David (later life)

DAVID #2

 

Possible Lesson Plan:

  1. Open with prayer.

 

  1. Scripture Reference: II Kingdoms/ II Samuel 11-12. Short but powerful this week. King David and “I gotta have that girl!” What did David do to get Bathsheba? How did he solve the “problem” of Bathsheba’s marriage to Uriah? Did this really solve the problem? Did the sin remain hidden in the end? Several important characters stand out: David, Bathsheba, Nathan, and Uriah. Try 20 questions to identify the characters.

 

  1. Service References: It is no accident that Nathan and David are invoked prominently in the sacrament of confession: “O God our Savior, who by thy prophet Nathan didst grant unto repentant David pardon of his transgressions…” Why?

In the Canon of St. Andrew of Crete, sung during the first week of Great Lent, St. Andrew laments, “David was a forefather of the Lord, O my soul, yet sinned doubly by committing both murder and adultery. Your sickness, however, is even worse than his deeds because of your impulsive will. David, though once compounding his sins by first murdering a man and then stealing his wife was quick to repent of both. You, however, O my soul, have done worse things than he, yet never repented of them before the Lord. David once showed us the image of true repentance in a psalm he wrote exposing all he had done. "Be merciful to me and cleanse me!" he wrote, "for against You only have I sinned, the God of our fathers".

 

  1. Discussion: First, who was to blame for David’s sin? Was it simply lust on David’s part, or did Bathsheba lure him into sin? Enlist students on each side and debate the issue. Who won? What good points were made on each side? How are we like David? Like Bathsheba?

David already had so many wives; why did he need Bathsheba, too? What makes us want things that aren’t ours? Can you think of a time you wanted something that wasn’t yours? What happened? Should rulers or leaders (teachers or parents) have special privileges? Why or why not?

                        Before class, list some sins on the board:

                                    Taking drugs                           Cheating on a test

                                    Driving too fast                       Having sex before marriage

                                    Driving while drunk                Running away from home

                        Have the class brainstorm to fill the list. What are the possible consequences you would face if you committed each of these? Even though God forgives our sins, does he always eliminate the consequences? What were the consequences for David and Bathsheba? When you get caught doing something wrong, what do you tend to do? Why? Have you ever made a situation worse by trying to cover up the mistake? In what areas of life do people tend to hide their sin the most? Why? Why didn’t God condemn David and void His covenant with David? Do God’s actions toward David have any significance for you?

  1. Close with prayer: Remind the students of Nathan’s statement to David, “You are the man!” Allow each student, either silently or aloud, to share a cover-up they need to confess and be forgiven for. Pray for each other, or, even better, invite the priest to come to the end of class to hear confession.