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Advent HOPE Sabbath School

Anthony Baca

Lessons from a King: The Experience of Solomon

Let's begin with the word of prayer and then we'll dive into our Bible study today.

Gracious Heavenly Father, we thank you for the privilege to study your word.

And I know that I am but dust and I know that my mind has a million things within it, and so I just pray for clarity of thought, that your presence would be here to be the ultimate teacher and guide.

I don't truly know what I'm doing, but I know that you know, and that you will lead and guide us in our Bible study.

So teach us all, speak to us individually and personally through your word, that we might receive the blessing that you intended for us when you brought us here today.

And for those even listening online, the same for them.

Bless us all in Christ's name we pray, amen.

So we're just gonna dive right into our study today.

If you take your Bibles, turn to me to 1 Kings chapter 3.

We'll spend a significant amount of time reading through this chapter, these verses, because we need to kind of build a little bit of a foundation and maybe clarify some things with Solomon and his early experience.

Now Solomon's often known for 1 of a couple of things.

You know, if I were to say, what is Solomon known for, I think the majority of people would respond with something like, wisdom.

That's like the go-to number 1, it's wisdom.

I mean, you know, even Jesus used Solomon to do a contrast of wisdom, right?

1 wiser than Solomon is here, indicating that Solomon was indeed wise, because he used them as a point of contrast.

So we're gonna see though some things about this wisdom, because I had some conceptions about this wisdom, and I remember when I was a brand new Christian studying the Bible and I learned about Solomon, I was like, is that easy?

I was like, man, come on, calculus, let's go, right?

I'm just gonna ask God wisdom and I'll pass my test.

But we're gonna notice something specific about Solomon, about his wisdom, about God's intention for him, and then see where that path eventually went.

So 1 Kings chapter 3 beginning in verse 5.

Solomon said, You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant David my father, because he walked before you in faithfulness and righteousness and in uprightness of heart toward you.

And you have kept for him this great and steadfast love, and have given him a son to sit on his throne this day.

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 to come in." I love Solomon's response to God.

How would you respond to God if He showed up and just said, ask what you want?

I mean, I'm sure that we have 2 thoughts, right?

What we would like to say, and what we would probably say, right?

You know, when I was a brand new Christian, brand new Christian, And I read that text when Jesus says, if you ask anything in my name, it shall be given unto you, right?

I remember reading that in the Gospel of Mark and I got excited.

I didn't know how any of this worked, so I just rubbed my hands.

I ran to my bedroom so quick, I was like, man, let's do this thing.

Closed that door, I got down, and I started thinking, oh man, the world, the sky's the limit.

My first prayer request for something, My very first prayer was just waving and saying hi, but my first request and prayer for something was that day, and I knelt and I prayed and I said, you know, dear Father, in the name of Jesus, gotta make sure I get the words right, you know, that's what the Bible said, in the name of Jesus, please give me a Ferrari.

That, wait, wait, wait, why are you guys laughing at me?

I was a brand new Christian and I just read, if you ask, it shall be?

So, I don't know about you, man, but I take the Bible for what it says, amen?

And I remember I ran out to my driveway to look at my 1987 Toyota Corolla to see if it morphed, And it was still a 1987 Toyota Corolla.

And I thought to myself, okay, maybe like I did something wrong, or didn't do it right, or didn't say right.

So I was like, I'll figure this out along the way.

But I always had it in the back of my mind.

Then I read texts in James and whatnot, like you ask but don't receive because you ask to burn it on your lust.

You know, I'm not really asking something that's for my benefit, you know, or every good and perfect thing comes from your Father above and I thought, what would I have done with a Ferrari?

So I started realizing very quickly why that prayer wasn't answered.

Side tangent though, you know something crazy?

About 10 years later, I was in Arizona and I get a random text message from someone I haven't even talked to in about a decade.

They said, hey, can you go test drive this car for me, man?

And I remember I was going through an experience in life and I was just talking with God a lot about just things and I was like, sure, man, I'll test drive a car for you.

Go to Scottsdale, go to this place, you'll meet this guy.

And I said, all right, what am I driving?

So I can do some research, make sure it's a good car.

He's like, you're gonna be test driving a Ferrari for me.

So, you know, here, when it says, ask what you want, I'll give it to you, there's the things that we would like to think we would ask for, but then there's the things we probably really would ask for.

So my response was, God, give me a Ferrari, and in his mercy, he taught me the truth of his word, and then just let me drive 1 10 years later.

Solomon, as soon as God said, ask what you want and I'll give it to you, he said, you have shown great love toward my father.

Not only that, you've already done good to me.

You know, the picture I see is God saying, what do you want?

And it's like Solomon's initial response is, what more should I want?

You have shown so much love toward my dad and toward me.

And I am but a child who doesn't know anything, and you made me king of your people.

What more could, you know, you see the story there, the response there?

What a beautiful response, and I remember I felt so rebuked because really, my response should be, God, what more can I ask?

You have shown your steadfast love and the greatest sacrifice.

Spirit, The prophet and kings describing Solomon at that time in his life says, Solomon was never so rich or so wise or so truly great as when he confessed, I am but a little child, I do not know how to go out or to come in." We are literally looking at the pinnacle of Solomon's experience, and it was before he even received that wisdom from God that he's so well known for.

And he says, you have been so awesome already, and I don't even know what I'm doing.

And at that point, he was at the prime of his experience.

I used to think, you know, Solomon was at the prime when he, you know, built this temple, or he was at the prime when he had this wisdom, or he was at the prime when the gold of the kingdom was as much as the stones of the kingdom.

And your servant is in the midst of your people whom you have chosen, a great many people, too many to be numbered or counted for multitude give your servant therefore so here we go we he's expressed all of this but now he realizes something in this dialogue with God he says well you did put me as a child who doesn't know anything to rule a people.

So, just give me an understanding mind to govern your people.

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Lessons from a King: The Experience of Solomon

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