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1 Samuel 8–10; 13; 15–16 Teaching Activities and Insights


TEACHING ACTIVITIES

 

LESSON #1 DON’T LEAP WITH THE SHEEP (1 Samuel 8)

 

TRUTH:

When I choose worldly ways over God’s ways, I eventually reap worldly consequences.

 

FIRE IN THE BONES:

To help you get some fire in the bones for this lesson, think about how difficult it can be to go against the grain. I mean, most people, youth AND adults, genuinely want to fit in. We don’t like standing out. But sometimes the crowd is wrong. And sometimes the safest direction is not the most popular one. That’s exactly the challenge that Israel faces in 1 Samuel 8. They already have the Lord as their King, but they decide they want to be “like unto all the nations.” And that desire ends up creating generations of problems for them. This lesson gives us a chance to help students think carefully about who or what is shaping them most. Are they being led primarily by God OR by the crowd around them?

 

OBJECT:

One simple object you may wish to display for this lesson is a shepherd’s staff, a cane, or even just a walking stick. That can act as a powerful visual reminder that discipleship is not  about following the flock, but the Shepherd. Then throughout the lesson, you could occasionally point back to the staff and remind students that sheep survive by learning to trust the voice and direction of the shepherd. And if you really want to lean into that idea in a memorable way, you could even hand out candy canes at the end of class as a small treat and reminder that the shape itself comes from a shepherd’s crook.

 

ICEBREAKER:

For an icebreaker, show your students the following picture of the sheep heading toward the cliff and then ask them a simple question: “Can you find the smartest sheep in the picture?” And eventually someone should notice the one sheep walking the opposite direction. Then ask: “Why would it be hard to be that sheep?” Let them discuss that for a minute before moving on. You’ll likely hear answers like: everybody else is going the other way, he probably looks weird, maybe the others think he’s wrong, and so on. Then you could briefly share the story that I told from the insight video about my Dad’s experience with the sheep leaping off the cliff one after another. Then introduce the principle: sometimes following the crowd can lead us spiritually over a cliff too. Then transition to the scriptures by telling them that Israel is about to face that exact temptation in 1 Samuel 8.

 

SEARCH ACTIVITY:

For the search activity, I would use the study guide activity. Sometimes it’s good to just allow your students to work through the story themselves first. So have them work individually, with a partner, or in small groups as they read through 1 Samuel 8 and complete the handout. As you correct it together, try not to fully explain every answer yourself right away. Let the students talk about what they notice first. Now, if you’re teaching youth, you may want to emphasize the courage it takes to avoid simply following the crowd. Questions 3, 5, 9, and 11 naturally lend themselves to discussions about peer pressure, identity, and spiritual courage.

But if you’re teaching adults, you may wish to spend a little more time on question 8 and Samuel’s pattern for dealing with people who insist on making poor choices. That section has particularly powerful application for parents, leaders, and teachers.

Help them to notice what the Lord does. He honors their agency, clearly warns them, teaches them the consequences, and then still continues to love, guide, and pray for them afterward. Sometimes we can’t force people to choose wisely, but we can still teach clearly, love consistently, and continue pointing them toward the Lord.

 

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

Here are a few possible discussion questions you could use naturally throughout the activity if you feel they would help your class engage more personally with the principles:

Why do you think people naturally want to be “like everyone else”?

What are some modern ways people still say, “We want to be like all the nations”?

Why is it sometimes difficult to trust God or the prophets when the world is moving a different direction?

 

TAKE IT TO HEART:

Invite students to quietly reflect on the following question: “Where am I most tempted to simply follow the crowd instead of deliberately choosing what I know is right?” Encourage them not to think only about dramatic sins or major rebellion. Sometimes the greatest danger is slowly allowing the world to shape our attitudes, priorities, language, entertainment, standards, or values without really noticing it. The goal here is not fear or guilt, but awareness. God needs disciples who are thoughtful, courageous, and spiritually grounded.

 

I WILL GO AND DO:

This might be a good lesson to conclude with a few moments of quiet personal reflection rather than a large class discussion. The principles in 1 Samuel 8 tend to hit a little deeper when students have time to honestly ponder their own lives and choices before the Lord. You may even want to invite them to quietly write down their thoughts rather than share them out loud.  Ask students to think of one “cliff” they see the world moving toward right now. Then invite them to consider: “What would it look like for me to walk a different direction?” Encourage them to act on one impression they receive.

 

TAKEAWAY:

For the takeaway slide, display the following image of the flock heading toward the cliff while the lone sheep walks in the opposite direction. Then simply reiterate the phrase: “Don’t Leap with the Sheep.” I would keep the conclusion simple and sincere. You might say something like: “One of the hardest things in life is having the courage to walk a different direction than the crowd. Israel struggled with that, and honestly, so do we. There will always be pressure to fit in, follow trends, or just go along with everybody else. But discipleship has never really been about following the crowd. It’s about following the Shepherd. So I encourage you, this week, to look for one moment where they can choose courage over conformity and faithfulness over popularity. Small moments like that build strong disciples.”

 

OPTIONAL LESSON ENHANCEMENTS:

 

VIDEO:

One possible video you may wish to use with this lesson is the youth video “Dare to Stand Alone.” Thematically it fits this lesson extremely well. The video focuses on courage, resisting peer pressure, spiritual identity, and being willing to stand apart from the crowd when necessary.

 

QUOTE:

This Spencer W. Kimball quote aligns perfectly with this lesson:

 

"Samuel called the people together and explained to them that the people of the Lord should be different, with higher standards. 'We want to be like other peoples' they demanded. 'We do not want to be different.'

"Not so different are we today! We want the glamour and frothiness of the world, not always realizing the penalties of our folly. … Others … indulge in their social drinking—'we must also have a king like unto other nations!'

"Styles are created by the vulgar and money-mad and run from one extreme to the other to out-date present wardrobes and create business for merchants. We cannot be different. We would rather die than be 'not up to date.' If the dress is knee length we must go [a] little above the knee. If shorts are short we must have the shortest. … [I]f bathing suits are skimpy, we must have the skimpiest. 'We must have a king like unto other nations!'

"When, oh when, will our Latter-day Saints stand firm on their own feet, establish their own standards, follow proper patterns and live their own glorious lives in accordance with Gospel inspired patterns. … Certainly good times and happy lives and clean fun are not dependent upon the glamorous, the pompous, the extremes“

Spencer W. Kimball

(“Like All the Nations,” Church News 15 Oct. 1960, 14).

 

 

 

LESSON #2 THE CALLL AND FALL OF SAUL (1 Samuel)

 

TRUTH:

This represents a similar truth to lesson #1 but from a bit of a different perspective.

When I fear people more than I fear God, I make foolish choices and may eventually forfeit a Celestial crown.

 

FIRE IN THE BONES:

To help you get some fire in the bones for this lesson, think about how often people make choices based on fear of what others will think. That pressure doesn’t disappear with age either. Teenagers feel it with peers and social media. Adults feel it at work, online, in relationships, and even culturally. Saul’s story is tragic because he begins with so much promise. He’s humble, faithful, hardworking, and spiritually sensitive. But little by little, he starts caring more about the approval of people than the approval of God. Eventually Saul himself admits the real reason for his downfall: “I feared the people, and obeyed their voice.” This lesson gives us an opportunity to help students recognize how dangerous that fear can become if left unchecked.

 

OBJECT:

One simple object you may wish to display for this lesson is a crown. It doesn’t need to be elaborate. Even a simple plastic costume crown works because the symbolism is what matters. Throughout the lesson, the crown can serve as a reminder that Saul did not lose his kingdom all at once. He lost it little by little through fear, compromise, pride, and selective obedience. You could even physically move the crown farther away during the lesson as Saul drifts spiritually. Another possible object would be a rope tied into a knot to accompany the proverb: “When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.” That object pairs especially well with Saul’s failure to patiently wait for Samuel in chapter 13.

 

ICEBREAKER/GAME:

For the icebreaker you’re going to want to catch them up on the context of the story. Remind them that the Israelites had demanded that Samuel give them a king. Samuel explained that if they insisted on having a king, then that king would be chosen by God. Since Israel was meant to be a different kind of people, they needed a different kind of king. So who was chosen as the first king of Israel? Then I like to give the class a simple riddle challenge. Tell them the title of the lesson is: “The ______ and ______ of Saul. Their clue is that the other two missing words rhyme with Saul. Challenge them to try and figure it out before the lesson concludes.

 

SEARCH ACTIVITY:

For the search activity, I would actually keep the opening section about Saul’s positive qualities fairly brief. In the insight video, I spent more time walking through all the verses that reveal Saul’s strengths, but for a classroom setting, I think it works better for the teacher to simply summarize many of those events and qualities quickly. The important thing is that students understand that Saul started out as a genuinely good man. He was humble, hardworking, faithful, forgiving, spiritually sensitive, and initially reluctant to seek power. And that’s important, to establish that foundation, because the tragedy of Saul’s story only really lands if students first recognize how much promise he had.

 

Then moving into the tests of obedience portion of the story. For Test #1 in 1 Samuel 13, one approach I like is helping students gradually feel the pressure that Saul was experiencing rather than simply summarizing the story. As you have your students read verses 5-8 reveal the problem that Saul is facing one at a time, either on slides or written on the board:

•       The Philistines are gathering.

•       The army is becoming afraid.

•       Some soldiers are leaving.

•       Saul is losing support.

•       Seven days are almost over.

•       Samuel still hasn’t arrived.

After building the tension a little, pause and ask your students: “At this point, what would you be tempted to do?”

Let them briefly discuss with a partner or small group. Interestingly enough, many students will actually sympathize with Saul at first which is good. It makes the story feel more real and human. Then have someone read verse. 9 about Saul’s decision to offer the sacrifice himself and ask: Why do you think that choice probably felt reasonable in the moment?

Then ask: But is there anything wrong with that?  And yes, he was not authorized to do that, and Samuel specifically instructed him to wait.

Then read the conclusion of the story in verses 10-14 when Samuel arrives “as soon as” Saul finishes the sacrifice.

 

DISCUSSION QUESTION:

Possible discussion questions to use for this portion of the lesson:

Why is patience sometimes such an important part of faith?

What are some modern examples of people “forcing themselves” into choices they know aren’t right because of social pressure?

Why do you think God sometimes asks people to wait before the blessing comes?

 

SEARCH ACTIVITY: TEST #2

Then for the final test in 1 Samuel 15, I still really like using the reader’s theater approach because it keeps students engaged while helping them experience the emotion and tension of the confrontation between Samuel and Saul. Assign different students the parts of Narrator, Saul, Samuel, the voice of the Lord, sheep, and oxen. You can even use simple name placards if you want to make it more visual and memorable. And in this week’s downloads I’ll include printouts of the readers’ theater packet and name placards you could use to make this easier.

 

After the reader’s theater concludes, rather than immediately explaining the entire story yourself, invite the class to help identify Saul’s deeper problems. You might write the phrase “Saul’s Real Problems” on the board and ask students what weaknesses or patterns they noticed appearing throughout the confrontation with Samuel. Encourage them to support their answers with evidence from the text. Students will often begin identifying things like fear of people, partial obedience, excuse making, pride, blame shifting, stubbornness, and concern over appearances. As they discuss, resist the temptation to over-explain everything. Instead, briefly guide and clarify the discussion with questions like:

  • Why is partial obedience still disobedience?

  • Why do people sometimes try to justify choices they know are wrong?

  • At what point do you think Saul became more concerned with protecting his image than obeying God?

  • Which of Saul’s weaknesses do you think is most dangerous today?

Then, after students have had time to notice the patterns themselves, briefly emphasize the central tragedy of Saul’s story: his downfall was not really about sheep or sacrifices. It was about consistently fearing people more than trusting God. Saul repeatedly chose approval, pressure, pride, and self-interest over obedience. And little by little, that cost him both his spiritual power and eventually his kingdom.

 

TAKE IT TO HEART:

Ask students to think about a time when they saw someone—or perhaps they themselves—choose to do what was right even though it may have been awkward, unpopular, embarrassing, or difficult in front of others. If appropriate, invite a few students to share what happened and what they admired or learned from that experience.

 

I WILL GO AND DO:

Then for the “I will go and do” portion of the lesson, we want to give our students a chance to ponder ways in which they have or could be tested in their lives. Saul’s downfall didn’t happen in one giant moment of rebellion. It happened through a series of tests. Approval tests. Fear tests. Patience tests. Obedience tests. And honestly, life gives us those same kinds of tests all the time.  So for the concluding portion of the lesson, give your students a few short scenarios and invite to quietly think, “What would I honestly do in that situation?”  No need for sharing here. This is a contemplative experience. It can help the principle of the lesson to really sink in.

 

Approval Test: Your friends are making fun of someone online in a group chat. Nothing horribly vicious, but definitely unkind. Everybody else is piling on and laughing. You know speaking up will probably make things awkward.

What do you do?

Patience Test: You’ve prayed about something important for a long time and still don’t feel like God has answered. You’re tempted to just give up instead of waiting any longer.

What do you do?

Fear Test: You feel prompted to invite someone to church, defend your beliefs, apologize, or stand up for something right, but you’re afraid of looking awkward.

What do you do?

Obedience Test: Everybody around you treats cheating in school as something completely normal. A big assignment is coming up and you’re wondering if just letting AI write it for you would be OK this time.

What do you do?

 

TAKEAWAY:

For the takeaway slide, display the phrase “Don’t lose your crown”. As you conclude the lesson, you might return to the title of the lesson and see if they can fill in the blanks now.  What words would rhyme and make sense in those blanks?  The answer is the Call and Fall of Saul.  You could reward the student that figures it out with a small treat if you’d like. Then remind your students that most spiritual decline can happen slowly and almost imperceptibly. Rarely do these kinds of things take place in one giant decision, but through small compromises that slowly pull us away from God over time. Then encourage them not to underestimate the power of small acts of courage and obedience. Choosing God over the crowd makes a world of difference. Then end by bearing simple testimony that God honors those who trust Him, obey Him, and stay faithful even when the pressure to do otherwise feels strong.

 

OPTIONAL LESSON ENHANCEMENTS:

 

VIDEO:

One possible way to conclude this lesson would be with a musical number focused on courage and obedience under pressure. A particularly strong option “Choose the Right” performed by the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square.  Sometimes a musical conclusion like this can help the lesson end with feeling, reflection, and spiritual invitation rather than simply more information.

 

 

QUOTE:

A short but powerful quote you might want to share during this lesson comes from President Thomas S. Monson. He simply said:“My brothers and sisters, the great test of this life is obedience.”

(Conference Report, Apr. 2013 “Obedience Brings Blessings”)

 

 

LESSON #3 THE LORD LOOKETH ON THE HEART (1 Samuel 16)

 

TRUTH:

The Lord looks on the heart, and we should strive to see people—and ourselves—the way He does.

 

FIRE IN THE BONES:

To help you get some fire in the bones for this lesson, think about how much of modern life is built around outward appearance. Social media, popularity, image, attractiveness, status, clothing, talent, success, personality, we live in a world that constantly evaluates people based on what can be seen on the surface. And a lot of us may begin to quietly wonder if we’re popular enough, attractive enough, talented enough, spiritual enough, confident enough, or successful enough to matter. This lesson gives us a chance to help students see people more deeply, judge less superficially, and perhaps most importantly, stop measuring their own worth by outward standards the world obsesses over.

 

OBJECT:

I suggest you have two objects to display for this lesson.  One of those objects would be a geode rock. On the outside, geodes often appear rough, plain, and unimpressive, but inside they contain remarkable beauty and crystals. But you don’t want to stop there because there is a second application of this truth. To teach the opposite side of the principle, make a chocolate-covered onion. All you have to do for this is you get an onion, then melt some chocolate chips into a liquid, pour it over the onion, then let it cool and harden.  It will look just like a chocolate covered apple, but then you can cut into it to reveal the onion. At first glance, it looks sweet, appealing, and desirable, on the outside, but if somebody were to bite into it, the truth would become immediately obvious. Those visuals tie beautifully into the Lord’s teaching that He sees differently than the world does. He looks on the inside because he understands that appearances can mislead.

 

ICEBREAKER:

So I would suggest that you use that object lesson as the icebreaker, but you could try this idea as well. You could try showing some pictures of coral reefs from above the surface compared to below the water. I personally love using the Red Sea example. When I visited the northern tip of the Red Sea near Eilat, the landscape above the surface looked barren, dry, and lifeless. But the moment I looked beneath the surface with a snorkeling mask, an entire world of color, beauty, and life appeared. People can be like that too. There is often far more goodness, complexity, beauty, faith, and potential inside a person than we initially see on the surface. But, to make the opposite point. You could show these pictures of a poison dart frog, a lionfish, and a coral snake. Explain that these creatures are stunning visually, but they are poisonous and dangerous within. Then you can transition to the scriptures by saying that Samuel is going to learn this lesson as he seeks to anoint a new king over Israel.

 

SEARCH ACTIVITY:

For the search activity, I would focus on helping students discover the contrast between how humans typically judge and how God judges. One simple approach would be to have students search 1 Samuel 16:1–13 looking for all the assumptions people make in the story versus what the Lord actually values.

You could even create two columns on the board:

  • “What man sees”

  • “What God sees”

As students work through the verses, let them identify examples for each category. Students will quickly notice that Samuel focuses on appearance, height, age, and outward impressiveness while God focuses on the heart. One thing I would emphasize is that David was not even initially invited to the occasion. He was overlooked. Forgotten. Left tending the sheep while the others were presented first. Yet he was the one the Lord had chosen all along.

 

One important direction I would encourage teachers not to overlook in this lesson is that the principle works both ways. Usually when we teach “The Lord looketh on the heart,” we focus on not judging people negatively because they seem unimpressive outwardly. That is certainly true. But in the actual story, Samuel’s mistake was the opposite. He assumed Eliab must be the right choice because he looked impressive, strong, and kingly on the outside. The Lord corrected him because outward attractiveness, charisma, confidence, popularity, or appearance are not reliable indicators of goodness or spiritual strength. Sometimes danger, pride, deceit, selfishness, or spiritual weakness can hide beneath a very appealing exterior. That is why disciples of Christ must learn to see more deeply than the world often does. God sees character, humility, sincerity, integrity, and the true condition of the heart rather than simply being impressed by outward image.  A question I might ask to make that point would be: Why can it be just as dangerous to judge someone positively based only on outward appearance as it is to judge someone negatively?

 

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

Why do you think people so naturally focus on outward appearance?

What are some outward things people are often judged by today?

What do you think it means to “look on someone’s heart”? Sometimes with that question I like to facetiously say: “What? So he looks at my aorta, and ventricles? He says things like ‘Wow, that is a great looking pulmonary valve, you are righteous!’  But what do we mean by looking at the heart? And I think it means to judge others by the content of their character.

Why does God want us to judge by the heart rather than the outward appearance?

 

TAKE IT TO HEART:

I would also encourage teachers not to turn this lesson into merely “don’t judge people by appearance.” That principle certainly matters, but this story goes deeper than that. This is also a lesson about self-worth, spiritual identity, humility, and learning to value what God values. Sometimes we judge ourselves by outward standards just as harshly as we judge others. So another question I might ask is:

What are some outward things people often feel pressured to measure themselves by?

Have you ever felt overlooked, underestimated, or unnoticed like David was at first?

What would it look like to see yourself more the way God sees you?

 

I WILL GO AND DO:

For the “I Will Go and Do” portion of the lesson, you might ask students a more general question like: “How could you apply the lesson of ‘looking on the heart’ to your own life this week?” Then offer a few possible suggestions to help students personalize it. For example:

  • Make a greater effort to notice and appreciate the deeper qualities in someone I may normally overlook.

  • Stop myself from making a quick judgment about another person based only on outward appearance, popularity, personality, or reputation.

  • Focus less on comparing my outward appearance, talents, or social status to others and spend more time developing qualities of heart that matter to God.

  • Intentionally encourage or include someone who may feel unnoticed, overlooked, or underestimated like David was.

 

TAKEAWAY:

For the takeaway slide, display the image of the geode with the faint heart shape hidden within it. Then as you conclude the lesson, encourage your students to remember that God sees far more deeply than the world usually does. He sees faith, goodness, sincerity, humility, potential, and character—things that often remain invisible to everyone else. Invite them to not only judge others more carefully and compassionately, but also to stop measuring their own worth primarily by outward things. Then close with simple testimony that God knows His children perfectly, sees the heart clearly, and values things far deeper and more eternally important than the world often does.

 

OPTIONAL LESSON ENHANCEMENTS:

 

VIDEO:

One possible video you may wish to use with this lesson is “Our True Identity,” where Dieter F. Uchtdorf retells the story of the Ugly Duckling. This video connects beautifully with the message of 1 Samuel 16 because it reminds students that outward appearance, comparison, and worldly judgment do not determine a person’s true worth or identity.

 

QUOTE:

From Dieter F. Uchtdorf that you might use as you discuss that it’s important not to judge ourselves by our outward appearance. He said:

“Heavenly Father’s interest in you does not depend on how rich or beautiful or healthy or smart you are. He sees you not as the world sees you; He sees who you really are. He looks on your heart. And He loves you because you are His child.”

(“Your Wonderful Journey Home,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2013, 128)

 

HANDOUT:

For a possible handout activity, you could invite students to think about the iceberg as a symbol for people. Most of an iceberg lies beneath the surface where it can’t immediately be seen. People are often the same way. In the space above the waterline, encourage students to write the kinds of outward things people are often judged by—appearance, popularity, talent, personality, clothing, success, confidence, social media image, and so on. Then, in the space below the surface, invite them to write the deeper things that God sees in the heart—faith, kindness, loneliness, humility, pain, integrity, courage, goodness, repentance, sincerity, or potential. I really like this activity because it naturally leads students to reflect on both how they view others and how they view themselves.


INSIGHTS

 

LIKE UNTO ALL THE NATIONS

 

ICEBREAKER

For an icebreaker, I like to show my students the following picture and ask them if they can find the smart sheep in the picture? Can you find it? It’s right here. And what makes him so smart? He’s the only one going in the right direction, the safe direction. All the rest are running in direction of the cliff. Now, you can imagine that it might be kind of hard to be that sheep—going against the grain. It’s very possible that the other sheep might give him a hard time, throw some disgusted glances his way, ask him what he thinks he’s doing and try to convince him to turn around because, well, everybody else is doing it. But that sheep knows, the results of following the flock would be disastrous. So he’s taking the harder, but safer way. The way that doesn’t end in disaster. I’ve shared with you some of my Dad’s experiences as a young man while working on a cattle ranch in Nevada. You may recall the “Don’t Lick Grass” lesson from a few weeks ago. There was another saying he used to quote to us as well. He’d say “Don’t leap with the sheep” which also came from a personal experience he’d had. One day as they were out on the range, they came across six lambs that had strayed from their flock. They were wild and about one year old. They decided to try to catch them and take them back to the ranch, to take care of them.  However, the sheep were resistant to the idea of being led and for over an hour my Dad and the others ran around trying to get a hold of them, but to no avail. Then they got an idea to use the edge of a nearby cliff as a natural barrier so they would have less of a perimeter to try to corral them in. This seemed to work for a time, but unfortunately, as they were closing in on them, the biggest sheep in the group turned and ran for the edge of the cliff and instead of stopping, leaped over the edge, and plummeted to his death. When the boys saw this, they backed off to give the other lambs some room, but to their horror, the other five also raced to the edge of the cliff and one by one jumped to their deaths in the exact same location the first had gone.

 

Mankind is a lot like those sheep unfortunately. We may give a lot of lip service to originality and doing our own thing, but we seem to have a human need to fit in or go with the crowd. Even those who consider themselves rebels against society and convention, usually rebel in the exact same way with the same styles, attitudes, and actions as others in their group. Sadly, most of our society is currently jumping off a moral cliff edge. Sometimes, all it takes is for some of the “bigger sheep”, the popular, the influential, the rich and successful, to jump over the edge of the moral cliff, to get the more naïve or susceptible to jump too. You can understand how this strategy would make sense to Satan. If he can get the leader, he can often get the entire flock.

 

TRANSITION

Well the children of Israel are going to face just such a decision in 1 Samuel chapter 8. Within the first 10 verses of that chapter, can you find the worldly desire they’re wrestling with? What is it?

They wish to have a king “like all the nations”. See, up to this point, Israel had no earthly king. They had a prophet, and they had the Lord. But that doesn’t seem to be enough for them. They want to be like everybody else.

 

SEARCH

To help us understand this story on a deeper level, I’d like to invite you to fill out this study guide.  As a teacher, you could hand this out to your students to work individually or in partnerships.  Then, as you correct it, you could lead a discussion on the truths the story teaches.  All of the answers can be found by reading 1 Samuel chapter 8. So here we go.

 

1.     Samuel made his two sons judges over the people.  TRUE/FALSE  This is true according to verses 1-2.

2.     His sons followed their father’s righteous example and were honest judges over the people.  Sadly, that statement is false. Verse 3 tells us that they took advantage of their position and accepted bribes and perverted judgment.

3.     What two reasons did the people give for desiring to have a king?  Pick two.

a.     Because they were worried about Samuel’s two corrupt sons would not lead in righteousness once he died.

b.     Because they had no leader

c.     Because they wanted to be like all the other nations

d.     Because they needed a representative to work with Egypt.

The answers would be a and c.  Because they were concerned about Samuel’s sons and because they wanted to be like all the other nations. Now of those two reasons, which do you think is the biggest factor in their desire? Interestingly enough, the concern with his sons is never mentioned again, but funnily enough, they do bring up the other nations argument yet again. B would not be a correct answer because the people DID have a leader. In fact, they already had a king. God was their king. The king of kings. And they had Samuel. A spiritual leader was all that they really needed at this point. The Lord would take care of them, as long as they were righteous.

4.     The Lord was pleased with their desire to be ruled by a king. True/False  That would be false. This desire displeased both Samuel and the Lord. You can see that in verses 6 and 7.

5.     What principle could best be taught from verse 7?

a.     The scriptures contain the solutions to life’s problems.

b.     When we reject the prophets, we are really rejecting the Lord.

c.     Answers to prayer often come after great effort.

d.     God requires a broken heart and a contrite spirit.

The answer would be B. The Lord explains to Samuel that by rejecting him, they are really rejecting their God. Perhaps we comfort ourselves at times in dismissing a prophet’s counsel because “they’re just men.” It’s a lot easier to say, “Well, I don’t agree with President Nielsen on that one” than, “Well, I don’t agree with God on that one.”  But they’re not just men. They are the Lord’s mouthpiece. Rejecting them is rejecting the Lord.

6.     The Lord agrees to allow the people to have a king.  True/False.  And the answer is true. The Lord does allow them to have a king. Which seems surprising, which leads us to our next question.

7.     Short answer: Why do you think the Lord allows this? A couple of things to consider here. This reminds me a bit of the story of Balaam, where God does allow him to go, so that he could learn a lesson. Also, if the Lord had rejected their desire to have a king, would their rebellion have become even worse in the end? Sometimes you have to give people a little bit of their leash lest they pull completely away in resentment.

8.     Before the Lord has Samuel call a king, he instructs him to do some other things first. Mark all the answers that apply.

a.     He honored their agency and allowed them to choose

b.     He offered a sacrifice on their behalf

c.     He let them know in a very serious manner how opposed he was to their decision

d.     He carefully explained the probable consequences of their decisions.

e.     He rent his clothes and called upon God to curse them for their disobedience

Sometimes parents may need to make this same kind of choice with their own children, especially as they get older and are facing adulthood. What do you do when confronted with the unwise desires of your children? Maybe there is a pattern here shown by the Lord. One, he does respect their agency. Even though he knew the final outcome would be less than desirable, he grants them the freedom to choose.  Second, the Lord instructs him to  “protests solemnly” against their desire. He wanted to make sure that they understood clearly how much he was opposed to their intentions. Then third, he explains all the negative consequences that were sure to be the outgrowth of that decision. Verses 10-18 list all those undesirable outcomes. He promises them that their king would take their sons to work in his fields, their daughters to work in his bakeries. He would tax their increase and demand their goods to sustain a lavish lifestyle. He warns them that they will eventually “cry out in that day because of [their] king”. Samuel follows all of these instructions.

9.     Fill in the blank of the most tragic phrase of the entire story. “Nevertheless the people ___________ to obey the voice of Samuel”.   Unfortunately the word that goes in that blank is “refused”. They refused to obey the voice of Samuel.  Oh I wish it were a different word though. I wish the word we could put in that blank was the word “resolved”, or “pledged”, or “promised” to obey the voice of Samuel. Sadly they didn’t.

10.  Eventually, the people did regret their decision to crown a king (1 Samuel 12:19). TRUE/FALSE. The answer is TRUE. And I believe that’s going to be true of any that choose to disregard the voice of God and his servants. They may not feel that regret immediately, but it will come. For these people it was just four short chapters later that they come to the same conclusion that Samuel had come to long before. And the rest of the history of the Old Testament testifies to the fact that Samuel was right. We’re going to see each of the first three kings of Israel fall apart in one way or another. Then when the kingdom divides, we’ll see two long strings of mostly wicked kings, and very few righteous ones. Who knows how different the Bible narrative might have been had the people listened to Samuel and the Lord.

 

Still, even after this realization, there is a fourth thing that Samuel does for the people in chapter 12 after they have realized their mistake.  He says:

 

20 And Samuel said unto the people, Fear not: ye have done all this wickedness: yet turn not aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart;

21 And turn ye not aside: for then should ye go after vain things, which cannot profit nor deliver; for they are vain.

22 For the Lord will not forsake his people for his great name's sake: because it hath pleased the Lord to make you his people.

23 Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you: but I will teach you the good and the right way:

 

So this is good counsel for us as well as parents or leaders. Even when children or people go astray, parents and leaders should continue to pray for those they love and continue to strive to teach them the good and right way. God didn’t forsake his people even though they insisted on crowning a king. When an absolute “no” will not satisfy their will, this four-step plan may be the only thing that can still save them. The hope is that someday they will learn to trust the more mature wisdom that comes from experience instead of giving in to their foolish desires. Last question, which is a short answer question.

 

11.  In your opinion, what’s the danger in wanting to be “like all the nations”? Or in other words, wanting to adopt the styles, trends, entertainment, and culture of the world around you?

 

I believe it's very easy to get caught up in and seduced by the trends and the ways of the world, and I admit, that many of those trends are not necessarily matters of right and wrong. Sometimes the styles of our time are just silly, but the attitude is what’s dangerous. It may not seem like that big of a deal to sport a popular extreme hairstyle or fashion fad of the day. I think back to some of the silly things my generation did in the late 80’s.  Pegged pants, duck tales, Girbaud jeans, and girls with big bangs were just some of the trends of my day. None of these things were “bad” on their own terms, but if we get so concerned and fixated on following the world and matching it's behaviors, what will we do when a matter of right and wrong DOES come along. What will I do when I’m invited to the alcohol and drug parties? What will I do when immoral and delinquent behavior is encouraged? What will I do when social media and the intellectual gurus and celebrities preach messages of anti-faith and self-indulgence? I will become so used to traveling in that direction with everyone else, that I will not have the fortitude nor the courage to turn around and walk back through the surging crowd. I will simply leap with the rest of the sheep.

 

Perhaps the best quote I could refer you to comes from a talk given years ago by President Spencer W. Kimball that just happens to be based on this very Old Testament chapter. It’s a little lengthy but it’s power speaks for itself. He said:

 

"Samuel called the people together and explained to them that the people of the Lord should be different, with higher standards. 'We want to be like other peoples' they demanded. 'We do not want to be different.'

"Not so different are we today! We want the glamour and frothiness of the world, not always realizing the penalties of our folly. … Others … indulge in their social drinking—'we must also have a king like unto other nations!'

"Styles are created by the vulgar and money-mad and run from one extreme to the other to out-date present wardrobes and create business for merchants. We cannot be different. We would rather die than be 'not up to date.' If the dress is knee length we must go [a] little above the knee. If shorts are short we must have the shortest. … [I]f bathing suits are skimpy, we must have the skimpiest. 'We must have a king like unto other nations!'

"When, oh when, will our Latter-day Saints stand firm on their own feet, establish their own standards, follow proper patterns and live their own glorious lives in accordance with Gospel inspired patterns. … Certainly good times and happy lives and clean fun are not dependent upon the glamorous, the pompous, the extremes“

Spencer W. Kimball

(“Like All the Nations,” Church News 15 Oct. 1960, 14).

 

Well stated President Kimball.

 

TRUTH

When I choose worldly ways, I reap worldly consequences.

 

LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES

Ask yourself the following question and ponder your own personal response. Are there any worldly ways I need to let go of?

 

CONCLUSION

My warning to all would be a plea to not leap with the sheep. Find the strength and pride to pick your way against the grain and current of society.  Because I believe that if we strive to “stand firm on our own feet” as President Kimball counseled, then we’ll be able to avoid the cliffs and the pitfalls of the world. 

 

 

THE CALL AND FALL OF SAUL

 

ICEBREAKER

Now regardless of their bad decision to crown a king, Samuel and the Lord still did their best to try and call them the best kind of king that they could considering the situation. Samuel explained that if they had to have a king, then that king would be chosen by God. Since the Israelites were meant to be a different kind of people, they should also have a different kind of king. In the Old Testament, Israelites kings were anointed with oil when they were chosen. Well there are only two other kinds of people that are anointed in the scriptures. Priests and prophets. Oil was a symbol of the Spirit suggesting that prophets, priests, and kings were to be led and guided by the Spirit. Well, who was the first man to have the distinction of being called as king of Israel?  A man named Saul, and he has some important lessons to teach us. As an icebreaker, a simple challenge. Can they figure out the title of the lesson.  The title of the lesson goes like this: The _______ and _______ of ________.  You, as the teacher are only going to give them one of the blanks, and a clue.  The blank you’ll provide them with is the last one.  The word is Saul. The name of the first king of Israel. The clue? The other two blanks rhyme with Saul. Do you think you can figure them out? Well let’s see if you can as we start studying his story.

 

SEARCH

The first thing we need to establish is: what kind of a man was Saul? To discover this, number your students from 1 to 6 and have them read their assigned verses and come up with a word or words that they would use to describe Saul based on what they read. 

 

Read the following verses and choose the words that you feel best describe him.

  • Choice, Goodly, what does goodly mean? If you look in the footnotes, we discover that that meant he was talented. And we also know that he tall. From his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people. (1 Sam 9:2) 

  • When we first meet Saul, what is he doing? He’s looking for donkeys. His father’s donkeys are missing, and he sends his son Saul out to find them. And look at how hard he works. Verse 4 tells us all the different lands they pass through trying to find those dumb donkeys. But what does that tell us about him? He was trustworthy and diligent (1 Sam 9:3-4) 

  • In these verses we see Saul suggest that they go and ask the prophet for help. What does that teach us about him? He was faithful. He had faith in the prophet of God.  (1 Sam 9:9-10) 

  • This is one of my favorite qualities of Saul.  Once Samuel has told him that he’s been chosen to be the King of all Israel, look at how he responds. 21 And Saul answered and said, Am not I a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? wherefore then speakest thou so to me?  He’s not prideful. He’s not arrogant. He wonders why on earth the Lord would choose him, of all people, to lead the nation. He’s a Gideon, not a Samson. Then in 10:16 when he comes back to his father, he doesn’t tell him about his new calling.  And then, I love this, on the day of his coronation—when he is to be presented to the entire nation as their king, they are about to start the ceremony and there’s no Saul. Samuel has to actually enquire of the Lord as to his whereabouts and the Lord says “Behold, he hath hid himself among the stuff”.  So he’s hiding. He doesn’t really want to be king. He’s the opposite of Simba. But they run and find him and bring him out to the people to see. And they all shout “God save the king!” What quality does Saul exemplify here? Humility. He was incredibly humble. He was not hungry for power.  (1 Sam 9:21,10:16, 10:21-24) 

  • He was worthy to be born again and have a change of heart.  He even began to prophesy with the prophets.  So he was worthy, and full of the spirit.  (1 Sam 10:6,9-10) 

  • In these verses, we see that there was a contingent of the people who weren’t thrilled with having Saul be their king. Some asked “How can this man save us?”  They had no faith in him and refused to support him. Well, in the very next chapter, the Israelites are being threatened by an army of Ammonites. So Saul gathers up an army, attacks, and wins the battle! So he proves himself as an effective leader. And some of the men of the army feel that those who initially doubted Saul should be killed. And that might be tempting thought for some. There may be some bitterness or resentment for those who refused to believe in him. It would have been easy for Saul to go along with this. But, what does he say:    13 And Saul said, There shall not a man be put to death this day: for to day the Lord hath wrought salvation in Israel. So he doesn’t do anything to them. He pardons them. Why would he punish someone for doubting his ability when even he doubted himself. What quality can we ascribe to him here? He was forgiving and merciful(1 Sam 10:27; 11:13) 

 

TEST #1

So we can see that Saul was a very, very, good man. He has so much going for him. No wonder the Lord chose him to lead Israel. But all leaders must be tested. All leaders must demonstrate courage and resolve in the face of opposition. So in chapter 13, Saul will face a test. A test of obedience. God needed to make sure that he had called a king that would respect the priesthood and obey his prophet. So here’s how the story is set up.

 

The Israelites are under threat again, but this time from the Philistines. Now before you went to battle, the prophet was to offer a burnt offering to call upon the Lord for help. This was a religious ceremony meant to be held before any type of conflict. Samuel has told Saul to wait for him seven days, and then he would return and offer the sacrifice. Well, seven days go by and still no Samuel. And the people are starting to disperse. They’re afraid, they’re uncertain. Verse 6 tells us that the people were distressed. Some are hiding in caves and pits. They’re trembling. I’m sure that many are still not convinced that Saul can save them as their king.  So what does Saul do? He offers the sacrifice. But he’s not authorized to do this! He does not have the proper authority to take this action. I suppose it would be like the Relief Society president coming forward to bless the sacrament because the priests haven’t shown up yet. And what happens next? Verse 10. 10 And it came to pass, that as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might salute him.

 

“AS SOON AS”. Oh sad. IF he just could have held on a little longer, the rest of the story just may just have turned out differently.

 

11 And Samuel said, What hast thou done? And Saul said, Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that thou camest not within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered themselves together at Michmash;

12 Therefore said I, The Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made supplication unto the Lord: I forced myself therefore, and offered a burnt offering.

13 And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the Lord thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would the Lord have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever.

 

Don’t you love that response. When I saw all these things happening, “I forced myself” and made an offering. It doesn’t sound like Saul is willing to own up to his mistake here. He’s trying to justify his disobedience. I knew I shouldn’t have done it—I didn’t want to do it, but I had to! I forced myself to do it. Samuel calls Saul foolish for doing this. A fool is someone who does not keep the commandments of God. What is wisdom? Wisdom is obedience to the commandments. This was a foolish thing for Saul to have done. He needed to be a leader in this instance, but he was afraid of the people and what they would think. He sensed he was starting to lose their support and confidence, and so he acted impulsively and foolishly.

 

Do we ever do the same kind of thing. Do we disobey the Lord’s commandments because we’re afraid of what other people will think? Are we pressured into styles, language, entertainment, opinions, and habits because we’re afraid of the social consequences? Or are we more concerned with respecting the commandments and standards of the Lord. Sometimes I feel we too may need a little more resolve in our obedience when it seems that a promised blessing is not forthcoming. We’ve just got to hang on until the Lord’s promises are fulfilled. I’ve known a number of people who gave up on their faith or obedience because some blessing had not yet appeared in their lives, or it didn’t seem like there was a blessing attached to the commandment. But we’ve just got to remember that sometimes the promised blessings take time to arrive. I know there were standards that I didn’t see the importance of as a teenager but can really see how important they are now. The blessings for obedience to those things came later in life. And who knows how close we may be to having the promise be fulfilled. It might be just around the corner, and all we need to do is stay faithful a little longer. If Saul had waited just an hour or two more, everything would have been ok. It reminds me of this old proverb from the American West. “When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.” Saul was so close to passing the test. Samuel even tells him that if he had just passed this test, the Lord would have established his kingdom forever. Saul simply needed to have a little more of that patient “Abraham and Sarah waiting for a baby” kind of faith to get him through. But he failed. Now I know that Samuel says that Saul will now lose his kingdom over this, but I don’t take that at face value. What I think Samuel is saying is “Saul, I can see where this kind of thing can eventually lead you. We need to fix this now or else you will lose your kingdom in due time.  You can’t be afraid of the people. You can’t make decisions based on what they are doing or saying.  As king. As an anointed king of God’s people, you’ve got to be strong enough to respect the Lord over them. Not the people over the Lord. Well, we too have got to do this. We’ve got to have the strength of character to respect the Lord over our peers. God’s commandments over the pressure of the world.

 

TEST #2

Now, don’t forget, we believe in a gracious Father in Heaven that offers second chances. And he does offer Saul a second chance. That chance comes in 1 Samuel 15.  He’s going to give him a second test. And what do think the subject of the test is going to be? What’s he going to test Saul on? The exact same issues, right? Obedience, strength to resist the people, and taking responsibility. Is he going to pass? Let’s see how Saul does this time.

 

To teach this story, I have my students do a readers theater. There are six different parts that can be assigned to students. You need someone to be a Narrator. Someone to play Saul. Someone to play Samuel. Someone to play the voice of the Lord, and then you can have one person play the sheep, and the other to play the oxen.

You can even hang placards with the names of the different characters around the necks of the selected students. Each person will be given a script with the different parts highlighted in different colors.  The narrator’s part is in yellow. Saul’s part in blue. Samuel’s in green. The Lord’s voice in red, and the sheep and oxen in orange. There is, of course, no dialogue for the sheep and oxen, but there is a special instruction for them right after verse 12. This is when they should start making animal sounds while the dialogue continues between Samuel and Saul. Have them read the story and encourage them to put some feeling and voice into the narration. Instruct them to not be boring or do it without any feeling.

 

While the reader’s theater is being performed, encourage the class to focus on the following question: Does Saul pass the second test?

 

Now for times’ sake, I’m not going to read through the entire chapter, but I invite you to do so and come up with an answer our question. And if you did that, you’ll find that, no, Saul does not pass this second test. He fails on all accounts. And I don’t think the Lord could have been any more obvious that this was going to be a test of his obedience. Samuel even hints at this fact in verse 1 when he says, “now therefore HEARKEN thou unto the voice of the words of the Lord.”  The commandment. Go destroy the Amalekites. Destroy everything. Don’t leave anything alive. But what does Saul do?  He only half performs part of the commandment. They spare the king and the best of the sheep and oxen. So he doesn’t follow through. He disobeys the Lord’s clear instructions. The Lord informs Samuel of this and has him confront Saul when he returns. And at the outset, Saul is not entirely forthcoming. He’s not initially willing to take responsibility. He says, “Blessed be thou of the Lord; I have performed the commandment of the Lord”.  But he hasn’t. So Samuel calls him on it and says “What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?” It’s obvious he hasn’t. So, caught red-handed, Saul starts to confess a bit, but he’s still holding back. He’s not quite ready to accept full responsibility for his failure to keep the commandment of the Lord. We’re going to see him try to justify himself here and make excuses.

15 And Saul said, They have brought them from the Amalekites: for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to sacrifice unto the Lord thy God (yeah, that’s it, to sacrifice them to God); and the rest we have utterly destroyed.

Interesting that he uses the word “utterly” in that sentence. Because doesn’t “utterly” mean “everything,” not just some. And I’m not so convinced that they were sparing the livestock to sacrifice to God. I’m pretty sure they were probably planning on keeping them to themselves. Samuel hints at this in verse 19 when he says that Saul “didst fly upon the spoil”. He greedily coveted the spoil and took for himself. I think this is just Saul trying to put a more positive spin on an uncomfortable confrontation.

Samuel then has some admonition for Saul. Verse 17. And Samuel said, “when thou wast little in thine own sight”.  Samuel is revealing here what one of Saul’s problems is. He’s starting to lose his humility a bit. Pride is creeping in. He’s no longer “little” in his own sight. Perhaps that’s part of the reason he’s disobeying the prophet, and therefore, the Lord. “Well, I’m the king here, sure, let’s spare some of the best of the sheep and oxen.” But, he still recognizes Samuel’s seership and begins to take a bit more responsibility in verses 20-21.But he’s still trying to excuse his disobedience, AND he’s still blaming the people.

20 And Saul said unto Samuel, Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the Lord, and have gone the way which the Lord sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.

21 But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed (all right, there’s a bit of ownership finally), to sacrifice unto the Lord thy God in Gilgal.

Then we have Samuel’s great teaching moment.

22 And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.

23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king.

 

So Saul, you failed the same test again. What do you think is more important to God? Sacrifices or obedience? You’ve been selectively obedient. You flew upon the spoil. You caved to the pressure of the people. You obeyed the part of the commandment you wanted to obey and disregarded the rest. We too may be tempted at times to pick and choose our commandments. Obey the ones we like or find easier to keep. But what might we do with the more challenging ones? Do we overlook them, justify ourselves in disregarding them, or secretly hope that God will “look the other way”?  In our story, Samuel then basically names Saul’s two major problems. “Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.”  What are his problems? Rebellion and stubbornness. Now Saul may think that his rebellion and stubbornness aren’t that bad compared to things like witchcraft and idolatry, but Samuel is telling him it’s just as bad. We too may make that kind of rationalization. We may think that we’re justified in breaking certain commandments because we don’t think they’re that serious. We pride ourselves on keeping the Word of Wisdom, but are rebellious when it comes to clothing, language, or entertainment standards. We pat ourselves on the back for condemning pornography, prejudice, and gambling, but we justify ourselves in neglecting callings, tithing, or keeping the Sabbath day holy. What Samuel here is saying, is that disobedience on any front is rebellion. Stubbornness in doing things our own way is rejecting the Lord. It’s all wrong. Sin is sin, rebellion is rebellion, and pride is pride no matter what sins we are indulging in.

 

And with that explanation, Saul is now finally ready to take responsibility for his actions.

 

24 And Saul said unto Samuel, I have sinned: for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord, and thy words: because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice.

 

And that’s what it all comes down to. He was afraid of what the people would think. He caved to their pressure. They wanted the livestock, and so he gave in and allowed them to take it. God cannot afford to have a king who is led by the impulses and greed of the people. He needs a leader. A king that leads by example. Saul failed that test, and so Samuel tells him that God is going to call someone else. And he does. David is going to be that new king. In 16:13-14 we literally see that transition.

 

13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.

14 But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit (which was not of) the Lord (JST) troubled him.

 

Now it seems that at the end of chapter 15 that Saul is repentant, but that repentance is apparently short-lived because look at 16:1-2. The Lord instructs Samuel to go and anoint a new king, but Samuel is afraid to do this because “If Saul hear it, he will kill me.”  It’s very, very hard to remove someone from power once they have it. What’s the famous saying? All power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Well, that’s the case with Saul. And if you know the rest of the story of his life, he really falls apart after this.  He doesn’t let go of his kingdom willingly and he just sinks further and further as time passes. Now I think it’s important to note that at this point in the story, after the second test, that God is not saying that Saul has lost his exaltation. He’s not abandoning him to Satan. He’s just saying he’s lost the kingship. Saul’s descent into evil was not inevitable. He chose it. He still could have gone on to live a righteous life. But he doesn’t. Eventually, he’s willing to kill a prophet. He tries to kill David with a javelin a number of times out of jealousy. He tries to kill his own son when he stands up for David. And sadly, because he’s lost the spirit, later in the book of 1 Samuel he turns to witchcraft in order to try and make a connection with Samuel who at that point in the story had died. In the end, he, and his sons are killed in battle and David becomes the new king. Saul loses his crown, both earthly and heavenly.  And why? Because he feared the people, rebelled against God, and lifted himself up in pride. The story of King Saul is a tragic one.

 

TRUTH

One of the great truths Saul’s life teaches us: When we fear “the people” over “the Lord” and his servants, we make foolish choices and may lose our celestial crown.

 

LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES

How much do I allow the world to “lead me”?

Do I strive to be fully obedient to God’s commandments? Where might I be selectively obeying?

 

CONCLUSION

Saul allowed disobedience, pride, jealousy, and blame ruin his chances for greatness. He started with such promise but ended with such pain. So let’s return to our initial question. What title would you give this lesson? The ________ and ________ of SAUL.  In the first half of the lesson we learned about the CALL of Saul. And in the second half, what happened? We witnessed the FALL of Saul. The Call and Fall of Saul has a lot to teach us. Perhaps most critically: Don’t lose your crown! Your celestial crown. Choose obedience over acceptance. Choose the Lord, over your peers.

 




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