"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.