VERSES: 1 Kings 6:1-38; 2 Chronicles 3:1-6:3
MEMORY VERSE: 1 Kings 6:13 "And I will dwell among the children of Israel and will not forsake my people."
BOOK TO REMEMBER: Review all Old Testament Book from Genesis to 2 Chronicles. Sing the song, "The Books of the Old Testament" (see March - Songs We Sing In Bible Class #3 on this blog)
PRAYER: May we have as much determination in us to do God's Will as Solomon did.
SPECIAL SONG: Read, Read Every Day (see February -Songs We Sing In Bible Class #1 on this blog)
VISUAL AID: Cedar chips, a large Activity (see below)
LESSON POINTS:
- 480 years after the children of Israel came out of Egypt, Solomon began to build the temple. It took him 7 years to build it, but it was magnificent and it pleased the LORD. It was 60 feet long, 40 feet wide and 60 feet high. It had a porch and narrow windows. When Solomon's men and Hiram's men were building the temple, they made everything away from where they were building it, so that no one could hear an ax, or hammer, or any tool of iron. There were winding stairs and it had three stories. The walls were made of cedar from Tyre and no one could see the stones beneath the cedar. There were beautiful carvings of gourds and open flowers. A sanctuary in the inner part of the temple for the ark of the covenant was lined with gold; in fact gold covered most everything. 1 Kings 5:22 says that the whole temple was covered with gold, even the floor! It was the most beautiful building ever!
- Inside Solomon's temple. it was very ornate or decorated. Two cherubim were made of olive wood,18 feet high, perfectly matched, then covered with gold. The walls were carved the wood with cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers. There were two wreaths with 400 pomegranates. Pots, shovels, and basins were made of brass. All the vessels for the house of God were made of pure gold. The engravers took their time and, in the end, it was the most beautiful temple!
- What did God say about the temple? He said that if Solomon walked in his statutes, executed his judgments, and kept His commandments and walked in them, then he would establish His word with Solomon, just as He had with David. He would live with the children of Israel and would not forsake His people. The LORD is always pleased with obedience more than all the sacrifices a person could offer or the words that a person promises.
- When everything in the temple was finished and completely done, 2 Chronicles 5:13-14 says that the cloud filled the temple and that it was the glory of God.
- We cannot imagine how beautiful Solomon's Temple was. Solomon had a high standard in building the temple and it showed! He had the best workmen and they did their best work. God always wants our best!
Materials needed: 9" x 12" blue construction paper, 5" x 12" green construction paper, 8" x 10" piece of shiny gold paper (poster board, gift wrapping paper, scrapbook paper, or something you can find around the house to recycle), glue, scissors, marker or crayon.
- Hand out blue paper.
- Hand out green paper.
- Tear top edge off of green paper.
- Glue green paper to bottom of blue paper.
- Cut three graduating gold rectangles.
- Glue gold rectangles to green paper (see picture), one on top of the other. This is the temple.
- Cut a half-circle out of the left over gold paper.
- Glue semi-circle to top of the temple.
- Out of gold scraps, cut a winding staircase.
- Glue staircase to temple.
- Cur narrow rectangles out of scraps of gold.
- Glue windows to temple.
- Cut two larger squares for doors.
- Glue doors to bottom story of temple.
- Write "Solomon's Temple" and "1 Kings 6" at top of blue paper.
- Scattered around blue paper, write "Narrow windows," "3 stories," "covered in gold," "porch," "built in 7 years," "very decorated," "winding staircase."