Lesson 158 - Elementary

Memory Verse

 "Love worketh no ill to his neighbour" (Romans 13:10).

Notes

Today we are going to learn about a fine young man who was a prince. His father was king of all God's people in the Holy Land. The prince's name was Jonathan, and he was good and obedient. Jonathan loved his father and all the people of God. When heathen people, who worshiped idols instead of the true God, came to hurt the Israelites, Jonathan helped his father chase them away.

At another time the Philistines came and set up camp across the valley from the Israelites' camp. The Philistines were strong, and there were very many of them, and the Israelites did not know what to do. This time God used another young man who loved God. He was saved and prayed to God every day, just as we believe Jonathan did. We all know this boy -- his name was David.

We remember that the giant, Goliath, came out into the valley every morning and every evening and shouted to the Israelites to send out a soldier to fight with him. When David saw this giant and heard him shouting at God's people, he wanted to fight Goliath. At first the king said David shouldn't go; he was just a boy and not strong enough to fight the giant Goliath, but David told the king that God would help him.

David knew that God was bigger and stronger than all the giants in the world. He told the king that when he was out in the hills taking care of his father's sheep, a lion had come and taken a lamb from the flock, and he went right out after the lion, took the lamb out of the lion's mouth and killed the lion with his bare hands. Another time a bear had come to take a lamb, and God helped David to kill the bear, too.

Then the king let David go. He took his slingshot and his shepherd's bag, and picked up five smooth stones as he crossed the brook. No doubt David was praying all the while as he hurried along. When he came close enough to the giant, he put a stone in his sling, swung it around his head, and let it go. God made the stone go right into the forehead of the giant, and down he fell!

The king wanted to talk with David again after this great victory. No doubt Jonathan was standing close by as the king and David talked, and Jonathan loved David very much. Perhaps he thought: This boy loves God as I do, and I want him to be my friend. The king asked David to come and live with them, and Jonathan was glad. Jonathan was not selfish; he wanted to share his good home and his fine things with David. He took off his robe, or coat, and gave it to David, and he and David promised that they would always be good friends. David lived with the king and Jonathan, and helped them fight when enemies came to hurt God's people.

David lived with the king and Jonathan, and helped them fight when enemies came to hurt God's people. The people loved David because he was kind to them and helped them. This made the king jealous. The king wanted the people to honour him and look up to him more than they did to anybody else. He thought maybe the people would send him away, and make David king. Don't you think the king was like some children who always want to be first and want the best things for themselves?

Perhaps Jonathan thought that some day he would be king himself, but when he saw how good David was and how he helped the people and the people loved him, Jonathan did not mind if David was made king. He wanted the people to have a good king, and if David could help the people better than he could, he wanted David to be king.

Questions

1. Why did Jonathan go into the enemy camp with only his armour bearer? [1SM:14:6].

2. What did God do to help Jonathan and his armour bearer? [1SM:14:15].

3. How much did Jonathan love David? [1SM:18:1], [1SM:18:3].

4. How much should we love God and His people? [LUK:10:27].

5. Who loves us today even more than Jonathan loved David? [GAL:2:20].