The king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place, and he offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar. While he was in Gibeon, the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream at night, and He said, “Ask what you want from Me.” Solomon answered, “You have shown great mercy to your servant David my father, because he walked before You in faithfulness, righteousness, and uprightness of heart toward You. And You have shown him great kindness in giving him a son to sit on his throne this day. “Now, O Lord, my God, You have made Your servant king in place of my father David, and I am still a little child and do not know how to go out or come in. And Your servant is in the midst of Your people whom You have chosen, a great people, so numerous that they cannot be numbered or counted. Give Your servant therefore an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and bad, for who is able to judge among so great a people?” 1 Kings 3:4-9
Solomon, in his late teens, inherits the Throne of Israel from His father David. But along with the throne comes great responsibility, unknown things and uncertainty. Sounds a lot like today, doesn’t it? Solomon, although young knew He needed help, and not just from another person, but someone greater, the God whom his father David worshiped and had a relationship with. He knew how to worship God, because he watched his father. He understood the wisdom, peace and power David received from God to be a good king. He saw how David had a life dependent on God, even though he was the king.
But now he personally needed what his father had. So he worshiped and offered sacrifices of praise to God. Then that very night, he had a dream and God spoke to him a life altering statement, “Ask what you want from Me.” So Solomon asked for an understanding (listening and discerning) heart to be able to govern justly. Notice in what he asked for he was saying help me govern myself, so I govern all that You have entrusted to me. God was so pleased with him that He also gave him everything he didn’t ask for. Over the next few days we will be studying this passage so we too can learn to govern ourselves during times of uncertainty, confusion and the unknown.
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