Good Morning Yamon Ki Yesepar;
I Kings 3:9: Give thy servant therefore an understanding heart to judge Thy people, that I may discern between good and evil; for who is able to Judge this They great people?”
Solomon is not asking for wisdom here. He is asking for a “lev shome.'” That is, a listening heart. The word shome is from the root word “shama.” It is the same word used in the Jewish prayer: “Hear O’ Israel, the Lord our God is one.” The word “hear” shama. has the idea of hearing or listening with deep spiritual insight.
Solomon wanted a hearing (spiritual understanding) heart. He wanted a heart that could see the God or lack of God in the individual. The wisdom he was asking for was to discern “right and wrong” in the people.
The sages teach something very interesting, not that I buy into it, I just find it interesting. They teach that the King of Israel was granted special insight. For the King of Israel was considered to be the heart of Israel. I Samuel 16:2 Samuel declares to God: “How can I go, for Saul will hear (shama) and kill me?” The sages teach that the King of Israel had the ability to read the minds of the people and that once Samuel set his mind to anoint David to be king, Saul would discern this through his supernatural gift. We call it a “word of knowledge.” The Talmud teaches that once David was anointed, Saul lost the power to know people’s thoughts.”
Thus, what Solomon was asking for was wisdom to use this knowledge. Solomon knowing his father’s (David) story about fleeing from Saul, knew that this ability that God gave the Kings of Israel could be used wrongly and he was asking God that he be given special wisdom to use this knowledge he received from “reading the people’s thoughts.” This is why God was so delighted with Solomon’s request.
Initially I just rejected this whole thing as mere Jewish mysticism. But sitting back on the sidelines watching the Charismatic, full gospel, prophetic movement, I began to think that maybe it was not that wacko after all. For the Bible teaches that the Holy Spirit would come upon the Kings of Israel. With Saul the Spirit of God left him. Today, through the cleansing blood of Jesus we have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Would it not stand to reason that we could have the same thing the Kings of Israel had. We call it word of knowledge.
For instance, we can look at someone and God can show us their heart or thoughts. We may discern the person really wants to believe but can’t because of a certain past hurt, or rejection. God may even reveal the specifics of that rejection. I recall as a pastor talking with a woman new to the community and instantly knowing she had come from California and had left a convent and felt very hurt and rejected over that separation. I did not use wisdom with that knowledge however and turned it into a floor show leaving her thinking I was some sort of mystic. Not wise at all.
Now you may, through the Sprit of God, discern such things, but you could be like Saul and abuse this knowledge or you could be like Solomon and ask God for wisdom in what to do with that knowledge. We call that a word of wisdom. When the two women brought a baby to Solomon to decide who was the real mother, the Sages teach that Solomon knew who the mother was, but it took a word of wisdom to know how to use that knowledge. He knew who the real mother was but he needed a way to show who the real mother was so there would never be any doubt in anyone’s mind, the child included as to who was the real mother. Now that took wisdom.
I personally don’t like to deal with these gifts, so for me and this is just me, I ask for only one manifestation of the gift of knowledge and wisdom. “Lord, just show me who is a real Yamon Ki Yesepar.” That is all I really need to know and care to know. From that point it is really simple for God to show me who is a Yamon Ki Yesepar; For when I look into the face of a Yamon Ki Yesepar, I see the Jesus that I love.
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