings 3:5-15). He wrote most of the book of Proverbs, as well as Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon. He did many good things for the nation of Israel.
• Talk about what happened in 1 Kings 11:1-13. Pay careful attention to verses 4, 6, 9-10.
• Because Solomon’s heart had turned from following the Lord and had turned to following other gods, God was going to cause division within the nation of Israel. A battle within itself, a civil war.
• Ask, “What can we learn from this part of Solomon’s life?” Have older kids explain how this story is relevant in today’s culture.

Day 7-Jeroboam and Rehoboam

• Pray.
• Review the memory passage in its entirety.
• Name Game-How many names can you think of that rhyme? (Holly, Molly, and Polly or Stu and Crew or Randy and Mandy, etc.)
• Today we will be reading about two guys who would lead the Israelites after the nation divided. And guess what? Their names rhyme!
• Remind your kids about that the nation of Israel was about to be divided since Solomon had failed to keep God’s commandment to honor Him.
• Summarize and briefly discuss 1 Kings 11:26-40.
• Explain that God had chosen Jeroboam to rule over the northern area of Israel and Solomon’s son, Rehoboam, would rule over the southern area (Judah). Hint: call them J and R if your kids are having trouble keeping track of the long names. It also might be helpful to show a map of the two kingdoms: https://www.lifeway.com/.
• Read and discuss 1 Kings 12:1-24.
• All of Israel had come to make Rehoboam, Solomon’s son, king. Jeroboam was the chosen representative and spokesman for the 10 northern tribes. He came to Rehoboam and asked him to lighten the excessive workload that Solomon had placed on them. He said that the northern kingdoms would serve him if he did this.
• For three days, Rehoboam thought about what to do and sought advice. At first he went to the elders who had helped his dad. They said he should listen to the people, give them what they asked for, and they would serve him.
• He also got advice from young men, people his own age. They suggested he come at them with even greater force than his father had.
• Ask, “Whose advice did Rehoboam listen to? Was this wise or unwise? What was the result of his decision?”
• The kingdom was divided; Jeroboam ruled over the 10 northern tribes of Israel, and Rehoboam ruled over the southern tribe of Judah.
• Ask, “Whose instructions did Rehoboam eventually listen to (see verse 24)?”
• Ask your kids what they thought about this story.
• Activity
  • Have a Thumb War tournament with the people in your family.

Day 8-the gods vs. GOD

• Pray.
• Review the entire memory passage. Can your kids say it on their own, with no help from Mom or Dad?
• Background Information
  • Ahab was now the king of Israel. He was a very wicked man. It was because of his wickedness that God caused a nation-wide famine in Israel. Elijah was a prophet of God. He had a message from God for Ahab and the people of Israel. The people had been combining their worship of the one, true God with their worship of the idol Baal. Israel needed to choose who was God, the Lord or Baal. They needed to worship God only.
• Read 1 Kings 18:17-46.
• Discuss
  • What are some things that you find interesting about this “battle” between God and the idol, Baal?
  • How did God prove that He is only God worthy of worship?
  • Did Elijah have on the full armor of God (Ephesians 6:13-17)? How can you tell?
  • Does this story give you confidence and courage for the battles you will face? Why or why not?

Day 9-The Battle is God’s

• Pray.
• Review the memory passage.
• Introduce Jehoshaphat. You could use Little People or other little toys to help you tell this story.
  • king of Judah
  • set his heart to seek God
  • brought his people back to the Lord
• Read 2 Chronicles 20:1-4.
• Ask, “What was the problem? What did Jehoshaphat do to solve the problem?”
• Read or summarize 2 Chronicles 20:5-13.
• As he prayed, Jehoshaphat acknowledged several things:
  • God’s sovereignty (He is in control) (verse6)
  • His promises (verse 7)
  • His presence (verses 8-9)
  • God’s goodness (verse 10)
  • his dependence on God (verse 12)
• Read 2 Chronicles 20:14-19.
• Ask, “What does God tell Jehoshaphat not to do? What does He tell them to do?”
• Read 2 Chronicles 20:20-24, 29-30.
• The people went into battle singing and praising the Lord. Ask, “How do you think they felt as they were marching into battle? How does praising the Lord help when we feel afraid or unsure?”
• Ask, “Is there anything about this story that makes you say, ‘Wow!’ or helps you to trust God more?”

Day 10-Babylon

• Pray.
• Review the memory passage.
• Over and over again, many kings and people had turned away from God to do what they wanted and to worship idols. God had been very patient with them, but after many warnings and them still not listening, He finally gave them over to their enemies, and for a very long time.
• Read or summarize 2 Kings 24:10-14. Have older kids look up the words siege and exile in a dictionary. Explain what they mean to younger ones.
• Read or summarize 2 Kings 25:1-7.
• Discuss
  • Have your kids imagine they were living in Judah at this time. Have them think about what they may have experienced (physically, emotionally, spiritually) if they lived during the siege and the capturing of the city and the exile of the people.
  • Would they worry? Would they cry out to God? Would their hearts become angry and hard?
• Read or summarize 2 Kings 25:8-12.
• Things were not looking good for the people. Almost all of them had been taken from their home and forced to live in a foreign land, and their beautiful city and the temple had been destroyed. All this had happened because so many of God’s chosen people and their kings had forgotten about God and had abandoned His commands. But God had not left them, and He had not forgotten them.
• Read Jeremiah 29:10-14.
• Ask
  • What promise did God make to His people (verse 10)?
  • Have you ever been like the Israelites? Have you continued to do something that you know was disobedient to God? Have you done what you wanted to do instead of what God wanted you to do?
  • Through all of the battles we’ve read about this summer, what have learned about God? Did He ever completely give up on His people? Did He ever leave them? What did He want from the Israelites? What does He want from us (see today’s reading)?
  • Imagine again that you were one of the people who had been exiled to Babylon, and you had just heard this promise from the Lord. How would you have probably felt? Would you be strengthened in your faith? Would you trust in what God said? Would you be more patient knowing God’s love and His plans for your life are good?
• Pray, thanking God that He never leaves us and that He doesn’t change. Ask Him to help you and your kids keep their armor on and to seek you daily. Thank Him for the good plans He has for each of your children.