Alrighty, let’s get our bearings on where we’re at.
Solomon is about 20 years old.
He’s filled with all of the testosterone-fueled idealism and enthusiasm many young men his age possess.
Yet, despite his youth, he well understood the challenges that lay ahead.
The young king was right to be anxious about how to govern such a diverse group of people, who, since the days of Joshua, had divided themselves up into multiple tribal factions and coalitions.
No doubt, Solomon had also been influenced by witnessing his father’s weak leadership in the final years of his reign.
This is one of the reasons why Absalom was able to stage such a successful rebellion in the first place.
It’s because David ended up shirking on his responsibilities, such as letting the royal duty of hearing legal cases fall on the shoulders of others.
In addition, David had never really consolidated his power on the international political front.
So Solomon had a lot on his plate, and he knew it.
In the midst of his concerns, the Lord appears to the young king in a dream and asks a simple 7-word question that will shape the rest of Solomon’s reign.
The question is…
“Tell Me what I should give you.”
Solomon gives a textbook-perfect answer that any Godly ruler should give.
His answer is really a formulaic prayer that started with thanksgiving, flowed into a confession of weakness and concluded with a humble request for help.
Solomon desired the ability to judge God’s people in accordance with his Torah.
He wanted the wisdom to discern between TOV (good) and RAH (bad).
Now, here’s what you should know.
This 7-word question that God asked Solomon is one He asks all believers who come to trust in Him.
Did you catch that?
This is freakin’ important.
I’m telling you those who claim faith in the Jewish Messiah have all been asked this same question the Lord posed to Solomon.
However, your answer will differ depending on your calling.
Obviously, not everyone is called to be a king like Solomon.
Solomon’s answer, in many ways, was very practical and perfectly matched his royal responsibilities.
Yet the prayer model he demonstrated, consisting of gratitude, confession, and petition, is a pattern we are all meant to follow.
The Lord has created you for a unique purpose.
And in accordance with your unique purpose, He has given you unique assignments that will come with their own unique set of challenges.
So your petition to the Lord should be for the ability to carry out those divine duties.
Ya feel me?
And that’s your takeaway for today.
When petitioning the Lord, don’t just blindly ask for money like the Gentiles do in their blindness, spiritual ignorance, and darkness.
Hell, the whole ridiculous prosperity doctrine is built around this premise that when the Lord asks, “What shall I give you?” we are supposed to answer, “Cash, and TONS of it!”
If there’s any such thing as a textbook incorrect answer, this is it!
The next time we meet, we’ll go deeper into how the Lord responded to Solomon’s request for wisdom to lead his people.
See you next time.
CONNECTING THIS TEACHING TO THE NEW TESTAMENT
“When you pray, don’t babble
on and on as the Gentiles do.
They think their prayers are answered
merely by repeating their
words again and again.”
-Matthew 6:7
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