This lesson teaches children that God keeps His promises, and that He asks His people to walk with Him and obey Him. It is written for children ages 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes to teach.
Big Idea
God keeps every promise He makes, and He wants us to keep our hearts close to Him and obey Him, just as Solomon was asked to do.
Memory Verse
1 Kings 9:4
As for you, if you will walk before me, as David your father walked, in integrity of heart, and in uprightness, to do according to all that I have commanded you, and will keep my statutes and my ordinances…
(WEB)
Have children stand up and walk in place slowly while they say the verse together. When they reach the word “walk,” have them take big, steady steps, and when they say “keep,” have them cross their arms over their hearts.
The Story: 1 Kings 9 for Kids
King Solomon had worked for many years to build a special house for God in Jerusalem. He also built a beautiful palace for himself. When all the building was finished, Solomon was very happy and thankful.
God came to visit Solomon a second time. God told Solomon that He had heard his prayers. God said that He had made the Temple holy, and that His name and His eyes would always be there. God loved that house and wanted to be close to His people.
God gave Solomon a choice to make. God said, “If you walk with Me, the way your father David did, and you keep My rules, then I will keep My promise to you. Your family will always have someone on the throne.” Solomon had a big job to do, and God wanted him to remember to stay faithful.
God also gave a warning. God said that if Solomon or his children turned away and served other gods, then the people would be sad and lost. God wanted His people to remember that He had brought them out of Egypt and taken care of them.
Solomon did many other things during his life. He built cities, ships, and storehouses. He also made sure his people had work to do. Solomon gave a special gift to the king of Tyre, and the king sent gold back to Solomon. Solomon used the gold to finish his building projects.
At the end of the chapter, Solomon offered sacrifices to God three times every year. He made sure the Temple was ready for the people to worship in. The Lord had kept His promise, and Solomon was carrying out the work God had given him to do.
Read It Together
1 Kings 9:3
The LORD said to him, “I have heard your prayer and your supplication, that you have made before me. I have made this house holy, which you have built, to put my name there forever; and my eyes and my heart shall be there perpetually.
(WEB)
Point out that God said He had heard Solomon’s prayer. Ask children to think about a time they prayed to God and how God heard them. Remind them that God always listens to His children.
1 Kings 9:5
Then I will establish the throne of your kingdom over Israel forever, as I promised to David your father, saying, ‘There shall not fail from you a man on the throne of Israel.’
(WEB)
Show children that God made a promise to David and to his family. Explain that God keeps His promises, even when it takes a long time. Ask them to name a promise God has kept in their own lives.
1 Kings 9:6-7
6 But if you turn away from following me, you or your children, and not keep my commandments and my statutes which I have set before you, but go and serve other gods, and worship them; 7 then I will cut off Israel out of the land which I have given them; and I will cast this house, which I have made holy for my name, out of my sight; and Israel will be a proverb and a byword among all peoples.
(WEB)
Help children see that God warned His people about turning away from Him. Explain that God’s warnings come from His love, because He wants His people to stay safe and close to Him.
Talk About It
- What did God promise Solomon, and why do you think that promise mattered?
- How can you show God that you want to walk with Him each day?
- What do you think Solomon felt when God came to visit him a second time?
- Why do you think God wanted His name to be on the Temple?
- What is one way you can remember that God always keeps His promises?
Activity Ideas
Draw the Temple
You will need paper, crayons or markers, and tape. Ask each child to draw a simple picture of the Temple in Jerusalem with a big door and tall walls. Have them write the words “God keeps His promises” across the top of the drawing. Tape the pictures to a wall so the children can see the finished Temple together.
Walk With God Relay
You will need a open space, a few paper cups, and a timer. Set the cups in a line at one end of the room. Children take turns walking carefully toward the cups while balancing a small toy on their head, which shows how they can walk steadily with God. Cheer for each child who finishes the walk, and remind them that God helps us stay steady.
Promise Keeper Bookmark
You will need cardstock, markers, and a hole punch with a piece of yarn. Have each child decorate a bookmark with a drawing of a hand holding a heart. Ask them to write “God keeps His promises” on the front. Punch a hole at the top and tie the yarn through it. Children can take the bookmark home to remind them to read God’s Word each day.
Teacher Notes
For adults, this chapter shows that God is faithful to His promises, even when His people struggle. Solomon received great blessings and a clear call to walk with God, and the chapter reminds us that obedience and faithfulness go hand in hand with God’s covenant love. God’s warnings are also an expression of His care for His people.
When teaching children, avoid making it sound as though God’s promises depend on a child being perfect. Make sure children understand that God’s love and faithfulness are steady, and that we respond to Him with trust and obedience, not fear.
A Prayer to Close
Dear God, thank You for keeping every promise You make to us. Help us to walk with You each day and to listen when You speak. Teach us to trust You and to keep our hearts close to You. We love You, and we want to follow You all our lives. Amen.
