Break the Ice.
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Tell us about a non-family member who had a profound impact on your life as a child or teenager.
Bring the Word.
Read 1 Samuel 17:55-18:30
- Why does Saul ask “whose son are you” to David?
- What weakness is exposed by Saul’s reaction to the song in vs 7-8?
- Why is Saul no longer soothed by David playing the lyre?
- Where does Jonathan’s love for David come from?
- Why would the “hand of the Philistines be against” David if he married Saul’s daughter?
Read 1 Samuel 19:1-17
- What consequences could Jonathan face for warning David?
- How risky is it for Jonathan to speak good of David to Saul after Saul has ordered for David to be killed?
- We see Davids success against the Philistines used to trigger Saul’s anger against David, but in 19:4-5 we see his success used by Jonathan to pacify Saul. Why does this work?
- How do you think God’s use of Saul’s family (Jonathan and Michal) to protect David affects Saul? How do you think it affects David?
Bring it Home.
Read 1 Samuel 20:1-34
- From a worldly perspective, who was supposed to be the next king after Saul?
- According to verses 30-34, how does Saul view God’s plan for David to be king instead of his son?
- According to verse 13-16, how does Jonathan view God’s plan for David to be king instead of him?
- What does this tell us about Jonathan? What does it tell us about his walk with God?
- If Jonathan had approached the situation from a position of entitlement who would have suffered?
- Can you name some areas of our lives that we approach from a position of entitlement? In what ways do we suffer because of it?
- How can we pray for you?