Time
20 minutes
Description
This is a game that simulates the time when David snuck down into King Saul’s camp and stole his spear and water jug while his army was sleeping.
Audience
Children, Youth
Materials
o Stick (1 – long and straight is better, because it represents Saul’s spear)
o Water bottle (1)
o Masking tape or chalk to mark a line on the floor or ground
o Bible
Scriptures
o 1 Samuel 26:1-25
Preparation
o Mark a line on the floor or ground to separate the two “armies.”
o Read the Scriptures, and be prepared to summarize the story.
o Mark or highlight the Scriptures in the Bible if you want to read them during the lesson.
o Practice the script.
Procedure
Use the following script and instructions (or modify to suit your needs):
- “One time when David was running from King Saul, a group called the Ziphites told King Saul where David was hiding.”
- “King Saul took his 3,000 best troops and went to capture or kill David.”
- “David was hiding in the wilderness, and he was able to sneak up on King Saul’s camp while they were sleeping one night.”
- “The Bible says that God put a deep sleep on all of King Saul’s army, so they didn’t wake up when David and one of his men crept up to the place where King Saul was sleeping.”
- “David’s soldier offered to kill King Saul right then and there so that David could be king, but David wouldn’t allow him to hurt the king.”
- “David didn’t want to be king until God was ready for him to be king.”
- “So, he instructed his soldier to take King Saul’s spear and water jug.”
- “They escaped to a safe place, and then David called out to Abner, the commander of King Saul’s army.”
- “He said, ‘Abner! Abner! Why are you sleeping when your king’s enemy has come to destroy him? You didn’t guard your master, and I was able to get his spear and his water jug.’”
- “King Saul awoke. He was shocked and felt guilty for how he was treating David compared to the kindness David had shown him in preserving his life.”
- “He invited David to come back with him and promised never to try to hurt him again.”
- “David, though, knew better. He knew he couldn’t trust King Saul, so he returned the king’s spear and water jug and went back to his hideout.”
- “So, let’s play a game about this story.”
- “It’s called ‘Capture the Spear,’ and it’s played with two teams.” (Divide the group into two (roughly) evenly sized teams, and give one team the “spear” and water jug. You can also divide the groups up between kids and adults if that works better in your context.)
- “This group with the spear and water jug will be King Saul’s army, and the other group will be David’s army.”
- “This line (point out the line you’ve marked on the floor or ground) separates the camps between the two armies.”
- “King Saul’s army picks one person to be King Saul and puts the spear and water jug one, big step away.”
- “Everyone else in King Saul’s army has to be at least one, big step away from the spear and water jug.”
- “They also have to close their eyes, because God has put them into a deep sleep.”
- “David’s army is going to try to sneak into King Saul’s camp and steal their spear and water jug.”
- “Here’s the hard part – King Saul can tell his (or her) army to open their eyes two times during the game.”
- “If David’s soldiers are past the line when King Saul’s army opens their eyes, King Saul’s men can try to capture one of them by encircling them (holding their teammates’ hands so that the person is trapped).”
- “If even one of David’s soldiers gets caught, King Saul’s army wins!”
- “David’s soldiers can escape by crossing the line again.”
- “If all David’s soldiers get back across the line, they are safe, and King Saul’s army has to close their eyes again.”
- “If David’s soldiers take both the spear and the water jug across the line, they win!”
- “They have to carry them over the line; they can’t throw them.”
- “And if King Saul’s army opens their eyes two times but can’t catch any of David’s soldiers, David’s army wins!”
- “Any questions?”
- Play several rounds, and let them switch between playing King Saul’s and David’s armies if they want. When they finish, debrief with the following questions:
- Why do you think God put King Saul’s soldiers into a deep sleep?
- Why didn’t David let his soldier kill King Saul?
- Do you think this was the right decision? Why or why not?
- Review the Rhyme Time below to reinforce the main message of the lesson.
Rhyme Time
David took some of King Saul’s things,
But he waited on God to make him king.
Source: Michael Kientz
Teach Them 