Imagine you are walking down a beach and stumble an unusual looking bottle. You pick it up and poof, there is smoke and when it clears there is a Genie before you. You could be granted any wish, you just ask for it. What would you ask for?
Would you ask for riches, fame, to be a king, a long life, revenge on your enemies or something else. God is not a Genie. He is so far beyond that. But every good gift comes from God. He is able to give all things and enjoys giving to those who ask in accordance with his will.
In the context 1 Kings 3 and the Lord asking Solomon to make a request to him the throne of Israel has just come to Solomon. His father King David has died and has recently been buried. Solomon senses the tremendous responsibility.
The burden of the throne of Israel must have weight heavy on Solomon. He was young and needing guidance as the leadership has been passed to him. It was in this context the Lord appeared to Solomon.
At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.” (1 Kings 3:5)
The Lord told Solomon, whatever you want, ask for it! Could you imagine if God gave you a blank check. Write down anything on that check and you can have it. Would some people ask for rubies or silver and gold? Solomon asked for wisdom. It is more precious than rubies or silver or gold.
Solomon approached his new position with humility. “Now, LORD my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. (I Kings 3:7)
Solomon must have been tossing and turning all night about how he would handle the throne. It was beyond him. Yes, Solomon was handsome, outstanding among ten thousand. His legs were like pillars of marble. He was charming (Song of Solomon 1:16, 5:10,15). None of this was enough to rule on the throne of Israel. Solomon needed something more.
He knew his looks and charm were not going to carry him long as king. He felt like a little child when it came to ruling the nation. When the Lord came to him and asked for his request, Solomon requested wisdom.
So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?” (1 Kings 3:9)
Solomon asks for a discerning heart in administering justice. Great request! When I started to work at Quaker Oats, I was young and supervising people who worked there longer than I had been alive. I received advice; “treat everyone equal and be fair”. That man gave me great advice, but I will go with Solomon here, I need the Lord’s wisdom.
Solomon is burdened. Solomon is young and inexperienced. He asks, God give me the wisdom I need to govern this great people of yours. God is pleased by Solomon’s humble request.
I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be. 13 Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for—both wealth and honor—so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings. (1 Kings 3:12-13)
Not only does Solomon get his humble request, but God will pour out what a more selfish request might have asked for. Solomon woke up realizing that he had a dream. It was more than a dream. Solomon had a vision of God and realized that God was giving him the wisdom needed. To lead God’s people and more.
Solomon’s first challenge came. This would be a test of his wisdom. It was a dispute between two women about whose son was living and whose had died. It was a case of the “switcharoo.” It was a, my word against their word situation. There were no witnesses and one of them was lying.
Now two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him. 17 One of them said, “Pardon me, my lord. This woman and I live in the same house, and I had a baby while she was there with me. 18 The third day after my child was born, this woman also had a baby. We were alone; there was no one in the house but the two of us. 19 “During the night this woman’s son died because she lay on him. 20 So she got up in the middle of the night and took my son from my side while I your servant was asleep. She put him by her breast and put her dead son by my breast. 21 The next morning, I got up to nurse my son—and he was dead! But when I looked at him closely in the morning light, I saw that it wasn’t the son I had borne.” 22 The other woman said, “No! The living one is my son; the dead one is yours.” But the first one insisted, “No! The dead one is yours; the living one is mine.” And so they argued before the king. (1 Kings 3:16-22)
This is the type of situation that has baffled juries and judges of all times. Solomon’s response was cut the child in two. He gave orders to get the sword. There were two responses, a yes and a no. The woman who could give up the child before seeing her little baby killed was the real mother. It was profound wisdom.
The response of the people was awe. Solomon’s fame spread. This young king is full of wisdom. It was evident that God gave Solomon wisdom. The extent of Solomon’s wisdom was so far reaching. He was the wisest of them all.
He was wiser than anyone else, including Ethan the Ezrahite—wiser than Heman, Kalkol and Darda, the sons of Mahol. And his fame spread to all the surrounding nations. (1 Kings 4:31)
He spoke three thousand proverbs and his songs numbered a thousand and five. 33 He spoke about plant life, from the cedar of Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of walls. He also spoke about animals and birds, reptiles and fish. 34 From all nations people came to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, sent by all the kings of the world, who had heard of his wisdom. (1 Kings 5:32-34)
The books of the Bible attributed to Solomon are: Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon and Psalm 127 and Psalm 72. He wrote much of what we call the wisdom literature of the Bible.
The Queen of Sheba came to ask him hard questions. His fame spread.
When the queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon and his relationship to the LORD, she came to test Solomon with hard questions. 2 Arriving at Jerusalem with a very great caravan—with camels carrying spices, large quantities of gold, and precious stones—she came to Solomon and talked with him about all that she had on her mind. 3 Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was too hard for the king to explain to her. 4 When the queen of Sheba saw all the wisdom of Solomon and the palace he had built, 5 the food on his table, the seating of his officials, the attending servants in their robes, his cupbearers, and the burnt offerings he made at[a] the temple of the LORD, she was overwhelmed. She said to the king, “The report I heard in my own country about your achievements and your wisdom is true. 7 But I did not believe these things until I came and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, not even half was told me; in wisdom and wealth you have far exceeded the report I heard. 8 How happy your people must be! How happy your officials, who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom! 9 Praise be to the LORD your God, who has delighted in you and placed you on the throne of Israel. Because of the LORD’s eternal love for Israel, he has made you king to maintain justice and righteousness.” 10 And she gave the king 120 talents of gold, large quantities of spices, and precious stones. Never again were so many spices brought in as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon. (1 Kings 10:1-10)
The name of Solomon is today synonymous with wisdom. Have you asked God for true wisdom? Who doesn’t need wisdom in this day, in this present life? The pressures of life are immense, financial pressures, health crises. There are violent crimes, wars and we see a world in chaos.
What we need, desperately need is wise leaders. In the church, in the government, in the home in every facet of life. There is a true wisdom which will bless people and there is a false worldly wisdom which will ultimately ruin those who entrust them to leadership.
In James there are two kinds of wisdom contrasted. There is a wisdom that comes from heaven. Then there is a unspiritual selfish wisdom that will bring disorder and ultimately destroys.
Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. 14 But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. 15 Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. 17 But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. (James 3:13-17)
The wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure and peace-loving. We need strong spiritual leaders and only heavenly wisdom will do. True wisdom enables us to do the right thing in the face of moral choices.
True wisdom means leading in light of eternal values and in light of the imminent return of Christ. The spiritual leaders in the New Testament were sometimes called upon to risk their very lives and encounter trials. They lead the church through times of persecution.
We need leaders with that kind of wisdom today. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. (James 1:5)
To aspire leadership is an honorable ambition if the motive is to glorify God and lead his people to grow spiritually. Spiritual leaders need to seek Godly wisdom. In fact, all of us need to seek Godly wisdom.
Not only should we ask for wisdom, but pray for wisdom and train the next generation to seek wisdom. David prepared his son Solomon by example (see Psalm 72). We must seek the source of wisdom and train our future leaders to do the same.
Godly wisdom is more precious than gold. It is what we must pursue. Jesus said that one greater than Solomon is here. Jesus was referring to himself. Jesus is the wisdom of God.
The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, and now something greater than Solomon is here. (Matthew 12:42)
True wisdom is found in Jesus Christ. You already know there are two wisdoms contrasted. Without Jesus your wisdom will be earthly. In contrast, Jesus is the wisdom that comes from heaven. Jesus will give you a peace-loving heavenly wisdom.
There is so much intellectualism that is devoid of God. This so-called wisdom is destructive. In Christ there is true wisdom. When Jesus came born in Bethlehem the magi or wise men came seeking Jesus. The saying we have now is, “wise men still seek him.”
Solomon’s wisdom comes from God. Today we have true wisdom by turning to Jesus Christ by faith. Jesus died for you. His death, burial and resurrection were for your salvation. He died the just for the unjust to bring you to God. Apart from Christ you will never know heavenly wisdom.
Do you want to grow in wisdom? Then grow in your relationship with Christ. God will give you the wisdom for any task. God will bless you beyond having wisdom with eternal life and spiritual blessings.
