(Week #20) A King Needs God’s Wisdom: How One Receives It (I Kings 3:1-28)

I. Godly Wisdom is sought (v.1-9)
A. Solomon valued wisdom above all else. (v.5-9)
a. This may have come from David’s charge (1 Kings 2:1–3)
B. Solomon asked God for wisdom
II. Godly Wisdom is supplied (v.10-15)
A. God supernaturally grants Solomon’s request for wisdom.
B. Solomon is also blessed in many other areas.

III. Godly Wisdom is skill (v.16-28)
A. Solomon’s wisdom is put to the test.
B. Solomon’s insight into human nature and justice is revealed.

IV. Principles for the Christian
A. To experience godly wisdom one must be:
a. Saved
1. One must be a Christian to have God’s wisdom. [1 Cor. 2:14, 2:1-5; Rm. 8:6-8; Acts 17:30-31; 1 Ti. 2:1-5]
b. Spirit-filled
1. A life that is influenced or controlled by the Spirit. [Eph. 5:18; Col. 3:16-7]
b. Sanctified
1. Sanctified means to be set apart. Specifically, one is to be set apart from works of the flesh.
2. It has the same root word as holy or saint
3. There are Three Facets of Sanctification:
- Positional Sanctification – Being set apart as a member of the body of Christ through faith.
- Progressive Sanctification – The experiential work of being set apart during the whole of our Christian lives. Every command and exhortation to holy living concerns progressive sanctification.
- Perfected Sanctification – The completed separation of sin and the flesh one achieves in heaven or upon the Lord’s return.
4. There are Four Facets to the Deeds of the Flesh, which are to be avoided: [Gal. 5:19-21]
- Immorality- any sexual engagement outside of marriage.
- Idolatry- Worshipping anything other than God. It was and is often accompanied by drug use.
- Injuring- Actions that cause conflict in relationships.
- Indulgence- Drunkenness and carousing
5. Solomon’s Conclusion About Fleshly Living [Ecc. 2:10-11]

Points to Ponder:
1. One can have wisdom but fail to use it and make foolish decisions. Use the Word to guide your thinking and your life.
2. As a Christian, you have access to a greater source of wisdom than Solomon. Seek Christ daily and He will provide you with this wisdom. [Matt. 12:42] “Far better than Solomon…the believer has the privilege and potential to know and understand all that is essential for godly living in order to conduct himself wisely...Moreover, his whole life can take on a growing wisdom that allows him often to perceive matters from God’s perspective.”

Thomas L. Constable, “1 Kings,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1 (Wheaton: Victor Books, 1985), 494.
John MacArthur, God’s Will is Not Lost (Wheaton: Victor Books, 1973), 6, 17.
Charles C. Ryrie, Balancing the Christian Life (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 1994), 128.
Richard Patterson, “Wiser Than Solomon.” Online Accessed May 18, 2019. https://bible.org/article/wiser-solomon