“WHEN OVERWHELMED BY RESPNSIBILITIES.” 1 KINGS 3: 1-15.
1 KINGS 3: 1-4, 5-9, 10-15.
PLEASE OPEN YOUR BIBLE TO 1 KINGS 3.
1. PLEASE READ 1 KING 3: 1-4.
The story of Solomon is told in 1 Kings Ch. 1-11. Ch. 1-2 tell of the intrigue and violence through which he ascended to the throne. Ch. 3-4 tell how he received and used the gift of wisdom.
Ch. 5-8 tells of the building and dedication of the temple. First Kings 9: 1-9 tells of God’s promise of blessings if Solomon obeyed and warnings if he turned from the Lord. First Kings 9: 10-10:29 describes Solomon’s wealth and fame. Ch. 11 tells of Solomon’s sins of loving many women and worshiping their idols.
Solomon’s reign began at a favorable time. To the southwest Egypt was fairly weak. It was under what Egyptologists call the 21st dynasty, a time when Egyptian wealth and power was at a low ebb after the glory days of the 18th through 20th Dynasties.
After eliminating major rivals to his rule (Adonijah and Joab), Solomon set about establishing his kingship. Egypt was a strong and capable military power. With Israel serving as a land bridge between Egypt to the south and other kingdoms to the north for Israel, good relations with this powerful neighbor were mandatory for God’s people.
The typical means of establishing political and military alliance was through marriage, so Solomon married “Pharaoh’s daughter.” Solomon, however, didn’t stop with one marriage. He accumulated 700 wives and 300 concubines in his lifetime. Solomon’s many marriages eventually contributed to his downfall.
First Kings 3:1 describes Solomon’s marriage to an Egyptian princess., As with most royal marriages, this one was the result of a political alliance. Thus this marriage was politically motivated. For Israel it was a political coup. Remember that the ancestors of Solomon had been slaves in the land of Egypt only a few centuries earlier. Now the descendant of Egypt’s slaves had an Egyptian wife. The time of Solomon was the high-water mark of Israel’s power and influence.
The power of Israel is revealed in the passing statement that Solomon made an alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt by marrying Pharaoh’s daughter. While it is incorrect to say the pharaohs never gave their daughters in marriage to foreign rulers, it is true, that was something they preferred not to do, as it amounted to a tacit admission of weakness on their part.
Also, Egyptians regarded their land as the center of the world and thought it a terrible fate for an Egyptian to be sent away to live and die in a foreign land. Therefore, this marriage amounted to an acknowledgement by Egypt that Solomon was one of the great kings of the earth. The pharaoh of this text was probably Siamun, who reigned approximately 978-959 B.C.
Although this was a political triumph, it was an early evidence of Israel’s moral and spiritual need. Solomon already had a wife in First Kings 14:21. Solomon’s marriage to an Egyptian princess foreshadowed the time when “Solomon loved many foreign women and in his old age worshiped their gods.”
Ruling a great kingdom did not make for an easy life. David’s reign had been spent in warfare, both in civil wars within Israel and in the conquest of Israel’s nearby enemies. Tribal jealousies within Israel remained very strong, and no administrative infrastructure had been created to deal with the headaches of governing so large and populous a state. Administrative centers had to be built, the borders had to be garrisoned, and a system for collecting and dispersing revenue had to be created. A great king was constantly in negotiations with other kings; he had to be ever on guard against a coalition of states forming that would be capable of challenging his armies.
Thus, Solomon was deeply involved in diplomacy with kings and warlords. Israel was at the checkpoint that separated Egypt and Africa from the Near Eastern states of Syria and Mesopotamia, and the newfound economic strength of Israel meant that the nation would need to be involved in international trade. And yet Israel had no mercantile traditions, having little experience in trade in kind and no experience in shipbuilding and navigation.
Three major building projects marked the early years of Solomon’s rule. “His palace” and the “wall surrounding Jerusalem” were important to his authority and safety. No king should be without a palace, and no city would long survive without a wall to protect it.
But the most important building project was the “temple.” David had desired to build the temple, but God forbade him, designating the task for his son Solomon. Until Solomon’s day, the Israelites had no central temple of worship. Instead, the people gathered and sacrificed to God “on the high places.”
The “high places” were the locations of pagan religious practices before and after the arrival of the Israelites in the Promised Land. The O.T. generally speaks negatively about the high places of worship. When the Israelites came into Canaan long before the time of Solomon, God commanded them to destroy the high places of worship the Canaanites used lest the Israelites be tempted to worship the Canaanite gods.
An exception to this practice seemed to have existed in the years between the destruction of Shiloh by the Philistines about a century before the birth of Solomon and the construction of the temple. People throughout Israel routinely worshiped at various high places, small shrines located in villages and on hilltops throughout the land.
The high places were not necessarily illicit of themselves, but they did pose dangers. Far removed from the teaching of the Torah under Aaronic priests, local shrines could easily accumulate local superstitions and assimilate local pagan traditions. Isolate and removed they could easily degenerate into paganism.
At times they would have legitimate priests (not of the line of Levi), and they could engage in aberrant worship practices (not following the stipulations laid down in Leviticus). They could also rival one another, creating religious schism in the land.
It is with this understanding that we need to read vs. 2, that the people were sacrificing on the high places, because until that time a temple for the Lord’s name had not been built.
It is not that the people were sinning by going to the high places; they had no alternative. But they were doing something that was inherently dangerous both spiritually and for the unity of the country.
This was an unusual time because although the tabernacle and altar were at Gibeon, the ark of the covenant was in Jerusalem. One of Solomon’s great accomplishments was to build a permanent temple for the ark to be in.
Thus Solomon was not sinning when he offered sacrifices at Gibeon in vs. 4. Later, after the temple was built, everyone was expected to worship at the temple: however, many continued to use the high places, often for pagan worship. Vs. 3b condemns Solomon’s condoning high places after the temple was built. In his old age, Solomon even built high places for the gods of his wives, and even worshiped there himself.
But Solomon’s worship at Gibeon in vs. 4 was acceptable and pleasing to the Lord. The many sacrifices he offered were signs of his love for the Lord, a love like that of his father David. We must not allow the foreshadowing of his later sins to diminish his earlier love and devotion.
He handled any sense of inadequacy he felt by turning to the Lord. Solomon did have big shoes to fill, but young Solomon showed early wisdom by turning to the Lord for help in handling his heavy responsibilities.
2. PLEASE READ 1 KINGS 3: 5-9.
The text does not tell us whether Solomon’s encounter with God at Gibeon was unexpected or whether Solomon had deliberately slept in the vicinity of the shrine in the hope of receiving a visitation from God.
In light of how Solomon seemed to know exactly what he wanted to ask, however, it is reasonable to think that he went there with the purpose of petitioning God for a special gift of wisdom, a divine endowment to enable him to take on the task ahead of him. Also God’s abrupt question (Ask. What should I give you?) suggests that both God and Solomon knew that Solomon had come there for a reason.
Because God was pleased with Solomon’s show of love, He gave the young king a challenge. In those days, God often spoke to people in their dreams. He said to Solomon, “Ask, for whatever you want me to give you.” This was in some ways like stories in which someone offers to give a person his most important wish. But God is real, not some geni in a magic lamp. Solomon knew that God could give him whatever he said was most important to him. So he was careful with what he asked.
Before identifying what he wanted, Solomon reviewed how David had lived and how God had blessed David and indirectly blessed Solomon. God had given David great mercy. David, for his part, had walked before the Lord in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart.
God gave David a son to be king. Solomon, of course, was that son. Having a son to succeed him was important to David. Being true to his heritage was important to Solomon. How could he handle the heavy responsibility of being a king like his father in how he believed and in how he lived.
Solomon thought of the many things he would need. Then he focused on one most important need. Before identifying his request he stated his great need. He compared himself to a little child. He was no better equipped to rule the great nation than a small child would be. This is how any normal person feels when confronted with an overwhelming responsibility. Only a brash egotist would feel self-confident in the face of such a challenge.
It is noteworthy that Solomon’s reply anticipates two special things from God: (1) that as God has performed great fidelity with David the father he will now be generous in taking care of Solomon, the son; and (2) will now give him all that is needed for carrying out this responsibility. Knowing that these gifts will have to come from God, Solomon speaks of himself as only a young lad, unable to ‘go out or come in.’
Vs. 9 contains the heart of Solomon’s response to God’s challenge in vs. 5. God had asked what Solomon wanted, and he replied that he wanted an understanding heart. This was a heart that would hear with understanding what God wanted, and he replied that he wanted an understanding heart. This was a heart that would hear with understanding what God said and what people said. He wanted to be equipped to judge God’s people. In that day kings were the executive, legislative and judicial branches of government all rolled in one. Solomon would be responsible for discerning between good and evil. He asked Who is able to judge this so great a people.
This response reveals several things. For one thing, it reveals the challenge of being king of Israel at that time in history. Another revelation in the words of Solomon is the inability of anyone to make wise decisions in tense and complex situations. We are all like little children in the face of such a challenge.
Still another revelation is the importance of deciding what is most important. Solomon was asked to name what he wanted. He could not ask for everything: therefore, he had to choose what he wanted most. In a recent survey of dangers to family values, one of the categories was “busyness.” People in our culture have been taught that they can do it all. The result is the hurried and harried way many live. We meet ourselves coming and going. We need to decide what is most important and focus on that.
Solomon asked God for an understanding heart or wisdom. What is wisdom? The word is difficult to define because it has so many aspects. It is surely more than your score on an intelligence test or the number of academic degrees you have.
Solomon is held up as a biblical example of wisdom, at least in his early years. The story of how he dealt with the two women who claimed to be mother to the same baby is a familiar example of his wisdom.
Chapter 4 gives examples of wise administrative decisions. “God gave Solomon wisdom, very great insight, and understanding as vast as the sand on the seashore. Solomon’s wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the people of the East, greater than all the wisdom of Egypt.
Solomon composed 3,000 proverbs, and his songs numbered 1,005. He described trees, from the cedar in Lebanon to the hyssop growing out of the wall. He also taught about animals, birds, reptiles, and fish.
People came from everywhere, sent by every king on earth who had heard of his wisdom, to listen to Solomon’s wisdom.
The key to Solomon’s wisdom was his recognition that it was from God and it needed to be exercised in faith. One example from Proverbs has become a favorite way of seeking God’s will for your life: “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thing own understands. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and He shall direct thy paths” (Prov. 3: 5-6).
Wisdom in the Bible is always dependent on a right relation to God and living for Him. The O.T. often contrasts the wise man and the fool, stating, “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.” (Ps. 14:1).
3. PLEASE READ 1 KINGS 3: 10-15.
What we ask for reveals what kind of person we are. The passage just read tells us that it pleased the Lord that Solomon had requested wisdom. First, Solomon’s prayer reflected a devotion to God and to the Davidic Covenant. Second, Solomon already showed that he had good sense in making this request. Ultimately, it is far better to know how to handle adversity than it is to simply be relieved of stress and trouble. Third, Solomon’s request indicated that he was concerned about doing a good job for the welfare of his people. The prayer was not focused on his own comfort or even on his own success. Finally, his prayer showed him to be a man who was humbly but honestly facing up to the enormity of the job before him, and that he was taking personal responsibility for fulfilling his duties.
In His answer to Solomon, God mentioned two things that He was pleased that Solomon did not ask for. First, Solomon did not ask for long life or riches. These requests would indicate a desire for comfort and freedom from the ordinary troubles of mortality. They would be entirely oriented towards Solomon’s personal desires.
Second, Solomon did not ask for the death of his enemies. This would indicate a desire to have a job made easy by the removal of everyone who might be a threat or a competitor. Such a request would show that Solomon tended to blame his failures on other people and that he thought the best way to success was to destroy rivals.
God chose to give Solomon the wisdom he asked for and to give him the things he did not seek, prosperity and triumphant success. Why did God do this? Shouldn’t wisdom alone have been enough to enable Solomon to manage the task before him? In reality, the answer to that question is no. Wisdom is good and important for success in life. Ultimately, however, no person is wise enough to deal with all the crises and problems life can give us.
Even highly competent, dedicated, and gifted people come to ruin when life spins out of control. In Solomon’s case, severe famine in the land, plague, or invasion by hordes from far away could have quickly overwhelmed his resources.
All his wisdom would have been to no avail had he suddenly been incapacitated by a terrible disease. The lesson for us is that competence---even God given competence---is not enough. We also need God’s care. Some people in sports say that it is better to be lucky than good. In life, it is better to be under God’s care than to be competent.
We should not misread what God gave to Solomon. First, the tone of God’s answer is of the sort that we regularly encounter in the Bible and in other ancient literature, where one uses very extravagant language to make a point. The words, I will give you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has never an anyone like you before and never will be again, probably do not mean that Solomon was literally the smartest man who ever lived. Indeed, such a concept is very difficult to make sense of, since people are gifted in different ways.
Some people are extremely capable in learning languages, others in crating music, others in mathematics or science, and others in working with their hands. Some are brilliant at analysis and others have great ability in memorization. If anything, God’s promise to Solomon was fulfilled in the fact that he became the fountainhead of biblical wisdom literature (Proverbs and Ecclesiastes), and that his reputation for wisdom was so well established that even Jesus spoke of it in Matt. 12: 42. But to speculate about Solomon’s IQ is pointless.
Second, God did not promise Solomon that he would always make wise decisions. In fact, the Bible is very clear that Solomon did some very foolish things, such as allowing pagan shrines to gain a foothold in Israel, and burdening his people to the point of distraction in 1 Kings 12:4.
The warning contained in the words, if you walk in My ways and keep My statutes and commandments, implies that in days to come Solomon may not always follow God rightly. Piety and success at one stage of life does not guarantee that a person will always do the right thing.
For the present, however, it is good to learn from Solomon’s success. He did come to God in the right spirit and make a noble request. His devotion to God was genuine. He wanted God to enable him to govern Israel, and his prayer was answered. He faced a challenge far greater than most of us can imagine, and his reign was the glorious high-water mark of the history of Israel.
In the Bible there is nothing that God despises so much as arrogance. Major tasks and duties can break such pride and may be of great spiritual benefit. But they can also destroy us.
Our own lack of competence can bring ruin on us and those around us. How can we rise to the challenges that face us, be successful, and benefit those around us, and do it in a way that fosters true humility rather than arrogaance? We can only do this by turning to God for direction, strength, and success in our endeavor. When we walk in God’s way, He supplies what we need to carry out the responsibilities He gives us.
When we know we have succeeded because God has led us, we will be free of both foolish arrogance and bitter disappointment.
NEXT SUNDAY FROM 1 KINGS 19 WE WILL LEARN WHAT WE SHALL DO WHEN WE BECOME DISCOURGED IN SERVING GOD. A.V. DAUGHERTY <altav@swbell.net>