by Doug Rehberg
Someone has said, “Before the time of Jesus, no recorded prayer ever uttered compares to the one Solomon prays in I Kings 8.” You will remember that Solomon lives a long life. When he’s born of pure grace, they name him Solomon, which means “peaceful”. But when the prophet Nathan sees him, he calls him Jedediah, meaning “beloved of God”. When he comes to power at age 29 he rules over Israel for 40 years. And it’s in the first year of his reign, after the Lord says to him, “Ask whatever you will of me and I will give it to you”, that Solomon asks for wisdom; and he gets it.
Did you hear about the young man who comes to Socrates one day asking for wisdom? He said, “Sir, I’m willing to do anything to gain the wisdom you possess.” Socrates took him by the hand and walked him down into the sea. When their bodies were submerged to their shoulders, Socrates grabbed the man’s head and plunged it under the water until his body went limp. He lifted him up out of the water and carried him to the shoreline and began to pump out his lungs. When the man came to, he screamed at Socrates, “Why did you do that to me?” Socrates said, “Because when you want wisdom as much as you want air, then you won’t have to come and ask me or anyone else for it!”
Well, Solomon might have disagreed with that. His desire for wisdom was great, but God’s desire to give it to him was even greater. The Bible says that it pleased God that he had asked for wisdom rather than wealth, or power, or long life. So the Lord says to him, “Because you have asked for this, I will give you a wise and discerning mind greater than anyone has ever known.”
Now as children in Sunday school we learned that the greatest evidence of this wisdom is when two women come to him in a dispute over the identity of a baby. Remember that story? He demands a sword and instantly the real mother makes herself known. But that’s not the clearest evidence of his prestigious wisdom. The clearest evidence is this prayer five chapters later. Here a full eleven months after the long-awaited temple in Jerusalem has been completed at the Feast of Tabernacles, Solomon stands and prays to the Lord before the bronze altar, the place of sacrifice. Here in the same spot where Abraham stood to sacrifice his son to the Lord a thousand years earlier, Solomon lifts up his hands and prays a powerful prayer with three distinct parts.
First, he reflects back over the history of Israel and calls to mind two things - the faithlessness of his people and the faithfulness of their God. In fact, he sees nothing but God’s unwavering faithfulness in the face of their continual sin.
Second, as he gazes upon God’s glory he drops to his knees. There’s only five times in the Bible where people are said to kneel and pray and this is one of them. And on his knees he makes a plea, “When we deliberately rebel against you and your nostrils flair with anger, remember your covenant and have mercy on us.”
Third, he ends by recalling the promise that God had made to his father, David, that no one but descendants of David would reign in Israel. Now that was a conditional promise God had made with David. It was based on keeping His commandments and walking in His ways. And the fact is that none of them do. Even Solomon goes astray. And yet, even the sins of David and his descendants do not prevent God from keeping His promise. Nine hundred years later, in a cave outside of Bethlehem, a King is born who has reigned on the throne of David forever and ever.
On Saturday, February 15, at a celebration of God’s goodness to us in allowing us to enlarge the Barclay Building to better worship and serve Him, we will dedicate ourselves and our building to the glory of God. In doing so, it is our deepest desire to pray as Solomon prayed. I pray you will join us.
