It's Time to Pray for Understanding

Solomon, the second son of King David and Bathsheba (who had been the wife of Uriah) ascended to the throne in Israel when he was about twenty years old.

Even though he was raised in the royal household, how much did he know about governing? Many a person has taken a governing office thinking they knew what they would do only to soon discover governing is never as simple as many assume.

However, Solomon, even though he was a young man, realized his limitations. In his prayer after ascending the throne, Solomon confessed to the Lord, “I do not know how to go out or come in.” What if those who are elected to office in our beloved country began their time in office with such a prayer? While your first instinct might be to say that would be great, the first thing careful thought would tell you is that person would never have been elected. We don’t vote for people who campaign on uncertainty, do we? But that’s a commentary on our times; let’s get back to Solomon. The young king accepted his office with humility and with a confession which said, in essence, “I don’t know what I’m doing.” (“I do not know how to go out or come in.” 1 Kings 3:7b)

Here then is the center of Solomon’s prayer upon becoming king: “Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, able to discern between good and evil; for who can govern this your great people.” (1 Kings 3:9)

We are reminded here of the teachings from the Apostle James about a thousand years later. James wrote to some Christians in the first century, and to us in the twenty-first, “You must understand this, my beloved, let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger; for your anger does not produce God’s righteousness.” (James 1:19)

Solomon’s prayer and James’ teaching are necessary because we don’t always know or discern as we should. The prophetic words of Isaiah have become way too common:

“Ah, you who call evil good

and good evil,

who put darkness for light

and light for darkness,

who put bitter for sweet

and sweet for bitter.” (Isaiah 5:20)

Solomon prayed for an understanding mind so he could discern between good and evil. To have a discerning mind, one must learn to listen—listen to others and listen to the Lord. Listening is hard; for it means our focus must be on the other person, or in listening to the Lord, instead of talking in our prayers, we need to listen during our prayers.

The Lord answered Solomon’s prayer: “I now do according to your word. Indeed I give you a wise and discerning mind; no one like you has been before you, and no one like you shall arise after you. I give you also what you have not asked, both riches and honor all your life; no other king shall compare with you. If you will walk in my ways, keeping my statutes, and my commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your life.” (1 Kings 3:12-14)

Wait! How well did his father David keep the Lord’s statutes and commandments? Perhaps you will remember that David had an adulterous affair with Solomon’s mother, and David was responsible for the death of Bathsheba’s first husband, Uriah. (See 2 Samuel 11.) We do wonder what the Lord meant when he told Solomon to walk in his ways as his father David had walked, don’t we. And we must not forget that the Lord called David a man after his own heart. (See 1 Samuel 13:14 and Acts 13:22.) I guess this is where we need to ask the Lord for our own discerning mind. The Bible doesn’t do cover-ups.

It wasn’t long after the Lord granted Solomon a wise and discerning mind that the new king was put to the test. (The story is found in 1 Kings 3:16-28.)

Two prostitutes came before the king. (Remember, he had prayed for a discerning mind, and the Lord had given him a discerning mind and wisdom.) Let’s look at the story:

“The one woman said, ‘Please, my lord, this woman and I live in the same house; and I gave birth while she was in the house. Then on the third day after I gave birth, this woman also gave birth. We were together; there was no one else with us in the house, only the two of us were in the house.”

Two women, and two babies, were all living together. One night one of the babies died, and the mother switched her dead baby for the living baby of the other woman while she slept. In front of the king, the two women argued over which one the living baby belonged.

“So the king said, ‘Bring me a sword,’ and they brought a sword before the king. The king said, ‘Divide the living boy in two; then give half to the one, and half to the other.’” How’s that for a judicial ruling?

It worked. The mother of the baby was willing to give up her child rather than see it killed. “All Israel heard of the judgment that the king had rendered; and they stood in awe of the king, because they perceived that the wisdom of God was in him, to execute justice.”

Solomon asked for an understanding mind, and the ability to discern between good and evil.

The Lord gave Solomon a wise and discerning mind.

The people saw Solomon’s wise and discerning mind and his ability to distinguish between good and evil in action when the two prostitutes stood before him.

But…somewhere along the way…Solomon began to think only of himself. I guess one could argue that he believed his own press. Powerful people often do, and it becomes their downfall.

“King Solomon loved many foreign women…Among his wives were seven hundred princesses and three hundred concubines, and his wives turned away his heart.” (That’s what you call a true harem—one thousand women.)

Here’s how the writer of 1 Kings describes what happened next: “For when Solomon was old, his wives turned away his heard after other gods; and his heart was not true to the Lord his God…Then the Lord was angry with Solomon…”

The kingdom was taken away. A rebellion ensued after Solomon’s death, and the nation of Israel was divided into the Northern Kingdom (Israel) and the Southern Kingdom (Judah).

Yes, we can lose wisdom. The wisdom of the Lord requires constant attention. We must be: quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger. “Who is wise and understanding among you? Show by your good life that your works are done with gentleness born of wisdom.”

And the WARNING… “But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not be boastful and false to the truth. Such wisdom does not come down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, devilish. For where there is envy and selfish ambition there will also be disorder and wickedness of every kind.” (James 3:14-16)

Envy…selfish ambition…boastful…false to the truth…brings disorder (chaos) and wickedness.

It’s time to pray for understanding, discernment, and wisdom.

It’s time to be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger.