Israel's First King

Activity - Good King, Bad King

Designate one side of the room as good kings and the other as bad kings. Tell the kids that the middle of the room is where a king can be both good or bad (the overlapping area). Put the signs on whichever sides you choose. Invite the kids to raise their hands to provide traits that might be true of some kings. Write down each suggestion on a sticky note, and then allow the kid who suggested the trait to decide where it would go. She may stick the note in the appropriate area. Explain that the “overlapping area” is for traits that might describe both good and bad kings.

Saul was a bad king, but that doesn’t mean he had no good traits. Other kings might be good but still have some bad traits. That’s the problem with human kings; none are perfect. God’s people wanted a king like the nations around them, but they needed a king very unlike the kings around them. They needed a perfect King. Only Jesus is perfect. He’s the perfect King whom God promised to send. He died on the cross for our sins and rose again to defeat death. Jesus will return some day to destroy all evil and fix everything that sin has broken. Then He will rule over all of creation!

Watch

Read - 1 Samuel 8-15

Discuss

1. Where was Saul when it was time to introduce him as king? (Hiding among supplies)
2. Why did Saul offer a sacrifice before battle? (Saul’s troops were afraid, and Samuel arrived later than Saul expected him to)
3. What did Samuel say about sacrifices and obedience? (Obedience is better than sacrifices)
4. Why do you think God allowed Saul to be king if He knew Saul would disobey?
5. What are some ways people reject Jesus as King today?
6. What are some ways Jesus proves He is the perfect King?

Pray

Take this time as a family to pray together. Ask your children if they have anything they would like to pray about. If you have a child who would like to pray, this is a great time to do so!

Lord God, we confess that we are like the Israelites. Sometimes we look around at what others have and we want it too. We don’t always trust Your good plans. Like Saul, we are tempted to make excuses for why we sin. We think our plans are better than Yours. Lord, forgive us. Thank You for providing Jesus, the perfect King. Amen.