“[...] the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and [...] said, “Ask what I shall give you.” And Solomon said, “You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant David my father[…] And now, O Lord [...], you have made your servant king in [his] place, although I am but a little child. I do not know how to go out or come in. [...] Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?” (1 Kings 3:6-8) I find it remarkable the level of maturity the biblical youth displayed at such tender ages. It makes the “wisdom” of our beloved Dr. Phils quite laughable, yet sadly many of us eagerly tune in for the latest. I attribute this stark contrast to the secularization of society, for the “fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; (but) fools despise wisdom and instruction” (Proverbs 1:7) as they despise God. It is important to note that wisdom stems from knowledge of God, and you cannot come to know God without His Spirit, which you can only obtain through Jesus Christ. For Jesus Himself said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No man comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). Paul calls the wisdom of the world, "foolishness” because the world fails to recognize God’s authority. They continually walk in the light of their own foolishness, for “although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man...” (Romans 1:21-23). Moreover, contrary to popular belief, it would appear that peppered gray locks do not necessarily anticipate sound judgement. It is not “days (that) speak, (nor)...years (that) teach wisdom. But it is the spirit in man, the breath of the Almighty, that makes him understand. ” (Job 32:7-9) Solomon was barely a preteen when he was anointed King of Israel, yet we find such a tremendous display of wisdom in his request. The offer was wide open: Ask anything and I will give it to you. How many of us could have made a similar request? If you have not been born of the Spirit, then you are automatically disqualified, for “without faith it is impossible to please him, [since] whosoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6). But those of us who have answered the call to receive the free gift of salvation may now take part in this wonderful offer. Ask what I shall give you, says our Creator, the God of the universe. If you are marveling at the thought of such a proposition made to young Solomon then stay tuned, there’s more! Solomon’s response reveals three important aspects of his character: faith (salvation), humility and stewardship. Let’s take a look at each one of these qualities in greater detail. The first, salvation, we emphasized was significant in that it establishes the framework through which you can even make an appeal. It is the base requirement to attain fellowship with God. Fortunately for us, it is a gift freely given to us through faith in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8). Because “Solomon loved the LORD, [and] walk[ed] in the statutes of David his father” (1 Kings 3:3), his candidacy to petition was established. It follows then that the subsequent verse would indicate God’s invitation for him to petition his request. The second characteristic of Solomon’s response that I want to emphasize is its element of humility. This is evidenced by his statement: “I am but a little child. I do not know how to come out or go in.” It is not uncommon for God to emphasize a spiritual truth using a physical analogy. Superficially, Solomon is speaking quite literally when he describes himself as “a little child,” for he was barely an adolescent when he assumed His father’s throne. However his statement belies an important spiritual lesson, that Jesus later emphasizes in Matthew: “Suffer the little children to come unto me [...] for of such is the kingdom of God” (Matthew 19:14). Children are marked by their purity in heart and poverty of spirit, two attributes Jesus praises in His Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5). These attributes serve to combat human pride, which stiffens the heart and drives men towards rebellion. James instructs us to “humble [ourselves] before the Lord, [so that] He will lift [us] up” (James 4:10). King Solomon forgoes the glories of youthful prestige and adopts instead a seasoned attitude of brokenness as he stands humbly before His Maker. His appropriate posture grants him God’s favor, for “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6). The third and final characteristic of Solomon’s response lies in its outward focus...on Service rather than Self. The power of Solomon’s entreaty is found in its quality of stewardship. You must be careful not to extricate the request for wisdom from the desire to serve, lest you misjudge God unfaithful for His unwillingness to grant you the wisdom you desire. With God, the question is hardly what can He give but rather what purpose will it serve. Solomon’s intentions were admirable; he desired “an understanding mind to govern [God’s] people” and “it pleased the Lord” (1 Kings 3:6) to grant him “the desires of [his] heart” (Psalm 37:4). Solomon’s mindset was placed appropriately on promoting God’s kingdom (represented here as national Israel) and his request ultimately reflected a commitment to its fulfillment. We can be certain of this truth: that a request born of a sincere desire to serve the kingdom of God will never go unanswered. In fact, we have numerous examples in the Bible that attest to this point, only one of which I will state here for the sake of brevity. Consider for instance, the success of King Hezekiah as described in 2 Chronicles 31. There we read: "And every work that [King Hezekiah] undertook in the service of the house of God and in accordance with the law and the commandments, seeking his God, he did with all his heart, and prospered" (2 Chronicles 31:21). The Word of God is so wonderfully consistent! These biblical patterns we would do well to observe and mimic that we might ourselves serve as yet another attestation of God's glory! I’ve been thinking a lot about wisdom these days, particularly in regards to decisions that govern my professional future. I'm sure we all have great aspirations ahead of us, but it is important that they are appropriately aligned to God's will. I will continue this study in the next post, and will focus specifically on the significance and application of Solomon's entreaty into our own lives. In the meantime, I encourage you to read through the entire passage, it is quite inspiring! May God bless you as you continue faithfully reading His Word! --Junève, Editor Highlights: As you submit your requests to God, consider incorporating the following elements into your prayers:
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Today's Verse
“Behold you are beautiful my love, behold, you are beautiful; your eyes are doves” Song of Solomon 1:15 ESV Quotations"A word spoken by you when your conscience is clear and your heart full of God's Spirit is worth ten thousand words spoken in unbelief and sin." Archives
January 2023
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