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READ TOGETHER

Read all or parts of 1 Kings 6-9 and/or watch the Bible story video below.

 

FAMILY DEVOTION

Do you get excited when your grandparents or another relative is coming to visit? To get ready for their visit, the whole family begins cleaning the house, preparing special meals, and making special plans to entertain them. You pull out all the stops to welcome them and spend quality time while they’re with you.

When Solomon became king, the people of Israel spent seven years building a temple for God. The temple had cedar panels with ornamental flowers. The furniture and equipment were made of bronze, and everything inside the temple was covered in pure gold!

Every detail of the temple was special. The people worked hard to prepare a place for God to come and dwell with them. It was worth their effort to have a place where they could spend time with God and know that He is with them!

The first chapter of John describes Jesus like this: “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. We observed his glory, the glory as the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14 CSB) We no longer need to go to a temple to visit God because He came to us! All who believe in Jesus receive eternal life, which means we will dwell with Him forever and ever!

The temple was a place where God met with His people. The people could go there to make sacrifices and worship God. Today, when we trust in Jesus, He is with us wherever we go. We can look to Him for forgiveness and help.

TALK ABOUT IT TOGETHER

  • What was so special about the temple? (The temple would be a place where the Israelites could meet with God. God had a street address!)
  • Why don’t we need to go to a temple today to meet with God? (God sent Jesus, who is “God with us.” We don’t need to go anywhere to be with God; He came to us. When we trust in Jesus, we have access to God anywhere, anytime, any place. That means we can enjoy God anywhere, anytime, anyplace and we can talk to Him anywhere, anytime, anyplace.)

PRAY TOGETHER

God, You created the universe and rule over everything, but You still love us and want to live with us. We praise You for giving Israel the temple to know that You were with them, and we thank You for the promise of eternal life through Jesus—to know that we can live with You forever!

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