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36. A King Forever
2 Samuel 5 – 7; Psalm 51
David became king of Israel. God gave David victory over all the enemies of God’s people… a new city to live in, called Jerusalem… and the ability to write lots of songs about God and his people, called psalms. The people lived under God’s rule and were happy in the land he had given them.
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One day, God gave King David a promise: “One of your children will become king after you. And someone from your family will become a king forever. He will be like a son to me, and I will always love him.”
David answered with a big thank-you prayer: “God, you are great. There is no one else like you. You have made Israel your special people, and you have been super, super kind to me. Thank you for your promises.”
David was a great king, though sometimes he made big mistakes. But when he did, he said to God…
“I know that I have not obeyed you. I don’t deserve to be your friend. I am sorry. Please forgive me so that I can still enjoy being your friend, and please change me so I can obey you as I should.”
37. King Solomon
1 Kings 3:1 – 11:13
Solomon became king of Israel when his father David died.
“I want to rule your people well, God,” Solomon prayed.
“Please make me wise.”
“I will make you the wisest person in the world,” answered God.
Solomon built a temple in Jerusalem. He used stone and wood and gleaming gold and dazzling jewels. In the middle of the temple was the most special place in the world – the place where God lived among his people.
Because Solomon was so wise and so rich, the queen of Sheba went on a long journey to visit him. “This land is amazing!” she said. “Everyone must be very happy to have such a good king. God must love his people very much.”
But then Solomon stopped being wise, and decided to worship not-gods instead of the real God. God was not pleased. “Because you have stopped loving me, your son will not rule over Israel,” he said. “But I promised your father David that his family would rule my people. So I will let your son be king of a small part of this land.”
