1 KINGS 3 - Solomon asks for wisdom 

NOTES BY VERSE

Note: each ** comment in this document is listed in numerical order according to the verse(s) from this chapter

** Solomon made an alliance with the Pharaoh of Egypt by marrying his daughter

1 Kings 3:1 NIV

[1] Solomon made an alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt and married his daughter. He brought her to the City of David until he finished building his palace and the temple of the Lord, and the wall around Jerusalem.

** Solomon showed his love for the Lord by following His commands

1 Kings 3:3 NIV

[3] Solomon showed his love for the Lord by walking according to the instructions given him by his father David, except that he offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places.

** Like too many other 'good kings' recorded in Scripture, Solomon walked in God's ways except when it came to continuing pagan idol worship in the high places  <G78>

• Too many ancient kings in Scripture tolerated pagan worship, to the point of personally accepting, participating and eventually celebrating in it

• Although Solomon built the Temple of God in Jerusalem, he also established idolatrous high places for his foreign wives outside of Jerusalem and worshiped with them there

• The neglect to destroy the high places led to numerous consequences, including:

1. The deterioration of Jewish society

2. The eventual loss of Jerusalem, and

3. Enslavement of the entire nation to the invading Babylonians

1 Kings 3:3 NIV

[3] Solomon showed his love for the Lord by walking according to the instructions given him by his father David, except that he offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places.

Jeremiah 32:35 NIV

[35] They built high places for Baal in the Valley of Ben Hinnom to sacrifice their sons and daughters to Molek, though I never commanded---nor did it enter my mind---that they should do such a detestable thing and so make Judah sin.

1 Kings 11:11 NIV

[11] 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.

• How many Christian pastors and their flocks follow the same pattern today, walking with God while being tolerant and accepting of sin, such as abortion?

• God values His creation BOTH inside and outside of the womb!

• Christ demonstrated how much He valued young life when coming into this world via a young girl giving birth to our Lord

Psalm 139:13-16 NIV

[13] For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. [14] I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. [15] My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. [16] Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

** Solomon’s love for God was demonstrated by his obedience to the Lord and by Solomon’s request that God give him ‘a discerning heart’

• Solomon was only about 20 years old when he became king and asked for a ‘discerning heart’ and wisdom to govern the Israelites

• This pleased the Lord and Solomon received both wisdom and wealth as a result

• The servant’s heart that Solomon displayed pleased God, who throughout Scripture gives servanthood the highest priority  <R1795>

1 Kings 3:5,7-9 NIV

[5] 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.” [7] “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?”

1 Kings 3:10-13 NIV

[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 wealth and honor---so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings.

1 Kings 4:29-30 NIV

[29] God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore. [30] Solomon's wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the people of the East, and greater than all the wisdom of Egypt.

1 Chronicles 22:5 NIV

[5] David said, “My son Solomon is young and inexperienced, and the house to be built for the Lord should be of great magnificence and fame and splendor in the sight of all the nations. Therefore I will make preparations for it.” So David made extensive preparations before his death.

1 Chronicles 29:1 NIV

[1] Then King David said to the whole assembly: “My son Solomon, the one whom God has chosen, is young and inexperienced. The task is great, because this palatial structure is not for man but for the Lord God.

Matthew 20:26-28 NIV

[26] Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, [27] and whoever wants to be first must be your slave--- [28] just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

** God confirmed with Solomon that he would receive long life if he followed God's decrees and commands

1 Kings 3:14 NIV

[14] 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.”

** Two women asked Solomon to settle a matter of who belonged to a living baby boy

• One baby was alive and the other was dead

• Solomon knew the real mother would protect her son while the other wanted revenge

• The real mother was willing to give up her baby when Solomon ordered to kill it (via splitting it in half)

• Solomon immediately knew who the mother was and gave the boy to her

• Solomon’s wisdom demonstrates practical application to one’s insight to life situations, which was needed to govern Israel

1 Kings 3:16-20 NIV

[16] Now two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him. [17] One of them said, “Pardon me, my lord. This woman and I live in the same house, and I had a baby while she was there with me. [18] The third day after my child was born, this woman also had a baby. We were alone; there was no one in the house but the two of us. [19] “During the night this woman’s son died because she lay on him. [20] So she got up in the middle of the night and took my son from my side while I your servant was asleep. She put him by her breast and put her dead son by my breast.

1 Kings 3:24-27 NIV

[24] Then the king said, “Bring me a sword.” So they brought a sword for the king. [25] He then gave an order: “Cut the living child in two and give half to one and half to the other.” [26] The woman whose son was alive was deeply moved out of love for her son and said to the king, “Please, my lord, give her the living baby! Don’t kill him!” But the other said, “Neither I nor you shall have him. Cut him in two!” [27] Then the king gave his ruling: “Give the living baby to the first woman. Do not kill him; she is his mother.”

** The Israelites recognized that God gifted Solomon with wisdom to administer justice

1 Kings 3:28 NIV

[28] When all Israel heard the verdict the king had given, they held the king in awe, because they saw that he had wisdom from God to administer justice.