As David grew older, it became evident that there would soon be a new king to sit on the throne of Israel. Adonijah, one of David’s sons, decided he should be the next king! However, he wasn’t David’s choice, and with a few strategic steps Solomon was established as king.
It is hard to imagine the weight, burden, and overwhelming sensation of realizing that you are the head of an entire nation. Solomon must have taken his responsibility serious and felt some of the weight of it, for his request to God reveals his thoughts! God came to Solomon in a dream and promised to grant any request he may have. Solomon made the wisest request he could have made; he asked for wisdom! Solomon knew he needed divine insight and discernment if he were going to govern God’s people! He knew his calling was above him. He knew that wisdom was the key to successful leadership, not power or riches. A wise man can undo and outdo the powerful or the wealthy.
God’s reply to Solomon demonstrates that Solomon’s prayer pleased the Lord and was according to his will. The Lord says in 3:12-13 that he will grant this request and as an added blessing he will also grant riches and honor! So God gave Solomon what most kings would have requested precisely because Solomon didn’t ask for these things! (Let us learn to pray for the essentials and trust God’s will for the nonessentials!)
To be honest, godly wisdom and discernment is a blessing that we all need. You don’t have to be a king to need wisdom! Housewives, factory workers, professionals, any believer in any capacity needs wisdom. We must learn to pray for wisdom from God for that would be wise praying!
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