1 Kings 3:9

[Rob McNair]

Solomon prays for wisdom and specifically requests "Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, able to discern between good and evil..." God then says "I give you a wise and discerning mind..." One thing that popped into my head was the tree of the knowledge of good and evil from the garden of Eden. The snake tells Eve, "for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil" (Genesis 3:5). Verse 6 goes on to say, "the tree was to be desired to make one wise.." There seems to be a connection here but I am not sure what exactly.

Also, if God granted Solomon wisdom and the ability to discern between good and evil, how is it that he ended up worshipping other gods? Is the point that Solomon knew worshipping the other gods was bad but he did it anyway? Just like Eve knew it was bad to eat the fruit but did it anyway? So being aware of evil isn't enough to keep us away from it. Maybe the deeper meaning is that we are unable to defeat evil on our own? My brain hurts.

[Abby Kalina]

he worshiped other gods? well i have to read closer i guess, that or i'm behind....
i like the story of how he uses his wisdom to help settle a dispute between to mothers who each have a child, one is dead, and they argue over who the alive baby belongs to. i think that showed that solomon knew what was right and how to make sure that the baby went with the right mother.

[Rob McNair]

Yeah his downfall comes in 1 Kings 11. Having 700 wives and 300 concubines got to be a little much and they convinced him to worship other gods. There is also this reoccurring theme with men's sexual desires causing them to act inappropriately. Solomon, David, David's son Amnon, etc. That brings me back to Genesis and exploring this idea of wisdom and being able to discern between good and evil. In Genesis 3:7 after Adam and Eve eat the fruit it reads: "Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made loin clothes for themselves." So then how is knowing they were naked related to being able to discern between good and evil? By covering their bodies they are showing that they now have some sort of shame related to being naked. It doesn't say they had sex but perhaps what is happening is that obviously sex was originally a good thing because it was the way God devised for us to reproduce and create. But perhaps after eating the fruit they became aware of all the ways our bodies and sex could be used so wrongly. Their eyes were opened to rape, incest, and other immoral sexual behavior. So sex, which is the way God granted us the power to create life, can be used for good and for evil. Remember that we are created in the image of God and are thus able to create life just as God created life. I am ceaselessly amazed that God allowed us this power and privledge. Unfortunately things have only gotten worse since the time of David and Solomon. Our bodies and sex are dealt with so cheaply today.

[Tracy Bieger]

I think back when Solomon starts building the temple is possibly where this shift in priorities starts. He takes 7 years to build it, but did you read he take 13 years to build his own palace?
What do you think of Kings 10:14, where it says that Solomon's "salary" is 666 talents of gold? Any correlation with that number?

[Rob McNair]

Those are good observations that eluded me. Verse 13 also says he granted the Queen of Sheba every desire she wished. I found that odd given that she is not a Jew and worships false gods. He certainly becomes complacent and when you are making shields of armor and water vessels out of solid gold, I think your priorities are out of whack!

[Amber Kalina]

Yeah, sure, we have the ABILITY to know good from wrong, but that doesn't mean we fallow by it. Like, knowing you did something wrong, feeling regret, but then not apologizing. It makes us carry that burden. Bummer. We have so much spiritual power from God but choose to ignore it.

Hum, or it's like complaining against God in the wilderness. I always wondered how the Israelites could hear God's word for themselves and see his miracles but still choose to disobey and complain, but then I look at my own life. I complain all the time about dumb little things and don't always do things "by the book." So I can now see where they were getting at. (Just a random thought).

[Rob McNair]

I think it is human nature to take things for granted, like our relationship with God.

[Amber Kalina]

Yeah, He could've dropped us on our butts a long time ago, but He chose to save us anyway.

Thank God!