"The teeny, weenie....true king Lesson 1

​     Yes, it is now November and time for three new Learning Together lessons and a scheduled Sunday School gathering in late November. I am very happy to have you with me and am looking forward to sharing the new lessons.
     You and your family are invited to think, learn, read, and pray around our selected story, which is entitled “The Teeny, Weenie …True King.” It can be found in The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones on pages 116-121. There are free copies of this book to be found at our church, Resurrection Lutheran Church in New Berlin, or it can be bought online.
     Please feel free to share your comments or questions with Pastor Steve on this blog; he will gladly respond.
     Children: As with every first lesson, I begin by asking you to find a comfortable space and listen to the oral reading of the story provided for you at the beginning of this online lesson.
     Before we discuss the “real teeny, weenie … King David,” I need to share with you the life of Samuel, who is speaking to us at the start of our story.
     Samuel was a prophet and judge who lived before the time of kings in the country of Israel. He was responsible for anointing the first two kings of Israel, Saul and David. The name Samuel means "God has heard". Two books of the Old Testament are named after him, 1 Samuel and 2 Samuel.
     Hannah, Samuel’s mom, was so happy when she realized she was going to have a baby that she promised the Lord that if she did give birth to a son, the boy should be raised by the priest Eli in the church at Shiloh as a life-long follower of God.  So, at the age of three or four, he started living and training in the Shioh church, and his mother came to see him often.     
     Samuel was about twelve when he first heard God’s voice talking to him while he was sleeping, but, not understanding it was God, Samuel thought it was the priest Eli who was calling his name. The first three times the Lord called Samuel, the boy went to Eli to ask what he wanted Samuel to do.  At first the priest was confused, because he had not called out Samuel’s name, but on the third time, he finally understood what was happening. He instructed Samuel to respond to the Lord if He called again. Then, "The LORD came and stood there, calling as at the other times, Samuel! Samuel!' Samuel said, ’Speak, for your servant is listening.’ God gave Samuel a message to relay to Eli - Eli’s two sons were not honest and trustworthy people and should not be the next rulers of Israel. 

Samuel woke priest Eli in the middle of the night

​      The following day, Samuel told Eli everything God had said to him, even though the message was bad news for Eli and his family. Eli wasn’t happy but accepted God’s word. From then on, Samuel’s reputation as a prophet spread throughout Israel, and God continued to reveal His Word to His people through Samuel.
     Samuel lived and died about 1000 years before Jesus was born, so he never met Jesus, but he truly and totally believed in God, and early on, demonstrated that God spoke to him on a regular basis.  
     Adults: Biblical references for this story are 1 Samuel 16.
     Samuel lived at the end of the period of the judges and ushered in the period of kingship. He was Israel’s last judge (1 Sam 7:6, 15‑17) and first prophet (3:20; Acts 3:24; 13:20). He functioned as a priest (1 Sam 2:18) and was a great man of faith (Hebrews 11:32). Samuel was born in response to his mother Hannah’s prayers. Samuel’s parents traveled annually from Ramah to the Shiloh sanctuary (1 Sam 1:3). While at the sanctuary, Hannah, who was infertile, prayed for a son and promised him to God for full-time service (1:9‑11). God answered the prayer, and Samuel was born (1:19‑20). When Samuel was weaned, about the age of four, Hannah took him to serve in the church at Shiloh with Eli, the high priest.

​Hannah presents her son Samuel to priest Eli

​     Samuel whole-heartedly served the Lord. Soon it became clear that God spoke more intimately with Samuel than with Eli. God spoke to Samuel (3:1‑18) to warn Eli of the coming disaster when the Philistines defeated Israel, killed Eli’s sons, and took the Ark of the Covenant (chapt 4–6). Later, under Samuel’s leadership, the people repented of their sin of idolatry and succeeded in winning an important battle against the Philistines (7:3‑17).
     But as Samuel grew older, it became obvious he suffered from the same weakness as Eli before him. Samuel’s sons were evil (8:1‑3), and the people did not want them to assume leadership over the nation. So the people saw the need for a king who could lead them in battle against their enemies (8:4‑5).
     The transition from the era of the judges to kingship was turbulent. As priest, Samuel prayed for the people; as prophet, he reproved Saul for impatience and disobedience (13:5‑14; 15:20‑23). When God rejected Saul as king, Samuel anointed David as God’s chosen one (16:1‑13) and protected David from Saul (19:18‑24).
     Through prayer and perseverance, Samuel was a faithful leader (Jeremiah 15:1; Acts 13:20; Hebrews 11:32) who cherished his people’s well-being and courageously rebuked kings and elders. He led Israel from tribal disunity to national solidarity and established the monarchy. He wrote The Record of Samuel the Seer (1 Chronicles 29:29) and defined ideal kingship (1 Sam 10:25).
     When he died, he was mourned by all of Israel. He was buried in Ramah, his hometown (25:1).
~This week’s prayer: I pray I will be ready like Samuel, when God calls my name. Amen.
     Two more weekly lessons will follow this month’s story of Samuel and King David. Sunday School will meet from 11am to 12pm on November 24 right after church services. All ages are invited to attend to read and discuss the story and enjoy a craft.
Until next week,
Margo Greer