?Wisdom? of Solomon

In 1 Kings 3:9 Solomon said to God: Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?"

God was pleased and said: 10 The speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing. 11 Then God said to him: "Because you have asked this thing, and have not asked long life for yourself, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have asked the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern justice, 12 behold, I have done according to your words; see, I have given you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has not been anyone like you before you, nor shall any like you arise after you. 13 And I have also given you what you have not asked: both riches and honor, so that there shall not be anyone like you among the kings all your days. 14 So if you walk in My ways, to keep My statutes and My commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days."

Since God gave Solomon great wisdom, WHY did he make so many bad decisions? I believe in freewill so that explains the 'how', but great wisdom, as a gift from God, should have prevented such bad decisions. Was the wisdom given to Solomon ONLY to discern and judge for the people and not for life decisions?

Can anyone explain this to me? We've discussed it in Sunday School but everyone is as confused as I.

Diane

28 And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had rendered; and they feared the king, for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to administer justice.

Imperfection is part & parcel of being human. The greatest wisdom God gives us is the ability to learn from our mistakes. Maybe that's why Solomon still made them

Originally posted by dianetavegia:
Since God gave Solomon great wisdom, WHY did he make so many bad decisions? I believe in freewill so that explains the 'how', but great wisdom, as a gift from God, should have prevented such bad decisions. Was the wisdom given to Solomon ONLY to discern and judge for the people and not for life decisions?

Can anyone explain this to me? We've discussed it in Sunday School but everyone is as confused as I.

Click to expand...

You're forgetting about sin.

Sin is an insane rebellion against God that all of us experience. We know the right thing to do, but sometimes - sometimes very often - choose to do the wrong thing in spite of the consequences.

The main problem with most people is not that they don't know the right thing to do... it's that they know the right thing to do and then purposely do the wrong thing for the sake of immediate gratification or rebellion against authority.

Solomon's wisdom was given to him in terms of administrating over the nation of Israel. This does not translate into wisdom in personal decisions in one's personal life! His knowledge as a scholar and his wisdom as a judge were renown throughout that part of the world. Yet, in the book of Ecclesiastes, we see how difficult it was for him to come to terms with his own life and the wisdom he needed for that.

Galatians 6:8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

Remember, Solomon was flesh just as we. I might go on to say he lacked prudence/ wisdom applied to practice/ or the ability to foresee the evil and thereby avoid it.

What really confuses me, is that after the first wife, why did he ever want another? I heard Brother Larry Raynes say after being accused of looking for another woman,"I may not be too smart, but I don't make the same mistake twice."

Actually, in the mind-set of 970BCE, to form alliances by intermarrying with all levels of power, WAS great wisdom.

A large harem of wives/concubines WAS evidence of a great nation, wealth, "blessing of God", to his powerful neighbors.

He did use the wisdom God gave him for the good of a nation.

BTW, that does not justify his obsession with lust (came naturally from Dad) and willingly sinful choices he made in taxing, economics, et al.