Intermediate Level, Block 6—Establishing Kingdom
Week 52
The Children of Israel Wanting a King
Point to Emphasize: We shouldn’t insist on our own way when our parents know what is best for us.
Reference Reading: 1 Samuel 8—11
Memory Verse: …He came to know that God the Most High is the Ruler over the kingdom of men and sets over it whomever He wills. (Daniel 5:21c)
Story Sample
Last week, we talked about Samuel and how he was a man who cared for what God wanted. But what about the other children of Israel? They were God’s people. At one point they had been happy to be in Canaan, which was God’s promised land. They were happy to be different from other nations. They were willing to know God’s Word and to keep His law. God was with them, and the other nations feared them because they knew God was with them. They were God’s kingdom. All the other nations around them were not like them.
But as time went on, things changed among the children of Israel. They turned their hearts away from God and began to serve and worship other gods, the idols of other nations. Yet, there was a man among them, Samuel, who followed God. He kept God’s Word, and he went among the children of Israel speaking God’s Word to them. All the people respected Samuel, and even feared him, because they knew God was with him. No matter what Samuel did or said, however, not many of the people turned back to God.
The children of Israel were very unhappy about being different from the other nations. All the nations around them had kings. They wanted a king also, a man they could see, just like the other nations. They did not want God to rule them. So they went to Samuel, the man of God, and demanded a king. Samuel was displeased about this. He did not want to appoint a king for them. He knew that they were God’s people and that only God should be their king. But the people begged for a king. Samuel tried hard to talk them out of it. He told them how awful it would be to have a king over them like the other nations. He told them that they would have to pay taxes to that man, go to battle to win his wars, and also give him part of the crops from their land and of the cattle from their flocks. A king would demand so much from them!
But the children of Israel rejected God as their real King and insisted on having a man as their king. God was very displeased with this. Nevertheless, He eventually instructed Samuel to anoint a king for them. The new king was named Saul. Saul was a man everyone would admire. He was a strong fighter and was wealthy. He was strikingly handsome, and he was nearly a foot taller than everyone else. There was none like him. This is the one God anointed as ruler over His people. When he was presented to the people, they cheered with joy. Now they would be like all the other nations! They were so proud to have someone like Saul to look up to.
When I was growing up, I was exactly like the children of Israel. Once, I wanted to listen to one song that ALL the children in my class were listening to. I kept asking, insisting that my parents let me listen to it. My parents knew better than me. They knew that song was not good. But you know, after a while they gave into me. They sat with me and played the song for me. After I listened to the song, it got stuck in my head, and I even had nightmares about it. I later told my parents that I was going to listen to them and not insist on asking to do what others were doing. My parents really had known what was best for me. I just thought that because “everyone else” was doing it, I should do it too. [Storyteller, give an example of when you were young, insisting on having what “all the other children had” even though your parents knew what was best for you.]
The children of Israel insisted on what they wanted but Samuel knew what was best for them. In the same way, you might insist on what you want but your parents know what is best for you. I hope you will be encouraged to accept what your parents tell you instead of insisting on having or doing what “everyone else” seems to do. Our parents really are trying to take the best care of us as we are growing up.