Solomon

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1 Kings: Lesson 8 — Building Dedication

The following are discussion questions from a weekly study I am leading through the book of 1 Kings.  We meet each Wednesday evening at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Starting Strong Isn’t The Same As Finishing Strong

A Study of the Book of 1 Kings

Lesson 8 (Building Dedication)
1 Kings 8
  May 8, 2013

The Text:

  1. Who does Solomon call together.  What do they do when everyone arrives?  How much did they sacrifice to God?  What was in the ark of the Lord?  What happened once the ark was put into its place?  How did this affect the priests?
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  2. How did Solomon respond?  What had God not chosen?  What had he chosen instead?  What had David wanted to do?  What was God’s response to that?  How did Solomon view the promises of God?
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  3. How does Solomon address God?  What does he ask for?  What does Solomon believe about God actually dwelling in the temple?  What purpose does he expect the temple to have?
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  4. What does Solomon want to happen when someone wrongs his neighbor?  . . . When Israel is defeated because of sin?  . . . When calamity comes because of sin?  . . . When any sort of affliction happens?  How does Solomon want the foreigner to be treated by God?
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  5. What does Solomon say about the possibility of the people sinning against God?  What does Solomon ask God to do if the people reject their sin and turn whole-heartedly back to God?  How plentiful were the fellowship offerings sacrificed to God?  Where were they offered?  Why?

  

The Application:

  1. Who would you invite to an important event?  How obvious would you want God’s presence to be?  How important is it to you to remember God’s decrees and commands?
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  2. How do you respond to God’s presence?  How do you think God feels about the things you do for Him?  What does He really want?  Do you believe God keeps His promises to you?
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  3. How important is it to you that God keeps His promises?  Have you ever tried to contain God?  Can you?  If God can’t be contained, what purpose are church buildings, etc.?
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  4. Is God at the center of every aspect of your life?  Do you find it easier to look to God during good times or bad?  Do you act like God really wants all people to know His name and fear Him?
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  5. Do you ever forget there is “no one who does not sin”?  How can you encourage others to reject sin and turn to God?  How much do you think is enough to give to God?

 

Next Week: A Special Guest
1 Kings 9

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1 Kings: Lesson 7 — Building Project 2

The following are discussion questions from a weekly study I am leading through the book of 1 Kings.  We meet each Wednesday evening at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Starting Strong Isn’t The Same As Finishing Strong

A Study of the Book of 1 Kings

Lesson 7 (Building Project 2)
1 Kings 7
  May 1, 2013

The Text:

  1. How long did construction of Solomon’s palace take?  What does the “however” in verse one refer to?  What was the palace called?  Why?   
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  2. What were the dimensions of the palace?  How did that compare to the temple?    
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  3. What was the throne hall known as?  Why?  What was it, and the living quarters built out of?  How substantial was the building material?
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  4. Who was Huram?  What was his specialty skill?  What did Solomon have him do?  How was the quantity of his work measured?
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  5. What “furnishings” did Solomon have made for the temple?  What were they made out of?  What else did Solomon add to the temple once the work was finished?

 

  

The Application:

  1. What things might make one project take longer than another?  Does the time spent on something correspond to its value?  Why or why not?  What is the main quality/material that God has used to make you who you are?
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  2. What things do people tend to compare?  Are most comparisons we make fair evaluations of something’s worth or value?  If we insist on comparing, what should be our standard?  Does that change your desire to compare?   
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  3. How do you define justice?  What areas of injustice concern you?  Are you more concerned about justice in the sense of punishing wrongs or righting wrongs? 
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  4. What skills do you have?  What skills would your best friend say you have?  How are you using them?  What ways would God want you to use them for His kingdom?  What are some dangers of keeping track of how much you do, or give, for God?    
    –   
  5. What most reminds you of God’s eternal presence?  How valuable are those things to you?  Do you intentionally give the things you value most to God?  How do you honor the Godly contributions of those who have lived before you?

 

 

 

Next Week: Building Dedication
1 Kings 8

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1 Kings: Lesson 6 — Building Project 1

The following are discussion questions from a weekly study I am leading through the book of 1 Kings.  We meet each Wednesday evening at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Starting Strong Isn’t The Same As Finishing Strong

A Study of the Book of 1 Kings

Lesson 6 (Building Project 1)
1 Kings 6
April 24, 2013

The Text:

  1. When Solomon began building the temple of the Lord, how long had it been since God had brought the Israelites out of Egypt?  How long had Solomon been king?
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  2. What were the dimensions of the temple?  How was it constructed?
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  3. What did God say to Solomon about the temple he was building?
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  4. How big was the inner sanctuary?  How was it decorated?  What was its purpose?
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  5. How much time was spent building the temple?  How much attention was paid to the process of building it?

 

The Application:

 

  1. What would  you consider to be a long time to wait for something?  What are some things that might change your answer?  How does knowing you will be doing something affect your ability or willingness to wait?
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  2. How much “living space” does God want in your life?  Does He get it?  How concerned are you about distractions as you prepare your temple for God?
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  3. What does God look for in the place that He lives?  Are God’s promises conditional or unconditional?  In what ways?
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  4. What things or places remind you most of God’s presence?  How much value do you give to those?  What things would cause you to more fully recognize the value of God’s presence?  Do you consider it important to be reminded of God’s promises and presence?  How are those reminders given?
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  5. Do you ever feel like it is taking to long for someone to become the temple of God they are supposed to be?  Do you ever feel like it is taking you too long?  Why does it take so long?  How thorough is God in His work?

 

Next Week: Building Project 2
1 Kings 7

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1 Kings: Lesson 5 — Building Preparation

The following are discussion questions from a weekly study I am leading through the book of 1 Kings.  We meet each Wednesday evening at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Starting Strong Isn’t The Same As Finishing Strong

A Study of the Book of 1 Kings

Lesson 5 (Building Preparation)
1 Kings 5
April 17, 2013

The Text:

  1. Who was Hiram?  What did he do when he heard Solomon had been anointed king?  Why?
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  2. What reason does Solomon give for David not being able to build a temple?  How is Solomon’s life different from David’s?  What does Solomon intend to do about it?
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  3. What is Solomon’s request of Hiram?  What does Solomon offer?  Why?  How does Hiram feel when he hears Solomon’s offer?
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  4. What response does Hiram send back to Solomon?  What did Solomon get from Hiram?  What does Solomon give to Hiram?  How long did this go on?  Did it go well?
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  5. How did Solomon get the help needed from Israel?  How many men were sent to Lebanon to work?  How was that structured?  How many men did Solomon have working on the stone needed for the temple project?

 

The Application:

  1. How do you feel when a change is made in important leadership positions?  Why?  Do you ever reach out to a new person who is in a position that their predecessor was a friend of yours?  Should you?
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  2. When starting something new, how important is it to remember why it hadn’t been done yet?  Who benefits from that reminder?  Should we consider how our circumstances are different from those of our predecessors when evaluating doing something they couldn’t?
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  3. If you needed specific work done, who would you want to do it?  Why?  When requesting work to be done, what would it take for you to offer to pay whatever is asked?  What effect does genuine trust and praise have on a relationship?
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  4. How does the tone of a request influence your willingness to provide that which is requested?  How does mutual respect, or lack of it, impact your relationships?  What are some keys to a business-type relationship lasting over time?
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  5. Have you ever been forced to do something you didn’t want to do, or at least didn’t get to choose to do?  How did you feel?  Why?  Are there things we can learn from Solomon’s treatment of the conscripted laborers?  What are they?

 

Next Week: Building Project 1
1 Kings 6

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1 Kings: Lesson 4 — Collecting Taxes!

The following are discussion questions from a weekly study I am leading through the book of 1 Kings.  We meet each Wednesday evening at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Starting Strong Isn’t The Same As Finishing Strong

A Study of the Book of 1 Kings

Lesson 4 (Collecting Taxes!)
1 Kings 4
April 10, 2013

The Text:

  1. Who are the people listed in the first six verses of 1 Kings 4?  What were some of their responsibilities?  What things stand out to you about these people and their jobs?
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  2. How many district governors did Solomon have?  What was expected of them?  What things stand out about their territories?  
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  3. How many people lived in Judah and Israel?  What significance does that description have?  How was their life under Solomon’s reign? 
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  4. What did Solomon require for provisions each day?  Where did these come from?  Were Judah and Israel good places to live during the lifetime of Solomon?
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  5. How is Solomon’s wisdom described?  Where did it come from?  What did he do with it  How attractive was this wisdom to others?

 

 

The Application:

  1. Are you good at delegating?  How important to you are people who help strengthen your relationship with God?  What are some advantages/disadvantages of shared responsibility?
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  2. Do you attempt tasks that might seem overwhelming to others?  How can they be accomplished?  What do you look for in a person when you need to delegate a task or need help accomplishing something?  Are you the type of person you would look for?   
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  3. How has God been faithful in fulfilling His promises in your life?  Are there promises He has fulfilled that might be easy to overlook?  What is needed in your life so that you could “eat, drink, and be happy”?  Is that a realistic goal?  Why/why not? 
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  4. Who are you responsible to provide for?  Does that task seem overwhelming at times?  What things make it seem easier/harder?  Do you believe that God wants to supply your every need?  What things make that seem more believable or less believable?  What influence does contentment have on your willingness to give?       
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  5. How would you describe your wisdom?  How would others describe your wisdom?  Where does the wisdom you have come from?  If you feel it is lacking, how would you increase it?  What do you do with the wisdom that you have?  In what areas do people look to you for wisdom and instruction?

 

 

Next Week: Building Preparation
1 Kings 5

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1 Kings: Lesson 3 — Asking For Anything!

The following are discussion questions from a weekly study I am leading through the book of 1 Kings.  We meet each Wednesday evening at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Starting Strong Isn’t The Same As Finishing Strong

A Study of the Book of 1 Kings

Lesson 3 (Asking For Anything!)
1 Kings 3
April 3, 2013

The Text:

  1. What resulted from the alliance Solomon made with the king of Egypt?  Where were the people offering sacrifices?  Why?  How did Solomon show his love for the Lord?
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  2. Why did Solomon go to Gibeon?  What did he do there?  Who appeared to Solomon?  What did he have to say?
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  3. How did Solomon describe God’s actions toward David and himself?  How did Solomon describe himself?  What did he ask for?  Why?
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  4. What did God think of Solomon’s request?  How does He respond to that request?  What was Solomon’s response to God’s message?
    –
  5. What dilemma is presented to Solomon by two women?  How does he propose to settle the dispute?  How do the two women react to his solution?  What does their reactions tell Solomon?  What did the people of Israel think of Solomon’s verdict?

The Application:

  1. Are there times you accept, or seek, something that you shouldn’t just to keep peace?  How hard is it to continually do things God’s way when other ways may seem reasonable?  How do you feel about keeping the Lord’s commands as evidence of your love for him?
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  2. How committed are you to offering yourself as a living sacrifice on a daily basis?  When you give to God, do you typically think of how much you can give or how little you can get by with?  Jesus says His sheep hear and know His voice — do you recognize God’s voice?  How?
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  3. How would you describe God’s actions and attitude toward you and your family?  How would you describe yourself to God?  What do you need most from God?  Why?
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  4. How do you think God would react to your request if you were to ask Him for what you felt you needed most?  In what ways has God given you immeasurably more than you could think or ask?
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  5. Have you ever been in the middle of, or presented with, a situation that seemed impossible to handle fairly and with justice?  How would you handle it?  Are there ways that you can administer justice that would show the wisdom of God living in you through His Spirit?

Next Week: Collecting Taxes!
1 Kings 4

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1 Kings: Lesson 2 — Settling Accounts?

The following are discussion questions from a weekly study I am leading through the book of 1 Kings.  We meet each Wednesday evening at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Starting Strong Isn’t The Same As Finishing Strong

A Study of the Book of 1 Kings

Lesson 2 (Settling Accounts?)
1 Kings 2
March 27, 2013

The Text:

  1. As David’s life draws to an end, how does David begin his final advice to Solomon?  How does David define what the Lord requires?  What benefit does David say will result from taking his advice?
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  2. What does David have to say about Joab?  What does he tell Solomon to do?  What request does David have concerning Solomon’s treatment of Barzilla?  Why?  What instructions are given concerning Shimei?  Why?
    –
  3. Who comes to see Bathsheba?  How does he introduce his request?  What is his request?  How does she respond?  How does Bathsheba present that request to Solomon?  What is his response?  What does he do?
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  4. How does Solomon treat Abiathar the priest?  Why?  How does Joab react to the news of Adonijah and Abiathar?  How does he respond to Benaiah when told to come out of the tent of the Lord?  How was this response taken by Solomon?
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  5. What instructions are given to Shimei by Solomon?  Why?  How does Shimei react to the conditions given him?  How long did he keep them?  What made him choose to disobey the command?  What was the result?

The Application:

  1. What things do you think are important to pass on to others while you can?  How important is it for you to challenge others to keep the Lord’s commands?  What benefits of  keeping God’s commands have you experienced that you could tell others about?
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  2. If you had unfinished business that you knew someone else would have to deal with, how detailed would the instructions you give them be?  Why?  Do you have wrongs that you have seemed to get away with that need to be made right?
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  3. What do you think you deserve that you don’t have?  Why?  How do you respond to flattery?  Why is it so dangerous?
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  4. How do you react when confronted with wrongdoing?  Do you ever think enough right deeds will make up for wrong deeds?  Why is that such a trap?  Do you ever try to cling to God to avoid the consequences of your wrongdoing?
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  5. How do you feel if someone extends conditional mercy to you?  Why is that never enough?

Next Week: Asking For Anything!
1 Kings 3