When God gave King Solomon the chance to ask for anything, Solomon chose wisdom. He wanted to govern God's people well and know right from wrong (1 Kings 3:9). Because of this unselfish choice, God granted him the wisdom he wanted and the rewards of using it properly (3:12, 13–14; 2 Chronicles 1:14–17).
Solomon's actions quickly showed his wisdom. He solved a dispute over a child so wisely that it amazed the people (1 Kings 3:16–28). Later, the queen of Sheba visited to challenge him with difficult questions. She found his wisdom greater than she had heard (10:1–9).
Many things showed Solomon's wisdom, including:
how he organized and managed his government and officials (4:1–28);
how he handled relationships with other nations and kings (5:1–9);
the structures he built, especially the temple and his palace (5:10–7:51); and
his business dealings and trade with other nations (9:26–28; 10:14–29).
Solomon gained vast knowledge (4:29–33). He wrote proverbs (much of the book of Proverbs) as well as songs (Psalms 72; 127). He also wrote love poetry (see the Song of Songs) and philosophical works (see Ecclesiastes). He used his wisdom to build the temple (2 Chronicles 2:12). This was like Bezalel who had been given wisdom to build the tabernacle (Exodus 31:1–3).
Jesus emphasized Solomon's great wisdom and told his listeners that, "One greater than Solomon is here" (Matthew 12:42). Jesus is the true wisdom of God, where one can find ultimate wisdom (1 Corinthians 1:24). A wise life is centered in Jesus and in Scripture (1 Corinthians 1:18–25; Colossians 3:16; 2 Peter 3:18; 2 Timothy 3:14–17).
Passages for Further Study
Exodus 31:1–6; 1 Kings 3:5–14; 3:16–28; 4:29–34; 5:2–7; 10:1–13; 2 Chronicles 1:7–12; Psalms 72:1–20; 111:10; 127:1–5; Ecclesiastes 12:9–14; Isaiah 11:1–5; Jeremiah 9:23–24; Matthew 12:42; James 1:5