5 W Questions For the Story of “Israel Asks for a King” from 1 Samuel 8

by katvincent

 

Israel, Israel, Israel!  Will they ever get it?  Will they ever figure out that God wants to be their only King?  That they can fully trust in Him for all their nation’s needs?  First Samuel 8 is indeed a sad commentary on the level of trust Israel places in God.  If it’s a king they want, it’s a king they will get and will be sadder for it in the end.  Here is a Bible story that your children must learn.  Hopefully, it will inspire them to place God as the King of kings and Lord of lords in their own lives.

Here are eighteen 5 “W” questions – who, what, when, where, why and how – with their answers for thestory of “Israel Asks for a King” found in 1 Samuel 8:1-22. These questions can be used with both young children and elementary children.  Just be ready to tweak them a little bit for the appropriate age.  You can also read a verse first, and then ask the question or you can read the whole passage of Scripture and then ask the questions. Your younger children might enjoy having some kind of puppet ask the questions.  Have fun!

Questions for the story “Israel Asks for a King”

1.   When did Samuel make his sons leaders of Israel?

Answer: When he was old.  (1 Samuel 8:1)

2.   What were the names of Samuel’s sons?

Answer:  Joel and Abijah.  (1 Samuel 8:2)

 

3.   Where did Samuel’s sons serve?

Answer:  At Beersheba.  (1 Samuel 8:2)

4.   How did Samuel’s sons not follow his ways?

Answer: They got dishonest gain and accepted people’s bribes and perverted justice.   (1 Samuel 8:3)

5.   Who came to Samuel at Ramah?

Answer:  The elders of Israel. (1 Samuel 8:4)

6.   What did the elders say to Samuel?

Answer: “You are old, and your sons do not follow your ways; now appoint a king… (1 Samuel 8:5)

7.   Who else had a king?

Answer: All the other nations. (1 Samuel 8:5)

8.   How did the request of the elders make Samuel feel?

Answer: Sad. (1 Samuel 8:6)

9.   Who did Samuel pray to?

Answer: The Lord. (1 Samuel 8:6)

10.           Who did the Lord say Israel had rejected?

Answer:   The Lord. (1 Samuel 8:7)

11.           How long has Israel been rejecting the Lord?

Answer:  Since He brought them out of Egypt. (1 Samuel 8:8)

12.           What did the Lord tell Samuel to do?

Answer:  To listen to the people and tell them how the king will be with them. (1 Samuel 8:9)

13.           What are some things the king will do to Israel when he reigns over them?

Answer: (Accept answers from 1 Samuel 8:10-17)

14.           When Israel becomes slaves, will the Lord answer their cries?

Answer:  No.  (1 Samuel 8:18)

15.           What did Israel want even after Samuel told them how a king would reign over them?

Answer:  A king. (1 Samuel 8:19)

16.           Who did Israel want to be like according to 8:20?

Answer:  Like other nations. (1 Samuel 8:20)

17.           What did Israel want the king to do for them?

Answer:  Lead them and fight their battles for them. (1 Samuel 8:20)

18.           What did the Lord say to Samuel after he told them what the people said?

Answer: “Listen to them and give them a king.” (1 Samuel 8:22)

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 Soggy Bread?:  A Fun Scripture Activity for Your Elementary Kids

Have you ever noticed there are some strange verses in the Bible?  For example, what’s up with Ecclesiastes 11:7 – “Cast your bread upon the waters”?  Wouldn’t it get soggy?

Well, I did a little research in my Matthew Henry commentary (FYI, probably my favorite commentary) and found out this is talking about how we need to give generously of the time, talents and money God has given us.  It very much follows the “what you sow is what you reap” principle.  Well our kids may not have a lot of bread, dough or cash at this point in their lives, but they are beginning to realize that they have talents and time that they can offer for God’s service.

To help plant this verse in your kids’ minds you will need a plastic wading pool filled with water, a gallon bucket filled with water, about 5 mini Frisbees per child (found at Party stores), permanent markers and an outdoor area you can get wet.

Take a little time to talk to your kids about Ecc. 11:7 and then have them tell you some of their talents and how they could possibly use them for the Lord.  Now give each child their 5 Frisbees – one for each talent they came up with.  Have them put their initials on one side and a one to two word description of their talent on the other side.

You are now ready to take the kids outside where they will line up about one to two yards away from the pool.  Each kid will have the chance to “cast” each of his or her Frisbees into the pool.  But before they begin “casting” have them shout out Ecc. 11:7 first.  The child who ends up with the most Frisbees in the water gets the honor of having a bucket of “blessings” (water) poured on their head.  Repeat the whole process to your kids’ hearts content.

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• by katvincent

“Oh, how I love Your law!  I meditate on it all day long.”  (Psalm 119:97)  This is a beautiful Bible verse, but do your children agree with the psalmist that wrote these words of praise for God’s amazing Word?  I hope they do.  If not, then why not try to get your kids excited about the Bible by giving them fun and engaging activities to stir up a love and passion for the Word of God?  Take for example: “Cool Concordance Competition.”  Your kids will love it!

Here’s what you do:

Prepare a list of words that your children can look up in their concordance.  (By the way, I will assume that your children know how to use a concordance.  If they do not, now is the time to teach them.)  I have started you off with a list below.  You will also need a writing board of some sort up to which a child can come and write down Bible references.

Divide your class into 2 teams.  It would be best if every child has their own concordance, but if a team needs to share, that is fine.  Designate a child from each team to be the writer of the reference of the Bible verse that is found and supply them with a piece of chalk or other writing utensil.

Explain the following to your children: It is God’s desire that we have a great love for His Word, the Bible, just like the psalmist has in Psalm 119:97.  One way that we can grow to appreciate and love God’s Word is by learning how to use the concordance.  The concordance is a great tool that can help us look up verses by topics. For example, if you would like to learn what the Bible has to say about love, you can look this word up and see all the great verses that contain the word “love.”

Continue to say: Today we are going to play “Cool Concordance Competition.”  I will write a word up on the board along with a book of the Bible.  On the word “GO”, your team will work together to find the word within the book I have given.  For example, if I write the word “light” and the book “Psalms”, you will need to find the reference of a Bible verse from the book of Psalms that contains the word “light”.  Psalm 4:6 is an example of a possible verse.  Once your team finds a reference, the designated writer must come up to the board and write it down.  The first team to write a reference on the board for the word and Bible book given, will earn 100 points for their team.

Here is a second part to this fun Bible school activity:  Another 100 points can be earned by seeing which team can find the Bible verse first in their Bibles.  Once again, I will say “GO” and the first one to show me they have found the verse will earn 100 points for his team.

List of 7 possible concordance words:

Light in John

Darkness in Isaiah

Faith in Matthew

God in I Samuel

Heaven in Revelation

Neighbor in Proverbs

Power in Acts

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• by katvincent

Have you ever let your preschoolers play with flashlights?  It can be a very fun activity, especially when combined with the Word of God.  Psalm 119:105 says this:  “Your Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.”  Here is a fun Bible school activity you can play with your little ones called “Happy Lights.”

Here’s what you do:

For this activity you will need a flashlight for each child or at least one for every 2 children so that they can share.  Before class, cover the ends of each flashlight with a piece of construction paper out of which you’ve cut a happy face.  Include a smile, two eyes and a nose.  Tape the papers to the flashlights.  You are now ready to play this activity.

Introduce Psalm 119:105 in the following way:  Boys and girls, raise your hands if you ever get scared of the dark.  (Wait for response.)  I get scared of the dark too.  I like being in the light much better!  I think God likes the light better too.  Here’s a Bible verse that tells how God’s Word, the Bible, is like a light and a lamp.  Listen to what it says:  Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”  Now let’s say it together.  I’ll say some word first and then you repeat after me.  (Say a couple of words and let the children repeat after you.)  Can anybody point to some lights in our room?  (Wait for response.)  Good job!  Lights are important.  They help us see where to go and keep us from bumping into things so that we don’t get hurt.  God’s Word, the Bible, is like a light.  It also shows us where to go and keeps us safe if we do what God tells us to do.  God’s Word should make us very happy just like this happy light I am holding.  (Show the children your happy face flashlight.)  When we love God and obey Him we will be happy.  Here is a flashlight for each of you to hold.  (Explain how to turn it on and off.)  Now, I am going to turn the lights off in our room.  But before I do, everyone turn your flashlights on.  (Turn the lights off in your room.)  Wow!  Would you look at how bright our room is?  It’s beautiful.  Now, shine your lights up on the wall.  Do you see the happy faces?  They’re all over!  Now, we’re going to play a little game with our flashlight.  I am going to say an object in the room.  For example, I might say “the clock.”  I want everyone to shine their lights on the clock.  We will then say our Bible verse together.

At this point, choose an object in your room the children can point to.  Then have the children repeat the verse after you.  Do this several times picking a new object each time.  At the end, you might sing the song “This Little Light of Mine” and have the children dance around the room.

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• by katvincent

David and Jonathan, of Bible fame, were best buds.  They probably spent a lot of time together running around King Saul’s castle getting into all kinds of mischief.  Later in their lives this friendship was greatly tested.  I Samuel 18 – 20 tells us of this amazing relationship.

Friendship is very important to kids.  They know very well by the elementary years what it means to fit in with the crowd and what it means to be left out.  At this age friendships can end just as quickly as they begin.  The friendship of David and Jonathan is a good example for your kids to examine and hopefully put into practice in their own lives.

After sharing the highlights of chapters 18 – 20 of I Samuel, remind your kids that just as David and Jonathan were faithful to each other, Jesus will be faithful in His friendship with them.  But in order for a relationship to grow, you’ve got to spend time with the other person.

Ask your kids what are some ways they “hang out” with their friends.  They might say skateboarding or swimming.  Then ask them what are some ways they could “hang out” with Jesus.  They might say praying or reading His Word.

Some other ways your children can get to know Jesus more can include drawing a picture just for Him.  Maybe they could try and write a little worship song giving Him praise.  Memorizing a Scripture is another great way to get to know God.

Finally, give them a “commitment card” on which they will write down one way they will spend time with Jesus this week.  Bless them with some kind of treat or reward for honoring their commitment and repeat the process next week.  Now ask yourself how you will “hang out” with Jesus.

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