Teacher Bible Study Lesson Overview

4th-6th Grade Kids Bible Study Guide Unit 12, Session 3: Solomon’s Sin Divided the Kingdom

TEACHER BIBLE STUDY King Solomon loved God. He received wisdom from the Lord and was dedicated to building His temple. But early on, we see hints that Solomon’s heart was not completely devoted to God. He married foreign wives who turned Solomon’s heart away from God. (1 Kings 11:4)

Solomon abandoned what he had believed. Israel had a history of turning away from God, and Solomon was no exception.

God was angry with Solomon. He had warned him twice not to turn to false gods. God planned to punish Solomon’s sin by taking the kingdom away from his family. God was going to take the kingdom from Solomon’s son Rehoboam—every tribe except for one. God graciously left one tribe for Rehoboam, keeping the promise He made to David. (See 2 Samuel 7:16.)

God raised up enemies against Solomon. God set apart one of Solomon’s servants, Jeroboam, to become leader over 10 tribes of Israel. When Solomon died, all of Israel gathered to make Rehoboam their new king. They asked Rehoboam to lighten the burden of service Solomon had given them, but Rehoboam refused. In fact, he promised to make their work even harder.

Israel rebelled against Rehoboam and made Jeroboam king. Only the tribe of Judah stayed with Rehoboam. So the kingdom was divided into two kingdoms—the Northern Kingdom was called Israel and was ruled by Jeroboam; the Southern Kingdom was called Judah and was ruled by Rehoboam.

Every king failed to lead God’s people perfectly. God had a plan to send them a better king, a perfect king. God would use the house of David—the single tribe He reserved for Rehoboam—to bring into the world His Son, Jesus, to become King over all of God’s people forever and lead them back to God.

LESSON OVERVIEW/SCHEDULE Session Title: Solomon’s Sin Divided the Kingdom Bible Passage: 1 Kings 11–12 Big Picture Question: How did God punish King Solomon’s sin? God divided Israel into two kingdoms. Key Passage: 1 Kings 8:61 Unit Christ Connection: Solomon’s grand earthly reign is a picture of the eternal reign of Christ. Solomon’s sin divided his kingdom, but Christ’s perfect Kingdom is forever.

Transition Time Welcome time Activity Sheet/Table Centers Session starter (10 minutes)

4th-6th Grade Kids Bible Study Guide Unit 12, Session 3: Solomon’s Sin Divided the Kingdom

Lesson Countdown Introduce the session (3 minutes) Sing (5 minutes) Timeline map (1 minute) Big picture question (1 minute) Discussion starter video (3 minutes) Tell the Bible Story (10 minutes) The Gospel: God’s Plan for Me (optional) Key passage (5 minutes) Prayer (2 minutes)

Table Time Bible story review & Bible skills (10 minutes) Key passage activity (5 minutes) Activity choice (10 minutes) Prayer (5 minutes)

THE BIBLE STORY/OVERVIEW

Solomon’s Sin Divided the Kingdom 1 Kings 11–12

King Solomon loved God, but Solomon did not love God with his whole heart. Some of the things he did were not what God wanted him to do. For example, God warned His people, the Israelites, to not marry people from other nations. They worshiped false gods, and God knew they would lead the Israelites away from Him, the one true God. Solomon had hundreds of wives. Many of them were from other nations. Solomon’s wives turned him away from God. Solomon was not faithful to God like his father David. He began to worship the false gods that his wives worshiped. Solomon even built shrines where his wives could worship the false gods. This made God angry. God had spoken to Solomon and warned him about false gods, but Solomon did not listen. God said to Solomon, “Since you have done this, I will take the kingdom away from you. You will be king the rest of your life, but when your son becomes king, he will lose everything except for one tribe.” Jeroboam (JER uh BOH uhm) was an official for Solomon, and God intended to make him king of most of Israel. God raised up enemies against Solomon. Solomon’s servant, Jeroboam, turned against him and became his enemy.

4th-6th Grade Kids Bible Study Guide Unit 12, Session 3: Solomon’s Sin Divided the Kingdom

When Solomon died, his son Rehoboam (REE huh BOH uhm) became king. The people told Rehoboam, “Your father Solomon made us work too hard. We will gladly serve you if you make our work easier.” Rehoboam thought about it and asked his friends for advice. Then he replied, “My father Solomon didn’t make you work hard enough! I’ll make you work even harder!” This was not the response God’s people were hoping for. The people from the northern tribes of Jerusalem went home. They didn’t want to serve a king like Rehoboam, so they made Jeroboam king. Only one tribe remained under Rehoboam’s rule, and that was the southern tribe of Judah. Rehoboam didn’t like being king of only one tribe. He planned to attack the Northern Kingdom of Israel, but God sent a prophet to stop him. The prophet had a message from God. “Don’t fight them; the people of Israel are part of your family. I am the LORD, and I am in control of what is happening.” So Rehoboam went home. Jeroboam was now king of Israel. Typically, the people of Israel would travel to Jerusalem to worship God at the temple, but Jeroboam was worried if they kept going to Jerusalem, they would start thinking of Rehoboam as their leader again. So Jeroboam came up with a plan. He made two golden calves and made an announcement to the northern tribes. “It is very inconvenient for you to travel all the way to Jerusalem to worship at the temple,” he said. “Look! These golden calves are the gods who brought your ancestors out of Egypt. You can worship them.” What Jeroboam did was a sin! Those calves did not lead God’s people out of Egypt; God led His people out of Egypt. Jeroboam also built forbidden shrines and celebrated made-up festivals so Israel would seem like a better place to live than Judah. Jeroboam led all the people in worship to the false gods.

Christ Connection: King Solomon’s sin led to the division of Israel. Every king failed to lead God’s people perfectly. God’s people needed a better king, a perfect king! Through David’s family, God would send His own Son, Jesus Christ, to be King over God’s people forever. Jesus would lead the people perfectly back to God.

4th-6th Grade Kids Bible Study Guide Unit 12, Session 3: Solomon’s Sin Divided the Kingdom

TRANSITION TIME Session Title: Solomon’s Sin Divided the Kingdom Bible Passage: 1 Kings 11–12 Big Picture Question: How did God punish King Solomon’s sin? God divided Israel into two kingdoms. Key Passage: 1 Kings 8:61 Unit Christ Connection: Solomon’s grand earthly reign is a picture of the eternal reign of Christ. Solomon’s sin divided his kingdom, but Christ’s perfect Kingdom is forever.

Welcome time Greet each kid as he or she arrives. Use this time to collect the offering, fill out attendance sheets, and help new kids connect to your group.

Activity page Table Centers (Miscellaneous Activities) “Two Kingdoms Division” / “Timeline Review” activity page, 1 per kid Bibles pencils markers Help kids complete the division problems to decode two names important to today’s Bible story. Say • The twelve tribes of Israel were a united group until today’s Bible story. The nation of Israel became the Kingdom of Judah and the Kingdom of Israel. Listen closely to discover which tribes were in which kingdom.

As time allows, guide kids to review the chronology of God’s plan by completing the activity page “Timeline Review.” Kids may want to partner together and race another team to see who can complete the activity first.

Session starter (10 minutes) Option 1: Straight Line Challenge paper with dots marked on it, 1per kid markers A piece of paper with two dots printed close together has been provided for each child in your class. Allow each kid to draw a line between the two dots. Farther down on the paper are a set of dots that are far apart. Allow kids to draw lines between these dots. Say • Which lines are straighter? The dots that were closer together, right? Why was it easier to draw a straighter line between the two close dots? They weren’t so far apart.

4th-6th Grade Kids Bible Study Guide Unit 12, Session 3: Solomon’s Sin Divided the Kingdom

It’s a lot like that when we follow God. The closer we are to Him, the more we know Him. In today’s Bible story, someone becomes farther and farther away from God. Listen closely to discover what interfered.

Option 2: Focus Card Trick key passage poster index cards (in activity bins) small hole punch or push pin (located in your “Teacher Supply” drawer in your classroom) masking tape Post the key passage poster on the wall. Challenge kids to poke a hole in the middle of their index cards. Ask kids to stand behind a tape line on the floor and look through their index card holes at the key passage poster. Now ask kids to stand at the line and look at the key passage poster without their index cards. Discuss the difference. Allow kids to write the key passage on their index cards. Say • Was it easier to focus on the poster with or without the card? What made it more challenging without the card? You could see a lot of other things. There were more things that would distract you. It can be easy to be distracted and lose our focus on worshiping God. Today we will hear about someone who lost his focus on the one true God. This person became distracted and began to focus on things other than God.

Transition to large group

LESSON Session Title: Solomon’s Sin Divided the Kingdom Bible Passage: 1 Kings 11–12 Big Picture Question: How did God punish King Solomon’s sin? God divided Israel into two kingdoms. Key Passage: 1 Kings 8:61 Unit Christ Connection: Solomon’s grand earthly reign is a picture of the eternal reign of Christ. Solomon’s sin divided his kingdom, but Christ’s perfect Kingdom is forever.

Countdown countdown video (insert provided DVD with lesson videos and worship) Show the countdown video as you clean-up table centers, set up classroom chairs for lesson and set it to end as large group time begins.

4th-6th Grade Kids Bible Study Guide Unit 12, Session 3: Solomon’s Sin Divided the Kingdom

Introduce the session (3 minutes) book [Large Group Leader enters totally immersed in a book. Sit down and turn a page or two before you acknowledge the kids.] Leader • Hello. Sorry, have you been sitting there long? I didn’t mean to ignore you. I was so interested in this book. The story is so intriguing. Has anyone been to a library other than this library this past week? Did you find some books to check out and read? Do you know why I like to read? I love to go on an adventure. If I read a book about another country, I get to learn about that country. I can imagine tasting the food and visiting the different places. When I read a book about basketball, I can imagine being on the court, dribbling the ball, jumping in the air, and dunking the ball! When I read the Bible, I can imagine standing there next to Moses while the Israelites built the tabernacle. I imagine what it must have been like for Ruth to be in a new country, trying to gather enough grain to take care of her mother-in-law. I can imagine standing with the women at the tomb hearing the news that Jesus is alive! I am so grateful that God loves me and sent Jesus to rescue me from my sin.

Sing (5 minutes) Worship Song: “Me Without You” (on provided DVD) Leader • Let’s start our time together by singing our theme song “Me Without You.” Lead boys and girls to sing the theme song. Leader • What is your favorite part of our song? Select a few kids to answer.

Timeline map (1 minute) Timeline Map – small group visual pack (Additional copies provided for Table Time Review) Point out the last few Bible stories as you review. Leader • Now we should check our timeline map to see what our Bible story is today. Someone tell me what Bible story we heard two weeks ago. Right! What Bible story did we study last week? Yes! According to our timeline, today’s Bible story is about Solomon and his sin. Oh no! Another leader of Israel sinned.

Big picture question (1 minute) 11x17 poster provided Leader • That leads me to our big picture question. Today our question is, How did God punish King Solomon’s sin? It is so sad that our world is broken by sin. It’s also sad that even though God tells us to be holy and how we can be holy by obeying His Word, we never are holy. We sin. Before we find the answer to our big picture question in our Bible story, I have another question for you.

4th-6th Grade Kids Bible Study Guide Unit 12, Session 3: Solomon’s Sin Divided the Kingdom

Discussion Starter Video (3 minutes) Unit 12, Session 3 discussion starter video (on provided DVD) Leader • Would you rather have all of something good or just half of it? Think about your answer while you watch this video. Show the “Unit 12 Session 3” discussion starter video. Leader • So would you rather have all of something good or just half of it? Why do you think the cupcakes were dividing things up? Do you think sin might be involved? What would you do if you were in that situation? Allow kids to respond to each question. Leader • In today’s Bible story, Solomon’s actions resulted in something being divided. Listen closely to discover what happened to Solomon and the Israelites.

Tell the Bible Story (10 minutes) “Solomon’s Sin Divided the Kingdom” video Bibles, 1 per kid Bible Story Picture – 11x17 poster provided Big Picture Question: “How did God punish King Solomon’s sin?” – 11x17 poster provided

Open your Bible to 1 Kings 11 and tell the Bible story in your own words, or show the Bible story video “Solomon’s Sin Divided the Kingdom.” Leader • Did you discover the answer to our big picture question? Our big picture question is, How did God punish King Solomon’s sin? The answer is, God divided Israel into two kingdoms. Read the question and answer with me. How did God punish King Solomon’s sin? God divided Israel into two kingdoms. The two kingdoms were named Israel and Judah. Israel is called the Northern Kingdom because the tribes in the northern part of the land made up that kingdom. The tribe of Judah was located in the southern part of the kingdom, so it is called the Southern Kingdom. Rehoboam, Solomon’s son, became the king of the Southern Kingdom, or Judah. Jeroboam, one of Solomon’s officials, became the king of the Northern Kingdom, or Israel. Did Rehoboam and Jeroboam worship and follow God? Well, Jeroboam built false idols for the people to worship instead of guiding the people to worship God. The Bible tells us later in the Book of 1 Kings that while Rehoboam was king, the Israelites worshiped false idols. So Rehoboam wasn’t a good leader either. God’s people needed a leader who would lead them perfectly. A leader who would lead them to worship and follow God always. They needed a leader to lead them back to God. Who did God send to lead His people perfectly? Stand up and whisper the answer when I raise both of my hands. Raise your hands straight up in the air. Leader • Sit down and tell the person on your left the answer when I raise both of my hands. Raise your hands straight up in the air.

4th-6th Grade Kids Bible Study Guide Unit 12, Session 3: Solomon’s Sin Divided the Kingdom

Leader • You are right! God sent Jesus to lead His people perfectly. Jesus is the only one who has never sinned. He is perfect and leads God’s people perfectly.

The Gospel: God’s Plan for Me (optional) Bible Tip: Anytime you share how to become a Christian in a large group environment, try to have teachers available to meet one- on-one with kids. Make sure kids know who they can talk to and when they can talk.

Leader • All the other leaders of God’s people have sinned. Moses struck the rock instead of speaking to it. King Saul kept some of the animals after a battle when he wasn’t supposed to. David had someone killed to try to hide his sin. And today we learned that Solomon sinned by worshiping false gods. The truth is that we all sin. We all need Jesus to redeem us from sin. Thankfully, God loves us and forgives us when we ask Him. Review the gospel plan provided to help kids understand how they can become a Christian. Guide kids to read some of the Scriptures in their own Bibles.

Key passage (5 minutes) Key Passage Poster: 1 Kings 8:61 (11x17 poster, provided) Worship Song: “Devoted to the Lord our God” (on provided DVD) Leader • Unfortunately, Solomon did not obey his own instructions to the Israelites. Do I have a volunteer who would like to say the key passage for us? Invite one or two kids to say the key passage. Leader • Great job! Keep practicing the key passage and you will be able to say it too. Read the key passage with me. Lead boys and girls to read the key passage and sing the key passage song “Devoted to the Lord our God.”

Prayer (2 minutes) Leader • Great singing! I really like it when I can gather with friends at church and praise God through singing a song. Review our big picture question and answer with me one more time. How did God punish King Solomon’s sin? God divided Israel into two kingdoms. After we close in prayer, watch your small group leader for the signal to go to your small group. Do I have a volunteer who would like to pray for us? Select one or two kids to close the group time in prayer.

Dismiss to small groups for Table Time

4th-6th Grade Kids Bible Study Guide Unit 12, Session 3: Solomon’s Sin Divided the Kingdom

The Gospel: God’s Plan for Me Ask kids if they have ever heard the word gospel. Clarify that the word gospel means “good news.” It is the message about Christ, the kingdom of God, and salvation. Use the following guide to share the gospel with kids. God rules. Explain to kids that the Bible tells us God created everything, and He is in charge of everything. Invite a volunteer to read Genesis 1:1 from the Bible. Read Revelation 4:11 or Colossians 1:16-17 aloud and explain what these verses mean. We sinned. Tell kids that since the time of Adam and Eve, everyone has chosen to disobey God. (Romans 3:23) The Bible calls this sin. Because God is holy, God cannot be around sin. Sin separates us from God and deserves God’s punishment of death. (Romans 6:23) God provided. Choose a child to read John 3:16 aloud. Say that God sent His Son, Jesus, the perfect solution to our sin problem, to rescue us from the punishment we deserve. It’s something we, as sinners, could never earn on our own. Jesus alone saves us. Read and explain Ephesians 2:8-9. Jesus gives. Share with kids that Jesus lived a perfect life, died on the cross for our sins, and rose again. Because Jesus gave up His life for us, we can be welcomed into God’s family for eternity. This is the best gift ever! Read Romans 5:8; 2 Corinthians 5:21; or 1 Peter 3:18. We respond. Tell kids that they can respond to Jesus. Read Romans 10:9-10,13. Review these aspects of our response: Believe in your heart that Jesus alone saves you through what He’s already done on the cross. Repent, turning from self and sin to Jesus. Tell God and others that your faith is in Jesus. Offer to talk with any child who is interested in responding to Jesus.

TABLE TIME LEADER Session Title: Solomon’s Sin Divided the Kingdom Bible Passage: 1 Kings 11–12 Big Picture Question: How did God punish King Solomon’s sin? God divided Israel into two kingdoms. Key Passage: 1 Kings 8:61 Unit Christ Connection: Solomon’s grand earthly reign is a picture of the eternal reign of Christ. Solomon’s sin divided his kingdom, but Christ’s perfect Kingdom is forever.

Bible story review & Bible skills (10 minutes) Bibles, 1 per kid Timeline – small group visual pack Dominoes Line up the dominoes. Ask kids to consider the effect a person’s sin has on other people around them. Lead kids to open their Bibles to 1 Kings 11:4,9-13. Review Solomon’s sin and the consequences.

4th-6th Grade Kids Bible Study Guide Unit 12, Session 3: Solomon’s Sin Divided the Kingdom

Say • What was Solomon’s sin? (worshiping false idols) Solomon’s sin affected those around him. What happens if I push the domino over? Watch and see. The one domino knocked over all the others. It was a chain reaction. One sin by a leader like Solomon can be devastating. Solomon’s son and the Israelites suffered the consequences of Solomon’s sin. How did God punish King Solomon’s sin? God divided Israel into two kingdoms. Review the kings of Israel using the timeline in the small group visual pack. Note that each king sinned. Say • Who would lead God’s people perfectly? (Through David’s family, God would send His own Son, Jesus Christ, to be King over God’s people forever. Jesus would lead the people perfectly back to God.) If you choose to review with boys and girls how to become a Christian, explain that kids are welcome to speak with you or another teacher if they have questions. God rules. God created and is in charge of everything. (Genesis 1:1; Revelation 4:11; Colossians 1:16-17) We sinned. Since Adam and Eve, everyone has chosen to disobey God. (Romans 3:23; 6:23) God provided. God sent His Son, Jesus, to rescue us from the punishment we deserve. (John 3:16; Ephesians 2:8-9) Jesus gives. Jesus lived a perfect life, died on the cross for our sins, and rose again so we can be welcomed into God’s family. (Romans 5:8; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 3:18) We respond. Believe that Jesus alone saves you. Repent. Tell God that your faith is in Jesus. (Romans 10:9-10,13)

Key passage activity (5 minutes) “Divided Groups Come Together” Instructions Key Passage Poster: 1 Kings 8:61 (provided) Form two teams. Assign one team all of the odd-numbered words in the key passage (the first word, the third word, the fifth word, and so forth). Assign the second team all of the even words. Instruct the first team to say all of its words. Ask the second team to say all of its words. Combine the groups and lead everyone to say the entire key passage. Say • Solomon’s sin divided the nation of Israel. Which way was better—when you were divided in groups saying your one part, or when you were grouped together saying the entire passage? Which way was the way God intended it to be read? Next week is our last week to say this key passage. Practice it at home if you want to say it next time.

Activity choice (10 minutes) Option 1: “Don’t Say It!” game “Don’t Say Cards” Guide kids to form pairs or teams. The goal of the game is to give clues to your teammates so they can guess the key word, but you may not say any of the words listed on the card.

4th-6th Grade Kids Bible Study Guide Unit 12, Session 3: Solomon’s Sin Divided the Kingdom

Say • In our game you had some words that you were not allowed to say or you lost the point. What did God warn Solomon not to do? God warned Solomon not to worship anything or anyone except for God. Did Solomon obey God? What did Solomon do? How did God punish King Solomon’s sin? God divided Israel into two kingdoms. Solomon’s sin had serious consequences for him and for all of the Israelites.

Option 2: Don’t Lose Your Points! paper pens Option: Kids may wish to play in pairs

Each player starts with 4,800 points. To answer a question, a player will write his answer down on a piece of paper. When asked, each player will reveal his answer by holding up the paper for the leader to see. For each question missed, the player’s points are divided in half (from 4,800 to 2,400 to 1,200). The goal is to keep as many of the points as possible. Round up partial points (37.5 to 38). Did Solomon have hundreds of wives or thousands of wives? (hundreds, 1 Kings 11:3) Whom did many of Solomon’s wives worship? (false gods; 1 Kings 11:4,8) What did Solomon build for his wives? (places for worshiping their false gods, 1 Kings 11:5-8) What did God say would happen when Solomon’s son became king? (He would lose everything except for one tribe, 1 Kings 11:12-13) Whom did God pick to be the king of most of Israel? (Jeroboam, 1 Kings 11:31-32) What son of Solomon became king? (Rehoboam, 1 Kings 11:43) What did the people ask Rehoboam to do? (make their work easier, 1 Kings 12:4) What was Rehoboam’s response? (I will make you work harder, 1 Kings 12:14) What did Jeroboam build to stop the people from worshiping God at the temple in Jerusalem? (two golden calves, 1 Kings 12:28) How did God punish King Solomon’s sin? God divided Israel into two kingdoms. Say • Solomon’s sin had serious consequences for him and for all of the Israelites. Through David’s family, God would send His own Son, Jesus Christ, to be King over God’s people forever. Jesus would lead the people perfectly back to God.

Prayer (5 minutes) Say • The Bible tells us that we all sin. Think about this past week. Did you do anything that was a sin? Invite kids to share any prayer requests with the group. Close in prayer.

Clean-Up Room

Instructions: Complete each division problem to find the number you need to decode the two names of the two kingdoms formed because of Solomon’s sin. Mark on the map which tribes you think will join each kindgom. Listen closely in the Bible story to discover the answer.

LifeWay 8÷4 100÷10 27÷9 4÷4 49÷7

18÷2 16÷2 24÷4 17÷17 25÷5 32÷8

A = 1 E = 5 I = 9 L = 4 S = 8 D = 3 H = 7 J = 2 R = 6 U = 10

UNIT 12 • Session 3 • Older Kids Activity Pages © 2013 LifeWay Christian Resources. A Kingdom in Trouble Instructions: Number the pictures in chronological order. Ask a friend to time you to see how long it takes you.

God Created Jesus’ David and the World and Crucifixion and Jonathan Deborah and Ruth and Boaz People Resurrection Became Friends Barak LifeWay

Moses Was David Was Born and The Conquest The Sons of Eli and Boy Anointed and Called of Jericho Abraham Samuel Fought Goliath

Solomon’s Sin The Bronze Divided the Sin Entered Jesus Was Snake Kingdom the World Job Born

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6/*5r4FTTJPO ¥-JGF8BZ$ISJTUJBO3FTPVSDFT OK TO PRINT Let your heart therefore be wholly true to the LORD our God, walking in his statutes and keeping his commandments, as at this day. 1 Kings 8:61

6/*5r,FZ1BTTBHF1PTUFS &47 ¥-JGF8BZ$ISJTUJBO3FTPVSDFT OK TO PRINT A Kingdom in Trouble