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"With
Wisdom He Reigns" • 11.20.16 • Calvary Christian
Fellowship, Sunday Morning Service
Intro.
- In our previous studies, we have come to
believe that Solomon's reign began at an earlier time than expected. Adonijah
forced the issue and Solomon was declared the King as a 15 year old.
- At the same time, David was still alive,
complicating issues, but providing time for the 70 year old, 40 year veteran to
instruct his son in the ways of royalty.
- In the last chapter, Solomon proved that he
was strong and courageous enough to do what was right in spite of how
distasteful and difficult it might have been.
- Strength and courage are needed attributes,
but what about the wisdom to lead a nation? How could Israel know that his
wisdom was equal to his strength and courage? Let's have a look.
Text
•
I Kings 3:1-3 : "Now Solomon made a treaty with
Pharaoh king of Egypt, and married Pharaoh’s daughter; then he brought her to
the City of David until he had finished building his own house, and the house
of the Lord, and the wall all around
Jerusalem. Meanwhile the people sacrificed at
the high places, because there was no house built for the name of the Lord until those days. And Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of his
father David, except that he sacrificed and burned incense at the high places." : David's reign was marked by conquest amd conflict. Solomon's
reign will be marked by peace and prosperity.
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Solomon's political career begins with a treaty. Egypt is around 350 miles south
of Israel's southern most border and is the only true national threat.
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The King's marriage to Pharaoh's daughter ensures non-aggression, especially
when the union brought about Pharaoh's Grandchildren.
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This is at least Solomon's second marriage, according to I Kings 14:21, which names Naamah the Ammonitess as Rehoboam's,
Solomon's first born son's Mother.
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If you have a problem with serial marriage, you are really going to have a
difficult time with Solomon's record. If two wives are giving you grief, you'll
really want to wait to the end!
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Solomon brought his second wife into the City of David temporarily while he
carried out his ambitious building projects.
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The author notes that he was overseeing the construction of his own palace,
then the house of the Lord and then the wall that surrounded Jerusalem.
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I'm not sure if the order betrays Solomon's priorities, but the fact that his
home construction will take twice as long to complete than the temple of God,
sounds a spiritual alarm.
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This verse has really plagued me this week. What are your priorities for your
family? They will always show up in your time or through your finances.
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It seems that Solomon's priority was his own comfort as King. That isn't
surprising for a King. But it is a bit confusing when you are the King of God's
people!
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Why would he not prioritize building the temple first? Because he did not,
consider the people's spiritual profile provided in verse 3.
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The people sacrificed at the high places because there was no house built for
God's Name!
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The "high" or "elevated," "lofty" places were
simply platforms used for religious offerings, made popular by the Canaanite
people, who believed that elevation brought one closer to the gods.
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You can find these all over the place in Israel. Therefore, the people
worshipped God where the Canaanites had worshipped false deities like Molech
and Baal.
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These places were closely associated with idol worship and God commanded the
people to demolish them upon entry into the promised land. (Numbers 33:51,52)
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They obviously did not rid the land of the enemy entirely and they did not rid
the land of the high places. In a sense, they are "baptizing" and
using the high places for godly use.
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Why would they do this? They did this, first, because Solomon, their King did
not prioritize the construction of the Temple and second, by his own example.
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The Author declares that Solomon loved the Lord and his manner of life closely
resembled what had been witnessed in his Father's life. The problem here is
that there is an exception.
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This is what keeps men and women from living exceptional lives for God. They
love the Lord and they closely follow after him, except that they are
compromised in a single or a few areas!
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Solomon sacrificed and burnt incense at the high places. No wonder Israel felt
free to do so!
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I believe that it's the author's intent to give you a sense of unease. Nothing
is entirely wrong per se, but the lines are getting blurry.
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There is peace with Egypt, often a type of the world in scripture. Solomon has
married outside of the commonwealth of Israel as part of a treaty, a business
arrangement. That's not illegal.
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There is growth in the nation and the people are worshipping God. But something
isn't right at a foundational level when their worship closely resembles their
Canaanite counterparts.
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The Christian life is not predicated upon how close one can get to danger and
not be burned. Our goal is to see how close we can get to Jesus to avoid being
burned! That's a Christian life.
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Israel and her King are moving closer to danger than they are to safety. Verse 4.
•
I Kings 3:4,5 : "Now the king went to Gibeon to
sacrifice there, for that was the great high place: Solomon offered a thousand
burnt offerings on that altar. At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, 'Ask!
What shall I give you?'" : Gibeon is roughly five
miles from Jerusalem and it was the location of a great high place featuring
the Tabernacle and the priesthood according to I Chronicles 16:39.
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The altar was there, (I Chronicles 21:29)
but the ark of the Covenant was in the City of David. It strains the
imagination to consider what it was like to sacrifice a 1,000 burnt offerings!
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These are large animals, each butchered by hand! Consider the time and the
audience that was with him. II
Chronicles 1:2,3 indicates that all of Israel's leaders were in attendance.
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Perhaps there were a thousand people that Solomon offered for. Each burnt
offering represented complete consecration to God, as the entirety of the
offering was consumed.
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"Everything that we are belongs entirely to you and for your use!"
This was what Solomon was expressing as he watched the priests lay the animals
on the altar.
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I can only imagine what Solomon thought as he considered the fact that he was
now leading all of these people. I'm thinking that he went to bed praying,
"Lord, help me!"
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That night, the Lord appeared to him with a question that we all wish He would
ask us: "What shall I give you?" Remember that Solomon is now nearly
or a little over 20 years old.
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What would you have asked for at 20 years old? How would you have assessed the
needs of royalty at such an age? God asks with no sense of limitation. "Ask
away Solomon." Verse 6.
•
I Kings 3:6-9 : "And Solomon said: 'You have shown
great mercy to Your servant David my father, because he walked before You in
truth, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with You; You have
continued this great kindness for him, and You have given him a son to sit on
his throne, as it is this day. Now, O Lord my God, You have made Your servant king instead of my father
David, but I am a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. And Your servant is in the midst of
Your people whom You have chosen, a great people, too numerous to be numbered
or counted. Therefore
give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may
discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of
Yours?'" : The young King gives an answer
that is profoundly humble and incredibly wise. He knew that neither he nor his
Father deserved their positions.
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They had become Kings of Israel by His mercy. He had become King particularly
because of his Father's walk. "David walked before you in truth."
What a statement to make!
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We know that David was not perfect. But he acknowledged the truth of God in
each situation.
- When he was right
with the Lord, he walked in his truth. When he was wrong, he acknowledged God's
right to do with him as he pleased, marking that he was the one who was in sin.
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He did what was right and his heart was faithful, loyal to God! Incidently,
isn't that a powerful testimony for a son to have of his Father?
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He did what was right before the Lord and his heart never wavered from being
loyal to Him. As we have mentioned before, there is no greater foundation that
a Father can give than that.
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I have heard Joe Focht say often that if what you leave your children with only
that which can be divided by a lawyer, you haven't left them with anything and
that's true!
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Whether you are a Father or a Mother, to be recognized for your godly heart, is
a wonderful tribute for a child to make. And look at how he views himself.
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When it came to him, God's hand chose him to sit on the throne. "Me,
Solomon! A young pup! A little child." The word is indicative of a little
boy metaphorically.
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While David was alive, I bet Solomon thought that he could easily transition
into the royal authority. As with most who are great at what they do, David
probably made it look relatively easy.
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Unfortunately, most who view leadership from the outside find the weight of
leadership to be far heavier than they ever expected to carry when they assume
the position!
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All of a sudden, Solomon was aware of what it took to lead. It wasn't just
strength and courage. Perhaps he had thought himself a man before, but could
see now that he was just a boy.
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He sees the eyes of his nation that expected him to be able to make decisions
and to guide an entire country. He has seen that he must quickly assume the
role of dignitary with rival countries.
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Some of his first acts as the King were necessarily nasty affairs, as he had to
give the order to take life in chapter 2.
Even if it was lawful to do so, it was awful to know it was done!
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Solomon admits that he didn't know where he was going! He didn't know how to
come in or go out, a euphemism that expressed frustration with royal duties.
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This may have been fresh in his mind from the activities of the day.
"Where I am supposed to stand when the animal is butchered?"
"They are all looking at me. What am I supposed to say?"
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One could rightly conclude that the King was overwhelmed and feeling out of his
league. Perhaps you can relate.
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Solomon sees himself as an object of God's mercy and he sees his job as an
extension of God's administration. He is God's servant sovereignly placed to
serve God's chosen people!
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It's not like it was before. Solomon is now charged with guiding a great and
numerous people. What should be done for them? How could he lead them? Listen
to where this leads him.
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Because of how monumental this job is and how precious these people are, give
your servant an understanding heart. This is something that he does not possess
that he knows he needs!
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Would this not be a wise prayer to repeat? "Lord, these are your
employees. Give me an understanding heart to lead them." "These are
your kids. Give me an understanding heart!"
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"Understanding" comes from a word which refers to hearing
intelligently. "Let me listen carefully to them certainly, but moreso to
you Lord!"
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He knows that he will have to distinguish between the good and the evil, a line
that is often times more difficult to see, especially in the ranks of politics,
and definitely in the world we live in!
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Solomon has asked God to give him wisdom. How do you think God is going to
respond?
•
I Kings 3:10-15 : "The speech pleased the Lord, that
Solomon had asked this thing. Then God said to him: 'Because you have asked this thing, and
have not asked long life for yourself, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor
have asked the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding
to discern justice, behold, I have done according to your words; see, I have given
you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has not been anyone like you
before you, nor shall any like you arise after you. And I have also given you what you
have not asked: both riches and honor, so that there shall not be anyone like
you among the kings all your days. So if you walk in My ways, to keep My statutes and My
commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days.' Then Solomon awoke; and indeed it
had been a dream. And he came to Jerusalem and stood before the ark of the
covenant of the Lord, offered up burnt offerings,
offered peace offerings, and made a feast for all his servants." : Solomon's speech pleased the Lord. It caused the Lord's heart
to rejoice when he asked for His wisdom.
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I've pondered why this would bring him joy and I consider the alternative.
Solomon could have looked upon his own station as King and attributed it to his
own power or relation to David.
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He could have looked upon Israel as his own people to enslave. Instead of
asking for the wisdom to govern, He could have hired a group of consultants to
present him with a plan of action.
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That isn't what we see and that isn't what pleases God! Instead, we see a
humble King with the right attitude toward his position and the correct heart
toward the Lord's people!
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I'd imagine that it brings joy to the heart of God to see any man with a
similar attitude toward his family or his employees! Such an attitude of
dependence brings great pleasure to the Lord.
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Solomon's prayer was humble, dependant and focused on how to serve God's
people!
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This is clear by what he didn't ask for: Long life, personal riches or the life
of his enemies.
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These would have been beneficial to himself, but not thoughtful of his own
duty.
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Instead, he looks at himself through the lens of his service and to the people
that he serves. Because he sought wisdom to govern them, God granted him wisdom
as well as the other things!
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Did you see that? "I HAVE given you a wise and understanding heart. I HAVE
also given you what you didn't ask for!"
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Solomon would stand alone in prestiege, in riches and honor! No other King
would be as blessed as he was. He adds in the promise that he would lengthen
his days as well!
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If this is not a perfect illustration of Matthew
6:33, I'm not sure what is! "Seek
ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. And all these things shall
be added unto you!"
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When the King rose from his dream, he got up and stood before the ark of the
Covenant and offered burnt offerings, peace offerings and gave a feast for all
his servants!
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The fruit of answered prayer is a worship filled life that extends grace to all
that surround us! The Lord has
given Solomon wisdom and we can receive the same gift if we simply ask!
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James tells us that if we ask for wisdom, God will not only give it to us, but
He will do so with liberality! (James
1:5) God will not only not hold it back, but He will give far more than we
ask for!
-
Solomon has already been marked by wisdom according to David and has acted in
wisdom as he dealt with the men in the last chapter. His need of it will
continue to be an issue. Verse 16.
•
I Kings 3:16-22 : "Now two women who were harlots came
to the king, and stood before him. And one woman said, 'O my lord, this woman and I dwell in the
same house; and I gave birth while she was in the house. Then it happened, the third day
after I had given birth, that this woman also gave birth. And we were together;
no one was with us in the house, except the two of us in the house. And this woman’s son died in the night, because she lay on him. So she arose in the middle of the
night and took my son from my side, while your maidservant slept, and laid him
in her bosom, and laid her dead child in my bosom. And when I rose in the morning to
nurse my son, there he was, dead. But when I had examined him in the morning,
indeed, he was not my son whom I had borne.' Then the other woman said, 'No! But
the living one is my son, and the dead one is your son.' And the first woman said, 'No! But
the dead one is your son, and the living one is my son.' Thus they spoke before
the king." : Solomon is confronted with the
ultimate "She said, she said" situation. The most difficult cases
found their resolve in the King's audience.
-
The two women in this case are prostitutes who had become pregnant at the same
time.
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The first woman is telling the story of her three day old son who was kidnapped
while she was sleeping by the other woman who had smothered her own child to
death.
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When the morning light dawned in their room, she found her son was dead only to
realize when the light fully penetrated the room that it wasn't her son at all!
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It can't be that the woman thought to fool the true Mom. Rather, it may have
been that she was betting that nobody could possibly discern the difference or
discover his true descendance.
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An argument ensued, I wish I could have seen that, and the King has a dilemma
on his hands. Verse 23.
•
I Kings 3:23-25 : "And the king said, 'The one says,
‘This is my son, who lives, and your son is the dead one’; and the other says,
‘No! But your son is the dead one, and my son is the living one.’ Then the king said, 'Bring me a
sword.' So they brought a sword before the king. And the king said, 'Divide the
living child in two, and give half to one, and half to the other.'" Solomon has to decide which Mother is lying. There are no
witnesses, no hospital records and no DNA tests available.
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Instead, he devises a plan to expose the true Mother's heart. "Bring me a
sword." Understand that when you came before the King, you were standing
before unchecked power.
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The King's word was law and his actions would be unquestioned. in that part of
the world and in those ancient times, you could never truly know what a
sovereign might do.
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When he asked for the sword, he was no doubt watching their faces. One lady
became increasingly concerned, while the other was even more hardened.
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I imagine that Solomon gave some idea of what he would do with the sword by
some form of effective demonstration. Then he gave his verdict. "Half for
her. The other half for her." Verse 26.
•
I Kings 3:26-28 : "Then the woman whose son was living
spoke to the king, for she yearned with compassion for her son; and she said, 'O
my lord, give her the living child, and by no means kill him!' But the other said, 'Let him be
neither mine nor yours, but divide him.' So
the king answered and said, 'Give the first woman the living child, and by no
means kill him; she is his mother.' And all
Israel heard of the judgment which the king had rendered; and they feared the
king, for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to administer justice." : The Mother of the living child had "burning bowels"
for her child.
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She didn't care now who he lived with, just so long as he lived! The other
woman remained obstinate, wanting simply to have her half of the dead child.
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She is a person so broken, she's unconcerned with what is cut to pieces and
what life is lost!
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It was easy to distinguish from here that the woman who wanted the child to
live was in fact the Mother. But getting there took great wisdom.
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The point is that this case became a famous illustration of the wisdom of
Solomon. Israel heard of this case and came to respect him greatly.
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They saw in the judgment God's wisdom working through Solomon to bring about a
just verdict. Their King, at only 20 years old was wise beyond his years
because God was with him.
Conclusion
- It pleased
God to hear Solomon pray for wisdom to serve His people. I know that God hasn't
changed in that department.
- If God
treated Solomon with such favor because of his relation to King David, how much
more favorably will He treat you because of your relation to King Jesus!?
- Do any of you
lack wisdom for a circumstance? A child's future? A looming decision? Let Him
ask of God who gives to all liberally and without reproach! And it will be
given to Him!
- We have God's
Word that when we ask, it will have been done. Let us go before Him now and ask
away!
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