unit 10 • session 3 leader bible studystorage.cloversites.com/palmettobaptistchurch/... · say...

The ark of God (also called “the ark of the covenant”) was an incredibly important symbol in the lives of God’s people. Not only was the ark the original container for the Ten Commandments, it symbolized God’s presence with His people.

God gave Moses instructions in Exodus 25 for creating the ark. It was made of acacia wood and overlaid with pure gold. God forbade anyone from touching the ark, so it was carried by two poles. God would speak to Moses from between two golden cherubim on top of the ark, which was called the mercy seat. (See Num. 7:89.)

The Philistines were a near-constant threat to Israel during the time of the judges. Under the leadership of Samuel, the Israelites went out to fight the Philistines. But the Israelites were defeated because of their sin.

The elders of Israel realized that it was God who allowed them to be defeated. God hadn’t fought for them against the Philistines. So they did what seemed logical; they took the ark—the symbol of God’s presence—and carried it to the battlefield. But the ark was not a good luck charm. Not only was Israel defeated, the Philistines captured the ark and killed Eli’s sons. When Eli heard the news, he fell over and died.

With the victory, the Philistines concluded that their god, Dagon, was better than the God of Israel. They moved the ark to Dagon’s temple, where God showed His power over Dagon. (See 1 Sam. 5:1-5.) As the ark moved between Philistine cities, God afflicted the people and made them sick.

Though the Philistines won the battle by capturing the ark, God afflicted them to show His power over their god. God received glory through the Israelites’ defeat. This points to the victory of God’s Son on the cross. The people thought they had stopped Jesus by killing Him on the cross, but by His death, Jesus saved the world and brought glory to God.

Leader BiBLE stUDY

Unit 10 • Session 3

1 Younger Kids Leader Guide Unit 10, Session 3

Copyright 2013LifeWay

Session Title: The Ark Was CapturedBible Passage: 1 Samuel 4–5Big Picture Question: Why was the ark of God important? The ark

reminded the Israelites of God’s promise to be with His people.Key Passage: 1 Samuel 2:35Unit Christ Connection: God used people and visual elements in history

to give us pictures of Christ.

Small Group OpeningWelcome timeActivity page (5 minutes)Session starter (10 minutes)

Large Group SessionCountdownIntroduce the session (1 minute)Timeline map (1 minute)Big picture question (1 minute)Sing (5 minutes)Key passage (4 minutes)Tell the Bible story (10 minutes)Discussion starter video (3 minutes)The Gospel: God’s Plan for Me (optional) Prayer (5 minutes)

Small Group SessionKey passage activity (5 minutes)Bible story review (10 minutes)Activity choice (10 minutes) Journal and prayer (5 minutes)

Younger Kids BiBLE stUDY oVErViEW

2 Hints of Christ

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The Ark Was Captured1 Samuel 4–5

The people of Israel did not get along with the Philistines. The people of Israel fought a battle against the Philistines, but the Philistines killed about four thousand Israelites, and the Philistines won.

The leaders in Israel said, “Why did God let us lose the battle against the Philistines?” In the past, God had helped the Israelites defeat their enemies. Instead of asking God what they had done wrong, the Israelites decided to take the ark of the covenant—a wooden box covered in gold that reminded them God was with them—and carry it to the battlefield.

Some of the men went to talk to Eli’s sons. Eli’s sons were priests; they were in charge of the ark of God. The men told Eli’s sons their plan to win the battle. Eli’s sons were wicked. They should have just asked God to help them fight. Instead, they took the ark of the covenant to the Israelites’ camp. When the army of Israelites saw the ark, they shouted because they were happy. Surely they would win the battle now!

The Philistines heard the shout, but they did not know what was happening. Why were the Israelites happy? They had just lost a battle. Then the Philistines heard that the ark of God was with the Israelites, and they panicked! They could fight against men, but who could fight against God?

Could the Israelites force God to help them win? No! The two groups went to battle, but the Philistines won again! They killed thousands of Israelites, including Eli the priest’s sons, and they stole the ark of God! One of the men in the battle ran to tell Eli the priest what had happened. When Eli heard the news, he fell backward in his chair, broke his neck, and died.

The Philistines took the ark of God to a temple where they worshiped Dagon (DAY gahn), a false god. They put the ark next to a statue of Dagon.

The BiBLE storY



The next morning, the Philistines entered the temple and saw that Dagon’s statue was facedown in front of the ark of God. They set the statue back up where it belonged. The next day, it was facedown again. This time, the head and hands were broken off.

Wherever the ark of God was, God punished the people living in that city. God caused a lot of trouble for the Philistines. The Philistines got really sick, and they wanted to get rid of the ark because they knew God was responsible for their suffering. When they moved the ark to another city, everyone in that city got sick. So they moved the ark to a third city. Then everyone in that city got sick too. The Philistines were afraid. They didn’t want God to punish them anymore, so they decided to send the ark of God back to the Israelites, where it belonged.

Christ Connection: The ark of God was important to the Israelites because it reminded God’s people that God was with them. Years later, God gave His people something greater than a sign that He was with them; God gave them His Son Jesus—God in the flesh. One of Jesus’ names is Immanuel, which means “God with us.”

4 Hints of Christ

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Small Group opEning

Welcome timeArriving Activity: Don’t take it!Place some things that are important to you around the room. Use family photos, an old Bible, keys, or other items. Don’t use items that are irreplaceable or breakable. Invite the kids to find the number of items you have hidden that are very important to you and guess why they are important.Say • We all have things that are very important to us.

Today, we will see what happened when something very important to the Israelites was taken.

Activity page (5 minutes)Guide boys and girls to complete the activity page.Say • The ark of the covenant was a symbol of God’s

promise to be with Israel. However, the Israelites didn’t always remember that. We’ll see how in today’s Bible story.

Session starter (10 minutes)Option 1: The boxPlace a box or other container in the center of the room with a starting line several feet from the box on two sides.

• items of your choice

• “Return the Ark” activity page, 1 per kid• pencils

PREPLOW

• box• paper, multiple sheets of two colors






Form two groups. Provide one group with the same color paper and the other group with a different color of paper. Encourage each kid to make a paper wad. Each group must stand behind the line and try to toss the team’s paper wads into the box. If a paper wad misses, any team member who doesn’t have a paper wad may retrieve it and go back behind the line to toss it again. The first team to get all of its color of paper wads into the box wins. Say • Was there anything special about the box that made

you win or lose this game? No. In today’s Bible story, the Israelites treated the ark of the covenant like a special box with powers of its own. We’ll see what happened.

Option 2: Gotcha gameTape a circle about seven feet in diameter near the front of the room. Choose a volunteer to stand, facing away from the other kids on the circle line nearest the front wall. Place any small item in the middle of the circle. Choose a kid who will try to steal the item. The volunteer facing away from the class must turn and say “gotcha” while the thief is inside the circle. If she turns and the thief is not in the circle, she may face away and try one more time. If she still hasn’t caught the thief after the second try, the thief takes her spot. If she does catch the thief, she gets to choose the next volunteer.Say • In today’s Bible story, an enemy took the ark of the

covenant from Israel, but the enemy soon wished they had never taken it.

Transition to large group

• tape• small item

6 Hints of Christ

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CountdownShow the countdown video as your kids arrive, and set it to end as large group time begins.

Introduce the session (1 minute)[Large Group Leader enters the room carrying a box with a Bible inside.]Leader • Hello, fellow Bible investigators. You really came

through for me last week. We have another chance to find the hint that leads us to Christ today. Meanwhile, I have all my favorite investigative tools in this box. I can’t imagine what would happen if I lost it or someone took it. I am going to put it down in a place where it will be safe.

Timeline map (1 minute)Leader • Thanks to your help, we have cracked two cases

so far. Let’s review. It’s always helpful to see the big picture of past cases.

Just a few weeks ago, we saw how Boaz redeemed an entire family by marrying a woman named Ruth. We also learned about our redeemer. Who is our redeemer? Jesus is our Redeemer who gives us salvation.

• box• Bible

• Timeline Map




Large Group LEADEr



Last time we saw how God spoke to Samuel, even as a young boy. How did God use Samuel? God used Samuel to share His plan with the nation of Israel.

Today’s Bible story is called “The Ark Was Captured.” What was the ark? The ark of the covenant was not the big boat Noah built. It was a box with some important items in it. We’ll see what happened when an enemy took it from the Israelites.

Big picture question (1 minute)[Large Group Leader removes the Bible from the box.]Leader • I have the best investigative tool when I look

for hints that lead us to Jesus. What is it? Right! It’s the Bible. Do you have your Bible? Great! That means you’re ready to investigate.

Why don’t we start with the big picture question? Why was the ark of God important?

Sing (5 minutes)Leader • I wonder if the ark gives us the hint to Jesus we

are looking for. Let’s think about that as we are reminded that Jesus is the center of everything.

Sing together “Center of It.”

Key passage (4 minutes)Leader • This is our last week with our key passage. See if

you can find the hint that talks about Jesus.Show the slide or poster of the unit’s key passage, 1 Samuel 2:35. Lead the boys and girls to read the verse together. Leader •The Bible mentions some faithful priests, but only

Jesus serves as the faithful Priest forever.Sing together “Raise Up.”

• box• Bible

• “Center of It” song

• Key Passage Slide or Poster • “Raise Up” song

8 Hints of Christ

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Tell the Bible story (10 minutes)Leader • Grab your Bible and turn to 1 Samuel 4. Let’s

investigate our Bible story. Keep in mind our big picture question. Why was the ark of God important?

Show the “The Ark Was Captured” video, or choose to tell the Bible story in your own words using the script provided. For a shorter version of the story, read only the bolded text.Leader • The Israelites lost a big battle to the Philistines,

their enemy. They didn’t understand why because they usually won when facing an enemy.

They realized that maybe it was because God wasn’t with them. They thought things would be different if they had the ark of the covenant, which God had them build as a reminder of His presence. Why was the ark of God important? The ark reminded the Israelites of God’s promise to be with His people.

Eli’s sons were priests, so they took the ark into battle. They thought they would win as long as they had the ark. They lost. Eli’s sons were killed and the Philistines took the ark. Eli was so upset when he heard that he fell and died, too. The prophecy God told Samuel as a kid had come true. God had judged Eli’s family.

The Philistines thought their god, a fake god called Dagon, had defeated the God of the Israelites. God wanted them to know that wasn’t true. The statue of their false god bowed in front of the ark. It even broke. Everywhere the Philistines took the ark, the people got sick. They finally just gave it back to the Israelites.

The Israelites had treated the ark like it had some special power. God was the One with the power. The people should have just asked Him to lead them in battle.

• “The Ark Was Captured” video• Bibles• Bible Story Picture Slide or Poster



Ask the following review questions:1. Who took the ark of the covenant?

(the Philistines, 1 Samuel 4:10-11)2. What happened to Eli and his sons? (They died;

1 Samuel 4:11,18)3. What happened when a statue of the Philistines’

false god was near the ark? (The statue fell facedown. Its head and hands broke off; 1 Samuel 5:3-4)

4. Why did the Philistines return the ark to the Israelites? (Everywhere it went, the people got sick; 1 Samuel 5:11-12)

5. Why was the ark of God important? The ark reminded the Israelites of God’s promise to be with His people.

Discussion starter video (3 minutes) Leader • How many of you like candy? Me too! Watch this

video.Show the “Unit 10 Session 3” discussion starter video.Leader • Have you ever eaten so much of something that

it made you sick? Candy is great if it’s eaten in the right way. The ark of the covenant was a great thing, too. Why was the ark of God important? The ark reminded the Israelites of God’s promise to be with His people.

The problem was that the people used the ark in the wrong way. The ark couldn’t save the Israelites—only God could. That’s why God sent us something much more important than the ark to remind us of His presence. The Bible says He sent us Immanuel. Immanuel means “God with us.” That’s the hint that leads us to Christ. Immanuel is another name for Jesus. Jesus would save us and remind us of God’s promise.

• “Unit 10 Session 3” discussion starter video

10 Hints of Christ

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The Gospel: God’s Plan for Me (optional)Use Scripture and the guide provided with this session to explain to boys and girls how to become a Christian. Assign individuals to meet with kids who have more questions. If this is not possible, encourage boys and girls to ask their parents, small group leaders, or other Christian adults any questions they may have about becoming a Christian.

Prayer (5 minutes)Show the big picture question slide or poster. Leader • Can anyone tell me the big picture question and

answer? Why was the ark of God important? The ark reminded the Israelites of God’s promise to be with His people.

Share a series of things that a kid might find important (parents, Bible, video games, TV, school, and so forth). Encourage the kids who believe each item is important to say the big picture question and answer together.

Before transitioning to small group, make any necessary announcements. Lead the kids in prayer. Pray that the kids will always remember that God is with them.

Dismiss to small groups

• Big Picture Question Slide or Poster



The Gospel: God’s Plan for MeAsk kids if they have ever heard the word gospel. Clarify

that the word gospel means “good news.” It is the message about Christ, the kingdom of God, and salvation. Use the following guide to share the gospel with kids.

God rules. Explain to kids that the Bible tells us God created everything, and He is in charge of everything. Invite a volunteer to read Genesis 1:1 from the Bible. Read Revelation 4:11 or Colossians 1:16-17 aloud and explain what these verses mean.

We sinned. Tell kids that since the time of Adam and Eve, everyone has chosen to disobey God. (Romans 3:23) The Bible calls this sin. Because God is holy, God cannot be around sin. Sin separates us from God and deserves God’s punishment of death. (Romans 6:23)

God provided. Choose a child to read John 3:16 aloud. Say that God sent His Son, Jesus, the perfect solution to our sin problem, to rescue us from the punishment we deserve. It’s something we, as sinners, could never earn on our own. Jesus alone saves us. Read and explain Ephesians 2:8-9.

Jesus gives. Share with kids that Jesus lived a perfect life, died on the cross for our sins, and rose again. Because Jesus gave up His life for us, we can be welcomed into God’s family for eternity. This is the best gift ever! Read Romans 5:8; 2 Corinthians 5:21; or 1 Peter 3:18.

We respond. Tell kids that they can respond to Jesus. Read Romans 10:9-10,13. Review these aspects of our response: Believe in your heart that Jesus alone saves you through what He’s already done on the cross. Repent, turning from self and sin to Jesus. Tell God and others that your faith is in Jesus.

Offer to talk with any child who is interested in responding to Jesus.

12 Hints of Christ

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Small Group LEADEr

Key passage activity (5 minutes)Make sure the key passage, 1 Samuel 2:35, is visible for each child, either as the printed poster or written on a dry erase board. Read the verse together. Say • This verse explains that God was going to put an end

to disobedient priests and replace them with priests who would be faithful to Him. The first part of the verse happened when Eli and his sons died. The faithful priests later served under King David. They pointed to an even greater Priest, Jesus.

After only three weeks, younger kids may still struggle with this verse. Invite the kids to team up and say the verse several times with a friend. When they are ready, encourage the team members to share the key passage individually. However, the other team member can help if one of them gets stuck. Repeat as time allows.

Bible story review (10 minutes)Encourage the kids to find 1 Samuel 4 in their Bibles. Help them as needed. Say • Is 1 Samuel in the Old or New Testament? (Old

Testament) Which division of the Bible is 1 Samuel

• Key Passage Slide or Poster • dry erase board and markers

• Bibles, 1 per kid• Small Group Visual Pack• Big Picture Question Slide or Poster • strips of paper






in? (History) What is 1 Samuel about? (the life of Samuel as a prophet of God and the first kings to rule over Israel)

Use the small group visual pack to show kids where today’s Bible story is on the timeline. Review the Bible story provided using the bolded text, or summarize the story in your own words. Group the kids into two teams. Name one of the groups the Israelites and the other the Philistines. Choose a volunteer from each side to battle. Ask one of the questions below and then allow the volunteers to each grab an end of the paper and pull. When the paper tears, the kid with the largest torn piece gets to answer the question first. He is answering for his team. His team may help.

Choose new volunteers and repeat for the next question. The team with the most correct answers wins. If a team answers incorrectly, the other team can steal the point with a correct answer.

• Who did the Israelites battle? (the Philistines, 1 Samuel 4:1)

• Who lost the first battle? (Israelites, 1 Samuel 4:2) • What did the Israelites take with them to the battlefield? (the ark of the covenant, 1 Samuel 4:3-5)

• Why was the ark of God important? The ark reminded the Israelites of God’s promise to be with His people.

• What happened to the ark of the covenant? (The Philistines captured it, 1 Samuel 4:11)

• What happened to the idol Dagon that the Philistines worshiped? (The idol fell before the ark. Its head and hands broke off; 1 Samuel 5:3-4)

• Why did the Philistines return the ark to the Israelites? (Everywhere it went, the people got sick; 1 Samuel 5:11-12)

Show the big picture question slide or poster.14 Hints of Christ

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Say • Let’s look at our big picture question and answer one more time. Why was the ark of God important? The ark reminded the Israelites of God’s promise to be with His people.

Activity choice (10 minutes)Option 1: Capture the arkForm two or more teams. Invite the teams to line up single file. Encourage each kid to put his hands on the shoulders of the kid directly in front of him. Tape a piece of paper on the last kid’s back in each line. Set up safe boundaries free of obstacles, and explain what those boundaries are. Kids may not let go of the shoulders of the kid in front of them, and the first kid can’t leave the rest of the team behind. The first kid in each line must try to capture the piece of paper, or the “ark,” from the other teams. If teammates disconnect, they must stop and rejoin before continuing. The winning team is the last one that still has its ark. Say • The Philistines captured the ark from the Israelites

because the Israelites misused it. Why was the ark of God important? The ark reminded the Israelites of God’s promise to be with His people.

Option 2: Mini easelProvide each kid with four craft sticks, the larger the better, and a small strip of heavyweight paper or cardboard. The strip should be no wider than the craft stick, and no longer than half the craft stick’s length. The thicker the paper, the better. Demonstrate how to glue three of the sticks together in the shape of an A. Allow the middle stick to stick out a little on both sides to form an easel. Glue half the paper strip on the top of the easel and the other half to the fourth craft stick. After giving it a few minutes to dry, each kid

PREPLOW

• tape• paper, 1 piece per team

• craft sticks, 4 per kid• strips of heavyweight paper, 1 per kid• glue



should be able to bend the paper until the easel stands on its own. Encourage the kids to put special pictures of their families on the easels.Say • Pictures often remind us of special people in our lives. Photos are very

important. The ark of the covenant was important to the Israelites. Why was the ark

of God important? The ark reminded the Israelites of God’s promise to be with His people.

Journal and prayer (5 minutes)Distribute each child’s journal and the journal page provided with this session. Instruct the kids to draw a picture of things that remind us that God is with us today. Encourage writers to write the key passage.Say • Let’s say our big picture question and answer one last

time. Why was the ark of God important? The ark reminded the Israelites of God’s promise to be with His people.

Make sure each child puts this week’s sheet in the journal, and then collect them. Keep the journals in the classroom so they will be available every week or as often as you wish to use them.

If time remains, take prayer requests or allow kids to complete the coloring page provided with this session. Pray, thanking God for all His promises that He will be with His people. Pray for each child by name, asking God to remind the kids that He is always with them.

• journal• Journal Page, 1 per kid • markers or crayons• Bible Story Coloring Page

16 Hints of Christ

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