In 1 Kings 3 we find Solomon stepping into his role as Israel’s king with a mix of devotion and youthful earnestness, and we’re invited to witness how his first act of worship sets the tone for a reign defined by wisdom. After David’s death, Solomon consolidates the kingdom, marrying Pharaoh’s daughter to strengthen diplomatic ties and removing Abiathar from the priesthood to signal a fresh start in God’s service. Yet even in these political moves, it’s clear that Solomon is searching for a deeper alignment with the Lord’s purposes.
Early in his reign, Solomon journeys to Gibeon, the high place where the tabernacle still stands, choosing it over Jerusalem for this momentous occasion. We can imagine the air thick with incense as Solomon offers a thousand burnt offerings before the Lord, an act of extravagant worship that conveys both his gratitude for the throne and his humility before the divine. As the fragrance of sacrifice drifts skyward, Solomon’s heart seems attuned to something beyond palace intrigue, something that calls him into an encounter far more profound than mere ritual.
That evening, God appears to Solomon in a dream. The king finds himself face to face with the Lord, a moment that no earthly advisor could have arranged. God invites Solomon to ask for whatever he desires. In our own lives, we seldom hear such an invitation so plainly, and we might hesitate between asking for personal gain or greater glory. Solomon’s response is striking for its selflessness. He acknowledges the overwhelming responsibility of ruling a vast people, and rather than petition for long life or riches at the outset, he pleads for “an understanding mind” to discern between good and evil when he judges. We can almost hear the sincerity in his voice—here is a young ruler who knows that without wisdom, success would be hollow and power dangerous.
God’s reaction confirms the rightness of Solomon’s choice. The Lord tells him that because he asked for wisdom rather than selfish things, he will receive not only discernment but also riches and honor beyond what any other king has known. And God promises that if Solomon continues to walk in obedience to the Lord’s statutes, his life will be long. This divine endorsement sets Solomon apart: his wisdom becomes a gift not for his own prestige alone, but for the good of the people of Israel and even for the nations beyond.
No sooner has Solomon awakened than he stands at the crossroads of judgment, confronted with a case that puts his newly granted wisdom to the test. Two women, both prostitutes, bring their dispute before him. Each claims to be the mother of the same child—a fragile three‑day‑old infant. They share a dwelling and a bed, and in the night one mother accidentally suffocates her own baby. In horror she switches her lifeless child for her companion’s living one, hoping to spare herself shame. When morning comes, the woman who slept apart discovers the switch and appeals to Solomon, insisting that the living baby is hers and that the other woman is a liar.
As observers, we sense the raw vulnerability of both women—their livelihood already precarious, their maternal rights under threat, and their plea for justice delivered with raw emotion. Solomon’s response is calm and measured. He proposes to cut the living child in two, giving half to each woman. The suggestion shocks the mothers, but only one recoils with true compassion, begging the king to spare the child and give it to the other woman rather than see it killed. The other, driven by fear or fury, agrees to the division. Solomon then pronounces the real mother to be the one whose love overrode her own claim, and he restores the child to her.
In that moment, we see wisdom in action—not merely knowledge of right and wrong, but the ability to discern the true heart beneath words and tears. Solomon’s judgment not only resolves the dispute but also sends a message across the nation: this king possesses a rare insight, a gift beyond any earthly resource. News of the decision spreads quickly, and people come to Jerusalem from all Israel to hear his judgments. Foreign dignitaries and ambassadors from distant lands also arrive, drawn by tales of Solomon’s discernment, seeking to test its limits and benefit from his reputed sagacity.
By the end of the chapter, Solomon returns from Gibeon to Jerusalem, and it seems as though the fragrance of those first burnt offerings still lingers in the palace corridors. We can picture him walking through the temple courts, aware that the encounter at Gibeon was not a one‑time event, but the beginning of a lifetime of reliance on divine guidance. His reign, which will later become known for both its splendor and its challenges, is inaugurated by this single act of choosing wisdom over wealth or power.
In 1 Kings 3, we find a model for leadership that transcends time. Solomon’s example reminds us that the most enduring authority springs not from material strength or political maneuvering, but from humility before something greater than ourselves. When faced with the choice between asking for gifts that might serve only our own comfort and asking for insight that can serve others, Solomon begs for the latter—and in doing so, unlocks a legacy of justice and discernment that continues to inspire. As we reflect on this chapter, we’re invited to consider our own lives: where might we, like Solomon, ask first for wisdom to guide our choices, trusting that everything else will follow in its right season?