Solomon: the King Who Had It All

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.” 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. 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. Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. 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 3:5-9 NIV)

David's son, Solomon, succeeds him on the throne as king of Israel. Solomon is not David's oldest son, which would have been the common succession. But he is God's choice, in spite of coming from a messy part of David's life.

You see, Solomon's mother was Bathsheba. Yes, that Bathsheba. The baby the David and Bathsheba conceived together in their adultery died as an infant. Solomon was their next son. It's both interesting and powerful that God is willing to use the thing that comes from the messiest part of David's life to take His people forward. That gives us hope.

If we turn to God in humility and repentance like David did when confronted with his sin by the prophet, Nathan, God can and will redeem us and continue to use and bless us. The mess of our past does not disqualify us for service in the present and future for His Kingdom.

Scripture is filled with examples of this great truth of God's mercy and redemption. Abraham lied about Sarah being his wife. Moses killed an Egyptian in anger. Saul the persecutor became Paul the missionary. Peter the denier became the rock of the Church. Our past does not define us, even though the events of our past shape who we become. Grace turns the mess into a message.

Solomon started well by asking for wisdom to rule Israel well. God was pleased with Solomon's humility, and granted him the wisdom he sought, making Solomon the king with the reputation of being the wisest man of his generation. And God also gave him more.

The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. 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, 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. Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for—both wealth and honor—so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings. And if you walk in obedience to me and keep my decrees and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life.” (1 Kings 3:10-14 NIV)

Biblical wisdom is generally the skill to consistently apply common sense with a discerning spirit learned from experience (or from trusted mentors) and filtered through the Word and will of God. Wisdom is not just knowing the right thing to do, it is doing it in the right measure at the right time. Wisdom makes good decisions from the well of experience, which often includes bad decisions and the lessons we learn from them. Biblical wisdom is filtered through the Word and wisdom of God because we understand that God's ways are higher than our ways. His will is found in His Word.

Right out of the gate in his reign, Solomon's wisdom is tested by two prostitutes who come to him, each claiming to be the mother of the same baby. (see 1 Kings 3:16-28) The first woman claims the second woman switched babies with her after her child died in the night. Solomon had no evidence to point to which was telling the truth. The king ordered a sword be brought, the baby be cut in half, and each woman should receive half of the disputed child. One woman's reaction was "fair enough." The other woman begged the king to spare the child and give him to the other mother. The true mother's love for her child was thus brought out in the open, and Solomon ordered that the child be given to the woman who wanted the baby's life to be spared.

God gave Solomon everything, with a condition. He became Israel's wealthiest and most powerful king. Solomon would receive God's blessings as long as he walked in God's will in faithfulness. And he did walk with God at first. But he did not finish well.

Solomon kept adding wives to his harem, accumulating 700 wives and 300 concubines (essentially legal mistresses). Many of his wives were daughters of foreign kings, and their marriages were investments to make political alliances. Marrying the king's daughter would secure the good will of that king. The problem was that each wife brought into the marriage their worship of the idols of their culture. These foreign wives tempted Solomon to join them in their idolatry.

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. (1 Kings 11:4 NIV)

Solomon tried to add dabbling with other gods to his genuine faith in Yahweh, which violates the first commandment: you shall have no other gods. When it comes to Biblical wisdom, this was foolish - and it still is.

Like Solomon, we can ask for wisdom from God as the foundation of living a Godly life.

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. (James 1:5 NIV)

Instead of making a New Year's Resolution, I wonder if we would be better served to make a New Year's Request: God, please give me your wisdom for the decisions I will make this year. Even in this, it is important not to make Solomon's mistake and become double-minded in seeking God's wisdom and following our own will and way at the same time. James goes on to say this in the next few verses:

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. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do. (James 1:6-8 NIV)

As we grow in Christ over time, we become more wise in Biblical wisdom. We are able to discern the right way - the right thing to do - as our minds and hearts are saturated with the Presence and wisdom of Jesus from years of studying His Word and walking with Him by faith. I hope and pray the next year of my life moves me ever forward into the Biblical wisdom that comes from God and leads to a truly blessed life. How about you?