To Remember:
We can all be influenced by those around us
Lesson 1 Kings 10-11
Solomon was famous world-wide for his wealth, power and
wisdom. So famous, a Queen from Sheba came to hear him answer questions that
had stumped all others. 1 Kings 10:1,3
She was incredibly impressed, and acknowledged that God
was the source of Solomon's glory. 10:6,7,9
But even the wisest man on earth could be drawn away
from God. For Solomon, the influence of his wives was enough to draw him away.
11:1,2,4 Solomon loved his foreign wives
enough to break two of God's laws: not to marry foreigners and to have more
than one wife.
Solomon's wives worshipped idols. At first Solomon was
careful to separate these wives from God's service. But as his wives begged
and he gave in, one by one he supported them in their worship until he was
worshipping idols himself. 11:8
Discussion Point: Solomon fell into this sin
slowly and reluctantly at first. He may even have never "believed" in the
idols, but worshipped them to please his wives. Even the wisest man on earth
was influenced by those closest to him. What does this tell us about the
friends and spouses we choose?
God was angry. Remember God's promise depended on
Solomon obeying God's commandments. 11:9
God fulfilled his part. He would take away the kingdom,
but not until Solomon's reign was over, for the sake of David. 11:12,13
Discussion Point: Solomon's sins caused the
kingdom to be torn apart. David's influence kept it from destroying the
country utterly. Both kings had a great influence on Israel - one for good the
other bad. We, too, can have influence. What kinds?
linguistic questions 
activity questions
emotion questions
application questions 
fact questions 
review questions 
