Solomon And His Wisdom

HFL

JULY 10, 2011

I KINGS 3:1-15

1Solomon made an alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt and married his daughter. He brought her to the City of David until he finished building his palace and the temple of the LORD, and the wall around Jerusalem. 2The people, however, were still sacrificing at the high places, because a temple had not yet been built for the Name of the LORD. 3Solomon showed his love for the LORD by walking according to the statutes of his father David, except that he offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places.

4The king went to Gibeon to offer sacrifices, for that was the most important high place, and Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar. 5At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.”

6Solomon answered, “You have shown great kindness to your servant, my father David, because he was faithful to you and righteous and upright in heart. You have continued this great kindness to him and have given him a son to sit on his throne this very day.

7“Now, O 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. 8Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. 9So 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?”

10The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. 11So God said to him, “Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, 12I 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. 13Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for—both riches and honor—so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings. 14And if you walk in my ways and obey my statutes and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life.” 15Then Solomon awoke—and he realized it had been a dream.

He returned to Jerusalem, stood before the ark of the Lord’s covenant and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. Then he gave a feast for all his court.

THIS GUY IS OUT ON THE BEACH EARLY ONE MORNING IN

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. HE HAS HIS METAL DETECTOR, AND HE

HEARS THE BEEP. HE DIGS AND FINDS THE MAGIC LANTERN. HE

BEGINS TO WIPE IT OFF, AND OUT POPS THIS GENIE. THE GENIE

SAYS, LISTEN BUDDY, THIS IS 2011, YOU GET ONE WISH MAKE IT

SNAPPY. THE GUY SAYS, WOW, ONE WISH. YES, HURRY UP, I

WANT TO FINISH MY NAP. OK, WELL I HAVE NEVER BEEN TO

HAWAII AND I ALWAYS WANTED TO GO. BUT I AM AFRAID TO

FLY, TAKES TOO LONG ON A BOAT, SO BUILD ME A BRIDGE SO I

CAN DRIVE. THE GENIE SAYS ARE YOU NUTS? DO YOU REALIZE

THE COST, THE MANPOWER, THAT’S FOOLISH, CHOOSE

SOMETHING ELSE. THE GUY THINKS AND HE SAYS, YOU KNOW

MY WIFE SAYS I DON’T UNDERSTAND HER, SO I WISH TO BE ABLE

TO UNDERSTAND WOMEN. THE GENIE, STOPS, LOOKS, AND SAYS,

DO YOU WANT THAT BRIDGE ONE LANE OR TWO?

THREE GUYS ON A DESERT ISLAND, THEY FIND THE MAGIC

LANTERN. FIRST GUY, I MISS MY WIFE AND KIDS, WISH I WAS

HOME. SECOND GUY, I MISS MY MOM AND DAD WISH I WAS

HOME. THIRD GUY, I MISS MY BUDDIES, I WISH THEY WERE BACK.

IF YOU WERE GRANTED A WISH, WHAT WOULD IT BE? SMARTER,

RICHER, TALLER, SKINNIER, MORE WISHES? AS YOU CONSIDER

THIS, AND BTW, THERE WONT BE A MAGIC GENIE TODAY TO

GRANT YOUR WISHES. I WANT YOU TO THINK BACK A WEEK

WITH ME. DAVID IS ON THE DEATH BED, SOLOMON WILL BE THE

NEW KING. DAVID TELLS HIM HOW TO BE THE KING THAT HE

SHOULD BE. IN CHAP. TWO, SOLOMON HAS GOTTEN RID OF ALL THE ENEMIES. THE FOUNDATION FOR HIS KGD IS WELL SET.

GREAT THINGS WILL BE DONE UNDER SOLOMON’S LEADERSHIP.

WHEN WE OPEN THE THIRD CHAPTER, WE UNDERSTAND THE KEYS

TO HIS SUCCESS.

3:1-3, SOLOMON MADE AN ALLIANCE WITH PHARAOH AND

EGYPT. HE MARRIES THE PHARAOH’S DAUGHTER, BRINGS HER

HOME TO JERUSALEM. THE PALACE IS BEING BUILT AS WELL AS

THE WALLS TO SURROUND THE CITY. SCRIPTURE DOESN’T SAY ANYTHING ABOUT IT HERE; BUT ONE OF SOLOMON’S MAJOR