Before David became a king, he was just a shepherd boy, but God saw in David what He did not see in any of David’s older, bigger brothers. David loved the Lord and understood God’s heart for all nations to worship Him. Upon arriving at the Israelites’ camp, David encountered the sneering Goliath. David would not stand for God’s name being profaned among the Gentile nations. Too small to even wear the king’s battle armor, David took on Goliath with just a few stones. David declared not only that the battle was the Lord’s, but that through it, the whole world would know there was a God in Israel.
Bible: Read 1 Samuel 17 with your family.
Family Activity:
Teaching Time: 20 minutes
Materials: empty plastic bottle, baking soda, vinegar, measuring spoons, balloon
Setting Up: Pour vinegar into the bottle until it is 1/3 full. Place about a teaspoon of baking soda into the balloon. Then, fix the opening in the balloon around the top of the bottle, making sure none of the baking soda falls into the bottle.
Discuss ways you could inflate the balloon without removing it from the bottle. King Saul saw David as a young boy with no battle experience. David was not even strong enough to wear the armor, so how could he possibly defeat a giant? It seemed impossible. Much like how Saul viewed David’s chances of defeating Goliath, it may appear that there is no way to inflate the balloon. But God looked past the obvious and saw something in David’s heart. Lift the balloon so that the baking soda falls into the vinegar. As the baking soda mixes with the vinegar, observe how the balloon starts to inflate. Even though others could not see it, God saw something in David that He could use for His purpose. David knew of God’s sovereignty and power. He saw the battle as the Lord’s. When David defeated Goliath, he declared it was so that the whole world would know that there was a God in Israel.
Discuss:
- Read 1 Samuel 16:7. How does God view us? How does this change our attitude when God calls us to do something?
- David couldn’t stand for God’s name to be defamed among the nations. His view of God led him to make decisions of courage. How do you feel when you hear others dishonoring God’s name in the world? What is your response when you hear these things?
Pray:
Ask God to reveal how your family can be used to proclaim God’s name.
