The Old Testament

Lesson 26 - Samuel, God’s Prophet

Aims* To learn the key points of the story* To learn from the stories the importance of listening

Materials* Bible story about Samuel (The Book of Samuel 1-3)* Pictures of the story* Worksheets* Objects to make sounds

Key words - Prophet - a person who serves as God's spokesman to the peoplePriest - a mediator between his people and God by representing them officially in worshipSamuel - God’s prophetHannah - Samuel’s motherEli - a priest

Memory VerseI Sam 3:9 - “Speak, Lord, your servant hears.”

Lesson Outline1. Introduction2. Story - Samuel3. Questions4. Activities - Listening Circle, Identify Sounds, Worksheets5. Review the aims6. Prayer

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1) Introduction What are our five senses? To see, hear, touch, smell and taste. Today we are going to learn about hearing and the importance of listening. Do you have good ears? What can you hear right now? What sounds do you like? We need to listen to what people say. To parents, teachers, friends. When we listen we can learn from others. What good things have you learnt by listening? Today’s story is about a boy who listened to God and what he learned.

2) Story - SamuelAn Israelite woman called Hannah, promised to give her son to God if she could have a baby. She did and called him Samuel. When he was old enough she kept her promise and gave him to the

priest Eli to take care of. One night Samuel thought Eli called his name, but it was God’s voice. God chose him to be a prophet and God spoke to him many times to teach the people of Israel to listen to God’s words.

3) Questions1. What did Hanna promise to do if God gave her a child? - “ I'll give him to you."2. Did God answer her prayers? - Yes, she had a son and called him Samuel3. Did Hannah keep her promise? - Yes, when Samuel was older his mother took him to stay with the

priest Eli in Shiloh.4. What does the name ‘Samuel’ mean? - “I asked the Lord for him”5. What happened one night, while Samuel was sleeping? - God called his name 3 times. He

thought it was Eli. Eli realized it was God calling him and told Samuel to answer God.6. What did Samuel say when God called his name? - Speak, Lord, your servant hears."7. When he was older what did he tell the people to do? - “Get rid of your foreign gods, serve God

only, He will deliver you from the Philistines.”8. How does God speak to us?9. How can we listen to God?

Because Samuel listened when God spoke to him, God could trust him. God also calls us. He doesn’t use a loudspeaker or a telephone. It is a heart feeling that tells us to trust Him and listen to our conscience. God talks to us through our conscience - a little voice in our head that tells what is right and wrong. If we listen to our conscience and do the right thing we feel good and God will bless us. If we go against our conscience and do something wrong we feel bad. Our conscience tells us to listen to our parents and do what they say. When we do, we feel good. When we don’t we feel bad.

God also speaks to us through Bible stories. That’s why it’s good to come to Sunday school. In the Bible there are many stories of chosen people who listened and trusted God. When they followed God’s direction, they were blessed. When they didn’t they lost God’s blessing.

4) Activities* Learn the Bible verse - “Speak, Lord; your servant hears.” (I Sam 3:9)

* Chinese Whispers: How well do the children listen? This game is about listening carefully. The teacher can start a phrase or short sentence and whisper that into the first child's ear. Then that child will whisper what they heard into the next child's ear, and go around the circle until the last child whispers the sentence in the teacher's ear and see if it matches what the teacher started out whispering! Tongue twisters could be a good source of words

* Play “Simon Says” as a listening activity

* Identify Sounds - Find five or six familiar items that make an identifiable sound (such as a whistle, a harmonica, a stapler, a bell and a baby rattle). Put them into a large paper bag. Have everyone close their eyes. Remove one item at a time from the bag, and make a noise with it. After making the noise, place the item back into the bag, and then let the children open their eyes. Then ask them if they know what the item was by the sound they heard.

* Worksheets - Samuel, God’s Prophet - Find 10 differences between the pictures, which picture us different?- Samuel Goes to Eli - Colour the picture- God Calls Samuel - Colour the picture- Samuel answers God - Solve the code and write the words Samuel spoke to God- Samuel Hears God - Draw a line between the dots to see the whole picture.

5) Review the lesson aims* To learn the key points of the story* To learn from the stories the importance of listening

6) End with a prayerThank you God for listening to us. Ask God to help us listen to Him this week.

Samuel, God’s Prophet

God often spoke to his people, the Israelites, through men and women who were called prophets. They had to speak strongly when people did not want to follow God's laws. They also had to comfort people when they had a hard time. This is the story of one of these prophets, a man called Samuel..

In the land of Israel there was a woman called Hannah. She was very sad, because she had no children. Every year she and her husband went to the tabernacle in Shiloh. There Hannah prayed to God that she would have a child.

She cried and said, 'God, if You give me a son, I'll give him to you, and he will serve You throughout his life. "

When Eli, who was a priest in the temple, saw her, he said: "Go home and do not worry. The God of Israel will give you what you have asked of Him."

And it came to pass that Hannah gave birth to a boy called Samuel, which means, “I asked the Lord for him.” She remembered her promise to God, and when Samuel was a little bigger, she went with him to Shiloh, to stay with Eli. Every year Hannah would visit him and bring him new clothes. It might have been hard for her to see Samuel only once a year but she wanted to keep her promise. And God blessed her with 5 more children, so she was not sad any more.

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Samuel did very well while staying with Eli. Then one night something unusual happened. Eli and Samuel had both gone to bed, when Samuel all of a sudden woke up, someone was calling him, "Samuel."

Well, Samuel thought it was Eli so he ran to his bed and answered, "Here I am; you called me?"

But Eli said, "I did not call you; go back and lie down."

So Samuel went back to his bed. He didn't know this, but God was calling him. Just as Samuel got settled God said, "Samuel!" And Samuel jumped up and went back to Eli and said, "Here I am, you called?"

Again Eli answered, "No I didn't call you; go back to bed."

The Lord called Samuel a third time, and Samuel got up and went to Eli again and said, "Here I am; you called me."

Eli realized that it was God who had called the boy, "Go and lie down, and if you hear the voice again, say, 'Speak, Lord, your servant hears'"

Sure enough, Samuel went to lie down and the Lord called again, "Samuel! Samuel!" So Samuel quickly replied, "Speak, Lord, your servant hears."From then on Samuel knew when God wanted to talk to him and he always listened. God blessed Samuel and he grew up to be a great prophet or spokesperson of the Lord.

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God spoke to Samuel many times. People realized that God had chosen him to be his prophet. At that time the Philistines had ruled over Israel for 20 years. Samuel said to the people, "If you return to the Lord, get rid of your foreign gods, and serve God only, He will deliver you from the Philistines." The Israelites obeyed Samuel. They came together at one place. Then Samuel offered a sacrifice to God and prayed for Israel. The Philistines gathered together to attack Israel, but God sent a great thunderstorm upon them. The Philistines fled in fear, and Israel was able to defeat them all.

Hannah asked God for a baby

Samuel Hears God’s Voice

Samuel Prays for Israel

Samuel, Godʼs Prophet

Samuelʼs mother wanted him to live and work at Eli, the priestʼs home.Find 10 differences between the pictures

Samuel heard when God called. Which picture is different?

Samuel Goes to Eli

God Calls Samuel

Samuel Answers God

What did Samuel say to God? Solve the code and find out.

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a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

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