CROWNED | 1 Kings Chapter 4

PODCAST

Week 1 / Day 4

INTRODUCTION

In today’s scripture reading, you are going to be tackling another round of unique names as the passage outlines the administrative structure of King Solomon’s government, listing out his cabinet officials and twelve regional governors.  We aren’t going to do a deep dive into each of these men today; however, there are a few things you will want to take note of.

First, Azariah is mentioned in verse 1 and verse 5.  It’s important to note that these are NOT the same man, as is made clear by verse 1, which says Azariah son of Zadoc, and verse 5, which says Azariah son of Nathan.  So this is not one man in two roles, but two different men with the same name.  

Second, you might remember the name Abiathar from our study on day 2, in which we learned that he is exiled by Solomon for the part he played in supporting Adonijah’s attempt to usurp the throne.  So, if he was exiled, why is he listed here as a member of Solomon’s cabinet?  Simply put, that moment of consequence hasn’t happened just yet.  So, at the time of 1 Kings 4, Abiathar is still an active member of Solomon’s cabinet.  

READ

Now, with those clarifications in mind, go ahead and read 1 Kings 4.  Once you are done, come back here, and we will dive into a time of reflection and response together.  

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REFLECT

Where the passages we studied yesterday spoke of David’s greatness, today’s speak of Solomon’s - but both, ultimately, celebrate the Lord’s!  Where verses 1-19 of 1 Kings 4 detail Solomon’s vast household and court, and verses 20-26 outline his many provisions, his vast dominion, and the peaceful kingdom he ruled, verses 26-34 speak of his great reputation for wisdom and learning.  

There’s no way around it, Solomon was a man, incredibly blessed by the Lord in every area of his life!  And if we are being honest, isn’t that what we all want?  To be blessed by the Lord and to live in abundance.  Yes, we are all thankful for what we have and are content (most of the time) to live with the blessings we have already been given; however, none of us would turn down an extra blessing, whether that be financially, relationally, or something else entirely.  

So the question I am sure we are all asking is how?  How did Solomon become so highly blessed and favored?  

To begin answering that question, we need to look back at 1 Kings chapter 3.  Let’s take a moment to re-read 1 Kings 3:5-9 together:

“At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and God said, “Ask what I shall give you.” And Solomon said, “You have shown great and steadfast love to Your servant my father…And now, O Lord my God, You have made Your servant king in place of David. my father, although I am but a little child.  I do not know how to go out or come in. And Your servant is in the midst of Your people whom You have chosen, a great people,

too many to be numbered or counted for multitude.  Give Your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern Your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this Your great people?”  (ESV)

This passage begins to answer our question of “how?”, quite plainly, as we see that Solomon gained such wisdom and favor from the Lord, in part, simply because he ASKED for it. That’s right!  As Solomon sat on the throne, God asked, “What do you want?” Solomon answered, “I want wisdom to be able to lead Your people well!” and God said, “Done!!”  But God doesn’t stop there!  1 Kings 3 goes on to tell us that the Lord was so pleased with Solomon’s request for "wisdom over riches" that He ALSO blessed Him with both “riches and honor” (1 Kings 3:10-13).

I often wonder how many blessings from the Lord I missed out on simply because I didn’t ask!  

There are many reasons we may not ask.  For some, we don’t ask because we don’t feel worthy of the blessing we're asking for.  For others, if we were truly honest with ourselves, we don’t truly believe the Lord will come through and answer, at least not in the way we WANT Him to.  And for others still, there are times when we are so caught up in meeting our own needs that we neglect to even ask the Lord for His blessing and favor in the first place.  

I don’t know which, if any of those resonates with you, but what I DO know is what the Bible says, and it tells us clearly in Hebrews 4:14-16:

“So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe.  This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for He faced a lot of the same testings we do, yet He did not sin.  So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God.  There we will receive His mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.” (NLT - Emphasis Added)

So though we may not know what He will ask or what He will answer, we do know our response (or maybe a better word would be our ACTION) should always be to approach Him with boldness and confidence, knowing He welcomes us with grace and mercy every single time.  

The second “key” to Solomon’s success is a result of his humble and willing obedience to the Lord's call!  If you notice, it was AFTER, not before, he had taken the throne that the Lord asked him, “What do you want?”  

Far too often, we hang back waiting for all of the pieces of the puzzle to fall into place before stepping out in obedience; however, scripture shows us time and time again that the Lord’s blessing and favor follow both HIS call and OUR obedience!  

And finally, Solomon found incredible blessing and favor from the Lord because he acted faithfully and justly with all he had been given!  

If we look back once again at 1 Kings 3, verses 16-28, we are told the story of two mothers in a dispute over an infant.  King Solomon resolves the standoff by ordering the living child to be cut in half.  In response, the true mother’s desperate plea to spare the baby reveals her true identity, securing the child’s safety.*  

I don’t know about you, but I would NOT have wanted to be the one leading through that difficult moment.  And I think it is important to note that Solomon is still a very young leader at this time.  This event likely takes place only a few years after Solomon said to the Lord, “I am but a little child,” and asked for wisdom to lead His people.  And now… here he is, being tasked with leading through a very difficult situation that could very likely hold literal life and death consequences.  Why is that important?

Because we have to realize that when we ask and when He answers, we must not only RECEIVE the blessing He gives, but also steward it well!  And that is exactly what Solomon does.  He asked for wisdom, the Lord gave Him wisdom, and then Solomon served with Wisdom, stewarding well the blessing and gift he had received from the Lord.  

What can we learn from this?  What the Lord gives, He gives with intention and for a purpose.  For as 1 Peter 4:10 tells us,

“God has given each of you a gift from His great variety of spiritual gifts.

Use them well to serve others.” (NLT - Emphasis Added)

Now, don’t get me wrong!  I’m not saying that if you ask God for wisdom, then He is going to bless you with abundant wisdom and wealth, just as He did for Solomon.  In fact, I’m fairly certain He won’t.  Not because He can’t and not because He won’t, but because the Lord’s call on YOUR life is not the same as His call for SOLOMON’S life.  So your life will never fully reflect Solomon’s.  But what I AM saying is that the same God who called Solomon, heard Solomon, equipped Solomon, and guided Solomon through the highs and lows of life is the same generous and gracious God you and I serve.  In other words, the hope and promise we have in Him isn’t in the blessings He gives but rather in the God He is!

So no matter what this season of life looks like for you, this truth remains - God is a God who blesses his people generously…but in order to receive and walk in that blessing, we too must be willing to:

1. Step out in humble and bold obedience, wherever the Lord leads.

2. Ask and then also receive the blessings He gives.

3. Steward well the gifts He gives as He gives them.

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RESPOND

1. Looking at Solomon’s example, which of these three keys from today's study do you most need to focus on in this season: asking God boldly, obeying God willingly, or stewarding His blessings faithfully?

2. What keeps you from boldly asking God for what you need or desire most right now - fear, doubt, feelings of unworthiness, self-reliance, or something else?  How might God be inviting you to approach Him with boldness and confidence?

3. Solomon asked for wisdom so he could serve God’s people well.  What gifts, opportunities, or blessings has God placed in your hands already?  Are you stewarding them faithfully?

4. Is there an area of your life where God is calling you to step out in obedience before all the details are clear?  What might it look like to trust Him with your next step?  Are you willing to take that step today?

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WORKS CITED

*quora.com