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Bible study · 1 Kings 3:1-28

1 Kings 3: A hearing heart

Read 1 Kings 3:1-28 before you meet.

In a few lines

Solomon's "understanding heart" (3:9) is, in Hebrew, a hearing heart: the verb shama. It returns when he asks "to discern justice" (3:11) and when "All Israel heard" (3:28). And the verb of "discern" (3:9), bin, is the one behind the mother's "looked at him" (3:21).

The verse to carry

“Give your servant therefore an understanding heart to judge your people, that I may discern between good and evil; for who is able to judge this great people of yours?”

1 Kings 3:9

To talk about

  1. 1. God said, "Ask for what I should give you" (3:5), and Solomon asked for a hearing heart to judge the people God had made him king over (3:7-9). If you could ask God for one thing for the people in your care, what would it be?

  2. 2. Solomon told God, "I am just a little child. I don’t know how to go out or come in" (3:7). Where do you feel out of your depth right now, and what helps you say so to God?

  3. 3. The mother was ready to let the other woman have her son so that he would live (3:26). When have you seen love show itself by giving something up?

Prayer requests