unit 9: king david and king solomon ot9.7 david worships ... · he told nathan that it had come...

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OT9.7 David Worships God ©Beverly Wilson 2019

Unit 9: King David and King Solomon OT9.7 David Worships God Lesson

Scripture: 2 Samuel 5-6; 1 Chronicles 15-17

Lesson Goal: God had chosen David the shepherd boy to become the new King of Israel. Because David loved God with his whole heart he wanted to restore the worship of God in the land of Israel. In this lesson we will find out how David brought the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem and learned to worship God with joy and gladness.

Introduction: This lesson is found in the book of 1 Samuel. 1 Samuel is in the second group of books in the Old Testament called the historical books. These books begin with Joshua and go through Esther. Let's say these books--Joshua, Judges, Ruth, I Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 2 Kings, 1 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah and Esther.

Attention Getter: “Celebrations” What is your favorite celebration? Is it Christmas or your birthday? When we celebrate special days we may sing songs, dance, play music, give gifts or eat special food. In this lesson we will find out how David celebrated a special day in Israel. King David brought the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem and worshipped God with joy and gladness.

Opening Prayer: “Dear Father in heaven, We love you. You are worthy of our praise. Help us to know the joy of worshipping You in the way You desire. Thank you for giving to us the promise that someday Jesus will reign forever on the throne of David. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.”

Memory Verse: The memory verse is 2 Samuel 7:16 “And your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.”

Lesson Video: https://youtu.be/XcO7d83tVQU

God had chosen David as a young Shepherd boy to be the new king for Israel. As a young boy the prophet Samuel had anointed him to become the next king. David was chosen because he had a heart that loved God.

Many years later after the death of King Saul and his friend Jonathan, David was anointed a second time as the King of Judah. The other tribes were ruled over by Saul’s son Ish-Bosheth. During these seven and a half years King David grew stronger and stronger as a leader while King Saul’s family grew weaker and weaker.

When Ish-Bosheth was murdered, the other tribes then asked David to be their king as well. Just as God had promised the elders of the tribes of Israel made an agreement and they anointed David a third time as the king of all the tribes of Israel. David was thirty years old when he became king and he reigned over Israel for the next forty years.

While he was King of Judah, David ruled from Hebron. After becoming King over all of Israel David decided to capture the city of Jerusalem which was held by the Jebusites and make it the new capital of his Kingdom. He thought Jerusalem would make a better capital city because it would be in the center of the country.

Jerusalem was on Mount Zion and it had a fortress that was very well defended. The Jebusites were very proud of the walls they had built around the city. They boasted, “You will not get in here, even the blind and the lame can ward you off.”

https://youtu.be/XcO7d83tVQU

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Nevertheless, God was with David and his army of men and they captured the fortress of Zion and made Jerusalem “the city of David.” David started developing the land around the fortress and the Lord was with him in all that he did. He fortified the city as well as making it very beautiful. David became more and more powerful as the King.

In the city of Jerusalem King David built a beautiful palace. He used cedar logs and carpenters that were sent to him by Hiram, the king of Tyre. King David knew that God had established his Kingdom and he wanted to make Jerusalem a place of worship, too.

Many years before when Israel was under the leadership of Moses and Joshua the center of worship was the Ark of the Covenant in the tabernacle. It was part of the furniture in the Holy Place and it represented the presence of God in the midst of His people.

The Ark was beautiful shiny box covered with gold. On top of the Ark were golden cherubim facing each other with their wings touching. Inside the Ark were the Tablets of Law written by God, an urn or pot of manna bread from the wilderness, and the rod of Aaron the priest.

Many years before David became king, some enemies had captured the Ark in a battle. Then they gave it back. Since then the Ark of God had been at the house of Abindab at Kirath-jearim or Baalah for the last 92 years. The house was just outside the city of Jerusalem. David wanted to bring it to Jerusalem and put it in a new tabernacle he had erected.

David organized a magnificent procession (or parade) to bring the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem. Besides the great company of priests, Levites, and ordinary citizens, 30,000 soldiers came to escort the Ark of the Covenant to the city of Jerusalem. It was a very happy, joyous occasion.

Since David and the Israelites had not read God's instructions regarding transporting the Ark, David arranged for the Ark to be transported to Jerusalem on a brand new cart (or wagon), pulled by oxen. David had Abinadab's sons Uzziah and Ahio drive the cart. He did not have the priests carry the Ark on poles as God had instructed. Carrying the Ark on a cart was not the way God had commanded for the Ark to be moved!

As the procession wound its way toward the capital city, the enormous crowd, and especially David, rejoiced triumphantly. David and all the Israelites were celebrating with all their might before God, with songs, and with harps, lyres, tambourines, cymbals and trumpets.

When they came to the threshing floor of Kidon, the oxen stumbled and Ussah reached out his hand to steady the Ark. The Lord’s anger burned against Uzzah, and he struck him down because he had put his hand on the Ark. He died on the spot. The happy celebration soon became very quiet. King David could not understand why God had caused the death of Uzza.

After Ussah died, David was afraid and asked, “How can I ever bring the Ark of God to me?” So the Ark was taken to the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite where it stayed for the next three months.

While the Ark was at his house the Lord blessed Obed-Edom and his family. God wanted to show His approval for those who obey His laws. When David heard how the Ark had been such a great blessing to Obed-edom and his family, David longed more than ever to bring the Ark to Jerusalem.

Before doing so, however, he and others searched the Scriptures diligently to find the correct way to transport the Ark of the Covenant. David decided to bring the Ark to Jerusalem but do it the way God had instructed Moses that it should be moved.

“No one but the Levites may carry the Ark of God,” David announced. “The Lord chose them to carry the Ark and minister before him.” God wanted the people to know that it was the responsibility of the Levites to represent His presence to the people not a wooden cart. When the Levites had carried the Ark for six steps, they then made sacrifices to God. These sacrifices were to ask God for the forgiveness of any sins they may have committed.

David asked the Levites to choose musicians to make a joyful sound with lyres, harps, and cymbals. The musicians were led by Heman, Asaph, and Ethan. It was a great day of joy and celebration.

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The Levites were clothed in fine white linen, as was David. Kenaniah was in charge of the choir who led the singing.

The people of Israel brought the ark to Jerusalem with shouts of joy and the sound of rams’ horns, trumpets, cymbals, lyres, and harps. It was a very happy day for everyone except for one person.

As the Ark of the Covenant was entering Jerusalem, David’s wife Michal, the daughter of Saul, watched from a window. When she saw King David dancing and celebrating, she despised him in her heart. She did not think that King David was acting like a royal king!

They brought the Ark and set it inside the tent that David had set up for worship. David sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings and blessed everyone in the name of the Lord. He gave a loaf of bread, a cake of dates, and a cake of raisins to each person in the crowd. Then everyone returned home.

When David went home to his wife Michal, she said, “Is it right for the king of Israel to behave as any vulgar person would, in full view of the slave girls and servants?” David replied, “I was before the Lord who chose me to rule Israel, and I will celebrate before Him.” David regretted that his wife did not understand his humble position of worship before God. Unfortunately God also saw her criticism and as a result, the Bible says that God judged her and she never had any children.

King David enjoyed great peace in his realm because God had given him victory over the Philistines. As David enjoyed these blessings, he remembered the Lord's house, which was only a tent, whereas he had a beautiful palace in which to live. Now that the Ark of the Covenant was in Jerusalem, David felt it was time to build a larger, more beautiful and permanent house for the Ark of God to rest in.

So David sent for Nathan the prophet. He told Nathan that it had come into his heart to build a beautiful temple for the Ark of God to show God his great love. "I live in a house of cedar," David said to Nathan, "while the Ark of God dwells in a tent. I would like to build a house for the Ark of God."

The prophet Nathan thought David's idea was very good and encouraged him to pursue it. Later that night, however, Nathan received a message from the Lord. The Lord told Nathan to instruct David not to build a house for Him. Instead, God said that he would build King David a house.

Nathan told David that this house that God would build for David would not be a building of cedar, for David already had that. Instead, it would be a ruling family that would continue to rule over Israel and have a very special part in God's plan for the world.

When David's reign over Israel ended at his death, the prophet Nathan said that his son would succeed him as the next king and that he would build the beautiful temple for God.

Nathan said that someone from David's family would continue to reign over Israel, which meant that from David's family, the Messiah (Jesus) would be born. This promise was fulfilled when Jesus was born in the city of David to be our Savior.

Imagine how David must have felt when the prophet Nathan gave him this message from God! It took away the disappointment of his not being able to build a temple for the Lord, and he felt very privileged to know that the Messiah (Jesus) would come from his family and would one day rule over God's everlasting kingdom. Jesus is the eternal King, Who will reign forever and ever.

King David then went before the Lord and praised His name. He said, “How great you are O Lord! There is none like you, and there is no God but you! And now Lord God keep forever the promise you have made concerning your servant and his house. Do as you promised so that your name will be great forever.”

Hundreds of years later the Apostle Peter would preach about this promise on the Day of Pentecost. He said that King David understood that God was promising to send the Messiah through His descendants and that one day Jesus would sit on the throne of David.

This promise extends to the future kingdom of Christ. This means that if we have received Jesus as our Savior, then we, too, are a part of God's great kingdom.

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In this lesson we also see a good example in David of how we are to worship God with joy and gladness according to His plan. Worship is not just sitting and listening to the pastor or Sunday school teacher talk about God.

It is thinking about God ourselves. Worship is taking time to appreciate who God is, what He has done, and what He is doing. It is responding to Him with reverence, praise, and joy and showing Him how much we love Him. Worship is praising God for Who He is.

The first step to true worship is being grateful for what Jesus did for us. We should thank Him for paying for our sins by dying on the cross. When Jesus was nailed to the cross, He took the punishment that you and I deserve for all the wrong things we have done.

Then we can begin to understand how great and good God truly is. Until that happens, true worship cannot begin. True worship begins when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior.

Singing is another way to we can worship God. We use songs to help us tell God that we love Him and honor Him.

We can worship God by reading His Word. The Bible helps us to focus on God and what He has done. The Psalms are praise words spoken to God.

Worship is praying to God. An important part of worship is talking to God and telling Him how wonderful He is. We can ask Him for help and guidance in how to live our life.

Worship is giving an offering to God. We can give God our whole selves – our time, our money, and our talents. We give Him money by putting it in the offering at church to help people in need and to support our missionaries.

Remember worship God with honor and praise!

Review Questions/ Game: “Checker Game” Preparation: Place at least twenty red and twenty black checkers or plastic game pieces in a small paper bag. Procedure: Divide the children into two teams and have them take turns answering questions. As a child answers the question correctly, he can reach into the bag and pull out a checker for his team. If the checker is red, he gets to keep the checker and draw again. If he draws a black checker he keeps it but his turn is finished. At the end of the game the team with the most checkers (red and black) wins the game.

1. What quality did David have that God was pleased with to choose him to be king? (He had a heart that loved God and was totally devoted to Him.)

2. When was the first time that David was anointed King? (The prophet Samuel anointed David as king when he was just a shepherd boy living in his father’s house.)

3. When the people of Judah heard that David had returned to Judah and they knew that King Saul had died, what did they do? (The people of Judah said that David should be king and they publicly crowned him King of Judah. They recognized that God had chosen David to be King and not any of King Saul’s family.)

4. How long after David was chosen as the King of Judah did he reign before he was also recognized as King of Israel? (It would be seven and half years later before the rest of the tribes of Israel would also recognize David as their king.)

5. What city did David conquer to make the new capital of Israel? (David captured the city of Jerusalem from the Jebusites and made it the new capital of Israel.)

6. Why was Jerusalem a good capital city for Israel? (Jerusalem was on Mount Zion and it had a fortress that was very well defended. It was the city that God had revealed himself to Abraham on when he offered Isaac up as a sacrifice. It was the city that was located in the center of the country of Israel.)

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7. What did David build in the city of Jerusalem? (In the city of Jerusalem King David built a beautiful palace. He used cedar logs and carpenters that were sent to him by Hiram, the king of Tyre. He also fortified the area outside the walls of Jerusalem.)

8. What did King David want to bring to Jerusalem to make it the center of worship? Why was it important? (David wanted to bring the Ark of the Covenant to Israel. Under the Law of Moses God established the Ark of the Covenant in the tabernacle as a symbol of His presence and was the main part of the worship of God.)

9. What did the Ark of the Covenant look like and what was inside? (The Ark was beautiful shiny box covered with gold. On top of the Ark were the golden cherubim facing each other with their wings touching. Inside the Ark were the Tablets of Law written by God, an urn or pot of manna bread from the wilderness, and the rod of Aaron the priest.)

10. How did King David attempt to move the Ark of the Covenant the first time? (David arranged for the Ark to be transported to Jerusalem on a brand new cart (or wagon), pulled by oxen. David had Abinadab's sons Uzziah and Ahio drive the cart. He did not have the priests carry the Ark on poles as God had instructed. Carrying the Ark on a cart was not the way God had commanded for the Ark to be moved!)

11. What happened when David did not obey God’s instructions in how to move the Ark? (When the procession with the Ark came to the threshing floor of Kidon, the oxen stumbled and Ussah reached out his hand to steady the Ark. The Lord’s anger burned against Uzzah, and he struck Uzzah dead.)

12. How did King David feel about this death? (He mourned Uzzah’s death greatly and felt afraid. David wondered if he would ever be able to bring the Ark to Jerusalem.”

13. What made King David want to try again to bring the Ark to Jerusalem? (King David had left the Ark of the Covenant at the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite where it stayed for the next three months. God blessed the household of Obed greatly and King David heard about it and wanted God’s blessing to be in Jerusalem.)

14. What did King David do differently the second time he tried to move the Ark? (He carefully read the Law of Moses and followed the instructions about how the Levite priests were to carry the Ark on poles. The Levites led the people in worship all the way by offering sacrifices and leading the people in songs of praise.)

15. How did King David show his worship of God? (He led the procession and sang and danced. He wrote psalms of praise and offered sacrifices and offerings to God.)

16. Who in Jerusalem was not happy about this great celebration of praise to God? (Michal, the wife of David, criticized David for singing and dancing before the Lord and showing his humble praise. She did not think that he was acting like royalty.)

17. How did God respond to Michal’s criticism? (God judged her and she never had any children all of her life.)

18. After bringing the Ark to Jerusalem, what did David want to do to show His worship of God? (David wanted to build the temple of worship to house the Ark of the Covenant.)

19. What message did the prophet Nathan give to King David about this idea? (At first Nathan said it was a good idea but then God spoke to him and told him to tell David not to build the temple. Instead God would build a house for David.)

20. What great promise did God make to David? (God would establish David family forever and through his descendants would come the birth of the Messiah Jesus who would reign on the throne of David forever.)

21. How can we be an heir to the promise that was made to King David? (By accepting Jesus as our Savior we become a part of His eternal kingdom. We will reign with Christ as his heirs.)

22. What lessons can we learn from David about worship? (We should worship God humbly with all joy, and gladness and honor.)

23. What is worship and how can we worship God in the way that pleases Him? (Worship is praising God for Who He is. We worship by reading His Word, by praying, and singing songs of adoration to Him. We worship Him by giving ourselves to Him in faith and trusting Him as our Savior. We worship God by giving of our hearts, minds, and souls. We worship by giving our tithes and offerings to help the poor and needy and to support our missionaries.)

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24. What is the memory verse? (2 Samuel 7:16 “And your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.”)

Bible Memory Verse Activity: “Straw Relay” Our memory verse is 2 Samuel 7:16 “And your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.” Have students locate the verse in scripture and read together several times orally.

Say: “This is the promise that God made to King David. God’s son Jesus would be born to the family of King David. The throne of David would last for an eternity because Jesus would reign forever from the eternal city of the New Jerusalem.”

Say: “In this lesson we learned that David moved the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem to establish a place of worship for the nation of Israel. To help us memorize the promise that God made to King David, we are going to play a relay game of moving paper strips with our memory verse on it from one place to another.”

Preparation: You will need masking tape, two bowls per team and eight 2” X 4” pieces of paper—one piece for each phrase of the verse. Make a set of words/phrases for each group of 3-4 students. You will need at least two groups of students. Write the following phrases on each of the strips of paper: 2 Samuel 7:16 / And your house / and your kingdom / will endure forever / before me; / your throne / will be /established forever.” Put the strips of paper into a bowl.

Procedure: Divide the class into two teams. Each team will need a set of slips of paper with the verse two bowls, and enough straws for each child to have one. Use the masking tape to mark a starting and finishing line for each team. On the starting line put the bowl filled with the paper slips and place the empty bowl on the finishing line. When you say “go,” have one person from each team pick up a slip of paper and using their straw, suck in so that the paper is attached to the straw. Then while doing this, they need to go across to the finishing line and drop the paper into the bowl there. The team member must then repeat the memory verse orally. Let everyone have a turn. When everyone is done, have the team put the strips of paper together in correct order to form the verse and read the verse aloud together.

Group Learning Activity: Bible Character Charades (Grades 2-5) Purpose: This game is to review the main characters in David’s life with the children. Older children will be able to identify more characters than the younger. Preparation: You will need pencils and paper (or 3” x 5” index cards). Before class, make out some cards and write some hints of what a person did or said. Use the examples below and add others as you desire. Place the cards in a basket. Procedure: Ask for a volunteer to be the first actor. Have the volunteer draw a card from the basket and read the character description to herself or himself. Whoever has the card is the person who will ask the questions and/or act out a character. Demonstrate how to play the game. Have the volunteer stand at the front of the room. The children will ask the questions and/or act out their character while the other children guess who they are. Younger children may need coaching on what to say. Keep it simple enough for the class to guess. Sample descriptions to write on index cards:

Who am I? I’m the baby of the family. I’m the second king of Israel. A star symbol displayed by my people was named after me. Who am I? King David (Star of David)

Who am I? I’m the first king of Israel. I was jealous of David. I did not obey God very well. Who am I? King Saul

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Who am I? I was David’s first wife. I looked out the window and was very upset at how David was acting when he led the procession of bring the Ark of the Covenant into Jerusalem. Who am I? Michal

Who am I? I was the son of King Saul. I was a good friend to David. I warned him that my father was trying to kill him. Who am I? Jonathan

Who am I? I was the prophet who came to King David’s house and anointed him the first time as the King of Israel. I was surprised that God had chosen a young shepherd boy to be the next king. Who am I? Samuel

Who am I? I was the prophet who told King David that God did not want him to build a house of worship in the city of Jerusalem. I told him that God would build a house for him instead. It would be a house or family that would rule forever. Who am I? Nathan

Who am I? I am a descendant of King David. I inherited the right to rule on the throne of David forever. I came to earth hundreds of years after King David was on the throne. I will rule forever from the throne of David in the New Jerusalem. Who am I? Jesus

Conclude by reviewing the main events in the lesson.

Group Learning Activity: “Praise the Lord” (Grades K-5) Preparation: You will need a CD or DVD of an upbeat worship song that celebrated God such as “How Majestic is Your Name” or “What a Mighty God we Serve.” Say: “In this lesson we learned that David and the Israelites showed great joy as they worshipped god. They sang songs, danced, played instruments, gave gifts to God, and ate special food. Today we are going to experience an activity that was something like what the Israelites did to praise God together as a nation.” Procedure: Divide the class into three groups: the Motion Makers; the Crazy Clappers, and the Cheerleaders. Explain that you’re going to play a song, and each group will come up with a way to celebrate along with the music. The Motion Makers will make up unique actions, the Crazy Clappers will create exciting clapping rhythms, and the Cheerleaders will come up with a list of things they can celebrate such as God’s goodness, power, creation, or love. Once kids understand their roles, play the song. Then allow about five minutes for groups to come up with their celebration elements. Play the song again, and have the Motion Makers teach their motions, the Crazy Clappers lead their clapping rhythms, and the Cheerleaders shout out their reasons to celebrate. Say: “Why do we celebrate and praise God? (Because He loves us, hears our prayers, loves us, and has saved us.) What is God like that we can show our praise for Him? (He is good, powerful, and full of kindness. He forgives us.) What are some reasons we have for praising and thanking God? (Answers will vary.) What are some ways that people can worship God? (We can sing songs, pray, read His Word, give money, play instruments, etc.) How can you thank God for today? When is a time you might sing a song to praise God? Close in prayer giving thanks and praise to God.

Group Learning Activity: “Praise the Lord” Game (Grades K-5) Preparation: You will need a chart paper and writing pen. You can also use sheets of construction paper to form a hopscotch board. (See diagram.) Say: “What do kids your age do if they are really excited? God loves it when we show Him we love Him with our actions. Today we are going to play a game that will help us use these actions that show excitement to praise the Lord.”

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Help the children discover the following actions and as they do, write them on the board: clap, jump, click heals, do high fives, twirl, cheer, skip, leap, etc. Procedure: Have children stand in a circle. Have the first child do something to show excitement. (Use ideas that you have brainstormed and written on the board.) The second child repeats that action and does another action. The third child must repeat the first two actions and does another one. And, so forth. For example, the first child claps, the second child claps and jumps, the third child claps, jumps, and twirls around and so forth around the circle. The object of the game to help one another remember the sequence of actions and to perform them. This game is a lot of fun as the list becomes longer and more difficult to recall. Optional: You can also write the action words on sheets of construction paper and lay them out on the floor like a hopscotch game. Have students see if they can do the activity as they “land on the square.” Say: “In the lesson today how did David and the people of Israel celebrate the arrival of the Ark of the Covenant into Jerusalem? They sang, danced, played instruments, and offered sacrifices.) What are some ways that people celebrate and praise God today? (We sing, dance, play instruments, and have dramas. We don’t offer sacrifices because Jesus has already died for our sins and we remember what He did for us.) Why do we want to celebrate and praise God with joy? (We are thankful because He made the world. He made us. He gave us friends. He gives many blessings.) What is something you want to thank God for?” Close in prayer of thanksgiving for what God has done for us.

Group Learning Activity: “Prayer Poems” (Grades 3-5) Purpose: To help students learn to worship God by reading and writing psalms of praise. Preparation: You will need Bibles, spiritual journal page, pencils or pens. You will also need a piece of construction paper for each child with the heading, “I thank God for” written at the top. Say:”King David wrote many songs and poems as prayers to God. These songs and poems are called psalms. We can read them in our Bibles. We are going to read some of these poems of prayer and then write one of our own.” Procedure: Have students read the following prayers and songs of praise.

• Psalm 91: 1, 2 “Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” King David praised God for being His protector and help in trouble. We can thank God for helping us overcome difficulties and for providing for our needs.

• Isaiah 26:3 “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.” We can thank God for giving us peace and joy. We do not have to be filled with worry and fear because He is our defender and provider.

• 2 Samuel 7: 18-29 This is the prayer that David offered to God when he brought the Ark of the Covenant into Jerusalem. Note that the prayer includes praise to God for Who He is and thanks for the promise that He made to send His Son Jesus as the Eternal King of Israel.

• 1 Chronicles 16: 8-36 These verses record the prayer of David as he gave thanks to God for allowing the Ark of the Covenant to come to Jerusalem. Have students find verses or phrases that they have heard in choruses and songs of praise that we sing in our services today.

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Distribute the sheet of construction paper with the heading written on it to each child. Have students write or dictate words to complete the sentence on their papers, telling what they thank god for. Allow the children to draw pictures to illustrate their papers. If children have trouble getting started, ask them, “What are some things God has done for you that makes you happy?” Or, prompt them with some of the review questions from the Praise the Lord Activities above. Close in prayer.

Group Learning Game: “Ark Action” (Grades K-4) Preparation: You will need small instruments like hand cymbals or bells. You will also need two long wooden sticks (broom or mop handles work well!) to carry the Ark. You can use a large cardboard box sprayed gold to be the Ark. You can poke holes in the box to insert the long sticks or mop handles, if desired. Say: “In this lesson we learned how David moved the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem so the nation of Israel could restore their worship of God. We are going to act out this story as I read it aloud. I will need volunteers for David, Zadok and Abiathar, and several more Levites. Everyone else will be at the celebration and act out that part.” Procedure: Get volunteers for the main characters. Instruct kids to act out the celebration by shouting and dancing at the appropriate times. Distribute the instruments to use as they act out the celebration. At the close of the story, remind the students that David celebrated the Lord God because He is worthy of our honor and praise. Review story: The Ark of the Covenant was special to David and the Israelites. The ark represented God’s presence. For years the ark had stayed in Kiriath-jearim but David wanted to move the ark to the Israelites’ capital city of Jerusalem. David prepared a tent in Jerusalem for the ark to stay in. Then David gave instructions, “No one but the Levites may carry the Ark of the covenant.” God had given the Israelites instructions on the proper way to move the ark and David wanted to obey God’s commands. David called Israel to gather in Jerusalem. (Have students who are at the celebration gather in a group at one end of the class.) David instructed the priests Zadok and Abiathar and the other Levites to carry the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem. The Levites prepared themselves then they carefully followed God’s instructions on how to move the ark using poles to carry it on their shoulders. (Have Zadok and Abiathar and two other children carry two sticks on their shoulders and move side by side carrying the Ark on the poles.) David told the leaders to gather their relative to be singers and that they should sing and play their harps, lyres, and cymbals. (Form group of children with the instruments to follow the Levites and the Ark.) David and the leaders of Israel walked to Jerusalem, rejoicing that they were bringing the ark to its new home. David wore a special linen robe and a linen ephod. (Have David get at the head of the procession taking the Ark to Jerusalem.) The Levites carried the ark while the musicians played and the people shouted. (Have crowd shout and those with instruments play.) David was so excited and filled with joy that he began dancing as the ark was carried into Jerusalem and into the tent that David had made for it. (Have David dance and sing for joy!) The people gave sacrifices and offerings to God and when they finished, David blessed the people and gave each Israelite a loaf of bread, a date cake, and a raisin cake.

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Then David praised God, “Give thanks to the Lord. Tell of His deeds to the people. Sing praise to Him. Honor His holy name and search for the Lord. Remember all of the amazing and wonderful things God has done. He is the Lord who made an everlasting covenant with Abraham. Sing to the Lord. Declare His glory to the people of other nations. God is good and worthy to be praised. Worship God in His holiness. Give thanks to God. His faithful love endures forever.” When David finished the people said, “Amen” and “Praise the Lord.” (Crowd says words of praise.) David and all of Israel were very glad to have the ark of the covenant in Jerusalem.

Group Learning Activity Game: “Red Light, Green Light” (Grades K-3) Preparation: You will need two flashlights, green and red cellophane, rubber bands and masking tape. Say: “In this lesson we learned that it was very important for King David to listen to God’s instructions to move the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem. Let’s play a game that will show us how important it is to listen to instructions and to obey.” Procedure: Cover the flashlights, one with red cellophane and the other with green cellophane. Hold the cellophane in place with rubber bands. Using masking tape, indicate a starting line. Have all the kids stand on the starting line. Stand on the opposite side of the room with the flashlights. Turn off the lights (open door if any children are scared of the dark). Have them take large hops toward you when you flash the green light only. If you flash the red light, they must freeze and remain frozen until they see another green light. Anyone caught running, walking, or hopping when they are not allowed will need to sit down. After you play, gather the children into a circle and talk about the importance of listening to God and obeying Him. Say: “What are some things that God has commanded us to do? (Read Bible, pray, sing praises, give offerings, be kind to others, forgive others, etc.) Why is it important to obey God? (To show that we love Him; to show thanks for all He has done for us; to encourage others to love God and obey Him; to help those in need and to support our missionaries, etc.)

Craft Learning Activity: “Tambourines” (Grades K-4) Preparation: You will need paper plates, pinto beans, stapler, crepe paper streamers or bits of colored yarn, crayons, colored markers, colored pencils, glue, and stickers (optional). Procedure: Pass out two paper plates to each student. Have students glue pieces of crepe paper streamers to the inside edge of one of the plates. Pour a small handful of beans onto the plate with the streamers glued to it. Staple the other plate on top. Have students decorate the outside with crayons, markers, or colored pencils. Decorate the tambourines with stickers, if desired. As students are working on their tambourines, remind them that the Lord was with David and the children of Israel. As David brought the Ark of the Covenant into Jerusalem, he and all the people danced, played tambourines and lutes, and sang praises to God.” Help students see that they should worship God with their whole heart. Say: “Worship is praising God for Who He is. We worship by reading His Word, by praying, and singing songs of adoration to Him. We worship Him by giving ourselves to Him in faith and trusting Him as our Savior. We worship God by giving of our hearts, minds, and souls. We worship by giving our tithes and offerings to help the poor and needy and to support our missionaries. How will you worship God this week?” Allow children to share the way they want to worship God this week and conclude in prayer thanking God for the opportunity to praise Him.

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Craft Learning Activity: “Faithfulness Mobile” Preparation: You will need photocopies (onto cardstock) of the “Faithfulness Mobile” template below. You will need a copy for each child in your class. Other materials needed are scissors, rulers, colored markers or crayons, string or yarn and a hole punch. Say: “God always kept His promises to David. God had promised David that he would be the king of Israel and now he was the King. God kept his promise! God promised King David that his throne would last forever and ever. God promised that His Son Jesus would be a descendant and would rule on the throne of David from the New Jerusalem. God kept the promise of Jesus being born into the family of David. God has been faithful to us in every area of our lives! When God spoke to Nathan, He listed some of the ways He had been faithful to David. What are some ways that God has been faithful to you? Think of some things that God has provided or done in your life to show His faithfulness. We are going to make a craft that will remind us of God’s faithfulness in our lives.” Procedure: Distribute the copy of the faithfulness mobile to each student. Make other supplies available to students. Cut out the large scroll and the three smaller scrolls. On the large scroll, write in big letters “God’s Faithfulness.” Tell each child to write down on each of the three small scrolls, in a few words, a way that God has been faithful to them. Using a hole punch, make holes in each of the areas marked. With string, tie the three smaller scrolls to the larger scroll attaching at the marked holes. Because of the size of scrolls, you will have to stagger the length of string you use. In other words, you might want to have the two outer scrolls four inches from the larger scroll and the middle scroll, two inches. Be creative. Allow the children to color or decorate their craft.

Craft Learning Activity: “Replica of the Ark of the Covenant” (Grades 3-5) Purpose: To help students understand the contents of the Ark of the Covenant and the items inside it. Preparation: You will need a cardboard shoe box for each child, newspaper, gold spray paint, gold fabric trim, hole puncher, hot glue gun, wooden skewer, Styrofoam craft ball, white handkerchief, feathers or plumes; foam board, scissors, markers, branch, glass jar, and bread crumbs. Procedure: Remove the lid from your cardboard shoe box. Lay the shoe box face-up on the newspaper with the upside-down lid beside it. Spray paint both pieces, inside and out, with gold spray paint and allow to dry. Flip over both pieces and spray paint the bottoms of the box and lid and allow to dry. Attach the shoe box lid to the shoe box base. Use your hole punch to punch two holes on one long side of the shoe box lid. Each hole should be 2 inches from the box corners. Punch two more holes in the shoe box base, each 1 1/2 inches down and 2 inches in from the corners of a single long side. Cut two 8-inch lengths of gold yarn. Loop each piece of yarn vertically through the hole in the shoe box lid and then through the corresponding hole in the shoe box base several times and tie a knot. Cut off any excess yarn. This will create a hinge effect on the box for opening. Glue gold trim around the top of the box. Create the two angels on the Ark's lid. Insert a wooden skewer halfway into each Styrofoam craft ball. Push the skewer gently through the cardboard box lid 2 1/2 inches from the edge of the box. Repeat this process for the second angel. Use hot glue gun to put glue on the underside of the box lid to seal the pointed end of the skewer and affix it to the box's underside. Reinforce the skewer base with hot glue on the top of the box lid. Gently drape a handkerchief around each Styrofoam ball and skewer, tying each handkerchief at the base of the Styrofoam ball with a loose piece of yarn. Glue two feathers or plumes to the back of each angel shape. Bend the wings towards the opposing angel. Spray paint each angel and its wings

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Create the Ten Commandments out of foam board. Draw two U-shapes with the permanent marker on the gray foam board. Draw a horizontal line on each to connect the open end of each U-shape. Use scissors to cut out each shape. Use the fine point permanent marker to scribble five wavy lines horizontally on each. Number each wavy line 1 through 10. Clip a branch from a backyard plant to represent Aaron's budded rod. Select a 1/4- to 1/2-inch thick branch with small buds on it. Use clipping shears to cut an 8-inch length of the branch. To create the golden jar with heavenly manna in it, spray-paint the apothecary jar gold. Tear off small pieces of white bread and place them in the jar. Place the foam Ten Commandments, the budded branch and the golden jar of white bread in the shoe box. Secure each in place with a dab of hot glue.

Life Application Challenge: Right Way or Wrong Way? Say: “In this lesson we learned that King David learned that he had to worship God in the way that God expected his people to honor Him. What happened when he tried to move the Ark of the Covenant the wrong way? (Uzzah died.) What happened when King David moved the Ark of the Covenant the right way? (The nation of Israel received a great blessing and could rejoice and praise God!)” Give each child a piece of drawing paper. Have the children draw a line down the center of the paper. On one side have them draw a picture of the ark being transported incorrectly. On the other side, have them draw a picture of the ark being transported the right way. Ask the children why it was so important to move the ark the right way. Use this drawing to reinforce today’s lesson. Remind the children how that sometimes our hearts may be in the right place when we do something, but it is very important that we do it the right way, according to God’s Word. Lead the children in a prayer of commitment to serve the Lord in the right way—being obedient to His Word. If there are any children who have not yet responded to the Gospel, give them opportunity.

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David Worships God

2 Samuel 7:16 “And your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.”

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unit 9: king david and king solomon ot9.7 david worships ... · he told nathan that it had come...

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