Sunday Connect Lesson for February 6, 2022

THE WISE CHOICE
Study the Word:            
Key Truth: A Father’s Best Advice Is to Live According to God’s Ways (1 Kings 2:1-4)

2 As the time approached for David to die, he instructed his son Solomon, 2 “As for me, I am going the way of all of the earth.  Be strong and be courageous like a man, 3 and keep your obligation to the Lord your God to walk in His ways and to keep His statutes, commands, ordinances, and decrees. This is written in the law of Moses, so that you will have success in everything you do and wherever you turn, 4 and so that the Lord will carry out His promise that He made to me: ‘If your sons are careful to walk faithfully before Me with their whole mind and heart, you will never fail to have a man on the throne of Israel.’

Key Truth: Godly Wisdom and Understanding Are More Valuable Than Riches and Fame (1 Kings 3:3-9)
3 Solomon loved the Lord by walking in the statutes of his father David, but he also sacrificed and burned incense on the high places. 4 The king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there because it was the most famous high place. He offered 1,000 burnt offerings on that altar.  5 At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream at night.  God said, “Ask.  What should I give you?” 6 And Solomon replied, “You have shown great and faithful love to Your servant, my father David, because he walked before You in faithfulness, righteousness, and integrity. You have continued this great and faithful love for him by giving him a son to sit on his throne, as it is today. 7 “Lord my God, You have now made Your servant king in my father David’s place.  Yet I am just a youth with no experience in leadership.   8 Your servant is among Your people You have chosen, a people too numerous to be numbered or counted.  9 So give Your servant an obedient heart to judge Your people and to discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?”

Key Truth: God Blesses Those Who Choose Godliness and Wisdom Over Selfish Desires (1 Kings 3:10-15)
10 Now it pleased the Lord that Solomon had requested this. 11 So God said to him, “Because you have requested this and did not ask for long life or riches for yourself, or the death of your enemies, but you asked discernment for yourself to understand justice, 12 I will therefore do what you have asked.  I will give you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has never been anyone like you before and never will be again.  13 In addition, I will give you what you did not ask for: both riches and honor, so that no man in any kingdom will be your equal during your entire life.  14 If you walk in My ways and keep My statutes and commands just as your father David did, I will give you a long life.” 15 Then Solomon woke up and realized it had been a dream.  He went to Jerusalem, stood before the ark of the Lord’s covenant, and offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings.  Then he held a feast for all his servants.