… the Spirit of wisdom …
Summary: One of the gifts Paul prays for is a gift with a prestigious history in the Bible. Solomon prayed for the same gift, and the result of having that gift was a boon to the nation of Israel.
Almost exactly one thousand years before the birth of Christ, a child was born to King David’s wife Bathsheba. They named the child Solomon, and about forty years later, Solomon inherited the throne from his father.
After his power was consolidated and his kingship confirmed, Solomon traveled to Gibeon to offer sacrifices to God (1 Kings 3). After making sacrifices to God, he slept, and during his sleep, God visited him in a dream. In that dream, God told Solomon, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.”
Once again, we are confronted with the question, “What should we ask of God?” What would you ask?
When he was challenged with this question, Solomon replied with humility. In response to God’s question, all Solomon asked for was ”a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong” (1 Kings 3:9). God was pleased by Solomon’s humility. In response, he gave Solomon what he asked for, “a wise and discerning heart” (1 Kings 3:12). (You might say that Solomon was the world’s first “wise guy.” 🙂 )
Why did Solomon need help sorting out right and wrong? The answer to this goes back to Genesis. When Adam and Eve rebelled against God and touched the forbidden tree, two things happened. First, their spiritual relationship with God was broken; they “died” spiritually. Second, their flesh was awakened and was able to see “good and evil” (Genesis 3:5).
Solomon’s request highlights the fact that the serpent didn’t promise Eve she would be able to tell good and evil apart, only that she could see them both. Solomon understood that without Christ, our human nature is flawed. Discerning good from evil is critical to pleasing God and being successful as a king or anything else. The “Spirit of wisdom” Paul prays for is the same gift that Solomon requested.
Think about that for a moment.
What can a person do with wisdom? Does wisdom help us avoid temptation? Does it steer us away from evil? Does wisdom understand what pleases God, and does it know what his will is?
The answer to all of these questions is “Yes!”
Application: Listen to the Spirit of wisdom God has given you, and then choose wisely.
Food for Thought: How does applying wisdom to our lives change the kind of life we live?
There are many Proverbs about the benefits of wisdom over folly. Applying wisdom to our lives brings health, in some cases wealth, hope, freedom, godly living, godly morality, justice, righteousness, etc. It becomes a roadmap or path for us to walk in its light. Without it we squalor in darkness and depravity. Proverbs 2: 1 – 22. The good news is that it is available for the asking. James 1: 5.
Rich,
Thank you! I like the “roadmap” metaphor. Wisdom is the roadmap that helps us find our way and keeps us out of the ditch. 🙂
I like Rich’s comment. In my mind, the sum of everything he mentioned equates to a life of peace and security. It doesn’t mean you won’t face trails and tribulations, but that what is going on outside doesn’t necessarily diminish what is going on inside.
Applying wisdom means you have to understand the truth. This is where human wisdom fails, because we are bad at understanding the whole truth. The whole truth comes from God; His Word is the truth, and He is the truth. Recognizing and applying this truth to your life changes how you view yourself, the world around you, and the people in it.
Proverbs 9:10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
Amen brother
Chris,
Interesting connection between wisdom and peace. You are right. When we know what we should do and have done what we should do the rest is in God’s hands. Regardless of the outcome, we can be at peace. Thank you!
03-07-2023, How does applying wisdom to our lives change the kind of life we live?
Wise word’s from Rich and Chris!
Every gift from God is priceless, and is to be applied, cherished and protected above all earthly powers. To compromise wisdom does not demnish the power of wisdom, or any gift from God, it simply shows the foolishness of man as he surrenders to his flesh, the ways of this world over the power of spiritual wisdom given by God.
The primary way we gain godly wisdom is by learning God’s Word
Psalm 119:130,169. Let my cry come before you, O Lord; give me understanding according to your word!“
No one is born wise; we must acquire wisdom from God if we are to be truly wise:
Psalm 119:98-100, “Your commands are always with me and make me wiser than my enemies. I have more insight than all my teachers, for I meditate on your statutes. I have more understanding than the elders, for I obey your precepts”
James 3:17-18
But the wisdom from above is first of all pure; then it is peace-loving, courteous. It is willing to yield to reason, full of compassion and good fruits; it is wholehearted and straightforward, impartial and unfeigned . 18 And the harvest of righteousness is the fruit of the seed sown in peace by those who work for and make peace in themselves and in others, that peace which means concord, agreement, and harmony between individuals, with undisturbedness, in a peaceful mind free from fears and agitating passions and moral conflicts.
In God’s wisdom Solomon led Israel into never before see greatness among the nations of the world. Their power, wealth, achievements were beyond their dreams and people from all the world would come just to listen to the great wisdom expressed in the words of Solomon.
Solomon fell to temptation’s of his flesh as he accumulated great wealth, lived in luxery, and traded his pursuit of the righteousness of God for the lusts of his heart as he took 700 wives and 300 concubines. These foreign women persuaded him to further compromise his faith, allowing them to build alters, and worship their gods which he eventually did also.
As a result of his folly, God did not allow Israel to continue in prosperity after Solomons death, and the nation began their decline.
Ron,
You remind us of what Paul Harvey used to call “The rest of the story…” 🙂
Yes, Solomon was given wisdom, but he wasn’t forced to use it! Using wisdom is a choice. Every day, every minute, every second we have a choice.
Perhaps the lesson here is that we not only pray for WKU as brother Tim puts it (Wisdom, Knowledge and Understanding), but also for the willingness to do God’s will.
🤗
Of the two, I will definitely take the latter. WKU works for me.
Ron