WHAT IF YOU COULD HAVE IT ALL?
The 10th Sunday of Pentecost – August 13 & 17, 2014 (s652)
421; 349:1-4; 477; 349:5
Pastor Thomas Fricke
At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.” – 1 Kings 3:5
What if you could have it all?
I mean, what if you could ask for anything you wanted—anything at all—and it would be yours? What would you do? What do you think you would ask for?
Would you ask for stacks and stacks of money so you never again have to worry about how you’re going to make ends meet? Or would you ask for that home that you’ve been dreaming about…or the nice car you’ve always wanted to drive? What would it be?
Solomon had just become king. And shortly afterward, he invited the leaders of Israel to come to Gibeon, five miles northwest of Jerusalem. There, on a hilltop in Gibeon, where the altar and tabernacle of the Lord were temporarily located, Solomon offered a thousand animals as a sacrifice to the Lord. It was on that night that the Lord approached Solomon with an offer. He came to him during the night in a dream, and said, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.”
That’s right. Godsaid, “Ask forwhatever you want.” Solomon answered the Lord. He did it, as we’ll see, in a way we might not have expected. But the real question is : What would you do?
WHAT IF YOU COULD HAVE IT ALL?
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There is something unsettling about the story of Solomon, but it’s not in his request. We find nothing to fault in Solomon’s request. We read,
Solomon answered, “You have shown great kindness to your servant, my father David, because he was faithful to you and righteous and upright in heart. You have continued this great kindness to him and have given him a son to sit on his throne this very day.
“Now, O LORD my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. Your servant is here among the people you havechosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?” (1 Kings 3:6-9)
As Solomon considers the Lord’s invitation, he thinks about the many ways God has blessed him.While he was still a shepherd, God had chosen David, Solomon’s father,to be king over Israel, and now he’s permitting David’s sonto be the next king. But along with privilege comes responsibility, and Solomon is staring at the fact that he will soon be responsible for guiding and directing a whole nation—more people than he can count. He sees the heavy responsibility...he understands his own weakness…and he knows that he won’t be able to rulethese people wisely without help from God.
So he answers in the form of a prayer. And take note: he doesn’t begin by talking about himself. He doesn’t begin by saying, “I never thought you’d ask. Here’s what I would likeyou to give me…” No. He begins by acknowledging God’s grace, his undeserved favor and kindness. “You have shown great kindness to…my father David…. You have continued this great kindness to him and have given him a son to sit on his throne this very day,” Solomon says (1 Kings 3:6).
He continues: “Now, O LORD my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. So give your servanta discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?” (1 Kings 3:7-9).
You can see Solomon’s humility all over in this response, can’t you?
- He refers to himself as only a servant of the Lord.
- He doesn’t talk about his achievements as his own—he knows it’s all the Lord’s doing.
- He compares himself to a little child; unable to govern except with the Lord’s help and blessing.
- He makes his request not for himself, but for the people he’s been called to govern.
So heprays that God would give him a wise and understanding heart…
In the Hebrew the term is a “lev shomeah” [לֵב שֹׁמֵעַ]—literally, a heart that hears. Solomon is asking for an understanding heart, a heart that listens to, understands, and obeys the will of God—a heart that knows the difference between good and evil because it listens to God and obeys his Word.That’s real wisdom, spiritual wisdom.
That wisdom—the wisdom of God—remains unchanged through the ages. St. James said, “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him” (James 1:5). Today, it seems, we have instant access to all kinds of knowledge. But real, true wisdom is much harder to find.Wisdom is not just being smart. It’s knowing the right thing to do…and doing it.
Are you facing a difficult situation or have big decision this week? If you don’t know what to do, follow Solomon’s example. Pray for guidance, for wisdom…and then look for it in the Word. Pray like this…
- If you are a child, pray: “Jesus, give me wisdom so I know how I can honor my parents and others in authority.”
- If you are a parent, pray: “Lord, give me wisdom to understand my children…and teach me how to discipline them in love.”
- If you are a leader in the church, pray: “Give me wisdom to rebuke sin…and to speak words of comfort to souls in need.”
- EveryChristian can pray: “Give me wisdom to have a heart that hears, to understand people…and to say what needs to be said, that others might glorify you as their Savior.”
And when you’ve finished praying for yourself, then you might want to ask God to give the same blessing—wisdom—to others.
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That’s the kind of prayer that pleases the Lord. We read:
The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. So God said to him, “Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be.” (1 Kings 3:10-12)
The Lord was pleased with Solomon’s choice because Solomon prayed not for long life, or for wealth, or the death of his enemies. No, he prayedfor practical gifts that would be used in God’s kingdom and to the glory of God. The Lord promised to bless him. And he did.
Solomon gained renown for his wisdom far and wide. He became famous throughout the world as a diplomat and poet, as a botanist, zoologist, architect and engineer. He spoke 3,000 proverbs, and authored Ecclesiastes, the Song of Songs and several psalms. We read that,“God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore. Solomon’s wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the men of the East, and greater than all the wisdom of Egypt” (1 Kings 4:29,30). Yet as great as Solomon was, he didn’t follow through! His many foreign wives led him into idolatry…and it nearly destroyed his faith.
This is the unsettling part of the story, and it serves as a warning. If Solomon can slip up, so can we.
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,” the Bible says (Proverbs 9:10). True wisdom begins with faith. It walks humbly before the Lord. It recognizes what’s most important of all—Jesus! And it knows: you’re never too old or too smart or too important to learn about him.
Keep on looking for wisdom in his Word, and keep on praying for wisdom. Then put it into practice in your heart and life.
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So what if you could have it all?
Actually, in a spiritual sense, you can!Oh, you might have to keep on working every day to pay your bills and make ends meet… And you might have to keep on dreaming about that house or that car your entire life… But Jesus says, “Seek first [the kingdom of God] and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33).
Put him first in everything. That's true wisdom…and it’s real wealth. Your gracious God and Lord will meet all your needs—in this life…and the life to come. That’s his promise to you! Amen.