Scripture:I Kings 6-8 and 2 Chronicles 2-7
Learning Objectives:
- Students will learn God keeps His promises.
- Students will learn God often has very specific commands and He expects us to obey them exactly as given.
- Students will learn God expects us to praise and worship Him.
- Students will build a model of Solomon’s temple and learn about the artifacts inside.
Guiding Question: How does gratefulness led to praise?
Materials: 24-by-12-inch display board, modeling clay, marbles, wire, foam poster board, cutting knife, acrylic paint, plastic figurines, glue
Procedure: Read the story of Building the Temple from the scriptures above. Explain that the temple was built as a place to worship and praise God for His goodness and kept promises. Solomon was so grateful to God for keeping his promise to become king and for keeping past promises to David. The temple was symbol of gratitude. Explain to students that just like this command that Solomon was asked to obey, God also asks and wants us to obey His commands which are found throughout the Bible. He does so because He wants us to have the best life possible.
Work with the students to build a model replica of Solomon’s temple. As you are working, discuss the various items in the temple and their function. Talk to students about why they think those items were included in the temple. Use the instruction below to build the temple:
“Design a layout of the temple on a piece of paper. Think of the temple as a symbolic representation of the human body. For example, the two pillars are legs, the porch is the hips, the Holy Place is the stomach and chest, and the Holy of Holies is the head. By following the proportions of the human body, it becomes easier to examine and adjust the dimensions of the temple.
Lay out a thick display board. Draw the layout on the middle of the board, having the dimensions of the temple walls 12 inches long and 6 inches wide. This will allow the model to hold up and be strong enough to carry around to display in different settings.
Mold the two pillars at the entrance of the temple out of clay. The pillars, Jachin and Boaz, represent the legs of the symbolic man. According to the Bible, they are decorated with globes or pomegranates on top. Or put marbles on top of the clay pillars, which should provide the same effect.
Construct the main temple walls out of foam poster board, which is basically two pieces of poster board glued to Styrofoam. The Holy Place should be no less than 6 inches tall, and should be the foundation for the porch, at about 3 inches tall. The porch should be stationed together with the main body of the temple by using wire beams positioned at each corner of the structure. Make sure the wire beams are poked inside the foam frame and not outside of the walls.
Decorate the outside of the temple with acrylic paint, choosing a nice golden color to reinforce the temple’s historical importance. Decorate the inside of the walls with Jewish symbols.Try to find miniature figurines that look like the Ark of the Covenant and the two Cherubs.”
Reference: https://ourpastimes.com/how-to-build-a-scale-model-of-solomons-temple-12398329.html
Additional Questions: How does praising God with others build faith?
Supplemental Activity: Hold a “praise session” during class time. Have each students share how God has been faithful to them and why they are grateful for God. Have the students pick worship songs to listen to and have scripture readings. Have the students share how they were encouraged through the praise sessions afterwards.