BRILLIANCE TO STUPIDITY 05 The Wise King Solomon 1 Kings 3:1 28

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1 CORNERSTONE BIBLE CHURCH March 18, 2012 BRILLIANCE TO STUPIDITY 05 The Wise King Solomon 1 Kings 3:1 28 Introduction: Make a Wish Foundation I think one of the coolest organizations in our world today is the Make-A- Wish Foundation. Since 1980, the Make-A-Wish Foundation has enriched the lives of children with life-threatening medical conditions through its wish-granting work. The Foundation's mission reflects the life-changing impact that a Make-A-Wish experience has on children, families, donors, sponsors and entire communities. The Make-A-Wish Foundation was founded in 1980 after a little boy named Chris realized his heartfelt wish to become a police officer. Since its humble beginnings, the organization has blossomed into a worldwide phenomenon, reaching more than 250,000 children around the world. I know some of you have been impacted by this organization, making a wish come true for someone that you love. I know people who have had their wish granted and they were beside themselves. I have always thought that if I were not to work for a church, this would be one of the best jobs in the world. It would be like working for Extreme Home Makeover, helping people at their lowest points of life. How cool would it be to be able to grant the wish of someone who was really struggling in life due to some situations outside of their control? Well, for how cool this organization is, it would be nothing like God coming to you to grant you one wish of your choice. This morning, we will see in the life of King Solomon that God was the original wish-granter. There is no doubt in my mind that if you have grown up in the church, this is one of those stories that would have been put on the flannel graph when you were a young kid. It s a very popular story. God comes to Solomon and offers him one wish of his choice. But in order to fully grasp what is going on here, we need to understand the context of what is going on in Solomon s life at this time. It has probably been a few years since he was crowned king. If the book of First Kings is chronological (which many doubt that it is), then it has been at least three years after Solomon was crowned king. We know that because of the events of Shimei in chapter two happened over a period of three years. What we do know is that King Solomon is still very young at this point. If he came to the throne at the age of 18, then he is probably in his early 20s when chapter 3 begins. He is still very young. With youth comes some great things, but we are also going to see some warning signs that should concern us. 1

2 Vs. 1 4 Do you notice at the beginning of vs. 3, we are told that Solomon loved the Lord and walked in the statutes of his father David? This means that he was walking to obey the Lord in all things. To walk with God was the parting spiritual advice by David for his son in chapter two. And apparently, he was following it and walking with God. It seems fairly special to me to have written in the Scriptures that you love the Lord. Don t you think? I also appreciate that there is a connection here between the love and his obedience to the Lord. After all, Jesus does say in John 14:23 that if anyone loves him, that person will keep His word. I say this is special and important because I run into so many people who say that they love God, but their life seems to speak to the contrary. They walk contrary to the ways of God. It is always one thing to say that you love someone and quite a different thing to live as you love them. I can say I love my wife, but if the pattern of my life is not to be with her, to help her, to listen to her, or to sacrifice for her; there is probably something wrong with my claim to love her. The Apostle John will pick up on this theme after Jesus and say... 1 John 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. My caution to you is that if you are walking contrary to the obedience of God, that you are cautious of making claims of your love for Him. John also says earlier that if we love the world, then the love of the father is not in us. Meaning, that if we show ourselves to be lovers of the world, that means we are not lovers of the Father. We can t love both. Obviously this does not mean we never struggle with loving other things. We always will. And when we do, we need to repent of it. Christian, can I talk bluntly to you right now? My guess is that there are little compromises that you are making in your life right now that are slowly leading you away from loving the Lord. It might not even be inherently sinful, but could turn sinful at some point. Here is what I mean. Maybe it is a love for NCAA basketball. This weekend is my favorite weekend of the year. Watching basketball is not inherently sinful. But watching basketball at the expense of ignoring my wife, kids, and Jesus sinful! There may be things in your life right now that are small, really small concessions you are making, that are going to lead you to be less sensitive to the Lord in your walk with Him. In the same way, I think we see early in Solomon s life that there were some warning signs that he did not pay attention to. In vs. 1, we are told that he married the daughter of Pharaoh, a sort of alliance that would help his kingdom in the long run. This was not uncommon for kings to do, but it 2

3 certainly is a sign of things to come, for later he will have 700 of these wives & 300 concubines. The step towards a thousand begins with one. A slow fade. I say this was probably wrong, not necessarily because of she was a foreigner. There are some that are going to make a big deal that she was from Egypt and claim some of the warnings to the people of Israel not to intermarry. But it seems as though those warnings had to do with the people of Canaan, the people of the land that the Israelites would take over (by the way, he will do this later as well). I think the problem has nothing to do with ethnicity, but everything to do with his faith and trust in God. He would marry one after another in order to secure his kingdom. He was put into the throne, not based on anything he had done and he should have trusted the Lord to secure it for him in the way God wanted to secure it. God had promised him that his kingdom would be one of peace. He should have trusted in that. There was another warning sign besides his marriage to Pharaoh s daughter. In vs. 2, we are told that he sacrificed in the high places. This was a pagan belief that the closer they were to the heavens, the more likely the prayers would be heard. So all over the land, on certain higher places of elevation, there were altars set up for sacrifices to be made. Just think about that for a minute, and you have to remember that for them, worship was confined to a location. They had to meet with a priest who would offer sacrifices for them so that God would accept them. They had to be in a specific place in order to have acceptance with God. And since Solomon had not built the temple yet, there were many different locations they went to in order to worship. I have to tell you, after reading about this, I was moved to the point of worship. Because of what Jesus accomplished on the cross, we no longer are limited to worship in a specific location. We can worship anywhere and anytime because we have a high priest that is in the heavens (Hebrews 4:14 16). He gives us constant access to the Father. We can worship at church, in the home, at the coffee shop, at the amusement park, at a sporting event... anywhere. Isn t that encouraging to you? Aren t you thankful for that? For Solomon, besides Jerusalem, the largest place of worship was at Gibeon. It was about 5 miles north of Jerusalem and was referred to as the Great High Place. We are told in 2 Chronicles 1 that the Tabernacle that was part of the travels of Moses through the wilderness was placed at Gibeon. David had left it there, but he had brought the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem and built a tent for it as the center place of worship. In many ways, their worship was fractured. It was not necessarily wrong for Solomon to go worship at Gibeon, but what we will see throughout the book of 1 Kings, even after the temple is built, the high places are never destroyed. 3

4 There is always a sense of paganisms in the worship by God s people. It will come up again and again throughout his life. And even when the temple is built, there will be times when they find enjoyment going to the high places instead of God s temple. It is just another warning sign of things to come. But for now, when Solomon goes to Gibeon, he brings a great sacrifice. We are told in vs. 4 that he would offer a thousand burnt offerings. Can you just imagine? I can t. That s not only a great cost, but also think of the mess. The blood. The stench (by the way, did you know why it was so gruesome and probably smelled so bad... it was purposeful because God wanted them to be reminded how horrible sin really is to Him). Well, apparently it was pleasing to the Lord for what happens next. Vs. 5 The Make-A-Wish actually happens to Solomon, but it is just way better than any organization. God shows up and gives him one wish that He will grant. What would you ask for if that were to happen to you? I strongly believe how you answer that question tells a lot about your character. Would you wish for long life, a good family, more money, a better job, a nice husband, or so on... What would you ask for? Or maybe I should rephrase that question: what do you ask for? In reality, Jesus offered us something very similar to this. Matthew 7:7 11 Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! God doesn t always give us what we ask, but that doesn t mean we should not continue to ask of Him. Yes, we know that our lives as Christians are to be lived completely and fully dependent upon Him in all that we do. But saying that doesn t mean that we sit back, idly waiting for what He has for us. Listen very closely: He does desire for us and takes joy in us when we ask and petition Him for things in our life. And it was God s generosity that moves Solomon to prayer. And it should for us as well. In many ways, Solomon gives us a pattern of prayer in his petition as he replies to the offer of God. Vs. 6 He begins by making a profession of God s faithfulness in the past to him and his family. He talks about his dad, David, and how God had been faithful to His promise to him that one of his sons would sit on the throne. And remember, from chapter 1, Solomon didn t exactly do anything to make a push for the throne. It was not by any actions that he became king, but it was 4

5 that God graciously put him there. Before he gets to what he wants God to do for him, he professes and acknowledges God s faithfulness. That s a good word for us to consider, for when we rehearse God s faithfulness in our life, we remind ourselves that we are not just praying to an all-powerful God, but to a faithful God. This is part of your homework. Go home and take some time to make a list of what God has done in your life this past year. Where do you see His faithfulness? And please listen; this is not just some busy work. But doing something like that will put you in a different frame of mind. Solomon is applauded for choosing wisdom in his request in the next couple of verses. But in reality, maybe the greatest thing that he could have done is to recount the faithfulness of God in his life. When we pray, we should always start with the reminder that God is God and we are not. And that we are dependent upon Him to work all things in our lives and that He has always proved Himself to be faithful to us. It is upon this foundation that Solomon then asks for something. Vs. 7 9 We are finally told what he asks for when we come to the middle of vs. 9; he asks God for an understanding mind (ESV); and understanding heart (NASB, KJV); a discerning heart (NIV). Before we define that, I want you to not miss why he asks for this. His situation in live motivated this request. In vs. 7 he acknowledges that he is a little child. This is not a reference to simply age. We have said that he was probably in his very early 20 s at this point, but this term has more to do with a sense of inexperience than actual age. In light of the task he has been called to fulfill, he felt as though he was a young child. He further says that he does not know how to come in or go out; a phrase that is used of inexperience in leadership. He felt very unqualified for this position. I was talking to a friend in Indiana the past couple of days that is interviewing for a managerial position with a company that he feels he is very unqualified for. He thinks he can do it, but as he went through the interview process, he realized that he does not have the experience or education or training to accomplish it, on his own. But for Solomon, it was not only his inexperience or his youthfulness that moved him. The other part of the combination is found in vs You see, it was his youthfulness compared to the vast number of people that he was now in charge of. If you are young and are over just a few people, it might be attainable. Or if you were older and had lots of people, possibly a person might think they can handle it. But to be young, inexperienced, and in charge of many people is a horribly overwhelming situation for anyone, including Solomon. 5

6 That is why in vs. 9, he asks for an understanding (or listening/hearing) mind (heart) so that he could adequately judge God s people, to discern between good and evil. Let me see if I can break this down, as this is the central portion of our text this morning. You might have noticed that some translations say mind and some say heart. We should resist the thought that the mind has to do with thinking and the heart has to do with emotions. This is the word that is used for the center of the person, the whole of the individual. And what he wants more than anything else is that he would be a man who had understanding, or some people translate it listening or hearing. What he is getting at is that his greatest desire is to have the ability to know the heart of God s laws and be able to know how to apply that law to the events and things that will take place under his leadership. Notice that the outcome of this understanding mind will be that he would have discernment to be able to draw a distinction between that which is good and that which is evil. Picture yourself at 20 years old! What were you doing? Where were you at in your life? Now imagine that God comes to you and offers you one wish, anything you want. What does a 20-year-old ask for? What do you wish for? I think his answer already tells us that he had a bit of wisdom already. One author said it like this: Solomon was given wisdom, to be sure, but he was also given a hearing heart. He was given discernment such as no mere human has possessed before or since. We might even say that Solomon requested discernment, but because of the connectedness of wisdom and discernment, God gave him both what he requested and its important prerequisite. Solomon became both wise and discerning. 1 Do you sense the level of humility and emotion that is flowing out of the heart of Solomon. He is looking at his task and thinking, it is impossible. My father was amazing. He did it so well. What am I going to do? Then God appears and says, ask anything. Easy enough for Solomon, he says, give me the heart that I need to be able to discern that which is right and that which is wrong. He knew that unless God stepped in and helped, he was not going to be able to govern the great people of Israel. And note; that was his greatest concern! It was for the people of God. He was not concerned with what would give him the most successful ministry. He did not care to gain something that would build his own platform. He didn t care about being well known or famous. He wasn t concerned about being the goto person for all things in life. His main concern was how he could shepherd and govern God s people. 1 Challies, Tim. The Discipline of Spiritual Discernment. (Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway Books, 2007), 21 6

7 How would this prayer, or the answer to this prayer, benefit us today? Well, let me ask you, have you ever felt overwhelmed at anything? I understand that probably none of us are going to be the king of a great nation, but my guess is that everyone of us are going to be overwhelmed at some point in life. And when you are overwhelmed and have to make a decision, how do you know what to choose? Ever feel overwhelmed in raising your children? Ever feel overwhelmed in how to honor your parents? Ever feel overwhelmed in the best ways to love your neighbor? Ever feel overwhelmed in some ministry you are involved in? Ever feel overwhelmed in how you can adequately share Jesus with someone? Ever feel overwhelmed in the middle of a building project? Ever feel overwhelmed in how to discern whom to hire for an associate pastor position? (this is a great prayer for our church today) Ever feel overwhelmed in trying to determine truth from error, true teacher from false teacher? I am sure we can keep going. Solomon exemplified the humility that unless God helps, he was not going to be able to accomplish what he was called to do. And like him, we will not be able to be the man or woman that He has called us to be without His help. We should be like Solomon and cry out, Dear God, give your servant an understanding heart so that I might be able to discern between that which is right or wrong, that which is true or false. God, I need your help! I honestly think this is where God loves for us to be, completely and fully dependent upon Him for all things. What was the outcome for Solomon? Vs It is pretty cool that we are told that this request was pleasing to the Lord. Do you want to know what to pray? Do you want to know if your prayer request is pleasing to God? At least from the humble heart it seems to be. Later in his life, he will write these words to his son... Proverbs 2:1 6 My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God. For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding; Do you think that Solomon knew that it is the Lord who gives out discernment and knowledge? Do you think that He knew that the Lord wanted to give it out to those who seek and ask for it? YES. Why? Because he lived 7

8 it! It happened to him! It is what the half-brother of Jesus would say later in life... James 1:5 8 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a doubleminded man, unstable in all his ways. We are told that this request pleased the Lord and that He granted it. But we are also told that God granted what He didn t ask for riches, honor, and long life (still conditional as long as he continues to walk with God). Ephesians 3:20 says that God can do far more abundantly beyond all we ask or think. This is not a promise that if we only seek wisdom and pray for wisdom that he will make us rich and popular. Vs. 15 God answering the prayer moves Solomon to further worship. That should be for us at all times. When God answers our prayers, we should be moved to worship Him. From here, we move into an example of his wisdom. This is simply given to us to show us that God had indeed given Solomon wisdom. Here is what happened... Vs There are two prostitutes who both became pregnant and gave birth to their babies three days apart. The story is told to Solomon by one of the ladies. She says that it happened one night while they were alone in the house, that the other woman apparently rolled over on her child and suffocated the child. The accuser says that she then took her dead child and exchanged it with her child in the middle of the night. So that when she woke up to nurse her child, she had a dead child. But after further examination, she knew it was not her child that she had given birth to. Now, before having children, I would have said that a switcheroo like this was possible. Don t all babies look alike? But after having a child, you know what happens. You investigate every detail of that child. You look at their fingers. You notice every wrinkle in their feet. You know how many rolls of fat in the legs. You know the birthmarks and the hair. Especially, a mother knows her child. At this point, the woman that is being accused responds by saying, no, the dead child is her child. This has become a classic she said / she said scenario. You know what this is like, especially if you have children. There are no witnesses and each kid says the other started it. Who knows who actually did it, so both of them get in trouble. 8

9 Or I have been in marriage counseling before and the husband says that the problem is the wife. The wife says the problem is the husband. They both accuse each other of something... it is a no-win situation. But Solomon had a way to deal with it. He wanted to expose the heart of the true mother. Vs Obviously Solomon had no intent of actually cutting the little child in half. He just wanted to test the hearts of the women. When he made the declaration that the child was to be cut in half and split between the women, the heart of the true mother spoke up and was willing to do anything for the life of her child. Even give the child away to her enemy. But the women who lost her child becomes bitter and jealous. She thinks that if she can t have her child, then this other woman shouldn t have hers either so let the child be split in half. Just think about what she is saying. This obviously gives Solomon the answer he is looking for; he knows the real mother at this point. The wisdom of God was given to him for everyone to know & his reputation spread to all of Israel. They stood in awe of him for his ability to judge matters rightly. It s a fun story. God appears to Solomon and offers anything, he chooses wisdom, and God gives him so much more. Here s the point to take home this morning. For how wise King Solomon was, there is still someone with more wisdom. It is King Jesus. In fact, the Apostle Paul writes about Jesus in the book of Colossians and says that in Him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (2:3). Paul is saying that if we want to have wisdom, we had better figure out how to have a relationship with Jesus because it is only in Him that all wisdom is found. Fortunately, he also tells us in 2 Timothy 3:15 that we can learn about Jesus through the Bible. It is the Bible, which is able to make us wise for salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. I know some of you constantly wonder why we talk about the Bible so much. It is not because I want you to worship the Bible. I don t. But I want you to worship King Jesus. It is the Bible that teaches us how to have that relationship with the King and worship Him. It is the tool He has given us to lead us into wisdom. And so, as you pray this week, and as you seek the Lord s face this week, and as you beg for wisdom this week open your Bible s and read. Look for His answer in His word to you. The wisest thing you will ever do is to give your life to Jesus Christ! 9