Summary: Solomon was given great wisdom because he asked
humbly to know right from wrong.
I know some of you are learning how to spell words in school. Have you
ever been in a Spelling Bee contest to see who could spell the most words?
[Listen to answers.] I have even watched that TV show called "Are you
smarter than a 5th grader?" and struggled to answer the questions. This
dictionary [show] has the correct way to spell many words. It is a wealth of
knowledge if you want to know how to spell words. Let me ask you to spell
the word "Bible." [Listen to answers.] Yes, you answered correctly. The
Bible is a wealth of knowledge if you want to gain wisdom. That reminds me
of a story in the Bible about the wisest man in the world.
Solomon was the new king of Israel around 1000 B.C. He was young and did not
even know all the things a king was expected to know. He realized he had a
great responsibility and was humble to ask God for the wisdom to be a great
leader of the people. He did not ask to be smart. He asked to be wise. If
you are smart you know a lot of things. If you are wise you know what is
right and wrong and how to use what you know. It pleased God that he did not
ask for long life or riches or fame or to harm his enemies. So God told him
he would give him wisdom like no other person before him or after him.
Two books of the Bible, Proverbs and Song of Solomon, are what remain of
Solomon's wisdom. (Possibly Ecclesiates) The Bible says that Solomon told
3000 proverbs and had 1005 songs (1
Kings 4:32). Solomon was a great builder too. He built the great Temple
in Jerusalem, but it was destroyed in 587 B.C. Jesus walked along Solomon's
portico (porch) and was in the family line (descendant) of Solomon. (see
#145 Walking With Jesus) Solomon's name means "his
peace" and Psalm 72 is about his ceremony of being given the king's crown
(coronation, another big word). (see #137 New World Order)
Our Lord Jesus even taught us not to worry in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew
6:29) when he said the lilies of the field did not sew or work, yet
"even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like
one of these."
[Read
James 1:5.] The Bible tells us if we want wisdom we should ask God in
faith for it. Remember that all wisdom comes from God, and if we want to be
wise, all we have to do is to humbly ask God for it.
Let us pray: Dear Lord Jesus, help me to learn to be wise and to know
what is right and wrong. Amen.