I Kings 3:5 In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee
If you could have anything you wanted right now, what would it be? If God Himself asked you what you wanted, what would you say? The truth is we are to be asking and depending upon God every day. Some people take a dim view of that despite the fact we are commanded and invited to do just that. In I Kings 3:5 this happened in a most unusual and pronounced way. It says, “In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee.” Imagine the God of the universe asking a mortal man what He should give him. That happened to Solomon.
When Solomon asked God for what he wanted, the Bible says that it pleased God. What Solomon asked for was wisdom. He did not ask for long life, the defeat of his enemies, wealth, or riches; he asked for wisdom. It wasn’t generic wisdom he asked for, but wisdom to have an understanding heart to judge God’s people, that he as the king could discern between good and bad. Solomon says, “For who is able to judge this thy so great a people?”
Solomon was not just asking to be smart; he was asking for wisdom. He wasn’t just asking for wisdom; he was asking for the specific kind of wisdom he would need to judge his people as king. The next story and the following chapters give poignant examples that God had given this wisdom to Solomon in amazing abundance.
Something you learn from this is how and what you ask of God says something about you. What does it say about you? First, it indicates how you see God. In verse 6 Solomon says to God, Thou has shewed unto thy servant David my father great mercy.” He did not feel like God owed him anything. He felt like God had given them mercy. In verse 7 Solomon says, “And now, O LORD my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in.” He realized he needed wisdom from God.
Notice that he sees God as sovereign. Solomon was the king, but God is the sovereign. There is a greater authority and unless you recognize that, you probably won’t get the help you need. You may need things of which you are not even aware, but Solomon did know what he needed and asked God for it, realizing that God was in control. It is amazing that God would ask us to ask Him. That is exactly what He has done throughout the Bible by story and direct doctrine. God commands and invites us to ask of Him, to depend on Him. That is what Solomon did. So, how you ask says something about how you see God.
Second, how you ask says something about how you see yourself. In verse 7 Solomon says that he was just a child who did not know how to go out or come in. Verse 8 says, “And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude.” He says, “Lord, I am but a child, but you are great. God, these are your people. I need your help to govern your people. You have chosen and called them. They can’t be numbered, and you’ve chosen me to be the leader.”
So, how do you see yourself? Solomon saw himself as a servant and specifically as a steward. He says more than once, “God, I need Your wisdom for Your people.” Solomon could have asked for much, and, by the way, if there is anything you can worry about, scheme for, or connive for, it is wrong. We ought to be asking God for it. If you cannot ask God for it, you should not want it. We are to ask, and what and how you ask says something about you.
Finally, how you ask says something about how you see your own need. Verse 9 says, “Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart.” He wanted help to know what to do and be able to judge the people. In Proverbs, Solomon would later say that wisdom is greater than wealth, rubies, diamonds, gold, and so on. He says this in numerous ways throughout the proverbs because instinctively we always think of financial benefit as the greatest benefit, but it is not. Indeed, you need wisdom to even ask for wisdom. Solomon did not have the wisdom he needed, but he had the wisdom to know that he needed wisdom. Some people don’t even have that much wisdom. It takes wisdom to ask for wisdom.
There is a little bit of hierarchy of need here. I don’t think it is wrong to ask for money, health, or life. I have done all those things. I don’t think it is wrong to ask for wisdom, but the point is if I don’t have wisdom, how can I use my money, health, or life well? Wisdom must come first. God goes on to say, “Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself…” Solomon didn’t ask for something for himself personally, but for something to benefit those he was leading. Because he had done that, God said, “I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches, and honour.”
I would say that you also see a lot about God by how God responds. God is a God of mercy and infinite resources. Beyond all that, He is generous. So, we know who God is, and the way we ask God what we need tells us about ourselves and who it is that we are because how you ask says something about you.