After God gave the 10 commandments and all of God’s other wonderful laws of how to love God and to love each other, God led the Israelites by Moses, towards the “promised land” of Canaan.  God had previously promised this land of Canaan to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Israel).

Joshua and Caleb loved God and were very brave and courageous, because they knew God would help them defeat the giant people of Canaan. The Philistines had come and occupied the land, since Israel and his 12 sons had left it, to live in Egypt for 430 years. (Exodus 12:40-41, Joshua 1:6, Galatians 3:17)

But all the other Israelites grew frightened and afraid to go into Canaan, and take hold of their God given birth right.  They lacked faith and trust in God and rebelled against God.  (Deuteronomy 9:23)

“Do you know our child, that God has given you and us, an even better birth right to take hold of bravely with all our heart, mind and being?” says Nanna  (Daniel 7:18, Daniel 7:27, Hebrews 9:15)

“Well, because of the Israelites being stubborn, fearful and timid scaredy cats, God was not very happy with them”, says Grandad.  “So, God decided to let them learn a very important lesson about trusting God and not being frightened. God does not like timidity”. (Proverbs 28:1, 2 Timothy 1:7, Hebrews 10:38-39)

So God led the Israelites to wander in the desert of Arabia for 40 years and God fed them sweet Manna from heaven and good water to drink, even though they didn’t really deserve God’s help. (Numbers 14:34)

At last, the new generation of Israelites, were ready to be brave and to follow the lead of God and God’s leaders, Joshua and Caleb, into the promised land of Canaan.

With God’s help and strength from God, they overcame their enemies who fought against them and began to live in the land God had promised them, peacefully.  (Deuteronomy 31:7)

They lovingly obeyed God for a little while, but when they became richer they forgot God. They did what seemed right in their own eyes, which was not wise or right in God’s eyes. (Proverbs 14:12, Judges 21:25)

So, they were attacked again by Gentile nations and began to lose their homes and land.

Some of the Israelites repented of their sinful evil ways, and turned away from their false idols of false gods, to follow our true God once again.

God answered their prayers for help, and God sent them Judges such as Samson, Deborah, Gideon and Samuel to lead them in following God and having victory again over their enemies.

Then when they became rich and felt safe again, they forgot God who had delivered them.

They wanted to reject God and God’s judge and High Priest servant Samuel, and have their own King, just like the pagan Gentile nations around them. (1 Samuel 8:7)

“Give us a King like the other nations have!” they shouted at Samuel.

God had Samuel warn them of the terrible things that would happen to them if they had a king, but they just laughed at God’s warnings, and kept stubbornly demanding a King to lead them. (1 Samuel 10:19)

Saul, from the Israelite tribe of Benjamin, became their first King.  (1 Samuel 15:1)

He was big and taller than everyone and he appeared to be the best man to be King. Saul seemed to be a good man, but he was not faithful to God and he turned into a bad King.

So, God sent Samuel to anoint David as the next King of Israel. (1 Samuel 16:12)

David loved God, even when he was a very young boy. He prayed to God daily and read God’s Word. He even wrote many psalms, which we can read today in the Book of Psalms in the Bible. These psalms teach us how to be a man or a woman “after God’s own heart”, just like David.  (Acts 13:22)

“By the way our child, a very easy way to read all the Psalms is to use the date method.

For example, if today is the 7^thday of the month, then read Psalm 7, then add 30 and read Psalm 37, then add 30 and read Psalm 67, then add 30 and read Psalm 97, then add 30 and read Psalm 127”, says Grandad.

“The next day, do the same thing, only of course you will read Psalm 8, 38, 68, 98, 128.

The next day Psalm 9, 39, 69, 99, 129, ok?

Do you get it? Do you understand the sequences of adding 30?” says Grandad.

“Whatever today’s date is just read that chapter of Psalms and then add 4 sequences of 30, to give you the other 4 chapters to read. Put an asterisk or tick beside every verse you find encouraging or uplifting, ok?”

“If you keep doing this you will prayerfully develop to be a person “after God’s own heart.” (Acts 13:22)

David was also very brave as a boy, and was not timid or cowardly.  (1 Samuel 17:34-37)

When the huge giant Goliath came to threaten the King Saul’s army of Israel, the young boy David bravely gathered 5 special smooth stones from a creek, and put them in his shepherd’s bag around his waist.

David prayed to God and trusted in God to give him victory over the giant Goliath.

As the huge Goliath came towards David to kill him with his giant sword, David ran boldly towards him swinging his sling with one of his stones.

Then with all of his might, and God’ extra strength given to David, he hurled the stone smack into the forehead of Goliath like a red hot bullet!  Goliath dropped dead on the spot, and the ground shook at he toppled and smashed into the dust.

David quickly grabbed Goliath’s long heavy sword and swished it around in a big loop and chopped off Goliath’s head in one almighty blow. God made David a hero.  (1 Samuel 17:48-51)

“We too, our child, can be heroes in God’s eyes, if we love God and live by God’s laws with a humble spirit, but bravely, and courageously, like David”, says Grandad. (Isaiah 66:2)

God inspired David to write, “The law of the Lord is perfect, changing the mind. The word of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.” (Psalm 19:7)

David learned that loving God and keeping God’s good laws helps us to have a mind like God.

Reading the Bible and living by what God says, helps us to think like God, to speak like God wants us to speak, politely and thankfully. It helps us to do God’s Way of life wisely and to be very happy and blessed in our lives.  (Isaiah 55:6-9)

For 40 years David was king. Sometimes he did bad things, but he repented to God and changed his bad ways into God’s good ways.  

God told David, “You will always have one of your family on the throne of Israel.”  Queen Elizabeth II is from the family line of King David to this day.  (1 Kings 2:4)

David’s son, Solomon, became king when David died.

“Let’s save the story of wise King Solomon for next time”, says Nanna.

To be continued with Chapter 11...