Intermediate Level, Block 6—Establishing Kingdom
Week 51
Samuel—A Man according to God
Point to Emphasize: We can choose to follow good leaders even when others do not.
Reference Reading: 1 Samuel 1:21—3:21
Memory Verse: Remember the ones leading you, who have spoken to you the word of God; and considering the issue of their manner of life, imitate their faith. (Hebrews 13:7)
Story Sample
This week we want to learn from a person named Samuel. Samuel was very special, because he was chosen by God and grew up to be a man that cared for what God wanted. His mother, Hannah, asked God to give her a son, and she promised God that she would give her son back to Him. God answered her prayer! God gave her a son whom she named Samuel. When Samuel was little, Hannah brought him to live in the temple with Eli the priest, just as she had promised to God. God had chosen Samuel, but Samuel still needed to grow up and learn many lessons in order to become someone who would know God’s heart and would be useful to God. For Samuel to become a priest and judge, he had to learn many things. For us to do anything, like ride a bike or play the violin, we need to learn first, don’t we?
While Samuel was growing up in the temple, Eli trained him to do many practical tasks in the temple, such as cleaning the temple, taking care of the furnishings, and handling the sacrifices. Samuel learned all these things well. Now Eli had two sons who also lived in the temple. Samuel noticed that these two sons were not very good people and that they did not do the right things. Eli’s two sons did not listen to Eli and they made God unhappy. But Samuel knew not to follow their example because even as a young boy, Samuel learned from Eli to do one very important thing—to listen to God’s calling. His learning taught him to listen and follow God’s speaking his whole life. That meant, when he observed many things that went on, both positive and negative things, he knew what things pleased God and what things didn’t. He learned to set his heart to follow God.
At school, some children are older than us, and others are younger than us. We will see many around us who are proper and whom we can look up to. But we will also see many who may not do and say the right things. Who do you think we should follow and imitate?
One time when I was in elementary school, our teacher had to step out of the classroom for something very important. She asked us to do our work quietly and not play around while we waited for her to come back. She asked the class president, a responsible boy, to be the leader and make sure everyone behaved. But as soon as she stepped out of the classroom, some of the boys started talking loudly, getting out of their seats, and fooling around. The class president reminded them of what the teacher had told us. Some of the boys listened and went back to their seats, but some others made faces at him and just kept being silly. I was watching all this and realized that I didn’t want to be like those boys who were not doing the proper things. Even though they didn’t follow the leader, I knew we needed to do what was right. Some of the girls tried to help the leader by doing what we were supposed to do and even asking the rowdy boys who were close-by to go back to their seats and to listen to him. [Storyteller, insert your own example of doing the right thing by following the right person even when others don’t.]
So, even though Samuel must have seen many things that were not good, he learned what things made God happy and what things made Him unhappy. Even as a boy he learned not to follow the wrong behavior that was around him. At a young age he was one who cared for what God wanted. Then as an adult God was able to use him for some very important things, like we will see in the next few weeks.
We always see and hear things that are going on around us whether good or bad. But who will we choose to follow? Like Samuel, we should know what’s right and what’s wrong and only pick up the good things. We can learn from Samuel’s story and also learn the lessons to know what things we should imitate and follow and what things we should not. Who can tell us someone in their class at school who sets a good example that should be followed? Let’s all be like Samuel this week. If we know we should not do something that others are doing, let’s not do it. And if there is something good we know that we should do, then we should do it.