Advanced Level, Block 6—Struggling with a Kingdom
Week 52
Samuel—Learning How to Have a Living for God
Point to Emphasize: From all the improper things we see occurring around us today, we should be warned not to behave like that.
Reference Reading: 1 Samuel 2:12-18, 22-25, 29, 35, footnotes 112, 231, 351, 352
Memory Verse: You shall not follow a multitude to do evil… (Exodus 23:2a)
Story Sample
We all may know a lot about the story of Samuel but today we will see something new. What was Samuel doing living in the temple? [Let someone answer.] You can say that he grew up under the custody of the elderly priest Eli, being taught the way to minister to God. And this is true. That is what was happening. Eli and his two sons were serving as priests in the temple and Samuel was observing them and learning how to do things there. This is a logical thought.
If your parents enrolled you in classes to learn how to sew, you’d expect your teacher to be an excellent seamstress or tailor. If you went to an expensive cooking class, you’d expect the teacher to be a chef. If you attended a class to build your own robot, you’d expect the teacher to be a master in robotics. And if you went to a class to learn coding, you’d expect the teacher to really know that computer language. This is the correct thought if you are only learning a skill. But Samuel was not just learning a few skills; he was learning how to have a proper living for God. To learn that, there are times when seeing how improper others behave can be a big help to us. To have a skill is just something you do. To have a certain kind of living involves who you are.
Of course, Samuel did have a few good examples (his parents being God-fearing), but he actually saw a lot of negative things from Eli and his two sons’ behavior. The Bible says that Eli’s sons were worthless men who did not know Jehovah. WOW!! That is STRONG. If something is worthless, you throw it away.
As a boy, Samuel saw men who did not regard the ways of Jehovah and who sinned against Him and His people. And he saw how Eli, as a father, did not discipline or try to stop his sons from their evil doings. As Samuel observed these things he learned how not to behave as they did. He had a heart to please God. What he saw warned him how not to behave.
When I was growing up, I certainly had many good examples of how to live. But I also saw things that became a warning to me. Here is an example: My older brother was so reckless. When he got his drivers’ license, he would drive way too fast. When his poor driving was reported to my parents, he was back to walking. But that didn’t stop him from his other bad behaviors. He started smoking and drinking in high school even though my parents disapproved. Of course, my parents tried to stop his bad behaviors and it upset them to see him do these things. I saw it and determined not to cause my parents this kind of heartbreak. I determined not to live that kind of life. [Storyteller, use your own example.]
From all the improper things we see occurring around us today, we should be warned not to behave like that. When we see others with improper behavior, maybe even those who are older than you, are you warned, or are you weakened in the desire to behave the way you know you should? [Lead the children in a discussion concerning this question]
Even when Samuel was young, God called him and told him about the judgment that would come upon Eli and his sons because of their kind of living. So, the negative behavior that he saw along with knowing about God’s judgment became a warning to him never to live and behave the way they did. This way he could become a young man who loved God, His Word, and His people and he would have one living that was approved by God.