1 Kings 3 (Part 1) Bible Study (Solomon's Prayer for Wisdom) | Pastor Daniel Batarseh

Let's go to 1st Kings Chapter 3 together, and as you turn there,

maybe you're already there. The last verse of chapter 2

reminds us. That in chapter three we are

following the dramatic events of how the Kingdom of Israel was

secured under the control of Solomon, and those events that

led to the security of the Kingdom detailed how Solomon.

Removed 4 particular individuals who were direct threats and

rebels against the cause of God. And it was really an

illustration for us to see how, as individual believers in

Christ, we also have the call to neutralize sinful attitudes and

mindsets if you and I want to enjoy and guard the peace that

the Lord promises us. And that fundamental truth for

practical holiness will now be built upon with the lessons of

this new chapter. Chapter 3 is going to be a

window for us to see how Solomon now will advance the Kingdom

after he has dealt with the obstacles to his Kingdom.

This is a bright new day for the nation of Israel.

Especially with the promise that was given to David concerning

his son, how under his leadership there would be

unusual prosperity and unusual serenity.

And with this in view, we eagerly await to see how Solomon

will usher in this reality. And so we read the first few

verses of chapter 3 together. Verse one reads Solomon made a

marriage alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt.

He took Pharaoh's daughter and brought her into the city of

David until he had finished building his own house and the

House of the Lord and the wall around Jerusalem.

The people were sacrificing at the high places, however,

because no house had yet been built for the name of the Lord,

Solomon loved the Lord walking in the statues of David, his

father. Only he sacrificed and made

offerings at the high places, and the king went to Gibeon to

sacrifice there, for that was the great high place.

Solomon used to offer 1000 burnt offerings on that altar.

Lord, help us see your glory. Help us hear your voice.

Help us be transformed and conformed to the image of your

son. Help us know the joy and the

peace that comes from loving your law.

In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

The Kingdom was secured in the hand of Solomon.

What is about to happen? All the possibilities are

endless, all the pathway to peace is now clear and verse one

is pretty anti climactic, isn't it?

Because the first thing that you and I read about Solomon's

decisions early in his reign is that he makes a marriage

alliance with Pharaoh, King of Egypt.

Question for you tonight, students of the Old Testament.

Is this a good thing or a bad? Thing Bad.

Good. You know your Old Testament

well. There are various reasons why

this decision that Solomon made was a grave mistake.

This is a disobedient act. This is prohibited by God.

And there is one other subjective reason why this is

wrong. Why would Solomon need to make a

political alliance with Pharaoh? What was Solomon promised by

God? What was promised to David

concerning Solomon? What was going to be something

that this government was to enjoy peace, not just

internally, but peace with what the surrounding nations.

Solomon did not need to do this, but he does it.

He does it anyway, and it makes you wonder why he would do this.

Why would he make this decision? And you get the feeling that

Solomon himself knew that he was going against the will of God by

pursuing this. What's the impression that you

get from how you read verse one that would give you that kind of

a clue? Solomon made a marriage alliance

with Pharaoh, King of Egypt. He took Pharaoh's daughter and

brought her into the city of David.

What's the next word? Until until he had finished

building his own house in the House of the Lord and the wall

around Jerusalem. Bad decision, but we still have

Solomon here with somewhat of a sensitive conscience for now.

For now, when it comes to 1st Kings Chapter 9.

And you could turn there to see what I mean.

Solomon chooses to do something with Pharaoh's daughter.

That's quite insightful. And 1st Kings 9 verse 24.

What does it mean? That he brought her into the

city of David until he had finished building what he needed

to build? It says here first Kings 924.

But Pharaoh's daughter went up from the city of David to her

own house that Solomon had built for her.

Then he built the Milo. So Solomon completes the

building of the House of the Lord, he completes the different

edifices that he needed to complete, and from there he

removes the daughter of Pharaoh to a distant place.

The reason I believe he does this is because he understands

that in marrying Pharaoh who was not just a foreigner, the

problem is not that she was a foreigner.

She was an idol worshipper. She was a Pagan he did not want.

Her immediate presence to be a defiling thing.

Once the holy things of God were established, He understood that

having her in close proximity was a problem, and so he even

premeditately right. He thought about this before I

will marry her. And when it comes to doing what

God called me to do and establishing and centralizing a

place of worship, I will now remove her.

I will remove her. And so he knew that there was

something wrong with this even before, and he might have

excused this marriage as a political alliance, but he

understood that down deep inside this was a violation to the

wisdom of God. And Solomon will show us down

the road that how once a soft and delicate conscience can

become hard and unfeeling. Something that might have

bothered you at one point may not bother you at all later on.

And I'm sure that Solomon had more reasons.

To justify why he did this, Was his father the best example to

him and how to marry a woman? No, not only the David had many

wives, he married a foreigner. Absalom's mom, according to

Second Samuel 3 three, was a foreigner.

And who is seeing all of this? Who understands the history of

his own father? Solomon surely?

And although David told Solomon near the end of his life.

Follow, cling, walk in the statutes in the ways of the

Lord. It's very difficult to convey

conviction, even godly conviction, true conviction upon

somebody when you yourself are not even convinced of that same

conviction. It holds no authority, It has no

grip. Ultimately, it has very little

influence. And this is what we're seeing

here. If David had just repented.

If he had. In exhorting him to walk in the

ways of God also said, listen, I I made a mistake in how I viewed

woman. I made a mistake and how I

viewed God's design for marriage.

Perhaps Solomon would have been influence for the better.

But there is no such thing recorded in the Word of God,

just a general exhortation walk in the ways of God.

And what is he? What does he?

Do the first thing he does is he marries an idol worshiper.

He justifies it. He knows it's wrong.

There's tension. He comes up with a plan to

excuse it, but it will prove to be the beginning of many more

mistakes in this area. As you know, it doesn't end

there. Look at verse 2.

Now the people were sacrificing at the high places, however,

because no house had yet been built for the name of the Lord.

And then you read in verse three that Solomon loved the Lord

except that he also worshipped. At the high places.

Worship at the high places, good or bad.

Tell me why we know that marrying Pharaoh's daughter is

wrong. Tell me why worshipping at the

high places is wrong. This is how this is how the

false gods were worshipped. There was a sense in which the

higher you were, geographically speaking, the closer you were to

these deities. And so they would.

Put these stations where you would worship God and that you

would try to have a closer link to him in such a way not only

that it is directly denied by God himself.

He commanded against this very practice, And if you want to see

that, you have to go to the law itself.

In Deuteronomy 1213 and 14 and Deuteronomy 1213 and 14, the

Lord says that you shall not worship, you shall not sacrifice

at the place that you choose. But at the place that the Lord

will choose, that is where you will worship.

And we discovered that that place was early on the

Tabernacle. It would later on be the temple

itself. But when you read this, you see

that the people worship at the high places.

And the explanation for this kind of worship is here found in

verse 2, because no house had yet been built for the name of

the Lord. In other words, there wasn't a

localized official House of worship at this point in

Israel's history. There were two places that the

furnishings of the House of God were placed.

What was the 1st place anybody remember?

There was one place that most of the furnishings of the

Tabernacle were, and there was another place where one specific

article was placed. You find it later on in the same

chapter. The one place is Gibeon, the one

place is Gibeon where you had the altar and.

Everything else pretty much. And there was the ark of the

covenant that David brought to where Jerusalem.

He brought to the city of David. And so things are kind of

scattered and this was a way to justify the worship at high

places. And it seems as though the

author is excusing what they're doing until you come to verse 3

and you read about Solomon who loved the Lord.

And then he says here he walked. He was walking in the statute of

David, his father, only he sacrificed and made offerings at

the high places. So Solomon is criticized for

this. He's criticized.

So then when you come back to verse two, you have to

understand, well, if Solomon is criticized and clearly it can't

be justified. Clearly here we have something

of a. Of a mystery of how is it that

you have the people that are worshiping at high places and it

seems to be excused, and then Solomon does it, but he's not

excused. Well, my conviction is that the

people are not excused if Solomon is condemned, and so are

the people if Solomon is in the wrong, and so are the people.

And it could be that Solomon as the king LED that example and so

the blame was put on him. And it could also mean that.

Although Solomon was commissioned to build the House

of God, perhaps he was not as urgent as he needed to be to

build the House of God. Yes, he does it very soon, but

perhaps this is an indication that he should have been much

more urgent and commencing that project and because of somewhat

of a delay, it gave room for the people to sacrifice at the high

places it's a thought to consider.

One thing that is clear though is that Solomon.

Solomon is in the wrong in the way he worships here.

But we're told he loved the Lord.

Solomon loved the Lord, only he worship and sacrifice at the

high places. How do we make sense of this?

We can't deny he loved the Lord, but based on the evidence

presented, it was not a wholehearted love.

It was a rudimentary commitment, but it was not a complete and

consuming one. And we all know what Solomon's

final spiritual state will be like in First Kings.

But many people don't know how it all began.

You know where Solomon's fall begins, right here.

First Kings Chapter 3. There are, there are already

1 Kings 3 · chapter mention

cracks at the foundation of his faith.

Solomon here. Yes, he he has this love for

God, but he's not very careful with the law of God.

Here's what I want to tell you tonight.

The person who is not careful with the word of God today will

not be prepared for the temptations that await him

tomorrow. He's not careful.

He he is not wholeheartedly walking.

He loves the Lord, but there are certain things in his life that

he is permitting. Is it possible for a person to

have affection for the Lord and still allow compromise in their

lives? And perhaps you know somebody,

perhaps you even said this. You know that person loves God,

but they're doing these things that seem to contradict that,

love that. Devotion, that conviction.

And you can almost imagine what Solomon is thinking when he made

these decisions. OK, yes, I'm marrying Pharaoh's

daughter. But once it comes to the point

where you know, we get serious with this thing, then I'll

remove her and she won't be a problem.

She'll be, you know, out of sight, out of mind.

I know we're not supposed to worship at the high places, but

it's just for now. It's just for now.

Once we have the temple set up, we'll we'll we'll not see these

high places anymore. They'll become vacant.

They'll collect cobwebs. Is that what happens in First

Kings? Do the high places go away, or

then they become a perpetual problem for generations to come?

They do. When you find yourself having an

inner dialogue like that with clear sins, understand that this

is the language of compromise. When you begin to put terms and

conditions for blatant disobedience, or I'll only go

this far and I'll only stay here that long, and then I'll walk

away and then I'll stop and then I'll do right.

That is a set up for potential devastation for your life.

So when you hear those thoughts and you have that kind of

conversation with yourself, understand and remember Solomon

and we see here what happens next.

And the king went to Gibeon in verse 4 to sacrifice there, for

that was the great high place. Solomon used to offer 1000 burnt

offerings on that altar. 1000 a thousand of them.

And I know look what happens at Gibeon.

The Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and God said,

Ask what I shall give? You you can't disassociate this

manifestation and this exciting opportunity that God grants to

Solomon. And the sacrifices that he made

leading up to it. Solomon makes this great display

and demonstration of devotion to the Lord.

And clearly it moves the Lord in a way to visit Solomon in this

manner and to invite him into this very awesome opportunity.

Why is that important for us to know?

It's it's a lesson to show us that God considers your devotion

to Him. He considers your sacrifice to

Him. He considers what you give him

what you don't give him. And it would be unfair for me to

say that just because we're all children of God by faith, that

we all experience God's blessings in the same way.

That's just. It would be equally unfair and

not right for me to say that your devotional life doesn't

impact. How God may manifest himself,

use you, do things in and through you.

God really does look and consider how we draw nearer to

him, what we do for Him. He he, he understands that, He

calculates that and it moves him.

So this is an exciting thing. This is not a condemning thing.

This is a picture of many pictures that God is a personal

being. And how we communicate our love

to him, namely through what he demands of us, really can

determine how we experience him. And this is where we kind of

feel tension, right? Because we just learned that

solemn made questionable decisions, very questionable

decisions. And yet God still chooses to not

only manifest himself, but say, ask what I shall give you.

How does that make sense? How does somebody who we just

read here make these very, very concerning decisions get an

opportunity like that? Well, all I can say is that

though Solomon had made questionable decisions at this

time, at this point in this moment, he's desperate.

He's desperate, and he is humbling himself.

And God in his grace is willing to consider how Solomon is

unloading his heart and will respond accordingly.

Because as you're going to find out, Solomon himself will even

admit, I don't know what I'm doing here.

I don't know what I'm doing here.

So at the same time there is an aspect.

Of God's grace here that he can even meet us.

He can, He can communicate to us, He can visit us when we're

not all together there. Another example that comes to

mind is Jacob. Jacob is on the run.

Jacob just finished deceiving his father, deceiving his

brother, and who shows up while Jacob has his head on a pillow,

which was really a stone God. God.

And the Lord now comes to Solomon and he makes this

incredible statement. Ask ask what I shall give you.

Not only is this an invitation, it's a test.

It's a test. This test is going to reveal

what's in Solomon's heart. What you desire reveals a lot

about you. What you long for says a lot

about who you are. What you pray for determines a

lot about your inner man as well, not what you pray for in a

public meeting. A lot of people have mastered

how to pray right in public meetings.

They know the right things to say what you pray for when

you're alone. How you relate to prayer when

you run to prayer says in large part a lot about our heart

posture towards God. If the Lord were to ask you

tonight, as you lay your head on your pillow and there's a

special visitation for Him, and he says, ask what I shall give

you, What would you answer with what comes to mind right now,

right now? Dollar signs ask what I shall

give you, and Solomon here is going to answer that.

And with that in mind, look at verse 10 quickly, because

whatever Solomon asked for, it brought about this result.

Verse 10, It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this.

It pleased the Lord. It moved God.

It satisfied God that Solomon presented a certain request.

And if you and I desire to please God, then we will

consider not only what Solomon asked for, but the manner in

which he asked it. There are components here,

ingredients here that make this prayer so powerful as a model of

how we can know a fragrance and a fruitfulness in our communion

with God that can assure us his heart being pleased.

You know, Paul prayed an amazing prayer to the Colossians.

It was one of the first prayers that I memorized as a Christian.

It's in Colossians 19 to 10. You don't have to turn down

unless you want to. But this is what he says.

And so, from the day we have heard, we have not ceased to

pray for you. Asking that you may be filled

with all spiritual wisdom and knowledge in verse 10 so as to

walk in a manner worthy of the Lord.

Check this out. Fully pleasing to him, He didn't

just say pleasing to him, fully pleasing to him, the NS BS Nasb

says, Pleasing him in all respects.

That's what Paul was asking for. The Colossian.

Church, I'm praying that you would be completely in all

respects from head to toe and all your engagements, all your

activities, all your plans, all your relationships, that it

would ultimately please God. You know a lot of professing

Christians want to please God. At the bare minimum please God

just enough that you don't get in trouble with him.

That's not the kind of thing that Paul is asking for that you

would be fully pleasing to him. That's the heartbeat of a spirit

filled Christian Lord, I want, I don't want there to be 1 sliver

of my life that would grieve the Holy Spirit.

Not one. The way I talk, what I allow

hear, what I allow hear. What I do with this, what I do

with this, what I do with this. I don't want there to be 1 area

of my life that's not pleasing to.

I want to be fully pleasing to you.

And so if that's our desire, then let's consider Solomon's

prayer. Let's consider some of the

ingredients that made this pleasing to God.

Yes, it was ultimately what he asked for, but I'm sure there

are many things about how we asked.

So let's read this and I don't want you to point things out.

Look at verse 6 And Solomon said, you have shown great and

steadfast love to your servant David my father, because he

walked before you in faithfulness and righteousness

and an uprightness of heart toward you.

And you have kept for him this great and steadfast love, and

have given him a son to sit on his throne this day.

And now, oh Lord, my God, you have made your servant king, and

place of David my father, although I am but a little

child. I do not know how to go out or

come in. And your servant is in the midst

of your people, whom you have chosen a great people too many

to be numbered or counted for multitude.

Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern

your people, that I may discern between good and evil.

For who is able to govern this? Your great people.

It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this.

I love that. Please the Lord.

Well, what stands out to you from these verses?

Yes, He's starting with Thanksgiving, my brother.

You got it? Yes.

You know what's fascinating? The Lord said, ask what I shall

give you. What does he didn't do?

Well, Lord, I want this and I want that.

Does he do that immediately or does he pause?

And yet that is actually point number one.

I have three that come to mind. 3.

Clear. Concrete.

The first thing that he does is he acknowledges God's

faithfulness and authorship. He acknowledges God's

faithfulness and authorship. Notice the attribution here of

God's steadfast love. Solomon said, You have shown

great love. You have shown great love,

sorry, great and steadfast love to your servant David, my

father. And then he goes on to say what

the second part you have kept for him, this great and

steadfast love, and have given him a son to sit on his throne

and say you have, you have, you have.

Given, given, given, Lord, you're the reason why my father

was successful. You're the reason why he was

able to do what he was able to do as a king.

And so this is David here, this is Solomon here rather looking

to the Lord and identifying his mercies and crowning him with

praise because of it. And that is a that is a factor

in our communication to God and with God, or commune with God.

That is, that can't be forgotten.

Worship, worship. Prayer is not merely

petitioning. There's praise in it.

There's looking to the Lord and lifting your heart to Him and

saying Lord, this is who you are.

Not because God forgot and he needs your lesson, but it's an

expression of adoration and it blesses him and it puts things

into perspective for you. Thanksgiving is not optional and

how we relate to the Lord, it's actually commanded.

Thanksgiving is commanded. In fact, the Psalmist says in

Psalm 100 verse 4, enter his gates with Thanksgiving, I mean

Psalms 100:4

enter his gates. Meaning your introduction in a

sense should be in the front part of your mind.

You should not even consider it as a as a last thing, as a

forgotten thing, but as a primary factor of how you relate

to the Lord, thanking him, thanking him.

Paul told Timothy in First Timothy 2 this.

Every time I look at this scripture, it always convicts me

because Paul's telling Timothy how to run a church and one of

the first things that he tells him to do is have a prayer

meeting. What kind of priority do you

think prayer meetings have in many churches today?

First Timothy 21, I want you to see this.

He gives different categories of what a prayer meeting, a public

prayer meeting should include. And he says here, I urge you, I

urge you, this is urgent. He didn't say at the end of the

letter. Oh, you know what, Timothy?

I forgot? If you have time at the Sunday

service, throw in a couple prayers.

That's not what he says. He says here.

First of all, first of all, first of all, I urge that

supplications, prayers, intercessions, and what

Thanksgivings, Thanksgivings, a church together collectively

should know how to. With one voice, thank God we

thank you, Lord, We worship you, Lord, we acknowledge you, Lord,

We ascribe to you all, exaltation, all honor.

You're the one who's done all this and this person's life and

our church's life and my life. So Thanksgiving is included in

that. And then look what he says in

verse three of the same chapter. First Timothy 2-3.

Why is 1 motivation to give Thanksgiving?

Among many reasons, this is good, for it is what it is

pleasing in the sight of God. It pleases to see his children,

his servants, his redeemed, thanking him.

If we want to please God, if we have a personal relation to the

law, I want to please him. You please the people you love.

I want to please him. Lord, if me giving you thanks

pleases you, then so be it. I will thank you.

And Solomon models that, not just by thanking him for what

he's done in David's life. But acknowledging him what he's

done in his own life? Look at verse 7.

And now first kings three. And now, Lord my God, you have

made your servant. You have made your servant king

and place of David my father. You promoted me.

What did his brother ad? And I just said?

Now I will exalt myself and be king, right?

That's not what this man says, he says.

You made me king. And so I recognize that the

promotion that I enjoy today is a direct result of your goodness

to me. I do not deserve this.

And you know, Isaiah tells us that there are three things that

the Lord considers when he looks favorably upon a person.

It's very common passage of scripture in Isaiah 66 verse

two. What does Isaiah say by the

Spirit that the Lord does when He looks upon somebody?

What does He look for before He looks upon them?

There's three things. Anybody remember it says you're

he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word,

trembles at my word. But he says contrite in spirit.

You know what that Hebrew word contrite is?

It's the same word used to describe somebody who is lame in

their feet, somebody who is paralyzed, somebody who is

crippled and can't walk. That's the same word yours used

to say contrite in spirit. So what Isaiah is saying is the

Lord looks upon one who is humble and lame in spirit, in

other words, disabled and capable, admitting their

inability to do anything and achieve anything.

When a person confesses that they are in such a place, that

is where God looks and sees and considers and is ready to move

favorably. I'm paralyzed.

I'm paralyzed in the innermost part of who I am to perform

anything of value, anything of fruit, anything effective.

I can't, in the same way that a person who is crippled can walk.

I can't do what you've called me to do.

And what's so fascinating about Solomon's posture here is

because he already has the throne.

It's been given to him. And not only that, he's even

been told very nice things about his ability and he didn't even

consider it. You know, Solomon was commended

in a certain way. He was praised in a certain way

by probably the most important person on earth that he can

receive any commendation from his father.

His father said something to him right before he died and it

didn't get to Solomon's head. What did he tell his son Solomon

when he instructed him to remove those rebels that pose a threat

to his Kingdom? If you don't remember, go there.

And first kings. And look here in chapter 2 and

verse 9. This is David speaking to his

son Now. Therefore do not hold him

guiltless. And this is what he says to his

son. For you are what?

For you are a wise man. You're a wise man, Solomon.

That's a compliment. If you get that from a man after

God's heart, if you get that from King David.

I'm a wise man. I am a wise man.

Is that what Solomon says to God?

What does he say to God? He says.

Although I am but a little child, I don't know how to go

out or come in. He did.

He didn't take that. Too far into consideration.

He knew who he he was. He knew that he was incompetent.

He he was lacking experience that he was immature to an

extent to lead this great people.

So it comes before the Lord. Lord, it doesn't matter what

kind of authority I have here on earth.

The position, the ability that I I have access to doesn't matter.

Even what my father I said. God, God, you need to bless me.

I need your touch on my life. I need your enablement.

I need your favor. I need your grace.

And this is what God is moved by.

This is what God sees. A man so aware of his neediness,

I will move in your life. I will answer.

This pleases me when you acknowledge the reality of your

inadequacy. So it's more than just

passionate, pleasing and persistent prayer not being

known unless we believe God is the author.

Of all the blessings that we enjoy #2, it's admitting your

needed neediness. Not just acknowledging His

faithfulness and His goodness, but admitting your neediness

over and over and over, in all things at all times.

This is who God looks to, the one who is lame in spirit, the

one who doesn't get puffed up by what they've done with their

hands, how they arise somewhere, what even people say about him.

It doesn't matter. I can't preach this.

If you don't help me, I can't go up there and say anything of

worth until you help me. Despite the encouragement,

despite what people say, Lord, if your hand is not upon me,

then I'm like a little kid running around with a crown.

I have no idea what I'm doing. I need your help and that moves

God. I wonder if you parents pray

like that with the babies that God has given you.

Lord, you need to help me here. I wonder if you businessmen pray

like that. Or maybe you figured it all out,

right, because you're so smart. I wonder if you counselors feel

like that before you enter into a room with somebody who has a

case that perhaps you have seen and dealt with before.

But still, this is a person with unique qualities and unique

circumstances. Lord, if you don't help me, I

need you. I need you.

I need you. That's what moves God's heart to

come to the aid of a man. But we see something else here.

It's a third thing. Tell me if you can see it.

Verse 8 and 9. The first kings three.

And your servant is in the midst of your.

People whom you have chosen a great people too many to be

numbered or counted for multitude.

Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern

your people that I made discern between good and evil.

For who is able to govern this? Your great people.

The first thing is that he acknowledged God's faithfulness

and authorship. He he gave him thanks.

The second thing is he he's admitting his neediness and that

he can't do this without God. And there's a third and last

thing, based on the 2 verses that we just read, what is it

that stands out to? Yes, brother.

Yes, yes, absolutely.

Well, you're you're you're nudging.

You're nudging us into that last part.

Your people. Your people.

Your Sir. Yes.

There's no. Room for any other deities.

No room for any other God. Yes, that's right.

So he's acknowledging God as God.

He's ignoring himself as a servant.

But in let me give you a hint, in asking for a certain ability,

what is his motive? There's a responsibility, yes.

He's asking for wisdom. He's not asking for riches.

And yes, absolutely he's asking for the right thing.

It's one thing, though, to ask for the right thing.

It's another thing to ask for the right thing with the right

motive. James tells us that you ask, but

you don't have because what in what you're asking for.

You're desiring to satisfy your own passions.

I can ask for the right thing and not get the answer, because

in asking the right thing, I have the wrong desire and goal

behind it. Solomon here is not just asking

for wisdom. It's something that we should

all seek. But Solomon is asking it for a

certain reason, and the reason is twofold.

Our brother alluded to it. Your people.

This isn't my people. These are your people, God.

And I feel the tremendous weight of that responsibility, Because

if they're your people, then what I do to your people

ultimately determines much more beyond my own life.

Your people, they belong to you. It's your glory.

I need your help. Enable me for the sake of your

people and ultimately your name. So the third thing is asking

God's gifts with the right motives.

Not just the right things, the right motives.

And if I look to the Lord and I ask him for things that are even

prescribed in the word of God, things that I have access to,

that I also have to examine my own heart and say, Why am I

doing this? Why am I asking the Lord to

empower me in a certain way? Why am I asking the Lord to open

opportunities? Why am I asking the Lord to

provide me this or that? Because as James said, you can

ask and not receive. And one of the reasons why you

don't receive is because there are fleshly passions that are

buried underneath that you are ultimately trying to quench.

And God sees our hearts above all things.

Do I want to be known as successful?

Do I want to be seen as a spiritual celebrity?

Do I want to, through this answer in prayer, obtain

respect, power, Authority? You know Paul in First

Corinthians 14. He gave instructions to that

church. A very gifted church gifted in

the supernatural. He gave him practical

instructions of how 2 certain gifts should be operated in the

local congregation. The gift of tongues.

The gift of prophecy. However, I can't.

Tongues talk about tongues, please.

And I go into tongues. I want you to see a principle in

those few verses to see something as a principle for how

we seek the law for certain things.

My pauses in the context of the local assembly.

If you're to seek after anything, seek after which Gift.

Prophecy, do you know? The motive?

Why? Why does Paul want the church,

who are very excited about the gifts?

Why does he say I need you? If you want to?

I want to channel your your passionate desire for these

things, these manifestations of the Spirit.

I want you to pursue this particular gift because this is

the result of that gift, if it's operated rightly in an order.

Anybody know why? Very good.

And if you don't know it, turn with me there.

First Corinthians 14. Let's look at verse 3 to verse 5

and you will see Paul's repeated ambition in wanting the church

to be equipped by the Spirit in this way.

And it tells me something about God's heart.

If I am to be gifted, if I am to be empowered by him for what

reason? Well, let's look at it together.

Look at, let's look at verse 3 and verse five with that context

in mind, he says in First Corinthians 14, verse 3.

1 Corinthians 14:3

On the other hand, the one who prophecies speaks to people for

their up building and encouragement and consolation.

Keep up building in mind. Look at verse 4.

The one who speaks in a tongue builds up himself, but the one

who prophecies does what builds up the church #2 Now I want you

all to speak in tongues, but even more to prophecy.

The one who prophecies is greater than the one who speaks

in tongues. Unless someone interprets so

that the church would what? Maybe what built up three times

in three in three verses, Paul says.

The reason why I want you to pursue this gift in the context

of the assembling of the Saints is so that you would build up

your brothers and sisters that they would be.

Strengthened, if the Holy Spirit is to gift you in a certain way

that they would be blessed, that they would be stirred towards

the Lord, that they may be edified.

And I looked at that, and I thought, when I read this to

myself, I said, Lord, as I'm seeking, because I, Lord, I do

want to serve you. I I, I, I know you've called me

to be present with other believers continually, but not

just present actively present. You've called me to serve my

brothers and sisters in some capacity.

So, Lord, do whatever you need to do me so that I can What?

Fill in the blank I can. What?

Then? That's where we have to pause

and say, why? Why am I asking the Lord to

furnish me? Why am I asking Lord to deposit

something in me? What am I asking for the Lord A

spotlight or for strength For my fellow brother, sister in

Christ? Not spotlight for me, strength

for them. I believe that's what moves

God's heart, that when he sees that your desire is.

As Solomon said, Lord, for the sake of your people, not so that

I can be known and praised as the wisest man.

He didn't even entertain that idea of being known as the

wisest man. Lord, for your people, I want

them to see Christ in me. I want them to love Christ more

because of me. You know, a person who truly

wants to be used by God will also ask God, Lord, let me

disappear as much as possible. Empower me as much as you can.

Empower me with, but help me be cloaked behind Christ.

As much as you can. I don't want to be seen.

I don't want to be. I don't want to be sought after.

I don't want to be called upon in any way.

I just want to be an extension of Your Grace.

I've tasted and seen how good it is to know you, and I want other

people to know you and whatever you need to do in me for them to

know, you let. It be done.

Let it be done. I'm persuaded that this is what

pleases God when we ask him. Acknowledge his faithfulness,

acknowledge his authorship. Admit your neediness and ask.

Yes, ask for those gifts, but ask with the right posture of

heart. Surely these are ingredients

that we can find throughout the word of God that please the

Lord. Notice one thing before we move

on. It was God who said to him, ask

what I shall give you, and then Solomon prayed.

It was Matthew Henry who said something quite insightful about

this truth. God is the one who presented the

invitation 1st and then that moves Solomon to pray.

And what he said is that the word of God excites prayer in

our lives. If you want to be more excited

about prayer, we'll look at the promises of God for those who do

pray. Because we look at this and we

see that this is an isolated incidence, right.

Ask what I shall give you. Almost like a genie that comes

up to you and says whatever you want, I'll give you.

Do you really believe that the Lord was going to give something

outside of the parameters of His will to Solomon?

No. You have the same promises

asking you shall receive seeking you shall find knock and the

door will be answered. Ask what do you know about God?

What do you know about what God has done in his word?

What do you know about what God is like?

How he honors the prayers of men?

What do you know about that that should cause you to say I need

to pray, I must pray. How can I forfeit the blessings

of prayer? Job tells us that it is the

wicked who say what prophet do men have in praying.

That's how the wicked thing. Wicked people don't see the

prophet and praying if. You don't believe it?

Read Job 21, Not making it up. And so the Word of God asks what

I shall give you. It ignites something in the

heart. It pulls on our hearts to come

toward him in the place of prayer.

If it was true for Solomon in this one moment, how much more

true with the full revelation of God's Word that we have?

I hope that you have a relationship with the word of

God in such a way that sometimes when you read it, you burst out

in praise. You know, there are moments

where I read just in my I'm not preparing A sermon anything.

I'm just reading. And when I read the word, I find

myself saying this from time to time.

I'm not being dishonest in saying that.

I say it all the time, but I find myself sometimes saying

things and reading the scripture where I'm there, quiet, alone

and I go, wow, wow, just stunned and amazed by God's word.

Stunned and amazed, reminded of something that I've highlighted

till I went to the next page. And yet I forgot it and here I

am because I'm reading through it again.

How did I forget this? Wow, because of this, but also

wow. Wow.

Lord, you're amazing me capture our affection again.

And so we see here that he says give your servant, therefore an

understanding mind. We read in chronicles that he

asked for wisdom in particular, and look at verse 11.

And God said to him, because you've asked this, and have not

asked for yourself long life or riches, or the life of your

enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to

discern what is right. Behold, I now do according to

your word. Behold, I give you a wise and

discerning mind, so that none like you has been before you,

and none like you shall arise after.

You I give you also what you have not asked.

Both riches and honors, so that no other king shall compare with

you all your days. And if you will walk in my ways,

keeping my statutes and my commandments as your father

David walked, then I will lengthen your days.

What does the Lord do? He gives even more than what he

asked for. You know that the Lord can do

that, right? He asked for one thing.

And He goes beyond the description of your prayer,

beyond your request, because that's just who he is.

He's good. And look what Solomon does in

First Kings 315 And Solomon awoke and behold it was a dream.

Then he came to Jerusalem and stood before the ark of the

covenant of the Lord and offered burnt offerings and peace

offerings, and made a feast for all his servants.

Where was Solomon before when he sacrificed 1000 offerings?

He was in Gibeon. God visits him and makes himself

known to him. And then Solomon is moved to not

go to Gibeon again, but to go to Jerusalem.

Why would you go to Jerusalem? What was that Jerusalem?

The ark of the Covenant. The ark of the covenant is that

Jerusalem symbolizing God's presence.

And it could be that Solomon was so moved by God's mercy and

grace and granting him his request, promising him that he

would be with him, that he didn't want to just be at Gibeon

where he can offer something. He wanted to be near God

himself. As close as he could.

And what God offered for men to be close to him was the Ark of

the Covenant, though he might have been limited even in that

it was as close as he could get. Which tells me something so

wonderful about what happens, What should happen when the Lord

dispenses something of himself should cause us to want to be

closer to Him. That's what Solomon shows us

here. If Solomon is already operating

in wisdom, it's showing right here that when God chose himself

to be pure. Good and perfect as he is, and

you get to taste that all. Let it draw you closer to him.

Let it bring you closer to him. Let it want you to be nearer to

him. And Solomon here, doing what he

should do in His worship, coming to the Ark, and loving him as

close as he can, will be tested in the same chapter to see if

this wisdom for the sake of God's people will really work.

Let's pray. Lord, we thank you for this

Bible study and we pray that the wisdom through your Word would

have been engraved, would have been knitted in our hearts and

our minds. We ask, Lord, that we would give

you the worship that you deserve because of your goodness, that

through Solomon's example we would be motivated to come near

to you and say, Lord, thank you for being so good to me.

Thank you for leading me and providing for me.

Thank you. That where I am today is because

of you. And so, Lord, we just ask that

you would receive this fragrant offering, the sacrifice of

Praise Lord, for those who might be struggling in the area of

prayer. May they remember that it is as

simple as what we see here, just acknowledging you admitting our

need and asking with the right hearts.

Give us the right heart so that we can know all the answers that

you can give a man. And Lord, for the sake of your

glory and the good of others, help us be all that we can be in

Christ. Well, we see that these times

are dark and they are just shakings and birth pains,

reminding us that your return is nigh.

So help us make the most of this time.

Help us utilize the gifts that you have given us to make much

of your name. Lord, help us remove any

compromise, any little thing that we are justifying that we

have said to ourselves. It's just for now, and I won't

go too far. Like Solomon, help us see that

you've given us him as an example.

With how these small things that we tolerate can become big

things that were very difficult to remove.

And so, Lord, even if there's anything in our hearts, even

now, things that we're enjoying, things that we're allowing,

things that we're entertaining, that we know goes against your

word, but we have been at peace with it because of our

justification. Lord, let it die tonight.

Let it just lay you. Just lay it at your feet and ask

that you give us the power to put our foot on its neck and say

no more. I want to live consecrated and

wholly committed to the cause of God.

So that we want to love you, but not like Solomon.

That at this point we want to love you with all of our hearts,

all of our soul, all of our strength, all of our might.

You can help us do this. We will run in the way of your

commandments when you enlarge in our hearts in Jesus name.

Amen. Amen.

Saints, let's stand and worship the Lord.

Let's stand and worship the Lord.