"The Story of King Solomon"

Without question, the greatest story in the Bible of someone who sought after the
knowledge and wisdom of God and actually received it was King Solomon in the Old
Testament. What happened to this man was just about beyond belief.

When Solomon became King of Israel, he knew he did not have the knowledge and
wisdom to properly rule his people. So what did he do? He went direct to God the
Father and asked Him for His knowledge and wisdom to rule the people.

He admitted his weakness in this area and was not afraid to press in and start
asking God for His knowledge.

So what did God do when he asked Him for His knowledge to help rule his people? God
did not meet him halfway – He met him all the way!

As you will see in the two verses I will list below, God tells Solomon because he
did not ask for long life, riches, or the death of his enemies for himself – but
just asked for an “understanding heart” to judge his people and help with
discerning between good and evil – God tells him that He will give him a “wise and
understanding heart.”

But then God takes it one, more, incredible step further. He tells Solomon that the
knowledge and wisdom that will be given to him will be like what no man has ever
had before him and what no man will ever have after him! In other words – God will
make this man the smartest man in Him that has ever lived, and that there would
never be another man in the course of human history that would ever be his equal in
this realm!

Just stop and think on what an incredible thing this was – to have been given so
much knowledge and wisdom direct from God Himself, that no man would ever be his
equal in this gift!

Then God goes one more extra step in order to put the icing on this man’s cake. He
then tells Solomon that since he did not ask for riches for himself, but just for
the knowledge of God to rule his people – that he will now be given incredible
riches and honor to go along with the knowledge and wisdom to rule his people.

Then God adds the final touch on the riches and honor he will be given – telling
Solomon that there shall never be another king like him all the days of his life
and that he will surpass all the kings of the earth in “riches and wisdom.”

In other words – God ends up making this man the smartest and richest man in all of
the earth at the time that he was living!

If Solomon was really not asking God for wealth and riches, but just for the
knowledge and wisdom to rule his people – why would God go so overboard in blessing
this man with this kind of extreme wealth, especially if he was not really asking
for it and possibly not even desiring it at the time?

I believe the main reason God rewarded Solomon with this kind of maximum wealth was
not only to show him, but the rest of His people that would come later on, the
extreme importance that each and every person seek after the knowledge of God for
their own lives. By blessing Solomon with this kind of extreme wealth, God is
telling all of us the extreme importance that we seek after Him and His knowledge
for our lives.

In other words – seeking after the knowledge of God has to be a major priority in a
believer’s life. We cannot spiritually grow and develop in the Lord unless we first
have His knowledge worked into us that will cause this spiritual growth to occur in
the first place.
And you cannot get this knowledge worked into you unless you are first seeking
after it!

Seek, and then you will find. But the reverse is also true – if you do not seek,
then you will not find. And if you do not find the knowledge of God for your life,
then the Holy Spirit will not have anything to work with to start the
sanctification process within you.

Really grab a hold of these next two verses and the statements that God is making
to Solomon – all because he got this ball rolling by simply asking God for His
knowledge to help rule his people.

“Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I
may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of
Yours?” And the speech pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked for this thing.
Then God said to him: “Because you have asked this thing, and have not asked long
life for yourself, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have asked the life of
your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern justice, behold,
I have done according to your words; see, I have given you a wise and understanding
heart, so that there has not been anyone like you before you, nor shall any like
you arise after you.

And I have also given you what you have not asked: both riches and honor, so that
there shall not be anyone like you among the kings all your days. So if you walk in
My ways, to keep My statutes and My commandments, as your father David walked, then
I will lengthen your days.” (1 Kings 3:9-14)

“So King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the ea.