"A Test of Wisdom"

Scripture: I Kings 3:1-15
Preacher: Karen Karlsen
Date: August 20, 2006

Good morning!   It's great to be with you here today.   Some of you may know that I work up at the Travis Weaver Children's Center here at the church.   Actually, this past week marked my one-year anniversary being here at the church.   It's been great to be a part of your fellowship here.

I have lived in California for about four years now, and whenever you move to a new location, you notice different things about its culture.   One thing that I noticed here was the number of people that frequent bookstores, especially on the weekends.   I couldn't believe when I went into a Borders bookstore on a Friday night how packed it was!   But I have to admit that I have subscribed to the phenomenon, and enjoy going to bookstores now myself.   In fact, just yesterday I was in the local Vroman's picking up a few things, and I couldn't help but notice some of the book titles, especially thinking about this sermon I would be giving today.   I thought I'd share a few of the titles with you:   "9 Things Graduates Must Do To Succeed In Life", "How to Interview Like a Top MBA", "The Power of Positive Thinking", "How to Make Money in Stocks," and, "What You Wear Can Change Your Life."   There's even books to help kids out - "How to be Popular", and "Beyond the Lemonade Stand - Starting Small to Make it Big."

There is a wealth of information out there from people claiming that they have the key to unlocking success - whether it be in making money, looking good, getting the right job, or having the right friends.

In our passage today, we see how Solomon took a more unconventional approach in his pursuit of making it in life.   Whenever we hear about King Solomon, we think of what he's most famous for--his wisdom.   King Solomon was a veritable celebrity of his time.   He came to be known for how he ruled with justice, for how he helped rebuild Yahweh's temple, for his insight into plant & animal life, and for the fact that he wrote Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and even part of the Psalms.   In fact, there are no other Israelite kings after King Solomon with whom wisdom are associated.  

With that kind of resume, one may think that Solomon serves as the model for how to attain wisdom, and to be wise in our lives.   However, as we come to learn later in the book of 1 Kings, Solomon fell away from his noble beginnings, and did what was considered evil in the sight of the Lord.

But before we get ahead of ourselves, let's take a look at what Solomon requested in his dream that ended up being pleasing to God.   First of all, as the new son-in-law of Pharaoh, and the newly appointed King of Israel, one would think that Solomon's natural desires would be to want wealth, long life, and to defeat his enemies so he could acquire more territory and more power.   This was the way of his father-in-law Pharaoh's kingdom.   His was a kingdom that pursued and attained economic, political, and military might.

But that wasn't the case with Solomon from the outset.   One evening, God came to Solomon in a dream, and told him to ask for whatever he wanted God to give him.   Now dreams back then weren't considered the same way that we think of dreams today.   We may have a dream that's triggered by something we watched on television before bed, or by a conversation we had with someone.   But then, many dreams were a vehicle of divine inspiration and guidance.   When God appeared to Solomon, you could say that it was a test of sorts to see if he would seek after his own self-interests, or look out for the interests of his new kingdom.

After giving thanks to God for his provision, we see that Solomon passes the test with flying colors.   He decided that above all things, he wanted to have what is called by many translations, "a discerning heart" so that he could govern God's people.   The literal meaning of this phrase is a heart that listens, hears, or considers, or an "understanding heart."   In ancient Hebrew physiology, the heart was known as the organ of comprehension, the equivalent of how we view our minds today.   Solomon desired to have a heart that was able to listen or hear indiscriminately, so that he would be able to administer sound judgment in his rulings with the people.

Listening isn't a virtue that our culture readily seeks after.   We are a society that rewards those who aggressively use their voices to get what they want.   It often even seems like listening is portrayed as a weak and passive action.   If there's a problem or decision, the stronger one's voice, the more likely they'll get what they want, right? As the old saying goes, "The squeaky wheel gets the grease."   Listening is one of those things that we all want our friends and families to do when we are speaking, but often forget to do when it comes to other people voicing their thoughts and opinions.   

Solomon knew that as king, one of his principle responsibilities was to serve as a judicial officer, to sort things out, to render verdicts, and to determine between good and evil, just and unjust.   Instead of asking for fame, power, or victory over his enemies, he asked for the ability to listen, to hear, and to consider those he would come to provide justice for.

Every day up at TWCC, there's the inevitable argument that arises amongst the children about who did what, how it's not fair or nice, and how some terrible thing has happened to them.   Whether it's when the kids are playing with legos, playing a game of foosball, dodge ball, you name the activity something will come up at some point during the time that they're with us.   And whether it's me or any of the other staff members, the children will run up to us, and expect that we'll bring some form of justice to the situation, preferably for their side.  

I've found that it takes a great deal more patience to listen to the full story, or maybe I should say multiple versions of the full story, and to come to a conclusion about what the right consequence or outcome should be.   Often my gut response is just to want to rush to a conclusion, and "clear up the mess," so to speak so that we can move on.   If you're a parent, teacher, or have worked with children in some capacity, you may understand what I'm talking about.    

Having discernment in how to work with children, family members, friends, coworkers, and committee members requires patience, wisdom, and the ability to listen.   Whether it's in negotiation, compromise, conflict resolution, or simply loving and caring for one another, a listening heart will move mountains.   Solomon understood that the role he would play in administering justice would require the patience and discernment of a listening heart.   How many times have we exercised the discipline of listening to one another?   Not just passive listening where we hear the words enter our heads, but active listening, with one's heart fully engaged to understand and respond to our fullest ability.  

When I was in college, I went on a leader's retreat with a group of other college students into the mountains.   One of the activities that our college pastor had us do during our time together was to share our testimonies about how we came to follow Christ.   The one caveat with our sharing was that we were told that with the person we were paired up with, that after their testimony we would have to give three specific comments, and ask three specific clarification questions about the person's testimony.   It was a great exercise in really focusing in on what everyone was saying, and listening with both our hearts and minds.

When Solomon had at his disposal any gift available to him from God, he requested a discernment that would be used for the benefit of others.   God's justice was manifested through Solomon, and would assist Solomon in fulfilling God's call in his life to be ruler of Israel.   God desires to give us that which will help us bring one another closer to Christ.    God's favor rested on Solomon, and he ended up getting his cake, and eating it too.   Solomon was rewarded with riches, honor, and the promise of long life - with the proviso that Solomon obeyed God's statutes and commands, just as his father David did.   The wisdom he received was inextricably linked to obedience to God.

And Solomon was obedient - to a point.   Solomon's fame spread throughout the land, and people from all lands came to hear his songs, proverbs, judgments, and teachings about nature.   Solomon remained true to God by building the temple of the Lord according to the exact specifications that God desired.

However, as we learn later in 1 Kings, not all that Solomon did was pleasing to the Lord.   In the twilight years of his life, Solomon took some wrong turns, and soon found himself going against the commands that God required of him.   In 1 Kings 11, we find out that Solomon took many foreign women as his wives - 700 wives and 300 concubines!   Now whether this is a realistic number, or a symbolic number, we don't know for sure.   More than likely it was a symbolic number, I can't imagine where he'd put all of those people! Solomon probably thought that he was being wise by making these alliances with foreign nations, and getting more territory as a result.   But regardless, Solomon showed his blatant disobedience to God's commands regarding intermarriage with other foreign nations. This intermarriage soon led to Solomon worshiping and sacrificing to other gods.

I can't help but think about those people that are in positions of high notoriety in our culture, that are held with such high esteem, who only come crashing down in a media frenzy due to some bad turn or mistake that they make.   Whether it's Kobe Bryant, Mel Gibson, or even church leaders who are caught in adultery, embezzlement, or some other misconduct, or even family members we look up to, fame, power, success and prestige do not leave one immune to taking wrong turns.

Solomon lost sight of the giver of his gift.   Solomon's father David had given him a charge before he was appointed ruler to obey God so that he would prosper.    And if that wasn't enough, God then also reminded Solomon in our text today to walk in his ways, obey his statutes and commands, and he would receive long life.   This same charge for faithfulness and obedience is given to Solomon two more times - when God tells Solomon the specifications regarding the temple, and when God appears to him after the building of the temple.   Four times Solomon was advised to obey and forewarned of the pitfalls if he didn't, yet he did not withstand the test.

All that God desired was that Solomon remain obedient, but in 1 Kings 11:4, we see that, "His heart was not true" to Yahweh.   One would think that it'd be an easy request to follow.   But Solomon cut off the gift of wisdom he had received from its proper place within the context of God's law.   His riches had amassed to such a point that they were overflowing, he was famous throughout all the lands, he had many beautiful and important people revere him.   But with all of his wisdom, he began to focus on his accumulation of wealth but multiplying his gold, making silver as common as stone, and intermarrying with foreign women.   He violated the commands that were outlined in the law.

It can be easy to look at this text and say that Solomon's falling away from God is something that we would never do.   It's not every day that a person has 700 wives, 300 concubines, and worships multiple foreign gods.   And it's also easy to think that if God asked us for anything, the first thing we'd ask for is wisdom to carry us through this life.   We know better than to ask to be wealthy, successful, and powerful.  

But what God is showing us in this passage is the call to obedience.   He calls us to be obedient in how we use our gifts.   Solomon ended up using his gifts for wealth and self-aggrandizement.   He began to trust in his own wisdom outside of its source in God alone.   How are we using our gifts?   This church has so many gifts, many we've seen used this morning already with Stu, Shannon, our worship team, VBS volunteers.   Are we using our gifts for the glory of God and the benefit of others?   Are we keeping our gifts subservient to God's commandments - the greatest being to love one another, just as Christ as first loved us?   Are we seeking to have listening hearts with one another so that we can seek out God's wisdom in all that we do and say?

Solomon fell astray from the simple command of obedience that God required of him. Yet, even in Solomon's disobedience, we see God's grace because of his father David's faithfulness.   God preserved a single tribe that would not be taken away like the others.   And in Christ, we are promised forgiveness for the times where we may falter, and fall short of the obedience that God requires of us.   

Solomon asked for that which would benefit others, and not himself - a heart that listens.   Let us too, ask for the unconventional in our culture - that which will further the kingdom of God.   As the famous Christian author J.I. Packer once wrote, "Wisdom is the power to see, and the inclination to choose, the best and highest goal, together with the surest means of attaining it."   Let us learn to seek after the fullness of God's wisdom in our lives; To have hearts that listen to one another, and let us never lose sight of God's command to be obedient.   This is the true test of wisdom.

Amen.