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LESSON
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*December 30January 5
SABBATH AFTERNOON
Read for This Weeks Study: 2 Chron. 6:1-48, 2 Chron.
7:1-4, 1 Kings 3:16-28, 11:1-43.
Memory Text: For unto whomsoever much is given, of him
shall be much required (Luke 12:48).
R
ichard Cory is a poem about a rich man told from the perspec-
tive of a poor mana poor man jealous of Richard Cory, of his
money, of his looks, of everything Richard had that made others
wish that we were in his place. The poem ends, though, when Richard
Cory one fine night went home and put a bullet through his head.
Solomon, unlike Richard Cory, didnt kill himself, at least not physi-
cally. But spiritually, thats another matter. Solomon had all that the
world could offer; even more so, he had the best that heaven could
offer, as well: And Solomon the son of David was strengthened in his
kingdom, and the Lord his God was with him, and magnified him
exceedingly (2 Chron. 1:1).
What happened? How could someone walking so close to God, and
lavished with gifts from heaven and earth, end up so bitter, so cynical,
and tortured?
Its easy, really. No matter who we are, what we have, or even how
close to God we walk, in the end we are fallen creatures with natures
so rotten that unless we daily surrender ourselves to God (Luke 9:23),
we are in danger of allowing those natures to ruin us.
This week, before we study Ecclesiastes itself, well look at the Sitz
im Leben, the life situation, of Solomon, which will help us under-
stand why, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, he wrote the book as
he did.
*Study this weeks lesson to prepare for Sabbath, January 6.
The Rise and Fall of the
House of Solomon
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SUNDAY December 31
The Wisdom of Solomon
Lookup the following texts. What do they tell us about the nature and
character of Solomon, at least in his earlier years?
1 Kings 3:28
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1 Kings 4:29-34
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1 Kings 10:23
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Matt. 12:42
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Solomon, clearly, was a man of extraordinary intelligence and wis-
dom. Of course, intelligence and wisdom are not the same thing.
Some of the worlds most devilish people were very intelligent. What
they lacked was wisdom, the right kind, anyway.
According to the Bible there are at least two kinds of wisdom: the
wisdom of the world (1 Cor. 3:19) and the wisdom that comes from
God (Job 28:28, Ps. 111:10).
What do you think is the difference between these two kinds of wis-
dom?
Solomon was clearly a person who, whatever worldly wisdom he
possessed, had the wisdom that came from God: And God gave
Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness
of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea shore (1 Kings 4:29).
If, however, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, then
all wisdom and knowledge that arise after that fear must be based
on the recognition of the reality, the power, and the goodness of God.
God is the starting point of all true wisdom. Any truths not based on
that foundation might be knowledge but not wisdom. How unfortu-
nate that so many intelligent, educated, and knowledgeable people
know nothing of this wisdom.
He was an educated, intelligent professional, regarded as bril-
liant. And yet, when told he was a sinner, he responded, What
sin? Im not a sinner. How is this an example of knowledge
without wisdom? What other examples can you think of, and
what do they teach you about the difference between worldly
knowledge and heavenly wisdom?
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T E A C H E R S C O M M E N T S
I Have to Teach Tomorrow . . .
Key Text: Luke 12:47, 48
Teach the Class to:
Know: Our relationship with God needs to be ongoing.
Feel: Self-sufficiency causes moral and spiritual decline.
Do: Use Gods blessings to honor Him and to serve others.
Lesson Outline:
I. Solomons Humble Beginnings (1 Kings 3:4-15)

Gods offer, Ask for whatever you want me to give you (1 Kings
3:5, NIV), is designed to reveal character and surely tests Solomons loy-
alties. What makes Solomon choose a discerning heart (vs. 9) over
everything else he could have asked for? Why is it so hard to ask God to
give us what is best for us rather than what we want?

Gods response to Solomons request shows that He delights in doing

immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine (Eph. 3:20, NIV). In
what ways has God given you more than you asked for?
II. Solomon Glories in His Greatness, and Gods Discipline of Solomon
(1 Kings 10:2311:11, 14, 23, 26)

How does compromise come between God and us? How can we pre-
vent it?

Solomon finally receives word that God will take away his kingdom
but not . . . during your lifetime (1 Kings 11:12, NIV). In what way
is this an appeal to repent? Explain.
Summary: It is easy to be critical of Solomons mistakes and of his missed oppor-
tunities. But what are we doing with the talents and the gifts that God has
entrusted to us?
Learning Cycle
STEP 1Motivate!
Just for Teachers: Step 1 of the Natural Learning Cycle links the
learners experiences to the lesson. Help your class members answer
the question, Why is this lesson important to me?
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B
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B
C O N T I N U E D
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MONDAY January 1
Solomons Walk With the Lord
Whatever native intelligence Solomon possessed, that wasnt
enough to give him the kind of wisdom he showed in those early years
of his reign.
Read 1 Kings 3:16-28. What does that story tell us about what the
wisdom from God includes?
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Solomons wisdom, His ability to judge rightly, came to him from
God; it was a gift from above. But this didnt happen in a vacuum.
Solomon walked with the Lord; he had a relationship with God, one
in which his heart was surrendered to the Lord in faith and obedience.
Only through such submission could the Lord give him the wisdom he
needed to judge rightly in the land of Israel.
Read1 Kings 3:3-14. What elements do you find in Solomons words
that show what His attitude toward God was?
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In this encounter we can see what in many ways was the crucial ele-
ment in Solomons great success. Verse 9 says it all: Not only did he
ask for the right thing (wisdom to be a good king); his whole attitude
in asking showed that this young man, with all the world at his fin-
gertips, understood his need of God. Solomon, the king of Israel,
came before the Lord as a humble suppliant. There is no trace of self-
sufficiency here. He saw his need of a greater power. As long as he
had that attitude, theres no doubt that the Lord could work mighty
things through him.
Theres another element, too, that mustnt be missed. Read again
Solomons interaction with the Lord here. Obviously his words
showed where his heart was. But words arent enough. How else is
Solomon to show the reality of a faith relationship with God? The
answer, of course, is in verse 14: If thou wilt walk in my ways . . .
Heres a great example of the closeness between faith and works. God
can work through Solomon, and reward his faith, only as long as
Solomon reveals that faith through obedience.
How well do your works reflect your faith? What do your works
say about your faith? What changes do you need to make?
T E A C H E R S C O M M E N T S
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So live that you will not have to spend the last half of your life regretting
the first half. Ironically, it was not a foolish, youthful first half that felled
Solomon.
Consider This: Solomon had written, A good name is rather to be
chosen than great riches (Prov. 22:1). Where, then, did he get his courage
to go public in open shame, then write his tale for all Christendom to
exclaim, How stupid! Would we thank and comfort Solomon?
Example: Solomon, you died assured that from the depths of your
agonywith your kingly honor and good name cast at the crossfrom
your burned tongue, acid reflux, and broken heart, you cared enough to
warn us, Dont do this! Dont! Dont! Dont!
Consider This: What does Solomon not want us to do?
STEP 2Explore!
Just for Teachers: This step of the Natural Learning Cycle pre-
sents information learners can use to help them better understand the
lesson. Help your class members answer this question: What do I need
to know from Gods Word?
Bible Commentary
I. What Is Vanity?
Solomons key word, vanity, is introduced and repeated five times in
Ecclesiastes 1:2. Solomon was indeed vain, but his intended meaning is
not to be confused with pride. Instead, Solomons vanity means to no
avail, as in our labor was in vain. Remember this important distinction
throughout the quarter.
II. A Blank Check?
Imagine being handed the blank check that Solomon had been given. Just
fill in the amount. Invite a class member to read two texts: 1 Kings 3:5
(addressed to Solomon) and Matthew 7:7 (addressed to hearers of Jesus
Sermon on the Mount). This second text is addressed to a multitude (see
C O N T I N U E D
Learning Cycle
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TUESDAY January 2
Solomon in Gods Temple
Perhaps, of all the privileges given Solomon, none was greater than
to build the temple in Jerusalem, the chosen city (2 Chron. 6:6) of the
Lord, the Creator of the heavens and the earth (Rev. 10:6). However
much David, Solomons father, had wanted the job himself, it was left
to Solomon to fulfill the task.
Read over Solomons prayer of dedication in 2 Chronicles 6. What
elements stand out in your mind as you read Solomons words?
What principles can you find from this prayer that can be applied
in our experience with God today, both on a personal and a cor-
porate level?
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So many powerful truths come from these words. Notice, for
instance, verse 18, Solomons acknowledgment of the grandness and
greatness of the God who created a universe whose size the king could
barely comprehend.
Notice, too, all the way through the prayer, Solomons realization
that his people needed to remain obedient to God. None of the special
covenant blessings given to Israel were unconditional.
Perhaps the most important point in this whole prayer is the prom-
ise of forgiveness. If Israel sinned, and were punished for those sins,
God would hear from heaven, from His dwelling place, and for-
give. Notice, though, how that forgiveness always was linked to their
confession and repentance.
Read verse 36, focusing on the phrase for there is no man which sin-
neth not. How do you understand this verse in the context of the
gospel? What point was Solomon making?
What we see here in Solomons prayer is a recognition of human
weakness contrasted to the loving forgiveness of God. Second
Chronicles 7:1-3 shows that God accepted Solomons sacrifices,
which were offered with his prayers.
If there is no person who sinneth not, why is it so important
for each of us to understand Christs death in our own behalf?
Why must our hope of eternal life rest only with Jesus?
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T E A C H E R S C O M M E N T S
Matt. 5:1). That must include us! The God whom we serve is no respecter
of persons. He who gave to Solomon the spirit of wise discernment is will-
ing to impart the same blessing to His children today.Ellen G. White,
Prophets and Kings, p. 31, emphasis supplied.
Just like that? Well, there are a few conditions (which Solomon eventu-
ally failed to meet). At least four more invitations deserve contemplation.
Distribute the following nine passages on slips to be read:
Matthew 21:22 Ask believing
John 14:14 Ask in His name
John 15:7 Ask while abiding in Him
1 John 5:14 Ask according to His will
Other passages explain why we do not receive:
Psalm 66:18, 19 Cherished sins
Isaiah 1:13-17 Insincere worship
Mark 11:24-26 A nonforgiving spirit
James 4:3 Misuse of gifts
1 Peter 3:7 Dissension in the home
Consider This: Is God enforcing better be good rules, or is He
seeking responsible receivers?
Discuss the cause of Solomons downfall with class members.
From Ellen G. White, Prophets and Kings (pp. 5368), we know that his
downfall
came about so gradually as to be imperceptible;
stemmed from ambition to excel all other nations;
came from entering heathen alliances and marriages;
was influenced by his heathen wives in idolatry;
eventually fell so low as to offer child sacrifices;
was his inability to withstand flattery; he came to accept the phrase
Solomons Temple rather than Gods Temple.
III. Confession Time
Little is known about Solomons confession, except that it was sincere and
public. Solomons sins were of a general kind that should be made known
in the congregation of the people.Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the
Church, vol. 5, p. 639.
Note: For confessions not to be made public, see Ellen G. White,
Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5, p. 645.
C O N T I N U E D
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WEDNESDAY January 3
The Fall of Solomon
Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he
fall (1 Cor. 10:12).
However much he was favored of the Lord, however many blessings
Solomon had, he started to lose his way. Ellen White makes it clear:
So gradual was Solomons apostasy that before he was aware of it, he
had wandered far from God. Almost imperceptibly he began to trust
less and less in divine guidance and blessing, and to put confidence in
his own strength. Little by little he withheld from God that unswerv-
ing obedience which was to make Israel a peculiar people, and he con-
formed more and more closely to the customs of the surrounding
nations. Yielding to the temptations incident to his success and his
honored position, he forgot the Source of his prosperity.Ellen G.
White, Prophets and Kings, p. 55.
What element in particular does the Bible point to as the source of
Solomons moral and spiritual decline? See 1 Kings 11:1-4. What
command were his actions specifically in violation of? See Deut.
17:17.
However wrong he was in taking numerous wives, especially foreign
ones who didnt know the Lord, the problem wasnt so much that, in and
of itself; it was where these marriages would lead him. The women, who
were probably closer to him than anyone else in the nation, eventually
led him away from the Lord. Notice that 1 Kings 11:4 says that when
Solomon was old, his wives turned his heart away. In other words, as
Ellen White wrote above, his apostasy didnt happen all at once. It
began with an infraction that, in and of itself, didnt seem to be so bad.
That small step, however, ended up as a grand leap into apostasy.
What did this apostasy on his part lead him into doing? 1 Kings 11:4-9.
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Utterly amazing! From being specifically chosen of the Lord to
worshiping and serving pagan gods? If it could happen to him, it could
happen to anyone.
Are there some strange women in your life? Be brutally hon-
est with yourself. And if the answer is yes, how do you get rid of
them?
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T E A C H E R S C O M M E N T S
C O N T I N U E D
In penitence [Solomon] began to trace his steps toward the exalted plane
of purity and holiness from whence he had fallen so far.Ellen G.
White, Prophets and Kings, p. 78.
But retracing his steps may have been, like his fall, at least somewhat
gradualfor along the way he first tried to kill Jeroboam after realizing
he was a God-chosen successor (1 Kings 11:11, 40).
Consider This: How does one reconcile Solomons last-hour turn-
around, when he seemed cemented in sin, with the following passage:
Let none flatter themselves that sins cherished for a time can easily be
given up by and by. This is not so. . . . You may repent of the wrong you have
done, and set your feet in right paths; but the mold of your mind and your
familiarity with evil will make it difficult for you to distinguish between
right and wrong.Ellen G. White, Christs Object Lessons, p. 281.
STEP 3Practice!
Just for Teachers: This step of the learning cycle will assist you in
helping your class members find the answer to the following question:
How can I practice the information I just learned?
Thought Questions:

How might I be making some gradual adaptations to this under the

sun world? Have I somewhere lowered the bar? If so, where is grace
nowbetween the original and present bar? Or do I not need grace,
because I have reset the bar to my own ability?

Do I know someone still under the sunthis side of heavenwho

longs for a new name now, a name like Friend?
Application Question:
We know nothing of Solomons confession, but instead of repenting as
David did, who simply said, I have sinned, do we ever use the following
rationalizations?
The manipulation phrase: I was Christian enough to confess. Now you
must be Christian enough to forgive.
The buzzword phrase: You have to forget what I did and move on.
The threat phrase: Read these inspired quotations on what happens to
people who dont forgive.
Learning Cycle
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THURSDAY January 4
Solomons Last Days
The Lord, of course, didnt sit by and do nothing while Solomon fell
into apostasy. No doubt the God who is not willing that any should
perish, but that all should come to repentance (2 Pet. 3:9) worked on
the heart of His once-faithful servant.
What did the Lord say to Solomon regarding Solomons actions?
How, also, do we see in these verses the principle that our actions,
for good or ill, impact others? Where, also, do we see Gods mercy
toward Solomon here? See 1 Kings 11:11-13.
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What trials did the Lord bring on Solomon as a result of his sinful
actions? 1 Kings 11:14-43.
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Though Scripture itself doesnt say it, Ellen White makes it clear
that, in the end, Solomonno matter how hardenedeventually saw
the folly of his ways and repented. Having learned much from this ter-
rible experience, in his later years the king recorded for after gener-
ations the history of his wasted years with their lessons of warning.
Ellen G. White, Prophets and Kings, p. 79. These words, at least
part of them, are what we know today as the book of Ecclesiastes.
Read Ecclesiastes 1:1, 16 and 2:4-10. How do these verses help us
identify its writer as Solomon?
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Numerous lessons can be learned from the sad story of Solomon.
First, no matter how exalted we are, none of us are immune from the
follies of sin and apostasy. Second, Solomons fall brought suffering
not just upon himself but upon others, as well, a common principle
that many of us know all too well. Finally, as we study the book of
Ecclesiastes, we can see the bitterness and suffering that Solomon
faced because of his wrong choices.
No matter how far Solomons fall, God didnt give up on him.
What good news do you find in that for yourself, you who have
surely stumbled and fallen, as well?
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T E A C H E R S C O M M E N T S
The blame phrase: OK, so Im wrong; but you started it.
Consider This: Ask class members to prayerfully consider whether
they have unresolved issues because of having used such phrases.
Witnessing
The message from God that quickened Solomons conscience came
through a prophet.Ellen G. White, Prophets and Kings, p. 77.
Read to your class the following passage: Long had [Solomon] been
harassed by the fear of utter ruin because of inability to turn from folly;
but now he discerned in the message given him a ray of hope. God had not
utterly cut him off, but stood ready to deliver him from a bondage more
cruel than the grave, and from which he had had no power to free him-
self.Pages 77, 78, emphasis supplied.
A ray of hope! Solomon had given up, probably feeling that his feet were
encased in hardened cement. But not so his heart, or at least not all of it.
We are not prophets. But how can God use us to give someone a ray of
hope? Is someone we know longing to hear that he/she is not utterly cut off?
STEP 4Apply!
Just for Teachers: In this fourth and final step of the Natural
Learning Cycle, you will want to encourage class members to make a
life response to the lesson. Help them answer this question: With
Gods help, what can I do with what I have learned from this lesson?
Visualize Solomons tombstone:
Solomon
_?_ B.C.931 B.C.
A new name will I give you.
Between birth and death, life itself is a mere dash! For most of us, without
a biblical record, God alone knows the life this dash represents.
Marriage counselors will often direct a spouse perceived as going
nowhere, toward a goal in life by asking, Upon retirement, what will you
want to have accomplished? What will you want to be remembered for?
Narrow your answer down to one line on your tombstone.
Learning Cycle
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FRIDAY January 5
Further Study: Read Ellen G. White, Prophets and Kings,
pp. 2546, for the story of Solomon. See also The SDA Bible
Commentary, vol. 3, introduction to Ecclesiastes.
For many years Solomons life was marked with devotion to God,
with uprightness and firm principle, and with strict obedience to Gods
commands. He directed in every important enterprise and managed
wisely the business matters connected with the kingdom. His wealth
and wisdom, the magnificent buildings and public works that he con-
structed during the early years of his reign, the energy, piety, justice,
and magnanimity that he revealed in word and deed, won the loyalty of
his subjects and the admiration and homage of the rulers of many
lands.Ellen G. White, Prophets and Kings, p. 32.
But Solomon had begun to lose sight of the Source of his power
and glory. As inclination gained the ascendancy over reason, self-
confidence increased, and he sought to carry out the Lords purpose in
his own way. He reasoned that political and commercial alliances with
the surrounding nations would bring these nations to a knowledge of
the true God; and he entered into unholy alliance with nation after
nation. Often these alliances were sealed by marriages with heathen
princesses. The commands of Jehovah were set aside for the customs
of surrounding peoples.Page 54.
Discussion Questions:
G As a class, talk about other great leaders who made horrible
mistakes that shouldnt have been made. What parallels can you
see between them and Solomon? What lessons can you learn for
yourselves from these mistakes?
G Though we are not all Solomons, in what subtle ways do we
face the same danger of slowly losing our dependency upon God?
Also, what are our responsibilities to someone who is starting to
fall away? How do we help without appearing judgmental?
G Do you, as a class, know someone who has fallen away from
the Lord? What can you, as a class, do to try to bring this person
back to the Lord? What are the first steps you could take to show
this person that God still loves him or her? Perhaps the first
thing you could do is invite that person to some social gathering
outside a church setting.
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