Sunday School 1 A Listening Heart

INTRO: THANK OPPORTUNITY

INFORMAL: feel free to RAISE your HAND and ASK QUESTIONS, I’LL TRY to ANSWER...

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TURN TO 1 KINGS 3 (or see POWERPOINT)

2. Background:

GOD SPOKE - NATHAN (PROPHET)

DAVID’S OFFSPRING OCCUPY THE THRONE, KINGDOM NEVER END.

ULTIMATELY FULFILLED IN JESUS. NEVER-ENDING KINGDOM.

1ST FULFILLMENT - SOLOMON’S REIGN.

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SOLOMON = SON, DAVID & BATHSHEBA

LOVED BY GOD.

KINGDOM ESTABLISHED after the DEATH of ADONIJAH & JOAB

INHERITED DAVID’S KINGDOM…

ROUGHLY 960 B.C.

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English Standard Version (Chapter 3)

Passage Setting:

1 Kings 3:1-3 Solomon made a marriage alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt. He took Pharaoh’s daughter and brought her into the city of David until he had finished building his own house and the house of the LORD and the wall around Jerusalem. 2 The people were sacrificing at the high places, however, because no house had yet been built for the name of the LORD.3 Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of David his father, only he sacrificed and made offerings at the high places.

(Q) Anyone remember what caused Solomon’s spiritual downfall?

SOLOMON HAD MANY WIVES - TURNED HEART AWAY.

We foresee TWO PROBLEMS here,

1. INTERMARRIAGE outside of Israel

2. SACRIFICING at the CANAANITE HIGH PLACES.

DESPITE these few things, SOLOMON’S LIFE was OVERALL PLEASING to the LORD.

4 And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place. Solomon used to offer a thousand burnt offerings on that altar.

GIBEON was the PRIMARY LOCATION for SACRIFICES at this time…NO TEMPLE in JERUSALEM

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Solomon’s Dream & Request

5 At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and God said, “Ask what I shall give you.” 6 And Solomon said, “You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant David my father, because he walked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart toward you. And you have kept for him this great and steadfast love and have given him a son to sit on his throne this day.

SIT is a PARTICIPLE and it typically means to DWELL or INHABIT.

FULFILLMENT, GOD’S PROMISE TO DAVID!

SOLOMON RECOUNTS FAITHFULNESS OF GOD.

7 And now, O LORD my God, you have made your servant king in place of David my father, although I am but a little child. I do not know how to go out or come in. 8 And your servant is in the midst of your people whom you have chosen, a great people, too many to be numbered or counted for multitude. 9 Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?”

***POWERPOINT PICS -

SAUL & DAVID = MILITARY KINGS, SOLOMON INHERITED HIS!

GREAT KINGDOM…MADE SOLOMON FEEL INSUFFICIENT.

HUMILITY = FOUNDATION for his REQUEST...

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SOLOMON DIDN’T PRAY for WISDOM...He prayed for an “UNDERSTANDING MIND”

Could also be translated, “A LISTENING HEART”

(Q) - This word translated here as “understanding” is typically translated as “hear” or “listen” out of its nearly 1,200 uses...

I want someone to guess HOW OFTEN this WORD is TRANSLATED as “UNDERSTAND”

***ONLY 7 TIMES! SIGNIFICANT.

CONNECTION BETWEEN HEAR & UNDERSTAND:

What is a precursor to obedience? Understanding What is a precursor to understanding? Listening What is a precursor to listening? Hearing

Solomon’s ABILITY to UNDERSTAND and obey was PREDICATED off his ABILITY to first HEAR and LISTEN!

***This was the INSPIRATION for the PRAYER CARD...

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ALSO NOTE, that SOLOMON continually REFERS to HIMSELF as GOD’S SERVANT.

This is an EXAMPLE for how we should GO to GOD in PRAYER…NOT COMMANDING, but PETITIONING him as one of his servants.

SOLOMON came HUMBLY to GOD in LIGHT of the SCOPE of his TASK…it was TOO MUCH FOR HIM to do in his own strength.

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10 It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. 11 And God said to him, “Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches or the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, 12 behold, I now do according to your word. Behold, I give you a wise and discerning mind, so that none like you has been before you and none like you shall arise after you.

SOLOMON’S PRAYER was ANSWERED and he was GIVEN MUCH MORE than he asked for because of his RIGHT HEART and MOTIVES.

13 I give you also what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that no other king shall compare with you, all your days. 14 And if you will walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and my commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days.”15 And Solomon awoke, and behold, it was a dream. Then he came to Jerusalem and stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and offered up burnt offerings and peace offerings, and made a feast for all his servants.

DURING this TIME of his LIFE, SOLOMON was DEVOTED to GOD and would sacrifice to him often. This PASSAGE CLOSES with WORSHIP and CELEBRATION in response to the encounter he had with God

Application:

1. EXAMINE LITTLE AREAS OF LIFE - COMPROMISE.

SOLOMON’S COMPROMISE STARTED OFF SMALL - EVENTUALLY = DOWNFALL...

2. SOLOMON PUT THE CONCERNS FOR THE PEOPLE ABOVE HIS OWN.

HE NEEDED THE ABILITY TO LISTEN/UNDERSTAND SO HE COULD SERVE THE “GREAT PEOPLE” GOD HAD ENTRUSTED TO HIM. PUT YOURSELF IN A POSITION TO DO THE SAME, TO SERVE OTHERS.

3. BEGIN EACH DAY IN PRAYER ACKNOWLEDGING YOUR DEPENDENCE ON GOD…ASK FOR HIS GRACE AND WISDOM TO FILL YOU DAILY.

GOD SIZED VISIONS REQUIRE GOD SIZED POWER & PROVISION.

4. TRUST GOD’S PROMISES FROM HIS WORD (ETERNAL LIFE, ETC.) IN THIS PASSAGE WE SEE THE FULFILLMENT OF GOD’S PROMISE TO DAVID. HE’S A COVENANT KEEPING GOD!

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CLOSING PRAYER - PRAYER CARD.

PRAY TOGETHER:

“Father, I ask today that you give me ears to hear your word to me, that you give me a heart that listens, a mind that understands, and feet that obey, in Jesus name. Amen.

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