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?”
As discussed earlier God has given Solomon the opportunity of a life time, ask God what he wants and God promises to give to him even though he just offered a thousand offerings to pagan gods. So Solomon asks for wisdom but if you read closely enough and in the Hebrew he is not really 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 confessor recited everyday by orthodox Jews: Hear O’ Israel, the Lord our God is one. The word hear shama which not only means to hear but to hear and obey as well as listening hearing 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 and in himself. The wisdom he was asking for was to discern right and wrong in the people and himself. That would explain why God was so pleased with his request for after offering a thousand offerings to pagan Gods Solomon, who loved God, really did not have that understanding that sacrificing to other God’s was wounding God’s heart. How many times does a man or woman say something to their spouse without even realizing that what they said was wounding the heart of their beloved. Suppose one night, perhaps on a couple’s wedding the night the bride whisper’s in her new husband’s ear: “Ask me what you want and I will give it to you.” Suppose that man where to ask: “I just want to know your heart, so that I will never do or say anything to wound your heart.” That new bride may feel the pleasure and joy that God felt when Solomon asked for wisdom for what he was really asking for was to understand God’s heart, to know God’s heart just as his father David knew God’s heart and was a man after God’s own heart. Say what you want about David’s poor parenting skills, one thing for sure, he was apparently a good role model for his son Solomon who asked for the one thing that made David such a great man, a man after God’s own heart.
The Talmud teaches something very interesting, not that I buy into it, I just find it interesting. The Talmud teaches that all 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 Talmud teaches that the King of Israel had the ability to read the mind or hearts 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 might call it a gift of the word of knowledge. The Talmud further teaches that once David was anointed, Saul lost this power to know people’s thoughts and hearts which may explain his behavior toward David.
Thus, if we follow the teaching of the Talmud, then what Solomon was asking for was wisdom to use this knowledge given to a king. 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 properly and according to God’s will and plan.
Initially I just rejected this whole idea of mind reading and even heart reading as mere Jewish mysticism. But in the past few years as I have observed many manifestations of the Spirit of God within the Charismatic, full gospel or 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 as with Israel at the time of the destruction of the temple. The Talmud teaches that the Spirit of God would return after the glorification of the Messiah which I believe took place at the day of Pentecost after Jesus the Messiah ascended to heaven and was glorified. 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. Charismatics like to call it word of knowledge. But could we not possess what David possessed and what God gave Solomon, not only the ability to know God’s heart but the hearts of those that God has called us to lead. I guess in a practical sense the answer is no, how many pastors can read the thoughts of their congregation, but say, could there not be a gift of the word of knowledge where God could give this knowledge on a need to know basis?
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. I was once speaking with a woman who was under the conviction of the Holy Spirit, wanted to receive Jesus as her Savior, but she could not do it. I prayed asked God. “Why?” Instantly, I knew, somehow I just knew she was living with a man she was not married to and felt she would have to give her boyfriend up if she received Jesus as her Savior. But I needed, like Solomon, wisdom in how to handle this knowledge. I felt God led me to tell her: “God knows your heart, he knows the longings you have and desires. He knows how hard it is to give heats desires up. But can you trust him to fulfill those desires and longings once He enters your heart?” She broke down in tears and received Jesus as her Savior. A week later I led her boyfriend to the Lord as well as his son. A few weeks later I had the joy of performing their wedding ceremony.
I recall when I was a pastor and I spoke with a woman new to the community and I instantly knew she had come from California and had left a convent and felt very hurt and rejected over that separation. My problem was that when she showed shock and amazement at my knowledge and thought I was some sort of prophet, I did not couple that knowledge with asking God for wisdom and I turned the whole thing into a sort floor show leaving her thinking I was some sort of mystic. I abused this knowledge from God, I forgot to pray, like Solomon, for wisdom.
Now you may, through the Sprit of God, discern such things, but you could be like Saul and me 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 Talmud teaches 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.
Some may really have a gift of knowledge and wisdom, as for me I choose to just say God gives me what I need to know on a need to know basis.
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