Night on the height at Gibeon: a great open-air altar on the hilltop with its fire burned down to a red glow and one thin thread of smoke, a royal tent below it with a single clay lamp at its door, the walled town dark on the slope beyond, under a deep-blue sky full of quiet stars.

The Book of

1 Kings 3

God says to the young king, Ask, and I will give it to you. What would you ask for?

28 verses≈ 6 min4 peopleBSB

Images are artistic interpretations.

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In this chapter

Where we are

1–2Solomon's throneThe kingdom made secure
3–4WisdomA discerning heartChapter 3
5–8The templeA house for the LORD's Name
9–11Glory and fallSolomon's heart turns
12–16Two kingdomsThe kingdom torn
17–19ElijahThe LORD, He is God
20–22AhabNaboth and Micaiah

Solomon’s Prayer for Wisdom

Later, Solomon formed an alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt by marrying his daughter. Solomon brought her to the City of David until he had finished building his palace and the house of the LORD, as well as the wall around Jerusalem.

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The people, however, were still sacrificing on the high places because a house for the Name of the LORD had not yet been built. And Solomon loved the LORD and walked in the statutes of his father David, except that he sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.

Morning on the high place at Gibeon: a great square altar of bronze-covered wood on an earth base sends up a wide column of white smoke while priests in white linen tend the fire, lines of rams and young bulls are led up the slope, and the young king Solomon watches with his officials.

Now the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for it was the great high place. Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on the altar there.

Question

Quick question

The people, and the king too, were offering sacrifices on the high places.

Why were the people still sacrificing on the high places?

God

One night at Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream, and God said, “Ask, and I will give it to you!”

Solomon

Solomon replied, “You have shown much loving devotion to Your servant, my father David, because he walked before You in faithfulness, righteousness, and uprightness of heart. And You have maintained this loving devotion by giving him a son to sit on his throne this very day.

Solomon

Solomon

And now, O LORD my God, You have made Your servant king in my father David’s place. But I am only a little child, not knowing how to go out or come in. Your servant is here among the people You have chosen, a people too numerous to count or number.

1 Kings 3:9

Now it pleased the Lord that Solomon had made this request.

God

So God said to him, “Since you have asked for this instead of requesting long life or wealth for yourself or death for your enemies—but you have asked for discernment to administer justice— behold, I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been another like you, nor will there ever be.

Moreover, I will give you what you did not request—both riches and honor—so that during all your days no man in any kingdom will be your equal. So if you walk in My ways and keep My statutes and commandments, just as your father David did, I will prolong your days.”

Early morning in the City of David: before a large tent of dark goat-hair curtains, the young king Solomon stands with hands lifted while priests in white linen offer on a plain altar of uncut stones and earth, smoke rising, and servants carry baskets and jars up for a feast.

Then Solomon awoke, and indeed it had been a dream. So he returned to Jerusalem, stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. Then he held a feast for all his servants.

0:14

Narrated by Bob Souer · BSB audio, public domain

Reflect

Ask

God said, “Ask, and I will give it to you!” Solomon did not ask for long life or wealth. He asked for “an understanding heart to judge Your people,” a heart to serve them well. If God asked you the same today, what would you ask for, and why?

Ask for wisdom

Whiteboard

Solomon did not ask for long life, wealth or the death of his enemies. He asked for what he needed to serve God’s people, and God gave him “a wise and discerning heart,” and riches and honor besides. Long days were tied to one condition: “if you walk in My ways.” God still gives wisdom to those who ask Him.

Solomon Judges Wisely

A plain stone hall with cedar beams: the young king Solomon sits on a wooden chair on a low dais with two guards at the wall, and before him stand two young women in worn wool dresses, one holding a swaddled newborn tight and looking away, the other empty-handed, reaching toward the baby and pleading with the king.

At that time two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him.

The first woman

The other woman

“No,” said the other woman, “the living one is my son and the dead one is your son.”

The first woman

But the first woman insisted, “No, the dead one is yours and the living one is mine.”

So they argued before the king.

Then the king replied, “This woman says, ‘My son is alive and yours is dead,’ but that woman says, ‘No, your son is dead and mine is alive.’”

The king continued, “Bring me a sword.” So they brought him a sword, and the king declared, “Cut the living child in two and give half to one and half to the other.”

Then the woman whose son was alive spoke to the king because she yearned with compassion for her son.

The first woman

“Please, my lord,” she said, “give her the living baby. Do not kill him!”

The other woman

But the other woman said, “He will be neither mine nor yours. Cut him in two!”

In the plain stone hall a servant places the swaddled baby into the arms of the young mother, who gathers him to her face with tears of relief, while the young king Solomon watches gravely from his wooden chair and the other woman stands apart, turned away.

Then the king gave his ruling: “Give the living baby to the first woman. By no means should you kill him; she is his mother.”

they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to administer justice

1 Kings 3:28

Pray

The wisdom of God

Thank God that He gives wisdom generously to those who ask. Ask Him for a listening heart in the decisions and disputes in front of you, and for compassion like the mother who “yearned with compassion for her son” and would rather lose him than see him harmed.

You’ve experienced

1 Kings 3

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A verse to carry with you

Therefore give Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people and to discern between good and evil. For who is able to govern this great people of Yours?

1 Kings 3:9

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