I Kings Chapter 3
Please read: I Kings 3 –
We find a very important statement in verse 3 and that is that Solomon loved the LORD and he walked in the statues of his father David. Solomon understood that God was in control and the first priority of his life. But the chapter opens with a troubling statement and that is he took a wife to make a treaty with the Pharoah of Egypt. While this was and still is a common practice of monarchs, it is troubling because this was not his first wife and because he was inviting foreign outside influence into his life. Once again, we will see a king marrying many wives and it will cause great problems for him and his family. And later in his life it will cause spiritual downfall.
During this time period the people are still offering sacrifices to God on the high places because the temple had not yet been built. This is the task that Solomon would take on, but for now he is also sacrificing at Gibeon. He must have spent a great deal of time talking to God there, because the Bible says that he offered thousands of sacrifices. God wanted to reward Solomon for his faithfulness to Him. He spoke to Solomon in a dream and asked him to ask of God whatever he wanted. And God was delighted with what Solomon asked for.
Let's Reflect
1. According to verse 3 we learn that Solomon truly loved the LORD. What other truth do we learn about him?
2. Verse 6 shows us that Solomon really had a great understanding of faith. He spoke highly of his father David, testifying of the great faith his father had walked in. He also recognized that he himself benefited from the faith of his father. How so?
3. Solomon also was humble in that he recognized his humanity, his frailty, and his child-like vulnerability. He knew he needed the help of God, the sovereign ruler of the earth. So, he asked God for an understanding mind or wisdom. Why did he say he wanted that?
4. How great was the gift of wisdom and discerning mind that he received from God?
5. Because God was pleased with Solomon’s request, what else did God say he would give to him?
6. The Bible says he then woke up and it had been a dream. Most of us would have wondered if that was all there was to it, that it was just a dream. But I believe that there is evidence that Solomon took God at His Word because he put his faith into action. He offered burnt offerings and peace offerings at the ark of the covenant. And then Solomon did something that shows he believed it was true. What did he do?
7. He soon found out that God had already bestowed wisdom within him. It became apparent when two women came to him with a great dispute. The story is very detailed to help us understand what happened. How did all the people feel about the judgement that the king rendered over this dispute?
