A Sunday School Lesson On David

Here is a Sunday school lesson or Bible study on the life of David.

Looking at the Heart

First Samuel 16:7 “But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”

It is too easy for most of us to look at the outward appearances of someone and make a quick evaluation to formulate a snap judgment of someone. I know, I’ve done, it but I’ve repented of that and now I try not to be a respecter of persons, because God’s not (Rom 2:11). God can see into the heart and what’s there is what really matters anyway. We had a man join our church, hesitantly at first, because he was poor and didn’t have much to wear but we welcomed him as if he was anyone else. We had clothing for him to choose from and he wanted to come back again. We’re getting better about not judging by outward appearances because that’s unfair; besides, we’re pretty bad at it.

Have you ever judged someone and turned out to be wrong?

Has someone judged you by appearances before?

What did that make you feel like?

After God’s Own Heart

Acts 13:22 “And when he had removed him, he raised up David to be their king, of whom he testified and said, ‘I have found in David the son of Jesse a man after my heart, who will do all my will.”

The Royal Heir to the throne, Jesus Christ, was not like King David “For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep and was laid with his fathers and saw corruption but he whom God raised up did not see corruption” (Acts 13:36-37) and that “whom” of course was Jesus Christ and He indeed, He did not see the corruption of the grave as David also wrote concerning the Messiah, “For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption” (Psalm 16:10). David was a man after God’s own heart because he repented of his adultery and murder of Uriah the Hittite, Bathsheba’s husband, and God restored to Him the joy of his salvation (Psalm 51:12). You can know that joy to when you repent of your sins and confess them to God and turn to Christ and put your trust in Him for then there is also joy in heaven (Luke 15:7).

What does this joy in heaven sound like after someone’s saved?

Can you even imagine it or try to describe it?

Why did Jesus see no corruption of His body (Luke 23:43)?

How did David know that the Son of God wouldn’t undergo corruption?

Why was David called “a man after my heart” (hint, the end of that sentence)?

God Anoints David

First Chronicles 11:9 “And David became greater and greater, for the Lord of hosts was with him.”

This verse comes just after the kingdom was torn between the subjects of King Saul and those who were loyal to King David but David knew that there were still deep divisions within the nation of Israel but still, King David became greater and greater but only because “the Lord of hosts was with him” and not because of his own effort. David was a skilled warrior by now and was fit to be king because he was experienced in battle and tested by his trying to escape Saul for many years and this allowed King David to learn the landscape, to know where to find water, and what places made for natural ambushes against the enemy. I believe the Lord was with him because David would first inquire of the Lord (1st Chron 14:14) because He sought out the will of God rather than follow his own will for Israel.

Why did God bless King David and he “became greater and greater?”

Who planned David’s future (1st Chron 4:2)?

Did David’s experience in battle help him or hurt him (1st Chron 14:16-17)?

The Son of David

John 7:42 “Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the offspring of David, and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David was?”

The people were divided about Jesus as “some of the people said, “This really is the Prophet.” Others said, “This is the Christ.” But some said, “Is the Christ to come from Galilee” (John 7:41-42), not knowing that He was to come “from Bethlehem, the village where David was.” So there’s another sign as Micah prophesied “But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days” (Micah 6:2). Most of the Jewish people knew that the Messiah was to be one of the sons of David but they were not expecting it to be Jesus “the” son of David. Didn’t they hear Jesus referred to as the Son of David (dozens of times in the New Testament)? The truth is they were blinded to certain prophecies, not knowing that Jesus was the Messiah or suppressing this from the Jewish people but “many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue” (John 12:42).

Why did the fear being put out of the synagogue?

Why didn’t the Jewish leaders know about Micah’s prophecy about were the “offspring of David” would be born?

Were all of them blind or did some of them suppress this knowledge (John 3:2)?

Conclusion

I urge you in your study to look at all of the Bible verses and read them aloud in the class so that you can get the most out of these lessons but the main point in this lesson is about the Son of David, Jesus Christ, for “to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12) “who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:13). If you have repented and trusted in Christ, then you’re a child of God and you now have the peace of God and the condemnation has been lifted (Rom 5:1; 8:1) and now you can look forward to the kingdom of God and not the wrath of God (Rev 20:12-15; 21:8).

Why is it important to know about King David?

Why is the connection to Jesus important?

What have you learned about David that you didn’t know before?

Article by Jack Wellman

Jack Wellman is Pastor of the Mulvane Brethren Church in Mulvane Kansas. Jack is also the Senior Writer at What Christians Want To Know whose mission is to equip, encourage, and energize Christians and to address questions about the believer’s daily walk with God and the Bible. You can follow Jack on Google Plus or check out his book Teaching Children the Gospel available on Amazon.