SERIES SUMMARY
The Bible is the story of God as King and becoming King in Jesus. And we are his image bearers, created for royal reflection. But we don’t live in a monarchy, so “kingship” and “royalty” can feel like foreign ideas to us. Yet, we’re still called to recognize and submit to God as King. In the Old Testament, it was God’s desire for a king to reign over his people as a reminder of these things. Specifically, God promised David a son who would reign forever, and we see glimpses of this promised king in Solomon. Through his story, we’re reminded that there should be a royal wisdom that defines us as God’s kingdom of priests, the church. But ultimately, Solomon failed in his royal reflection. So, the question is, what does Solomon’s story teach us about ourselves and God? How can the life of Solomon be instructive to us as God’s people today? And most importantly, how does King Solomon (a son of David) point us to King Jesus (the son of David)?
PASSAGE GUIDE
God’s second appearance to Solomon after the temple’s dedication is a powerful reaffirmation of His covenant faithfulness and a sober reminder of the relational dynamics of that covenant. God declares that He has consecrated the temple, placing His Name and reputation there, a sign of His steadfast commitment to dwell among His people as He promised David. Yet this divine initiative does not nullify the call to faithfulness. The continued experience of God’s presence, blessing, and favor is tied to Israel’s obedience to His commands and trust in His promises. In other words, God’s covenant love is secure and steadfast, but the depth of fellowship and the tangible blessings that flow from it depend on His people’s response.
This covenant dynamic is deeply relational rather than transactional. God’s warning is not a threat meant to coerce obedience but an invitation to ongoing intimacy, an intimacy rooted in faithfulness and integrity of heart. Solomon himself is cautioned against the dangers of self-reliance, wealth, and ambition that could compromise wholehearted devotion. Integrity and uprightness, qualities reflecting God’s own character, are to mark His people. “Walking before God” means living every aspect of life in conscious alignment with His revealed will, and doing so enables the covenant blessings to flourish. When obedience wanes, the result is not arbitrary punishment but the natural outworking of breaking fellowship with the source of life and blessing.
The conditional language surrounding the temple and the Davidic dynasty underscores this principle. God’s covenant promises to David remain firm, yet their visible expression, the glory of the temple, the stability of the throne, the witness of Israel among the nations, hinges on the people’s ongoing fidelity. Should they abandon God’s ways, the temple that once symbolized divine presence will become a heap of ruins, and Israel itself will become a byword among the nations. Such consequences, foreseen in Deuteronomy and echoed by the prophets, are ultimately acts of self-judgment: the inevitable fruit of forsaking covenant relationship. Even in judgment, however, God’s faithfulness remains; His discipline serves to draw His people back to repentance and renewal.
This covenant framework finds its fullest expression in Christ, who perfectly fulfills the promises made to David and Israel. Through Him, our relationship with God is secured unconditionally, yet the invitation to walk faithfully remains. Our obedience is never a means of earning God’s love; rather, it is the pathway to experiencing the fullness of that love and living in the richness of communion He intends. Just as Solomon was reminded that God’s faithful covenant love called for Israel’s faithful response, so too are believers today called to respond to God’s steadfast grace with wholehearted devotion, prayerful repentance, and daily obedience, not as a duty but as the joyful expression of a relationship grounded in unbreakable promise.
*We are a church located in Greenville, South Carolina. Our vision is to see God transform us into a community of grace passionately pursuing life and mission with Jesus.
SUGGESTIONS FOR COMMUNITY GROUP QUESTIONS
Remember, these are “suggested” questions. You do not have to go through every single one of them. You do not need to listen to both sermons at both campuses to participate in the discussion.
OPENING PRAYER
Spend time in prayer thanking God for His steadfast covenant love. Ask Him to reveal any areas of self-reliance, compromise, or disobedience in your life that may be hindering deeper fellowship with Him. Invite the Holy Spirit to teach you how to walk closely with God, not to earn His favor, but to experience the relationship He desires for you.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
- What stood out to you from the text or the sermon as you were listening and reading?
- In what way is God’s warning to Solomon not a threat but an invitation to deeper intimacy with Him?
- What does God’s covenant faithfulness reveal about His character and how He relates to His people?
- How does Christ both fulfill the unconditional promises of God and empower our faithful response in the new covenant?
- How do prayer, repentance, and obedience function as covenant practices that keep us aligned with God’s purposes?
- Where in your life are you relying on your own strength or ambition rather than walking “before God” with integrity?
- How does Solomon’s struggle with ambition and self-reliance mirror common temptations you face today?
- How might you more intentionally cultivate a posture of obedience, not to earn God’s love, but to deepen your experience of it?
- Are there specific areas where you need to repent and return to wholehearted devotion to God?
- How does remembering Christ’s finished work free you to respond faithfully without fear or striving?
- What role do repentance and obedience play in maintaining a vibrant relationship with God, according to this passage?
Life with Jesus: Create intentional daily rhythms that remind you of God’s faithful presence; for example, begin and end each day with a short time of prayer and Scripture reading. You can set aside moments throughout the day to pause, thank God, and practice habits like journaling that turn your attention back to Him in ordinary moments
Life in Community: Find a relationship where confession, repentance, and restoration are normal parts of life together.
Life on Mission: Write down ways that you can live with consistent integrity, humility, and love in your daily interactions so that your faithfulness reflects God’s own covenant character.
CLOSING PRAYER
Spend time thanking God for His steadfast covenant faithfulness and His fulfilled promises in Christ. Ask the Spirit to reveal areas of disobedience, self-reliance, or divided devotion, and bring them before God in repentance, trusting His grace to restore you.