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Explore the Bible: June 5

Granted • 1 Kings 3:4-15

By Emily Beth Crews

Crews

How many of us, when presented with the opportunity to have whatever we desire from an All-Powerful God, would have a pure desire for the characteristics of Christ in that moment? Or would we falter and desire things of the flesh? In today’s study, we read about Solomon having an encounter with the Lord in a dream. In this dream, the Lord inquires Solomon, “Tell me what I should give you” (v. 5).

“The Beginning of Wisdom is to Fear the Lord (Proverbs 9:10a):” Solomon had a relationship with the Lord rooted in witnessing God’s generational faithfulness to Solomon’s father, David, because he responds, “You demonstrated great loyalty to your servant, my father David, as he served you faithfully, properly, and sincerely” (v. 6). Solomon possesses a fear of the Lord that informs how he responds. John Piper describes what it means to fear the Lord: “Fearing is corresponding with humility and lowliness and sensitivity of heart. The sheer majesty of God, as well as the holiness, justice, power, and wrath of God, cannot be approached in a cavalier spirit. It would be insane to think we can just stroll up to the Creator of the universe and have a cavalier spirit. We are blind to think we can do that without trembling” (desiringgod.com).

“Acknowledging the Holy One is Understanding (Proverbs 9:10b):” Solomon approaches the Lord by first praising Him for His loyalty. He acknowledges who God is. The first thought on Solomon’s mind is not, “This is what I want, give it to me right now”, but instead something like, “Who is God and because of who He is, how do I relate to Him and make my request known to Him humbly.” When we come to the Lord, we would do well to follow Solomon’s example by first praising the Lord and having a heart of humility.

In verse 7 we read of Solomon’s continued humility. He tells the Lord he is “only a young man and inexperienced.” Instead of claiming to be something he was not, he acknowledges his own status and shortcomings. How many leaders today mirror this example? While there are countless quotes on humble leadership from a worldly viewpoint I could share, I found myself considering Jesus’ example. In Isaiah 53, we read of Jesus’ nature in His coming to earth, “He had no stately form or majesty that might catch our attention, no special appearance that we should want to follow Him. He was despised and rejected by people” (Isaiah 53:2-3, NET). Christ continuously humbled Himself and we see that same characteristic in Solomon. He describes himself as a “servant” which can be translated as “slave” in verse 8. Though Solomon was in “firm control of the kingdom” (1 Kings 2:46), he did not allow his status to keep him from remembering his place before an Almighty God.

“But If Anyone is Deficient in Wisdom, He Should Ask God (James 1:5a):” Solomon asks the Lord for a “discerning mind so he can make judicial decisions for… people and distinguish right from wrong” (v. 9). Do you believe there is a difference between discernment and wisdom or are they synonymous? Most believe the two are synonymous as Scripture continuously points to both being intermingled (Hosea 14:9, Isaiah 29:14). You cannot have one without the other – a wise person is also discerning. Is now a good time to remind you who authored Proverbs, the Book of Wisdom? Ah, yes… Solomon! He reminds us from his own experience in Proverbs 4:7, “Wisdom is supreme – so acquire wisdom, and whatever you acquire, acquire understanding.”

“Wisdom Will be Given to Him (James 1:5b):” The Lord was pleased with Solomon’s request. He granted his request with giving him, “a wise and discerning mind, superior to that of anyone who has preceded or will succeed you” (v. 12). We read that the Lord gave Solomon “far beyond all that (Solomon) asked for or thought of” (Ephesians 3:20) – He blessed him with incredible riches and honor. I don’t know about you, but I would love for encounters with the Lord to leave me humbler. There is no more beautiful stature than stooping low as our Lord did when He came to earth. When Solomon awoke from the dream, he immediately went to Jerusalem to offer a sacrifice to the Lord. Solomon displayed an example we can follow – humble adoration, humble heart stature, a humble request, and a humble obedience. How can you get wisdom this week? Ask God and it will be given to you (James 1:5).

Emily Beth Crews currently resides in Montana but was born and raised in Mississippi. She is the daughter of regular contributor, Laura Lee Leathers.

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