8:

ISRAELIT
E
MONARC
HY
 MY STORY:

“SAME
CIRCUMSTANCE,
DIFFERENT RESULT”
Activity:
Answer the following questions:

1. How come the wax, meat, clay, and wood

shaving have different reactions to the
fire?
2. What should we consider when we are
buying a ‘fire-proof-product’, the material
or the design? Why?
3. Have you experienced a “baptism of
fire?” how did you react to it?
4. What do you think are the positive
effects of experiencing difficult
situations? Why?
 LINKAGE:
 Fire changes everything it touches.
It destroys but also transform
things for the better.
 In our life, we also go “through the

fire”. A difficult subject, as a hard-

headed friend, a brother or sister
who keeps on doing a bad habit, or
our addiction to our personal idols
became trying situations.
 LINKAGE:
 When we go through these
difficult times, we must look
closely at ourselves and think
of the ‘material’ that we are
made of.
 God made sure that when he

created us, we were made with

very strong material that can
stand the heat and be
 LINKAGE:
 Israelas a people have also gone
through trying times and
discovered ‘the stuff that they
were made of.’ the book of Kings
shows us how Israel as a people
reacted to and was transformed by
the monarchy. It also shows the
victories and defeats of king Saul
and king David and how Yahweh
remained faithful to His chosen
GOD’S STORY
THE PEOPLE ASK
FOR A KING
1. THE PEOPLE ASK
FOR A KING
1. THE PEOPLE ASK FOR A KING
Samuel was the last
judge of Israel. As a
judge and Yahweh’s
prophet, Samuel was
considered as the
greatest spiritual leader
of Israel since the time
of Moses.
 1. THE PEOPLE ASK FOR A KING
1 Samuel 8-15 narrates
the Israelite people
realizing the need for
tribal confederacy to be
united under a single
military leaders.
They wanted a king who

will govern them and

 1. THE PEOPLE ASK FOR A KING
The desire of the people
to have a human king
comes from certain
realities during those
times.
Yahweh God told Samuel

to grant the people’s

desire and said “they
 1. THE PEOPLE ASK FOR A KING
 The people have rejected
the theocracy and wanted a
monarchy.
 Their desire to have a

human king shows how

they have lost their trust
and faith in Yahweh God’s
kindness and faithfulness
which go back to the time
2. KINGSHIP OF
SAUL
 2. KINGSHIP OF SAUL
 Samuel anointed Saul with
oil and said, “Yahweh has
anointed you to rule over and
to lead his people Israel” (1
Sam. 10:1).
 As soon as Saul parted from

Samuel, God transformed him

into a different person and all
the signs Samuel mentioned
 2. KINGSHIP OF SAUL
 For a time, Saul seemed to be a
good king.
-He was able to unite the
tribes of Israel
-Inciting holy fear among the
people which set them out as
“one man”
-He also prove to be an able
military leader who defeated
Israel’s enemies.
 2. KINGSHIP OF SAUL
 However, Saul was impulsive
and self-willed.
 Saul sinned against Yahweh

God, when he neither a priest

or a Levite, offered a
holocaust at Gilgal. Such
action was forbidden for only
the priests or Levites can
offer the burnt offering as
expressly commanded by
 2. KINGSHIP OF SAUL
 Saul also disobeyed
God when he failed to
kill Agag and kept the
choice booty (1 Sam.
15).
Because of his sins,

Samuel told Saul that

Yahweh has rejected him
 2. KINGSHIP OF SAUL
 What is the sin of Saul?
- Saul disobeyed God.
- He had forgotten that it was by
God’s graciousness that he was
chosen to be king.
- When Saul offered holocaust ,
he did not just usurp the
priest’s authority and privilege
but defied God himself.
- When Saul did not fulfil the
 2. KINGSHIP OF SAUL
 It was Yahweh who ‘anointed’ or
empowered him to rule.
Therefore, Saul is indebted and
answerable to Yahweh God.
 In refusing to follow Yahweh

God, Saul has made his kingship

no different from Israel’s
enemies.
 Saul’s kingship has simply has

become a human endeavor,

3. KINGSHIP OF
DAVID
 3. KINGSHIP OF DAVID
 Samuel has parted ways
with Saul and as
commanded by Yahweh,
secretly anointed David,
Jesse’s youngest son, to
be the next king of Israel.
 3. KINGSHIP OF DAVID
1 Samuel 17 narrates the great
faith of David by slaying the
giant Goliath (a Philistine) using
a sling and a stone.
 Whenever Saul sent David he

succeeded. Because of this Saul

became distrustful to David to a
point that he wanted him killed.
 Yahweh God, however, blessed

David and saved him from Saul’s

 3. KINGSHIP OF DAVID
 In the end, Jonathan Saul’s son
was killed by the Philistines and
Saul died from his own sword.
 When Jonathan and Saul died,

David became the rightful king

of Israel. The men of Judah
anointed him as their king.
 However , the eleven tribes of

Israel sided with Ishbaal, who

was Saul’s son.
 3. KINGSHIP OF DAVID
 Only when Abner, the military

general loyal to Saul and the real

power behind Ishbaal was
killed, did all the tribes of Israel
unite and subjected themselves
to David as their king.
 It must be stressed that David’s

consolidation of the tribes of

Israel and him being king
through mutual agreement
shows that he took the throne
 3. KINGSHIP OF DAVID
 With the political turmoil resolve

and the tribes of Israel now

under one human king, David’s
next move was to establish a
capital for the kingdom. He
captured the Canaanite city of
Jerusalem from the Jebusites and
transformed it to his power.
 He brought the Ark of the

Covenant to Jerusalem so that all

tribes can worship there.
 3. KINGSHIP OF DAVID
2 Samuel 7:16 narrates David
receiving a great blessing
from God.
 Through the Prophet Nathan ,

Yahweh told David, “Your

house and your reign shall
last forever before me, and
your throne shall be forever
firm.” Despite his great
success, David also
 3. KINGSHIP OF DAVID
2 Samuel 11 narrates the
treachery of David. In
order to gain Bathsheba,
David sent her husband
Uriah to the front row of
the battle and instructed
the army to withdraw so
that Uriah will be killed.
 In this manner, David was
 3. KINGSHIP OF DAVID
 This sin of David
displeased God and he
sent the Prophet Nathan
to denounce David’s
sinfulness.
 After hearing the story of

Nathan, David
acknowledge his sins and
begged God’s forgiveness.
 3. KINGSHIP OF DAVID
 His first son with
Bathsheba died, his other
sons killed each other, and
his son Absolom plotted
rebellion against him.
 Absolom was later killed

by David’s loyal general,

Joab.
 3. KINGSHIP OF DAVID
 Looking closely at the narratives

about David, it is undeniable

that the Old Testament tradition
accords high praise to him:
- He was a great warrior who

brought the rule of Yahweh to

many surrounding nations.
- He established Jerusalem not

just a center of political

power, but more importantly,
a central sanctuary of
 3. KINGSHIP OF DAVID
-He was also the author of
15o psalms.
-He remained Yahweh’s
humble servant.
 3. KINGSHIP OF DAVID
 The story of David also shows us

that our success rests on God

alone.
 Our redemption also comes from

him. We are all sinners, but as

we look back from the sin
stories, God’s mercy and
forgiveness abound.
 This was clearly shown in the life

of king David. His great trust

3. KINGSHIP OF
SOLOMON
 3. KINGSHIP OF SOLOMON
 Before he died, David fulfilled

his oath to Bathsheba and

passed the throne to Solomon.
 Yahweh appeared to Solomon in

a dream and offered him

anything that he wanted.
Solomon asked for ‘wisdom’
which pleased Yahweh.
Solomon’s wisdom was
legendary. His ability to make
wise decisions was highlighted
 3. KINGSHIP OF SOLOMON
 KingSolomon was also a
great builder. He
constructed the walls
around Jerusalem,
established military bases
at Megiddo, Gezer, and
Hazor, and created an
enormous palace and
temple complex in the City
 3. KINGSHIP OF SOLOMON
 Solomon brought peace,
prosperity, and religiosity to
Israel and even earned the
respect of the neighboring
countries.
 Despite Solomon’s wisdom, he

succumed to human weakness.

 His numerous wives led him

astray and led him to worship

other gods. This act has
 3. KINGSHIP OF SOLOMON
 Solomon was blest by God
with wisdom, wealth and
power. However, he still
committed one of the
gravest sins which caused
the loss of his kingship
and the division of the
kingdom.
4. THE GENTLENESS
IN GOD’S PLAN OF
SALVATION: THE
BOOK OF RUTH
 4. THE BOOK OF RUTH
 Yahweh’s messianic promise to

David of his house and rein

lasting forever has been fulfilled
in Jesus Christ.
 Matthew 1:16 narrates the

genealogy of Jesus Christ

concluding with “There were
fourteen generations in all from
Abraham to David, and fourteen
generations from David to the
deportation to Babylon, and
 4. THE BOOK OF RUTH
 Looking the messianic line, one

begin to wonder how gentiles

and non-Jewish people fall within
God’s plan of salvation.
 The Book of Ruth provides for us

clear answer. Ruth was a

Moabite (pagan) widow who
entered the Jewish community
and the Messianic line when she
married Boaz.

 4. THE BOOK OF RUTH
 Her significance is highlighted in

Matthew 1:5-6, “Salmon was the

Father of Boaz. His mother was
Rahab. Boaz was the father of
Obed. His mother was Ruth.
Obed was the father of Jesse.
Jesse was the father of David,
the King. David was the father of
Solomon.”
 The gentiles are included in

God’s plan of salvation. Ruth

 ACTIVITY
Form a group composed of 5-10 members and
create a short skit showing how a leader can
truly become God’s instrument in the ff.
situation: (chose only one)
1. Flash flood have destroyed a large part of a
poor providence
2. Some people claim that the solution to
poverty is the legalization of abortion.
3. A website auctions endangered wildlife like
toknay gecko (tuko) and talking myna
4. Young people drop out of school due to lack
of money
 We Celebrate
LEADER: Let us now pray as a class.
 In the name…
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not
want.
He makes me lie down in green
pastures.
He leads me beside the still waters, he
restores my soul.
He guides me through the right paths
 We Celebrate
Although I walk through the valley of
the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for
you are beside me.
Your rod and your staff comfort me.
You spread a table over me in the
presence of my foes.
You anoint my head with oil; my cup is
overflowing.
 We Celebrate
Goodness and kindness will follow me
all days of my life,
I shall dwell in the house of the Lord as
long I as I live.
LEADER: Glory to the Father…
ALL: As it was in the beginning…
In the name of the Father…
 Things to
remember:
1. What does anointing signify in the
Old testament?
-In the Old Testament,
anointing signified healing,
purification and strengthening, but
most of all empowerment.
 Things to
remember:
2. To whom can the success and
downfall of the Israelite kings be
attributed ?
-the Israelite kings were successful
in their endeavors when they were
faithful to Yahweh and kept his
commands. When the Israelite kings
decided to usurp the power of God,
they experienced hardships and the
 Things to
remember:
3. How can we say that human kings were
just instruments of Yahweh God and must
also follow his will and commands?
-through chosen men and women:
kings, judges, priest and wise men, God
led, liberated and corrected his people. He
forgave their sins. He thus revealed
Himself as Yahweh, He-who-is-with his
people.
 Things to
remember:
4. Solomon has wisdom, why did he
succumb to sin?
-Solomon, despite having
wisdom, did not avoid the
circumstances that would led
him to sin and evil. Instead, he
allowed his wives to bring him
commit adolatry.
 Things to
remember:
5. What are the vital qualities that a
leader must possess?
-the human leadership
qualities of honesty and
integrity that inspire
confidence and a following are
vital qualities that a leader
must possess.