Know our Covenant Benefits — David & Goliath
1. Story:
- Tell the story of David & Goliath based on 1 Sam 19.
- God deals with His people through covenants
- Covenant = promises between 2 parties to become 1 (e.g. a marriage) — “you = me”; whoever touches you, touches me; till death do us part.
- The Israelites were part of the covenant God made with Abraham. They were circumcised — a mark of the covenant. They belonged to God. But sometimes they forgot that.
- The Israelites forgot
- Goliath was a tall, strong man. He was the champion of the Philistines — Israel’s enemy. Day and night, he’d shout threats at the Israelite army. “This day I defy the armies of Israel! Give me a man and let us fight each other.”
- Every time Goliath roared, the Israelites were terrified. They forgot that they had a bigger Champion on their side — God.
- David remembered
- When David heard Goliath’s threats, he said, “Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?”
- Goliath said he was defying the “armies of Israel”, but David knew he was really trying to defy the “armies of the living God”.
- David told Saul, “Don’t lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him”. David remembered all that God had done for him in the past — when he was faced with the lion and the bear. And he knew that God will go with him to face Goliath.
- The battle is the Lord’s
- David didn’t just go into the field with his slingshot and five stones. He went with the Lord, and it was the Lord who gave him the victory.
- David defeated and killed Goliath. The Philistines turned and ran. The Israelites chased them and plundered their camp .
2. Lesson:
- We are people of the New Covenant
- When Jesus died, He put an end to the Old Covenant and started the New Covenant.
- This covenant was cut between God and Jesus — so it cannot fail.
- When we put our trust in Jesus, we are included in this covenant.
- When we forget who’s on our side, we live in fear; when we remember, we live by faith!
- When we are afraid or faced with a difficult challenge, always look back to the Cross — when Jesus won the greatest victory of all!
- Jesus won the victory for us. We are more than conquerors!
- Just like the Israelites plundered the Philistines because of what David did, we can receive all the benefits of the New Covenant because of what Jesus did on the cross. So we do not need to be afraid and can walk in victory!
3. Activity Suggestion
- Pin the stone on the giant
- Memory verse activity:
- Memory Verse: Romans 8:37 No, in all these things, we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
