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1 Samuel 8 · Grade 3

Rejecting God as King

Name Date

Read the Story

When Samuel grew old, he made his sons Joel and Abijah judges in Beersheba. But they turned aside for dishonest gain, took bribes, and twisted justice. So all the elders came to Samuel at Ramah.

They asked Samuel to make them a king to judge them like all the nations. This displeased Samuel, and he prayed to the Lord. The Lord told Samuel to listen to them, for they had not rejected Samuel. They had rejected God from being king over them.

Samuel warned them. A king would take their sons for his chariots and army, their daughters to cook and bake, and the best of their fields and vineyards. He would take a tenth of their flocks. They would cry out, but the Lord would not answer. The people refused to listen and said they would have a king.

Memory Verse

Yahweh said to Samuel, “Listen to the voice of the people in all that they tell you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me as the king over them.

1 Samuel 8:7 (WEB)

Answer the Questions

  1. What were the names of Samuel's sons?

  2. What did Samuel's sons do wrong?

  3. Who did the Lord say the people had rejected?

  4. Name two things a king would take.

  5. Did the people listen to the warning?

Give Us a King

Write what happened in each box.

1
2
3
4

Prayer

Dear God, thank You for being my King. Help me . Amen.

Take It Home

For families: talk about these together.

  • How can you kindly warn a friend about a choice that could hurt them?
  • What things can you be tempted to want more than God?

Scripture: World English Bible, public domain, eBible.org. © 2026 The Daily Rooted. Free to print and copy for church and home use; not for resale. Original line art.