In this lesson, children learn that when Solomon finished building God’s house, he kept worshiping God in the right way, and that God’s people can put Him first in everything they do. This lesson works for children ages 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes to teach.
Big Idea
God is worth our best work and our best worship. When we honor Him first, He helps us do good things every day, from the big jobs to the small ones.
Memory Verse
2 Chronicles 8:16
Now all the work of Solomon was prepared from the day of the foundation of the LORD’s house until it was finished. So the LORD’s house was completed.
(WEB)
Have children stand up and sweep their arms wide like they are building something big, then tap their hearts with one hand at the word “finished.” Repeat it together three times, getting a little quieter each time.
The Story: 2 Chronicles 8 for Kids
A long time ago, a king named Solomon was in charge of the land of Israel. His father, King David, had wanted to build a special house for God, and now Solomon was the one who finished it. It took twenty years of hard work, and many people helped.
After the house for God was built, Solomon built towns and cities across the land. He gave the people places to live and places to keep their food and their horses. Some of the people who lived there were not from Israel, and Solomon asked them to help with the work.
Solomon also made sure the people of Israel could worship God the right way. Every day, the priests offered sacrifices, and on special days the people celebrated together. The helpers and singers each had a job to do, and they did them carefully. Solomon said that God’s house should always come first.
Solomon even made a new home for his wife, the daughter of Pharaoh. He said that she should not live in the place where God’s special box, called the ark, had been kept, because that place was holy. Even a king has to respect God’s rules.
When everything was finally done, the work on God’s house was complete. Solomon had done what he set out to do, and he trusted the Lord to help him through every part of the job. The people had a beautiful place to worship together.
Read It Together
2 Chronicles 8:1
At the end of twenty years, in which Solomon had built the LORD’s house and his own house…
(WEB)
Point out that it took twenty years to finish the work. Ask children what they think it feels like to keep working on one big project for such a long time, and remind them that patience is a good thing to practice.
2 Chronicles 8:14
He appointed, according to the ordinance of David his father, the divisions of the priests to their service, and the Levites to their offices, to praise and to minister before the priests, as the duty of every day required; the doorkeepers also by their divisions at every gate, for David the man of God had so commanded.
(WEB)
Show children that every priest and helper had a job to do. Explain that God cares about each person’s part, whether it is a big job or a small one, and that everyone can help in worship.
2 Chronicles 8:13
Even as the duty of every day required, offering according to the commandment of Moses, on the Sabbaths, on the new moons, and on the set feasts, three times per year, during the feast of unleavened bread, during the feast of weeks, and during the feast of tents.
(WEB)
Point out that the people worshiped God on Sabbaths, new moons, and feast days. Talk about how regular times to honor God help families keep Him first throughout the week.
Talk About It
- What did Solomon work on for twenty years, and why do you think it was so important to him?
- How do you think the priests and helpers felt when they got to do their jobs in God’s house?
- What is one way you can help at church or at home, even if it seems like a small job?
- Why did Solomon make sure that God’s house was treated with respect?
- When you finish something hard, how can you thank God for helping you?
Activity Ideas
Build a Paper Temple
Gather construction paper, tape, scissors, and crayons. Have each child fold and cut paper to make walls, a roof, and a door for a small temple, then decorate the outside with colors and shapes. Let them place the finished temple on a table and say one thing they are thankful to God for.
Helper Relay Race
Set up two cups of pennies and an empty bowl at one end of the room. Children take turns carrying one penny at a time from the cup to the bowl using a spoon, cheering for each other as they go. Explain that every helper matters, just like every person had a part in building God’s house.
Thank You Jar at Home
Find a clean jar, paper slips, and a pen or marker. Each day for a week, have the family write one thing they finished or did well and put the slip in the jar. At the end of the week, read the notes together and thank God for each one.
Teacher Notes
For adults, this chapter shows that finished work matters to God, and that worship is more than one day or one place. Solomon’s careful attention to the house, the priests, and the daily offerings reminds us that our calling to serve and honor God stretches across ordinary life, not just special occasions. It also reminds us that God’s people are meant to live under God’s ways, even when they hold great authority.
Be careful not to suggest that building projects or hard work earn God’s favor, since the chapter presents the work as an act of faithful obedience and gratitude. Keep the focus on trusting God and loving Him, rather than on the impressive buildings themselves.
A Prayer to Close
Dear Lord, thank You for helping us finish the work You give us. Help us to honor You in our church, our home, and our school. Teach us to be faithful helpers, even in small things, and help us always to put You first. Amen.
