The Wisest Man
Solomon has taken over as ruler of God’s special people upon his father David’s death. He is a young man with a tremendous responsibility. Perhaps that is why we are all so impressed with the direction of his thoughts when God said to him, “Ask! What shall I give you?” (1 Kings 3:5)
I don’t know for sure what my astralean request would be. I think I know myself well enough that it would revolve around my family, but I’m pretty sure at that young age I wouldn’t have had the maturity Solomon showed when he asked for wisdom in order to fairly judge the Lord’s people. 1 Kings 3:10 tells us that, “The speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing.” You probably know the next part: Because he was humble in his request, God gave him the many other blessings he could have selfishly requested – money, power, and honor.
The Bible makes it clear that Solomon was indeed very wise. 1 Kings 4:29-31, 34 reads:
And God gave Solomon wisdom and exceedingly great understanding, and largeness of heart like the sand on the seashore. Thus Solomon’s wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the men of the East and all the wisdom of Egypt. For he was wiser than all men … And men of all nations, from all the kings of the earth who had heard of his wisdom, came to hear the wisdom of Solomon.
And yet, consider the fact that this wisdom, given by God, was in the hands of … a man. And because of that, mistakes were made. Even within the lists of Solomon’s greatness in 1 Kings 4, we can see several deviations from God’s intentions for the king of Israel. In Deuteronomy 17, we read some guidelines God gives for future kings: “But he shall not multiply horses for himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses, for the Lord has said to you, ‘You shall not return that way again.’ Neither shall he multiply wives for himself, lest his heart turn away; nor shall he greatly multiply silver and gold for himself” (verses 16-17).
This makes me stop and think about the arrogance of humankind when we start to believe in our own wisdom and our “enlightenment.” If even “the wisest man”–whose wisdom came straight from God–could misuse that wisdom and understanding in such a way that he directly opposed some of God’s guidelines for his life, what makes me think I can do much better?
So what is the takeaway and encouragement? For me, it is the realization that I must always be aware of the challenges and dangers in taking my eyes off of God. Whether I am wary of my Christian liberty making someone else stumble (1 Corinthians 8:9), or I am cautious not to “fall from [my] own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked” (2 Peter 3:17), I must always be aware!
And, I must always trust in the One Whose wisdom is so far above mine, that it can never be tainted by human mismanagement. Consider the following as your encouragement to always look to His wisdom for your life:
“For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:9
“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you,” says the Lord, “thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11
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AUTHOR: Amber Tatum
