Scripture: 1 Kings 3:1-15 (NKJV)
1 Now Solomon made a treaty with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and married Pharaoh’s
daughter; then he brought her to the City of David until he had finished
building his own house, and the house of the LORD, and the wall all around
Jerusalem. 2 Meanwhile the people sacrificed at the high places, because there
was no house built for the name of the LORD until those days. 3 And Solomon
loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of his father David, except that he
sacrificed and burned incense at the high places. 4 Now the king went to Gibeon
to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place: Solomon offered a
thousand burnt offerings on that altar.
5 At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said,
“Ask! What shall I give you?” 6 And Solomon said: “You have shown great mercy
to Your servant David my father, because he walked before You in truth, in
righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with You; You have continued this
great kindness for him, and You have given him a son to sit on his throne, as
it is this day. 7 Now, O LORD my God, You have made Your servant king instead
of my father David, but I am a little child; I do not know how to go out or
come in. 8 And Your servant is in the midst of Your people whom You have
chosen, a great people, too numerous to be numbered or counted. 9 Therefore
give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may
discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of
Yours?”
10 The speech pleased the LORD, that Solomon had asked this thing. 11 Then God
said to him: “Because you have asked this thing, and have not asked long life
for yourself, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have asked the life of
your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern justice, 12
behold, I have done according to your words; see, I have given you a wise and
understanding heart, so that there has not been anyone like you before you, nor
shall any like you arise after you. 13 And I have also given you what you have
not asked: both riches and honor, so that there shall not be anyone like you
among the kings all your days. 14 So if you walk in My ways, to keep My
statutes and My commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen
your days.” 15 Then Solomon awoke; and indeed it had been a dream. And he came
to Jerusalem and stood before the ark of the covenant of the LORD, offered up
burnt offerings, offered peace offerings, and made a feast for all his servants.
Devotion
It is strange that Solomon should say that his father David “walked before You
[God] in truth, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with You.” Of
course it is right that a son should honor the memory of his father and to
speak only the best of him, but this seems a bit much. “Righteousness” and
“uprightness of heart” seem strange descriptors of a man who committed adultery
and murder. But they are true because David’s righteousness did not depend on
his own deeds; it depended on the One Who was his righteousness for him.
David repented: “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I
shall be whiter than snow.” (Ps. 51:7). He repented of his sins and trusted in
the grace of God his Savior. This is what made him righteous and upright of
heart. It is what makes any of us righteous. It is what makes us saints.
Solomon also shows this faith in God and asks to carry out his vocation
honorably and faithfully. He acknowledges that his power and authority come
from God, and so he wants to honor God in his calling as king. God is pleased
that Solomon asks for wisdom, but he really shows that he understands his place
before God. Solomon will not be morally perfect during his lifetime either, but
he knows where perfection comes from, or better, from Whom it comes. We do well
to ask God to help us in our vocations as husbands, wives, sons, daughters,
mothers or fathers. We honor Him when we acknowledge our place before Him.
Posted by The Reverend Jeffrey A. Ahonen on behalf of the Evangelical Lutheran
Diocese of North America, publisher of the Lutheran Herald.
_______________________________________________
Sermons mailing list
[email protected]
http://cat41.org/mailman/listinfo/sermons
