1 Kings 3:9, commentary and pictures

Solomon, young and inexperienced and feeling as a little child unequal to leading so great a people, confessed his need and asked as God's servant for an understanding heart to judge rightly and discern between good and bad. His request was selfless, seeking wisdom to govern faithfully for God's glory rather than long life, riches, honor or victory over enemies, and because it came from humility it pleased the Lord. God therefore gave him a wise and understanding heart beyond any before or after, adding riches and honor unasked, with length of days and an established throne on condition that he would walk in obedience as David had walked. An understanding heart is a discerning mind from God, quick, large and tender, that judges fairly between right and wrong without having to practice evil, and is kept only by vital connection with Him. The prayer stands as a pattern for all, high and low and especially those in trust today, to confess childlike helplessness, seek heavenly wisdom above the earthly, and remain humble and obedient to the last, for even Solomon's great wisdom was lost when he turned from its Source to self-reliance and lust.

Setting and Request

The prayer was offered at Gibeon in a dream in the night season, after Solomon had become king instead of David his father and after he had offered sacrifices and consecrated himself to God's service, when God conversed with him by His angel and said ask what should be given. Solomon was then in his early youth, still noble in character, named Jedidiah meaning Beloved of the Lord, the pride and hope of his father and tender and only beloved in his mother's sight, loving God and beloved by God. He began by acknowledging God's great mercy and kindness to David his father for walking before Him in truth and righteousness and uprightness of heart, and for keeping kindness by giving David a son to sit on his throne.

He confessed that though now made king he was but a little child who did not know how to go out or come in, young and inexperienced and unequal to leadership. He was truly a child in management when faced with different sentiments and temperaments, recognizing he did not know how to lead without divine wisdom. He described his setting as in the midst of God's chosen people, a great people that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude. They were so great that no one is able to judge them by human ability alone.

He therefore asked as God's servant for an understanding heart to judge God's people and to discern between good and bad. He desired quickness of mind, largeness of heart, and tenderness of spirit to govern wisely, manage the kingdom's affairs, undertake the work of building the temple, and faithfully discharge his kingly duties to bring glory to God. The request was selfless, with no aspiration to exalt himself above others, asking for understanding to discern judgment rather than for long life, riches, wealth, honor, the life of his enemies, or victory over enemies.

Divine Answer and Conditions

The longing that would fit him to rule wisely was itself put into his mind by God while God was proving him, and his words pleased the Lord because they sprang from humility and not from self-exaltation, haughtiness, or vanity. Because he asked for understanding to discern judgment instead of long life, riches, or the life of his enemies, God gave him a wise and understanding heart with none like him before or after. That wisdom excelled all the wisdom of the children of the east and made him wiser than all men, the wisest king that ever sat upon the throne.

God also gave what had not been asked, both riches and honor beyond former and later kings, so that no king was like him all his days. His understanding, knowledge, and glorious reign thus became a wonder to the world. God promised to be with him as He had been with David, to establish his throne and to lengthen his days. That length of days, with the abiding blessing and wisdom, was joined to the condition that he walk in uprightness keeping God's statutes and commandments as David walked. His faithful reign would exalt Israel as a wise and understanding people, the light of the surrounding nations.

His prosperity and kingly influence was of God and would never have been taken from him if he had continued to obey all the commandments of the Lord. Every point of his prayer is therefore to be carefully studied for what his receiving the rich blessings God was ready to give depended on.

Meaning of Discernment

An understanding heart is a discerning mind, a longing for quickness of mind, largeness of heart, and tenderness of spirit for the work given to do. That gift enables right judgment, wise governing, faithful management of the kingdom's affairs, and wise leading of the people. To discern between good and bad is to discern between good and evil and between right and wrong. Such discernment is righteous judgment, and the ability to so distinguish reveals wisdom from God.

Sound judgment and understanding to judge fairly is a gift from God suited to the responsibility of serving a great people. It depends on vital connection with Him, for without that connection people cannot discern spiritual things and may call good evil and evil good. A person need not practice evil to gain this knowledge, for while standing loyal to God he discerns evil and decides against it.

This discerning was the office appointed to men in ancient times over the sacred things set before the people, to keep religious interests pure and sacred amid corrupting influences. The work of those in charge of God's institutions now is as sacred as then and requires the same prayer for wisdom to discern between good and evil and to decide for the people between right and wrong. Heavenly wisdom enables a person to use God-given talents and means rightly without forgetting their Giver.

Wisdom, Glory, and Fall

The wisdom of the prayer was obtained through earnest prayer and dependence on God, and it was a special grace from God as the source of strength, more precious than the gold of Ophir and valued above earthly riches, honor, or long life. It was not gained by human effort but by looking to God for guidance and trusting in Him, who chose for His servant and gave wisdom that astonished the world and was extolled throughout the land. That wisdom excited the wonder and admiration of the world as a marvelous power bestowed upon the wisest of kings.

That wisdom produced many proverbs and many songs, and many years marked by devotion to God, uprightness, firm principle, and strict obedience to His commands. It gave wise direction of every important enterprise and wise management of the business matters of the kingdom. It enabled faithful carrying out of the directions for building the most magnificent building the world ever saw, so that God blessed and honored His servant.

Choosing God's wisdom at the beginning of the reign gave the life bright promise and made him the wisest king that ever sat upon the throne. His understanding, knowledge, and glorious reign became a wonder to the world, and his fame spread among the nations everywhere. All nations acknowledged and marveled at his superior knowledge and wisdom, excellence of character, and greatness of power. Many came from all parts of the world to behold his power and to be instructed how to conduct difficult matters and handle difficult matters in government.

Receiving wisdom, riches, and honor with counsel to remain humble and obedient did not ensure continued faithfulness. He later surrendered to lust, especially lustful passion for women, turned from principle, and separated himself from God. He yielded principle and wavered between right and wrong like a giddy youth, entering idolatry through his wives. He lost firmness of character and the wisdom God had given.

When he turned from the Source of his strength and went forward relying upon himself, he fell a prey to temptation. His God-given wisdom was perverted when he turned from God to seek wisdom from other sources, for true wisdom comes from learning of God and Jesus Christ, not from human wisdom. Those marvelous powers bestowed on him as the wisest of kings then only rendered him a more effective and efficient agent of the adversary of souls, and the wisdom and abilities God gave could become instruments of evil.

His life gives a lesson for watchfulness and a testimony of the need for strength from God and dependence on Him to the very last, and of the need to preserve virtue throughout life. Pride, self-indulgence, and evil associations can lead from a promising beginning into corruption and tyranny. Divine wisdom does not remove that need, for when he gave way to lustful passion he lost firmness and turned from God, and the gift did not keep him faithful when he stopped holding to principle and wavered between right and wrong.

Model Prayer for Today

The prayer for an understanding heart to judge and to discern between good and bad is a most precious lesson of instruction, indited by the Lord as a sample prayer to guide aright the desires of His servants, and it is given for the guidance of those today who are striving to serve the Lord with singleness of heart. It is a model prayer for all people, high and low, rich and poor, whatever their station, because everyone has duties and responsibilities that no one can carry out acceptably without wisdom from on high. It is especially a continual pattern for all who today stand in positions of trust in God's work, who must pray in faith and humility for aid and preparation for service, with the certainty that God hears, commends, and answers such fervent prayer.

Those entrusted with responsibility in God's work, whether great or small, need divine wisdom, and recognizing that need and seeking wisdom from God enables them to serve faithfully and bring Him glory. Petitions to God should not come from hearts filled with selfish aspirations, but should choose gifts that redound to God's glory and choose the heavenly in place of the earthly, laying up heavenly treasure by works below as a good foundation against the time to come that cannot be lost when the earthly is swept away. Solomon was never so rich or so wise or so truly great as when he confessed his childlike helplessness and dependence, realizing that without divine aid he was as helpless as a little child and lacked discernment. Those in responsibility likewise must depend on God for wisdom and strength, cultivate holy character, and remain learners rather than assume position makes them wise, infallible, or entitled to dictate and command.

The true leader while consecrated does not show eagerness for high position, does not seek to rule or control, and does not strive for supremacy, though accepting the responsibilities that must be borne, and prays with no selfish aspiration for knowledge that would exalt him above others but with desire faithfully to discharge his duties so that his work will bring glory to God. Such discernment enables faithful guardianship of the church's purity and protection of God's work, giving keen discernment to discover any influence that would demerit the work and hinder God's institution. A person need not practice evil to gain this knowledge, for while standing loyal to God he discerns evil and decides against it, and this was the office appointed to men in ancient times over sacred things to keep religious interests pure amid corrupting influences, a work as sacred now as then requiring the same prayer for wisdom to decide for the people between right and wrong. To those proved faithful and true and steadfast, connection with the King of righteousness will be their reward.

In the coming time when every case will be judged, those who have given themselves to the Lord to do His will shall know in the fullest sense what it means to judge between good and evil. Men professing faith must not trust in their own judgment and knowledge but like Solomon earnestly pray for faith and light. God gives freely of His abundant supply, blesses and guides and connects with heaven those who love Him and walk with fear and humility, gives wisdom and corrects infirmities so they can do the Lord's work intelligently with careful exactitude unto perfection instead of leaving advantage to the foe.