David (later life)

DAVID AND JONATHON

Objectives:

Students should identify David as king after Saul and Jonathon as Saul’s son.
Students should be able to tell the story of David and Jonathon and to name Jonathon’s son Mephibosheth and one of David’s sons, Absalom.

Possible Lesson Plan:

Open with prayer.
Scripture Reference: I Kingdoms/I Samuel 19:1-10, 20:12-42, II Kingdoms/ II Samuel 4:4, 9:1-7, 15:10-14, 18:5-14, 33. Be sure to review context with these disparate pieces of Scripture – how Saul had started out well but lost God’s favor through disobedience, David living with Saul and his family in order to play the harp to soothe the king to sleep, the friendship of David and Jonathon, the many years after his anointing by Samuel that David was a hunted man, the final death of Saul and Jonathon in battle, the triumphant entry of David into Jerusalem with the Ark of the Covenant, the kindness of David to Mephibosheth, the crippled son of Jonathon, and the treachery of David’s most beloved son, Absalom, and his death at the hand of Joab, general to David (and previously Saul).
Learning Game: Look around the Room. Give each student a list of clues. Scatter around the room, cards with the names on them. Each student must hunt for the match for each question and write the answer on his page of clues. Be sure to leave the name cards in place for the next person to find!

Samuel – a boy prophet who grew up to anoint Saul and David

Saul – thought that sacrifice was better than obedience

Jonathon – Saul’s son who became David’s best friend

Jesse – father of David

Eliab – David’s oldest brother

Goliath – Philistine who defied the armies of God

David – carried corn and bread to his brothers on the battlefield

Amalekites – the land and people Saul was to destroy but did not

Mephibosheth – Jonathon’s crippled son, befriended by David

Absalom – David’s son who tried to steal his kingdom

Joab – general to David

Discuss friendship: What is a friend? Who are your friends? What qualities make a good friend? Was Jonathon a good friend to David? Are you a good friend to your friends? What about David to Mephibosheth?
No need for another David ornament for the Jesse tree. So let’s have some fun with a Flannelboard Box: Take a pizza box for each student. Use green and light blue felt for the background on the inside of the box. Make felt figures of David, Saul, Goliath, Samuel, Jonathon, Jesse, Mephibosheth, Absalom, and Joab and appropriate felt scenery (tree, sheep, rock, tent, arrow, etc.) Put a handle on the box and title it “Stories of David” on the outside. Use it to tell the stories to younger children.