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You can turn to 1 Kings chapter 
3. 1 Kings chapter 3. Last time we 
gathered together, we saw Solomon take the throne. Specifically, 
two things were given to him or two things were displayed 
in chapter 2, the means by which he would secure the throne. The 
first is the necessity of obedience to God's law, chapter 2, verses 
1 to 4. And then in the second place, 
the elimination of the enemies of the kingdom. And certainly 
Solomon went on a bit of a purge. to dispatch or to get rid of 
Adonijah, Abiathar, Joab, and Shimei. And here in chapter 3, 
we see a very pivotal section in Solomon's reign. It's the 
beginning of his ministry or beginning of his reign. God comes 
to him and asks him or tells him to ask God, what shall I 
give you? So we'll read chapter 3 and then 
look at it in some detail. Beginning in verse 1, now Solomon 
made a treaty with Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and married Pharaoh's 
daughter. Then he brought her to the city 
of David until he had finished building his own house, and the 
house of the Lord, and the wall all around Jerusalem. Meanwhile, 
the people sacrificed at the high places, because there was 
no house built for the name of the Lord until those days. And 
Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of his father 
David, except that he sacrificed and burned incense at the high 
places. Now the king went to Gibeon to 
sacrifice there, for that was the great high place. Solomon 
offered a thousand burnt offerings on the altar. At Gibeon, the 
Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and God said, Ask, 
what shall I give you? And Solomon said, You have shown 
great mercy to your servant David my father, because he walked 
before you in truth, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with 
you. You have continued this great 
kindness for him, and you have given him a son to sit on his 
throne as it is this day. Now, O Lord my God, you have 
made your servant king instead of my father David, but I am 
a little child. I do not know how to go out or 
come in. And your servant is in the midst 
of your people whom you have chosen, a great people, too numerous 
to be numbered or counted. Therefore, give to your servant 
an understanding heart to judge your people, that I may discern 
between good and evil. For who is able to judge this 
great people of yours?" The speech pleased the Lord that Solomon 
had asked this thing. Then God said to him, because 
you have asked this thing and have not asked long life for 
yourself, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have asked 
the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding 
to discern justice. Behold, I have done according 
to your words. See, I have given you a wise 
and understanding heart, so that there has not been anyone like 
you before you, nor shall any like you arise after you. And 
I have also given you what you have not asked. both riches and 
honor, so that there shall not be anyone like you among the 
kings all your days. So if you walk in my ways to 
keep my statutes and my commandments, as your father David walked, 
then I will lengthen your days. And Solomon awoke, and indeed 
it had been a dream. And he came to Jerusalem and 
stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, offered up burnt 
offerings, offered peace offerings, and made a feast for all his 
servants. Now two women who were harlots came to the king and 
stood before him. And one woman said, oh my lord, 
this woman and I dwell in the same house and I gave birth while 
she was in the house. Then it happened the third day 
after I had given birth that this woman also gave birth and 
we were together. No one was with us in the house 
except the two of us in the house. And this woman's son died in 
the night because she lay on him. So she arose in the middle 
of the night and took my son from my side, while your maidservant 
slept, and laid him in her bosom, and laid her dead child in my 
bosom. And when I rose in the morning 
to nurse my son, there he was, dead. But when I had examined 
him in the morning, indeed, he was not my son whom I had born. 
And the other woman said, no, but the living one is my son, 
and the dead one is your son. And the first woman said, no, 
but the dead one is your son, and the living one is my son. 
Thus they spoke before the king. And the king said, the one says, 
this is my son who lives, and your son is the dead one. And 
the other says, no, but your son is the dead one, and my son 
is the living one. Then the king said, bring me 
a sword. So they brought a sword before the king. And the king 
said, divide the living child in two, and give half to one 
and half to the other. Then the woman whose son was 
living spoke to the king, for she yearned with compassion for 
her son. And she said, oh my lord, give 
her the living child, and by no means kill him. But the other 
said, let him be neither mine nor yours, but divide him. So 
the king answered and said, give the first woman the living child, 
and by no means kill him, she is his mother. And all Israel 
heard of the judgment which the king had rendered, and they feared 
the king, for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to administer 
justice. Amen. So very hopefully familiar 
passage of scripture, I mean this is one of the you know, 
most popular sections in the Old Testament, specifically this 
verdict rendered by Solomon in the case of these two women. 
But as we have looked at 1 Kings thus far, as I said, Solomon 
has assumed the throne. Remember that in chapter 2, I 
know it's going back a little ways, but in chapter 2, the way 
by which Solomon secured the throne was by eliminating the 
kingdom. are eliminating the enemies of 
the kingdom. Now several times in chapter 
2 it says that his kingdom was established. Notice in verse 
12, then Solomon sat on the throne of his father David and his kingdom 
was firmly established. It says that again in verse 24 
where Solomon says, who has established a house for me, again in verses 
45 and 46, the throne of David shall be established before the 
Lord forever Verse 46, thus the kingdom was established in the 
hand of Solomon. So when we get to chapter 3, 
and we see the Lord God's approach to Solomon, specifically in verse 
5, saying, ask, what shall I give you? God obviously approved of 
the means by which Solomon secured the kingdom. It was necessary 
to eliminate those enemies. He's not going to have stability. 
He's not going to have peace. He's not going to have a good 
reign if these enemies are continuing on. So in chapter 3, we have 
two main sections in the teaching. The first is the prayer for wisdom 
in verses 1 to 15, and then secondly, the proof of wisdom in verses 
16 to 28. Now technically, the proof of 
wisdom extends to chapter 4 as well. When we see Solomon appoint 
his cabinet, when we see Solomon administrate the affairs over 
Israel, this is again another evidence that God had indeed 
supplied him with wisdom. So chapter 3, the first section, 
is the prayer for wisdom. Chapter 3, the second section, 
is the proof of wisdom. Now note first the occasion in 
verses 1 to 4. It gives us a general overview 
of life in Israel at this particular time. In the first place, notice 
the marriage to Pharaoh's daughter. Now, Solomon made a treaty with 
Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and married Pharaoh's daughter. Then he brought 
her to the city of David until he had finished building his 
own house, and the house of the Lord, and the wall all around 
Jerusalem. Now, commentators are somewhat 
split on this particular section. versus 1 to 4. Some treat it 
very positively, others see it somewhat negatively. We can say, 
concerning this marriage, that it was politically motivated. 
Solomon made a treaty with Pharaoh, king of daughter, and married 
Pharaoh's daughter. We've seen that throughout Samuel. 
Oftentimes, kings would marry other kings' daughters to forge 
political alliances. As well, this marriage was most 
likely not Solomon's first marriage. When we hear of Rehoboam, Rehoboam 
was the son of Solomon, but he had a different mother. And so 
perhaps Solomon was already married at this particular time. He's 
probably very young, probably around 20 at this particular 
instance, but nevertheless, this was most likely not his first 
marriage. This may foreshadow later problems 
in the life of Solomon. If all we had was chapter 3, 
it could be taken very positively, but we have chapter 11. We know 
that Solomon does not end well. He has an affinity for foreign 
wives, and he multiplies them, and they lead to his downfall 
in terms of his idolatry toward other gods. So, while there's 
not a lot of comment in chapter 3 verse 1 concerning the goodness 
or the badness of this particular situation, we have the later 
history of Solomon that indicates that things are probably not 
good. As well, if this is his second 
wife, we have the Deuteronomy passage in Deuteronomy 17, 17, 
where kings of Israel are forbidden to multiply wives. Again, it's 
probably not the sexual aspect, though that's included, but it's 
those political alliances forged with pagan kings. That's why 
Deuteronomy 17 specifies the king of Israel is not to take 
them, to multiply wives in that regard. As well, Deuteronomy 
7 and the mandate for holy war. When Israel went into the land 
of Canaan, they were not to have political alliances. They were 
certainly not to have religious alliances or social alliances 
with the people of the land. Egypt was one of the enemies 
of Israel. Now, at this particular time, 
after David is gone, Solomon begins a new reign, and this 
is an indicator that there is at least an agreement between 
Egypt and Israel at this particular time. Notice as well, verse 2, 
with reference to the worship of Israel. It says, Meanwhile, 
the people sacrificed at the high places, because there was 
no house built for the name of the Lord until those days. Remember 
that in Deuteronomy 12, it was specified that there would be 
one location for Israelites to worship. There would be a central 
sanctuary. Well, prior to that central sanctuary, 
we see that the people are worshiping on the high places. literally 
mountaintops or hilltops, and they would establish shrines 
there, and they would worship God in those places. Now, most 
of the time this is frowned upon. Even in this particular section, 
it is frowned upon when it's referred to with reference to 
Solomon. Notice in verse 3, Solomon loved 
the Lord, walking in the statutes of his father David, except that 
he sacrificed and burned incense at the high places. Now, David 
didn't sacrifice and burn incense at the high places. David maintained 
fidelity to the Lord in that regard, but however, Solomon 
did walk in the statutes of his father, except in that particular 
regard. But it does strike us, or it 
should strike us in verse three. Solomon loved the Lord. One of 
the commentators says this is the only place in the Old Testament 
where it's expressly stated that a king loved the Lord. Now certainly 
David loved the Lord. If you read the Psalter, David 
loved the Lord. If you read the life of David, 
you see that he loved the Lord. But it's expressly stated here, 
Solomon loved the Lord. It's a great way for a king to 
begin his reign, an expression of his love and his fidelity 
to the Lord God Most High. And then notice, as well, or 
with reference to these high places, this may also foreshadow 
his eventual downfall. In chapter 11, after he multiplies 
the wives, he goes up and he constructs these shrines on the 
high places, but to other gods. Again, if we only had chapter 
3, it wouldn't necessarily be a negative thing, but we do have 
chapter 11. And perhaps the author here is 
beginning to foreshadow something that will come in the life and 
career of Solomon. Now note the prayer of Solomon. 
Verse 5 says, At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream 
by night, and God said, Ask, what shall I give you? Isn't 
that the blessing of our God? He doesn't install a man upon 
the throne and then leave him to his own devices. God is gracious, 
God is kind, and God expresses His goodness by coming to Solomon 
specifically and saying, ask, what shall I give you? It's kind 
of like what we read in Mark chapter 10. We had the little 
ones over tonight, Owen and Sophia were babysitting them for a couple 
of nights and Micah read Mark 10. the account with blind Bartimaeus. Remember Jesus is walking through 
the city and Bartimaeus hears that Jesus is walking through 
the city and he says, Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me. And the crowd tells Bartimaeus 
to be quiet. They tell him sternly that he 
ought to just be quiet, almost as if to suggest that the Lord 
is too busy to listen to a blind beggar like Bartimaeus. I love 
what Bartimaeus does. He cries the louder, Jesus, son 
of David, have mercy on me. The text says that Jesus stopped, 
walks over to Bartimaeus, and asks him, what would you have 
me to do? This is the kind of God that 
we have. He comes to Solomon and he says, 
ask, what shall I give you? Jesus comes to Bartimaeus and 
he says, what shall I give you? What do you want from me? And 
of course, Bartimaeus says, I want to see, and the Lord grants him 
his vision. Well, that's what God does in 
this instance with Solomon. He asks him specifically, what 
shall I give you? Now note, with reference to this 
prayer of Solomon, it truly is an amazing thing. I think we 
ought to appreciate the way it's structured and the way that Solomon 
prays. I think it's instructive for 
us as fellow prayers to follow this particular pattern. In the 
first place, Solomon recognizes the goodness of God. In other 
words, he doesn't just get to what he wants. He doesn't just 
get to verse 9. Verse 9 is his petition. Verse 
9 is the direct response to God's question, what shall I give you? 
But before verse 9, he wants to spend time musing upon the 
goodness, the faithfulness, the kindness, and the graciousness 
of God Most High. He highlights the kindness that 
God has shown to David. Notice in verse 6, you have shown 
great mercy. This is that hesed, that covenant 
love, that steadfast love. Great mercy to your servant David, 
my father, because he walked before you in truth and righteousness 
and in uprightness of heart with you. Gil rightly points out, 
God didn't reward David with this mercy because David did 
such and such, but David did such and such because he had 
received this mercy from the living and true God. But you 
see, before he makes his petition, he reminds himself of God's kindness. He rehearses and reflects upon 
God's goodness. He acknowledges the covenant. 
that God made with David. That's what's behind verses six 
and seven. Notice at the end of verse six, 
you have continued this great kindness for him and you have 
given him a son to sit on his throne as it is this day. Isn't this the background to 
this, the Davidic covenant? The promise to David that a son 
would rise up and occupy David's throne. He would reign, he would 
rule, he would govern according to the plan and mind of God. 
So Solomon here recognizes or acknowledges this Davidic covenant. 
And then notice that he recognizes that it is by grace that Solomon 
sits upon the throne. Verse 7, now, O Lord my God, 
you have made your servant king instead of my father David. You 
see what he's doing? Before he gets to petition, he 
rehearses the goodness of God, not only to David, but we might 
even extend it and say to Abraham. Well, Abraham's not mentioned 
there, but a great number of people are mentioned in verse 
8. Notice, and your servant is in 
the midst of your people whom you have chosen, a great people, 
too numerous to be numbered or counted. If you hear that language 
or you read that language in scripture, you ought to think 
Abraham. Because the promise was given to Abraham that God 
would give him a great number of descendants. They would be 
like the sand on the seashore and like the stars in the sky. 
And so what Solomon does before he asks for his petition, or 
before he sets his petition before God, is he rehearses God's kindness. He praises God for his faithfulness 
and for his fidelity. Davis captures it this way. He 
says, Solomon's prayer then is a proclamation of the fidelity 
of God. Listen to this, because I think 
this is very important. Not just because it's a Ralph 
Davis quote, because I think he gets what's going on here 
in verses 6 to 9. If God came to you tonight and 
said, what shall I give you? Would you immediately jump to 
petition? Even if it was a good petition. Wisdom, God. Or would 
you reflect upon who God is? Would you muse on His faithfulness 
and His kindness to Abraham, to David, to the nation of Israel, 
to all of the people of God? Would you praise Him for what 
He has done prior to giving the petition? He says, Solomon's 
prayer then is a proclamation of the fidelity of God. His prayer 
begins with praise of Yahweh's dependability. That is proper 
in itself. God should be so praised. But it is also useful for the 
prayer, for as we praise in prayer, We are encouraged in petition. You see, as we reflect upon who 
God is, as we rehearse what God has done, it emboldens us and 
it fortifies us and it provokes from us the petition we are going 
to offer. In other words, as Spurgeon says, 
we pray as those who have tried and proven their God. He goes 
on to say, it is also useful for the prayer, for as we praise 
in prayer, we are encouraged in petition. For we realize as 
we rehearse Yahweh's record that we are coming to a faithful God. Praise then becomes the basis 
of confidence. You see, as he considers what 
God has done for David, what God has done in response to Abraham, 
what God has done for the nation of Israel, he has confidence 
that God will do this for Solomon. You see, it's good for us to 
begin with praise. It's good for us to rehearse 
God's kindness. It's good for us to consider 
these things as we go before Him in prayer. Davis later says, 
it is this remembering that nurtures both gratitude and confidence. You see, when we consider who 
God is, it will help us to approach God in light of that reality. And now notice, he not only recognizes 
God's faithfulness, but he acknowledges his own need in 7b and 8. He says, notice, I'm saying, 
notice, he says, but I am a little child. I do not know how to go 
out or come in. Now, I don't believe he means 
he's a little child in terms of years. Gil refers to Jewish 
commentators who suppose that Solomon was 12 when he took the 
throne from David. But that doesn't make sense because 
Rehoboam took the throne. That was Solomon's son. Rehoboam 
took the throne when he was 41. And Solomon's reign was for 40 
years. Solomon's probably again about 
20 years old at this particular time. It's not a reference to 
his age in years, it's a reference to his lack of experience. The 
20 year old man, he's not his father David. And remember the 
shifting nature of the kingdom at this particular time. Solomon's 
reign was a reign of peace. What was David's reign? David's 
reign, he was plopped into the kingdom and he had to fight Philistines, 
he had to fight Ammonites, he had to fight Edomites, he had 
to fight, fight, fight. That's what was happening when 
David was the king. Things are different in Israel. 
When we get to chapter 4, you'll see that Solomon appoints 12 
governors in each of the tribal allotments. I mean, it corresponds 
loosely to the tribal allotments. And those 12 governors levy taxes 
upon those tribal allotments in order to provide for Solomon's 
household. We might say, well, what is that 
all about? Well, they couldn't just go kill 
Philistines and take their gold and finance the kingdom. In this 
reign of peace, taxation was the means by which revenues came 
in to sustain the kingdom at this particular time. Solomon's 
reign was not about going out and killing Philistines. Solomon's 
reign was one of administrating a body politic, a civil polity 
in a way that he was inexperienced to do. So he acknowledges this 
in verse 8. He says, I'm a little child. 
I do not know how to go out or come in. Gill says it is best, 
therefore, to interpret this of the sense he had of the weakness 
of his understanding and of his incapacity for government. As 
the next clause explains it, I know not how to go out or come 
in, in the administration of government, to execute his office 
as a king, in allusion to shepherds, as kings are sometimes called, 
going in and out before their sheep. So he acknowledges his 
need, but as well, notice his focus. And I think Solomon's 
a great example here in terms of what we ought to look for 
in leaders. Notice verse 8, And your servant 
is in the midst of your people, whom you have chosen, a great 
people, too numerous to be numbered or counted. And then notice, 
verse 9, "...therefore give to your servant an understanding 
heart to judge your people, that I may discern between good and 
evil. For who is able to judge this great people of yours?" 
What's Solomon's focus? Solomon's focus is on the glory 
of God, to be sure. He is a God-lover. To be a God-lover 
means to love God's people. And Solomon wants to do things 
in the right way. He doesn't want long life for 
himself. He doesn't want riches for himself. 
Rather, he wants wisdom so he can best administrate the kingdom 
or administer the kingdom for the good of the people of God. 
He has lofty ideals in this section. He acknowledges his need. The 
focus of his concern is on the people of God. And then the very 
petition in verse 9 is for wisdom. Therefore, give to your servant 
an understanding heart. or a hearing heart. You see, 
oftentimes we make this distinction between the heart and the head, 
don't we? The heart is sort of the seat of emotions, and the 
head is where all the rationality is connected. That's not what 
the Bible says. That's not what the Bible means. 
The Bible kind of lumps it all together. The immaterial is spirit 
or soul or heart or head. There's not this disjunction 
between the heart and the head. No, what he says here is give 
your servant a hearing heart to judge your people. Davis makes 
the observation, note that Solomon does not ask for a hearing or 
understanding heart in order to feel, but in order to rule 
and discern. You see, what Solomon, or what 
Solomon requests at the throne of grace when God says, what 
shall I give you, is he asks for wisdom. I mean, is this us? Is this the way? I mean, if God 
did come to us tonight and said, what shall I give you? We say, 
I'd like a million dollars. I'd like a new car. That old 
jalopy is about to break down. I'd like a new job. No, wisdom 
is what Solomon says. Solomon wants to be able to serve 
the people of God. That's what a servant, this is 
what government really should look like. It's not the case 
that the people serve the government. I mean, we're so used to that. 
We've been beaten into this model where the people exist to serve 
the government. That's not the way it's supposed 
to be. The government is supposed to 
serve the people. They are public servants. That's not the way it is today, 
but this is what Solomon had intended. Therefore give to your 
servant a hearing heart to judge your people, that I may discern 
between good and evil, for who is able to judge this great people 
of yours? God, I need wisdom. In order 
to execute this task, I need wisdom from on high. Now note 
the response by God in verses 10 to 15. This petition pleased 
God. Notice in verse 10, the speech 
pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this thing. Shouldn't 
this be our goal in prayer, is to please God? The goal in prayer 
is not our emotional satisfaction or, you know, to check off the 
day timer or to be able to say to our wives or our husbands 
or our pastors, yeah, I prayed today. No, the goal of prayer 
ought to be the glory of God, right? Prayer doesn't change 
God. Prayer is a means by which we 
acknowledge our dependence upon God. It's a means by which we 
worship God. It's a means by which we bring 
honor and praise to God. And in this instance, the speech 
pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this thing. Notice 
that the petition was granted by God. Verse 12. He says, Behold, 
I have done according to your words, see, I have given you 
a wise and understanding heart, so that there has not been anyone 
like you before you, nor shall any like you arise after you. 
Probably idiomatic, probably hyperbolic, not to indicate that 
There would never be anybody wise again. We know that the 
Lord Jesus certainly was a greater than Solomon in terms of wisdom. 
But what he is saying is because you have asked for this thing, 
I'm going to heap it upon you. I am going to pour it out upon 
you. Isn't this how our God gives? And it's interesting that in 
a parallel passage in James 1, we are told that if anyone lacks 
wisdom, let him ask of God who does what? Who gives to all liberally 
and without reproach. He doesn't just dole out a little 
bit, but he gives it liberally. He pours it out. That's the sense 
of verse 12. When Solomon asks for wisdom, 
God says, you better open wide because I'm pouring it out upon 
you. It's not going to be the case that anyone before you or 
anyone after you has been as wise as you have been. It pleased 
God that Solomon asked this thing and God poured out wisdom upon 
him. But as well, notice what we find. Well, verse 11, I unfortunately 
missed that. Then God said, because you have 
not asked this thing, you've not asked long life for yourself, 
nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have asked the life of your 
enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern justice. 
You see, it's almost as if God is saying, you know, anybody 
else would have asked those things, right? Anybody else would have 
asked for riches. Anybody else would have asked 
for honor. Anybody else would have asked for the elimination 
of the enemies. But Solomon, you asked for wisdom. 
You got this right. This is a good sign. This is 
a good foreshadowing of how things are going to go under Solomon's 
reign. Now certainly later, as he ends, it's a bad thing. But 
that interim period, Solomon's reign was most blessed and most 
excellent. Now notice the petition was supplemented 
by God, verses 13 and 14. And I have also given you what 
you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that there shall 
not be anyone like you among the kings all your days. You 
see that? Isn't this Matthew 6, 33? Seek 
first the kingdom of God, and then these things will be added 
to you. Jesus cautions us and tells us, don't worry about what 
you'll eat, don't worry about what you'll wear, don't worry 
about tomorrow, but rather seek first the kingdom of God, and 
then these things will be added to you. You see, Solomon has 
sought first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and God 
has supplemented this by giving him riches and honor. Now this 
isn't technique, this isn't formula. Go to God with some, you know, 
highfalutin, noble virtues, with the thought that He's going to 
give you everything else. We're not mercenaries at the 
throne of grace. That's not what this is designed 
to teach us. Rather, it's designed to show 
us the liberality, the generosity, the kindness, and the overflowing 
graciousness of God. God says, I'll not only give 
you wisdom, but I'm going to give you all those things you 
didn't even ask for. I'm going to give you those things you 
didn't even request because that's how good God is. That's how He deals with them 
in this instance. But there is a condition. Notice 
in verse 14. So if you walk in my ways to keep my statutes and 
my commandments as your father David walked, then I will lengthen 
your days. I will prolong your days. Solomon, you must be a faithful 
king. Solomon, you must be obedient. 
Solomon, you must do what David did. Again, David had his downfalls 
and his shortcomings, but David is paradigmatic or a pattern 
of righteousness for the kings in Israel. And then the petition 
was sealed by sacrifice to God. Again, verse 15, Solomon awakes, 
indeed it had been a dream. Now it wasn't a dream like you 
and I would have a dream. We were running and somebody 
was chasing us. It was a visionary dream. It 
was God coming to the king via this particular means to reveal 
to him these specifics and to deal with him in such a way. 
And he came to Jerusalem and stood before the Ark of the Covenant 
of the Lord. Some see movement in the right 
direction in this particular instance. In verse 4, he's at 
Gibeon to sacrifice at the Great High Place. Now he comes to Jerusalem 
and he stands before the Ark of the Covenant. And there he 
offers up burnt offerings, peace offerings, and he made a feast 
for all his servants. So it's movement not only geographically 
but theologically. He's left the high place at Gibeon. 
He's now in Jerusalem before the ark of the Lord where he 
ought to be. So that is the prayer for wisdom. Let's look at the proof of wisdom 
in verses 16 to 28. In the first place, we have this 
death of a son in verses 16 to 22. Verse 16 begins with now. That connects or that links this 
episode with the preceding. There is a specific and a conspicuous 
flow in the narrative. The author wants us to see that 
Solomon prays for wisdom, God has answered by giving him wisdom, 
and the proof now is in the pudding. What Solomon renders in terms 
of this particular verdict is an evidence that he is operating 
according to the wisdom that God Most High had given him. 
It says, two women who were harlots came to the king and stood before 
him. I think we all know the story. 
Again, it's a very famous, very popular story in scripture. But the one woman says, Oh my 
Lord, this woman and I dwell in the same house, and I gave 
birth while she was in the house. Then it happened the third day 
after I had given birth that this woman also gave birth. Now 
notice, and we were together. No one was with us in the house 
except the two of us in the house. You know what that means, right? 
There's no witnesses. This is an impossible scenario. Isn't it? It is an impossible 
scenario. Most likely, they'd already gone 
through the court system. They're at King Solomon now. There were lower courts in Israel. Not every situation that needed 
to be adjudicated was taken to the king. There were lower courts 
and even higher courts. There was a whole structure that 
Deuteronomy specifies before you'd ever get to the king. The 
fact that they've come to the king is probably indicative of 
the fact that all of these lower courts couldn't make heads or 
tails out of the situation. You have a plaintiff and you 
have a defendant. You have her word against her 
word. There are no witnesses. It is 
an impossible case, isn't it? I mean, you have to appreciate 
that. We become familiar with the passage and we note the wisdom 
of Solomon, but we don't really focus upon just how difficult 
this would have been for any court to try and render a proper 
verdict in. So no witnesses. Notice, verse 
19, and this woman's son died in the night because she lay 
on him. So she arose in the middle of the night and took my son 
from my side while your maidservant slept and laid him in her bosom 
and laid her dead child in my bosom. Now there's no possible 
way she could have known that. I mean, she was asleep, right? 
Unless she was cognizant and conscious, sleep conscious. She conjectures according to 
the scenario, right? The subsequent event of her now 
nursing a dead child, recognizing that it's not her child, gives 
her the fodder for verse 20. It had to happen that way. But 
again, it complicates the situation. Because if you're a judge and 
you hear a woman say this, probably you'd suggest, how do you know 
when you were asleep? I mean, this case is fraught 
with technical difficulties if you are going to try to render 
a verdict in this particular situation. Verse 21, and when 
I rose in the morning to nurse my son, there he was dead. But 
when I examined him in the morning, indeed, he was not my son whom 
I had born. So you see the plaintiff says 
it's a case of switch. It's not my child who died, it 
was her child. And then she took the dead child 
and put that dead child at my bosom and took my living child. And now the other woman, the 
defendant says in verse 22, no, but the living one is my son 
and the dead one is yours. your son?" And the first woman 
said, no, but the dead one is your son and the living one is 
my son. Thus they spoke before the king. You get something of 
the feel of this. It's a her word against her word. 
In the absence of witnesses, this would be an impossible case. Do you appreciate that? Do you 
see that? I mean, we bank on DNA linking 
criminals to a crime scene. Well, prior to DNA, you'd have 
to have witnesses. You have to have something that 
puts the criminal at the crime scene in order to get a conviction. And here we have 
just a very difficult situation. Now note the judgment of Solomon 
in verses 23 to 27. He basically reviews the situation. Verse 23, the one says, this 
is my son, who lives? And your son is the dead one. 
And the other says, no, but your son is the dead one. And my son 
is the living one. Yep, he gets it. He understands 
the scenario. Woman one says, my son. Woman 
two says, my son. Now note his request for a sword. Now at this particular juncture, 
these two women are probably frightened. Because you see, 
they don't know the story. They don't know that he's going 
to suggest that we cut the living child in half and divide them 
in two to give two pieces to these women. They're probably 
thinking that one of them is going to die. Why else would 
a king take a sword in a court case if the death penalty wasn't 
going to be implemented? So the king says, verse 24, bring 
me a sword. So they brought a sword before 
the king. Again, the narrative reads quickly, 
but if you were actually there and you saw these two women, 
you'd probably see the sweat beads starting to form. One or 
the other is probably thinking, how did he figure this out? I'm 
going to die. Notice, verse 25, something nobody 
expected whatsoever. The king said, divide the living 
child in two and give half to one and half to the other. Now, 
many commentators suppose he already knew who was guilty and 
innocent at this particular point. I don't know. The text reads 
this way. He says, do this. And this is 
the means by which he will ascertain who the guilty party is in this 
particular situation. But again, you wouldn't be expecting 
this, would you? This is the wisdom of God. And 
we know He doesn't actually kill the living child and take the 
top half and give it to woman 1 and the bottom half and give 
it to woman 2. But this is the wisdom of God 
operating. This is the means by which He 
is going to bring to light the reality of the situation. And it's brilliant. Again, we 
get it in our heads, we've read it several times, we've probably 
heard it preached, and we miss the brilliance of it. This is 
designed to elicit the true mother's compassion for her child. And 
this is precisely what it does. Verse 26, Then the woman whose 
son was living spoke to the king, for she yearned with compassion 
for her son. And she said, O my Lord, give 
her the living child, and by no means kill him. But the other 
one said, eh, let him be neither mine nor yours, but divide him. See, it's brilliant, isn't it? 
Cut him in half and divide up the parts. The true mother is 
going to say, no, don't cut him in half. Give him to the other 
woman. I have love for him and compassion 
for him. Even if he's not living with 
me, I want him to live. This is a mother's heart. The 
other one says, eh, cut him up and give us each a part. This 
is indicative of who the true mother was. Verse 27. So the king answered and said, 
give the first woman the living child and by no means kill him. She is his mother. It's brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. And not just brilliant, you know, 
this many years away, but it was brilliant to Israel at the 
time. Notice verse 28, their response. And all Israel heard of the judgment 
which the king had rendered, and they feared the king. Why 
did they fear the king? This doesn't mean they were going 
to run and hide from him. This means they revered him. 
They honored him. They counted him worthy of their 
allegiance. They feared the king. Why? For 
they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to administer justice. Beautiful! This is the display, 
this is the proof, this is the manifestation of the wisdom that 
the Lord God had given. And notice very specifically, 
for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to administer 
justice. It wasn't something he learned 
at college. It wasn't something he learned 
online. He didn't Google this. It was given to him by God. Paul 
House says, this comment reinforces the statement in 246 that the 
kingdom is now firmly established in Solomon's hands. Most importantly, 
this respect stems from the knowledge that wisdom like Solomon's can 
only come from God. Israel now understands, as does 
the reader, that the wisdom of God is in his heart to do justice. So Solomon prays, give me wisdom. God answers liberally, and we 
see it displayed in this case of the two harlots with the living 
child. Well, a couple of things, and 
then we close. In the first place, and I'm taking this right from 
Davis, if you have Davis's commentary on 1 Kings, I suggest you read 
chapter 3. The way that he breaks down Solomon's 
prayer I think is brilliant. In the first place, he highlights 
the true incentive to prayer is the generosity of God. The 
true incentive to prayer is the generosity of God. The fact that 
God bids us to pray. The fact that God has shown us 
His kindness when we've prayed before. The generosity of God 
is the true incentive to prayer. He says, secondly, the true foundation 
of prayer is the faithfulness of God. Why do we pray? Because 
we know God's faithful. Why do we call upon him? Because 
we know he's good, or his word is good. And then he says thirdly, 
the true anxiety of prayer is the people of God. What he means 
by that is Solomon's anxiety, Solomon's anxiousness, Solomon's 
design and desire was for God's people. I tell you, if we had 
political leaders like Solomon today, we'd all be the better 
for it. What does Solomon want to do? Does he want riches? Does 
he want honor? No, he wants wisdom so that he 
can facilitate this kingdom and provide for God's people. Beautiful. 
And then the true goal of prayer is the pleasure of God. The speech 
pleased the Lord, verse 10. Davis summarizes, ask what I 
should give you. He says, ask for his generosity 
lures you. Ask and remember his goodness 
to date. Ask for the sake of his people. 
Ask above all in order to please him. A couple of New Testament 
parallels. I've already referred to them, 
but it's good for us to look at them. Matthew chapter 6. Matthew 
chapter 6. Interestingly enough, Solomon 
is in this particular section. Verse 25, I say to you, do not 
worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, 
nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more 
than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of 
the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, 
yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value 
than they? Isn't that beautiful? We're more 
valuable than birds. Peter's wrong. God has affinity 
for his image bearers. He's not anti-bird, but he's 
pro-man. He's about us. He loves his image 
bearers. Which of you, by worrying, verse 
27, can add one cubit to his stature? So why do you worry 
about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, 
how they grow. They neither toil nor spend. 
And yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was 
not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass 
of the field, which today is and tomorrow is thrown into the 
oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore 
do not worry, saying, What shall we eat, or what shall we drink, 
or what shall we wear? For after all these things the 
Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows 
that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of 
God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added 
to you." You see, it's about priority. We seek God first. He doesn't not give us bread. 
He doesn't not give us clothing. But He says to seek Him first, 
and then these things will be added to you. It's the same priority 
with Solomon. I want wisdom, God. I want to 
honor you, God. I want to provide for your family. 
And God says, because you didn't ask for riches, because you didn't 
ask for honor, I'm going to give you wisdom, and I'm going to 
give you abundantly. Oh, and by the way, I'm going 
to give you riches, and I'm going to give you honor too. That's 
God's way. And then James 1, already alluded 
to, but very similar in terms of its focus with reference to 
the people of God. We're not kings. We are not the 
king of Israel. We don't have the same situation 
or the same circumstance that Solomon faced, but we have the 
same need for wisdom. And we are given this blessed 
promise in James 1 too. My brethren, count it all joy 
when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your 
faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect 
work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. 
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God." We need to remember 
this lack of wisdom is in the context of trial. It's in the 
context of suffering. It's in the context of hardship. 
It's not divorced from verses 2 to 4. Now, we need wisdom when 
we're doing math problems, and we need wisdom when we're dealing 
with our children, and we need wisdom when we are doing our 
jobs. It's not wrong to pray for wisdom in those particular 
scenarios, but in this particular context, it's when we fall into 
various trials. We need wisdom to navigate in 
the midst of trials, so that we don't complain against God, 
so that we don't whine against God, but that we can evaluate 
the situation and learn the lessons that He has for us. But he says, 
if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to 
all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 
You see, there's no change. Somebody told me this just recently, 
made this, God of the Old Testament versus the God of the New Testament. It's the same God, the same gracious 
God in both testaments. The God who comes to Solomon 
and says, I'm going to heap wisdom upon you liberally, is the God 
who through James says, to us suffering Christians, I'm going 
to heap wisdom upon you liberally. I'm going to give you what you 
stand in need of. I'm not going to leave you on your own. I'm 
not going to forsake you. I'm not going to let you flounder 
or founder. I'm not going to let you just, 
you know, whine and cry and grumble. I'm going to be there for you. 
Let him ask in faith with no doubting, for he who doubts is 
like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For let 
not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the 
Lord. He is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways." So 
there are New Testament parallels to what we find here in 1 Kings. 
As well, I've already mentioned this, it bears repeating, the 
traits of a worthy leader. He seeks wisdom from God. Seminary 
education, college education, university, book learning, study, 
all that is essential. Men need to understand the things 
that they will do when it comes to leadership. But ultimately, 
it's seeking wisdom from God that makes the decisive, that's 
the decisive factor for a leader, isn't it? It's, you know, what 
do we find in the book of Acts when, you know, they saw that 
these apostles were untrained men, but they had been with Jesus. They didn't go to the rabbi schools. 
They didn't get PhDs. They had been with Jesus. That's 
where wisdom comes from. It's when we're with Jesus. As 
well, a worthy leader seeks wisdom in order to benefit others. It's not just about themselves. 
That is conspicuous here with Solomon. Solomon doesn't want 
for himself. Solomon wants for the good of 
his kingdom. And then he utilizes wisdom, 
not political expediency, to govern and administrate. He doesn't 
look at these two harlots and say, well, you know, I got a 
really difficult situation because harlot one here is favored by 
this particular group of people and harlot two wrote that, no, 
no, it's not political expediency, it's the wisdom of God. It's 
what's right. That's what we need today. And 
then as well, I think we ought to appreciate from this passage 
that we should pray for leaders. we should pray. If they're not 
going to pray for wisdom from God, then let us fetch wisdom 
from God for them. Lord God Most High, give wisdom 
to the Prime Minister. Lord God Most High, give wisdom 
to the President. Lord God Most High, give wisdom 
to political leaders, because they need it. If they don't have 
it, they're going to continue to plunge the society into the 
sort of moral decay and debauchery that we already see all around 
us. Paul tells us in 1 Timothy chapter 2 verses 1 to 7, we're 
to pray for kings and for all who are in authority, we ought 
to pray for their salvation. We learn from 1 Kings 3 in the 
pattern of Solomon that we ought to pray for their wisdom. And 
then the final aspect of this particular section is the typical 
significance. It is intriguing that what we 
find with reference to Solomon having wisdom in order to administer 
the kingdom is something said concerning the Messiah in Isaiah 
11. He receives the spirit of wisdom 
in order to execute justice and judgment and equity. And then 
in Matthew chapter 12, very specifically, the Lord Jesus says, the Queen 
of the South will rise up in judgment with this generation 
and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to 
hear the wisdom of Solomon, and indeed a greater than Solomon 
is here. So Solomon points forward. This wise king, or this man who 
asked for wisdom, points us toward the Lord Jesus Christ, in whom 
all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge our head according 
to the Apostle Paul in the book of Colossians. Well, let us close 
in a word of prayer. Our Father, we thank you for 
1 Kings 3. We thank you for a leader that 
does seek wisdom from on high. And God help us, likewise, to 
seek wisdom from you, to know that you do give liberally, that 
you do not upbraid your children. When we come to you repeatedly, 
you don't mock us, you don't cast us off, but you always give 
what is needful for your children to function. We ask that you 
would go with us now. We pray that you'd gather us 
together on the Sabbath day, that we may worship you, We pray 
for all of your people in our local church that struggle physically. We ask that you would look with 
favor upon each one. And do bless the Trask family, 
God, at this time of grief and loss. We thank you that Uncle 
Martin has passed into the presence of his Savior. We thank you that 
even now he is gazing upon the face of the Lord Jesus Christ. 
But we know, God, his family hurts. We know that these are 
sorrowful times. We pray that though they grieve, 
it would not be like the world, that they would be mindful of 
the fact that He is with the Son of God in glory. Please bless 
Christine, please bless the children and the grandchildren, and may 
you comfort the entire family. And we pray through Christ our 
Lord. Amen.