August 19, 2018
First Presbyterian Church, Sterling IL
Christina Berry
This Sunday, we begin a three-week series on King Solomon,
a legendary king of Israel, and the son of King David.
If I asked you the first three things that come to mind
when you hear the name Solomon, my guess is that they might be
splitting the baby, King of Israel, and wisdom.
Probably three other popular associations would be
the hundreds of wives and concubines Solomon had,
the great wealth he had, and the building of the temple.
As we begin to consider the life of Solomon,
let’s recall a little bit of his family story.
Ancient Israel was first governed by judges,
wise men and women called by God to lead the people.
But Israel wanted a king.
“All the other nations have a king,” they said. “Why can’t we have a king?”
God told them that kings would draft their sons to fight in wars,
and tax them, and take their daughters away to marry,
but they insisted, and at last God relented.
God’s prophet Samuel was sent to anoint Saul, the first king of Israel.
Saul turned out to be an unstable monarch,
so much so that a young shepherd boy named David
was sent to play the harp to soothe Saul’s jangled nerves.
Toward the end of a pitched and losing battle with the Philistines,
Saul took his own life when he fell on his sword.
God, through the prophet Samuel, then anointed David to be king.
David’s record as a monarch is mixed.
He united the northern and southern kingdoms,
managed a number of complex alliances, and was known as a great king.
However, he also stole his neighbor Uriah’s wife, Bathsheba,
and when David discovered that he had gotten Bathsheba pregnant,
he arranged for Uriah, a member of the king’s army, to be killed in battle.
The first child of their union died in infancy.
The second child of David and Bathsheba was Solomon.
Solomon was by no means the obvious heir to the throne.
David had several other older sons.
Two of them, Absalom and Adonijah, before David died,
raised armies in an attempt to secure the throne for themselves.
But Bathsheba prevailed upon her husband,
and he appointed their son Solomon to be his successor as king of all Israel.
Let’s listen to the story as it unfolds in 1 Kings 2:10-12; 3:3-14
Then David slept with his ancestors,
and was buried in the city of David.
The time that David reigned over Israel was forty years;
he reigned seven years in Hebron, and thirty-three years in Jerusalem.
So Solomon sat on the throne of his father David;
and his kingdom was firmly established.
Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of his father David;
only, he sacrificed and offered incense at the high places.
The king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there,
for that was the principal high place;
Solomon used to offer a thousand burnt offerings on that altar.
At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night;
and God said, "Ask what I should give you."
And Solomon said, "You have shown great and steadfast love
to your servant my father David,
because he walked before you in faithfulness,
in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart toward you;
and you have kept for him this great and steadfast love,
and have given him a son to sit on his throne today.
And now, O LORD my God,
you have made your servant king in place of my father David,
although I am only a little child;
I do not know how to go out or come in.
And your servant is in the midst of the people whom you have chosen,
a great people, so numerous they cannot be numbered or counted.
Give your servant therefore an understanding mind
to govern your people, able to discern between good and evil;
for who can govern this your great people?"
It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this.
God said to him, "Because you have asked this,
and have not asked for yourself long life or riches,
or for the life of your enemies,
but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right,
I now do according to your word.
Indeed I give you a wise and discerning mind;
no one like you has been before you
and no one like you shall arise after you.
I give you also what you have not asked,
both riches and honor all your life;
no other king shall compare with you.
If you will walk in my ways,
He united the northern and southern kingdoms,
managed a number of complex alliances, and was known as a great king.
However, he also stole his neighbor Uriah’s wife, Bathsheba,
and when David discovered that he had gotten Bathsheba pregnant,
he arranged for Uriah, a member of the king’s army, to be killed in battle.
The first child of their union died in infancy.
The second child of David and Bathsheba was Solomon.
Solomon was by no means the obvious heir to the throne.
David had several other older sons.
Two of them, Absalom and Adonijah, before David died,
raised armies in an attempt to secure the throne for themselves.
But Bathsheba prevailed upon her husband,
and he appointed their son Solomon to be his successor as king of all Israel.
Let’s listen to the story as it unfolds in 1 Kings 2:10-12; 3:3-14
Then David slept with his ancestors,
and was buried in the city of David.
The time that David reigned over Israel was forty years;
he reigned seven years in Hebron, and thirty-three years in Jerusalem.
So Solomon sat on the throne of his father David;
and his kingdom was firmly established.
Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of his father David;
only, he sacrificed and offered incense at the high places.
The king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there,
for that was the principal high place;
Solomon used to offer a thousand burnt offerings on that altar.
At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night;
and God said, "Ask what I should give you."
And Solomon said, "You have shown great and steadfast love
to your servant my father David,
because he walked before you in faithfulness,
in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart toward you;
and you have kept for him this great and steadfast love,
and have given him a son to sit on his throne today.
And now, O LORD my God,
you have made your servant king in place of my father David,
although I am only a little child;
I do not know how to go out or come in.
And your servant is in the midst of the people whom you have chosen,
a great people, so numerous they cannot be numbered or counted.
Give your servant therefore an understanding mind
to govern your people, able to discern between good and evil;
for who can govern this your great people?"
It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this.
God said to him, "Because you have asked this,
and have not asked for yourself long life or riches,
or for the life of your enemies,
but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right,
I now do according to your word.
Indeed I give you a wise and discerning mind;
no one like you has been before you
and no one like you shall arise after you.
I give you also what you have not asked,
both riches and honor all your life;
no other king shall compare with you.
If you will walk in my ways,
keeping my statutes and my commandments,
as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your life."
The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
When God asks, “What should I give you?” what do you answer?
Solomon had everything – he had the world by the tail.
King David had handed on to Solomon a kingdom united,
as stable as Israel had ever been in all her history.
The scriptures tell us that on his deathbed, David said to Solomon:
“I am about to go the way of all the earth,
so be strong, act like a man, and observe what the Lord your God requires:
Walk in obedience to him, and keep his decrees and commands,
his laws and regulations, as written in the Law of Moses.
Do this so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go
and that the Lord may keep his promise to me:
If your descendants watch how they live,
and if they walk faithfully before me with all their heart and soul,
you will never fail to have a successor on the throne of Israel.”
Solomon listened to his father.
He dealt with some remaining insurgents and some rebellious subjects,
dispatching several of them to quick deaths,
and imposing exile on others.
He married the daughter of the Pharaoh and consolidated alliances.
He began building a palace, and a temple to the Lord in Jerusalem.
The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
When God asks, “What should I give you?” what do you answer?
Solomon had everything – he had the world by the tail.
King David had handed on to Solomon a kingdom united,
as stable as Israel had ever been in all her history.
The scriptures tell us that on his deathbed, David said to Solomon:
“I am about to go the way of all the earth,
so be strong, act like a man, and observe what the Lord your God requires:
Walk in obedience to him, and keep his decrees and commands,
his laws and regulations, as written in the Law of Moses.
Do this so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go
and that the Lord may keep his promise to me:
If your descendants watch how they live,
and if they walk faithfully before me with all their heart and soul,
you will never fail to have a successor on the throne of Israel.”
Solomon listened to his father.
He dealt with some remaining insurgents and some rebellious subjects,
dispatching several of them to quick deaths,
and imposing exile on others.
He married the daughter of the Pharaoh and consolidated alliances.
He began building a palace, and a temple to the Lord in Jerusalem.
When the word of the Lord came to Solomon,
saying, “Ask what I should give you,”
Solomon already had enough wisdom to ask for wisdom.
And God granted him that request.
Probably the most famous story of Solomon’s wisdom
is in third chapter of First Kings – the story of the disputed baby.
The story is echoed in folklore of many times and cultures.
Two women who both had infant sons were sharing a home.
The during the night, one of the babies died.
The two women came before Solomon with the surviving child,
both claiming that he was their son.
The first woman said: “Her son died, and she took mine,
and replaced him with her dead child.”
The second woman said, “The living son is mine, the dead child is hers.”
Solomon said to his servant, “Bring me a sword.”
“Divide the living boy in two;
then give half to the one, and half to the other.”
But the woman whose son was alive said to the king—
because compassion for her son burned within her—
“Please, my lord, give her the living boy; certainly do not kill him!”
The other said, “It shall be neither mine nor yours; divide it.”
Then the king responded: “Give the first woman the living boy;
do not kill him. She is his mother.”
All Israel heard of the judgment that the king had rendered;
and they stood in awe of the king,
because they perceived that the wisdom of God was in him,
to execute justice.
The fourth chapter of First Kings tells us
“God gave Solomon very great wisdom, discernment,
and breadth of understanding as vast as the sand on the seashore,
so that Solomon’s wisdom surpassed the wisdom
of all the people of the east, and all the wisdom of Egypt.
He was wiser than anyone else, …
his fame spread throughout all the surrounding nations. …
People came from all the nations to hear the wisdom of Solomon;
they came from all the kings of the earth who had heard of his wisdom.”
It would be great to be given that kind of wisdom,
to gain it without the difficulty
of living through the kinds of experiences that teach wisdom.
Wisdom gets mentioned a couple of hundred times in the Bible,
but it is not clearly defined.
For Solomon, that wisdom meant making good decisions,
governing well, entering into worthwhile alliances,
and learning from mistakes.
But maybe it is hard to see how this story of a king
from thousands of years ago means anything helpful for us!
saying, “Ask what I should give you,”
Solomon already had enough wisdom to ask for wisdom.
And God granted him that request.
Probably the most famous story of Solomon’s wisdom
is in third chapter of First Kings – the story of the disputed baby.
The story is echoed in folklore of many times and cultures.
Two women who both had infant sons were sharing a home.
The during the night, one of the babies died.
The two women came before Solomon with the surviving child,
both claiming that he was their son.
The first woman said: “Her son died, and she took mine,
and replaced him with her dead child.”
The second woman said, “The living son is mine, the dead child is hers.”
Solomon said to his servant, “Bring me a sword.”
“Divide the living boy in two;
then give half to the one, and half to the other.”
But the woman whose son was alive said to the king—
because compassion for her son burned within her—
“Please, my lord, give her the living boy; certainly do not kill him!”
The other said, “It shall be neither mine nor yours; divide it.”
Then the king responded: “Give the first woman the living boy;
do not kill him. She is his mother.”
All Israel heard of the judgment that the king had rendered;
and they stood in awe of the king,
because they perceived that the wisdom of God was in him,
to execute justice.
The fourth chapter of First Kings tells us
“God gave Solomon very great wisdom, discernment,
and breadth of understanding as vast as the sand on the seashore,
so that Solomon’s wisdom surpassed the wisdom
of all the people of the east, and all the wisdom of Egypt.
He was wiser than anyone else, …
his fame spread throughout all the surrounding nations. …
People came from all the nations to hear the wisdom of Solomon;
they came from all the kings of the earth who had heard of his wisdom.”
It would be great to be given that kind of wisdom,
to gain it without the difficulty
of living through the kinds of experiences that teach wisdom.
Wisdom gets mentioned a couple of hundred times in the Bible,
but it is not clearly defined.
For Solomon, that wisdom meant making good decisions,
governing well, entering into worthwhile alliances,
and learning from mistakes.
But maybe it is hard to see how this story of a king
from thousands of years ago means anything helpful for us!
Psychologists say that wisdom is a quality that is hard to describe.
Wisdom, they say, “involves an integration of knowledge, experience,
and deep understanding that incorporates tolerance
for the uncertainties of life as well as its ups and downs.
There's an awareness of how things play out over time,
and it confers a sense of balance.
It can be acquired only through experience,
but by itself, experience does not automatically confer wisdom.”[1]
We tend to try to define wisdom by telling stories, giving examples:
You’ve heard that saying,
“a smart person is aware that a tomato is a fruit,
but a wise person knows not to put one in a fruit salad.”
Sometimes it is easier to point out what wisdom is NOT.
Experience, over time, doesn’t automatically make us wise.
We’ve all encountered at least one person who proves
that wisdom does not always come with age!
Wisdom develops from a sense of humility,
knowing that we don’t know everything,
no matter how old we are, or how much education we have.
Being smart doesn’t make us wise.
We can all name someone who has a very high IQ
but doesn’t seem to be able to apply their knowledge to their life.
The book of James tells us that “the wisdom from above is first pure,
then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits,
without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy.”
Wise people understand and value what is most important in life;
they learn from their experiences.
Wise people not only learn from their experiences, they grow from them.
New challenges, even difficulties,
become opportunities to live more fully,
and to love more deeply.
Wise people have deep compassion and open hearts,
so they not only tolerate differences, they enjoy them.
Wise people are curious about others,
always open to learning from everyone they meet,
regardless of age or circumstance.
Wise people meditate and pray –
they are as attentive to their own processes as they are to others,
and they are as compassionate with themselves as they are with others.
Since none of us are likely to hear the voice of God
asking what we’d like for God to give us,
we’d do well to seek wisdom in the way that Jesus taught.
Wisdom, they say, “involves an integration of knowledge, experience,
and deep understanding that incorporates tolerance
for the uncertainties of life as well as its ups and downs.
There's an awareness of how things play out over time,
and it confers a sense of balance.
It can be acquired only through experience,
but by itself, experience does not automatically confer wisdom.”[1]
We tend to try to define wisdom by telling stories, giving examples:
You’ve heard that saying,
“a smart person is aware that a tomato is a fruit,
but a wise person knows not to put one in a fruit salad.”
Sometimes it is easier to point out what wisdom is NOT.
Experience, over time, doesn’t automatically make us wise.
We’ve all encountered at least one person who proves
that wisdom does not always come with age!
Wisdom develops from a sense of humility,
knowing that we don’t know everything,
no matter how old we are, or how much education we have.
Being smart doesn’t make us wise.
We can all name someone who has a very high IQ
but doesn’t seem to be able to apply their knowledge to their life.
The book of James tells us that “the wisdom from above is first pure,
then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits,
without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy.”
Wise people understand and value what is most important in life;
they learn from their experiences.
Wise people not only learn from their experiences, they grow from them.
New challenges, even difficulties,
become opportunities to live more fully,
and to love more deeply.
Wise people have deep compassion and open hearts,
so they not only tolerate differences, they enjoy them.
Wise people are curious about others,
always open to learning from everyone they meet,
regardless of age or circumstance.
Wise people meditate and pray –
they are as attentive to their own processes as they are to others,
and they are as compassionate with themselves as they are with others.
Since none of us are likely to hear the voice of God
asking what we’d like for God to give us,
we’d do well to seek wisdom in the way that Jesus taught.
He told the story of a wise man and a foolish man.
Do you remember it?
The wise man built his house on the rock,
and the foolish man built his house on sand.
When the storms came, the house on the sand was washed away,
and the house on the rock stood firm.
Jesus said that we should be wise enough
to build our lives on the solid rock of his teaching:
seeking what is good, loving God and loving others,
not judging others but living authentically,
forgiving others the way we have been forgiven.
We build our lives on him.
Then when the storms of life come, we can stand firm.
God asked, “what should I give you?” and Solomon asked for wisdom.
Jesus doesn’t ask us that.
He doesn’t ask, “What should I give you?”
He became for us wisdom from God,
and has already given us everything.
All he asks of us is that we build our lives on him,
on his love, his grace, his mercy.
If we want to be wise guys, we build our lives on him.
[1] https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/wisdom
Do you remember it?
The wise man built his house on the rock,
and the foolish man built his house on sand.
When the storms came, the house on the sand was washed away,
and the house on the rock stood firm.
Jesus said that we should be wise enough
to build our lives on the solid rock of his teaching:
seeking what is good, loving God and loving others,
not judging others but living authentically,
forgiving others the way we have been forgiven.
We build our lives on him.
Then when the storms of life come, we can stand firm.
God asked, “what should I give you?” and Solomon asked for wisdom.
Jesus doesn’t ask us that.
He doesn’t ask, “What should I give you?”
He became for us wisdom from God,
and has already given us everything.
All he asks of us is that we build our lives on him,
on his love, his grace, his mercy.
If we want to be wise guys, we build our lives on him.
[1] https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/wisdom
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