Wisdom
Teacher.
King.
Husband of many wives. MANY wives. (And even more concubines.)
Son of the greatest king in history. Inheritor of a great legacy.
He seemed to have it all. His father had left behind a kingdom of peace, a settled territory and a secure throne. He had all the resources he could ever need, and he really only had one assignment, one thing left over from his father's reign.
Build a house of worship for the God of Israel.
It shouldn't have been, but the whole endeavor was intimidating to Solomon. He didn't even really have to figure out how to do it. His father, who had so desperately wanted to build it, had gathered all the materials, made all the plans, secured the property. All he had to do was follow through and make sure the thing got built. And yet, what if he did it wrong?
So, in order to get his thinking straight and to start his kingdom off right, he decided to have a huge sacrifice. A worship service. Of course, with no Temple, there was no official place to hold such a thing, so Solomon decided to do it at one of the high places.
Yes, the high places. Those ancient spots of Canaanite worship that had been taken over by the Israelites for their own worship. The prophets didn't like them. The religious leaders didn't like them. But Solomon wondered if that had as much to do with control as it did with "proper worship." Nevertheless, the high places were where the people worshipped, so Solomon went to the one at Gibeon and held a huge festival. A thousand sacrifices were offered, songs were sung, and the band was rockin' that day. Solomon felt good about it.
Then, the evening came and everything quieted down and Solomon, quite honestly, was exhausted. So he fell asleep there at Gibeon, and during the night, God came to him. There were no pleasantries, no warm-up conversations. There he was, suddenly, standing before Solomon, and asking him a question. Or, rather, giving him an invitation. "Whatever you want, just ask, and I'll give it to you."
What? Solomon thought maybe he hadn't heard right. What was this? Was God pleased by the worship service? Or was God simply offering him whatever he wanted because God wanted to? There was no way to know, of course, and Solomon was both surprised and pleased by the offer.
What should he ask for? What would any person ask for? Riches? Power? More wives? No, no, that just would mean more mothers-in-law and he already had plenty. What should he ask for?
He could ask for great weather all year round. He could ask for a fabulous chariot, more clothes, and a camel that wouldn't nearly drop him when he tried to get off. He could ask for favorable press or to know what the future held for him. What should he ask for?
In an instant, Solomon knew what he would most need. It might not be what he most wanted, but if he was going to be able to lead and to build a place of worship for the God of the universe, it was what he most would need.
"Wisdom," he said. "Give me wisdom so that I can lead your people well."
And he wasn't sure if he imagined it or not, but somehow, he thought he saw God smile.
King.
Husband of many wives. MANY wives. (And even more concubines.)
Son of the greatest king in history. Inheritor of a great legacy.
He seemed to have it all. His father had left behind a kingdom of peace, a settled territory and a secure throne. He had all the resources he could ever need, and he really only had one assignment, one thing left over from his father's reign.
Build a house of worship for the God of Israel.
It shouldn't have been, but the whole endeavor was intimidating to Solomon. He didn't even really have to figure out how to do it. His father, who had so desperately wanted to build it, had gathered all the materials, made all the plans, secured the property. All he had to do was follow through and make sure the thing got built. And yet, what if he did it wrong?
So, in order to get his thinking straight and to start his kingdom off right, he decided to have a huge sacrifice. A worship service. Of course, with no Temple, there was no official place to hold such a thing, so Solomon decided to do it at one of the high places.
Yes, the high places. Those ancient spots of Canaanite worship that had been taken over by the Israelites for their own worship. The prophets didn't like them. The religious leaders didn't like them. But Solomon wondered if that had as much to do with control as it did with "proper worship." Nevertheless, the high places were where the people worshipped, so Solomon went to the one at Gibeon and held a huge festival. A thousand sacrifices were offered, songs were sung, and the band was rockin' that day. Solomon felt good about it.
Then, the evening came and everything quieted down and Solomon, quite honestly, was exhausted. So he fell asleep there at Gibeon, and during the night, God came to him. There were no pleasantries, no warm-up conversations. There he was, suddenly, standing before Solomon, and asking him a question. Or, rather, giving him an invitation. "Whatever you want, just ask, and I'll give it to you."
What? Solomon thought maybe he hadn't heard right. What was this? Was God pleased by the worship service? Or was God simply offering him whatever he wanted because God wanted to? There was no way to know, of course, and Solomon was both surprised and pleased by the offer.
What should he ask for? What would any person ask for? Riches? Power? More wives? No, no, that just would mean more mothers-in-law and he already had plenty. What should he ask for?
He could ask for great weather all year round. He could ask for a fabulous chariot, more clothes, and a camel that wouldn't nearly drop him when he tried to get off. He could ask for favorable press or to know what the future held for him. What should he ask for?
In an instant, Solomon knew what he would most need. It might not be what he most wanted, but if he was going to be able to lead and to build a place of worship for the God of the universe, it was what he most would need.
"Wisdom," he said. "Give me wisdom so that I can lead your people well."
And he wasn't sure if he imagined it or not, but somehow, he thought he saw God smile.
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