Solomon the Faithful Servant
Sermon: Solomon the Faithful Servant (1 Kings 3) 1-28-2007
TWO KINDS OF WISDOM (1 Kings 3:1)
Key word: “Alliance”
See 1 Corinthians 1:20-21; 1Cor.3:19; 2Cor.1:12
WISDOM AND WORSHIP GO HAND IN HAND (1 Kings 3:2-4)
Key phrase: “high places”
Key word: “except”
GOD’S WISDOM IS PART OF GOD’S PROVISION (3:5)
God’s command: Ask
See John 14:13-14; 15:7,16; 16:24
ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR NEED FOR WISDOM (3:6-8)
Solomon begins by praising God for his past kindness (3:6)
Solomon praises God for his gracious choice (3:7-8; 1:5-35)
Solomon’s view of himself (1 Chronicles 22:5; 29:1)
Solomon’s view of His work (3:8)
ASK FOR WISDOM (3:9)
See James 1:5
GOD’S PLEASURE IN GIVING WISDOM (3:10-15)
See Matthew 6:33
Examples: 3:16:-28; 4:29-34; 5:7,12; 10:1-13; 10:23-24
WISDOM FOOLISHLY REJECTED (11:1-40)
See Ecclesiastes 12:13-14
Sermón: Salomón el Siervo Fiel (1 Reyes 3)
DOS TIPOS DE SABIDURIA (1 Reyes 3:1)
Palabra clave: “Alianza”
Ve 1 Corintios 1:20-21; 1Cor.3:19; 2Cor.1:12
SABIDURIA Y ADORACION SON INSEPARABLE (1 Reyes 3:2-4)
Frase clave: “lugares altos”
Palabra clave: “aunque”
DIOS PROVEE SU SABIDURIA (3:5)
El mandamiento de Dios: Pídeme
Ve Juan 14:13-14; 15:7,16; 16:24
RECONOCE TU NECESIDAD DE LA SABIDURIA DE DIOS (3:6-8)
Salomón empieza alabando a Dios por su misericordia (3:6)
Salomón alaba a Dios por elegirlo (1:5-35)
Salomón reconoce su debilidad (1 Crónicas 22:5; 29:1)
Salomón reconoce la grandeza de Su obra (3:8)
PIDELE A DIOS POR SU SABIDURIA (3:9)
Ve Santiago 1:5
EL PLACER DE DIOS ES DAR SU SABIDURIA (3:10-15)
Ve Mateo 6:33
Ejemplos: 3:16:-28; 4:29-34; 5:7,12; 10:1-13; 10:23-24
LA SABIDURIA NECIAMENTE RECHAZADA (11:1-40)
Ve Eclesiastés 12:13-14
Sermon: Solomon the Faithful Servant (1Kings 3) 1-28-2007
TWO KINDS OF WISDOM …..which kind do you want?……which kind are you pursing?
3:1 Solomon made an alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt and married his daughter. He brought her to the City of David until he finished building his palace and the temple of the LORD, and the wall around Jerusalem. Salomón hizo parentesco [entro en allianza, emparento] con Faraón rey de Egipto, pues tomó la hija de Faraón, y la trajo a la ciudad de David, entre tanto que acababa de edificar su casa, y la casa de Jehová, y los muros de Jerusalén alrededor
1Cor 1:20-21 Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.
1Cor 3:19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God's sight. As it is written: "He catches the wise in their craftiness";
2Cor 1:12 Now this is our boast: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you, in the holiness and sincerity that are from God. We have done so not according to worldly wisdom but according to God's grace.
James 3:17 But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.
Key word: “alliance” * Key because he will later marry 700 wives as he forms alliances w/ all
Isai 30:1 "Woe to the obstinate children," declares the LORD, "to those who carry out plans that are not mine, forming an alliance, but not by my Spirit, heaping sin upon sin;
2Chr 20:35 Later, Jehoshaphat king of Judah made an alliance with Ahaziah king of Israel, who was guilty of wickedness. 37 Eliezer son of Dodavahu of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, "Because you have made an alliance with Ahaziah, the LORD will destroy what you have made." The ships were wrecked and were not able to set sail to trade.
Ps 106:28 They yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor & ate sacrifices offered to lifeless gods
APPLICATION: Deut 22:10 Do not plow with an ox and a donkey yoked together.
2Cor 6:14-16 Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? 15 What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? 16 What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people." 17 "Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you." 18 "I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty." 7:1 Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.
“brought her to the City of David”
2Chr 8:11 Solomon brought Pharaoh's daughter up from the City of David to the palace he had built for her, for he said, "My wife must not live in the palace of David king of Israel, because the places the ark of the LORD has entered are holy."
CONTRAST: Solomon from Heb shalom “peace,. David, risked his life on battlefield to defeat nations but Solomon took a diff approach. He made treaties with other rulers by marrying their daughters, explains why he had 700 wives & 300 concubines. Mosaic law warned Jewish kings not to multiply wives (Dt.17:14f). Solomon’s complex system of treaties cut at the very heart of Israel’s unique position as the people of God among the nations of the world as God’s holy people, a chosen people. “I am the Lord your God, who has separated you from other people” (Lev.20:24,26). Solomon thot he was making political progress but consequence was really spiritual regress. Solomon entered into lucrative trade agreements with other nations & prospered; but the price he paid was too high.
WISDOM AND WORSHIP go hand in hand
3:2-4 The people, however, were still sacrificing at the high places, because a temple had not yet been built for the Name of the LORD. 3 Solomon showed his love for the LORD by walking according to the statutes of his father David, except that he offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places. 4 The king went to Gibeon to offer sacrifices, for that was the most important high place, and Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar. 2Hasta entonces el pueblo sacrificaba en los lugares altos; porque no había casa edificada al nombre de Jehová hasta aquellos tiempos. 3Mas Salomón amó a Jehová, andando en los estatutos de su padre David; solamente [aunque, sin embargo] sacrificaba y quemaba incienso en los lugares altos. 4E iba el rey a Gabaón, porque aquél era el lugar alto principal, y sacrificaba allí; mil holocaustos sacrificaba Salomón sobre aquel altar.
Key phrase: “high places”
Key word: “except”
Key: the Context for receiving wisdom was being focused on worshipping God
If you want God’s wisdom, focus your time on worship and wisdom will come
high places. During the period of the Judges the Israelites adopted the Canaanite custom of offering sacrifices The open-air, hilltop worship centers which the Israelites inherited from the Canaanites had been rededicated to the Lord; the use of pagan altars had been forbidden (Num. 33:52; Deut. 7:5; 12:3). After the building of the temple, worship at the high places was condemned (11:7, 8; 12:31; 2 Kin. 16:17–20; 21:3; 23:26). These were on hilltops and other elevations. The pagan Canaanites felt that the closer they got to heaven the more likely the possibility that their prayers and offerings would reach their gods
no house … for the name of the Lord. “Name” represented the character and presence of the Lord (Ex.3:13, 14). He had promised to choose one place “to put His name for His dwelling place” (Deut. 12:5). The temple at Jerusalem was to be that place (5:3,5; 8:16-20,29,43,44, 48; 9:3,7). To identify a temple with a god’s name meant that the god owned the place & dwelt there
The temple refers to Solomon’s temple, not the tabernacle. In general, Solomon was careful to follow in David’s godly footsteps thus demonstrating his love for Yahweh.
except. Offering sacrifices at places other than the tabernacle was prohibited in the Law
Lev. 17:3-5 Any Israelite who sacrifices an ox, a lamb or a goat in the camp or outside of it instead of bringing it to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting to present it as an offering to the LORD in front of the tabernacle of the LORD--that man shall be considered guilty of bloodshed; he has shed blood & must be cut off from his people. This is so the Israelites will bring to the LORD the sacrifices they are now making in the open fields. They must bring them to the priest, that is, to the LORD, at the entrance to the Tent of Meet & sacrifice them as fellowship offerings
Nevertheless this practice was commonly observed in Israel at this time, even by Solomon. Solomon’s failure in completely following the Lord was exhibited in his continual worship at the high places.
Gibeon. A town about 7 mi. NW of Jerusalem, where the tabernacle of Moses and the original bronze altar were located (1 Chr. 21:29; 2 Chr. 1:2–6).
GOD’S WISDOM IS PART OF GOD’S PROVISION (3:5)
1Kin 3:5 At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, "Ask for whatever you want me to give you." Y se le apareció Jehová a Salomón en Gabaón una noche en sueños, y le dijo Dios: Pide lo que quieras que yo te dé.
First recorded time God spoke / appeared to Solomon
God’s command: Ask (“ask” 6 Xs in this passage)
Matt 7:7 "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
Mat 9:38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field
John 14:13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.
John 15:7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.
John 15:16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit--fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.
John 16:24 Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.
Ps 2:8 Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession.
Jer 6:16 This is what the LORD says: "Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. But you said, `We will not walk in it.'
God’s grace: He initiated the converstation, the topic, …..the wisdom
God’s work requires God’s enablement
Context: David passes on the throne to Solomon & David commissions him to build the Temple
A young man taking over a world empire, following in the footsteps of the greatest human king in Jewish history
A young man takes on God’s project of building the greatest Temple ever built
Solomon knew he couldn’t govern or build the Temple without wisdom from heaven.
2Cor 3:5 Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. 6 He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant. no que seamos competentes [capacitados] por nosotros mismos para pensar algo como de nosotros mismos, sino que nuestra competencia proviene de Dios, 6el cual asimismo nos [capacito]hizo ministros competentes
ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR NEED FOR WISDOM (3:6-8)
Before he asks, he Praises!.... * before he asks for himself, he focuses on God’s kindness
Solomon begins by praising God for his past kindness
3:6 Solomon answered, "You have shown great kindness to your servant, my father David, because he was faithful to you & righteous & upright in heart. You have continued this great kindness to him & have given him a son to sit on his throne this very day. Y Salomón dijo: Tú hiciste gran misericordia [gran bondad, mucho amor] a tu siervo David mi padre, porque él anduvo delante de ti en verdad, en justicia, y con rectitud de corazón para contigo; y tú le has reservado esta tu gran misericordia en que le diste hijo que se sentase en su trono, como sucede en este día
Jer 9:24 but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight," declares the LORD.
Acts 14:17 …He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy."
Rom 2:4 Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance?
Eph 2:7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.
Titus 3:4 But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared,
Solomon praises God for his gracious choice
3:7-8 "Now, O LORD my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. 8 Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number.
Ahora pues, Jehová Dios mío, tú me has puesto a mí tu siervo por rey en lugar de David mi padre; y yo soy joven, y no sé cómo entrar ni salir [(estoy sin experiencia). 8Y tu siervo está en medio de tu pueblo al cual tú escogiste; un pueblo grande, que no se puede contar ni numerar por su multitud
Adonijah (1:5,13,17,20,24,30,35) should have been next in line (4th born)
God put Solomon throne, by His Sovereign choice, not due 2 Solomon’s merits/abilities
1Kin 11:34 I have made him ruler all the days of his life for the sake of David my servant, whom I chose and who observed my commands and statutes.
Ps 78:70 He chose David his servant and took him from the sheep pens;
Neh 9:7 chose Abram
Luke 6:13 chose twelve apostles:
John 15:16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit--fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.
Eph 1:4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world….
2The 2:13 from the beginning God chose you to be saved
ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR NEED FOR WISDOM (3:6-8)
Solomon acknowledges his great need (v.7-8)
3:7-8 "Now, O LORD my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. Ahora pues, Jehová Dios mío, tú me has puesto a mí tu siervo por rey en lugar de David mi padre; y yo soy joven, y no sé cómo entrar ni salir [(estoy sin experiencia
Solomon’s view of himself (I am little child)
Since Solomon was probably only about 20 years of age, he readily admitted his lack of qualification and experience to be king (1 Chr. 22:5; 29:1)
1Chr 22:5 David said, "My son Solomon is young and inexperienced, and the house to be built for the LORD should be of great magnificence and fame and splendor in the sight of all the nations. Therefore I will make preparations for it." So David made extensive preparations before his death.
1Chr 29:1 Then King David said to the whole assembly: "My son Solomon, the one whom God has chosen, is young and inexperienced. The task is great, because this palatial structure is not for man but for the LORD God.
Solomon’s view of HIS work (The Task is Great)
3:8 Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. Y tu siervo está en medio de tu pueblo al cual tú escogiste; un pueblo grande, que no se puede contar ni numerar por su multitud
Based on the census, which recorded 800,000 men of fighting age in Israel and 500,000 in Judah (2 Sam. 24:9), the total population was over 4 million
ASK FOR WISDOM (3:9)….boldly and humbly
1Kin 3:9 So give your servant a discerning [lit: hearing] heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?"
Da, pues, a tu siervo corazón entendido [que sepa escuchar; lit: que oiga] para juzgar a tu pueblo, y para discernir entre lo bueno y lo malo; porque ¿quién podrá gobernar este tu pueblo tan grande?
2 Chron.1:10 Give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may lead this people, for who is able to govern this great people of yours?” Por tanto, dame sabiduría y conocimiento para dirigir a este pueblo; porque ¿quién va a gobernar a este pueblo tuyo tan grande?”
James 1:5 If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. Y si a alguno de ustedes le falta sabiduría, que se la pida a Dios, quien da a todos abundantemente y sin reproche, y le será dada
Key Word: “so” (therefore) pues
2Sam 14:17 [David]"And now your servant says, `May the word of my lord the king bring me rest, for my lord the king is like an angel of God in discerning good and evil. May the LORD your God be with you.'"
Isai 7:15 [Jesus] He will eat curds and honey when he knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right.
Heb 5:14 [Christians] But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.
Phil.1:9 And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, 10 so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ--to the glory and praise of God. Pido en mi oración que su amor siga creciendo más y más todavía, y que Dios les dé sabiduría y entendimiento, 10para que sepan escoger siempre lo mejor. Así podrán vivir una vida limpia, y avanzar sin tropiezos hasta el día en que Cristo vuelva; 11pues ustedes presentarán una abundante cosecha de buenas acciones gracias a Jesucristo, para honra y gloria de Dios
Three times he calls himself “your servant” (7,8.9)
A Servant does the will of his Master….with the Resources His Master gives
GOD’S PLEASURE IS GIVING HIS WISDOM
3:10-15 The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. 11 So God said to him, "Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, 12 I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be. 13 Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for--both riches and honor--so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings. 14 And if you walk in my ways and obey my statutes and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life." 15 Then Solomon awoke--and he realized it had been a dream. He returned to Jerusalem, stood before the ark of the Lord's covenant and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. Then he gave a feast for all his court. Y agradó delante del Señor que Salomón pidiera esto. 11Y le dijo Dios: Porque has [pedido] demandado esto, y no pediste para ti [larga vida] muchos días, ni pediste para ti riquezas, ni pediste la vida de tus enemigos, sino que demandaste para ti inteligencia para [administrar justicia] oír juicio, 12he aquí lo he hecho conforme a tus palabras; he aquí que te he dado corazón sabio y entendido, tanto que no ha habido antes de ti otro como tú, ni después de ti se levantará otro como tú. 13Y aun también te he dado las cosas que no pediste, riquezas y gloria, de tal manera que entre los reyes ninguno haya como tú en todos tus días. 14Y si anduvieres en mis caminos, guardando mis estatutos y mis mandamientos, como anduvo David tu padre, yo alargaré tus días. 15Cuando Salomón despertó, vio que era sueño; y vino a Jerusalén, y se presentó delante del arca del pacto de Jehová, y sacrificó holocaustos y ofreció sacrificios de paz, e hizo también banquete a todos sus siervos
NOT = Long life ….Wealth……Death of enemies
Matt 6:33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Mas buscad primeramente el reino de Dios y su justicia, y todas estas cosas les serán añadidas
Exod 33:17 And the LORD said to Moses, "I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name." Y Jehová dijo a Moisés: También haré esto que [me pides] has dicho, por cuanto has hallado gracia en mis ojos, y te he conocido por tu nombre.
EXAMPLES:
Mothers (3:16:-28)
And giving so much more (4:29-34)
Hiram (5:7,12)
Queen of Sheba (10:1-13)
Example: (10:23-24)
WISDOM FOOLISHLY REJECTED (11:1-40)
11:1 King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women besides Pharaoh's daughter--Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians and Hittites. 2 They were from nations about which the LORD had told the Israelites, "You must not intermarry with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods." Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love. 3 He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines, and his wives led him astray. 4 As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father had been. 5 He followed Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molech the detestable god of the Ammonites. 6 So Solomon did evil in the eyes of the LORD; he did not follow the LORD completely, as David his father had done. 7 On a hill east of Jerusalem, Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the detestable god of Moab, and for Molech the detestable god of the Ammonites. 8 He did the same for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and offered sacrifices to their gods. 9 The LORD became angry with Solomon because his heart had turned away from the LORD, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice. 10 Although he had forbidden Solomon to follow other gods, Solomon did not keep the LORD's command……see Hadad 14, Rezon 23, Jeroboam 26, Pero el rey Salomón, además de la hija de Faraón, amó a muchas mujeres extranjeras, Moabitas, Amonitas, Edomitas, Sidonias e Hititas, 2 de las naciones acerca de las cuales el Señor había dicho a los Israelitas: “No se unirán a ellas, ni ellas se unirán a ustedes, porque ciertamente desviarán su corazón tras sus dioses.” Pero Salomón se apegó a ellas con amor. 3 Y tuvo 700 mujeres [esposas] que eran princesas [reinas] y 300 concubinas, y sus mujeres desviaron su corazón. 4 Porque cuando Salomón ya era viejo, sus mujeres desviaron su corazón tras otros dioses, y su corazón no estuvo dedicado [entregado] por completo al Señor su Dios, como había estado el corazón de David su padre. 5 Porque Salomón siguió a Astoret, diosa de los Sidonios, y a Milcom, ídolo abominable de los Amonitas. 6 Salomón hizo lo malo a los ojos del Señor, y no siguió plenamente al Señor, como Lo había seguido su padre David. 7 Entonces Salomón edificó un lugar alto a Quemos, ídolo abominable de Moab, en el monte que está frente a Jerusalén, y a Moloc, ídolo abominable de los Amonitas. 8 Así hizo también para todas sus mujeres extranjeras, las cuales quemaban incienso y ofrecían sacrificios a sus dioses.9 Entonces el Señor se enojó con Salomón porque su corazón se había apartado del Señor, Dios de Israel, que se le había aparecido dos veces, 10 y le había ordenado en cuanto a esto que no siguiera a otros dioses, pero él no guardó lo que el Señor le había ordenado.
Too many loves (700 + 300)….pursuit of success…pleasure…..
A wayward & cold and wayward heart
SUMMARY on Wisdom
Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. 14 For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil. La conclusión, cuando todo se ha oído, es ésta: Teme a Dios y guarda Sus mandamientos, Porque esto concierne a toda persona. 14 Porque Dios traerá toda obra a juicio, Junto con todo lo oculto, Sea bueno o sea malo
Jewish tradition asserts that Solomon wrote Song of Solomon in his youthful years, Proverbs in his middle years, and Ecclesiastes in his latter years There is no record that King Solomon repented and turned to the Lord, but his message in Ecclesiastes suggests that he did. He wrote Proverbs from the viewpoint of a wise teacher (1:1–6), and Song of Solomon from the viewpoint of a royal lover (3:7–11); but when he wrote Ecclesiastes, he called himself “the Preacher” (1:1) Eccl 7:8, “The end of a thing is better than its beginning”and “A good name is better than precious ointment
Wiersbe - Wisdom from Above
When Solomon ascended the throne, the people of Israel soon learned that he was not another David. He was a scholar, not a soldier, a man more interested in erecting buildings than fighting battles. David enjoyed the simple life of a shepherd, but Solomon chose to live in luxury. Both David and Solomon wrote songs, but Solomon is better known for his proverbs. We have many of David’s songs in the Book of Psalms, but except for Psalms 72 and 127, and the Song of Solomon, we have none of Solomon’s three thousand songs. David was a shepherd who loved and served God’s flock, while Solomon became a celebrity who used the people to help support his extravagant lifestyle. When David died, the people mourned; after Solomon died, the people begged his successor King Rehoboam to lighten the heavy yoke his father had put on their necks. David was a warrior who put his trust in God; Solomon was a politician who put his trust in authority, treaties, and achievement. “King Solomon was among the wisest fools who ever wore a crown,” wrote Frederick Buechner. Solomon is mentioned nearly three hundred times in the Old Testament and a dozen times in the New Testament. He’s listed in the genealogy of Jesus Christ (Matt. 1:6–7) and is cited as an example of splendor (Matt. 6:29; Luke 12:27) and wisdom (Matt. 12:42; Luke 11:31). He is identified as the builder of the temple (Acts 7:47). One of the colonnades in the temple was named after him (John 10:23; Acts 3:11; 5:12). His father, David, was recognized as the ideal leader, and his record became the standard by which every succeeding king of Judah was measured. However, nobody pointed to Solomon as a good example of a godly ruler. Chapters 3 and 4 describe events that occurred during the first three years of Solomon’s reign, before he began to build the temple (6:1), and they describe Solomon in several roles. 1. The peacemaker (1 Kings 3:1a) Solomon’s name comes from the Hebrew word shalom which means “peace,” and during his reign, the kingdom was at peace with its neighbors. His father, David, had risked his life on the battlefield to defeat enemy nations and claim their lands for Israel, but Solomon took a different approach to international diplomacy. He made treaties with other rulers by marrying their daughters, which helps to explain why he had seven hundred wives who were princesses, as well as three hundred concubines (11:3). It appears that Solomon entered into treaty arrangements with every petty ruler who had a marriageable daughter! Yet Moses in the law warned the Jewish kings not to multiply wives (Deut. 17:14–20).
His first bride after he became king was the daughter of the pharaoh of Egypt, Israel’s old enemy. This alliance indicates that Egypt had slipped much lower on the international scene and that Israel was now much higher, because Egyptian rulers didn’t give their daughters in marriage to the rulers of other nations. It’s significant that Solomon didn’t put his Egyptian wife into the royal palace where David had lived, because it was near the Ark of the Covenant (2 Chron. 8:11), but housed her in another place until her own palace was completed. He spent seven years building the temple of God but thirteen years building his own palace (1 Kings 6:37–7:1).
Solomon’s complex system of treaties cut at the very heart of Israel’s unique position as the people of God among the nations of the world. They were God’s holy people, a chosen people among whom the Lord himself dwelt (Ex. 33:16; Deut. 4:7–8, 32–34). God had made no covenants with the Gentile nations, nor had He given them His Word, His sanctuary, or His holy priesthood (Rom. 9:1–5). God said to the Jews, “I am the Lord your God, who has separated you from other people” (Lev. 20:24,26). As long as Israel trusted the Lord and obeyed Him, the nation would “dwell safely alone” (Deut. 33:28). The prophet Balaam described Israel as “a people dwelling alone, not reckoning itself among the nations” (Num. 23:9). The Lord placed Israel among the Gentile nations to be a witness to them of the true and living God, a “light among the Gentiles” (Isa. 42:6). If Israel had continued to be faithful to the terms of God’s covenant (Deut. 27–30), the Lord would have blessed them and used them as an “object lesson” to the pagan nations around them. Instead, Israel imitated the Gentiles, worshiped their idols, and abandoned their witness to the true God. For that reason, God had to chasten them and then send them into captivity in Babylon. God wanted Israel to be the “head” of the nations, but because of her compromise, she became the “tail” (Deut. 28:13, 44). Solomon may have thought he was making political progress by bringing Israel into the family of nations, but the consequence was really spiritual regress. Solomon also entered into lucrative trade agreements with other nations (10:1–15, 22), and the nation prospered; but the price he paid was too high.The kingdom of Israel prospered only as she trusted God and obeyed the terms of His covenant. If they were true to the Lord, He promised to give them all they needed, to protect them from their enemies, and to bless their labors. But from the very beginning of the Jewish monarchy, Israel’s leaders made it clear that they wanted to be “like the other nations” (1 Sam. 8), and Solomon led them closer to that goal. Ultimately, Solomon married many pagan wives and began to worship their false gods, and the Lord had to chasten him. See 1 Kings 11. 2. The builder (1 Kings 3:1b) Solomon is remembered as the king during whose reign the temple was built (chaps. 5–7; 2 Chron. 2–4). His alliance with Hiram, king of Tyre, gave him access to fine timber and skilled workmen. But he also built his own palace (7:1–12), which seems to have consisted of living quarters plus “the house of the forest of Lebanon,” where arms were stored and displayed (10:16–17), the Hall of pillars, and the Hall of Judgment. He also built a house in Jerusalem for his Egyptian princess wife (2 Chron. 8:11). Official state visitors were overwhelmed by the splendor of these structures (chap. 10). Though he wasn’t a warrior himself, Solomon was concerned about the security of the land. He expanded and strengthened the “Millo” (9:24; 11:27), a protective wall or embankment that David had begun to build (2 Sam. 5:9). The word millo means “filling.” Solomon had a special interest in horses and chariots and built stables in special “chariot cities” (4:26; 9:17–19; 10:26–29). He became quite a “horse dealer” himself and imported horses and chariots and sold them to other nations (2 Chron. 1:14–17; 9:25–28), no doubt making a good profit on the sales. He also built “store cities” in strategic places (9:15–19; 2 Chron. 8:1–6). At that time, Israel controlled several important trade routes that needed to be protected, and military personnel were housed in these cities, along with supplies of food and arms. Solomon violated the Law of Moses not only by marrying many wives but also by multiplying horses and depending on chariots (Deut. 17:14–17). Contrary to God’s command, Solomon went back to Egypt for both! The king was required to copy out for himself the Book of Deuteronomy (Deut. 17:18–20), and we wonder how Solomon responded when he read the command about wives and horses. Or did he ever meditate on what his father wrote in Ps 20:7 (see 33:16–19)? During Solomon’s reign, the outward splendor and wealth of Israel only masked an inward decay that led eventually to division and then destruction. 3. The worshiper (1 Kings 3:2–15) Solomon certainly made a good beginning, for he “loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of David his father” (v. 3; but a good beginning doesn’t guarantee a good ending. Saul, the first king of Israel, started out with humility and victory, but he ended up being rejected by the Lord and committing suicide on the battlefield. Solomon himself would write in Ecclesiastes 7:8, “The end of a thing is better than its beginning” (nkjv) and “A good name is better than precious ointment, and the day of death than the day of one’s birth” (7:1). We receive our name soon after birth, and between birth and death, we either enhance that name or debase it. After death, we can’t change a bad name into a good name or a good name into a bad name. “Great is the art of beginning,” wrote the American poet Longfellow, “but greater the art is of ending.” Consecration (vv. 2–4). God purposed that the people of Israel have a central place of worship and not imitate the nations in Canaan by building “high places” wherever they chose. When Israel entered the land, they were instructed to destroy these “high places” and the idols that were worshiped there (Num. 33:52; Deut. 7:5; 12:1ff; 33:29). However, until the temple was built and centralized worship was established in the land, the people of Israel worshiped the Lord in the “high places.” In time, the phrase “high place” began to be used to mean “a place of worship” and the Jews worshiped Jehovah at these temporary shrines. Gibeon was such a sacred place, for the tabernacle was located there. As a first step toward the construction of the tabernacle, David had moved the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem, but the rest of the tabernacle, including the altar of sacrifice, was still at Gibeon, located five miles north of Jerusalem. Solomon assembled the leaders of Israel and arranged for them to go to Gibeon with him and worship the Lord (2 Chron. 1:1–6). This event would not only be an act of consecration but it would manifest to the people the unity of the nation’s leaders. Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings to the Lord as he and his officers together praised the Lord and sought His face. The burnt offering pictured total dedication to the Lord. Revelation (v. 5). The assembly lasted all day and the people remained at Gibeon for the night, including King Solomon who was given a remarkable dream from the Lord. David had both Nathan and Gad as his counselors, but there seems to have been no prophet in Solomon’s circle of advisers. Twice the Lord spoke to the king through dreams (see 9:1–9). The Lord sometimes communicated His messages through dreams not only to His own servants but also to those of other nations, such as Abimelech (Gen. 20), the Egyptian servants of Pharaoh (Gen. 40), and Pharaoh himself (Gen. 41). Solomon heard the Lord say, “Ask! What shall I give you?” (v. 5). The Lord’s command and question were a revelation of God’s grace as well as a test of Solomon’s heart. (The word “ask” is found eight times in this passage.) What people ask for usually reveals what they really desire, and what they desire depends on how they envision their life’s calling. Had Solomon been a warrior, he might have asked for victory over his enemies; but he saw himself as a youthful leader who desperately needed wisdom so he could adequately serve God’s chosen people. He had succeeded David, Israel’s greatest king, and Solomon knew that the people couldn’t help but compare and contrast father and son. But even more, he had been called to build the temple of the Lord, an awesome task for such an inexperienced leader. Solomon knew he couldn’t accomplish that great venture without wisdom from heaven.
Petition (vv. 6–9). Solomon’s prayer was brief and to the point, and it was spoken with true humility, for three times he called himself “your servant.” First, Solomon reviewed the past and thanked God for the faithfulness and steadfast love shown to his father (v. 6). Solomon acknowledged God’s goodness in keeping his father through many trials and then giving him a son to inherit his throne. Solomon is referring here to the covenant God gave to David when he expressed his heart’s desire to build a temple for God (2 Sam. 7). In that covenant, God promised David a son who would build the temple, and Solomon was that son. Solomon admitted that he wasn’t the king because God recognized his abilities but because He kept His promises to his father David. Then, Solomon moved into the present and acknowledged God’s grace in making him king (v. 7). But he also confessed his youthfulness and inexperience and therefore his desperate need for God’s help if he was to succeed as Israel’s king. Solomon was probably twenty years old at this time and certainly much younger than his advisers and officers, some of whom had served his father. He called himself a “little child” (1 Chron. 22:5; 29:1ff), a mark of both honesty and humility. The phrase “to go out or come in” refers to giving leadership to the nation (Num. 27:15–17; Deut. 31:2–3; 1 Sam. 18:13, 16; 2 Kings 11:8). In his prayer, the king not only confessed his own smallness but also the nation’s greatness (v. 8). The people of Israel were the people of God! This meant that God had a great purpose for them to fulfill on earth and that their king carried a great responsibility in ruling them. God had multiplied the nation and fulfilled His promise to Abraham (Gen. 12:2; 13:16; 15:5), Isaac (Gen. 26:1–5), and Jacob (Gen. 28:10–14), and Solomon wanted the blessing to continue. The king concluded his prayer by anticipating the future and asking the Lord for the wisdom needed to rule the nation (v. 9). Wisdom was an important element in Near Eastern life and every king had his circle of “wise men” who advised him. But Solomon didn’t ask for a committee of wise counselors; he asked for wisdom for himself. In that day, the wise person was one who was skillful in the management of life. It meant much more than the ability to make a living; it meant the ability to make a life and make the most out of what life might bring. True wisdom involves skill in human relationships as well as the ability to understand and cooperate with the basic laws God has built into creation. Wise people not only have knowledge of human nature and of the created world, but they know how to use that knowledge in the right way at the right time. Wisdom isn’t a theoretical idea or an abstract commodity; it’s very practical and personal. There are many people who are smart enough to make a good living but they aren’t wise enough to make a good life, a life of fulfillment that honors the Lord. Solomon asked God to give him “an understanding heart,” because no matter how smart the mind may be, if the heart is wrong, all of life will be wrong. “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life” (Prov. 4:23). The word translated “understanding” means “hearing”; Solomon wanted a “hearing heart.” True understanding comes from hearing what God has to say, and to the Old Testament Jew, “hearing” meant “obeying.” When the Lord speaks to us, it’s not that we might study and pass judgment on what He said, but that we might obey it. An understanding heart has insight and exercises discernment. It is able to distinguish the things that differ (Phil. 1:9–11). It knows what is real and what is artificial, what is temporal and what is eternal. This kind of understanding is described in Isaiah 11:1–5, a prophecy concerning the Messiah. Believers today can claim the promise of James 1:5. Approbation (vv. 10–13). God was pleased with Solomon’s request for wisdom, for it showed that the king was concerned with serving God and His people by knowing and doing God’s will. Solomon never read Matthew 6:33, but he practiced it—and the Lord gave to him the additional blessings that he didn’t ask for! God always gives His best to those who leave the choice with Him. When you read the Book of Proverbs, you find that the love of wisdom and the practice of discernment can lead to these extra blessings (Prov. 3:1–2, 10, 13–18). In the subsequent chapters, we will learn about Solomon’s wealth and honor and how he attracted visitors from other nations who wanted to hear his wisdom. Obligation (v. 14). The Lord was careful to remind Solomon that his obedience to God’s covenant and his devotion to the Lord were the keys to his future blessings. Solomon was required to write out his own personal copy of Deuteronomy (Deut. 17:18–20), and this would include the covenant spelled out in Deuteronomy 28–30. Solomon also knew the terms of the covenant God made with his father David (2 Sam. 7:1–17) and that it required obedience on the part of David’s son and successor (vv. 12–16). God promised to lengthen Solomon’s life if he obeyed the Word (Prov. 3:2, 16), for he would be honoring God and his father David and could claim the promise of Exodus 20:12 (Eph. 6:1–3). It’s unfortunate that Solomon with all his wisdom forgot this part of the agreement and gradually drifted into sin and disobedience, and God had to chasten him. When Solomon returned to Jerusalem, he went to the tent that housed the Ark and there offered more sacrifices (v. 15). The Ark represented the presence of God among His people and the rule of God over His people (Pss. 80:1; 99:1). Solomon acknowledged the sovereign rule of God over his own life and the life of the nation. In other words, Solomon knew that he was second in command. It was when he started to forget that basic truth that he got himself into trouble
JM - 3:1 a treaty with Pharaoh. The Pharaoh was probably Siamun, the next-to-last ruler of the weak 21st dynasty. Solomon’s treaty with Pharaoh signified that he held a high standing in the world of his day. Pharaoh’s daughter was the most politically significant of Solomon’s 700 wives (1Kin 7:8 And the palace in which he was to live, set farther back, was similar in design. Solomon also made a palace like this hall for Pharaoh's daughter, whom he had married.;
1Kin 9:16 (Pharaoh king of Egypt had attacked and captured Gezer. He had set it on fire. He killed its Canaanite inhabitants and then gave it as a wedding gift to his daughter, Solomon's wife
1Kin 11:1 King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women besides Pharaoh's daughter--Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians and Hittites). 3:2 the high places. The open-air, hilltop worship centers which the Israelites inherited from the Canaanites had been rededicated to the Lord; the use of pagan altars had been forbidden (Num. 33:52; Deut. 7:5; 12:3). After the building of the temple, worship at the high places was condemned (11:7, 8; 12:31; 2 Kin. 16:17–20; 21:3; 23:26). no house … for the name of the Lord. “Name” represented the character and presence of the Lord (cf. Ex. 3:13, 14). He had promised to choose one place “to put His name for His dwelling place” (Deut. 12:5). The temple at Jerusalem was to be that place (cf. 5:3, 5; 8:16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 29, 43, 44, 48; 9:3, 7). In the ancient Near East, to identify a temple with a god’s name meant that the god owned the place and dwelt there. 3:3 except. Solomon’s failure in completely following the Lord was exhibited in his continual worship at the high places. 3:4–15 See 2 Chr. 1:7–13. 3:4 Gibeon. A town about 7 mi. NW of Jerusalem, where the tabernacle of Moses and the original bronze altar were located (1 Chr. 21:29; 2 Chr. 1:2–6). 3:5 dream. God often gave revelation in dreams (Gen. 26:24; 28:12; 46:2; Dan. 2:7; 7:1; Matt. 1:20; 2:12, 19, 22). However, this dream was unique, a two-way conversation between the Lord and Solomon.
3:6 great mercy … great kindness. These terms imply covenant faithfulness. Solomon viewed his succession to David as evidence of the Lord’s faithfulness to His promises to David.3:7 little child. Since Solomon was probably only about 20 years of age, he readily admitted his lack of qualification and experience to be king (1 Chr. 22:5; 29:1). See Num. 27:15–17.3:8 a great people. Based on the census, which recorded 800,000 men of fighting age in Israel and 500,000 in Judah (2 Sam. 24:9), the total population was over 4 million, approximately double what it had been at the time of the Conquest (see Num. 26:1–65).3:9 an understanding heart. Humbly admitting his need, Solomon sought “a listening heart” to govern God’s people with wisdom.
3:10 pleased the Lord. The Lord was delighted that Solomon had not asked for personal benefits, e.g., long life, wealth, or the death of his enemies.3:12 anyone like you. Solomon was one of a kind in judicial insight, as illustrated in vv. 16–27.3:14 lengthen your days. In contrast to riches and honor that were already his, a long life was dependent on Solomon’s future obedience to the Lord’s commands. Because of his disobedience, Solomon died before reaching 70 years of age (cf. Ps. 90:10).3:16–27 harlots came to the king. Here is an illustration of how wisely Solomon ruled. In Israel, the king was the ultimate “judge” of the land, and any citizen, even the basest prostitute, could petition him for a verdict (2 Sam. 14:2–21; 15:1–4; 2 Kin. 8:1–6).3:25 half … half. In ordering his servants to cut the child in two, he knew the liar would not object, but out of maternal compassion the real mother would (cf. Ex. 21:35).3:28 feared the king. Israel was in awe of and willing to submit to the rule of Solomon because of his wisdom from God.
BKC - 3:2-3. During the period of the Judges the Israelites adopted the Canaanite custom of offering sacrifices at . . . high places. These were on hilltops and other elevations. The pagan Canaanites felt that the closer they got to heaven the more likely was the possibility that their prayers and offerings would reach their gods. Offering sacrifices at places other than the tabernacle was prohibited in the Law (Lev. 17:3-5Any Israelite who sacrifices an ox, a lamb or a goat in the camp or outside of it 4 instead of bringing it to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting to present it as an offering to the LORD in front of the tabernacle of the LORD--that man shall be considered guilty of bloodshed; he has shed blood and must be cut off from his people. 5 This is so the Israelites will bring to the LORD the sacrifices they are now making in the open fields. They must bring them to the priest, that is, to the LORD, at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and sacrifice them as fellowship offerings. Nevertheless this practice was commonly observed in Israel at this time, even by Solomon. The temple refers to Solomon’s temple, not the tabernacle. In general, Solomon was careful to follow in David’s godly footsteps thus demonstrating his love for Yahweh. Solomon’s prayer for wisdom (3:4-15) 3:4-5. The most important (popular or largest) high place was at Gibeon about five miles north of Jerusalem in the territory of Benjamin. There Solomon made a great sacrifice to the Lord. Evidently that very night the Lord revealed Himself to the king. . . . in a dream. Such revelations were not uncommon in ancient Israel (Gen. 28:10-15; 37:5-7; etc.). God invited Solomon to ask for whatever he wanted. There seems to be a cause-and-effect relationship between Solomon’s loving generosity in making his offering to the Lord and God’s loving generosity in making him this offer. 3:6-9. Solomon recognized that God’s kindness to David was due to his father’s faithfulness to God which manifested itself in righteous actions and upright attitudes of heart. The king also acknowledged his own immaturity and need for God’s wisdom. Solomon was about 20 years old when he took the throne.In calling himself a child, he was admitting his inexperience (cf. 1 Chron. 22:5; 29:1). Solomon was concerned that he would be able to function effectively as the vice-regent of Yahweh. His responsibility as the leader and judge of God’s people weighed heavily on him. So he requested a discerning heart (lit., ”a hearing heart“) tuned to the voice of God so he could lead Israel as God would want the nation to be led. He acknowledged his dependence on God by referring to himself as God’s servant (1 Kings 3:7-8).
3:10-14. Solomon placed the good of God’s people above his personal peace or prosperity and above any desire to become a powerful and popular king. His values were in the right place from God’s perspective. Therefore God promised to give him what he requested. He would possess a wise . . . heart (v. 12) and be able to discern and render fair judgments (v. 11). Since Solomon sought what was most important God also promised to give him what was of secondary importance, riches and honor, to further enable him to govern God’s people effectively. Solomon was to be the richest and most honored king of his day. If Solomon remained faithful to pursue the will of God, obeying the Law of Moses, God promised he would also live a long life.
3:15. As is often the case, a blessing from God drew the person blessed into a closer relationship with Himself. Inspired by this revelation Solomon turned from the high place and proceeded to the divinely appointed place of worship, the tabernacle. He did not enter the most holy place; only the high priest could enter there once a year (Lev. 16). But the king stood before the ark of the Lord‘s covenant, outside the tabernacle facing toward the ark. Burnt offerings expressed the complete dedication of oneself to God and fellowship offerings symbolized the fellowship people can enjoy with God and with others through God’s grace. Solomon’s feast expressed his joy and gratitude to the members of his court.
Deut.22:10 an ox and a donkey together. According to the dietary laws prescribed earlier (14:1–8), the ox was a “clean” animal, but the donkey was “unclean.” Even more compelling was the fact that these two different animals couldn’t together plow a straight furrow. Their temperaments, natural instincts, and physical characteristics made it impossible. 22:9 different kinds of seed. The aim of the legislation seems to be to maintain healthy crops by keeping the seeds separate from one another. See note on Lev. 19:19 22:9-11. The reason for these prohibitions against planting two kinds of seed in a field, yoking together an ox and a donkey for plowing, and weaving wool and linen . . . together is uncertain. They may have had a symbolic function in teaching the Israelites something about the created order. Or the mixtures mentioned in these verses may reflect certain pagan cultic practices 22:9–11 Most likely, these regulations were based on the same principle as that of dietary restrictions. The Israelites were to be different from their neighbors in all aspects of life in order to show their separation to the living God 22:9–11 Object lessons for God’s people, who must always keep themselves distinct from a sinful cultural environment, even when such a distinction does not make pragmatic sense.
2 Cor. 6:14–16…..6:14 unequally yoked together. An illustration taken from OT prohibitions to Israel regarding the work-related joining together of two different kinds of livestock (see note on Deut. 22:10). By this analogy, Paul taught that it is not right to join together in common spiritual enterprise with those who are not of the same nature (unbelievers). It is impossible under such an arrangement for things to be done to God’s glory. with unbelievers. Christians are not to be bound together with non-Christians in any spiritual enterprise or relationship that would be detrimental to the Christian’s testimony within the body of Christ (see notes on 1 Cor. 5:9–13; cf. 1 Cor. 6:15–18; 10:7–21; James 4:4; 1 John 2:15). This was especially important for the Corinthians because of the threats from the false teachers and the surrounding pagan idolatry. But this command does not mean believers should end all associations with unbelievers; that would defy the purpose for which God saved believers and left them on earth (cf. Matt. 28:19, 20; 1 Cor. 9:19–23). The implausibility of such religious alliances is made clear in vv. 14b–17.
6:15 Belial. An ancient name for Satan, the utterly worthless one (see note on Deut. 13:13). This contrasts sharply with Jesus Christ, the worthy One with whom believers are to be in fellowship.
6:16 agreement … temple of God with idols. The temple of God (true Christianity) and idols (idolatrous, demonic false religions) are utterly incompatible (cf. 1 Sam. 4–6; 2 Kin. 21:1–15; Ezek. 8). you are the temple of the living God. Believers individually are spiritual houses (cf. 5:1) in which the Spirit of Christ dwells (see notes on 1 Cor. 3:16, 17; 6:19, 20; Eph. 2:22). As God has said. Paul supported his statement by referring to a blend of OT texts (Lev. 26:11, 12; Jer. 24:7; 31:33; Ezek. 37:26, 27; Hos. 2:2, 3).6:17 Paul drew from Is. 52:11 and elaborated on the command to be spiritually separated. It is not only irrational and sacrilegious but disobedient to be bound together with unbelievers. When believers are saved, they are to disengage themselves from all forms of false religion and make a clean break from all sinful habits and old idolatrous patterns (see notes on Eph. 5:6–12; 2 Tim. 2:20–23; cf. Rev. 18:4). be separate. This is a command for believers to be as Christ was (Heb. 7:26). 6:18 As a result of separating themselves from false doctrine and practice, believers will know the full richness of what it means to be children of God (see notes on Rom. 8:14–17; cf. 2 Sam. 7:14; Ezek. 20:34). 7:1 these promises. The OT promises Paul quoted in 6:16–18. Scripture often encourages believers to action based on God’s promises (cf. Rom. 12:1; 2 Pet. 1:3). let us cleanse ourselves. The form of this Gr. verb indicates that this is something each Christian must do in his own life. filthiness. This Gr. word, which appears only here in the NT, was used 3 times in the Greek OT to refer to religious defilement, or unholy alliances with idols, idol feasts, temple prostitutes, sacrifices, and festivals of worship. flesh and spirit. False religion panders to the human appetites, represented by both “flesh and spirit.” While some believers for a time might avoid succumbing to fleshly sins associated with false religion, the Christian who exposes his mind to false teaching cannot avoid contamination by the devilish ideologies and blasphemies that assault the purity of divine truth and blaspheme God’s name. See note on 6:17. perfecting holiness. The Gr. word for “perfecting” means “to finish” or “to complete” (cf. 8:6). “Holiness” refers to separation from all that would defile both the body and the mind. Complete or perfect holiness was embodied only in Christ, thus believers are to pursue Him (cf. 3:18; Lev. 20:26; Matt. 5:48; Rom. 8:29; Phil. 3:12–14; 1 John 3:2, 3). BKC 6:14-15. What hampered the Corinthians’ open, loving response, which Paul called for? (v. 13) Answer: rival suitors vied for their affections and allegiance. Though verses 14-15 are often applied to various sorts of alliances (e.g., mixed marriages, improper business associations), Paul’s primary association was probably ecclesiastical. The rival suitors were possibly pagan idolaters (1 Cor. 10:14) or more likely false apostles (2 Cor. 11:2-4). In censure or affection Paul was equally candid (6:11). The solution to the dilemma was for the Corinthians to separate from the false apostles. Whatever may have been their own and others’ estimation of their spiritual status, Paul considered the false apostles to be unbelievers (11:13-15) from whom the Corinthians needed to separate. But Paul did not say that Christians should have no contacts whatever with unbelievers. Earlier he argued the absurdity of such a position (1 Cor. 5:9-10). But religious unbelievers might lead believers astray from “sincere and pure devotion to Christ” (2 Cor. 11:3), and the fact concerned Paul greatly. A believer can be rightly yoked only with Christ (Matt. 11:29-30). To illustrate, Paul asked five rhetorical questions (2 Cor. 6:14-16), posing antitheses that reflect the wide chasm between the kingdom of Christ and the kingdom of Satan (Col. 1:13). Belial (the Gr. Beliar is a spelling variation) transliterates an Old Testament word that means “worthless person.” In Greek it came to mean “a lawless person.” It was then used of Satan, the most worthless and lawless of all. 6:16. Paul’s fifth rhetorical question provided a transition to his citing several Old Testament verses. Their cumulative effect bolstered Paul’s exhortation (v. 14a). The church is the temple of God (1 Cor. 3:16) where the Spirit of God and Christ dwells (Matt. 28:19-20; Eph. 2:22). The promise of God to live among His people was ultimately fulfilled in Christ (Matt. 1:23). 6:17. Enjoying God’s presence requires personal holiness. Paul cited a portion of Isaiah 52:11 and Ezekiel 20:41, passages that speak of Israel’s redemption. God’s people are redeemed from pagan bondage (come out from them and be separate) in order to be clean before God (touch no unclean thing) and thus enjoy fellowship with Him (I will receive you). In Galatians Paul spoke of the bondage of those who are under the obligation of the Law (Gal. 3:13-14; 4:5; cf. 2 Cor. 3:7-9). Paul wrote to Titus that redemption implied two things: (a) deliverance “from all wickedness” and (b) a purified people who are “His very own, eager to do what is good” (Titus 2:14). Personal purity makes it possible to serve God and be received by Him. 6:18. A redeemed people are brought into a special relationship with God the Father as His sons and daughters (cf. Isa. 43:6). Those who identify with Christ by faith in Him may call God “Father” (Eph. 2:18; Gal. 4:5-6). From these sons and daughters God wants obedience (Deut. 32:19-21) as He did from David, His people’s chief representative, and from David’s lineage (2 Sam. 7:14; cf. Ps. 89:30-34). 7:1. These promises refer to God’s assurances of His presence (6:16) and fellowship (6:17b-18) to those who obey Him. This obedience requires purification (let us purify ourselves), which here implies separation (katharisōmen; cf. Matt. 8:3; Deut. 19:13) from everything that contaminates body and spirit and from every person who pollutes the truth (cf. 2 Cor. 2:17; 4:2). “Body and spirit” refers to the whole person in his external and internal aspects (cf. 7:5). In an attitude of reverence for God (cf. 5:11) which produces obedience, sanctification (holiness) can be perfected, that is, completed or matured. This is a maturing, growing holiness, an increased Christlikeness (3:18), a progressive sanctification (not sinless perfection).
WISE VV
Gen 41:8 In the morning his mind was troubled, so he sent for all the magicians and wise men of Egypt. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but no one could interpret them for him.
Gen 41:33 "And now let Pharaoh look for a discerning and wise man and put him in charge of the land of Egypt.
Gen 41:39 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one so discerning and wise as you.
Exod 7:11 Pharaoh then summoned wise men and sorcerers, and the Egyptian magicians also did the same things by their secret arts:
Deut 1:13 Choose some wise, understanding and respected men from each of your tribes, and I will set them over you." 15 So I took the leading men of your tribes, wise and respected men, and appointed them to have authority over you--as commanders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties and of tens and as tribal officials.
Deut 4:6 Observe them carefully, for this will show your wisdom and understanding to the nations, who will hear about all these decrees and say, "Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people."
Deut 16:19 Do not pervert justice or show partiality. Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the righteous.
Deut 32:29 If only they were wise and would understand this and discern what their end will be!
2Sam 14:2 So Joab sent someone to Tekoa and had a wise woman brought from there. He said to her, "Pretend you are in mourning. Dress in mourning clothes, and don't use any cosmetic lotions. Act like a woman who has spent many days grieving for the dead.
2Sam 20:16 a wise woman called from the city [Abel Beth Maacah], "Listen! Listen! Tell Joab to come here so I can speak to him." 22 Then the woman went to all the people with her wise advice, and they cut off the head of Sheba son of Bicri and threw it to Joab. So he sounded the trumpet, and his men dispersed from the city, each returning to his home. And Joab went back to the king in Jerusalem.
1Kin 3:12 I will do what you [Solomon] have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be.
1Kin 5:7 When Hiram heard Solomon's message, he was greatly pleased and said, "Praise be to the LORD today, for he has given David a wise son to rule over this great nation."
1Chr 26:14 The lot for the East Gate fell to Shelemiah. Then lots were cast for his son Zechariah, a wise counselor, and the lot for the North Gate fell to him.
2Chr 2:12 And Hiram added: "Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel, who made heaven and earth! He has given King David a wise son, endowed with intelligence and discernment, who will build a temple for the LORD and a palace for himself.
Esth 1:13 Since it was customary for the king to consult experts in matters of law and justice, he spoke with the wise men who understood the times 14 and were closest to the king--Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena and Memucan, the seven nobles of Persia and Media who had special access to the king and were highest in the kingdom.
Job 5:13 He catches the wise in their craftiness, and the schemes of the wily are swept away.
Job 11:12 But a witless man can no more become wise than a wild donkey's colt can be born a man
Job 15:2 "Would a wise man answer with empty notions or fill his belly with the hot east wind?
Job 15:18 what wise men have declared, hiding nothing received from their fathers
Job 17:10 "But come on, all of you, try again! I will not find a wise man among you.
Job 22:2 "Can a man be of benefit to God? Can even a wise man benefit him?
Job 32:9 It is not only the old who are wise, not only the aged who understand what is right.
Job 34:2 "Hear my words, you wise men; listen to me, you men of learning.
Job 34:34 "Men of understanding declare, wise men who hear me say to me,
Job 37:24 Therefore, men revere him, for does he not have regard for all the wise in heart?"
Ps 2:10 Therefore, you kings, be wise; be warned, you rulers of the earth.
Ps 19:7 The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple.
Ps 36:3 The words of his mouth are wicked and deceitful; he has ceased to be wise and to do good
Ps 49:10 For all can see that wise men die; the foolish and the senseless alike perish and leave their wealth to others.
Ps 94:8 Take heed, you senseless ones among the people; you fools, when will you become wise?
Ps 107:43 Whoever is wise, let him heed these things and consider the great love of the LORD.
Prov 1:5 let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance-- 6 for understanding proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise.
Prov 3:7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil.
Prov 3:35 The wise inherit honor, but fools he holds up to shame.
Prov 6:6 Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise!
Prov 8:33 Listen to my instruction and be wise; do not ignore it.
Prov 9:8 Do not rebuke a mocker or he will hate you; rebuke a wise man and he will love you. 9 Instruct a wise man and he will be wiser still; teach a righteous man and he will add to his learning
Prov 9:12 If you are wise, your wisdom will reward you; if you are a mocker, you alone will suffer
Prov 10:1 The proverbs of Solomon: A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish son grief to his mother.
Prov 10:5 He who gathers crops in summer is a wise son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son.
Prov 10:8 The wise in heart accept commands, but a chattering fool comes to ruin.
Prov 10:14 Wise men store up knowledge, but the mouth of a fool invites ruin.
Prov 10:19 When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise.
Prov 11:29 He who brings trouble on his family will inherit only wind, and the fool will be servant to the wise. 30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise.
Prov 12:15 The way of a fool seems right to him, but a wise man listens to advice.
Prov 12:18 Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.
Prov 13:1 A wise son heeds his father's instruction, but a mocker does not listen to rebuke.
Prov 13:14 The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life, turning a man from the snares of death.
Prov 13:20 He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm.
Prov 14:1 The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down
Prov 14:3 A fool's talk brings a rod to his back, but the lips of the wise protect them.
Prov 14:16 A wise man fears the LORD and shuns evil, but a fool is hotheaded and reckless.
Prov 14:24 The wealth of the wise is their crown, but the folly of fools yields folly.
Prov 14:35 A king delights in a wise servant, but a shameful servant incurs his wrath.
Prov 15:2 The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouth of the fool gushes folly.
Prov 15:7 The lips of the wise spread knowledge; not so the hearts of fools.
Prov 15:12 A mocker resents correction; he will not consult the wise.
Prov 15:20 A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish man despises his mother.
Prov 15:24 The path of life leads upward for the wise to keep him from going down to the grave.
Prov 15:31 He who listens to a life-giving rebuke will be at home among the wise.
Prov 16:14 A king's wrath is a messenger of death, but a wise man will appease it.
Prov 16:21 The wise in heart are called discerning, and pleasant words promote instruction.
Prov 16:23 A wise man's heart guides his mouth, and his lips promote instruction.
Prov 17:2 A wise servant will rule over a disgraceful son, and will share the inheritance as one of the brothers
Prov 17:28 Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent, and discerning if he holds his tongue.
Prov 18:15 The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge; the ears of the wise seek it out.
Prov 19:20 Listen to advice and accept instruction, and in the end you will be wise.
Prov 20:1 Wine is a mocker and beer a brawler; whoever is led astray by them is not wise.
Prov 20:26 A wise king winnows out the wicked; he drives the threshing wheel over them.
Prov 21:11 When a mocker is punished, the simple gain wisdom; when a wise man is instructed, he gets knowledge.
Prov 21:20 In the house of the wise are stores of choice food and oil, but a foolish man devours all he has.
Prov 21:22 A wise man attacks the city of the mighty and pulls down the stronghold in which they trust.
Prov 22:17 Pay attention and listen to the sayings of the wise; apply your heart to what I teach,
Prov 23:15 My son, if your heart is wise, then my heart will be glad;
Prov 23:19 Listen, my son, and be wise, and keep your heart on the right path.
Prov 23:24 The father of a righteous man has great joy; he who has a wise son delights in him.
Prov 24:5 A wise man has great power, and a man of knowledge increases strength;
Prov 24:23 These also are sayings of the wise: To show partiality in judging is not good:
Prov 25:12 Like an earring of gold or an ornament of fine gold is a wise man's rebuke to a listening ear.
Prov 26:5 Answer a fool according to his folly, or he will be wise in his own eyes.
Prov 26:12 Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.
Prov 27:11 Be wise, my son, and bring joy to my heart; then I can answer anyone who treats me with contempt.
Prov 28:11 A rich man may be wise in his own eyes, but a poor man who has discernment sees through him.
Prov 29:8 Mockers stir up a city, but wise men turn away anger. 9 If a wise man goes to court with a fool, the fool rages and scoffs, and there is no peace.
Prov 29:11 A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control.
Prov 30:24 "Four things on earth are small, yet they are extremely wise: 25 Ants are creatures of little strength, yet they store up their food in the summer; 26 coneys [rock badgers] are creatures of little power, yet they make their home in the crags; 27 locusts have no king, yet they advance together in ranks; 28 a lizard can be caught with the hand, yet it is found in kings' palaces.
Eccl 2:14 The wise man has eyes in his head, while the fool walks in the darkness; but I came to realize that the same fate overtakes them both. 15 Then I thought in my heart, "The fate of the fool will overtake me also. What then do I gain by being wise?" I said in my heart, "This too is meaningless." 16 For the wise man, like the fool, will not be long remembered; in days to come both will be forgotten. Like the fool, the wise man too must die!
Eccl 2:19 And who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have control over all the work into which I have poured my effort and skill under the sun. This too is meaningless.
Eccl 4:13 Better a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king who no longer knows how to take warning.
Eccl 6:8 What advantage has a wise man over a fool? What does a poor man gain by knowing how to conduct himself before others?
Eccl 7:4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure. 5 It is better to heed a wise man's rebuke than to listen to the song of fools.
Eccl 7:7 Extortion turns a wise man into a fool, and a bribe corrupts the heart.
Eccl 7:10 Do not say, "Why were the old days better than these?" For it is not wise to ask such questions.
Eccl 7:19 Wisdom makes one wise man more powerful than ten rulers in a city.
Eccl 7:23 All this I tested by wisdom and I said, "I am determined to be wise"-- but this was beyond me.
Eccl 8:1 Who is like the wise man? Who knows the explanation of things? Wisdom brightens a man's face and changes its hard appearance.
Eccl 8:5 Whoever obeys his command will come to no harm, and the wise heart will know the proper time and procedure.
Eccl 8:17 then I saw all that God has done. No one can comprehend what goes on under the sun. Despite all his efforts to search it out, man cannot discover its meaning. Even if a wise man claims he knows, he cannot really comprehend it.
Ecc 9:1 So I reflected on all this and concluded that the righteous and the wise and what they do are in God's hands, but no man knows whether love or hate awaits him.
Eccl 9:11 I have seen something else under the sun: The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all.
Eccl 9:15 Now there lived in that city a man poor but wise, and he saved the city by his wisdom. But nobody remembered that poor man.
Eccl 9:17 The quiet words of the wise are more to be heeded than the shouts of a ruler of fools.
Eccl 10:2 The heart of the wise inclines to the right, but the heart of the fool to the left.
Eccl 10:12 Words from a wise man's mouth are gracious, but a fool is consumed by his own lips
Eccl 12:9 Not only was the Teacher wise, but also he imparted knowledge to the people. He pondered and searched out and set in order many proverbs.
Eccl 12:11 The words of the wise are like goads, their collected sayings like firmly embedded nails--given by one Shepherd.
Isai 5:21 Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight.
Isai 19:11 The officials of Zoan are nothing but fools; the wise counselors of Pharaoh give senseless advice. How can you say to Pharaoh, "I am one of the wise men, a disciple of the ancient kings"? 12 Where are your wise men now? Let them show you and make known
what the LORD Almighty has planned against Egypt.
Isai 29:14 Therefore once more I will astound these people with wonder upon wonder; the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish."
Isai 31:2 Yet he too is wise and can bring disaster; he does not take back his words. He will rise up against the house of the wicked, against those who help evildoers.
Isai 44:25 who foils the signs of false prophets and makes fools of diviners, who overthrows the learning of the wise and turns it into nonsense,
Jer 8:8 "`How can you say, "We are wise, for we have the law of the LORD," when actually the lying pen of the scribes has handled it falsely? 9 The wise will be put to shame; they will be dismayed and trapped. Since they have rejected the word of the LORD,
what kind of wisdom do they have?
Jer 9:12 What man is wise enough to understand this? Who has been instructed by the LORD and can explain it? Why has the land been ruined and laid waste like a desert that no one can cross?
Jer 9:23 This is what the LORD says: "Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches,
Jer 10:7 Who should not revere you, O King of the nations? This is your due. Among all the wise men of the nations and in all their kingdoms, there is no one like you.
Jer 18:18 They said, "Come, let's make plans against Jeremiah; for the teaching of the law by the priest will not be lost, nor will counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophets. So come, let's attack him with our tongues and pay no attention to anything he says."
Jer 50:35 "A sword against the Babylonians!" declares the LORD-- "against those who live in Babylon and against her officials and wise men!
Jer 51:57 I will make her officials and wise men drunk, her governors, officers and warriors as well; they will sleep forever and not awake," declares the King, whose name is the LORD Almighty.
Ezek 28:2 "Son of man, say to the ruler of Tyre, `This is what the Sovereign LORD says: "`In the pride of your heart you say, "I am a god; I sit on the throne of a god in the heart of the seas."
But you are a man and not a god, though you think you are as wise as a god.
Ezek 28:6 "`Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: "`Because you think you are wise, as wise as a god,
Dan 2:12 This made the king so angry and furious that he ordered the execution of all the wise men of Babylon. 13 So the decree was issued to put the wise men to death, and men were sent to look for Daniel and his friends to put them to death. 14 When Arioch, the commander of the king's guard, had gone out to put to death the wise men of Babylon, Daniel spoke to him with wisdom and tact. 18 He urged them to plead for mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that he and his friends might not be executed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.
Dan 2:21 He changes times and seasons; he sets up kings and deposes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.
Dan 2:24 Then Daniel went to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to execute the wise men of Babylon, and said to him, "Do not execute the wise men of Babylon. Take me to the king, and I will interpret his dream for him."
Dan 2:27 Daniel replied, "No wise man, enchanter, magician or diviner can explain to the king the mystery he has asked about,
Dan 2:48 Then the king placed Daniel in a high position and lavished many gifts on him. He made him ruler over the entire province of Babylon and placed him in charge of all its wise men.
Dan 4:6 So I commanded that all the wise men of Babylon be brought before me to interpret the dream for me.
Dan 4:18 "This is the dream that I, King Nebuchadnezzar, had. Now, Belteshazzar, tell me what it means, for none of the wise men in my kingdom can interpret it for me. But you can, because the spirit of the holy gods is in you."
Dan 5:7 The king called out for the enchanters, astrologers and diviners to be brought and said to these wise men of Babylon, "Whoever reads this writing and tells me what it means will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain placed around his neck, and he will be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom." 8 Then all the king's wise men came in, but they could not read the writing or tell the king what it meant.
Dan 5:15 The wise men and enchanters were brought before me to read this writing and tell me what it means, but they could not explain it.
Dan 11:33 "Those who are wise will instruct many, though for a time they will fall by the sword or be burned or captured or plundered.
Dan 11:35 Some of the wise will stumble, so that they may be refined, purified and made spotless until the time of the end, for it will still come at the appointed time.
Dan 12:3 Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever.
Dan 12:10 Many will be purified, made spotless and refined, but the wicked will continue to be wicked. None of the wicked will understand, but those who are wise will understand.
Hose 14:9 Who is wise? He will realize these things. Who is discerning? He will understand them. The ways of the LORD are right; the righteous walk in them, but the rebellious stumble in them
Obad 1:8 "In that day," declares the LORD, "will I not destroy the wise men of Edom, men of understanding in the mountains of Esau?
Matt 7:24 "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.
Matt 11:25 At that time Jesus said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.
Matt 23:34 Therefore I am sending you prophets and wise men and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify; others you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town.
Matt 24:45 "Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time?
Matt 25:2 Five of them were foolish and five were wise. 4 The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. 8 The foolish ones said to the wise, `Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.'
Luke 10:21 At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure.
Luke 12:42 The Lord answered, "Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time?
Acts 15:38 but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work.
Rom 1:14 I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish.
Rom 1:22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools
Rom 16:19 Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I am full of joy over you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil.
Rom 16:27 to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen.
1Cor 1:19 For it is written: "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate." 20 Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?
1Cor 1:26 Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.
1Cor 2:4 My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power,
1Cor 3:18 Do not deceive yourselves. If any one of you thinks he is wise by the standards of this age, he should become a "fool" so that he may become wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God's sight. As it is written: "He catches the wise in their craftiness"; 20 and again, "The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile."
1Cor 4:10 We are fools for Christ, but you are so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are honored, we are dishonored!
1Cor 6:5 I say this to shame you. Is it possible that there is nobody among you wise enough to judge a dispute between believers?
2Cor 10:12 We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise.
2Cor 11:19 You gladly put up with fools since you are so wise!
Eph 5:15 Be very careful, then, how you live--not as unwise but as wise,
Col 4:5 Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity.
2Tim 3:15 and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
Jame 3:13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.
WISDOM VV
Gen 3:6 When the woman [Eve] saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.
Exod 28:3 Tell all the skilled men to whom I have given wisdom in such matters that they are to make garments for Aaron, for his consecration, so he may serve me as priest.
Deut 4:6 Observe them carefully, for this will show your wisdom and understanding to the nations, who will hear about all these decrees and say, "Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people."
Deut 34:9 Now Joshua son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom because Moses had laid his hands on him. So the Israelites listened to him and did what the LORD had commanded Moses
2Sam 14:20 Your servant Joab did this to change the present situation. My lord [David] has wisdom like that of an angel of God--he knows everything that happens in the land."
1Kin 2:6 [David to Solomon about Joab] Deal with him according to your wisdom, but do not let his gray head go down to the grave in peace.
1Kin 2:9 But now, do not consider him [Shimei] innocent. You are a man of wisdom; you will know what to do to him. Bring his gray head down to the grave in blood."
1Kin 3:28 When all Israel heard the verdict the king had given, they held the king in awe, because they saw that he had wisdom from God to administer justice.
1Kin 4:29 God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore. 30 Solomon's wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the men of the East, and greater than all the wisdom of Egypt.
1Kin 4:34 Men of all nations came to listen to Solomon's wisdom, sent by all the kings of the world, who had heard of his wisdom.
1Kin 5:12 The LORD gave Solomon wisdom, just as he had promised him. There were peaceful relations between Hiram and Solomon, and the two of them made a treaty.
1Kg 10:4 When the queen of Sheba saw all the wisdom of Solomon and the palace he had built
6 She said to the king, "The report I heard in my own country about your achievements and your wisdom is true. 7 But I did not believe these things until I came and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, not even half was told me; in wisdom and wealth you have far exceeded the report I heard. 8 How happy your men must be! How happy your officials, who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom!
1Kg 10:23 King Solomon was greater in riches and wisdom than all the other kings of the earth 24 The whole world sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart.
1Kin 11:41 As for the other events of Solomon's reign--all he did and the wisdom he displayed--are they not written in the book of the annals of Solomon?
2Chr 1:10 Give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may lead this people, for who is able to govern this great people of yours?" 11 God said to Solomon, "Since this is your heart's desire and you have not asked for wealth, riches or honor, nor for the death of your enemies, and since you have not asked for a long life but for wisdom and knowledge to govern my people over whom I have made you king, 12 therefore wisdom and knowledge will be given you. And I will also give you wealth, riches and honor, such as no king who was before you ever had and none after you will have."
2Chr 9:3 When the queen of Sheba saw the wisdom of Solomon, as well as the palace he had built, 5 She said to the king, "The report I heard in my own country about your achievements and your wisdom is true. 6 But I did not believe what they said until I came and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, not even half the greatness of your wisdom was told me; you have far exceeded the report I heard. 7 How happy your men must be! How happy your officials, who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom!
2Chr 9:22 King Solomon was greater in riches and wisdom than all the other kings of the earth. 23 All the kings of the earth sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart.
Ezra 7:25 And you, Ezra, in accordance with the wisdom of your God, which you possess, appoint magistrates and judges to administer justice to all the people of Trans-Euphrates--all who know the laws of your God. And you are to teach any who do not know them.
Job 4:21 Are not the cords of their tent pulled up, so that they die without wisdom?'
Job 9:4 [God] His wisdom is profound, his power is vast. Who has resisted him and come out unscathed?
Job 11:6 [Zophar to Job] and disclose to you the secrets of wisdom, for true wisdom has two sides. Know this: God has even forgotten some of your sin.
Job 12:2 "Doubtless you are the people, and wisdom will die with you!
Job 12:12 Is not wisdom found among the aged? Does not long life bring understanding? 13 "To God belong wisdom and power; counsel and understanding are his.
Job 13:5 If only you would be altogether silent! For you, that would be wisdom.
Job 15:8 Do you listen in on God's council? Do you limit wisdom to yourself?
Job 26:3 What advice you have offered to one without wisdom! And what great insight you have displayed!
Job 26:12 By his power he churned up the sea; by his wisdom he cut Rahab to pieces.
Job 28:12 "But where can wisdom be found? Where does understanding dwell?
Job 28:18 Coral and jasper are not worthy of mention; the price of wisdom is beyond rubies.
Job 28:20 "Where then does wisdom come from? Where does understanding dwell?
Job 28:27 then he looked at wisdom and appraised it; he confirmed it and tested it. 28 And he said to man, `The fear of the Lord--that is wisdom, and to shun evil is understanding.'"
Job 32:7 I thought, `Age should speak; advanced years should teach wisdom.'
Job 32:13 Do not say, `We have found wisdom; let God refute him, not man.'
Job 33:33 [Elihu] But if not, then listen to me; be silent, and I will teach you wisdom."
Job 38:36 Who endowed the heart with wisdom or gave understanding to the mind? 37 Who has the wisdom to count the clouds? Who can tip over the water jars of the heavens
Job 39:17 for God did not endow her [ostrich] with wisdom or give her a share of good sense.
Job 39:26 "Does the hawk take flight by your wisdom and spread his wings toward the south?
Ps 37:30 The mouth of the righteous man utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks what is just.
Ps 49:3 My mouth will speak words of wisdom; the utterance from my heart will give understanding.
Ps 51:6 Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place.
Ps 90:12 Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.
Ps 104:24 How many are your works, O LORD! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.
Ps105:22 to instruct his princes as he pleased and teach his elders wisdom.
Ps 111:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise.
Prov 1:2 for attaining wisdom and discipline; for understanding words of insight;
Prov 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.
Prov 1:20 Wisdom calls aloud in the street, she raises her voice in the public squares;
Prov 2:2 turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding,
Prov 2:6 For the LORD gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
Prov 2:10 For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.
Prov 2:12 Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men, from men whose words are perverse
Prov 3:13 Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gains understanding,
Prov 3:19 By wisdom the LORD laid the earth's foundations, by understanding he set the heavens in place;
Prov 4:5 Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or swerve from them. 6 Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you. 7 Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding.
Prov 4:11 I guide you in the way of wisdom and lead you along straight paths.
Prov 5:1 My son, pay attention to my wisdom, listen well to my words of insight,
Prov 7:4 Say to wisdom, "You are my sister," and call understanding your kinsman;
Prov 8:1 Does not wisdom call out? Does not understanding raise her voice?
Prov 8:11 for wisdom is more precious than rubies, and nothing you desire can compare with her 12 "I, wisdom, dwell together with prudence; I possess knowledge and discretion.
Prov 9:1 Wisdom has built her house; she has hewn out its seven pillars.
Prov 9:10 "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
Prov 9:12 If you are wise, your wisdom will reward you; if you are a mocker, you alone will suffer."
Prov 10:13 Wisdom is found on the lips of the discerning, but a rod is for the back of him who lacks judgment.
Prov 10:23 A fool finds pleasure in evil conduct, but a man of understanding delights in wisdom
Prov 10:31 The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom, but a perverse tongue will be cut out.
Prov 11:2 When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.
Prov 12:8 A man is praised according to his wisdom, but men with warped minds are despised.
Prov 13:10 Pride only breeds quarrels, but wisdom is found in those who take advice.
Prov 14:6 The mocker seeks wisdom and finds none, but knowledge comes easily to the discerning.
Prov 14:8 The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways, but the folly of fools is deception.
Prov 14:33 Wisdom reposes in the heart of the discerning and even among fools she lets herself be known.
Prov 15:33 The fear of the LORD teaches a man wisdom, and humility comes before honor.
Prov 16:16 How much better to get wisdom than gold, to choose understanding rather than silver
Prov 17:16 Of what use is money in the hand of a fool, since he has no desire to get wisdom?
Prov 17:24 A discerning man keeps wisdom in view, but a fool's eyes wander to the ends of the earth
Prov 18:4 The words of a man's mouth are deep waters, but the fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook.
Prov 19:8 He who gets wisdom loves his own soul; he who cherishes understanding prospers.
Prov 19:11 A man's wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense.
Prov 21:11 When a mocker is punished, the simple gain wisdom; when a wise man is instructed, he gets knowledge.
Prov 21:30 There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the LORD.
Prov 23:4 Do not wear yourself out to get rich; have the wisdom to show restraint.
Prov 23:9 Do not speak to a fool, for he will scorn the wisdom of your words.
Prov 23:23 Buy the truth and do not sell it; get wisdom, discipline and understanding.
Prov 24:3 By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established;
Prov 24:7 Wisdom is too high for a fool; in the assembly at the gate he has nothing to say.
Prov 24:14 Know also that wisdom is sweet to your soul; if you find it, there is a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off.
Prov 28:26 He who trusts in himself is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom is kept safe.
Prov 29:3 A man who loves wisdom brings joy to his father, but a companion of prostitutes squanders his wealth.
Prov 29:15 The rod of correction imparts wisdom, but a child left to himself disgraces his mother.
Prov 30:3 I have not learned wisdom, nor have I knowledge of the Holy One.
Prov 31:26 She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue.
Eccl 1:13 I devoted myself to study and to explore by wisdom all that is done under heaven. What a heavy burden God has laid on men!
Eccl 1:16 I thought to myself, "Look, I have grown and increased in wisdom more than anyone who has ruled over Jerusalem before me; I have experienced much of wisdom and knowledge." 17 Then I applied myself to the understanding of wisdom, and also of madness and folly, but I learned that this, too, is a chasing after the wind. 18 For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief.
Eccl 2:3 I tried cheering myself with wine, and embracing folly--my mind still guiding me with wisdom. I wanted to see what was worthwhile for men to do under heaven during the few days of their lives. 9 I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem before me. In all this my wisdom stayed with me. 12 Then I turned my thoughts to consider wisdom, and also madness and folly. What more can the king's successor do than what has already been done? 13 I saw that wisdom is better than folly, just as light is better than darkness. 21 For a man may do his work with wisdom, knowledge and skill, and then he must leave all he owns to someone who has not worked for it. This too is meaningless and a great misfortune. 26 To the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
Eccl 7:11 Wisdom, like an inheritance, is a good thing and benefits those who see the sun. 12 Wisdom is a shelter as money is a shelter, but the advantage of knowledge is this: that wisdom preserves the life of its possessor.
Eccl 7:19 Wisdom makes one wise man more powerful than ten rulers in a city.
Eccl 7:23 All this I tested by wisdom and I said, "I am determined to be wise"-- but this was beyond me. 24 Whatever wisdom may be, it is far off and most profound-- who can discover it?
25 So I turned my mind to understand, to investigate and to search out wisdom and the scheme of things and to understand the stupidity of wickedness and the madness of folly.
Eccl 8:1 Who is like the wise man? Who knows the explanation of things? Wisdom brightens a man's face and changes its hard appearance. 16 When I applied my mind to know wisdom and to observe man's labor on earth--his eyes not seeing sleep day or night--
Eccl 9:10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the grave, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom. 13 I also saw under the sun this example of wisdom that greatly impressed me: 15 Now there lived in that city a man poor but wise, and he saved the city by his wisdom. But nobody remembered that poor man. 16 So I said, "Wisdom is better than strength." But the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are no longer heeded. 18 Wisdom is better than weapons of war,
but one sinner destroys much good.
10:1 As dead flies give perfume a bad smell, so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.
Isai 10:13 For he [King of Assyria] says: "`By the strength of my hand I have done this, and by my wisdom, because I have understanding. I removed the boundaries of nations, I plundered their treasures; like a mighty one I subdued their kings.
Isai 11:2 The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him-- the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD--
Isai 28:29 All this also comes from the LORD Almighty, wonderful in counsel and magnificent in wisdom.
Isai 29:14 Therefore once more I will astound these people with wonder upon wonder; the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish."
Isai 33:6 He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the LORD is the key to this treasure.
Isai 47:10 You have trusted in your wickedness and have said, `No one sees me.' Your wisdom and knowledge mislead you when you say to yourself, `I am, and there is none besides me.'
Jer 8:9 The wise will be put to shame; they will be dismayed and trapped. Since they have rejected the word of the LORD, what kind of wisdom do they have?
Jer 9:23 This is what the LORD says: "Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom
or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches,
Jer 10:12 But God made the earth by his power; he founded the world by his wisdom
and stretched out the heavens by his understanding.
Jer 49:7 Concerning Edom: This is what the LORD Almighty says: "Is there no longer wisdom in Teman? Has counsel perished from the prudent? Has their wisdom decayed?
Jer 51:15 "He made the earth by his power; he founded the world by his wisdom and stretched out the heavens by his understanding.
Ezek 28:4 By your wisdom and understanding you have gained wealth for yourself and amassed gold and silver in your treasuries.
Ezek 28:7 I am going to bring foreigners against you, the most ruthless of nations; they will draw their swords against your beauty and wisdom and pierce your shining splendor.
Ezek 28:12 "Son of man, take up a lament concerning the king of Tyre and say to him: `This is what the Sovereign LORD says: "`You were the model of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.
Ezek 28:17 Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor. So I threw you to the earth; I made a spectacle of you before kings.
Dani 1:20 In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom.
Dani 2:14 (NIV) When Arioch, the commander of the king's guard, had gone out to put to death the wise men of Babylon, Daniel spoke to him with wisdom and tact.
Dani 2:20 (NIV) and said: "Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his. 21 (NIV) He changes times and seasons; he sets up kings and deposes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.
Dani 2:23 (NIV) I thank and praise you, O God of my fathers: You have given me wisdom and power, you have made known to me what we asked of you, you have made known to us the dream of the king."
Dani 2:30 (NIV) As for me, this mystery has been revealed to me, not because I have greater wisdom than other living men, but so that you, O king, may know the interpretation and that you may understand what went through your mind.
Dani 5:11 (NIV) There is a man in your kingdom who has the spirit of the holy gods in him. In the time of your father he was found to have insight and intelligence and wisdom like that of the gods. King Nebuchadnezzar your father--your father the king, I say--appointed him chief of the magicians, enchanters, astrologers and diviners.
Dani 5:14 (NIV) I have heard that the spirit of the gods is in you and that you have insight, intelligence and outstanding wisdom.
Hose 13:13 (NIV) Pains as of a woman in childbirth come to him, but he is a child without wisdom; when the time arrives, he does not come to the opening of the womb.
Mica 6:9 (NIV) Listen! The LORD is calling to the city-- and to fear your name is wisdom--
"Heed the rod and the One who appointed it.
Matt 11:19 (NIV) The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, `Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and "sinners." ' But wisdom is proved right by her actions."
Matt 12:42 (NIV) The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon's wisdom, and now one greater than Solomon is here.
Matt 13:54 (NIV) Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. "Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?" they asked.
Mark 6:2 (NIV) When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed.
"Where did this man get these things?" they asked. "What's this wisdom that has been given him, that he even does miracles!
Luke 1:17 (NIV) And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous--to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."
Luke 2:40 (NIV) And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him.
Luke 2:52 (NIV) And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.
Luke 7:35 (NIV) But wisdom is proved right by all her children."
Luke 11:31 (NIV) The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them; for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon's wisdom, and now one greater than Solomon is here.
Luke 11:49 (NIV) Because of this, God in his wisdom said, `I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and others they will persecute.'
Luke 21:15 (NIV) For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict.
Acts 6:3 (NIV) Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them
Acts 6:10 (NIV) but they could not stand up against his wisdom or the Spirit by whom he spoke.
Acts 7:10 (NIV) and rescued him from all his troubles. He gave Joseph wisdom and enabled him to gain the goodwill of Pharaoh king of Egypt; so he made him ruler over Egypt and all his palace.
Acts 7:22 (NIV) Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in speech and action.
Roma 11:33 (NIV) Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!
1Cor 1:17 (NIV) For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel--not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.
1Cor 1:19 (NIV) For it is written: "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate." 20 (NIV) Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 (NIV) For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. 22 (NIV) Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom,
1Cor 1:24 (NIV) but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 (NIV) For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength.
1Cor 1:30 (NIV) It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God--that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.
1Cor 2:1 (NIV) When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God.
1Cor 2:5 (NIV) so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power. 6 (NIV) We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. 7 (NIV) No, we speak of God's secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began.
1Cor 2:13 (NIV) This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.
1Cor 3:19 (NIV) For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God's sight. As it is written: "He catches the wise in their craftiness";
1Cor 12:8 (NIV) To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit,
2Cor 1:12 (NIV) Now this is our boast: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you, in the holiness and sincerity that are from God. We have done so not according to worldly wisdom but according to God's grace.
Ephe 1:8 (NIV) that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.
Ephe 1:17 (NIV) I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.
Ephe 3:10 (NIV) His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms,
Colo 1:9 (NIV) For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.
Colo 1:28 (NIV) We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ.
Colo 2:3 (NIV) in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
Colo 2:23 (NIV) Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.
Colo 3:16 (NIV) Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.
Jame 1:5 (NIV) If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.
Jame 3:13 (NIV) Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.
Jame 3:15 (NIV) Such "wisdom" does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil.
Jame 3:17 (NIV) But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.
2Pet 3:15 (NIV) Bear in mind that our Lord's patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him.
Reve 5:12 (NIV) In a loud voice they sang: "Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!"
Reve 7:12 (NIV) saying: "Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!"
Reve 13:18 (NIV) This calls for wisdom. If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is man's number. His number is 666.
Reve 17:9 (NIV) "This calls for a mind with wisdom. The seven heads are seven hills on which the woman sits.
1Kg.1:5 Adonijah. Adonijah was the fourth son of David (2 Sam. 3:4) and probably the oldest living son, since Amnon (2 Sam. 13:28, 29) and Absalom (2 Sam. 18:14, 15) had been killed, and Chileab apparently died in his youth, since there is no mention of him beyond his birth. As David’s oldest surviving heir, Adonijah attempted to claim the kingship. 1:13 Did you not … swear. This oath was given privately (unrecorded in Scripture) by David, perhaps to both Nathan and Bathsheba. Solomon’s choice by the Lord was implicit in his name Jedediah, meaning “loved by the Lord” (2 Sam. 12:24, 25) and explicit in David’s declaration to Solomon vv. 17,30,35 cf 1Chr. 22:6–13. Nathan made sure that David’s promise would be heard by two witnesses, Bathsheba and himself. Under Mosaic Law at least two witnesses were required to make a charge stick. If David was becoming forgetful in his old age a second witness (in this case Nathan) would also confirm that the king had indeed made such a pledge. 29-30. The king invoked the sacred name of Yahweh, the living God who had delivered him from every one of his troubles. As surely as the Lord lives meant that David’s intended action was as certain to take place as God’s very existence. Those words occur frequently in the Old Testament including 14 times in 1 and 2 Kings (1 Kings 1:29; 2:24; 17:1, 12; 18:10, 15; 22:14; 2 Kings 2:2, 4, 6; 3:14; 4:30; 5:16, 20). David could not more forcefully have guaranteed that he would indeed do what he now said he would do. The God who had delivered David would now, through David, ”deliver“ Bathsheba and her son. David repeated his promise that Solomon, Bathsheba’s son, would succeed him as king and sit on the throne that God had promised to bless.
34-35. At the Gihon spring both Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet were to anoint Solomon. There was no prophet in Adonijah’s camp. Nathan’s presence symbolized the divine choice of Solomon as king in a way that Zadok’s presence alone could not. Blowing the trumpet signaled the official nature of the anointing. Every king of Israel was anointed. The ceremony symbolized the coming of the Spirit of God on His chosen leader through pouring oil on his head. The shout, Long live King Solomon! expressed the people’s desire and prayer that the new king’s reign would be long and prosperous. The leaders had been instructed to return up Mount Zion to the city of David and place Solomon on David’s throne. This would be the ultimate proof of his election. Solomon was to commence his rule at that moment; the official seating on the throne was to be perceived not as simply a symbolic act. David clearly explained that he himself by the authority of his kingly office had appointed Solomon ruler over Israel and Judah effective immediately. Israel and Judah were distinguished (4:20, 25) because 1 Kings was written after the kingdom was divided in 931 b.c. and/or because a rift was already evident between the northern and southern parts of the kingdom (2 Sam. 19:41-20:2).
1Sam 12:22 For the sake of his great name the LORD will not reject his people, because the LORD was pleased to make you his own.
1Chr 28:4 "Yet the LORD, the God of Israel, chose me from my whole family to be king over Israel forever. He chose Judah as leader, and from the house of Judah he chose my family, and from my father's sons he was pleased to make me king over all Israel.
Isai 42:21 It pleased the LORD for the sake of his righteousness to make his law great and glorious.
Ezek 18:23 Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign LORD. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live?
1Kg.3:10-14. Solomon placed the good of God’s people above his personal peace or prosperity and above any desire to become a powerful and popular king. His values were in the right place from God’s perspective. Therefore God promised to give him what he requested. He would possess a wise . . . heart (v. 12) and be able to discern and render fair judgments (v. 11). Since Solomon sought what was most important God also promised to give him what was of secondary importance, riches and honor, to further enable him to govern God’s people effectively. Solomon was to be the richest and most honored king of his day. If Solomon remained faithful to pursue the will of God, obeying the Law of Moses, God promised he would also live a long life.
3:15. As is often the case, a blessing from God drew the person blessed into a closer relationship with Himself. Inspired by this revelation Solomon turned from the high place and proceeded to the divinely appointed place of worship, the tabernacle. He did not enter the most holy place; only the high priest could enter there once a year. But the king stood before the ark of the Lord‘s covenant, outside the tabernacle facing toward the ark. Burnt offerings expressed the complete dedication of oneself to God and fellowship offerings symbolized the fellowship people can enjoy with God and with others through God’s grace. Solomon’s feast expressed his joy and gratitude to the members of his court.