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1 Samuel: Lesson 25 — The Cost of Integrity

The following are discussion questions from a weekly study I am leading through the book of 1 Samuel.  We meet each Wednesday evening at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

 

Here Comes A King:
A Study of the Book of 1 Samuel

Lesson 25 (The Cost of Integrity)
1 Samuel 22:1-23

The Text:

  1. Where does David go after his time in Gath?  Who hears about it?  What do they do?  What is the common characteristic of the people who gather around David at this time?  What concern does David have?  How does he resolve it?
     
  2. Who hears about where David is?  What does he accuse his officials of?  How does he compare himself to David?  What does he have to say about Jonathan?
     
  3. Who speaks out?  What information does he give?  What does Saul do with that information?  What does he accuse the priests of doing? 
     
  4. How does the priest respond to Saul?  What does he say about David?  What does he say about his own actions?  Does the one give credibility to the other?  What is Saul’s response?  Are Saul’s guards and officials willing to carry out his order?  Who does?   
     
  5. What happens to Ahimelech and his family?  Who escaped?  Where did he go?  How did David feel and respond to the incident?

             

The Application:

  1. Have you ever felt a need to go into hiding?  Do you know someone who has retreated into hiding?  How could someone help you in such a time?  How can you help others in such a time?  How do you think it would feel to become the leader of the group that comes to David? 
     
  2. How does anger typically change the way you view people — even your most trusted friends and/or associates?  What is the danger of thinking everything revolves around you?     
     
  3. When someone is looking for information that you know will be used in a destructive manner, how tempting is it to share whatever you know so that you will appear more important than everyone else?     
       
  4. How does it feel to be accused of wrongdoing when you know what you did was right? 
       
  5. Have you ever had a time that someone else suffered on your behalf?  How does this make you feel?  How does it feel to suffer because of someone else?

             

Next week: 1 Samuel 23:1-29
Listening For Protection