Unit 9: King David and King Solomon OT9.5 David and Abigail … · Joshua, Judges, Ruth, I Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 2 Kings, 1 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah and Esther

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OT9.5 David and Abigail ©Beverly Wilson 2019

Unit 9: King David and King Solomon OT9.5 David and Abigail Lesson

Scripture: I Samuel 25

Lesson Goal: God had chosen the shepherd boy David to become the next King of Israel but it would be many years before he would assume the throne. For many years before he became king, David and his band of men hid in the wilderness from King Saul. During this time David met a woman named Abigail who used God's wisdom and saved her whole household from being killed.

Introduction: This lesson is found in the book of 1 Samuel. 1 Samuel is in the second group of books in the Old Testament called the historical books. These books begin with Joshua and go through Esther. Let's say these books--Joshua, Judges, Ruth, I Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 2 Kings, 1 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah and Esther.

Attention Getter: “Choices” We make choices all the time. We choose what to eat, who to play with, whether to answer when our parents call us, or if we will be a faithful friend or not. We make some choices just because we like certain things more than others. An example of this is when I choose whether to eat a red apple or a green one. But other choices we make can be good or bad. A bad choice is to say mean things to someone and hurt God, yourself, and others. A good choice is to be kind and please God. God cares about the choices we make. He is ready to give us wisdom so we can make the best choices.

In this lesson we will learn about Abigail who used God's wisdom and saved her whole family.

Opening Prayer: "Dear Father in heaven, we want to be wise like Abigail. Help us to ask you for godly wisdom. We know that you love us and want to help us. We want to follow you and do what is good. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

Memory Verse: The memory verse is James 1:5 “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”

Lesson Video: https://youtu.be/atwhGHUs5uc God had chosen David the Shepherd boy to be the new king for Israel. David had a heart that loved God. As a shepherd boy David learned great courage and faith in caring for the flock. He trusted God to help him protect the sheep by killing lions and bears with his sling shot. David also learned to sing and play songs of thanksgiving to God on his harp. Because David loved the Lord and the Spirit of God was with him, whatever he did, he always did it as unto the Lord.

When Israel’s enemies, the Philistines came to attack Israel God used the young boy David to kill the giant Goliath. David used a stone and his sling shot to hit the giant right between the eyes! God gave him a great victory that day!

After David’s victory over Goliath, King Saul asked David to come and live in the palace with him and his family. David was one of Saul’s most loyal and helpful men. He became one of King Saul’s commanders and led the Israelites in many successful battles with the Philistines. Soon he became a national hero! But Saul became very jealous of David because he was more popular with the people.

The spirit of God had left King Saul and he was a very tormented man. David would play his harp for King Saul. One day the king became very angry and tried to kill David by throwing his spear at him. This happened a second time and David had to escape from the palace.

https://youtu.be/atwhGHUs5uc

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From then on, David lived a very hard life in the wilderness. He slept in the forest, or in caves, or in the mountains hiding from King Saul. Wherever he went, Saul chased after him and who ever helped David was in terrible trouble. Soon people heard about David hiding from King Saul and four hundred men joined to help him. Although they were constantly on the run from King Saul and his army David and his men often had battles with the Philistines who were constantly raiding Israel.

While they were living in the Desert of Maon, David's men helped the local shepherds. They would protect their flocks from tribes who often raided in the region. In exchange for this protection, the local people would give David's men food. It was a good deal for both the shepherds and for David's men.

One man whose sheep they protected was Nabal. Nabal was a very rich man in Israel. He had 3.000 sheep and 1,000 goats. He had many shepherds who worked for him. Nabal knew a lot about sheep, but he was rude and mean. David's men had been very careful not to mistreat Nabal's workers nor to allow any animals from Nabal's flocks to be stolen. Now Nabal had a wife named Abigail. She was an intelligent and beautiful woman.

One day, David heard that Nabal and his herdsmen were shearing sheep. Shearing was a festive time of thanksgiving when people usually shared what they had. So David sent ten of his men to Nabal with a message. David’s men kindly said, “Greetings to you! Your shepherds were with us at Carmel. We gave them lots of favors and protected your sheep. Since it is a festive time of sharing, would you please give us some food? We are tired and hungry. Whatever you desire would be good.”

Do you think Nabal was pleased to give them something to eat? No! Nabal said, “Who is this David? Why should I take my bread and meat that I have slaughtered for the feast and give it to men who have come from who knows where? Nabal said unkind things to David's men and was very selfish and cruel. Nabal refused to give David and his men any food! Rather than show thanks for the good David's men had done toward him, Nabal made a bad choice. He even pretended not to know who David was! Nabal had no godly wisdom!

When the messengers returned and told David what Nabal said, David called his men to put on their swords. David was really mad. He decided to pay back Nabal's unfriendliness by killing him and all his workers! He took 400 of his men and headed for Nabal’s land.

One of Nabal’s servants knew that his master had done a very wicked thing so he quickly rode to tell Nabal’s wife Abigail about the problem. He said, “David sent messengers from the desert to give our master a greeting but he hurled insults at them. All the time we had our flocks in the desert David and his men were very good to us. They protected our flocks from the raiders so that none of the sheep went missing. Now your husband Nabal is bringing disaster upon all of us. He is such a wicked man that no one can talk to him.”

Abigail lost no time. She knew that Nabal was a drunken unreasonable man and she could not talk to him. She did not want David in his anger to kill all the servants. So she took two hundred loaves of bread, two skins of wine, five dressed sheep, five bushels of grain, a hundred raisin cakes and two hundred pounds of pressed figs and loaded them on donkeys. Then she told one of her servants, “Go on ahead, I’ll follow you.”

Just as Abigail came riding her donkey over the mountain, there was David and his men coming down the valley toward her. David had just said, “It has just been useless to protect his fellow’s property in the desert. He has paid me evil for good! May God punish David’s enemies! I am not going to leave one of his men alive by morning.”

When Abigail saw David, she quickly got off her donkey and bowed down before David. She bowed down at David’s feet and said, “My lord, I am Abigail the wife of Nabal. Let any blame be on me. Please let me speak to you and hear what I say. Don’t pay any attention to my wicked husband Nabal. He is just like his name. He is a fool. Please know that I did not know that your servants had come to our land.”

“So far you have not killed any of the servants. Please let all your enemies be like my foolish husband Nabal. Take these gifts that I bring and give them to your men. Forgive me for not knowing about your request. You are a great fighter for the Lord’s battles. Don’t do any wrongdoing and cause God’s judgment to fall on you because you have taken revenge. Let God pursue your enemies and you will have no guilt when you become the King of Israel!”

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David was amazed at Abigail's words, and he instantly changed his mind about attacking Nabal and his men. He praised Abigail for her wisdom and took the wonderful gifts she had brought. He told her, "May the Lord bless you for your good judgment and for keeping me from taking revenge. You can go home with a peaceful mind. I'll listen to your advice and do as you ask."

When Abigail returned home from meeting with David, her foolish husband Nabal was in the house holding a banquet like that of a king. He was very drunk. So Abigail told him nothing until the next morning when he was sober. When Nabal heard about the great danger that his household had narrowly escaped, his heart failed within him. He was paralyzed, and ten days later Nabal died. Abigail was right. David did not need to take revenge on Nabal. God took care of him in His own way and in His own time!

Later, when David heard that Nabal had died, he asked Abigail to be his wife. Abigail gladly consented. How glad David was now that this wise, gracious woman had not only protected her household, but that she had kept him from acting so foolishly in anger.

Abigail kept David from killing a bunch of people and she saved her foolish husband from David's sword too. Abigail used God's wisdom. She made a good choice and saved everyone from a terrible situation. Nabal was a rude, mean, selfish, foolish man. He did not use godly wisdom by refusing to share his food with David and his men. His life ended in a disaster because he did not choose to serve God. We want to be like Abigail and use good wisdom in solving our problems. Abigail was rewarded for showing godly wisdom.

We want to choose Godly wisdom, too. But--how do we get godly wisdom? We read the Bible to learn what God says. We memorize scripture and learn from godly examples. We ask God for wisdom. God wants us to pray and ask Him to help us! He wants to guide us in the right direction.

Remember Ask God for wisdom and do what is right!

Review Questions: “Giant Pick Up Sticks” Preparation: You will need 30 craft sticks or purchase a commercial game of pickup sticks. Each game or canister comes with 30 colored wooden sticks that are 9¾" long. Larger sized sticks work better for younger children. Colored or painted craft sticks can be used to add variety to the game. Say: “In this lesson we learned that Abigail had to “pick up the pieces of the mess that her foolish husband Nabal caused. She saved the lives of her servants and shepherds and the life of her husband. Abigail also prevented David from taking revenge and having a guilty conscience when he became king. We are going to play a game that will remind us of Abigail’s wise decision while we answer the review questions.” Procedure: Divide class into smaller groups of 3-4 children each. Give a set of colored sticks to each group of children. Begin the game by holding the sticks vertically and dropping them. Players must take turns picking up a stick without moving or touching the others. If the other sticks move, then their turn is passed to their opponent. The winner is the most sticks in the end. The game begins by students answering one of the following review questions. If they answer the question correctly they can attempt to pick up a stick. When they move a stick, then the next student must answer a review question correctly before taking their turn at picking up a stick. Optional: Assign the colors of the pick up sticks different values such as red 2, yellow 4, green 6, etc. To determine the winner of the game add up the value of the sticks each student collected.

1. What quality did David have that God was pleased with to choose him to be king? (He had a heart that loved God and was totally devoted to Him.)

2. How did being shepherd help train David to be a good king? (He learned to care for others by caring for the flock. He learned to protect the flock. He would have to fight many battles as a king for the

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nation of Israel to protect them. He would have to care for them. In protecting the flock David learned to rely or trust of God’s strength. David played on his harp and sang songs of thanksgiving to the Lord. He knew that God had protected him and helped him!)

3. Why was David chosen to play his harp for King Saul? (King Saul was bothered by an evil spirit. His spirit would be soothed while listening to beautiful harp music.)

4. What did David use to fight Goliath? (David killed Goliath with a stone and his sling shot.) 5. What made Saul so jealous of David? (After winning a great battle against the Philistines David was

returning with his men and the women sang and danced a song with the words, "Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands. They praised David more than King Saul!)

6. How did King Saul first try to kill David? (David was playing his harp. Saul had a spear in his hand. He hurled it toward David)

7. What happened to David for the next few years while Saul was still on the throne? (David left to go into hiding in the wilderness and the forests and would run for his life for many years to come.)

8. What arrangement did David and his men have with the shepherds who lived in the Desert of Maon? (David and his men would protect their flocks from tribes who often raided in the region. In exchange for this protection, the local people would give David's men food.)

9. What occasion did David send ten messengers to Nabal’s land? (The occasion was the time of shearing and it was a festive time of thanksgiving and sharing.)

10. What did Nabal say to David’s messengers when they asked for food? (Nabal was rude, selfish, and mean. He said, “Who is this David? Why should I take my bread and meat that I have slaughtered for the feast and give it to men who have come from who knows where?” He refused to help the hungry men.)

11. How did David react to the news that Nabal had refused to give his men some food? (David was really mad. He decided to take revenge on Nabal by killing him and all his workers! He took 400 of his men and headed for Nabal’s land.)

12. When one of Nabal’s servants heard what his master had done, what did he do? (One of Nabal’s servants knew that his master had done a very wicked thing so he quickly rode to tell Nabal’s wife Abigail about the problem.)

13. When Abigail was told about her husband’s rude reply to David, what did she do? (She prepared a gift of two hundred loaves of bread, two skins of wine, five dressed sheep, five bushels of grain, a hundred raisin cakes and two hundred pounds of pressed figs and loaded them on donkeys and took them to David and his men.)

14. When Abigail saw David, what did she tell him to convince him not to kill Nabal and all their servants? (Abigail said, “My lord, I am Abigail the wife of Nabal. Let any blame be on me. Don’t pay any attention to my wicked husband Nabal. He is a fool. Take these gifts that I bring and give them to your men. Forgive me for not knowing about your request. You are a great fighter for the Lord’s battles. Don’t do any wrongdoing and cause God’s judgment to fall on you because you have taken revenge. Let God pursue your enemies and you will have no guilt when you become the King of Israel!”

15. Why do you think David was surprised at Abigail? (She knew that her husband was foolish. She was trying to do what was right despite him. She made a very wise argument that someday David would be king and he would not want to be guilty of revenge.)

16. How did God judge Nabal? (When Nabal heard how David had nearly destroyed him and all his servants, he had a heart attacked and died ten days later.)

17. How was Abigail rewarded for her wise decision to help David and his men? (After her husband’s death, David invited her to become his wife and she did! Abigail became a queen of Israel.)

18. How do we get godly wisdom for solving difficult problems? (We read the Bible to learn what God says. We memorize scripture and learn from godly examples. We ask God for wisdom. God wants us to pray and ask Him to help us! He wants to guide us in the right direction.)

19. What is the memory verse? (James 1:5 “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”)

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Bible Memory Verse Activity: “Puzzle Pieces” Our memory verse is James 1:5 “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” Help students locate the verse in scripture and read the verse together orally several times. You can print the verse on a poster board and display before the class to read aloud together. Say: “We all need help in making wise choices in difficult circumstances. God promises to give us wisdom when we pray to Him and ask for His help. Let’s say our memory verse again together.”

Preparation: Create a large jigsaw puzzle with pieces of cardstock. Write a couple of words from the memory verse on each sheet, then cut them to fit together to make a large floor puzzle. Hide the pieces around the room.

Procedure: Tell the children that the memory verse puzzle is hidden around the room as puzzle pieces. Let them find it, allowing each child to discover at least one piece of possible. Then work as a group to assemble the verse. Ask them to read the verse before disassembling the pieces. Divide the class into two teams and let one team hide the puzzle pieces while the other waits outside or hides their eyes. After the second team finds and puts together the puzzle pieces, reverse roles. Each time after the puzzle is assembled, lead the class in reading the verse in unison.

Group Learning Activity: “Choice Chart” (Grades K-5) Preparation: You will need a display of several food items for students to choose what they would eat. Examples: piece of fruit, handful of candy, various kinds of cookies, or a piece of bread. (Or you can have pictures of different food items.) You will also need a tally chart.

Fruit Candy Cookies Bread

Apple 3 Banana 2

Snickers 2 Hershey 3

Chocolate Chip 4 Snicker doodles 1

White Bread 2 Wheat Bread 2

Procedure: Ask a volunteer to come forward. Show them the food items and ask what they would choose if they could eat just one. After the volunteer chooses one, take a vote, asking the rest of the class who would make the same choice as the volunteer. Record the number of first choices that food item would receive on a chart. Then ask who would choose each of the other items. For each item ask one child who voted for that item to share why they made that choice. Say: “We make choices all the time. We choose what to eat, who to play with, whether to answer when our parents call, or if we will be a faithful friend or not. We make some choices just because we like certain things more than other things, like chocolate chip cookies instead of snicker doodles. But other choices like whether to say mean things to someone or not, can be good and please God or bad and hurt God, yourself, and others.” Say: “What are some other choices we make in a day? (Who to sit with at school, what to watch on TV or what game to play on the computer, whether to finish our homework or not, etc.)” Say: “God cares about the choices we make. He has given us the Bible as an important tool so we can make the best choices. In this lesson we learned that Abigail made a good choice. She stopped David from taking revenge and saved her whole family and servants’ lives.”

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Group Learning Activity: “Donkey Race” (Grades K-5) Preparation: You will need medium sized baskets, bungee cords or strips of fabric, six or more empty food boxes or containers such as oatmeal and cereal boxes, cookie, tins, plastic peanut butter jars, etc.) Procedure: Divide the class into two or more teams. You’ll need six empty food containers, one basket, and one bungee cord or fabric strip per team. Each team will have to transport their food containers from one location to another by strapping the basket on players who act as the donkeys. Choose starting and finish lines, and designating two children from each team to be the donkey and donkey leader. Stack food containers at the starting point. To begin, one player will crouch on all fours while half the team members load the basket with food containers. The donkey leader will take the donkey through the obstacles to the ending point, where the other team members are waiting to unload the donkey. The first team to return to the starting point will be deemed the winners. Play again, allow new children to become the donkey, donkey leader, and loaders/unloaders.

Group Learning Activity: Object Lesson: “Lantern or Lamp” (Grades K-5) Preparation: You will need a oil wick lamp or lantern. Procedure: Show lantern or lamp. Say: “When do people use lights like these? How might a light like this help when you are afraid in the dark? (Students respond.) In England during the 1800s, a woman named Florence Nightingale became known as “the Lady with the Lamp.” When Florence Nightingale lived, hospitals were nothing like they are now. There were very few doctors and nurses, and people didn’t understand that germs make people sick. Hospitals weren’t kept very clean. Many people who went to hospitals became sicker instead of getting better. When Florence became a nurse, she believed God wanted her to change things! She used her own money to buy clean clothes for patients. She hired people to wash sheets and blankets. Florence often worked until late at night, carrying a lamp through the hospital as she checked on her patients. She was never too tired to help someone. As Florence worked, she also talked to people about Jesus Florence—”the Lady with the Lamp”—helped people learn about Jesus’ love and saved the lives of many sick or injured people because of her kindness and generosity.” Read 1 Timothy 6:18 “Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.” Say: “How was Florence Nightingale kind and willing to share? How can you be kind and share? Students can tell their ideas. Let’s ask God to help us build friendships by being generous and kind this week. Lead

students in prayer.

Group Learning Activity: “Peace Doves” (Grades 3-5) Purpose: To help students learn how God wants us to live in peace with each other. Preparation: You will need Bibles, spiritual journal page, pencils or pens. You will need printed copies of the dove of peace for each student, white curling ribbon, marking pens, and tape. Say: “In this lesson Abigail was a wise beautiful woman. She brought peace to David and her household by preventing David from bringing revenge. She understood that

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her husband Nabal was a foolish man because he did not share their food with David and his men. They owed David and his men a gift for the protection they had brought to their flocks of sheep. Today we are going to learn what the Bible says about peace.” Procedure: Distribute a dove figure to each child. Ask the children to cut out their dove and staple a ribbon to the dove to act as a hanger. Each child reads one of the following verses aloud. Together as a group the class decides what way God brings peace. The child is to write the key words on the dove. Continue reading the verses aloud and writing the key words on the doves. Hang the doves in the classroom as a way of reviewing how God gives peace.” Read the following verses about peace aloud. Lead children in discussion of each way God brings peace.

• Psalm 29:11 “The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace.” God has more strength than anyone or anything. When He gives His strength to His people they have the power to overcome any problem! God’s power raised the dead and created the world. He even had the power to save us from sins. Key Word: Strength

• Proverbs 16:7 “When the Lord takes pleasure in anyone’s way, he causes their enemies to make peace with them.” When we please God by becoming peacemakers, even our enemies are made to want peace as well. If our enemies do not want to make peace we have not lost anything because we are doing what is the most important—pleasing God. Key Words: Pleasing God

• Matthew 5:9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” When we follow God and obey Him we become like Him. God is the ultimate peace maker. He has given us peace with God or salvation. We are to become the witness of His peace by sharing the message of salvation with others. Then we become the vessel of his peace or are His peacemakers. Key Word: Peacemaker

• John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” When we become a Christian and receive the gift of salvation, God gives to us His peace or the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit gives us wisdom and guides us into all truth. Key Word: Holy Spirit

• Romans 14:19 “Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.” As Christians we are to live at peace with others. We can do this when we edify or encourage others by our actions and words. Key Word: Encourage

• Ephesians 4:3 “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” One of the jobs of the Holy Spirit is to bring unity to believers. As Christians our job is to let the Holy Spirit lead us to do our part to keep the peace. We are to focus on God not ourselves. Key Words: Be Unified with Others

• Philippians 4:7 “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” God’s peace does not come through positive thinking, the absence of conflict, or in good feelings. It comes through knowing that God is in control. His peace keeps us from being anxious or defeated in sin. Key Words: God’s control over us.

Say: “What are some ways God brings us peace? (He takes care of us. He gives us the gift of peace; he uses other people) Why does God want us to have peace in every part of our lives? (Because he doesn’t want us to be afraid; he wants us to trust in Him.) One of the characteristics of God is peace. The Bible tells us in Ephesians 2L14 that Jesus is our peace. Having peace with God means having a close relationship with Him through Jesus.”

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Close in prayer asking that God grant peace to each child. Say: “God we thank you for your peace that passes understanding. Thank you for guarding our hearts and minds with peace. Help us to remember to walk in your peace wherever we go. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.” Have students record the principles they have learned from this lesson in their spiritual journal. Close in prayer asking God to help us to be a godly friend and have godly friends.

Group Learning Activity: “Peacemaker Cards” (Grades 3-5) Preparation: Print one set of the template of Peacemaker cards below on cardstock. Cut the cards apart. Say: “In our lesson Abigail was a peacemaker. She knew that her husband Nabal had committed a wrong action toward David and his men. She solved the problem between the two men by offering a gift to David. She solved the problem. Even though she did not cause the problem she was the solution! Today we are going to play a game of “Peacemaker Cards.” All of these cards have a problem and a matching solution. Sometimes the solution to the problem is not solved by the people who caused the problem.” Procedure: Hand out the “Peacemaker” cards one to each of the students. Have students read their card and decide if they are a problem or a solution. When everyone has decided on their card’s category, have them stand up and walk around the room, calling out either “Problem” or “Solution.” Whenever they get near another person they can compare cards and see if their cards go together. That is, they will have a problem and its peaceful solution. (Each card has only one match.) Once each match is found the partners should sit down together. If you have too few students then make sure that you select a pair of cards that match to pass out to the class members. Have the partners take turns reading their problem and the solution. Discuss the situation in class. Offer other ways that the problems might have been solved. Say: “Sometimes we just want to ignore a problem or hope it goes away on its own. We don’t want to do the work of an extra chore for our family or stay after class a few minutes to thank a teacher or be the only one who keeps in line at practice when everyone else is going crazy. It’s easy to think that these are their problems. But choosing to help is a way to prove you care about others by being part of the solution. You’re proving that you care about your parents and teachers and coaches, and you’re proving that you care about the ones who are caught up in the problem, too.” Share a time when you chose to do more than you had to in order to be part of the solution and make peace in a situation.

Craft Learning Activity: “Play-doh Food Basket” (Grades K-3) Preparation: You will need play-doh and paper plates. Cover the table with a plastic cloth. Procedure: Have the class sit down at tables covered with plastic cloths. Review the lesson emphasizing what things the children know about David such as how David was chosen to be king; how David fought Goliath; how David played his harp for King Saul; how King Saul became jealous of David, etc. Review the main events in the story of David and Abigail. Emphasize how it is wise to share with one another and help one another. Say: “Abigail made sure that everyone was living in peace by sharing the extra food that she and Nabal had. It is always better to share and live at peace with everyone than to fight. That is why Abigail gave David and his men a gift. God wants us to be kind and share with our friends. We are going to make a craft that will help us remember to share with others.”

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Procedure: Distribute the play-doh and the paper plates to each child. Each child will use the play-doh to make food items. Have them place their food creations on a paper plate and give it to another child. Review the items that Abigail gave to David and his men: gift of two hundred loaves of bread, two skins of wine, five dressed sheep, five bushels of grain, a hundred raisin cakes and two hundred pounds of pressed figs. Say: “Today we learned a very important lesson. God doesn’t like it when we fight, He wants everyone to get along. It can be hard to share sometimes but try to remember that this is what God wants you to do. Everyone will be happier if you agree to get along.”

Craft Learning Activity: “Abigail, Nabal, and David Stick Puppets” (Grades K-3) Preparation: Print out the Bible stick puppet figures below on cardstock or heavy paper. You will need crayons or colored markers, large craft sticks, glue, and scissors. Procedure: Distribute the printed stick puppet figures and other supplies to each child. Have children use the crayons or colored markers to decorate the figures of Abigail, David, and Nabal. Demonstrate to children how to cut out the figures by cutting on the outside heavy black lines. Children may want to add additional items for each character such as drawing pictures of food and gluing them to Abigail’s hands; or add a spear and sword to David; or add a staff and sheep to Nabal. They could even make a donkey for Abigail to ride. Have students glue the stick figures to large craft sticks. Be sure to have the children use their stick puppets to reenact the story. You can have one child read the narration from 1 Samuel 25 while the other children act out the story using their puppets. Optional: You can also use the same figures to make sack puppets. You may want to enlarge the figures on your copy machine.

Craft Learning Activity: “Abigail’s Gift” (Grades K-3) Preparation: You will need a small brown lunch sack, a plastic baggie, 5" x 7" tan construction paper,9" x 12" white construction paper, 5" x 7" gray construction paper, scraps of yellow, black, and brown paper, marker, scissors. Procedure: Hand out tan paper. Cut large round oval out of tan paper. This bread. Write "200 loaves of bread" on tan oval. Hand out gray paper. Cut out a bottle or container. This is the wine or grape juice. Write "grape juice" on bottle. Hand out white paper. Draw five sheep. Write "sheep" and an "x" for the sheep’s eye. Cut sheep out. Hand out small plastic bag or baggie. Hand out yellow scraps. Cut many small yellow circles. This is the parched corn. Place corn in plastic bag. Hand out black paper. Cut many smaller circles. These are raisins. Place raisins in plastic bag. Hand out brown scraps. Cut 2" circles. These are figs. Write "fig" on brown paper. Place figs in plastic bag. Hand out small paper bag. Write "What Abigail Brought to David as a Gift" and "1 Samuel 25" on brown bag. Place all items in paper bag. Fold down edge of brown bag.

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Life Application Challenge: “Be Generous” Say: "In this lesson we learned that Abigail was generous to David and his men by providing them food when they were hungry. Nabal was not generous. He was selfish, mean, and unkind man. God wants us to show love to others. He wants us to have a generous attitude. A generous attitude means that we are willing to share or give more than is usual or expected.” Say: “What are some things we can share to show that we have a generous or kind attitude? We an share food with people who are hungry. We can give time to help someone who is hurt. When we share with others we build friendships. People like to be around others who are generous and kind. People are often more willing to be share when you have been generous with them.” Encourage students to make a commitment to be generous with someone this week.

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David and Abigail

James 1:5

“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”

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Abigail and David Stick Puppet Figures

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Nabal Stick Puppet Figure

17


Dove of Peace

18


Peacemaker Cards

Everyone on your soccer team is fooling around when your coach told you to run drills. The coach is helping another group, while your team is really getting out of hand.

You choose to obey your coach and run drills just like he said, and you decide to see if you can get Ashley and Braden to do them with you.

Your little brother really wants a cookie, but he can’t reach the plate. He’s starting to cry. You want to give him a cookie, but you don’t know why your dad made cookies and set them out. You think that they might be for the bake sale tomorrow.

You ask your dad if your brother can have a cookie. When he tells you that the cookies are for the bake sale tomorrow, you take your little brother outside and play with him for a while so your dad can put the cookies away

Your friend Megan says something unkind about your other friend Lizzie. You don’t know if it’s true, but it’s pretty hurtful. You know Lizzie would feel awful if she heard it.

You refuse to talk badly about Lizzie with Megan and invite them both for a play date, where you discover you all like the same music and same flavor of ice cream

19


Peacemaker Cards

Instead of paying attention to what Ms. Wilcutts, your art teacher, is talking about, most of the class starts squishing the paints out all over the table. It’s really messy, but it looks like fun. You notice that the teacher is talking louder and louder and she looks upset.

You listen to Ms. Wilcutts and put your painting things in the center of the table. After the rest of the class goes to recess, you volunteer to help clean up the mess.

You see a brand new kind of cereal that’s been in all the commercials. You’re shopping with your family. It has your favorite TV character on the box and has a cool toy inside. Your parents say that they won’t buy it because it has too much sugar. You feel really upset because you have been looking forward to trying this cereal. You want to make the rest of this shopping trip miserable for everyone.

You take a deep breath and keep shopping with your parents. When they ask you what kind of fruit you’d like to pick out for your lunchbox, you cheerfully decide between bananas and oranges.

Your sister wants to watch Spy Dogs: Canines Undercover, your brother insists on seeing the new behind-the-scenes show about theme parks, and you were hoping to watch the football game highlights. None of you can agree.

You suggest playing your family’s favorite board game instead of watching a movie and ask your parents to help you set out some snacks.

Documents

Unit 9: King David and King Solomon OT9.5 David and Abigail … · Joshua, Judges, Ruth, I Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 2 Kings, 1 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah and Esther