Review Of 1Kings 3

– by Victor Fawole

This is probably the most popular chapter in Solomon’s life. As a young man, new to the throne, he faced the enormous challenge of ruling the nation and filling David’s shoes. Talk of political complexity and personal inexperience. Welcome to 1st Kings Chapter 3, where we meet a king who realized that if you need wisdom, you should ask our generous God, and He will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. (Jam. 1:5)

Join me to review…

THE ALLIANCE

1Kgs. 3:1 Now Solomon made a treaty with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and married Pharaoh’s daughter; then he brought her to the City of David until he had finished building his own house, and the house of the Lord, and the wall all around Jerusalem.

After establishing his throne and neutralizing internal threats, Solomon decided to establish external alliances. One of his early actions was to marry a princess of Egypt. That was a decision driven by political wisdom. To Solomon, it was a strategic alliance. But to God, it was a spiritual compromise. It seemed wise from a diplomatic perspective but was spiritually questionable. Egypt represented Israel’s past bondage, and forming such a bond gave room for future compromises. To marry into Egypt was to flirt with the very spirit that God had delivered Israel from.

Likewise, we have been redeemed from the Law, and we have been married to Jesus. Solomon’s action is a picture of what happens when believers under grace choose to go back to the law. Egypt is a picture of the Old Covenant, where man strives to earn God’s favour through performance rather than receiving it through promise. To mix grace with law is to marry Egypt again, to depend on human strength instead of the grace that has already been given. Paul rebuked this very error in the book of Galatians. Mixing grace with law dilutes the effect of the power of the cross. Grace calls us out of self-dependence into Christ-dependence. Law calls us back into bondage under obligations that we can never fulfill. Christ has already broken Egypt’s chains, we do not need to form a treaty with “Pharaoh” again! You cannot build the temple of God while borrowing bricks from Egypt. You cannot begin in the Spirit and continue in human efforts. The covenant of grace is enjoyed only when our full trust is in Christ’s finished work. Any return to the law, to self-effort, or to worldly wisdom is a return to slavery.

Last Sunday, Pastor Dammy taught on “The Barrier of Conscience” where he exposed “evil conscience” as a barrier against faith. In the sermon, he emphasized how having a work-conscious law-based relationship with God is to the detriment of the believer. You can listen to the sermon here.

THE AFFECTION

1Kgs. 3:3 And Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of his father David, except that he sacrificed and burned incense at the high places.

Here, we see a paradox. Solomon loved God, yet his worship was misplaced. His heart burned for God but his altar was wrongly positioned. His heart was sincere but his methods were compromised. He genuinely loved the Lord, yet his worship was done outside God’s instructions. His affection was real, but it was ruptured by the cultural habits and religious patterns of his time.

According to the Law (Deut. 12:14), the people of Israel were commanded to bring their sacrifices only to the central sanctuary, the place where God’s name would dwell. At this point in Israel’s history, the tabernacle was at Gibeon (1Chro. 16:39, 21:29). It had been temporarily positioned at Gilgal, Shiloh and Nob at different times. In fact, at one point, David had a strong desire to build a permanent temple at Jerusalem. Solomon sacrificed and burned incense at the “high places”. The problem with “high places” is that they were also used by pagans to worship their idols. These high places would lure Israel into pagan practices and idolatry. The high places were remnants of Canaanite culture. 

So, the two basic problems with high places were:

• 1. It was a deviation from the principle of a central tabernacle (Deut. 12:1-14)
• 2. Since worship at high places was a Canaanite custom, they made themselves vulnerable to syncretism, a mixture of wrong teachings / practices with the truth.

Moving on…

THE ASPIRATION

1Kgs. 3:9 Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?”

It was good to read that Solomon went to Gibeon to worship. That was where the tabernacle was. God met him there. God gave Solomon a blank cheque: “Ask! What shall I give you?” This was not just an invitation to make a request. It was a test of desire and priority. What a man asks for when he can ask for anything reveals the state of his heart. Imagine if such an offer were given today, what would many leaders, rulers, or presidents request? Let me make ten guesses…

• 1. Power that cannot be challenged: “Lord, give me absolute control so that no one can oppose my rule.”
• 2. Political longevity: “Let me stay in office for life.”
• 3. Wealth beyond measure: “Make me the richest ruler in history.”
• 4. Military might and security: “Give me stronger armies and superior weapons.”
• 5. Global fame and admiration: “Let my name be remembered among the great leaders of history.”
• 6. Victory over all political rivals: “Destroy everyone who opposes me.”
• 7. Influence over other nations: “Make my nation the greatest on earth.”
• 8. Public approval and popularity: “Give me the people’s applause and loyalty.”
• 9. Technological dominance and innovation: “Grant my nation the brightest minds, the best economy, the most advanced systems.”
• 10. Personal comfort and immunity from suffering: “Let me live in luxury, without any hardship or opposition.”

While many leaders might have used that opportunity to seek personal power, Solomon’s request revealed a heart that was humble and God-centered. He avoided the trap of vainglory. He started by acknowledging three important things:

• 1. The Goodness of God: “You have shown great mercy to Your servant David my father…”
• 2. The Gullibleness of His Youth: “I am but a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in…”
• 3. The Greatness of his assignment: “Your servant is in the midst of Your people whom You have chosen, a great people, too numerous to be numbered or counted…”

Solomon’s request revealed his priorities. He did not ask for long life, riches, or the death of his enemies. He asked for an understanding heart to judge God’s people, so that he would be able to discern between good and evil. He simply asked for the ability to lead according to God’s heart.

Solomon’s request pleased the Lord. God saw that he preferred wisdom over wealth. And God said, “Because you have asked this thing… behold, I have done according to your words.” God delights in answering prayers that come from a mindset that is focused on Him and His desires. Notice what followed:

1. God Gives:

“I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart.”

God is the only true Source of wisdom. We can get information “online”, but true wisdom is from “on high” (from God)! What God gave him was spiritual perception, far greater than intellectual brilliance. We must never forget that God still delights in answering requests that connote spiritual growth and promote His gospel.

2. God Outgives:

“I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches and honour.”

God’s ability to give is greater than our ability to ask. He did not only meet Solomon’s request, He exceeded it. When we seek first the kingdom and its righteousness, “all these things shall be added unto us” (Matt. 6:33). Solomon sought wisdom, yet God added wealth. God is not against prosperity, He is against misplaced priorities. When the heart is properly aligned, God’s abundance comfortably flows. When we prioritize what pleases God, God multiplies what we asked for, and even gives what we need but didn’t ask for. 

THE ARBITRATION

1Kgs. 3:24-25 Then the king said, “Bring me a sword.” So they brought a sword before the king. 25 And the king said, “Divide the living child in two, and give half to one, and half to the other.”

One of the earliest cases that Solomon solved, which made him very popular all over the world, involved two harlots and their babies. This case was dicey for seven reasons:

1. There Were No Witnesses:

Both women lived alone in the same house. No third party saw what happened, and there were no servants or neighbours present. No CCTV cameras. The incident happened at night, making the case entirely dependent on each woman’s testimony. It was a case of one harlot’s words against the other. No external verification.

2. There Was No Physical Evidence:

Both babies were newborns, and one was dead. It becomes worse when we consider that the babies probably took the resemblance of their unknown fathers. DNA testing or forensic evidence didn’t exist in those days. The case was purely circumstantial and humanly unsolvable.

3. Both Women Were Social Outcasts:

They were harlots. They were women of questionable reputation. Naturally, they have no credibility in the court of law. This made it difficult for anyone to trust either woman’s word. Yet, Solomon did not despise them. His wisdom helped even to society’s lowest and most despised.

4. It Involved a Matter of Life and Death:

Their dispute was not over property or money but over a living child. A wrong decision would condemn an innocent baby to a false mother and destroy a real mother’s heart.

5. It Was a Test of Compassion and Discernment:

Both the real mother and the false mother cried, pleaded, and appeared sincere. Emotions could easily have clouded anyone’s judgement. Solomon needed more than logic. He needed more than emotions. He needed discernment of heart, the ability to perceive the truth behind appearances.

6. It Could Lead To Public Scandal:

As this was basically Solomon’s first recorded judgement over disputes after getting to the throne, the eyes of the nation were upon him. A wrong or hasty decision would question his credibility.

7. It Symbolized the Moral State of the Nation:

Two harlots fighting over a child could be seen as a picture of Israel’s moral state. 

Solomon faced an impossible situation where truth could not be verified by sight, evidence, or testimony, but only by the wisdom from above. There were no witnesses, no proof, and no clear distinctions between the accuser and the accused. Human reasoning had reached its limit, but God’s wisdom shined through.

He called for a sword to divide the living child. His method was not about cruelty, but about discernment. He did not plan to cut through the baby, he actually wanted to cut through the conscience of the mothers. The sword became a revealer of hearts. It was not intended to kill, but to expose. The false mother’s response revealed her hardness of heart. She agreed to see the child divided, showing that her love was selfish and envious. But the true mother’s heart broke at the thought of her child’s death. Her compassion was clearly displayed. She didn’t mind giving up her rights so that her child could live.

In that moment, Solomon discerned truth through love. Compassion became the evidence he needed. Mercy became the proof he needed. The true mother’s willingness to lose her son in order to save his life revealed a love that only a mother could have. The sword became a symbol of the Word of God, which “is living and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit… and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Heb. 4:12).

In all of these, I see much more than Solomon’s wisdom. I see a picture of our redemption. In the compassion of the true mother, I see how the heart of God is revealed. She was willing to lose her son so that he might live. And that, in essence, is the gospel. God the Father was willing to “lose His Son” so that we might live. Just as the true mother pleaded for the child’s life, so the heart of God bled for ours. He spared not His own Son but delivered Him up for us all (Rom. 8:32).

The mother’s love is sacrificial, self-denying, and redemptive. This is a kind of God’s love that moved Him to send Jesus for our salvation. The cross was God’s sword of justice, and it became the place where mercy and truth met each other, justice and peace kissed (Psa. 85:10). At Calvary, God displayed His wisdom through the sacrifice of His Son. Thank You, Jesus!

God bless you for reading this review.

Thank you for sharing your reflections too.

See you tomorrow, beloveds.

Grace to you, Church!