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Good Monday to you my “Walking with Jesus” friends,
WISDOM. . . how much would you pay to gain unlimited access to the wisdom of Almighty, Sovereign God for the rest of your life?
WISDOM. . .of all the qualifications for leadership, any leadership role, how far up the priority list of importance would you place the criteria of wisdom?
We’re on an exciting journey together as we seek to understand God’s perspective of highly effective LEADERSHIP, especially as the world watches the United States prepare to select a president. Many people say whoever sits in that Oval office is the most influential person, perhaps the most powerful person in the world. If ever there is an office where God’s wisdom is needed every moment of every day, it is that office, would you agree?
As king Solomon inherited the throne of Israel from his father king David, in about 970bc, it took only a matter of days for Solomon to realize his single greatest need was an unlimited supply of wisdom. And yet let’s be honest… in size, Israel at that time was probably less than 5 million people. In land mass, very small by size of country standards. In global influence, king Solomon’s role was minor, insignificant. As compared to what Monarchs, and Presidents and Sultans would face in millennia to come, Solomon was dealing with relatively small matters. Yet for him and his nation, king Solomon’s success in providing good leadership for the nation of Israel was vital. And key to that successful leadership would be WISDOM.
1 Kings 3 and 2 Chronicles 1 tell us a remarkable story that, as far as I know, is unique in all of human history. Solomon had learned many things watching his father king David, and I’m sure David had told his sons many great stories of the greatness, the majesty, the power, and the wisdom of God. Solomon likely had copies of the Psalms his father David had written. So in Solomon’s awareness that his greatest leadership need was for God given wisdom, there was only one place for him to go… Gibeon. 2 Chronicles 1:3 tells us why… “God’s Tent of Meeting was there, which Moses the LORD’s servant had made in the desert. Now David had brought up the Ark of the Covenant of God from Kiriath Jearim to Jerusalem where he had pitched a tent for it. But the bronze altar that Bezalel son of Uri had made was in Gibeon in front of the Tabernacle of the LORD. So Solomon offered one thousand burnt offerings on the altar and inquired of the LORD.”
Now friends, it’s important we understand something here. You’ll recall when Moses led the Hebrew slaves out of Egypt God led them to Mount Sinai where they spent about a year, and God gave them instructions for building this portable place of worship, the “Tent of Meeting”. An inspired craftsman named Bezalel had led a team of craftsmen who carefully fabricated and covered with gold the golden lampstand, an altar of incense, the table of shewbread and finally the priceless Ark of the Covenant, all of which were placed inside the “Tent of Meeting”. Daily the priest went inside, morning and evening, to pray for himself and the people, at the altar of incense. Only once each year, on the day of Atonement, did the High Priest go into the Most Holy Place and pray repentance for himself and the people, sprinkling the blood on the Ark of the Covenant.
Outside the “Tent of Meeting” was a very large bronze covered altar where daily sacrifices were offered up to God in worship, in repentance, in seeking God’s guidance. Several years before king David had brought the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem and pitched a tent for it where worship happened day and night. But Gibeon had remained the primary place of worship for Israel, which is why Solomon went there. By the way, Moses & Bezalel and others had fabricated that ‘Tent of Meeting’ in about 1445bc. Solomon went to Gibeon in about 970bc. Do the math… that’s nearly 500 years, and this old ‘Tent of Meeting’ was still standing and being used everyday for worship!! What miracle is that?!
I can’t imagine how long it took or what it was like for one thousand burnt offerings to be placed on that altar, but when it was all over, look what happened. . .“That night God appeared to Solomon and said to him ‘Ask for whatever you want Me to give you.” (2 Chron. 1:7 & 1 Kings 3:5) Now I just have to ask you my friends. What would you say in response to that offer from God? Really now!! Look closely at how Solomon responded: “Give me wisdom and a discerning heart to govern Your people and to distinguish between right and wrong, for who is able to govern this great people of Yours, O God.”
Now my friends, wherever you live in the world, whatever size of city or town you live in, whatever jobs you’ve had in your life, whatever wonderful organizations you’ve been part of including all the churches you know… what greater Leadership pursuit could there be than seeking WISDOM from Almighty God?
Do you see God’s response to Solomon? “Since you have not asked for long life or wealth for yourself or for the death of your enemies…I will give you a wise and discerning heart so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be again. Moreover, I will give you what you did not ask for – both riches and honor – so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings. And if you walk in my ways and obey My statutes and commands…,I will give you a long life.” (1 Kings 3:12-14)
If you’ve ever wondered what God did to fulfill this amazing promise to king Solomon, 1 Kings 10 and 2 Chronicles 9 give a remarkable overview of Solomon’s almost incalculable wealth and global influence. 1 Kings 4:22-34 describes the great wisdom God gave Solomon which he used not only to govern wisely but to write over 1000 songs, 3000 proverbs, and science books “…describing plant life from the cedar of Lebanon to the hyssop which grows out of walls. He also taught about animals and birds, reptiles and fish. Men of all nations came to listen to Solomon’s wisdom…” As you may know the Bible book of Proverbs is a collection of only some of Solomon’s wise writings, and 1 Kings 3:16-28 gives us a glimpse into one of the difficult cases brought to king Solomon for him to judge with his great God given wisdom.
Now in closing today I have two questions for you my friend. Do you see one of the most important things a leader can do as he or she transitions INTO leadership is seeking the wisdom of God for that new assignment? If you are a leader do you understand this?
And a second question… does God make available to ANYONE His Godly wisdom? Oh yes my friends! Jesus said to His close friends in that upper Jerusalem room the evening before He went to the cross “I will ask the Father and He will send you another Counselor to be with you forever, the Spirit of Truth. The world cannot accept Him because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you know Him for He lives with you and will be in you…the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will remind you of everything I have said to you…He will guide you into all truth.” (John 14:16,17, 26; 16:13)
Yes, the Holy Spirit of God, the Counselor, comes to live within every person who trusts Jesus Christ to be their Savior, and is transformed into a new creation in Christ. (2 Cor. 5:17)
I’m not saying any follower of Jesus Christ can have the same amount of God given wisdom as king Solomon, but I am saying the very same Holy Spirit who was Solomon’s Counselor, is also my Counselor and yours if you are a born again follower of Jesus Christ, and the Counselor loves to Counsel us with God’s wisdom as we need it! Now that my friends is remarkable, wonderful good news for this time of global confusion!
Finally, I have a short video clip which speaks to this truth. I hope it helps you anchor your life in the TRUTH of Jesus!
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
Click to read today’s chapter: 1 Kings 4:20-34. (At the top you can choose a different translation.)
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson 262.441.8785
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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