A Wise and Understanding Heart

Solomon made a marriage alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt. He took Pharaoh’s daughter and brought her into the city of David until he had finished building his own house and the house of the Lord and the wall around Jerusalem. The people were sacrificing at the high places, however, because no house had yet been built for the name of the Lord. Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of David his father, only he sacrificed and made offerings at the high places. And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place. Solomon used to offer a thousand burnt offerings on that altar.

Two primary areas of Solomons rule are briefly covered in these verses.

First Political and then religious

1 Kings 3:1 ESV

The very first thing that we read about Solomons rule is that he forms a political alliance with Egypt through marriage. God does not forbid the marriage to foreign women. He only forbids the marriage of Israelite men to Canaanite women. He warns because they will bring their idolatrous worship into Israel.

It is believed that Psalm 45 is written concerning this Egyptian princess. It is typically believed that she becomes a follower of Yahweh and we see the beginnings of that in verse 10-11 of Psalm 45.

Psalm 45:10–11 ESV

Hear, O daughter, and consider, and incline your ear: forget your people and your father’s house, and the king will desire your beauty. Since he is your lord, bow to him.

The phrase “forget your people and your father’s house” is very important. Because it would have been believed during this time that the “father’s house” would have been the center of religious worship for women. So, what is really being told to this young girl wasn’t to simply forget about her father. But rather the religious practices of her people and her father. Because when she does the King will desire her beauty. Then she will be able to truly bow before him as the king of the hebrew nation.

Perhaps the most interesting point of all of this is that this is only perhaps four to five generations since the Hebrew enslavement by the Egyptians. And so what we should see is that in a very short period of time God has blessed his people greatly. To the point that one of the greatest powers in the world is making political alliances with the nation of Israel. One that perhaps held the greatest contempt for Israel.

In fact most believe that the Song of Solomon was written by Solomon concerning this Egyptian princess.

Now we are given this picture of the people of Israel sacrificing at the high places.

1 Kings 3:2 ESV

The people were sacrificing at the high places, however, because no house had yet been built for the name of the Lord.

Because there was no place to honour the name of the LORD the people were forced during this time to offer sacrifices at what would have been most likely old canaanite “high places” or places of worship. Most ancient places of worship were built on top of mountains or the highest hill in an area because it was the area closest to the heavens.

In time these places will actually become a downfall for Israel as places to worship false idols.

And then we get one of the greatest verse written about Solomon.

1 Kings 3:3 ESV

Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of David his father, only he sacrificed and made offerings at the high places.

In the beginning of Solomons reign we read that he loved the Lord. What greater thing could be written concerning the King of the Jews? He is fulfilling the Shema of Israel which is found in Deuteronomy chapter six verses four through five.

Deuteronomy 6:4–5 ESV

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.

David has raised a son who loves the Lord and will become the wisest King to rule over the Jewish nation of Israel.

Then we read of Solomon’s first sacrificial offering after being ordained as King of Israel.

1 Kings 3:4 ESV

And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place. Solomon used to offer a thousand burnt offerings on that altar.

Both Saul and David prior to Solomon offered sacrifices at Gibeon.

The sacrifices were offered to supplicate the Divine blessing on Solomons rule.

Most likely at some point during the offering or the evening following, because it would have taken several days to offer so many burnt offerings, God comes to Solomon in a dream.

The Divine Offer

1 Kings 3:5 ESV

At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and God said, “Ask what I shall give you.”

God makes himself known in a very real way to Solomon. Remember the sacrifices were essentially offered as a request for diving blessing upon Solomons rule over Gods people Israel. And so God directly answers the request that Solomon has made. And it looks like God is testing Solomon here, and so he asks him, “What shall I give you?” What does your heart truly desire? We have seen Xerxes ask Esther, “Ask of me anything that you desire up to half of my kingdom and it is yours?” We have seen Herod ask his step-daughter Solome the exact same question. And here now the King of Kings asks Solomon, “What shall I give you?” Far simpler, much less grandiose. But far more powerful. Solomon has the opportunity to reveal his heart to God and this is his response.

Solomon’s Prayer

1 Kings 3:6–8 ESV

And Solomon said, “You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant David my father, because he walked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart toward you. And you have kept for him this great and steadfast love and have given him a son to sit on his throne this day. And now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of David my father, although I am but a little child. I do not know how to go out or come in. And your servant is in the midst of your people whom you have chosen, a great people, too many to be numbered or counted for multitude.

David considered Gods greatest mercy upon his life the opportunity to have a son sit upon the throne. And so Solomon begins in verse six and says, “You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant David my father. STEADFAST LOVE.

Solomon then makes the statement that he is but a little child and he does not know to got out or come in. This is a common idiom for the time. He isn’t saying that he is actually a small child who doesn’t know how to use a door. What he is saying is that he does not believe he is able to lead.

I know it sure doesn’t look like that to us right now does it. Moses says the same thing to Israel just before he dies and they cross over the Jordan river into what will become Israel and Joshua will take Moses place as the national leader of the people of Israel. We read in Deut 31:2

Deuteronomy 31:2 ESV

And he said to them, “I am 120 years old today. I am no longer able to go out and come in. The Lord has said to me, ‘You shall not go over this Jordan.’

And so what we are seeing is Solomons recognition that he lacks the wisdom necessary to lead the people of God. And so he offers his request.

The Wise Choice

1 Kings 3:9 ESV

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?”

The attitude of the heart or the mind which listens to and obeys God is the very foundation of all true wisdom.

Proverbs 9:10 ESV

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.

The result of Solomons plea will be a heart with a skill to listen first and to listen well before placing judgment.

It Provided All He Needed

1 Kings 3:7–8 ESV

And now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of David my father, although I am but a little child. I do not know how to go out or come in. And your servant is in the midst of your people whom you have chosen, a great people, too many to be numbered or counted for multitude.

It Pleased God

1 Kings 3:10 ESV

It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this.

James 4:3 ESV

You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.

God’s Abundant Answer

He received what he asked for

1 Kings 3:12 ESV

behold, I now do according to your word. Behold, I give you a wise and discerning mind, so that none like you has been before you and none like you shall arise after you.

And then some

1 Kings 3:13 ESV

I give you also what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that no other king shall compare with you, all your days.

Proverbs 3:13 ESV

Blessed is the one who finds wisdom, and the one who gets understanding,

And even more

1 Kings 3:14–15 ESV

And if you will walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and my commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days.” And Solomon awoke, and behold, it was a dream. Then he came to Jerusalem and stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and offered up burnt offerings and peace offerings, and made a feast for all his servants.

So WHAT?

Pray for those in authority

1 Timothy 2:1–2 ESV

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.

Gain Wisdom for Daily LIfe

Proverbs 9:10 ESV

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.

Proverbs 3:18 ESV

She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her; those who hold her fast are called blessed.

We have been separated from the true tree of life due to sin. It was in the Garden and sin caused God to separate us from this tree. But a day is coming when we will one day be able to eat from the tree of life.

Revelation 22:1–2 ESV

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

We must pray for Wisdom

We must seek Wisdom in Gods Word

Jesus is the source of our Wisdom

1 Corinthians 1:18–19 ESV

For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”

1 Corinthians 1:30–31 ESV

And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

Wisdom for us now is to make a choice to become Jesus disciple in all of our decisions. It may not always be possible to make decisions that appear to be best for us, but it is possible to know that our values are those that bring about right relationships with Jesus.

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