King Solomon’s Story
A New King for Israel
King Solomon: A long time ago, in the land of Israel, there was a great king named David. He loved God with all his heart and ruled wisely for many years. But as King David grew old, he knew it was time for someone else to take his place as king. So, he chose his son, Solomon, to be the next king of Israel.
Before David passed away, he gave Solomon some very important advice. He said, “Always follow God’s ways and obey His commands. If you do this, you will be a good and wise king.” Solomon listened carefully to his father’s words because he wanted to be the best king he could be.
Solomon’s Special Dream
One night, after Solomon became king, something amazing happened! He traveled to a place called Gibeon to worship God and offer sacrifices. That night, while Solomon was sleeping, God appeared to him in a dream. Imagine that! God spoke directly to Solomon and said, “Ask for anything you want, and I will give it to you.”
What would you ask for if God said that to you? Maybe toys? Candy? A big house? Solomon could have asked for anything—riches, power, or even a long life—but instead, he thought about what would help him be a good king.
Solomon prayed in his dream and said: “Lord my God, You made me king after my father David. But I am still young and don’t know how to rule well. There are so many people in this kingdom! Please give me wisdom so I can tell right from wrong and lead Your people fairly.”
God was very pleased with Solomon’s request. He said: “Because you didn’t ask for riches or a long life or the defeat of your enemies but instead asked for wisdom to help others—I will give you what you asked for! I will make you wiser than anyone who has ever lived or ever will live. And because your heart is so good, I will also give you riches and honor like no other king!”
When Solomon woke up from his dream, he realized it wasn’t just any dream—it was real! God had truly blessed him with wisdom.
The Test of Wisdom
Not long after this special dream, King Solomon’s wisdom was put to the test. Two women came before him with a big problem. Both women lived in the same house and had baby boys around the same time. But one night, one of the babies sadly died. The mother of the baby who had died took the other woman’s baby while she was sleeping and claimed it as her own!
Now both women stood before King Solomon arguing over who the living baby belonged to.
“It’s my baby!” cried one woman.
“No! The baby is mine!” shouted the other.
How could King Solomon figure out who was telling the truth? There were no witnesses or evidence—just two mothers claiming the same child.
But remember—God had given Solomon great wisdom! He thought carefully about how to solve this problem.
King Solomon called for one of his servants and said something shocking: “Bring me a sword! Cut the baby in half so each woman can have part of him.”
The court gasped in surprise! What kind of solution was this?
But then something incredible happened. One of the women cried out in horror: “No! Don’t hurt the baby! Give him to her instead—just let him live!”
The other woman crossed her arms and said coldly: “Go ahead; cut him in half.”
At that moment, King Solomon knew exactly who the real mother was—the one who wanted to save her child at all costs! A true mother would never let harm come to her baby.
“Do not harm the child,” Solomon declared. He pointed at the first woman and said: “She is the true mother—give her back her baby!”
Everyone in Israel heard about this wise decision and marveled at how God had blessed their king with such incredible wisdom.
Lessons from King Solomon
From that day on, people came from faraway lands just to hear King Solomon’s wise words and judgments. He wrote many proverbs (wise sayings) that we can still read today in the Bible’s Book of Proverbs.
Solomon teaches us an important lesson: Wisdom is more valuable than riches or power because it helps us make good choices that honor God and help others.
If we ever feel unsure about what decision to make or need guidance in life, we can pray like Solomon did. The Bible says in James 1:5: “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God….” Just like He helped King Solomon long ago, God loves giving us wisdom when we ask Him!
Moral of the Story:
Solomon didn’t ask for selfish things like money or fame; instead, he asked for something that would help others—wisdom! This made God very happy because it showed that Solomon cared about doing what was right more than anything else.
So remember: When faced with tough choices or challenges in life, always turn to God for help—and use your gifts not just for yourself but also for helping others!
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