“Wise Beyond His Years”
Click below to download the Cornerstone Connections leader’s guide and student lesson. This week’s resources also include two lesson plans and a discussion starter video which offer different ways of looking at the topic. Each lesson plan includes opening activities, scripture passages, discussion questions, and real-life applications.
Solomon’s reign is remarkable not only for Israel’s peace with its neighbors, but also for its peace within.
SCRIPTURE PASSAGES
OVERVIEW
What constitutes wisdom? Is it the extent of one's knowledge, the adeptness in solving intricate problems, or the ability to navigate social media without engaging in political conversations? Socrates, Aristotle, Confucius, Mahatma Gandhi, Einstein, and Nelson Mandela are often considered for the top spot as Humans of Wisdom. But the criteria for eligibility remain subjective. Opinions on wisdom vary widely. In today's discussion, we will delve into the perspective of wisdom as envisioned by God. Our focus will be on King Solomon, renowned in scripture as the wisest individual in history. Exploring the elements that defined his wisdom, we aim to extract valuable life lessons from his story.
OPENING ACTIVITY: HOW WOULD YOU HANDLE THIS?
Have the whole group discuss one or more of the following topics:
TRANSITION
Life is full of choices. Some have only minimal consequences, but others can be life-altering. Where does one get the rules to live by—parents, friends, social media, Google, or scripture? People get information from all these places, but only one is one hundred percent reliable. Let’s look at 1 Kings and see what Solomon has to say.
BIBLE STUDY GUIDE
Read 1 Kings 3:1-15.
1Solomon made an alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt and married his daughter. He brought her to the City of David until he finished building his palace and the temple of the Lord, and the wall around Jerusalem. 2 The people, however, were still sacrificing at the high places, because a temple had not yet been built for the Name of the Lord. 3 Solomon showed his love for the Lord by walking according to the instructions given him by his father David, except that he offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places.
4 The king went to Gibeon to offer sacrifices, for that was the most important high place, and Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar. 5 At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.”
6 Solomon answered, “You have shown great kindness to your servant, my father David, because he was faithful to you and righteous and upright in heart. You have continued this great kindness to him and have given him a son to sit on his throne this very day.
7 “Now, Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. 8 Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. 9 So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?”
10 The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. 11 So God said to him, “Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, 12 I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be. 13 Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for—both wealth and honor—so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings. 14 And if you walk in obedience to me and keep my decrees and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life.” 15 Then Solomon awoke—and he realized it had been a dream.
He returned to Jerusalem, stood before the ark of the Lord’s covenant and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. Then he gave a feast for all his court.
DISCUSSION
Read 1 Kings 3:16-28.
16 Now two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him. 17 One of them said, “Pardon me, my lord. This woman and I live in the same house, and I had a baby while she was there with me. 18 The third day after my child was born, this woman also had a baby. We were alone; there was no one in the house but the two of us.
19 “During the night this woman’s son died because she lay on him. 20 So she got up in the middle of the night and took my son from my side while I your servant was asleep. She put him by her breast and put her dead son by my breast. 21 The next morning, I got up to nurse my son—and he was dead! But when I looked at him closely in the morning light, I saw that it wasn’t the son I had borne.”
22 The other woman said, “No! The living one is my son; the dead one is yours.”
But the first one insisted, “No! The dead one is yours; the living one is mine.” And so they argued before the king.
23 The king said, “This one says, ‘My son is alive and your son is dead,’ while that one says, ‘No! Your son is dead and mine is alive.’ ”
24 Then the king said, “Bring me a sword.” So they brought a sword for the king. 25 He then gave an order: “Cut the living child in two and give half to one and half to the other.”
26 The woman whose son was alive was deeply moved out of love for her son and said to the king, “Please, my lord, give her the living baby! Don’t kill him!”
But the other said, “Neither I nor you shall have him. Cut him in two!”
27 Then the king gave his ruling: “Give the living baby to the first woman. Do not kill him; she is his mother.”
28 When all Israel heard the verdict the king had given, they held the king in awe, because they saw that he had wisdom from God to administer justice.
DISCUSSION
Read 1 Kings 10:24-28.
24 The whole world sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart. 25 Year after year, everyone who came brought a gift—articles of silver and gold, robes, weapons and spices, and horses and mules.
26 Solomon accumulated chariots and horses; he had fourteen hundred chariots and twelve thousand horses, which he kept in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem. 27 The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar as plentiful as sycamore-fig trees in the foothills. 28 Solomon’s horses were imported from Egypt and from Kue—the royal merchants purchased them from Kue at the current price.
DISCUSSION
APPLICATION
Wisdom, as embodied by King Solomon in biblical stories, extends beyond mere intellectual acumen; it encompasses a profound understanding of human nature and a discerning judgment rooted in moral principles. Solomon's wisdom is notably coupled with his recognition of divine guidance. In the biblical account, God granted Solomon wisdom in response to his humble request for discernment. This interaction underscores the idea that true wisdom is not solely self-derived but involves a connection with something greater than oneself.
In our lives, applying Solomon's wisdom involves seeking knowledge with humility, making decisions guided by ethical considerations, and acknowledging the role of a higher power in shaping our understanding. By recognizing the divine aspect of wisdom, we embrace a perspective that extends beyond our individual capacities, fostering a sense of purpose and moral clarity in our actions. This integration of wisdom and divine interaction can provide a meaningful framework for navigating life's complexities and contributing positively to the well-being of ourselves and others.
FOLLOW UP
Applying the principles gleaned from the passages and lessons can greatly enrich your life. Here are some practical ways to integrate these teachings into your everyday experiences:
Remember, applying these principles is a gradual process, and personal growth takes time. Start with small, intentional steps, and over time, you may find that these principles become integrated into your mindset and behaviors, enriching your life and the lives of those around you.
SCRIPTURE PASSAGE
LEADER’S NOTE
For a Relational Bible Study (RBS) you’ll want to get into the Scripture passage and encourage the youth to imagine participating in the story while it’s happening. Then you will be able to better apply it to your own situation today.
You will need to ask God for the Holy Spirit to be present as your small group discusses the questions (no more than 3-6 people in a group is recommended). Start with the opening question. It is a personal question and the answer is unique for each individual. There is no right answer and nobody is an expert here, so don’t be surprised when you hear different responses. You are depending on the Holy Spirit to be present and to speak through your group. Say what God prompts you to say, and listen to what others share.
Take turns reading the chapter out loud. Follow that with giving the students some time to individually mark their responses to the questions (a PDF version of the handout is available as a download). This gives each person a starting point for responding when you start to share as a group. Next, begin the discussion by asking the students to share what they marked and why on each question as you work your way through. Feel free to take more time on some questions than others as discussion warrants.
Encourage each person in the group to apply what is discussed to their personal lives and to share with the group what they believe God wants them to do. Then ask them to pray that God will help each of them to follow through in doing so. Remind them to expect that God will show them ways to live out the message of this passage in the coming week, and that they are free to ask others in the group to help hold them accountable.
OVERVIEW
Ask participants what comes to mind when they think of the word “wisdom.” Many people first think of intelligence and associate good grades as proof. Perhaps this should be labeled “knowledge” rather than “wisdom.”
Others think of older people with lots of life experiences that have given them discernment to know what to do (and what not to do). That might be common sense or simply experience, but it might be based on what a person has learned that makes them look good or gives them the first priority. Getting older doesn’t guarantee a person becomes wiser.
The Bible takes a very different perspective on wisdom. This comes from the wisdom book of the Bible, called “Proverbs.” Most of these came from Solomon, the Bible character for this week’s study. According to Proverbs 9:10 NIV, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom.” The New International Reader’s Version changes the English word “fear” to “respect”—something that makes more sense to English speakers who pair “fright” with “fear” instead of pairing “respect” or “honor” with “fear.” The NIRV renders the same verse, “If you want to become wise, you must begin by respecting the LORD.”
How would you paraphrase this? One paraphrase could be, “The starting point for being wise is making God’s will number one in everything.” Another paraphrase might be, “Put God first and you’ll be on the path to wisdom.”
At the start of his reign, Solomon got to respond to God’s invitation to receive whatever he wanted. Wow! What would you choose? Last month was Christmas and you may have had a long wish list. But what would be at the top of your list you would give it to God? Solomon chose wisdom.
Let’s look at the whole story in 1 Kings 3, which is the passage of Scripture for this week’s Relational Bible Study.
Wise Guy
Who is someone you consider to be wise? How can you tell they are wise?
Read 1 Kings 3:1-28.
Solomon Asks for Wisdom
3 Solomon made an alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt and married his daughter. He brought her to the City of David until he finished building his palace and the temple of the Lord, and the wall around Jerusalem. 2 The people, however, were still sacrificing at the high places, because a temple had not yet been built for the Name of the Lord. 3 Solomon showed his love for the Lord by walking according to the instructions given him by his father David, except that he offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places.
4 The king went to Gibeon to offer sacrifices, for that was the most important high place, and Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar. 5 At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.”
6 Solomon answered, “You have shown great kindness to your servant, my father David, because he was faithful to you and righteous and upright in heart. You have continued this great kindness to him and have given him a son to sit on his throne this very day.
7 “Now, Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. 8 Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. 9 So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?”
10 The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. 11 So God said to him, “Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, 12 I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be. 13 Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for—both wealth and honor—so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings. 14 And if you walk in obedience to me and keep my decrees and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life.” 15 Then Solomon awoke—and he realized it had been a dream.
He returned to Jerusalem, stood before the ark of the Lord’s covenant and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. Then he gave a feast for all his court.
A Wise Ruling
16 Now two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him. 17 One of them said, “Pardon me, my lord. This woman and I live in the same house, and I had a baby while she was there with me. 18 The third day after my child was born, this woman also had a baby. We were alone; there was no one in the house but the two of us.
19 “During the night this woman’s son died because she lay on him. 20 So she got up in the middle of the night and took my son from my side while I your servant was asleep. She put him by her breast and put her dead son by my breast. 21 The next morning, I got up to nurse my son—and he was dead! But when I looked at him closely in the morning light, I saw that it wasn’t the son I had borne.”
22 The other woman said, “No! The living one is my son; the dead one is yours.”
But the first one insisted, “No! The dead one is yours; the living one is mine.” And so they argued before the king.
23 The king said, “This one says, ‘My son is alive and your son is dead,’ while that one says, ‘No! Your son is dead and mine is alive.’”
24 Then the king said, “Bring me a sword.” So they brought a sword for the king. 25 He then gave an order: “Cut the living child in two and give half to one and half to the other.”
26 The woman whose son was alive was deeply moved out of love for her son and said to the king, “Please, my lord, give her the living baby! Don’t kill him!”
But the other said, “Neither I nor you shall have him. Cut him in two!”
27 Then the king gave his ruling: “Give the living baby to the first woman. Do not kill him; she is his mother.”
28 When all Israel heard the verdict the king had given, they held the king in awe, because they saw that he had wisdom from God to administer justice.
1. Why did Solomon marry Pharaoh’s daughter?
2. Why did Solomon choose to go to Gibeon to offer sacrifices as king?
3. In his dream, what did Solomon ask from God?
4. What did God promise Solomon?
5. What made Solomon’s judgment of the two women difficult?
6. When could you use more wisdom?
7. What would you say if God asked you, “What do you want?”
8. What wisdom do you have at this point in your life? How do you get more?
SUMMARY
Wisdom provides special insight, which comes from putting God first in all you do. When God offered Solomon whatever he wanted, Solomon requested wisdom. The book of Proverbs contains many of these truths, which put people on the path to wisdom. Choose, and continue to choose to make God first in your life, and you’re on your way to wisdom living.
APPLICATION
You can receive wisdom from God right now, not just at some unknown time in the future when you might become “old and wise.” Here are several ways to apply this to your life this week.
We’re at the start of a new calendar year when people make New Year’s resolutions (which they often break the first week or two). Your holiday vacation is over now, and you’re probably getting back into the school routine again.
Some people look to Scripture to get regular input from God. To apply this week’s lesson about wisdom, go to the book of Proverbs (just after Psalms) and read just one chapter a day.
