Dear Friends,
Today’s devotional consists of study notes prepared for the Sunday school class I am teaching on I Kings 3-4. Please read the notes with your Bible open to the passage. May God bless you as you study.
Because of Calvary,
John Janney
John Janney Grace Bible Fellowship Church
Adult SS Elective: I Kings 3:1-4:34
B. Gaining God’s Wisdom (3:1-4:34)
“We must not think the worse of God’s mercy to his subjects for his judgments on rebels.”
[Matthew Henry’s Commentary II, p. 461]
1. The Prayer for Wisdom (3:1-15) cf. Luke 2:40; Colossians 2:3
a. Transgression (3:1)
“Now that tranquility was established, Solomon was in a position to marry; and he proceeded to ally himself with one of the great kingdoms upon his borders. His wealth and power entitled him to make proposals to any of the surrounding monarchs, and his choice naturally fell upon Egypt, the most ancient and splendid of the kingdoms.” [Rawlinson, p. 495]
“It has been a matter of dispute among the Rabbis whether Solomon was commendable or blameworthy for contracting this foreign alliance. If we judge him simply from the secular standpoint, nothing could be more obviously politic than the course he took. Nor did he break any law in marrying Pharaoh’s daughter. Moses had not forbidden the union with an Egyptian woman. Still, from the religious point of view, it was inevitable that such a connection would involve consequences little in accordance with the theocratic ideal…. That there was some sense of doubt in Solomon’s mind appears from the statement in 2 Chron. 8:2, that he deemed it unfit for his bride to have her residence on Mount Moriah, a spot hallowed by the presence of the Ark of God.” [Farrar, p. 248]
“Although Solomon brought Pharaoh’s daughter into the city of David, he did not bring her into the house of David, for the places to which the ark of the Lord had come were holy to him (II Chron. 8:11). Apparently he still viewed her as a woman of a people that did not know the covenant of the Lord.”
[De Graff, Promise and Deliverance II, p. 194]
“…Solomon did not bring her into the house of David, next to which David had erected a tent for the ark of the Lord. Because the places were holy to Solomon, he did not want to bring this foreign woman near them.”
[De Graff, Promise and Deliverance II, p. 197-198]
“Yahweh’s prohibitions on intermarriage in Exod. 34:11-16 and Deut. 7:1-5 focus on pagan groups in the land and do not explicitly mention Egyptians…. Note, however, that Solomon had already married Naamah the Ammonites (cf. 14:21 with 11:42-43).” [Davis, p. 33]
“Pharaoh king of Egypt: probably Siamun, one of the last of the XXI Dynasty, then in decline… For the Egyptians the alliance meant a peaceful and secure northern frontier, consolidating the foothold they appear to have established by annexing Philistia on David’s death. For Solomon, it was part of the policy of keeping by diplomacy the empire David had won by the sword. Ironically, Siamun’s treaty and daughter were worthless in halting the aggressive and disruptive policies of Sheshonq (Shishak) who began the XXII dynasty in 945 and invaded Israel in 925 (1 Kg. 14.25).” [Martin, p. 345]
“How many commands of God did Solomon disobey in that one verse? Read Deuteronomy 17:17 and find out. Now look at I Kings 3:3: ‘He offered sacrifices and burnt incense on the high places.’ Another clear violation of God’s command.” [Lutzer, When a Good Man Falls, p. 87]
“It seems ironic that just before the author describes the glory of Solomon’s reign, he first pointed to certain seeds of disobedience that would eventually take root and bring down the great ruler’s kingdom. Solomon loved the Lord, but his marriage to Ammonitish and Egyptian wives and his worship in forbidden places were already beginning to taint his devotion. Soon that disobedience would lead to apostasy causing the kingdom to be divided. His sins cast a spell of doom over all his wisdom, wealth, and achievements.” [Dilday, p. 66]
b. Consecration (3:2-4)
“Solomon certainly made a good beginning, for he ‘loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of David his father’ (v. 3, KJV); but a good beginning doesn’t guarantee a good ending.”
[Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary II, p. 412]
“David kept to the ark, and did not care for the high places, but Solomon, though in other things he walked in the statutes of his father, in this came short of him. He showed thereby a great zeal for sacrificing, but to obey would have been better.”
[Matthew Henry’s Commentary II, p. 462]
“The particle translated ‘only’ introduces a contrast. The writer means to say that there was one exception to the flourishing condition of things which he has been describing, viz., that ‘the people sacrificed in high-places.’… The law….required the utter destruction of all the high-places which had been polluted by idolatrous rites (Deut. xii.2); and, after distinct mention of the prevalent idolatries, it said, ‘Ye shall not do so unto the Lord your God’ (ib. verse 4)… The injunction to offer sacrifices nowhere except at the door of the tabernacle (Lev. xvii.3-5) was an indirect prohibition of high-places…. There were two reasons for the prohibition of high-places; first the danger of the old idolatry creeping back if the old localities were retained for worship; and, secondly, the danger to the unity of the nation if there should be more than one legitimate religious center. The existence of the worship at high-places did, in fact, facilitate the division of the kingdom.”
[Rawlinson, p. 495-496]
“…What people worship determines how they live and the distrust of the ‘high places’ was not a religious foible but a profound insight into human corruptibility at the deepest springs and understanding and response.”
[Martin, p. 339]
“Solomon was a wise man, a rich man, a great man; yet the brightest encomium of him is that which is the character of all the saints, even the poorest, He loved the Lord…” [Matthew Henry’s Commentary II, p. 462]
“The grace of love (vs. 3). ― I. God loves those who love Him, despite their imperfections. II. God forgives those who love Him, notwithstanding their infirmities. III. God will receive those who love Him, despite their ignorance. IV. Love is everything. It is ― 1. The fulfilling of the law. 2. The seal royal of the Christian. 3. The glory of the man. 4. The one thing needful.”
[Pulp. Com. in Gray & Adams Bible Commentary I, p. 850]
“God apparently overlooked the examples of disobedience because he knew Solomon’s heart was inclined to serving God. Yet that did not keep Solomon’s disobedience from becoming the snare used to entrap him later.” [Lutzer, When a Good Man Falls, p. 88]
c. Revelation (3:5)
“We have here an account of a gracious visit which God paid to Solomon, and the communion he had with God in it, which put a greater honor upon Solomon than all the wealth and power of his kingdom did.” [Matthew Henry’s Commentary II, p. 463]
“in a dream: as to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and Samuel (Gen 15:12; 26:24; 28:12; 1 Sam. 3)…” [Wilson, p. 345]
“Solomon worships God by day; God appears to Solomon by night…. Solomon…saw more with his eyes shut, than ever they could see open, even him that was invisible.” [Hall, Contemplations II, p. 112]
“Twice again did God appear to Solomon; but the second time it was to warn, and the third time to condemn.” [Farrar, p. 245] cf. I Kings 9:2-9; 11:9-13]
d. Petition (3:6-9)
“He was not a typical overconfident youth who believed he could do better than his old-fashioned father.” [Dilday, p. 69]
“Now, in this prayer, 1. He acknowledges God’s great goodness to his father David, v. 6…. 2. He owns his own insufficiency for the discharge of that great trust to which he is called, v. 7, 8. And here is a double plea to enforce his petition for wisdom: — (1.) That his place required it, as he was successor to David (‘Thou hast made me king instead of David, who was a very wise and good man: Lord, give me wisdom, that I may keep up what he wrought, and carry on what he began’) and as he was ruler over Israel… (2.) That he wanted it. As one that had a humble sense of his own deficiency, he pleads, ‘Lord, I am but a little child (so he calls himself, a child in understanding, though his father called him a wise man, ch. 2:9); I know not how to go out or come in as I should, nor to do so much as the common daily business of the government, much less what to do in a critical juncture.’… 3. He begs of God to give him wisdom (v. 9); Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart. He calls himself God’s servant, pleased with that relation to God (Ps, 116:16) and pleading it with him: ‘I am devoted to thee, and employed for thee; give me that which is requisite to the services in which I am employed.’ Thus his good father prayed, and thus he pleaded. Ps. 119:125, I am thy servant, give me understanding. Give me an understanding, not to please my own curiosity with, or puzzle my neighbors, but to judge thy people…. 4. The favorable answer God gave to his request. It was a pleasing prayer (v. 10): The speech pleased the Lord…. It was a prevailing prayer, and prevailed for more than he asked. (1.) God gave him wisdom, v. 12. He fitted him for all that great work to which he had called him, gave him such a right understanding of the law which he was to judge by, and the cases he was to judge of, that he was unequalled for a clear head, a solid judgment, and a piercing eye…. (2.) He gave him riches and honor over and above into the bargain (v. 13)…. Let young people learn to prefer grace to gold in all that they choose, because godliness has the promise of the life that now is, but the life that now is has not the promise of godliness. How completely blessed was Solomon, that had both wisdom and wealth! If thou wilt walk in my ways, as David did, then I will lengthen thy days. He failed in the condition; and therefore, though he had riches and honor, he did not live so long to enjoy them as in the course of nature he might have done. Length of days is wisdom’s right-hand blessing, typical of eternal life; but it is in her left hand that riches and honor are, Prov. 3:16…. 5. The grateful return Solomon made for the visit God was pleased to pay him, v. 15. He awoke, we may suppose in a transport of joy, awoke, and his sleep was sweet to him, as the prophet speaks (Jer. 31:26); being satisfied of God’s favor, he was satisfied with it, and he began to think what he should render to the Lord.”
[Matthew Henry’s Commentary II, p. 463-464] Cf. James 1:5; Jeremiah 9:23-24
“We must understand ‘heart’ as the whole wad of intellect, affections, and will at the center of man. The term is not primarily emotional as we tend to make it in the west (we talk of ‘heart’ as opposed to ‘head’; biblically, our head is in our heart).” [Davis, p. 37]
“a discerning heart (NEB ‘a heart with skill to listen’)…” [Wilson, p. 345]
e. Gratification (3:10-13)
“The youthful king might have besought the boon of ‘many days,’ which was so highly valued before Christ had brought life and immortality to light; or for riches, or for victory over his enemies. Instead of this he had asked for ‘understanding, to discern judgment,’ and the lesser gifts were freely accorded him. ‘Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. vi.33) God promised him that he should be a king of unprecedented greatness. He freely gave him riches and honor, and, conditionally on his continued faithfulness, a long life. The condition was broken, and Solomon was not more than sixty years old when he was called before the God whom he forsook.” [Farrar, p. 245]
“In those days ‘wisdom was the art or skill of sensible living, an understanding of the right goals and the best means of reaching them…. Solomon was the master of his day…. Unlike his pagan neighbors, Solomon knew the essence of true wisdom: ‘The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding (Proverbs 9:10). This fear was not craven cowering before an angry God but a realistic awareness that Yahweh was in charge. To fear anything ― enemies, people’s disapproval, failure, sickness, death ― more that Yahweh was to leave the path of wisdom. The right means and ends were those that came from Yahweh and conformed to his moral requirements. Humanity was not the measure. Human reason was not ultimate. Truth was not relative…. The trouble was, the more rich, powerful and respected Solomon grew for his wisdom, the more he began to rely on it instead of its source: his fear of Yahweh.”
[Karen Lee-Thorpe, The Story of Stories: A Guided Tour from Genesis to Revelation, (Downers Grove, IL; InterVarsity Press, 2012), p. 109-110]
“The fact is that no gift of God comes without accompaniments which test its reality. In Solomon’s case, the gift he asked for brought with it gifts he might have asked for but did not (1 Kings 3:11-13) ― the riches which would test his ability to manage and control his own life, and the honor which would test the reality of his primary honoring of the Lord. But riches brought a character-testing abundance under which Solomon broke ― thirteen years to build his own house but seven spent on the Lord’s house
(1 Kings 6:38-7:1); and international acclaim led to the fantastic folly of his marriages of political convenience…. Solomon failed in wisdom.”
[J. Alec Motyer, the Story of the Old Testament: Men with a Message edited by John Stott, (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 2001), p. 66]
f. Obligation (3:14)
“…If you walk in obedience…is a sad reminder that even wisdom does not guarantee persistence in godliness.” [Martin, p. 345]
“As the condition was not observed (1 K. xi.1-8), the promise was forfeited, and it was not fulfilled. Solomon can scarcely have been more than fifty-nine or sixty at his death.” [Rawlinson, p. 497]
g. Appreciation (3:15)
“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.” [Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary II, p. 424]
2. The Proof of Wisdom (3:16-4:23)
a. Shown by judicial decision (3:16-18)
“As a proof that the Lord had bestowed upon Solomon unusual judicial wisdom, there is appended a decision of his in a very difficult case, in which Solomon had shown extraordinary intelligence.”
[Keil, p. 32]
“There was no evidence to be had. It was simply the bare word of one disreputable woman against the bare word of the other.” [Farrar, p. 245]
“The story is…remarkable in that the petitioners are two women who are despised by society. Solomon….considers their case with the same careful attention that he would give to people of influence and honor. He is not only wise, he is compassionate and just.”
[Forward Day By Day, {August-October, 1985}, (Cincinnati: Forward Movement Publications, 1985), p. 30]
“The judgment of the two mothers shocked all the unrighteous. It seemed as if the king could see what was in their hearts. But the righteous god a feeling of security from Solomon’s penetrating wisdom. Under the shield of the Christ there is safety for all who have faith.”
[De Graff, Promise and Deliverance II, p. 194]
b. Shown by administrative competence (4:1-28)
“Even though Solomon had great wisdom and authority, he couldn’t handle the affairs of the kingdom alone. A good leader chooses capable associates and allows them to use their own gifts and thereby serve the Lord and the people.” [Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary II, p. 415]

i. In taking care of the needs of the nation (4:1-19)
“These verses contain two lists: (1) the names of those holding cabinet posts in the state department (vv. 1-6), and (2) the names of the district officers with the locales of their respective jurisdictions (vv. 7-19).” [Davis, p. 43-44]
ii. In taking care of the needs of the palace (4:20-28)
c. Shown by foreign admiration (4:29-34)
“The widespread fame of his wisdom brought many strangers to Jerusalem, and all the more because of its rarity at that time, especially among princes. The coming of the queen of Sheba to Jerusalem (ch. 10) furnishes a historical proof of this.” [Keil, p. 42]
“‘Great is the art of beginning,’ wrote the American poet Longfellow, ‘but greater the art is of ending.” [Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary II, p. 412]