Dear Parents, When David was king, he wanted to build a temple for God, but God did not allow him to. "When your time comes and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up after you your descendant, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He will build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever" (2 Sam. ...

Dear Parents, "Look both ways before crossing the street." "Don't touch the stove; it's hot." "Stay in your seat." Young children need to hear these instructions because left to their own devices, most would run into traffic, burn their hands on stove tops, and meander around the dining room. As young children discover the world and begin to understand how it...

Dear Parents, The Ammonites were no strangers to the Israelites. They often fought over the region of Gilead, which stretched east of the Jordan River. David had tried showing kindness to the Ammonites, but they humiliated the Israelite ambassadors. (See 2 Sam. 10:1-5.) Thus began a war between the Israelites and Ammonites. This context sets the scene for the ...

Dear Parents, Things were not looking up for David. Saul had tried multiple times to kill him, and he had to flee for his life, leaving behind his good friend Jonathan. But God had appointed David to be king, and God was faithful. Leading up to 2 Samuel 7, Jonathan was killed in battle against the Philistines. Saul fell on his own sword, and David became king ...

Dear Parents, Following David's slaying of Goliath, the Philistine warrior, King Saul's son Jonathan dedicated himself to David. He loved David as much as he loved himself. Jonathan's gifts to Davidhis own robe, tunic, sword, bow, and belt indicated that Jonathan recognized David as God's choice for the next king, a position Jonathan could have rightly expecte...

Dear Parents, By all appearances, Saul was a good choice as king. He was tall, handsome, and blessed by God. But Saul forgot that his kingship was from God. Saul made some mistakes that cost him his throne. In 1 Samuel 13, Saul sinned by burning offerings in Samuel's absence. That moment was an important test for Saul. According to Samuel, the Lord would have...

Dear Parents, Samuel had judged Israel throughout his lifetime, but he was getting old. So Samuel appointed his sons, Joel and Abijah, as judges over Israel. But like many sons, Joel and Abijah did not follow the example of their father. They were unfair and dishonest. They disobeyed God and caused problems for Israel. Until this time, Israel had relied on Go...

Dear Parents, Hannahan ordinary Israelite during the time of the judgeswanted nothing more than to be a mother, but the Lord had closed her womb. (1 Sam. 1:5) Each year when her husband went to Shiloh to worship and to sacrifice to God, Hannah went up to the house of the Lord. One evening, Hannah returned to present herself to the Lord. She wept and prayed, asking...

Dear Parents, Only two books in the Old Testament bear the name of a woman: Ruth and Esther. Ruth's story occurs at the time when judges ruled over Israel. God's people were characterized by rebellion and immorality. At a time when the Israelites desperately needed a king to lead them back to God, Ruth's story of faithfulness points us to Jesus Christ, a coming Re...

Dear Parents, Samson was the last of the major judges of Israel. He was born to parents who dedicated him to the Lord as a Nazirite after the Angel of the Lord announced that Samson would be born to save the Israelites from the power of the Philistines. Samson grew up, and God blessed him with great strength. But when Samson requested to marry a Philistine woman, ...