Behold, I have given you a wise and discerning heart, so that there has been no one like you before you, nor shall one like you arise after you. I have also given you what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that there will not be any among the kings like you all your days (1 Kings 3:12-13).

When all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had handed down, they feared the king, for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to administer justice (1 Kings 3:28).

Now God gave Solomon wisdom and very great discernment and breadth of mind, like the sand that is on the seashore (1 Kings 4:29).

Blessed be the Lord today, who has given to David a wise son over this great people (1 Kings 5:7).

The Lord gave wisdom to Solomon, just as He promised him ( 1 Kings 5:12).

What is the greatness of Solomon? Was it his wisdom? Was it his fame? Was it his fortune? No, it was none of these things. The greatness of Solomon was that he trusted in the LORD. As you can see, just from the few chapters of today's reading, Solomon's wisdom, fame and fortune were all given to Him by the LORD.

This example should give us perspective to better understand Jesus' words in Matthew 6:33,

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well (Matthew 6:33).

Friends, there is nothing more important or better for us than to know, trust, and obey the LORD.

Although Solomon was wise, he fell into folly when He disobeyed the LORD and married women from Canaan. Yet, tradition tells us that he recognized his folly and wrote the Book of Ecclesiastes, where he confessed the vanity of riches, fame, pleasure and even wisdom and extolled the all-important value of trusting and obeying God:

Now all has been heard;
    here is the conclusion of the matter:
Fear God and keep his commandments,
    for this is the duty of all mankind (Ecclesiastes 12:13).

Friends, when I wake up in the morning, there is a thousand and one concerns that invade my peaceful sleep and create a surging storm of anxiety within me. Yet, I do not try to engage every concern with some response or resolution or deferral. If I were to respond in these ways, I would certainly shorten my life by the stress of living. No, but my one repose is the LORD, His unsurpassed power and His unfailing promises to me. My thousands of concerns become just one, to trust and obey the LORD with all my intention, with all my attention, and with all my strength. If I can whole-heartedly trust and obey the LORD in this way, I know that I have lived my best today.

Now Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of his father David..." (1 Kings 3:3).

King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women besides Pharaoh’s daughter... They were from nations about which the Lord had told the Israelites, “You must not intermarry with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods.” Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love... As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father had been... So Solomon did evil in the eyes of the Lord; he did not follow the Lord completely, as David his father had done.  (1 Kings 11:1-2,4,6).

At the start of Solomon's reign, we are told that Solomon "loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of his father David." But then later in life we are told that Solomon "loved many foreign women." What is more, Solomon "held fast to them in love" and "did not follow the Lord completely, as David his father had done."

Like father like son, these two spiritual stalwarts both fell prey to the lure of immorality with women. The difference is that David returned to the Lord with all his heart. There is no indication that Solomon returned to the Lord. Some have suggested that he did and that Ecclesiastes is the written testament of his repentance.

Be that as it may, let us understand the potent power of affection. Whether by love or lust, when affections are misdirected, both faith and witness may be compromised, so that the Lord moves from being the closest friend to the chief adversary. Consider what happened to Solomon:

So the Lord said to Solomon, “Since this is your attitude and you have not kept my covenant and my decrees, which I commanded you, I will most certainly tear the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your subordinates (1 Kings 11:11).

Then the Lord raised up against Solomon an adversary, Hadad the Edomite, from the royal line of Edom (1 Kings 11:14).

And God raised up against Solomon another adversary, Rezon son of Eliada, who had fled from his master, Hadadezer king of Zobah (1 Kings 11:23).

As amazing as Solomon's life was in his vast wisdom, wealth, and power, by turning away from the Lord, Solomon became like the greatest of fools and sowed the seeds of a divided kingdom and future exile for the people of God.

Friends, where are your affections today? Are they wholly on the Lord? Are we glorying in God's benefits more than we are glorying in God Himself? Are we so enamored by the rays of light and warmth that we have forgotten about their source? As Piper rightly says, "God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him." This is also what is taught by the Westminster Catechism: "The chief end of man is to glorify God and to ENJOY HIM forever." 

Solomon got caught up in God's benefits: The wealth, the power, the women, and even worldly wisdom. He held on to his affections for these benefits even when they were contrary to God's Law. 

Friends, God gave us everything in creation in order that by them we may appreciate and glorify Him more. We must not be like the foolish Israelites, who made idols of the bronze snake from Moses' day or bowed down to Gideon's golden ephod. People worship the sun, moon and stars, yet these where created not for their own glory but to declare the glory of the One who made them:

The heavens declare the glory of God;
    the skies proclaim the work of his hands (Psalm 19:1).

For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse (Romans 1:20).

God gave us our wives and our children so that we might experience a litte bit of the kind of affection that He has toward us as His children.

This past week my family drove around to the sites at Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon in Utah, and we saw some amazing views. I was able to reflect to my 5-year-old daughter the wonder, power, beauty, creativity and majesty of God in the vastness of His creation. Everything was, "Wow!"

Friends, let us set our affections wholly on the Lord, for He alone is worthy!

At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.” (1 Kings 3:5 NIV)

If God asked you this question, what would you ask for? Would you answer wisely, as Solomon did, or would you make a foolish request? But, you say, God would never give such an opportunity to me. It's like the lottery, one in a million chance. But is that right?

Didn't Jesus teach,

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. (Matthew 7:7 NIV)

He said, "Ask and it will be give to you." Therefore, in some sense, God asks us the same question that He asked of Solomon. But perhaps you think it is different because you are not as wealthy, famous, or strong. But if Solomon asked for these things, do you think he would have received them? Consider what James taught:

When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. (James 4:3 NIV)

You have to ask with the right motives. Didn't Solomon have the right motives? The text says that at this point in his life he loved the LORD (cf. 1 Kings 3:3). So, yes, he did have the right motives. Do you? Also, consider something else James taught:

But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. (James 1:6, 7 NIV)

You must believe that God can and will provide what you ask for. So your asking must be accompanied by a faith in both God's ability and His graciousness to give you what you ask of Him. Solomon had this conviction, for he said,

Solomon 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. (1 Kings 3:6 NIV)

The Hebrew word translated "kindness" is hesed, and it refers to God's faithfulness to keep His covenant promises. Solomon believed that as God was faithful to keep His promises to his father David, He would also continue to be faithful to keep these promises with respect to his son, Solomon. And upon what are these promises built? God's revealed will in His Word, the Bible. Thus, the final thing to remember with respect to asking of God is this. Is it consistent with His will?

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him. (1 John 5:14, 15 NIV)

Friends, Jesus taught us, "Ask and you shall receive." Let us, then, ask the LORD what is in our hearts. Let us also keep these things in mind in our asking. Let us ask with pure motives. And let us ask, believing that God is able and willing to give what we ask. And let us ask for what is in keeping with the promises God has already revealed in His Word.

So 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?" (1 Kings 3:9 NIV)

Oftentimes, when we think of Solomon's answer to God's offer, we think of it simply in terms of wisdom, as if Solomon simply asked God for wisdom. But when we look at his words carefully, we see that he asks for something very specific. He does not simply ask for general wisdom but for a "discerning heart," which will help him to govern God's people. He even defines his own request. This discerning heart will help him "to distinguish between right and wrong." 

Discernment uses both wisdom and knowledge, but the uniqueness of discernment is the moral dimension. Ahithophel, the wise counselor to Absalom, was renowned for his wisdom, but he was not godly. In fact, the Bible elsewhere makes a clear distinction between earthly wisdom and godly wisdom:

But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. (James 3:14, 15, 17 NASB)

It is discernment that adds the moral dimension to wisdom. Similarly, it is discernment that brings morality to knowledge. Solomon did not simply want to be wise and knowledgeable. He wanted to have a knowledge of what is right and to possess a godly wisdom.

He started out well in this, but when he began to depart from the principles of God's Word, his wisdom and knowledge became corrupted and, in the absence of discernment, he became the model of great kings that began well and ended miserably. In the course of his reign he did not continue to cultivate discernment but allowed the affairs of state and his personal ambition to drive him to indulge in worldly vanities over godly virtues. Tradition says that Solomon came to his senses in the end; however, it was not before he sowed the seeds that would ultimately divide and destroy the kingdom of Israel. 

Jesus taught that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like the natural splendor of lilies in a field. These lilies possessed effortless splendor because God clothed them. Yet, their splendor was only for a moment, for the next day they would be burned up (Matthew 6:28-30). Jesus' point of the comparison was that whether speaking of lilies or of Solomon, it was not the splendor of what they wore that made them anything. As Jesus also taught, "Is not life more than food, and your body more than clothing?" (Matthew 6:25). Rather, He said,

Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he [God] will give you everything you need. (Matthew 6:33 NLT)

Solomon chose well in the beginning, asking for a discerning heart, knowing right from wrong. But he allowed his fame, his power, his wealth, and even his own wisdom (read Ecclesiastes) to cloud his judgment. But it appears that in the end he realized that discernment was something to be pursued throughout one's life as of chief importance:

The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to  every person. For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil. (Ecclesiastes 12:13, 14 NASB)

The discerning heart will know and choose right from wrong, good from evil. Let us all pray that God may give us a discerning heart. And the very best resource that God has already given us to cultivate discernment in us is right in front of us. It is the Word of God:

For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12 NASB)

How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping  it  according to Your word. With all my heart I have sought You; Do not let me wander from Your commandments. Your word I have treasured in my heart, That I may not sin against You. (Psalm 119:9-11 NASB)

All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16, 17 NASB)

Even for the king in the days of Israel's monarchy the LORD commanded him to be daily in God's Word (Deuteronomy 17:18-20). This was no less true for Israel's citizen's (Deuteronomy 6:6-9). And it is no less true for us today. Let us be like Solomon in his early glory and David, the man after God's own heart, who began the Psalter with a depiction of the central preoccupation of the man God has blessed:

But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. (Psalm 1:2 NASB)

Day and night is a merism signifying every day and all through the day. May the Word of God also saturate your life so that you may participate in the blessings of God. 

Kings 3-5

It has always impressed me that given the choice of gifts from God Solomon humbly asked for wisdom, not wealth (3:9).   My Bible defines wisdom as "both the ability to discern what is best and the strength of character to act upon it".     Solomon received great wisdom from God, but it was up to him to apply that wisdom to all areas of his life.  He was wise in governing the nation but foolish in governing his household.    While Solomon was wise all his life, he did not always act upon his wisdom as we will see later in Kings.   

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

Solomon asked for the right thing as a godly king for God's subjects.  He knew what his job is as a king.  Even though he is a king, he knew that he was a steward before the Lord to whom he would be called to report ultimately.  Before he even asked for wisdom, he must have been already wise one because "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom..."  He feared the Lord and professed that he was not capable of governing the nation of Israel without God-given discernment.  It is not surprising that God chose him over Adonijah to be a king for His people.  I don't think I possess the same wisdom that Solomon had but I'd rather be me than Solomon because Holy Spirit who dwells in me and intercedes for me unceasingly, knowing that I "do not know what to pray for." 

"And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will."

Praise Him who knows our weaknesses and provides everything that we need, even what we need to ask for!

⁹ So 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?"  ¹⁰ The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. ¹¹ So 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, ¹² I 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. ¹³ Moreover, 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. ¹⁴ And if you walk in my ways and obey my statutes and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life."

In chapter 3, verses 9 - 14 I saw how God blesses those that seek him.  Solomon selflessly asks for a discerning heart in verse 9.  This pleased God so much that he gave Solomon even more than he (humbly) asked for.  This is not so much about his grace because no one deserves that but rather more along the thread of Matthew 6:33, "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."

God even says since Solomon didn't ask for long life, wealth or death of his enemies he was giving Solomon what he asked for.  Solomon didn't ask for wisdom, riches, honor or long life but God gave them to him as well.  Even though it is not a bad thing to ask God for things it is better that when we do so it is in attempt to align our will with his.  Less of me and more of him.