A Gift for You

Based on 1 Kings 1-3

"The heart of the prudent getteth knowledge; and the ear of the wise seeketh knowledge. A man's gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men."
Proverbs 18:15‭-‬16.

The first few chapters of 1 Kings really reminded me of this above passage of Scripture. Prudent & wise men seek out knowledge, and that in itself is a true gift! Solomon becomes king in today's reading, and the one gift he asked The Lord for was wisdom...and even before he received it, he was called wise by his father king David, and he even did his best to make wise choices. Therefore, his gift was already making room for him, God saw his prudent heart, and he received that wisdom! Wisdom is greater than any other gift, because it keeps us from falling into pits of negative situations! We can then live a pretty peaceful life!

"Moreover thou knowest also what Joab the son of Zeruiah did to me, and what he did to the two captains of the hosts of Israel, unto Abner the son of Ner, and unto Amasa the son of Jether, whom he slew, and shed the blood of war in peace, and put the blood of war upon his girdle that was about his loins, and in his shoes that were on his feet. Do therefore according to thy wisdom, and let not his hoar head go down to the grave in peace."
1 Kings 2:5‭-‬6.

Solomon and David discussed the justice which still needed to be served against Joab. But this is after Solomon becomes king...which proved to be it's own battle! Adonijah, Solomon's brother, tried to just claim the throne for his own...but Solomon's mother Bath-Sheba (a true Proverbs 31 woman as we've learned in our livestream services!) pleaded for Solomon to king David, reminding him of the order which was prophesied that Solomon would sit on the throne. Eventually, Solomon became king! Solomon was to use his wisdom in judgment in this above situation against Joab, and again, this is even before Solomon asked for the gift of wisdom!

"Now therefore hold him not guiltless: for thou art a wise man, and knowest what thou oughtest to do unto him; but his hoar head bring thou down to the grave with blood."
1 Kings 2:9.

David proclaims Solomon's wisdom once again (making room for his gift before he received it!). Solomon would also have to execute justice upon Shimei, the man who cursed David long ago. Adonijah also comes back on the scene to challenge Solomon, and Adonijah used Solomon's mother Bath-Sheba to try to accomplish the task. This was another situation in which Solomon used his best judgment, making room for the true wisdom which was to come:

"And king Solomon answered and said unto his mother, And why dost thou ask Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? ask for him the kingdom also; for he is mine elder brother; even for him, and for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab the son of Zeruiah. Then king Solomon sware by the Lord , saying, God do so to me, and more also, if Adonijah have not spoken this word against his own life."

1 Kings 2:22‭-‬23.

The woman Adonijah asked for was a woman who comforted and ministered to king David before his death. She was not a wife or concubine of David, but she was important to him. Solomon could tell that Adonijah was just trying to find another way into the kingdom and onto the throne, so in doing that, he sealed his own fate! Solomon was really proving himself in trying to do his best, so it's no wonder God would eventually Grant him the gift of wisdom! Again, his gift was making room for him!

"Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?"
1 Kings 3:9.

After a thousand sacrifices, God speaks to Solomon in a dream and asks what he would like. Of course, he asks for wisdom! In all these past scenarios, we can see how much he would need this gift as king. More than riches, he would need wisdom to effectively rule over the people. He was more concerned with his purpose as king rather than his position as king...more with what he would have to do rather than what he would have! God knew his heart, and then allowed Solomon to have riches as well!

"Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee. And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches, and honour: so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days." 1 Kings 3:12‭-‬13.

God has a gift, ministry & calling awaiting each one of us! When we put that first, our gift makes room for us! We CAN do what God calls us to do! And not only that, but God blesses us with so much more in return that we didn't even ask for!