Israel Requests a King - Teacher (Standard) (print)

Youths (ages 9-12) · 1 Samuel 8:1-22; Deuteronomy 17:14-20; Judges 21:25 · Standard ·35 minutes

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Objective: Students explain why Israel requested a king and why the request was both understandable and spiritually dangerous.

Read: 1 Samuel 8:1-22

Opening: Ask: Can a real problem lead people to choose a poor solution?

Say:

Samuel's sons were corrupt, so the elders had a real leadership concern.
The people also wanted to be like other nations and have a king fight their battles.
God said the demand expressed rejection of His kingship.
Samuel warned that concentrated power could take people, property, labour, and freedom.

Ask:

Do: Complete the Problem, Solution, Motive, Warning grid.

Close: Pray for wise, just leaders and courage to place allegiance to God above conformity.

Materials: Bible; Problem and Power Grid

4 minConnect. Use the opening prompt and invite two or three brief responses.
4 minContext. Introduce the passage setting, speaker or main characters, and genre in age-appropriate language.
8 minRead and observe. Read 1 Samuel 8 in four movements: leadership failure, request, divine evaluation, and warning about power. Ask: What leadership failure did the elders name? What did the people want besides justice?
7 minDiscuss. Complete a four-column grid and evaluate how the same decision can contain both a legitimate concern and distrustful motives. Ask: What does the repeated word take reveal? What accountability question should people ask of leaders?
8 minActivity. Complete the Problem, Solution, Motive, Warning Grid activity and review what it demonstrates. Activity: Problem, Solution, Motive, Warning Grid. Printable: Y1-L12-P01-problem-power-grid.
4 minRespond. Review the objective, repeat the take-home line, and pray.

Materials: Four-column worksheet; Pens

Low-resource option: Build the grid on a board.

Memory verse: 1 Samuel 8:7

Prayer: Pray for just leaders, honest accountability, and primary allegiance to God.

Take-home line: A real problem can still be met with a distrustful solution.