Advanced Level, Block 6, Week 57: David Waiting Nearly Fifteen Years

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Advanced Level, Block 6—Struggling with a Kingdom

Week 57
David Waiting Nearly Fifteen Years

Point to Emphasize: Nothing of worth comes instantly or quickly.

Reference Reading: 1 Samuel 18:1-30, footnotes 81, 111; 23:1-2; 24:1-12, footnotes 61, 101; 2 Samuel 1:1, 12; 2:1, 3-7

Memory Verse: Wait for Jehovah, / And keep His way… (Psalm 37:34a)

Story Sample

If someone were to describe the American society today, they may say that it is “instant”. We love “fast food”, microwaved meals, instant answers from “Alexa” or “Google”, instant feeds on your cell phones, instant “likes” on social media, instant replays during a game, instant access to hundreds of clips on TikTok/YouTube, etc.—instant, instant, instant. But let me tell you that nothing of worth comes instantly or quickly. Most things in life of any value take a long period of time to gain. This thought comes from the Bible and is found in the story of David.

David was anointed to be the King of Israel when he was about fifteen years old. Does anyone know how old he was when he began to rule as King? [Let them answer.] He was thirty years old! A great deal happened to him during those in-between years.

Maybe if we had been in David’s situation we would have said, “Oh, being the king is not worth it. I can’t wait all those years. I will just settle on being a shepherd. I’m already rather good at it so it won’t take me long to have my own flock.” This is the way some people are their whole life. They always want the quickest way. In high school, they choose the easiest classes with the least amount of work. Then when they go to college, they again take the easiest classes which require the least amount of time.

Now, David did not know that it would take him about fifteen years to become king. During those years he might have wished it was not taking quite so long BUT he never tried to take a short-cut. He had plenty of opportunities to take a short-cut. He simply needed to get rid of the current king, Saul, and take his place. And David had several opportunities where he could have killed Saul. Then he would have instantly been the king. But David didn’t do things this way because he cared for God’s heart and God’s way. He feared God and did not dare to overthrow the king God had appointed. So, instead of a short-cut (becoming king in the quickest way), David had years of being humble, not demanding the kingship. He learned not to avenge or fight back when Saul persecuted him. He learned not to repay evil with evil but overcame evil with good. From fifteen years old until God gave him the kingship at thirty, David was learning all that was needed so that he could become the king over God’s people.

So, do you like short-cuts? Are you one who looks for the quickest way? Sure, why read all the pages for that report when you can skim through it and still write something? Why study to understand the material when you can get by only studying for the test? [Discuss with the children about ways they take short-cuts when doing their school work.] Are you in school to learn the material or merely to get by? These quick ways may get you by for now but later you will discover that by always taking the short-cuts you are not prepared, and you don’t really know how to handle matters. I hope this has spoken to your heart. I hope you will realize that nothing of worth can be gained quickly.

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