King Solomon Did Evil in the Eyes of the Lord 1 King 11
King Solomon was the son of King David. When he was young, he loved God very much. God even offered to give him anything he wanted! Solomon didn’t ask for toys, gold, or a fast horse; he asked for wisdom. God was so pleased that He made Solomon the wisest man who ever lived. He built a beautiful Temple for God, and the whole world came to hear him speak. Everything was perfect—as long as Solomon kept God first.
As Solomon grew older, he started to make small, bad choices. God had a very important rule for the kings of Israel: “Do not marry people from other lands who worship fake gods. If you do, they will turn your heart away from Me.”
Solomon thought he was smart enough to break the rules. He married many princesses from other countries. These wives brought their statues and altars of fake gods into the palace. At first, Solomon probably just watched them pray to their idols. But slowly, like a boat drifting away from the shore, Solomon’s heart moved away from God.
The Divided Heart
Eventually, Solomon did the unthinkable. He started building temples for these fake gods right in the middle of God’s land! The Bible says his heart was divided. He still knew who God was, but he was also trying to please his wives and their fake gods. Read 1 King 11:4
The Sad Consequences
God was very angry with Solomon because Solomon had seen God’s glory and heard His voice, yet he still walked away. God told Solomon, “Since you have done this, I will tear the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your servants.” Read 1 King 11:11
Because God loved Solomon’s father, David, He promised not to take the kingdom away while Solomon was still alive. But He warned that Solomon’s son would only get to keep a tiny piece of the kingdom. The rest of the big, beautiful nation would be split apart.
Trouble on the Horizon
Life in the palace wasn’t peaceful anymore. God allowed “adversaries” (enemies) to rise up against Solomon. One of his own workers, a man named Jeroboam, was told by a prophet that he would one day rule over ten of the twelve tribes of Israel. Read 1 King 11:14
The peace and joy that Solomon had at the beginning of his reign were gone because he had traded God’s blessing for the world’s things.
Lesson Points for Kids
- Finish Well: It’s not just about how we start our walk with Jesus; it’s about staying faithful every single day.
- The “I-First” Trap: When we start doing what we want instead of what God wants, we get into trouble.
- God Wants All of You: God doesn’t want 50% or 90% of your heart. He wants the whole thing!
3-Minute Puppet or Drama Script: “The Tug-of-War Heart”
Characters: * Sam: A happy student.
- Leader: A teacher or older student.
Leader: Hi Sam! I heard you’re learning about King Solomon today.
Sam: Yeah! He was the smartest guy ever. He had a gold palace and a huge Temple. I want to be just like him!
Leader: Well, Solomon started great, but he ended up with a Divided Heart.
Sam: Divided? Did someone cut it in half? (Sam looks worried and checks his chest).
Leader: Not exactly. Think of it like a tug-of-war. On one side, Solomon loved God. But on the other side, he started loving his statues and his own way of doing things.
Sam: So his heart was being pulled in two directions?
Leader: Exactly. And when your heart is pulled in two directions, you eventually snap. You can’t go North and South at the same time!
Sam: Oh, I get it. It’s like trying to play soccer and watch TV at the exact same time. You’ll probably miss the ball and the show!
Leader:Precisely! God wants us to stay focused on Him so we don’t trip.
Activities & Crafts
1. The “Whole Heart” vs. “Broken Heart” Puzzle
- The Activity: Give each child two paper hearts. Have them keep one heart whole and write “100% God” on it. Have them cut the second heart into many pieces and write things like “Toys,” “Video Games,” or “Selfishness” on the pieces.
- The Lesson: Discuss how hard it is to put a broken heart back together, and why it is better to give God our whole heart from the start.
2. The Magnet Experiment
- The Activity: Use a strong magnet (representing God) and a small metal object (representing us). Place a barrier (like a piece of wood or plastic representing “distractions”) between them.
- The Lesson: Show that the further we move away or put things between us and God, the weaker our connection feels.
Closing Prayer
“Dear God, thank You for the story of King Solomon. Help us to learn from his mistakes. Please give us hearts that are 100% devoted to You. We don’t want divided hearts; we want to love You with everything we have. In Jesus name Amen.”