1 Kings 10:23-25 – Prefer wisdom to riches

These three verses in 1 Kings 10:23-25 show us Solomon was still at the peak of his life. It left us without a doubt that the faithful God had kept His side of the bargain. Since his request for wisdom from the Lord to be able to rule and govern his people well, his wisdom had kept increasing. It came to a point that no one was found wiser than him. His wisdom was unsurpassed. For that reason verse 24 declared that “All the earth was seeking the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart.” And when they came to seek him out, they would also bring to him gifts of all sorts. Verse 25 said that “They brought every man his gift, articles of silver and gold, garments, weapons, spices, horses, and mules, so much year by year.” Now not only his wisdom was unsurpassed but his wealth also.

At the onset of his reign, wisdom was more important to him. But as he gained more and more wealth, riches became what defined emphasis more. The order of emphasis in verse 23 said that he was first greater than all the kings in riches before mentioning wisdom. Could this be a tell-tale sign of his decline? It is probably the author’s way of indicating that riches had taken priority in Solomon’s life. The God-given wisdom was relegated to a lesser priority.   

And we know that riches have a way of making us switch our focus. When we have little, trusting the Lord seems second nature. But when we are more financially able, we have a greater tendency to trust our money. If we are not careful to guard our desires, we will become subtly influenced to place our faith in money rather than God. No wonder the New Testament asserted that the love of money is the root of all evil.

What we need most in our day of endless temptation is the wisdom from above. Remember, Solomon at the onset of his reign prayed that God would give him the wisdom to govern his people well. And God did not fail him. He was given wisdom so generously that no one could equal his wisdom. In James 1:5 we are also urged to pray for wisdom. We are told that if we lack wisdom, we should ask God for it. He will surely give generously and without reproach to all who ask of Him. Don’t let riches take away our focus from God. Pray rather that we will have the wisdom to navigate through our challenging times where money seems to be everything. We need it urgently!