The Wealth of Wisdom, 1 Kings 3:1-15

The Wealth of Wisdom

1 Kings 3:1-15

 

Introduction:

If God told you that your next prayer request would be answered today, what would you ask?  It doesn’t matter how big, or how impossible it seems, what would you ask Him to do for you?

 

            In our passage today we find that God made this very offer to a man in the OT.  His name was Solomon.  He was the 3^rd king in Israel’s history.  He wrote most of the book of Proverbs, and the book of Ecclesiastes – two preeminent books of wisdom in the Bible.  His father was the very famous king David, the 2^nd king over Israel, the same David who killed Goliath and whom God said was a man after his own heart and the same man who wrote much of the book of Psalms. 

 

This scene in Israel is one of great anticipation.  Solomon was the one that God chose to build a temple for God.  God denied that to David because David was a warrior and a man of blood.  But Solomon would build the first ever temple for God’s presence to dwell and for Israel to worship.  Until then Israel had been using a portable tabernacle that they carried with them since the days they left Egypt hundreds of years earlier. 

 

But now the temporary tabernacle was going to be set aside and in Solomon’s days the permanent temple would be established.  Israel would be established.  The nation’s identity as the people of God would be shown in the glorious temple that was going to be built for their God. 

 

Think of the significance of this timing.  Having a king is a very recent concept for Israel at this time – they have only had 2 so far.  And never before has there been an permanent house of worship built.  There is a lot of anticipation. 

 

But let’s tie this into our passage.  In this passage we see God comes to this brand new king, a very young man at 20 years old.  He has just graduated high school and is no longer part of youth group.  God comes to Solomon in a dream and offers him anything he wants.  He says to Solomon in verse 5, “Ask me for whatever you want and I will give it to you.” 

 

God’s temple is going to be built during Solomon’s reign as king.  The world has never seen a temple for the true God.  All the false gods have temples, but, the true God has never had one.  It is going to be the most impressive structure in the world, it is going to be a statement to the world that the God of Israel is the only God, the true God, and Israel is His chosen people.  But God also wants the man leading this people and building this temple to be a statement to the world.  God is going to make the world marvel at this king and therefore marvel at the God of this king.  So, literally overnight, God makes Solomon the wisest man on the earth that ever lived.

 

Now, when the Lord God Almighty says this to you, you want your request to be worthy of Him.  This isn’t a situation where you ask for help getting over a cold, or, passing an upcoming exam, or, for a raise at work.  God Himself has initiated

 

There are 3 quick things I want to draw out from the passage.

 

#1:  Be Wise Enough to Know You Need Wisdom (v6-9)

            Be wise enough to know you need wisdom.  Notice verses 6-9 [Read].  Solomon is very aware that he is in something way over his head.  He knows that he is the newly anointed king over the chosen people of God and the responsibility and accountability are daunting to his young mind. 

 

            And so Solomon knows that what he needs most in his position is wisdom.  And so when God asks him what he wants, Solomon says he wants wisdom.  In Proverbs Solomon spoke about the need to get wisdom for life.  Turn to Proverbs 4:1-7 [ Turn and Read].

 

            There is a real sense of humility in Solomon here too.  He refers to himself not as an old man full of wisdom but as a little child needing to be taken by the hand.  Like Saul, the first king of Israel, when he started out in his reign the Bible says he was “small in his own eyes”.  If you are going to be wise, you need to be humble enough to know you need wisdom. 

 

He puts us in situations that force us to turn to Him.  God takes us beyond our own wisdom to make us depend on Him.  Usually this isn’t very far.  If we’re honest God’s wisdom is a commodity that we need every day.  Every day we are faced with living life in either a foolish way, or, a wise way. 

 

Question:  Do we know that we need wisdom?  Are we wise enough to know that we need wisdom from God?  As Christians we have Jesus Christ.  Colossians 2:3 it says, “In Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”  First Corinthians 1:30 says, “Christ Jesus has become for us wisdom from God…”  As we study to know this awesome Person, Jesus Christ, we will grow in the wisdom of God.  Knowing Him will have a profound impact on the wisdom you possess. 

 

Like Solomon, be wise enough to know you need wisdom.  And be wise enough to ask for it, and get it no matter what the cost.

 

#2:  God is very Generous when He is pleased with our Prayers (v10-14)

            Secondly, I want us to see how generous God is when He is pleased with our prayers.  Notice verses 10-14 where God responds to Solomon’s request [Read].

 

            God not only gives Solomon what he asked for, but, He gave Solomon way more than what he asked for.  Ephesians 3:20 says, “Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine…”  The truth is God gives way more to us than we ask and way more than we honestly deserve.

           

You see here that God places a high premium on wisdom.  God enjoyed hearing this request.  Wisdom is important to God.  Is it important to us?  Turn to James 1:5-8 describes God’s delight to give wisdom. 

 

Notice that verses 6-8 say God does not like it when prayers are offered with no faith.  God won’t answer those prayers.

 

James did also say in 4:3 that God doesn’t like prayers that are offered with the wrong motive either.  [Turn and read].

 

But when we ask in faith, and with the right heart motive, we see here that God gives very generously. 

 

 

#3:  Wisdom is seen in Repentance (v15)

            Lastly, wisdom is seen in repentance.  Notice verse 15 [Read].  Earlier in verses 2-3 it said that while Solomon was following the Lord’s commands just like his father David, the text says there was one exception:  he and the nation of Israel were still offering sacrifices to the Lord on the high places.

 

            The high places were like hilltops on the landscape.  Pagan worshippers practiced sacrifices on altars built on these high places to their gods.  After the Israelites were settled into the land they worshipped God on the high places. 

 

It was wrong to worship in ways other than what God commands.  The Israelites were worshipping on the high places, and even though they were worshipping their God, the place and the way they were worshipping was wrong.  They were not only supposed to worship God but they were supposed to worship Him the way He said to.

 

I believe the passage here is pointing out that wisdom leads to right worship of God.  Some commentators I’ve read say that it was not preferred by God during this time though temporarily permitted.  But, the passage shows us that the first thing Solomon does after God grants him wisdom is to wake up and go back to Jerusalem and worship where he is supposed to worship.  Wisdom leads to right worship of God.

 

How do we worship God?  Is the way we worship God the way we are supposed to as described in the NT?  Are we worshipping God on our own “high places”?

 

            Wisdom leads us to repentance.  What things do we need to repent of in our Christian life?

 

Wisdom that leads to Salvation.  Second Timothy 3:15 says that it is the Scriptures that make us wise unto salvation.  In other words from the word of God we learn about the way of salvation.  We become wise and understand the salvation God gives.