Solomon Builds and Dedicates the Temple Preschool Lesson
Preschool lesson (ages 3–6, 20 minutes)
1. Welcome (3 min)
Sit in a circle, greet every child by name and show one thing from the story to touch.
2. The little story (5 min)
Teach the refrain first: “A beautiful house for the LORD.”
King David had wanted to build a house for God. But God said his son would build it. Now David’s son Solomon was king. There was peace all around. And Solomon was ready to build! A beautiful house for the LORD.
King Hiram was Solomon’s friend. He had always loved David too. Solomon asked him for wood. Hiram was very glad. “Blessed is the LORD today, who has given to David a wise son,” he said.
Hiram’s men cut down tall cedar trees in the mountains. They tied the logs together like rafts. Then they floated them on the sea to Solomon. Splash, splash! And every year, Solomon sent wheat and oil to Hiram’s family.
Solomon’s workers cut big stones from the rocks. They shaped each stone far away, at the quarry. A quarry is where stones are dug out. So at the building, no hammer was heard. Shhh! Can you tap very, very softly, so nobody hears?
While Solomon was building, the LORD spoke to him. “I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will not forsake my people Israel,” said the LORD. Dwell means live. Forsake means leave alone.
Inside, the walls were covered with cedar wood. You could not see one single stone. The wood was carved with palm trees and open flowers. Then Solomon covered the whole house with gold. Even the floor was covered with gold! A beautiful house for the LORD.
In the most holy room there were two big cherubim. Cherubim are angels with wings. They were made of olive wood and covered with gold. Their wings were stretched out wide, touching wall to wall. Can you stretch your arms out wide like wings?
It took seven years to build God’s house. Let’s count them: one, two, three, four, five, six, seven!
Then the priests carried in the ark, God’s special golden box. Inside the ark were only two stone tablets. Moses had put them there long ago. God’s good words were written on them. The priests set the ark under the wings of the cherubim.
When the priests came out, a cloud filled the house. The LORD’s glory filled the LORD’s house! Glory means God’s bright greatness. The priests could not stay inside because of the cloud. A beautiful house for the LORD.
Solomon spread out his hands toward heaven. “LORD, the God of Israel, there is no God like you,” he prayed. “In heaven above, or on earth beneath.” Can you spread your hands up to heaven like Solomon?
Solomon also prayed, “Heaven and the heaven of heavens can’t contain you. How much less this house that I have built!” God is bigger than everything! But God still hears his people. Solomon asked God to listen when his people prayed. “Hear in heaven, your dwelling place,” he prayed.
Then Solomon blessed all the people. “There has not failed one word of all his good promise,” he said. Not one of God’s promises had been broken!
They had a big feast for fourteen days. Then all the people went home joyful and glad. The LORD had been so good to them.
God is bigger than the whole sky. And he hears you when you pray, even tonight in your bed. A beautiful house for the LORD.
3. Talk together (3 min)
- What do you think the golden house looked like inside?
- Where do you like to pray to God?
4. Move (3 min)
Refrain Freeze: move around the room; when you say the refrain, everyone freezes and says it together.
5. Make (4 min)
Color the 2 golden cherubim with their wings stretched out wide.
6. Verse and prayer (2 min)
“LORD, the God of Israel, there is no God like you” — 1 Kings 8:23 (LORD → point up; the God of Israel → hands on your heart; there is no God like you → shake your head, then spread your hands up)
Dear God, there is no God like you. You are bigger than the whole sky. Thank you that you hear our prayers. Amen.
Lesson for older kids (ages 6–10)
Big idea: God wants to be close to us
Memory verse: “I have surely built you a house of habitation, a place for you to dwell in forever.” — 1 Kings 8:13 · WEB
The Bible story
Long ago, wise King Solomon built a beautiful golden Temple for God, and when it was finished a wonderful cloud filled it with God's shining glory.
Talk about it
- What special gift had God given King Solomon? — A wise heart
- What did Solomon decide to build for God? — A holy Temple
- Where did the strong cedar wood come from? — The hills of Lebanon
- What was surprising about how the Temple was built? — It had no hammering sound
- What did the workers cover the inside of the Temple with? — Pure shining gold
- How long did it take to build the Temple? — Seven years
Where is Jesus in this story?
Solomon's Temple was a special place where people could meet with God, but many years later God sent someone even greater than a golden building. Jesus came to earth so that God could be with us in person, and the Bible even calls Jesus a Temple. Now, because of Jesus, God does not just live in one house in one city. His Spirit lives inside everyone who loves him, so we can talk to God anywhere, at any time, just like Solomon prayed we could.
What God wants to tell us
Solomon built the most beautiful house he could imagine, but the wonderful surprise was that God actually came to live there among his people. God does not need gold or grand buildings to be happy. What he really wants is to be close to us, to hear our prayers, and to share our joy. That is why he filled the Temple with his glory: to show everyone that he loves to be near the people he made. And today God is happy to live even closer, right inside our own hearts.
Prayer
Thank you, God, for loving us so much that you want to be close to us. Thank you that we can talk to you anywhere, at home, at school, or tucked up in bed. Please make my heart a beautiful home for you, and help me to share your love with everyone I meet. Amen.
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