Single lesson
David Spares Saul in the Camp
1 Samuel 26:1–25
In this lesson, children follow how David found Saul asleep in the camp, faced a serious choice, and refused to harm him. They will sequence the account, notice key words, and discuss what the passage shows about God and people.
Before you teach
The passage begins when the Ziphites tell Saul where David is hiding. Saul takes three thousand chosen men into the wilderness of Ziph to search for David. David confirms that Saul has come, goes into the camp by night with Abishai, and later calls out from far away before speaking with Saul.
Students will be able to retell the account in order, identify David’s refusal to stretch out his hand against Saul, and explain that David asked Yahweh to judge rightly and deliver him.
Welcome: Listen for the big choice
4 minIntroduce the main problem clearly. Saul is searching for David with three thousand chosen men, and David confirms that Saul has certainly come. Tell the children to listen for the moment when David has an opportunity to act against Saul, and for the choice David actually makes.
1 Samuel 26:2, 1 Samuel 26:4
Read and explain: A chance in the camp
8 minRead verses 5 to 11. Point out that Abishai volunteers to go with David into Saul’s camp at night. Saul is asleep with his spear at his head. Abishai wants to strike Saul, but David refuses and says no one can stretch out his hand against Yahweh’s anointed and be guiltless. David tells Abishai to take only the spear and jar of water.
1 Samuel 26:5, 1 Samuel 26:6, 1 Samuel 26:7, 1 Samuel 26:8, 1 Samuel 26:9, 1 Samuel 26:11
Discuss: What God did and what David showed
6 minRead verse 12 as an important detail, then continue into verses 13 to 20. The whole camp remains asleep because a deep sleep from Yahweh has fallen on them. David then stands far away, calls to Abner, and shows that Saul was not protected. David asks Saul why he is being pursued and uses the comparisons of a flea and a partridge in the mountains to describe Saul’s pursuit of him as though he were small prey.
1 Samuel 26:12, 1 Samuel 26:13, 1 Samuel 26:15, 1 Samuel 26:16, 1 Samuel 26:18, 1 Samuel 26:20
Make and respond: Sequence the turning points
8 minChildren make simple sequence cards with four scenes: Saul searches, David enters the camp, David takes the spear and water, and David speaks from the mountain. As they order the cards, ask them to match each scene with a choice or result from the passage, especially David’s refusal to harm Saul and Saul’s later response.
1 Samuel 26:2, 1 Samuel 26:7, 1 Samuel 26:11, 1 Samuel 26:13, 1 Samuel 26:21, 1 Samuel 26:22
Closing: David’s words about judgement and rescue
4 minFinish with verses 21 to 25. Saul says, ‘I have sinned,’ and says his life was precious in David’s eyes. David says Yahweh gives to every man his righteousness and faithfulness, reminds Saul that he would not stretch out his hand against Yahweh’s anointed, and asks Yahweh to deliver him out of all oppression.
1 Samuel 26:21, 1 Samuel 26:23, 1 Samuel 26:24, 1 Samuel 26:25
Questions to explore
What did Abishai want to do in the camp, and what did David tell him instead?
Look at the contrast between Abishai’s plan to strike Saul with the spear and David’s command to leave Saul alive and only take the spear and jar of water.
1 Samuel 26:8, 1 Samuel 26:9, 1 Samuel 26:11
How did David show what had happened in the camp after he left it?
Notice that David called out from a great distance and pointed to the missing spear and jar that had been at Saul’s head.
1 Samuel 26:13, 1 Samuel 26:14, 1 Samuel 26:16, 1 Samuel 26:22
According to David’s own words, what did he leave for Yahweh to do?
Listen for David’s statements that he would not stretch out his hand against Saul and that Yahweh would give righteousness and faithfulness and deliver him.
1 Samuel 26:9, 1 Samuel 26:23, 1 Samuel 26:24
Make, think or respond
Story Sequence Cards
What you’ll need
- plain paper or card
- pencils or crayons
- scissors
- Bible
Try it together
- Draw four simple pictures for the main scenes: Saul searching, David and Abishai in the camp, the spear and jar of water, and David calling from far away.
- Cut out the pictures to make cards.
- Mix the cards and ask children to place them in the order of the passage.
- As each card is placed, have children say one choice or outcome connected to that scene from the verses.
Sequencing the scenes helps children follow the account in order and notice that David had an opportunity to harm Saul but chose not to do it.
Adapt for your group
- For younger children, prepare the four cards in advance and let them place the pictures in order while repeating short phrases from the story such as ‘Don’t destroy him’ and ‘Here is the spear’.
- For older or more confident children, add speech bubbles with direct words from the passage and ask them to match each quotation to the correct scene.
An optional closing prayer
‘Yahweh, thank you for this passage. Please help us to make wise choices, to value life, and to trust you to judge rightly and deliver us. Amen.’
Read the Bible passage World English Bible Classic
1 Samuel 26
1 The Ziphites came to Saul to Gibeah, saying, “Doesn’t David hide himself in the hill of Hachilah, which is before the desert?”
2 Then Saul arose and went down to the wilderness of Ziph, having three thousand chosen men of Israel with him, to seek David in the wilderness of Ziph.
3 Saul encamped in the hill of Hachilah, which is before the desert, by the way. But David stayed in the wilderness, and he saw that Saul came after him into the wilderness.
4 David therefore sent out spies, and understood that Saul had certainly come.
5 Then David arose and came to the place where Saul had encamped; and David saw the place where Saul lay, with Abner the son of Ner, the captain of his army. Saul lay within the place of the wagons, and the people were encamped around him.
6 Then David answered and said to Ahimelech the Hittite, and to Abishai the son of Zeruiah, brother of Joab, saying, “Who will go down with me to Saul to the camp?” Abishai said, “I will go down with you.”
7 So David and Abishai came to the people by night; and, behold, Saul lay sleeping within the place of the wagons, with his spear stuck in the ground at his head; and Abner and the people lay around him.
8 Then Abishai said to David, “God has delivered up your enemy into your hand today. Now therefore please let me strike him with the spear to the earth at one stroke, and I will not strike him the second time.”
9 David said to Abishai, “Don’t destroy him, for who can stretch out his hand against Yahweh’s anointed, and be guiltless?”
10 David said, “As Yahweh lives, Yahweh will strike him; or his day shall come to die, or he shall go down into battle and perish.
11 Yahweh forbid that I should stretch out my hand against Yahweh’s anointed; but now please take the spear that is at his head and the jar of water, and let’s go.”
12 So David took the spear and the jar of water from Saul’s head, and they went away. No man saw it, or knew it, nor did any awake; for they were all asleep, because a deep sleep from Yahweh had fallen on them.
13 Then David went over to the other side, and stood on the top of the mountain far away, a great space being between them;
14 and David cried to the people, and to Abner the son of Ner, saying, “Don’t you answer, Abner?” Then Abner answered, “Who are you who calls to the king?”
15 David said to Abner, “Aren’t you a man? Who is like you in Israel? Why then have you not kept watch over your lord the king? For one of the people came in to destroy your lord the king.
16 This thing isn’t good that you have done. As Yahweh lives, you are worthy to die, because you have not kept watch over your lord, Yahweh’s anointed. Now see where the king’s spear is, and the jar of water that was at his head.”
17 Saul recognized David’s voice, and said, “Is this your voice, my son David?” David said, “It is my voice, my lord, O king.”
18 He said, “Why does my lord pursue his servant? For what have I done? What evil is in my hand?
19 Now therefore, please let my lord the king hear the words of his servant. If it is so that Yahweh has stirred you up against me, let him accept an offering. But if it is the children of men, they are cursed before Yahweh; for they have driven me out today that I shouldn’t cling to Yahweh’s inheritance, saying, ‘Go, serve other gods!’
20 Now therefore, don’t let my blood fall to the earth away from the presence of Yahweh; for the king of Israel has come out to seek a flea, as when one hunts a partridge in the mountains.”
21 Then Saul said, “I have sinned. Return, my son David; for I will no more do you harm, because my life was precious in your eyes today. Behold, I have played the fool, and have erred exceedingly.”
22 David answered, “Behold the spear, O king! Let one of the young men come over and get it.
23 Yahweh will give to every man his righteousness and his faithfulness; because Yahweh delivered you into my hand today, and I wouldn’t stretch out my hand against Yahweh’s anointed.
24 Behold, as your life was respected today in my eyes, so let my life be respected in Yahweh’s eyes, and let him deliver me out of all oppression.”
25 Then Saul said to David, “You are blessed, my son David. You will both do mightily, and will surely prevail.” So David went his way, and Saul returned to his place.
World English Bible Classic. Public domain.