Exploring the value of self-respect through the story of David the Singing Shepherd Boy.
The video
BEN: Hiya! I'm Ben and this is the story of David the Singing Shepherd Boy.
David was the youngest child in his family. His brothers and sisters were all big and strong and their dad Jesse was very proud of them because they were soldiers.
But David was too young to be a soldier. He was just a boy and his job was to look after his dad's sheep.
But David didn't mind. He had a talent for looking after the sheep and he was brilliant at it. He loved being a shepherd and worked really hard to be the best shepherd he could be.
David knew that being in the fields all day made him strong and healthy, which was just as well because sometimes he had to protect the sheep from lions and bears.
Best of all, being alone in the fields gave David lots of time to write poems and songs. He even wrote a song thanking God for making him just the way he was.
DAVID SINGS: I know that I'm wonderfully made, thank you for making me.
BEN: We don't actually know the tune to the song.
But, one day when David's brothers and sisters were at home visiting their dad, a man named Samuel called by.
Samuel was a special man who could hear God speak and God had sent him on a secret mission to find the next king. All Samuel knew was that he would be one of Jesse's sons.
Jesse introduced his children one by one. Eliab, the eldest son, was a fine and strong man and Samuel thought, 'Mm, surely he'd make a good king.' But God said no.
In fact, with all the children God said no. He told Samuel, 'Don't think about what they're like on the outside, think about what they're like on the inside; their thoughts, their feelings, what they're really like.'
Samuel turned to Jesse and asked, 'Are these all the children you have?'
JESSE: Well, there is my youngest, but he's only a boy.
SAMUEL: Well, I must meet him!
BOY: Fetch David.
GIRL: Fetch David.
GIRL: Fetch David.
BEN: When David arrived, God said to Samuel, 'This is the one I have chosen to be king!' Can you believe it? David the 'Little Singing Shepherd Boy' was chosen to be the king.
David may not have seemed like a king to some people but, you know what, he had self-respect. And all the things he learned while looking after the sheep helped him become a brave and wise leader.
He became one of the greatest kings in the world! Come on in, guys. Thanks for helping me tell today's treasure story. Now, you might have heard about David, because stories of his life and his songs are written about in the Bible. See you again soon. Bye!
ALL: Bye!
The story of David the Singing Shepherd Boy is found in the Hebrew Bible. Jewish people read the story in the Tanakh (in the Nevi’im, which tells the stories of the prophets) and Christians read it in the Book of Samuel in the Old Testament.
Jewish and Christian people believe that God instructed Samuel to choose David as the next king, because of what David was like on the inside. Christians and Jews believe that God does not judge what is on the outside, only a person's character, and when Samuel meets David God says 'This is the one I have chosen to be king!'
This story can help us to reflect on the value of self-respect, of being who we are, and why we needn't change who we are simply to fit in with others who are different.
Duration: 3' 55"
Final words: 'See you again soon. Bye! / Bye!'
Video questions
- What was David’s job? (Shepherd)
- What did David feel about this job? Why? (He liked being a shepherd - he had a talent for it)
- What else was David good at? (Writing songs and poetry)
- Who was Samuel? Why did he visit? (He had been sent by God to find the next king)
- Why did Samuel ask Jesse if he had any more children? (Because God had said 'no' to all the other sons)
- What did God say to Samuel when David arrived? ('This is the one I have chosen to be king!')
Teacher Notes
Ask children to reflect on what they have learnt about the value of self-respect from the story by asking these questions:
- Why was David a good choice to be king?
- What had he done that meant he was chosen?
- What made him a brave and wise leader?
We are told in the story that David wrote a song with the words 'I know I am wonderfully made, thank you for making me.' Jewish and Christian people might recognise that this is part of a Psalm from the Hebrew Bible, a song or poem to God that David wrote. David had self-respect, was confident of how hard he tried and was proud of what he achieved. He was not a soldier like his brothers, but that did not stop him being the person he was meant to be.
Help the children to celebrate all that they are proud of and thankful for about themselves. Invite them to find words that describe the things about themselves they would like to celebrate. If appropriate for the age group they could write their own song or poem, or create their own artwork called or starting with the line 'I know I am wonderfully made, thank you for making me.' Children might like to describe or depict their talents, their qualities, their achievements - anything they are proud of or thankful for.
We heard in the story that God told Samuel to think about what David and his brothers were like on the inside, not the outside. The children will need to think about what they are like 'on the inside' as they learn from and respond to the story.
Curriculum Notes
This short film will be relevant for teaching KS1 Religious Education in England and Northern Ireland, the Curriculum for Wales (particularly RVE as part of Humanities), and Early and 1st Level Religious and Moral Education in Scotland.
Further resources
