1 Kings 3:14, commentary and pictures

At Gibeon God came to Solomon by night in a dream and invited him to ask for whatever he desired, and Solomon confessed that he was as a little child unable to lead God's great people without divine help. Because he asked without selfish ambition only for an understanding heart to judge rightly and discern good from evil, God was pleased and gave him wisdom unlike any before or after, with riches and honor he had not asked, yet made length of days depend on walking in God's ways and keeping His statutes and commandments as his father David walked in truth and uprightness of heart. Continued obedience would keep God with him, establish his throne, preserve his prosperity and influence, and exalt Israel as a wise and understanding people and a light to surrounding nations. Solomon broke that contract by following his own heart and turning from the Lord, so he was left to his own impulses and his blessings were taken, while David his example though sometimes erring accepted reproof, confessed, and bore punishment, showing the danger of departing from God after great light and trust. Therefore petitions are to seek heavenly wisdom that brings glory to God rather than selfish earthly exaltation, and all in responsibility are to remain humble, do justice and judgment, and keep God's commandments, since position does not make holy but the obedient are honored.

Gibeon Promise and Condition

The promise was given at the beginning of the reign at Gibeon, where the new king had gone in royal state with chariot and horses and attendants. In the night season God came to him in a dream and said, Ask what shall be given, speaking by His angel, and when Solomon awoke he knew it had been a dream. The closing of that answer made length of days conditional on obedience.

Solomon confessed that he was but a little child who did not know how to go out or come in and how to lead the great, chosen, unnumbered people over whom he had been made king. He felt helpless without divine help to carry his responsibilities, knowing he lacked discernment. Without any selfish desire to exalt himself above others, he asked not for long life for himself, nor for riches, nor for the life of his enemies, but only for an understanding heart to judge the people and to discern between good and bad and between right judgment, choosing the gift that would make his reign bring glory to God. That speech pleased the Lord, and he was never so rich or so wise or so truly great as when he made that humble confession of need and desire to do his duties faithfully.

Because the request pleased God, He gave a wise and understanding heart such as none had before and none after would arise like. With it He also gave what had not been asked, both riches and honor, so that among kings in his days none would be like him. Those gifts of wisdom, riches, and honor did not remove the duty to obey.

Length of days was then made to depend on walking in God's ways to keep His statutes and commandments and judgments as his father David had walked. David is described as walking in truth and righteousness and uprightness of heart. The same condition is stated as walking before the Lord in uprightness and doing what God commanded.

With the condition went the assurance that God would be with Solomon as He had been with David. Continued obedience would establish his throne and preserve the prosperity and royal influence that had been given him, so that his blessings would not be taken from him. His reign would then exalt Israel as a wise and understanding people, a light to the surrounding nations.

Obedience Failure and Lessons

David is set forth in the condition as the pattern to follow, for though he at times followed his own impulses and thereby injured his influence, he accepted reproof from the Lord, confessed his sin, and bore its punishment instead of seeking to evade it.

Solomon failed to keep this contract with God, for he followed the promptings of his own heart and chose his own way and turned his heart from the Lord, so the Lord left him to his own impulses. Had he continued to obey all the commandments his blessings would not have been taken from him, for the prosperity and royal influence given him depended on continued obedience. His history stands at the strong beginning of a course that turned from strength to weakness, showing the danger of departing from God after receiving great light and trust, and of later choosing his own way after beginning with a bright promise and choosing God's wisdom.

The same condition was repeated in the charge concerning the building of the temple, where wisdom, prosperity, and success were tied to keeping the law of the Lord and fulfilling the statutes and judgments charged to Moses. Solomon later departed from God by turning to foreign help and going to other nations to secure facilities for building the temple, despite the resources God had provided, and therefore shared the sorrows that follow separation from God. God desires to encircle His people with His protecting arm, blessing them above all other people and preserving them in purity while they remain closely connected with Him, but if they depart from Him they will share the sorrows of Solomon.

Petitions are not to come from hearts filled with selfish aspirations, but are to choose gifts that bring glory to God and to choose the heavenly in place of the earthly, laying up heavenly treasure that cannot be lost when the earthly is swept away. Solomon's night prayer for an understanding heart is a sample prayer for all, high and low, rich and poor. Today no one can act his part and carry duties and responsibilities acceptably without wisdom from on high. The call to keep the Lord's way applies to responsible workers as a call to remain obedient and humble, to do justice and judgment and to obey God. Position itself does not make anyone holy or excellent in character, but the one who honors God and keeps His commandments is honored.