Wisdom isn’t always easy. Just ask King Solomon. If you know his story, you know that God appeared to him in a dream and offered to give him whatever he wanted. So Solomon, the newly crowned king of Israel, asked God to give him the ability to know the difference between right and wrong. In other words, he asked for wisdom. God was very pleased with his request, because he could have asked for fame and fortune. But since he didn’t ask for those things, God told him they would be his as well as the wisdom he requested.
You can read the story of this dream in 1 Kings 3:1-15.
Before Solomon had the dream, he had made an unwise decision that went against God’s plan for him. But this poor decision hadn’t yet soiled him. He had married the daughter of the Pharaoh of Egypt. I’m sure he thought this move would earn him favors and wealth, but what it did was introduce him to the worship of foreign gods. And he didn’t stop with one foreign wife. Under the guise of political alignment, he married hundreds of other women who turned him further away from the God of his father, David. Solomon must have thought it wise to marry foreign royalty in order to avoid political conflicts, but he didn’t take into account that those many wives would lure him away from the Almighty God.
The thing was. Solomon used his knowledge and wisdom to build the Temple that his father had only dreamed of. He also impressed many with his solutions to his country’s problems. And nobles from other lands visited him to glean wisdom and answers to their own questions. He was a wealth of knowledge. And as he shared his wealth of knowledge, they shared their wealth of goods with him in exchange. It seemed to be a marriage made in heaven. But what appeared to be good to outsiders was harmful to those living in his land. He worked his people long and hard. He demanded heavy taxes from his people to pay for his projects. In his search for wisdom, Solomon became a fool. He was a taskmaster who made slaves of his people while he charmed other world leaders.
Solomon’s request for wisdom early on in his royal position was made in regards to his people. He truly wanted the best for them. But his initial priorities were sidelined once he saw how he could benefit from offering his God-given gift to others who had the means to pay for his wisdom. God did say he would give fame and fortune to Solomon because of his request for wisdom. But Solomon chose to wrongly prioritize marrying pagan women who led him away from God.
Wisdom is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her. Proverbs 3:15
Is it true that wise men say only fools rush in? Would a wise man dare to act foolishly? Just look at Solomon. The wisest man in the world was overcome with the desire to be successful and gain power, so he formed foolish alliances. If the wisest man on earth could act foolish, then what’s stopping the rest of us from doing so?
Not only did Solomon marry outside of the nation of Israel, he amassed great fortune by marrying these pagan wives. Over time, his extreme wealth and wives led to his downfall. Once he had every material possession his heart desired, his heart no longer desired God. And so he strayed from his promise to worship only the One True God. His pagan wives influenced him to worship their false gods who could do nothing for him. Soon the nation of Israel was spiritually corrupt. All because of a wise man’s foolish decisions.
Solomon followed God’s instructions fully when he built the Temple. But when it came to personal decisions, he followed his heart. And the heart is folly. Some say that the heart wants what the heart wants, but that doesn’t mean a godly person should follow selfish leanings. As believers, our hearts should lean only toward pleasing God and not ourselves.
Wise men can stray from wisdom if their heart isn’t totally centered on God. Foolish decisions will be made. The eye will see what it shouldn’t. The ear will hear what it shouldn’t. The mouth will speak what it shouldn’t. The heart will desire what it shouldn’t. And the slide begins.
The Bible tells us that when we ask for wisdom, God will give it to us. It’s actually a wise and humble request. Who doesn’t want to have the ability to make good decisions, good judgment and discernment. That is a gift from God that not everyone has. The enemy of our souls, Satan himself, is a master strategist. He will make deception look attractive and entice us with ungodly opportunities. We need wisdom from God to give us the strength and perseverance to stand true to faithfully obey God.
If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. James 1:5
Mercy for the Day 