A WISE AND UNDERSTANDING HEART

What are dreams made of?? When we lay our heads down at night, usually whatever is on our mind is what pops up in our dreams. Sometimes they make sense; sometimes they are weird; sometimes they are foolish - and sometimes they "are from God." Such is the case of King Solomon. Perhaps he felt young and inexperienced and even a little inadequate at this new job of being ruler over Israel and fell asleep thinking about the job ahead of him - leading and judging the people entrusted to him. (Ever felt that way?) He was following in the huge footsteps of his father David. What a legacy he had to fulfill.




In this dream, God asks Solomon, "Ask what I shall give you." What a question! Ever thought about what your answer might be if it were asked of you? We read that "Solomon loved the Lord." I believe that is the key right there. He was not thinking of himself with selfish motives and desires. He wanted to serve the Lord and his people in the best way he could. So, Solomon asked for "wisdom" and a discerning heart.




(Maybe he should have sought God's wisdom earlier - for he had married the daughter of Pharaoh from Egypt early on. And as we will see later in his life, this is what eventually brought him down - the many political alliances and marriages he made with foreigners that opened the door to idol worship and destroyed the kingdom.)









But - back to the job at hand. This answer "pleased" the Lord, and Solomon was granted wisdom - but as the gracious and loving God we know - He gave him so much more. Riches and long life. Solomon's wisdom is legendary. Everyone has heard and remembers the story about the two women coming to him with one child, each claiming to be the mother. He settled this dispute in a brilliant way, and the people realized that the wisdom of God was in him. (Isn't it awesome when we see this kind of wisdom in the people that God sends our way? Be sensitive to those Christians around you - you might just get some Godly wisdom if you listen closely.) But not only can we ask wise people around us, we can ask God directly as James 1:5 states - But if any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all men liberally, without finding fault, and it will be given him.




LET'S GET ORGANIZED: And so he did. Solomon organized his kingdom into twelve districts with officials over each to provide food for the king and his household . . . each man had to make provision for one month in the year. But this did not conform to the old tribal boundaries - which possibly will come to hurt him in the end. The people were at peace and ate and drank and were happy. His kingdom enlarged until it was from the Euphrates . . . to the border of Egypt.




Enter Hiram, King of Tyre, who became a friend to Solomon as he was with David his father. This enabled Solomon to gain access to the cypress and cedars of Lebanon as well as the servants of Hiram to cut and ship the timber back by way of the sea. A good friendship was established and each had their benefits. The building of the temple was on its way. (I read where some of the great foundation stones remain to this day some with markings on them that are Phoenician, as was Tyre, from which Solomon received the building materials for the temple.)




Solomon was surely a busy, artistic, and industrious man as he is credited with writing 3,000 proverbs and 1005 songs in his repertoire. He also traded in horses and chariots. He was wise and understanding and spoke on many subjects, i.e., beasts of the field, birds, creeping things and fish. He initiated building programs (a palace, the temple, and the wall around Jerusalem), possessed extreme wealth, and had great administrative and organizational skills. Men came from all over the known world to hear the wisdom of Solomon.




Through the building of the temple, Solomon conscripted his people to forced labor, military service, and then taxed them heavily. Israel had wanted to have a king and be like the other nations. And as Samuel had warned - they were becoming just that. I'm wondering here if in all of this busyness Solomon let his mind wander from what was really important - his devotion to God. Don't we do the same thing at times - covered up with the day to day life issues, the hectic running to and fro, that we let our Bible reading and prayer slip down on the list of "things to do?"




Stay tuned for the "rest of the story" of the wisest man on earth.