Thematic Bible: Solomon, asking for wisdom
Thematic Bible
Prayer » Answered » Solomon, asking for wisdom
Later, Solomon intermarried with the family of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt by taking his daughter and bringing her to the City of David to live until he had completed building his own palace, the LORD's Temple, and the wall around Jerusalem. The people were sacrificing at various high places because the Temple had not yet been built and dedicated to the LORD. Solomon loved the LORD, and lived according to the statutes that his father David obeyed, except that he sacrificed and burned offerings at the high places. read more.
The king used to go to Gibeon to sacrifice, since there was a famous high place there, where Solomon once offered 1,000 burnt offerings on that altar. The LORD appeared to Solomon one night in a dream and told him, "Ask me for whatever you want and I'll give it to you." So Solomon said: "You have demonstrated abundant gracious love to your servant David, my father, as he lived in your presence truthfully, righteously, and uprightly in his heart. In addition, you have kept on showing this abundant gracious love by giving him a son to sit on his throne today. Now, LORD my God, you have set me as king to replace my father David, but I'm still young. I don't have any leadership skills. Your servant lives in the midst of your people that you have chosen, a great people that is too numerous to be counted. So give your servant an understanding mind to govern your people, so I can discern between good and evil. Otherwise, how will I be able to govern this great people of yours?" The LORD was pleased that Solomon had asked for this, so God told him: "Because you asked for this, and you didn't ask for a long life for yourself, and you didn't ask for the lives of your enemies, but instead you've asked for discernment so you can understand how to govern, look how I'm going to do precisely what you asked. I'm giving you a wise and discerning mind, so that there will have been no one like you before you and no one will arise after you like you. I'm also giving you what you haven't requested: both riches and honor, so that no other king will be comparable to you during your lifetime.
The king used to go to Gibeon to sacrifice, since there was a famous high place there, where Solomon once offered 1,000 burnt offerings on that altar. The LORD appeared to Solomon one night in a dream and told him, "Ask me for whatever you want and I'll give it to you." So Solomon said: "You have demonstrated abundant gracious love to your servant David, my father, as he lived in your presence truthfully, righteously, and uprightly in his heart. In addition, you have kept on showing this abundant gracious love by giving him a son to sit on his throne today. Now, LORD my God, you have set me as king to replace my father David, but I'm still young. I don't have any leadership skills. Your servant lives in the midst of your people that you have chosen, a great people that is too numerous to be counted. So give your servant an understanding mind to govern your people, so I can discern between good and evil. Otherwise, how will I be able to govern this great people of yours?" The LORD was pleased that Solomon had asked for this, so God told him: "Because you asked for this, and you didn't ask for a long life for yourself, and you didn't ask for the lives of your enemies, but instead you've asked for discernment so you can understand how to govern, look how I'm going to do precisely what you asked. I'm giving you a wise and discerning mind, so that there will have been no one like you before you and no one will arise after you like you. I'm also giving you what you haven't requested: both riches and honor, so that no other king will be comparable to you during your lifetime.
the LORD appeared to Solomon for a second time, just as he had appeared to him at Gibeon. The LORD told him: "I've heard your prayer and your request that you made to me. I have consecrated this Temple that you have built by placing my name there forever. My eyes and my heart will be there continuously.