Pastor Matt Pierson
1 & 2 Kings: The King of Redemption History
1 Kings 3
- Verses 1-15: the prayer for wisdom
- Verses 16-28: the proof of wisdom
“I think everybody should get rich and famous and do everything they ever dreamed of so they can see that it’s not the answer.”
– Jim Carrey
1. Solomon’s prayer reveals:
- An obedient heart (v. 3)
- A thankful heart (v. 6)
- A servant heart (v. 7-9)
- A humble heart (v. 7-8)
- A discerning heart (v. 9)
- A worshiping heart (v. 15)
Solomon is asking God to equip him to serve in the role God has for him.
“To know wisdom and instruction, to understand words of insight, to receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice and equity…”
– Proverbs 1:2-3
“Give the king your justice, O God, and your righteousness to the royal son! May he judge your people with righteousness, and your poor with justice!”
– Psalms 72:1-2
2. How do we walk in a manner that is pleasing to the Lord?
“Thus says the Lord: ‘Keep justice and righteousness, for soon my salvation will come, and my righteousness will be revealed.’”
– Isaiah 56:1
“But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!”
– Amos 5:24
“He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”
– Micah 6:8
“And he said to him, ‘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 a second is like it: you shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.’”
– Matthew 22:37-40
What role might Christ be calling you to fulfill in the ongoing, unfolding story of redemption history?
3. Jesus Christ is the only King who is truly wise, completely righteous and fully just.
“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and execute justice and righteousness in the land… and this is the name by which he shall be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness.’”
– Jeremiah 23:5-6
Discussion Questions
- What is wisdom? What is the difference between God’s wisdom and what the world considers to be wise?
- Solomon’s prayer displayed the disposition of his heart. What do our own prayers reveal to us about our hearts? If we were put in the same situation as Solomon, what would we ask God to do for us?
- What does your version of the good life look like? What is the ultimate thing in your life? Are you prioritizing what is best over what is good? What are you clinging to, depending on, and looking toward for your own sense of worth, fulfillment and purpose? Can it bear the weight?
- Are we actively asking God for wisdom, or simply hoping to passively pick up a little along the way? Are we inquiring of God for what we need to walk faithfully and be fully equipped in our own unique/individual spheres of influence? Can we see evidence of wisdom in our own lives? What are some examples/proofs?
“You and I experience a lot of perversions of justice in this world. And the good news… is that justice is going to be done by one who is perfectly just and perfectly righteous.”
– Nancy Guthrie
“I am going to judge my circumstances by Jesus’ love, not Jesus’ love by my circumstances.”
– Tim Keller
“That is the hint we have in 1 Kings 3. The wisdom, discernment and justice of Solomon point to one who will outstrip Solomon, to one in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. And if such a King already has begun to reign, must we not assume, as his subjects, that he will never ordain or order anything in our circumstances, except what is in line with wisdom at its highest and best?”
– Dale Ralph Davis, 1 Kings: The Wisdom and the Folly