In search of God’s wisdom
key words
biblical reference
1 Kings 3:4-28, 4:29-34
lesson objective
To help children discover that wisdom only comes from God
memory verse
“It is the Lord your God you must follow, and him you must revere. Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him” (Deuteronomy 13:4, NIV*).
prepare yourself to teach
Solomon and his leaders went to Gibeon to offer sacrifices to the Lord. (This proclaimed his dependence on God and his devotion to him.) Solomon had already offered a thousand sacrifices to God in that place. In this way, he showed his great gratitude for all the blessings he had received.
It was in that same place that God gave him the opportunity to obtain what he desired most in the world. Solomon thought about how he would lead his people, so he asked God for a heart to guide him well and make the right decisions. God was very pleased that he asked for this and promised to give him wisdom, riches, glory and a long life ... if he listened.
The incident with the two women who claimed to be the mother of the baby who was alive gives us an example of the wisdom that Solomon possessed. God gave him a special knowledge of human nature that helped him solve this difficult problem.
Solomon was a young man of about twenty years of age when he became king of Israel. He acknowledged that he did not have the maturity or experience to make the right decisions. When God offered to give him what he asked, he only asked for wisdom to govern the people.
We can also ask God for this same wisdom (James 1: 5), which is available if we ask for it in prayer and with the right motive. Like Solomon, we must put it into action and apply it in all areas of our lives.
Notice that Solomon asked for wisdom to carry out his work, and did not expect God to do it for him. We must ask the Lord for his wisdom to know what to do, and to have the courage to continue with it. We have to be brave enough to do what God wants to do through us.
Perhaps your children will not find themselves leading at a national or international level, but there will be times in their lives in which they will face situations that will require them to make very important decisions. Be sure to awaken in them the earnest longing to receive this same wisdom.
introduce the lesson
What I want most in the world
Ask the group to look for this activity on Student Activity Sheet #298-A as you start reading:
“Professor Amanda had completed a research project, and arranged each of her notes in order. It began with the most popular answers, then the least likely ones. But her dog knocked them out of her hands and they were all mixed up. Do you want to help the teacher get them back in order? They can do it in the following way: number them from 1 to 11, with 1 being the most popular choice given by most people, then the less popular ones, and so on until all of them are completed.”
Encourage your children to read to each other their answers from the two lists.
teach the lesson
A wise choice
To enhance this lesson, you can use the following: a baby doll, a king’s crown, and some clothing resembling that worn by soldiers.
Prior to the session ask five children to participate in this lesson, assigning them the characters: narrator, Solomon, soldier, 1st woman and 2nd woman.
Narrator: Solomon, the son of David, became king of Israel at the age of twenty. One night God appeared to him in a dream and said to him, “Ask me what you want me to give you.”
Solomon: Since I am very young and do not know how to solve problems, grant your servant an understanding heart, to judge your people and to discern between good and bad.
Narrator: People soon realized how much wisdom Solomon had. Many came to him to solve their problems.
Soldier: Salute King Solomon! Hail, O King Solomon, the wisest man in all the earth!
Solomon: Who came to see me today?
Soldier: Two women, my lord.
Solomon: Let them come!
First woman: Ah, my Lord! This woman and I live in the same house, and I gave birth while I was with her in the house. It happened that on the third day of giving birth, she gave birth to her son too. One night, this woman’s son died because she laid on him. She got up at midnight and took my son from my side while I was sleeping. She put him next to her and placed her dead son beside me.
Second woman: No! That is not true. My son is the one who lives and her son is the one who has died!
First woman: No, your son is the dead one and my son lives!
Solomon: Soldier, bring me a sword.
Narrator: Suddenly, there was great silence. How would King Solomon decide the truth?
Solomon: Cut the living child in two, and give half to one, and half to the other.
First woman: No, my Lord! Give the living child to her and do not kill him.
Second woman: Neither you nor I will have it, cut it in half!
Solomon: Deliver the living child to the first woman, and do not kill him; she is his mother.
Narrator: All Israel heard the judgment that the king had pronounced, and they revered him, because they saw that God had given him wisdom to judge. (From 1 Kings 3.)
connect the lesson
A wise decision
Distribute Student Activity Sheet #298-B and #298-C to help the group review the lesson.
Where does WISDOM come from?
Distribute Student Activity Sheet #298-D. Help the group look at the drawing of this activity for the Bible verses from the book of Proverbs that are hidden among all that is seen there. Talk about each verse as you find it:
• 2:6: “For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.” (It is on the book on the upper part of the bookshelf.)
• 9:10: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” (It is on the book that is on the floor, next to the box.)
• 10:23: “A fool finds pleasure in wicked schemes, but a person of understanding delights in wisdom.” (It is on the desk drawer, between the leaves of the plant.)
• 15:33: “Wisdom’s instruction is to fear the Lord, and humility comes before honor.” (It is on the clock that is on the wall.)
Ask the children, “If true wisdom comes from God, how can we be wise?” (God gives us many resources. We can get it from the Bible, through prayer, church leaders, our parents and also learning from our mistakes.)
Ask, “What would you ask of God?” “Why did Solomon ask for wisdom?” (Discuss the difference between the two lists of activity 1.)
Encourage them to ask God for wisdom to make wise choices this week, and to be prepared to share their experiences in the next session.
Pray for the needs expressed by your children. Ask God to give wisdom to your children so they can make the right decisions.
practice the memory verse
Write the full text on the board, and after repeating it a few times, erase some key words.
As you progress through repetition and learning, erase the other words until the whole group learns it.
wrap-up
Pray
Help the group thank God for his love for them and help them tell God about their problems.
Encourage
Thank your students for their attendance and ask them not to forget what they learned. Assure them that God can give them wisdom to meet their challenges.
Invite
At the end of the session announce something about the next lesson to increase the group’s interest. Remind them to welcome visitors.
* Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™