Unit 4 · Kings, Prophets and a Teacher

The Bible has a book called 1 Samuel. It tells a story about a boy named David. David lived in a town called Bethlehem. He had seven big brothers. His job was to watch the family’s sheep.

A shepherd watches sheep. He keeps them safe from wild animals. He finds them grass and water. The story says David was a good shepherd. He was brave when a lion or a bear came.

One day a man named Samuel came to town. The story says God sent him to pick a new king. Samuel looked at all the big brothers. Then he asked for the youngest. The story says Samuel picked David.

Goliath was a soldier from the other army. The story says he was very tall. He had a big sword and a big spear. Every day he shouted for someone to fight him. The soldiers were afraid.

David was not a soldier. He was a shepherd boy. But the story says he was not afraid. He said he would fight. He did not wear armor. He took his sling and five smooth stones from a stream.

A sling is a strip of cloth or leather. You put a stone in it. You swing it fast and let go. The story says David’s stone hit Goliath, and the giant fell. The soldiers cheered.

David grew up. The story says many people loved him. King Saul was jealous. David had to hide for a long time. But he did not hurt Saul. He waited.

After Saul died, the story says David became king. A king is the leader of a whole land. David made a city called Jerusalem his home. It became the most important city in the story.

The story says David was a good king, but not a perfect one. He made big mistakes. The story tells about them too. Jews and Christians both tell the story of King David.

The Bible has a book of songs. The songs are called psalms. There are 150 of them. Some are happy. Some are sad. Some say thank you. People still sing them today.

Many psalms have David’s name at the top. Jewish and Christian tradition say David was a singer. The story says he played a harp. So people have long said David wrote many psalms.

Jews sing psalms at the synagogue. Christians sing psalms at church. Some people say a psalm at bedtime. A psalm can be said in any language.

Psalm 23 is a very famous psalm. It is short. It has David’s name at the top. It starts with the words, "The LORD is my shepherd." A shepherd takes care of sheep. The song says God is like that.

The psalm talks about green grass and quiet water. It talks about a dark valley. The singer walks through it and is not afraid. It ends with a house and a table full of food.

Many people say this psalm when they feel scared. Jews and Christians both know it well. It is read at happy times and sad times. You do not have to believe it to understand it.

The book of Daniel tells about a man named Daniel. He lived far from home in a city called Babylon. He worked for the king. The story says he was wise and honest.

Some men did not like Daniel. They got the king to make a rule. For thirty days, nobody could pray to anyone but the king. Daniel prayed to God anyway. He prayed three times a day, like always.

So Daniel was thrown into a den of lions. The king was sad all night. In the morning, the story says Daniel was safe. He said God sent an angel to shut the lions’ mouths.

The book of Jonah is a short story. The story says God told Jonah to go to a big city called Nineveh. He was to tell the people to stop doing wrong. Jonah did not want to go. He got on a boat going the other way.

A big storm came. The story says Jonah told the sailors to throw him into the sea. They did. Then a big fish swallowed him. Jonah was inside the fish for three days. He prayed. Then the fish spit him out.

This time Jonah went to Nineveh. He told the people his message. The story says the whole city said sorry and changed. Even the king put on rough clothes. And the story says God did not punish the city.

The Bible calls some people prophets. A prophet is a person who speaks a message. The Bible says the message comes from God. Jonah was a prophet. Samuel was a prophet too.

A prophet’s job was not easy. The message was often hard to hear. Kings and crowds did not always want to listen. Jonah ran away at first. Then he went and spoke anyway.

David, Daniel and Jonah all had to be brave. Being brave does not mean you are never scared. It means you do the right thing even when you are scared. Which story shows that best to you?

The Christian Bible has two parts. The first part is the Old Testament. It has the stories of David, Daniel and Jonah. The second part is the New Testament. It tells about a teacher named Jesus.

Four books tell the story of Jesus. They are called Gospels. Their names are Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Each one tells the story a little differently.

Christians believe Jesus is the Son of God. Jews and Muslims do not believe that. Muslims honor Jesus as a prophet. In this class we read the stories and learn what people believe.

The Gospel of Luke tells how Jesus was born. His mother was Mary. She and Joseph went to the town of Bethlehem. That is the same town where David grew up. There was no room at the inn.

The story says the baby was born and laid in a manger. A manger is a box that holds food for animals. That night, shepherds were out. They were watching their sheep.

The story says an angel came to the shepherds. The angel said a baby was born in Bethlehem. Then the sky was full of angels singing. The shepherds ran to town and found the baby.

The Gospel of Matthew tells the birth story a different way. It does not have shepherds. Instead, it has wise men from a land far to the east. They saw a new star in the sky.

The story says the wise men followed the star. They came to Bethlehem. They found the child with his mother Mary. They bowed down. Then they gave him gifts: gold, frankincense and myrrh.

Frankincense and myrrh are sweet-smelling things from trees. They cost a lot. The story does not say how many wise men came. Many people say three, because there were three gifts.

When Jesus grew up, he became a teacher. He walked from town to town. Crowds came to hear him. The Gospels say he often taught with stories. These stories are called parables.

A parable is a short story with a lesson inside. It is about everyday things. A lost sheep. A tiny seed. A man on a road. People listen to the story and then think about what it means.

Here is one. A shepherd has one hundred sheep. One gets lost. The story says the shepherd leaves the ninety-nine and looks for the one. When he finds it, he is so happy. He carries it home.

This parable is in the Gospel of Luke. A man asked Jesus, "Who is my neighbor?" A neighbor is a person near you who you should care about. Jesus did not just give an answer. He told a story.

A man was hurt by robbers. A priest walked by. A temple helper walked by. Neither one stopped. Then a man from Samaria stopped. He is the Samaritan. He cleaned the man’s cuts and paid for his care.

Then Jesus asked, "Which one was a neighbor?" The man said, "The one who helped." Jesus said, "Go and do the same." Many people still call a helper a good Samaritan today.

Jesus told a parable about a mustard seed. A mustard seed is tiny. You can hold many of them on one fingertip. The story says it is one of the smallest seeds a farmer plants.

But when it is planted, it grows. The story says it becomes a big plant, like a tree. Birds come and make nests in its branches. Something tiny becomes something big.

Jesus said this is what God’s kingdom is like. Christians read this in different ways. Many say it means good things can start small and grow. This parable is in Matthew, Mark and Luke.

One day, people brought their children to Jesus. They wanted him to bless them. The Gospel of Mark says his helpers, called disciples, told the people to go away. They thought Jesus was too busy.

The story says Jesus was not happy about that. He said, "Let the children come to me." He said God’s kingdom is for people like them. He held the children. He blessed them.

Christians often tell this story to kids. It says children matter. In many churches, there are pictures of Jesus with children around him.

Christmas is the day Christians remember the birth of Jesus. Most celebrate it on December 25. They tell the story of the manger, the shepherds and the star. Many go to church and sing.

Easter comes in the spring. The Gospels say Jesus was killed on a cross. Christians believe that three days later he rose from the dead. Easter is the Sunday when they remember that.

Not everyone celebrates these days. Jewish families have their own holidays, like Passover. Muslim families have Eid. In Chicago, you can see churches, synagogues and mosques in the same neighborhood.