~Praying for Wisdom~

by Dewey Fox

God said to him, "Because you have asked this thing and have not asked for yourself long life, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have you asked for the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself discernment to understand justice, (1 Kings 3:11 NASB) behold, I have done according to your words. Behold, I have given you a wise and discerning heart, so that there has been no one like you before you, nor shall one like you arise after you. (1 Kings 3:12 NASB)

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In David’s old age, he appointed Solomon to reign as his successor. The Lord appeared to Solomon in Gibeon and asked him, “What do you wish Me to give you. We find this in I Kings 3:5: In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream at night; and God said, "Ask what you wish me to give you." (1 Kings 3:5 NASB) Solomon answered and asked for wisdom to discern between good and evil. Just look at I Kings 3:9 for the request; "So give Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people to discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?" (1 Kings 3:9 NASB) And (God) Elohim honors Solomon’s request in I Kings 3:13; "I have also given you what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that there will not be any among the kings like you all your days. (1 Kings 3:13 NASB)

Did you see in these verses in I Kings what Solomon asked for; a discerning heart, to be able to judge good and evil. Of all the things, he asked for something that was not materialistic. He didn’t ask for land, livestock, women, kingship, or money. He asked and received this gift from (God) Elohim of discernment.

Here in the same chapter three of I Kings we have one of maybe the first cases of judgment for Solomon to discern the correct mother. You may know the story, but read below about the two women. It is I Kings 3:16-28.

Then two women who were harlots came to the king and stood before him. (1 Kings 3:16 NASB)

The one woman said, "Oh, my lord, this woman and I live in the same house; and I gave birth to a child while she was in the house. (1 Kings 3:17 NASB)

"It happened on the third day after I gave birth, that this woman also gave birth to a child, and we were together. There was no stranger with us in the house, only the two of us in the house. (1 Kings 3:18 NASB)

"This woman's son died in the night, because she lay on it. (1 Kings 3:19 NASB)

"So she arose in the middle of the night and took my son from beside me while your maidservant slept, and laid him in her bosom, and laid her dead son in my bosom. (1 Kings 3:20 NASB)

"When I rose in the morning to nurse my son, behold, he was dead; but when I looked at him carefully in the morning, behold, he was not my son, whom I had borne." (1 Kings 3:21 NASB)

Then the other woman said, "No! For the living one is my son, and the dead one is your son." But the first woman said, "No! For the dead one is your son, and the living one is my son." Thus they spoke before the king. (1 Kings 3:22 NASB)

Then the king said, "The one says, 'This is my son who is living, and your son is the dead one'; and the other says, 'No! For your son is the dead one, and my son is the living one.'" (1 Kings 3:23 NASB)

The king said, "Get me a sword." So they brought a sword before the king. (1 Kings 3:24 NASB)

The king said, "Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one and half to the other." (1 Kings 3:25 NASB)

Then the woman whose child was the living one spoke to the king, for she was deeply stirred over her son and said, "Oh, my lord, give her the living child, and by no means kill him." But the other said, "He shall be neither mine nor yours; divide him!" (1 Kings 3:26 NASB)

Then the king said, "Give the first woman the living child, and by no means kill him. She is his mother." (1 Kings 3:27 NASB)

When all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had handed down, they feared the king, for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to administer justice. (1 Kings 3:28 NASB)

I could have told you the story, but the Bible does it so much better than I can.

I know the devotion is just a little long today, but wanted to relate to you the story of Solomon, one of the wisest, richest Kings in the Old Testament.

Just one question left, “When you pray to (God) Elohim, what are our asking for?

Brother Dewey E. Fox