Elementary Level, Block 7—Salomon, Kings and Prophets
Week 61
Solomon—Receiving the Charge from His Father
Point to Emphasize: We can be like Solomon to carry out what our parents tell us.
Reading Reference: 1 Kings 2:1-3; 3:3a; 5:5; 2 Samuel 7:12-13
Memory Verse: And Solomon loved Jehovah, walking in the statutes of David his father…
(1 Kings 3:3a)
Story Sample:
We have been talking about King David for the last few weeks, right? Well, David had gotten very old, and the day when he would no longer be king was getting closer. He had been king for 40 years, and now it was time for someone else to be king. Who would be the next king? Does anyone know? Yes, it would be one of David’s sons, Solomon.
David called Solomon to come to him, so that he could give him some instructions. Now, he did not give him instructions on how to be a king like we would think he would. There are many things a king needs to do, but how else could he learn if not by being instructed? Instead of instructing Solomon on what to do, David told him what kind of person he should be. This is much more important than just knowing what to do as king. It takes a very special person to be king. David told Solomon to be strong and to be a man and to keep the commandments of Jehovah. And Solomon did what David told him, because he loved his father very much and also loved God.
Do your parents instruct you to behave a certain way? Maybe they tell you to remember to say “Please” and “Thank you,” to be obedient to your teachers, to be kind to others, and many other things. Do they only tell you what to do, or do they also tell you what kind of person you should be? Do they tell you to be respectful and loving toward others? Of course, because you love mom and dad so much, you try to obey them, right? Our parents love us very much and want us to grow up to be polite, loving, responsible and God-loving people.
There was one other thing that David asked from Solomon, which had to do with carrying out specific instructions. He asked Solomon to build the house that David himself had desired to build for God. David had prepared everything for God’s house according to the instructions he was given by God, and now he charged Solomon to complete the building. This was a big job, but Solomon followed the instructions that David gave him in an exact way and he completed the house. Solomon built God’s house according to the promise of Jehovah that was given to David. Solomon knew that this was what his father wanted as well as what God wanted.
We can all be like Solomon. We can do whatever our parents ask of us, whether it is to behave properly or do what they tell us to do, like emptying the trash or telling our grandpa “thank you.”. When we do what our parents tell us, we are not only honoring and showing our love to them, we are also honoring and loving God. Isn’t that a great way to be?!
[Storyteller, use the remaining time to give a personal example, or have the children give examples of how they carry out their parents’ instructions.]