For the past few weeks, we have been learning about the Wise King Solomon. But today, we learned about the fact that having wisdom is not a forcefield to failing. Yes, Solomon was wise, but he made lots of mistakes. too. He disobeyed God's law and worshiped other gods. And in 1 Kings 11:11-13 God told Solomon that the kingdom of Israel would be snatched away from him - not in Solomon's lifetime, but from his son, Rehoboam. God would cause the Israelites - all but one tribe (the tribe of Judah) - to reject Rehoboam and follow Solomon's servant, Jeroboam. This split the kingdom of Israel into two kingdoms - the Northern Kingdom (Israel) & the Southern Kingdom (Judah). The bad news is that neither king was really great. The story today sets up the next three units (13 weeks) of stories in the divided kingdom of Israel. Solomon's mistakes and bad choices caused an entire nation to suffer a split. As you talk about it this week, try exploring conversation around how our actions sometimes bring unintended ramifications to others (hopefully not to the degree of Solomon's).
Some questions to extend the conversation:
Elementary
- Have you ever felt like you and another person - a sibling, a parent, or a friend - were in conflict about something that you didn't understand why? What did it feel like? How did it resolve?
- Why do you think Solomon, who had gained wisdom from God, made really bad choices to disobey God?
Preschool
- Have you ever made a choice for yourself that accidentally hurt someone else, like taking a toy from a sibling or sneaking the last dessert or something else?
- Solomon made choices that affected other people. How do you think Solomon felt when God said that the people would be divided because of his disobedience?