1 Kings 3:6-15
Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of David his father, only he sacrificed and made offerings at the high places. And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the great 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 shall give you. And Solomon said, “You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant David my father, 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 this day. And now, O LORD my God, you have made your servant king in place of David my father, although I am but a little child. I do not know how to go out or come in. And our servant is in the midst of your people, whom you have chosen, a great people, too many to be numbered or counted for multitude. Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?”
It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. And God said to him, “Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches or the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, behold, I now do according to your word. Behold, I give you a wise and discerning mind, so that none like you has been before you and none like you shall arise after you. I give you also what you have not asked, “both riches and honor, so that no other king shall compare with you, all your days. And if you will walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and my commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days.”
And Solomon awoke, and behold, it was a dream. Then he came to Jerusalem and stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and offered up burnt offerings and peace offerings, and made a feast for all his servants.
The wisdom needed to guide us through life is from God; apart from God’s provision, a blessed life would be unknowable.
What is the blessed life? It is material prosperity and divine favor to spiritual fulfillment and eternal joy. It is a state that reflects God’s goodness and grace, and it invites believers to live in a way that honors Him and extends His blessing to others (Bible Hub; Topical: Blessed).
Solomon’s request was kingdom-centered, and God added to it. Solomon’s motivation for wisdom was the steadfast love of the Lord. Psalm 144:1-2 speaks to this kind of love:
Blessed be the LORD, my rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle; he is my steadfast love and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield and he in whom I take refuge, who subdues people under me.
Steadfast love refers to God’s unwavering, covenantal love, which is the central theme throughout the Old Testament, highlighting God’s loyalty and faithfulness to His people. God is a constant in our life, He provides a foundation of security and peace and we can trust in His unwavering commitment to us. “Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His loving devotion endures forever” (Psalm 136:1). God’s love is an active, personal commitment and we can see this in Christ’s sacrifice on the cross while we were still sinners (Rom. 5:8). God’s love never fails (Lamentations 3:22-23), we can rest in the certainty that every circumstance is filtered through His unwavering affection for His people.
God is at once an affectionate Lover, impenetrable Fortress, permanent Stronghold, decisive Deliverer, personal Shield, chosen Refuge, and sovereign Subduer of every opposing force. Each title invites us to lean fully on Him–loved, protected, rescued, and assured of triumph through His power alone (Psalm 144:2; Bible Hub Summary).
Solomon’s humble request for wisdom is grounded in the reality that he has already received the greatest treasure in life–the steadfast love of his covenant Lord. The same steadfast love of the Lord that Solomon experienced some three thousand years ago has been made ours, all through the work of the human embodiment of this steadfast love: Jesus Christ (Gospel Transformation; 1 Kings 3:3-14 Study Note).
Solomon asked for wisdom for himself.
A wise person is skillful in the management of life. They can make a life and make the most out of what life might bring. They are skilled in human relations and have the ability to understand and cooperate with the basic laws God has built into creation.
What is the greatest commandment? “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets” (Matt. 22:36-40).
Wise people have knowledge of human nature and of the created world, and they know how to use that knowledge in the right way and at the right time. Wisdom is very practical and personal.
Many people are smart enough to make a good living, but they aren’t wise enough to make a good life, a life of fulfillment that honors the Lord.
Solomon asked God to give him “an understanding heart,” because no matter how smart the mind may be, if the heart is wrong, all of life will be wrong. An understanding heart is a hearing heart, an obedient heart that is with insight and exercises discernment, distinguishing the things that differ:
“And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more with knowledge and discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God” (Philippians 1:9-11).
An understanding heart knows what is real and what is artificial, what is temporal and what is eternal. This kind of understanding is described in Isaiah 11:1-5, a prophecy concerning the Messiah.
There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit and the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD and His delight shall be in the fear of the LORD. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist, and faithfulness the belt of his loins.
Believers today can claim the promise of James 1:5
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach and it will be given him.
This request to God for wisdom and an understanding heart is pleasing to God; it shows that we are concerned with serving God and the people whom God puts before us, and we desire knowing and doing God’s will.
“Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33). Meaning, our material needs will be met, our necessities of life: food, drink, and clothing.
Our assurance is rooted in God’s character as a loving Father who knows and provides for the needs of His children. Praise God, for it is His provision that frees believers from anxiety and allows them to focus on spiritual growth and service.
“Therefore, brothers and sisters in Christ, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:58; my emphasis).
Written with much help from the “Gospel Transformation Study Bible”, biblehub.com and Wiersbe Bible Commentary: 1 Kings 3:6-9.
Our Heavenly Prize 