This lesson teaches children that King Solomon wanted to build a special house for God, and that God gave him the wisdom and peace to do it. Children ages 5 to 11 can learn it in about 20 to 30 minutes, using the story, a memory action, and a simple craft.
Big Idea
God helps us build good things for Him when we ask Him for help and work hard together with the people around us.
Memory Verse
1 Kings 5:12
The LORD gave Solomon wisdom, as he promised him. There was peace between Hiram and Solomon, and the two of them made a treaty together.
(WEB)
Teach the children to cup both hands together in front of their chest, then slowly lift them up over their heads like a roof going up. Say the words of the verse along with the motion each time, so the children connect God’s wisdom with building something strong.
The Story: 1 Kings 5 for Kids
A long time ago, there was a king named Solomon. His father, King David, had wanted to build a beautiful house for God, but he was busy fighting many enemies. God told David that his son Solomon would be the one to build it. Now Solomon was king, and God had given him peace all around his kingdom.
Solomon sent a message to his friend, King Hiram, who ruled a land called Tyre. Hiram had always been kind to King David. Solomon asked Hiram to send him tall cedar trees from the mountains of Lebanon, because nobody built with wood like Hiram’s people did. Solomon said he would pay them with food and oil in return.
When Hiram heard Solomon’s words, he was so happy that he said, “Blessed is the LORD today, who has given David a wise son to rule this great people!” Hiram agreed to send the cedar and cypress wood. His servants floated the logs down the sea on big rafts to the place Solomon chose.
Solomon also gathered thousands of workers from all over Israel. Some cut trees in the mountains, and some carried heavy loads. Others cut huge, strong stones to lay the foundation. Solomon’s builders and Hiram’s builders worked side by side, shaping the wood and the stones for the house of the LORD.
Every person had a job, and every job mattered. The stones were cut carefully so they would fit together just right. The workers did not rush, and they did not quit. They trusted that God was guiding their hands as they built.
Read It Together
1 Kings 5:3-5
3 “You know that David my father could not build a house for the name of the LORD his God because of the wars which were around him on every side, until the LORD put his enemies under the soles of his feet. 4 But now the LORD my God has given me rest on every side. There is no enemy and no evil occurrence. 5 Behold, I intend to build a house for the name of the LORD my God, as the LORD spoke to David my father, saying, ‘Your son, whom I will set on your throne in your place shall build the house for my name.’
(WEB)
Point out that Solomon remembered what God had promised his father David. Ask the children to notice that Solomon said God had given him rest on every side. Explain that Solomon wanted to honor God first, before anything else.
1 Kings 5:9-10
9 My servants will bring them down from Lebanon to the sea. I will make them into rafts to go by sea to the place that you specify to me, and will cause them to be broken up there, and you will receive them. You will accomplish my desire, in giving food for my household.” 10 So Hiram gave Solomon cedar timber and cypress timber according to all his desire.
(WEB)
Show the children how Hiram and Solomon worked together, sharing what each had. Point out that the wood was delivered exactly as Solomon asked. Explain that friends can help each other build good things when they cooperate and keep their promises.
1 Kings 5:17-18
17 The king commanded, and they cut out large stones, costly stones, to lay the foundation of the house with worked stone. 18 Solomon’s builders and Hiram’s builders and the Gebalites cut them, and prepared the timber and the stones to build the house.
(WEB)
Point to the large, costly stones and the many builders who prepared them. Explain that everyone had a part in the project, from those who cut stone to those who carried timber. Remind the children that God values every helper’s work, big or small.
Talk About It
- What do you think Solomon was feeling when he wanted to build a house for God?
- How do you think Hiram felt when he heard Solomon’s kind words, and why?
- What is one thing you can build or help with this week to show God you love Him?
- Why did every worker in the story matter, even the ones who cut small pieces of wood?
- How can you ask God for wisdom when you are working on something hard?
Activity Ideas
Stone Mosaic Craft
You will need construction paper, glue sticks, and small pieces of torn paper or dried beans. Ask each child to draw a large simple house shape on a sheet of paper, then glue the small pieces inside it like stones being laid one at a time. Talk about how each piece is important, just like the workers who cut stones for God’s house. Children can take their finished house home to remind them of the story.
Team Building Game
Set out a pile of building blocks or empty boxes on one side of the room, and a clear spot on the other side. Divide the children into two teams and have them carry the blocks across the room, one at a time, working together. Afterward, ask them how teamwork helped them finish the job, just like Solomon’s and Hiram’s workers.
Take-Home Prayer Card
Give each child an index card and a crayon. Have them draw one thing they would like to build for God, such as a kind act or a helpful habit. On the back, write a short sentence asking God for wisdom. Encourage families to keep the card on the kitchen table as a daily reminder to pray together.
Teacher Notes
For adults, this chapter shows that God’s blessing often comes through careful planning, honest partnership, and wise stewardship of resources. Solomon credited God with the peace and wisdom that made the project possible, and that humble dependence is the heart of the passage.
With children, avoid suggesting that God only blesses people who build impressive things or that faithfulness is measured by visible results. Keep the focus on trusting God and working with others, rather than on size or money.
A Prayer to Close
Dear God, thank You for giving us wisdom and helpers when we need them. Help us to build good things for You with our hands and our hearts. Teach us to work together and to trust You every day. Amen.
