Children’s Bible Program – Level 2: Lesson 52 “Solomon’s Temple”

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Featured Passage: 1 Kings 5-8

King David had a special desire: He wanted to build God a house. He felt bad that God still dwelt in the Tabernacle as He had with the Israelites in the wilderness while he lived in his own beautiful palace. However, God had other plans in mind for His house. He decided that King David was not the right man for the job, but rather He would let David’s son do the special project. Four years after Solomon began to reign over Israel, he started to build a house for God—the temple in Jerusalem. Solomon spared no expense to get materials of the finest quality with which to construct this marvelous dwelling place for the Most High. Even the stones were carefully shaped to fit perfectly together so that not a single hammer would need to be used when they assembled it. When it was finally completed, seven years later, it certainly must have been something wondrous to behold. The Ark of the Covenant was brought into the Most Holy place, and there awaited one more essential component—the presence of God Himself. 

Discuss: 

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  • What didn’t God want David to build the temple even though it was something he desired? Why did He instead give the job to Solomon? 
  • To whom did Solomon write asking for help in building the temple? 
  • What were some of the key materials Solomon used to build the temple? What were some of the elements that were built or crafted for the temple? 
  • Why do you think Solomon had the stones crafted perfectly before they were brought to the temple mount to be put together? What kind of connections can we make between this and us as a spiritual temple? (Read Ephesians 2:19-22 for some clues)
  • What were some of the colors used in the temple when it was furnished?
  • At the dedication of the temple, what were some of the things included in the ceremony? What happened when the priests brought the ark of the covenant into the Most Holy place? Try to describe what it would have been like to be there. 

Memory Challenge: 

1 Kings 8:30

And may You hear the supplication of Your servant and of Your people Israel, when they pray toward this place. Hear in heaven Your dwelling place; and when You hear, forgive.

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Children’s Bible Program – Level 1: Lesson 52 “David and Mephibosheth”

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Featured Passage: 2 Samuel 9

Jonathan, the son of Saul and David’s closest friend, had a son named Mephibosheth who was only five years old when his father died in a terrible battle. The nurse who was taking care of little Mephibosheth panicked when she heard the news of the battle. She was scared of what might happen, so she picked him up to leave quickly, but in her hurry, she dropped the young boy in such a way that his feet were badly hurt and he was lame for the rest of his life. The years went by, and one day, King David sat thinking about his friend Jonathan and wondered whether anyone in his family was still alive. That was when one of Saul’s old servants told David about the son of Jonathan. David was eager to meet him and to honor the covenant he made with his friend many years before. 

Discuss: 

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  • Why did David want to find out if anyone in Saul’s family was still alive? 
  • Who was the person who told David about Jonathan’s son? 
  • What did Mephibosheth do when he was first brought before King David? What are some ways that we can show respect to people who are in authority? 
  • The Bible tells us that Mephibosheth was lame in both of his feet. What do you think it would be like to be lame in both feet? What kinds of things would you not be able to do if your feet didn’t work properly? 
  • What did David do for Mephibosheth? Why did he show kindness to him?

Memory Challenge: 

2 Samuel 9:7

So David said to him, “Do not fear, for I will surely show you kindness for Jonathan your father’s sake, and will restore to you all the land of Saul your grandfather; and you shall eat bread at my table continually.”

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Second Thoughts: Stronger Than Fear

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Author: Thomas White | Living Church of God, Editorial Staff

“It breaks God’s heart when you sin,” the minister said from the podium.

That’s been popping in and out of my memory since I was about fourteen, and I thought of it during Mr. Hernandez’s stirring assembly describing the distinctly emotional attachment we need to have to the God Family if we’re to be added to it.

At first glance, it seems slightly ridiculous that God wouldn’t be “above” feeling emotional pain from our actions. But then you remember how He reacted to sin while He was human, and breaking His heart seems a lot more plausible: “Now as He drew near, He saw [Jerusalem] and wept over it” (Luke 19:41).

God is unchanging, so our human Big Brother wasn’t any more emotional than He and our Father are now. The emotion becomes almost relatable when you shrink it down to our level: Imagine finding out your son, or daughter, or little sibling, just rammed their car into a tree while driving intoxicated. They’re badly hurt, and it’s entirely their fault. Are you going to fly into a rage? Are you going to shake your head in disappointment?

Or are you going to weep?

Him Above All

King David understood the very real pain God feels when we break His law, acknowledging that “Against you—you above all—I have sinned” (Psalm 51:4, New English Translation). Since He loves us more than any human being ever could, it hurts Him when we step anywhere outside His safety net. When you really love someone, almost nothing hurts more than when they reject your sincere efforts to help them not hurt themselves.

Having awe and reverence for God’s power is crucial, but if the main reason we try to remove ourselves from sin is “I don’t want my life to get difficult,” or even “I don’t want to end up in the lake of fire,” we’re really missing the point, which is that sin hurts others. It almost always hurts the people around us, and even if it happens not to do that, it definitely hurts the One who loves us most.

This can help us understand why we need to bring our thoughts under subjection to Christ, too; when you care about someone deeply, you immediately feel guilty if you think something against them. Why? Not because you’re afraid of their reaction—they have no idea what you thought. It’s because you hate to see that person hurt, and you know how hurt they would be if they knew what just went through your mind. How much more does it hurt God when we think contrary to His law, knowing that He does see those thoughts?

No Fear in Love

As much as it hurts God when we sin, His forgiveness is relentless, and He will always accept a sincere apology from His child. He knows that we aren’t, in this life, going to love Him as much as He loves us—but if we appreciate Him at all, we’ll try. If all we have is a fear of consequences, it won’t be long before the temptation to sin overpowers that. But a love for our Dad and Brother that makes us never, ever want to break Their hearts, will protect us from sin more than any fear could.

“There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears punishment has not been perfected in love” (1 John 4:18, New English Translation).

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Thomas White was one of the onsite Living Education students for the 2018-2019 semesters. He also has a Bachelor’s Degree in English. Thomas currently works as an Editorial Assistant for the Living Church of God. According to his wife, he eats pizza in entirely the wrong way.