Children Bible Overview 63 06/07/08

KING SOLOMON DEPARTED FROM HIS FATHER, DAVID’S PATH, DID NOT
FOCUS ON FOLLOWING THE LORD BUT FOLLOWED OTHER GODS

Teachers to read bible scripture: <1 Ki 11:1-43>

Children to memorize bible scripture: <Jas 4:7>

Recap
Last week, we saw how after King Solomon built the Holy Temple, God told him, “If you take after
your father, David and obey all the laws and decrees, and obey me, I will establish your royal throne
over Israel forever. If you do not observe the commands and decrees and serve other gods and
worship them, then I will cut off Israel form the land I have given them and also reject this holy
temple.”
Introduction
Initially, King Solomon took after his father, David and loyally followed the Lord, God. However, he
later fell in love with many foreign women (women who did not know God). At first, King Solomon got
married to foreign women in name, for the sake of the country’s peace. However, later on, Satan
tempted him and asked him to slowly see the beauty of these women and hence continued to
associate himself with them. His heart also gradually fell in love with them. In Solomon’s later years,
he had beside him, 1,000 wives. The devil, Satan deceived King Solomon even more, to the extent of
using the beauty, gentleness and lovingness of these women to slowly tempt Solomon’s heart to
follow their gods. In order to impress these foreign women, he followed their gods, and even built high
places for their gods. Solomon hence greatly sinned against the Lord, God who loved him, blessed
him and gave him wisdom. Because King Solomon did not focus on following the Lord, God, God
raised up Solomon’s enemies to oppose him so that he would turn back to God. However, King
Solomon continued to love these foreign women and refused to abandon them nor their gods.
Therefore, God raised up a particularly powerful servant, Jeroboam who opposed King Solomon. King
Solomon wanted to kill him but he escaped to Egypt and stayed there until Solomon died. Later,
Jeroboam took away a large part of Israel from Solomon’s son, Rehoboam.
1. The devil, Satan’s ploy was for King Solomon to slowly compromise (meaning to
“give way”)
1) The devil, Satan’s ploy always start from the smallest, telling Solomon, “It is alright
getting married to them. It is for the country.” Today, the devil also often tells us, “It is
alright to be a little selfish, a little greedy, to love the world a little or to give way a
little.”
2) King Solomon married them and after associating with them over time, he saw their
beauty, gentleness and lovingness, and hence his heart naturally fell in love with them.
The devil, Satan captured his heart step by step. Today, the devil, Satan also often
uses the people, things, pets, toys and interests that we love to capture our hearts,
causing us to regard those as more important than God.
3) Because King Solomon kept giving way, eventually, these foreign women definitely
brought their gods and asked Solomon to follow them, causing Solomon to sin.
Today, the devil also entices us using the smallest temptation, causing us to give
way step by step and eventually, it is to cause us to sin. Therefore, he could accuse
us before God, causing us to lose our blessings.

2. Therefore, if we do not oppose the devil, the more powerful he will be in deceiving,
binding and tempting us
1) Satan uses the method of deceiving people. Through deception, he causes people not
to know his trap. E.g. Telling people that it is alright to be selfish, greedy, love the
world, hate others, tell lies, not attending Sunday school, often get addicted by
television programs.
 2) Satan uses the method of binding people. Through binding people, he causes people
not to be able to do what they ought to do, and to continue doing things that they
ought not to do. E.g. love foreign women (like Solomon), love money, flare into a
temper easily, do not listen to parents, play uncontrollably, be greedy for things
belonging to others, comparing with others, be jealous of others, dislike others etc.
[Confirm with the children: In which areas are we often bounded?]
3) Satan uses to method of tempting people. Through temptation, he causes people to
know that although the devil uses his ploy to deceive us, we will continue to think of
some benefits or satisfaction, which results in us not being to help being tempted.
E.g. Know that it is not right to love Foreign women but still love them (like Solomon);
know that it is not right to steal but still steal; know that it is not right to dislike others
but still dislike people; know that it is not right to often watch television programs and
not come to Sunday school but continue to do so, etc. [Confirm: In what areas are we
often tempted?]

3. However, when we oppose the devil in the name of Jesus Christ, he will surely
leave us and run away (The meaning of “In the name of Jesus Christ” is as
follows:)
1) First, know how the devil, Satan is currently deceiving me, binding me, tempting me.
[When we know, we are able to oppose him].
2) Next, be sure that we are God’s children who are forever and definitely loved.
Although we are often weak and we cannot immediately triumph over, I first tell
Satan, “You cannot accuse me because I belong to God and I am loved by God
forever.”
3) Thereafter, I seek God’s perfect will and purpose (e.g. What God wants me to do,
what God asks me to give up, in which areas do God wants me to have self-control,
who are the people that God wants me to love and help etc). After that, tell God,
“Heavenly Father, I am willing to submit to you but I cannot do so with my strength.
Heavenly Father, please help me.” (God will surely bless you with power and provide
guidance.)
4) Eventually, when God gives us power step by step, and when we immediately submit
to God’s perfect will and purpose, the devil will surely leave us and run away. He
cannot deceive, bind and tempt us again. This is because the devil is most afraid of
God’s children submitting to God.