1 Kings 4:29-34 – Sustain wisdom by staying connected to God

God kept His promise and blessed Solomon richly. In 1 Kings 4:29-34, we see a summary of his accomplishment with His God-given wisdom. The discernment and wisdom he had were unsurpassed. So insightful was he that his wisdom was said to be greater than the sons of the East as well as those in Egypt. His wisdom was also greater in comparison with the known sages such as “Ethan the Ezrahite, Heman, Calcol and Darda, the sons of Mahol”. With this divinely endowed gift, Solomon’s fame spread far and wide.

We saw his wisdom in how he resolved the impasse presented by the two prostitutes, each claiming the live son to be theirs. Then we also saw his administrative and organizational abilities on display. He astutely managed the whole country to ensure provisions for the central government as well as his family. Solomon not only had great discernment and administrative skills, verse 32 tells us that he also had great artistic skills. He had written 3,000 proverbs and 1005 songs, many of which were found in the Books of Proverbs and the Song of Songs. Verse 33 shows us that he also had wide knowledge relating to botany, and animals of all sorts, whether they be land, air, or sea creatures. With such wisdom, verse 34 reveals that his fame spread far and wide. Kings everywhere who had learned of his wisdom would send their envoys to inquire and learn from his insight.

The source of true wisdom like that of Solomon’s can only be traced to God. It was superior in quality and large in quantity. God did not give him in drips and drabs because the depth of God’s wisdom is immeasurable. Besides, we can see that Solomon’s wisdom was not only productive, but also practical, and irresistibly attractive. How wonderful it would have been if he had stayed focused and kept his heart connected to God. Then he would not have pandered to his carnal desires. But for all the wisdom granted him, he unwittingly succumbed to his propensity. He allowed his carnal desire rather than his will to please God dominate his life. For us, we learn a lesson from his life. We take it as a call from God to keep our hearts and eyes faithfully fixed on Him. We take heed to Solomon’s words given in Proverbs 4:23. We must “watch over our heart with all diligence, for from it flows the wellspring of life.” 

1 Kings 4:20-28 – Wise Stewardship

Israel was stable and prosperous under Solomon. God had indeed fulfilled the promise He made to Abraham years earlier. First Kings 4:20 began this portion of Scriptures by saying that the number of people of Israel and Judah combined was said to be as numerous as the grains of sand on the seashore. And not only was the population huge, but the citizens were also living a joyful life - drinking, eating, and rejoicing. Under the reign of Solomon, Israel had dominion over many of the surrounding nations. To sustain such a huge population of joyful people living in prosperity suggests that Solomon's system of running the country was working. Part of his prosperity came from the tributes paid by the surrounding nations that David had subdued. First Kings 4:21 said that those nations served Solomon all the days of his life.

First Kings 4:22-25 reveal the amount of material resources required to sustain the nation. Yet he was able to ensure that the people were at peace and living a great life. Verses 22-23 detail what Solomon’s provisions for a day amounted to. Just imagine that described amount, and then multiply them by 352 days a year. That’s how much was required to sustain the government every day for a year. The land was at peace and living in security suggest that people were contented with the way the nation was being run. Militarily speaking, verse 26 said that Solomon owned “…40,000 stalls of horses for his chariots and 12,000 horsemen.” The number of the stalls of horses for the chariots is probably a scribal error. In 2 Chronicles 9:25, the number of horses was stated as 4,000. From the calculation 4,000 seems a more accurate figure. This discrepancy, however,  has no theological implication hence it is inconsequential.   

The 12 deputies assigned over the 12 districts were each doing a fine job. Verse 27 suggests that each month one would meet up with Solomon for a meal and to give their account. And when each of them met him, each would bring their dues of “barley and straw for the horses and swift steeds to the place where it should be, each according to his charge.” After the meeting, the deputies would leave with nothing lacking.

For the moment everything seemed rosy and fine. We will learn later how this would take a toll on the people. But this is a subject for future discussion. One lesson we glean from these verses is that prosperity is a good thing to have in life. But it must not be one’s primary focus in life. God wants to prosper us but not at the expense of our relationship with Him. We need to hold prosperity and spirituality in tandem. What is more important is to learn how to handle the material blessings God has granted us so that we will not allow them to overtake our love for God.  Material possession is a neutral thing. It is neither good nor bad. But when we become obsessed with it, we run the risk of compromising our connection with God. Jesus said, “what does it profit a man to gain the whole world but loses his soul.”

Another lesson is found in the last five words of verse 28 that say, “each according to his charge.” These words describe how the deputies discharged their assignment. They were each given responsibility for a district. It was required of each to collect the taxes to be brought to the king for the sustenance of the central government. According to verse 28, they obviously had discharged their responsibilities well. What about us? We are all given talents and gifts for the building of God’s kingdom. How are we using them for the purpose of advancing the work of God? Remember we will have to give an account to our Lord. So let’s steward our talents and gifts wisely now. Then we will be able to hear the words of Jesus, “Well done, My good and faithful servant.”

 

1 Kings 4:7-19 – Organize for effectiveness

The land Solomon was left to rule was an extensive stretch. This was the promised land that God had promised to Abraham and one that Moses was excluded from because of a moment of disrespect for God. This was the stretch of land that Joshua had led the children into and distributed the portions to each of the 12 tribes of Israel. It was David who had largely subdued the land and left it to Solomon to continue ruling. Thankfully, with the God-given wisdom, Solomon managed it wisely. In 1 Kings 4:7-19, we see the wisdom of Solomon in administering the land.   

We are told that Solomon assigned 12 deputies. They are better seen as district governors to supervise the raising of revenue to support the central government. In these verses, their names, and the areas they were assigned to were specified. Each of these deputies was responsible to provide for the king’s household for a month. With each deputy providing a month of supplies, the provision of the royal household would be ensured for a whole year.   

In these verses, we also realize that two of the deputies were Solomon’s sons-in-law. They were Ben-Abinadab (verse 11) and Ahimaaz (verse 15). Being family members, the risk of them sabotaging the king’s plan would be unlikely. Then we also realize that the assignment of the areas was not proportionate. Some were given larger areas, others were given less. Solomon had probably assigned the task based on their capability. Those with a larger capacity were given a larger portion of responsibility.    

To govern such an extensive stretch of land and ensure loyalty and unity among such a group of diverse people would be impossible to do without wisdom. From these verses, we can detect Solomon’s administrative skills and orderliness. We can see that Solomon was not only an organizer but also a great administrator. Regardless of who we are, whether we are managers, parents, workers, students, yes, even pastors, we need to learn how to organize and administer our lives for effectiveness and efficiency. We need to plan carefully, schedule diligently, and journal for improvement faithfully. It is said that charity begins at home. We will not be able to lead others if we are not able to lead ourselves. Effectiveness requires that we lay hold of our personal life first. Learning to lay hold of our lives incrementally will build effectiveness ultimately. 

1 Kings 4:1-6 – Collaborating with faithful men

In 1 Kings 4, Solomon’s God-given wisdom was used in nation-building. He began to set people in the respective offices. He placed appropriate people into positions for effectiveness.

Due to the importance of the priesthood, the first name on the list of 1 Kings 4:1-6 is Azariah the priest. The reason he was mentioned before his father Zadok could well be that he served as a priest for the larger part of Solomon’s reign. He had succeeded his father Zadok, who was mentioned with Abiathar as the priest in verse 4. Abiathar as we know was the priest who supported Adonijah in the latter’s attempt to seize the throne. First Kings 2:26 said that Solomon had banished him to Anathoth. Why then was he included in the list of names here? We suspect that he was retained because of the delicate political situation in the early years of his reign.  

Solomon had two secretaries. They were Elihoreph and Ahijah. They are like the Permanent Secretaries we have in our Prime Minister’s office. One, he assigned to run the matters pertaining to his home, and the other to help him deal with foreign correspondence. He also had a recorder in the person of Jehoshaphat.  As a recorder, he was to help to transmit and explain the king’s command. He was the king’s connecting person with the public.  

Benaiah and Zadok were both rewarded for their part in helping Solomon to the throne. The former became the commander of his army. The latter was a priest together with his son Azariah. Two of Nathan’s sons were also given prominent positions. The first, who shared the same name as the priest Azariah, was made supervisor of the officers or deputies who looked after the different districts in the kingdom. Zabud, the other son of Nathan, was a special counsel to the king. Solomon wisely took the advice of his father by rewarding faithful people and punishing opponents. Two more persons help to complete the list. Ahisar took care of household matters and matters in the palace, while Adoniram was the supervisor of the people who were conscripted to serve in the palace.    

For success in our service to God, we need to surround ourselves with trustworthy and capable people. None of us can advance God’s work alone. All good leaders know that they must delegate responsibility and grant authority to get the work of God done. This reminds us of Paul’s advice to Timothy. “The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” We need to seek out faithful men, impart what we have learned so that God’s work can advance.   

1 Kings 3:16-28 – Wisdom from above is available to us

The story recorded in 1 Kings 3:16-28 is one of the well-known stories that affirmed God’s gift of wisdom and discernment to Solomon. The story tells of two prostitutes each having given birth to a son. One of them was careless and unknowingly smothered her son to death. She then took her dead baby and switched it with the baby belonging to the other prostitute, while she was asleep. Now both the women came to Solomon claiming that the baby who was still alive was theirs. In the absence of witnesses, this was a difficult case to solve. At a time where DNA testing technology had not been developed, what was Solomon going to do? This was where Solomon’s God-given wisdom and discernment were put to the test. Would he be able to satisfactorily resolve the unusually perplexing issue?

Verses 24-28 give us a glimpse of the wisdom and wit that Solomon possessed. He could discern that the genuine mother would prefer her son to be alive no matter what. So he wisely tested the maternal affection of the mothers to see how each of them would respond when the son’s life was threatened. He asked for a sword to be brought to divide the son who was alive into two, so that the mothers could each have half of that son. Of course, the mother who had given birth to her son would prefer him alive than dead, even if it meant having to part with him. On the other hand, the mother who did not give birth to the baby was nonchalant. For she did not care even if the child was dead because the live baby was never hers. After all her own child was dead, so it made no difference to her.  Her cruelty was exposed by Solomon’s wise actions.  

The real mother of the son who was alive showed deep compassion for him. So she spoke to the king asking that her son be given to the other prostitute. She would rather see him alive than have him dead. That gave Solomon the cue of who the real mother was. He saw through the different responses of the women. Wisely, he then gave his judgment and returned the son to the compassionate woman. When Solomon’s action was known, his fame spread throughout Israel and the people respected and feared him. For they saw that the wisdom of God was upon him.  

Wisdom as we have discovered is more than knowledge. It is the ability to discern from the knowledge one has acquired and then to translate it into appropriate action. The Bible in Proverbs 3:13 said, “How blessed is the man who finds wisdom and the man who gains understanding.” In our complex world, we need wisdom to be able to distinguish what’s important and what’s not, between the peripheral and the core. Thankfully, God promises to give us that wisdom. The God given wisdom according to James 3:18 “…is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy, good fruit, unwavering. without hypocrisy.” We can have such wisdom. All we need to do is to ask God for it. For in James 1:5, He invites us to ask for His wisdom saying, “if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” Ask God for this wisdom, and live life without regret!

 

 

1 Kings 3:10-15 – God has a dream for us

Solomon’s humble request for a discerning heart pleased the Lord. So in 1 Kings 3:10-15, He responded to his request. Though he could have asked for anything such as long life or riches for himself, or for the destruction of his enemies, he did not. Instead, he asked for wisdom and discernment to be a just and wise ruler. God was so pleased that He granted Solomon’s request and gave him unsurpassed wisdom. There would be no one before him or after him, who would ever equal his wisdom. Even though he did not ask for honor or wealth, he would be given both. He would be both rich as well as famous. However, there was a condition that God expected of him to keep. He must “…walk in God’s ways, keeping His statutes and commandments, as…David walked, then God will prolong his days.”

Remember that all that had transpired was in a dream. Solomon encountered God in that dream.  So verse 15 tells us that when he woke up, he realized that it was a dream. It was not just any ordinary dream but a life-changing one. Solomon apparently accepted it. As a signal of his acceptance of all that God would grant him, he came to Jerusalem before the Ark of the covenant and offered burnt offerings and made a peace offering. There he also held a feast of celebration for all his servants. Solomon did all these to seal the agreement

More than a function of the mind, the dream that Solomon had was an encounter with God. It changed his life and work forever. What is a dream? Does God still communicate to us through dreams? According to the dictionary, a dream is a series of thoughts, visions, or feelings that happen during sleep. And yes, God still communicates to His people through dreams. The Word of God had shown that this was one of God’s means of communication with his servants of old. And in Acts 2:17, we are told that in the last days, “…old man shall dream dreams.” Bear in mind that God is sovereign, and the Spirit of God can still bring a message to His people through dreams. And because we already have the Bible as our main guide, any dream must be interpreted in the light that God had already revealed in the Word of God. The next time we have a dream, seek God for an interpretation. He may have a life-altering message to help us make a difference in life. Don’t just dismiss it! 

1 Kings 3:6-9 – The quest for a discerning heart

First Kings 3:6-9 record for us the response of Solomon at the invitation of God, who offered to give him whatever he would request. Though young, he was sensible. So he did not abuse God’s gracious offer. Instead of releasing a whole list of things for personal aggrandizement, he began gratefully by acknowledging God’s faithfulness. He recalled how God had shown great lovingkindness to David, his father, who had walked before Him in integrity. The late king had purported to be faithful to the covenant duties expected of him. He was considered to have lived a life of truth, righteousness, and uprightness of heart toward God.

How so? For all the mistakes David had committed, four things made him worthy of the description of him in verse 6. Firstly, he had a heart after God. The Bible explicitly said so. David was passionate about the things of God. This can be seen in many of the Psalms he had written. They reflected how deeply he yearned for God. Secondly, he was a fervent worshipper of God. Exuberantly and with great energy, he would express his unrestraint worship toward God. Thirdly, he was quick to repent when shown his sin. David was not afraid to face the consequences of his sins before God, regardless of the depth of the pain he would have to face. Psalms 32 and 51 reflect how deeply he repented and acknowledged his failures, and how grateful he was to God for His forgiveness. Fourthly, David had never at any given time turned to idols for solutions to the problems he encountered. In good time or in bad, in sunshine or in rain, David never pivoted to other gods. No matter what happened to him, he would always turn to Yahweh, His God.

Continuing, Solomon then saw his meteoric rise to the throne as God’s faithfulness to His covenant with David. He acknowledged that he was on the throne because God was fulfilling His covenant promise to David. He had promised David to always put one of his descendants on the throne. Solomon knew that he became king because it was in God’s plan. So in humility, he admitted his inexperience and inadequacy to rule. He confessed that the task was too overwhelming. Thus he humbly asked for a discerning heart to understand the people he had to rule. He wanted to be able to distinguish between right and wrong. He knew that unless he had a listening and obedient heart, he would not be able to judiciously administer justice.

Two lessons cannot be ignored in our reflection of these verses. The first lesson teaches us to be faithful to God by walking before him wholeheartedly, truthfully, righteously, and uprightly. We learn from the examples of David to set our heart on God. We must love Him wholeheartedly, worship Him fervently, repent when we fail him, and stay faithful to Him, never pivoting to serve gods of our own making. Then we must also seek to have a discerning heart. We not only want to be able to discern between what is right and what is wrong, but also between what is right and what is almost right. That is true discernment. Discernment is cultivated when we actively listen to His instructions and obediently act on them. Make time to nurture our relationship with God! It is so very vital!