We are given some background to this passage. David was King of Israel for forty years. He ruled seven years in Hebron and thirty-three years in Jerusalem. Solomon succeeded his father after a bit of a struggle for succession and you can read about it in First Kings, Chapter 1. We know a few things about Solomon. He is the second son of Bathsheba – the first one died. Solomon succeeded David at his mother’s request and with his father’s approval. Preceding David’s final breath, he issued some last words to Solomon. Then David confirms the necessity of Solomon’s obedience to the Torah. At the beginning of this chapter in Kings, we read these words, “Solomon loved the Lord and followed the instructions of his father David.” We discover from our reading that Solomon has a dream. Normally a prophet served as an intermediary between Yahweh and the king but Solomon appears to be the only king of either kingdom (north and south) to be honoured by a divine visitation.
In Solomon’s dream or night visitation, the Lord asks him a question. “What do you want? Ask and I will give it to you” (3:5). God is not like a kind of divine genie that offers three wishes to three men stranded on a desert island. When they uncork the bottle that is washed ashore, a genie appears and offers three wishes. The first man wishes to be taken to Paris. The genie snaps his fingers, and the man suddenly finds himself standing in front of the Eiffel Tower. The second man wishes that he were in Hollywood, and with a snap of the genie's fingers, he finds himself on a Tinsel Town movie set. The third man, now alone on the island, looks around and says, "I wish my friends were back." Of course, the moral is ‘be careful for what you wish.’
Solomon carefully considers his response to the Lord. He first recounts to his benefactor some of God’s great qualities, such as the Lord’s lavish love and unbounding faithfulness that was shown to his father David. Solomon then describes himself as a child. What he meant was that unlike David, his father he lacked experience in military leadership. Solomon answers the Lord in humility, and makes a genuine, well thought out request for wisdom to rule the people of God. Solomon desires practical wisdom. Imagine yourself in Solomon’s place where you could ask for anything. What would be your request?
When organisations want to improve their performance, management typically chooses one of two tools. One is to introduce new procedures and processes that tell employees what to do and monitor their performance to make sure they are doing it.
The other is to introduce incentives that encourage good performance by rewarding people: 1) rules and 2) incentives. Aristotle said this two-pronged approach was lacking a missing ingredient called phronesis, or practical wisdom. Without this missing ingredient, neither rules (no matter how detailed and well monitored) nor incentives (no matter how clever) will be enough to solve the problems we face. Almost 600 years before Aristotle coined the phrase, phronesis, Solomon asked the Lord for practical wisdom. The reader is told that the Lord is pleased with Solomon’s request for wisdom. Two weeks ago, the reading focused on David’s adulterous relationship with Bathsheba and his attempt to cover up the situation by putting her husband Uriah on the front lines of battle. There is a phrase at the end of 2 Samuel 11, which says, “But the Lord was not pleased with what David had done.” In contrast, the Lord was pleased with Solomon’s request. The Lord is pleased with Solomon and gives him discernment to govern the people but also throws in fame, and a chance for a long life as well. Here are several words credited to Solomon.
Proverbs 15:14
The discerning heart seeks knowledge but the mouth of a fool feeds on folly.
Proverbs 15:21
Folly brings joy to one who has no sense but whoever has understanding keeps a straight course.
Proverbs 18:15
The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge for the ears of the wise seek it out.
Proverbs 16:16
How much better is it to get wisdom than gold and to get understanding rather to be chosen than silver?
Solomon’s sentiments regarding the preference for wisdom over wealth stem from the dream that changed his life. An occasion soon arose to test this divine gift of practical wisdom. Two prostitutes came before the king bearing two children, one dead, one alive. Although their stories were conflicting, they did agree both lived in the same house and recently, within days of one another, each gave birth to a child. One woman claimed that the dead child was the result of the other mother's carelessness in accidentally laying on the child during the night and suffocating it.
She claimed that the other woman rose at midnight, took her living son from beside her, and placed the dead infant in its stead. When the woman arose in the morning to feed the child, she discovered it was dead (1 Kings 3:21). She also discovered in the morning, at the light of day, that it was not her child lifelessly lying beside her in bed. She claimed that the living child was hers. The other woman disputed the claim saying that the first woman's child had simply died and she was now trying to compensate for her loss by taking the live child to be her own.
The situation appeared hopeless. It was the perfect test for Solomon's practical wisdom. What would he do? The king resolved to appeal to the maternal instinct of the women He called for a sword to "divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other.” Immediately the child's mother screamed and requested that the king give her own child to the other woman rather than see him slain. Solomon thus discerned which woman was telling the truth and presented the child to his mother. The fame of this decision spread throughout all Israel, inspiring fear of the king's justice and a conviction that God had given Solomon exceptional discernment. This is the key to practical wisdom those two words, exceptional discernment. It’s no good having wisdom without the ability to discern how to use that wisdom. Think of a time when you resolved a situation by rightly discerning ‘what to do.’ … Can you think of another time when you did not exercise wisdom in a particular situation? Practical wisdom is not a ‘one size fits all’ scenario. What is done in one given situation might not work in another setting.
James 1:5
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.
Hosea 14:9
Who is wise? Let them realize these things. Who is discerning? Let them understand. The ways of the Lord are right; the righteous walk in them, but the rebellious stumble in them.
Psalm 119:125
I am your servant give me discernment that I may understand your statutes.
Romans 12:2
Do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Philippians 1:9-10
This is my prayer that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ.
In spite of God’s favour on him, Solomon did not always do what was right. His life revealed times when wisdom eluded him completely. He loved many foreign women and his wives turned his heart after other gods. As a result, there were consequences for Solomon and for his kingdom. Solomon was not perfect and he made mistakes in discernment.
You and I make mistakes too. Discernment and wisdom to know what to do in any given situation only comes with experience. The theory is that the older you are – the more discerning you will be. As you go along in life, the hope is that the mistakes are less. Scientists in Texas designed two experiments to mirror realistic decision-making scenarios that revealed older people were far better at making choices that led to long-term gain. While university age participants were quicker to make choices when led to immediate rewards. The group aged 60 to 80 was much more adept at taking strategic decisions, which considered future stages. The study shows that ‘wisdom does indeed come with age.’
In all likelihood, Solomon was about 60 years of age when he died. Perhaps, if he had lived longer he would have abandoned the gods of the other nations. Jesus on the other hand was only 33 years old when he died, yet no one spoke with such wisdom. His answers to the authorities of his day were well considered responses. Think of a few of his responses…
The woman caught in the act of adultery – “He that is without sin cast the first stone.”
Do you remember Jesus’ response to the paying of taxes?
Matthew 22:17-22 New International Version (NIV)
17 Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not?” Jesus knew they had evil intent and said, “You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me? 19 Show me the coin used for paying the tax.” They brought him a denarius, 20 and he asked them, “Whose image is on this and whose inscription?” 21 “Caesar’s,” they replied. Then he said to them, “So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” 22 When they heard this, they were amazed and they left him and went away.
Jesus often responded to a question with another question, didn’t he?
Matthew 9:14-15
14 Then John’s disciples came and asked him, “How is it that we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” 15 Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them?
Matthew 15:1-3
Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, 2 “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don’t wash their hands before they eat!” 3 Jesus replied, “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition?”
I often think how wonderful it would be to have Jesus' wisdom and responses. The truth is – you and I can walk more in wisdom. As we study the Word of God, live a life of prayer, and seek the Holy Spirit’s guidance for wisdom and discernment, it will be produced in our life. When we ask for wisdom and discernment in any given situation, this is not contrary to the will of God. Paul wrote to the Church in Colossae and asked God to fill them with the knowledge of his will, with all wisdom and understanding. Paul also assured them that Christ is the key that opens all the hidden treasures of God’s wisdom and knowledge (Col. 2:3).
In the forming of the early Church when the Greek speaking Jews found that their widows were being ignored in the daily distribution of funds, the twelve apostles chose seven men “full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom” (Acts 6:3). God’s first choice for those in places of leadership and responsibility is to be full of the Holy Spirit and full of Wisdom. If you and I were continually filled up with the Holy Spirit and the wisdom that he gives – what a place this would be – what a people we would be! To be full of wisdom often includes two things: 1) content, the wisdom of the Word, Bible truth, and 2) the wise use or application of that truth. This is practical wisdom where application of the Word produces a Christ-like character change. Walking in wisdom is easy when we allow the presence of God first place in our lives. It’s like this small drop of food colouring placed in a clear glass of water. It soaks into the whole glass.
The ‘Who’ New Testament translates Ephesians 3 this way,
“It’s not enough simply to understand that God loves us – we need to experience this love soaking into every particle of our being and filling us with God himself. God’s power at work in us can do more than we could ever imagine or think to ask of him, so let the Church ring with his praises” (Eph. 3:19-20).
Let us pray
Loving God, you are pleased when we seek wisdom and discernment in the everyday situations of our life. We ask for help in the coming days to permit Christ to open all the hidden treasures of your wisdom and knowledge. As we work out your love in practical ways, we ask that others might be drawn to your Holy Presence. We put aside pettiness and all that is in opposition to the truth of your word. We hold our hands open and receive your Spirit of truth and wisdom today.
Amen
