Family Worship Guide for April 26, 2026
Unit 10, Session 5: David Played for Saul (1 Samuel 16)
In 1 Samuel 16, we see how the newly anointed future king of Israel served his predecessor with humility and grace. Though David was promised the throne of Israel, his time had not yet come. Therefore, David returned to his life as a shepherd. God would use the period of waiting and the trials for David’s good and to point us toward the Suffering Servant, Jesus, in whom we place our ultimate hope.
How did God use David’s humility for His glory and David’s good? How do we see this idea fully exemplified in Jesus?
When God rejected Saul as king, the Spirit of the Lord left him, and an evil spirit tormented him day and night. After one of Saul’s young men heard David play the lyre, Saul sent his servants to retrieve the young David, believing he could relieve his distress. Previously, we learned that David was a man after God’s own heart, and here we see a humble, servant-like heart as David played the lyre in Saul’s time of distress.
Saul didn’t know then that David would be his successor. Saul loved David so much that he even gave him the role of armor-bearer, asking Jesse for permission for David to remain in his service. David faithfully and humbly served Saul.
We see an even greater picture of service in Christ, depicted as the Suffering Servant in Isaiah 53. While David’s humble service offered temporary relief for King Saul, Jesus’ humble and sacrificial death offers eternal rescue from sin for all who believe in Him.
May a humble, obedient adoration of the Lord mark us as His faithful followers. Pray the children in your care see Christ’s humility both as our example and the means of our salvation through faith. Like Saul, we need the peace that only God can provide through Christ.The beginning of Saul’s reign as king over Israel brought great promise. He was a fierce warrior, and by the power of the Holy Spirit, was moved to defeat the Ammonite army. However, Saul’s foolish choice revealed that he was not the king the people needed. We see Samuel’s warnings come true: an earthly king could never fulfill the role of the eternal God.
