Word of Salvation – Vol. 25 No. 20 – January 1979

 

An Unusual, Noble and Unselfish Choice

 

Sermon by Rev. N. Teekens, L.Th., Th.Grad. on 1Kings 3:9a

Scripture reading: 1Kings 3:1-15, 1Kings 11:1-13, Matthew 6:25-34

Psalter Hymnal: 203; 493; 302; 395

 

Congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ,

Some years ago, there was a programs on TV in which selected members of the public were given the opportunity to ask for a particular item they needed badly – perhaps a washing machine for the mother who did not have one, or a fan for an aged friend, or some basic furniture to place in an otherwise bare room. Upon answering a simple question, this wish would be fulfilled, to the delight of the contestant, as well as with hopes on the part of the sponsors who ran the program that sales would increase.

In the text before us today, we also have to do with a wish, made by the young king Solomon. However, his wish is not made known to men, for it is often doubtful if man can grant fully our deepest wish. No, Solomon makes his wish before Almighty God, the Maker of heaven and earth, in Whom alone our help is; God, Who has the power to fulfil the wish of every creature, should that be His will.

Wishing is not strange to us.

Perhaps, sometimes in your family, you play the make-belief game when an attractive sales catalogue from a large store is studied, and you pretend you are going to let yourself and the children buy various items you select. What momentary delight for the children if together you pretend you will buy all the items you have marked!

But in the text, Solomon, at the commencement of his reign, is certainly not facing a make-belief situation which will never become a reality! God Himself displays, as it were, all His wonderful gifts to Solomon in the dream. Generously, the Lord encourages the young king: “Ask what I shall give you!”

Our text tells us what Solomon’s answer was to the Lord, and we note three points:

1. It is an unusual choice,

2. It is a noble choice, and

3. It is an unselfish choice.

I. Firstly, then, we note that Solomon makes an unusual choice, That is clear from the fact that he does not, choose what everyone else in his circumstances would have chosen. We must remember that Solomon is here at the beginning of his reign. In chapter 2 of 1Kings we find the description of how king David, his father, hands over the rule of God’s people Israel to his son Solomon.

Now we ought to remember that Solomon is an Eastern ruler. If there was anything that Eastern rulers wished for themselves, it was precisely not what Solomon here asks of the Lord. They would have certainly asked for riches, a long life and victory over other nearby nations.

That this is indeed the most usual desire for any ruler is emphasised in chapter 3:11, where the Lord offers Solomon also these more ‘normal’ things beside what Solomon himself asked for.

Generally speaking, in the East, a ruler’s greatness was not so much reckoned in his capacity to rule wisely, but in his accumulated wealth and power. In this respect, then, Solomon’s request is unusual. Instead of asking what most people would logically request as first and foremost, Solomon asks of the Lord for “an understanding mind to govern Thy people, that I may discern between good and evil…!”

Solomon has told the Lord why he makes this unusual choice, for in his prayer he admits, in verse 7, “I am but a little child…!” With these words he shows he feels himself unable to take up this tremendous task of ruling God’s people. He has not had any previous experience, and his responsibility is very great before God and before God’s people. But, with the granted request for wisdom from the Lord God, he shall be able to rule God’s nation properly.

We should note the way Solomon begins his career as king. He is aware that he cannot launch into this task without approaching God in prayer.

He cannot do it alone. He makes sacrifices at Gibeon as an act of worship of the Lord, and we ought to note that after these sacrifices the Lord comes to him in a dream. As king, his first act is one of submission to God. That befits a king in Israel. It also befits, however, every king and ruler over any nation.

In our days it is almost absurd to think that every meeting, say of NATO or the UNITED NATIONS, should begin with a worship service, in whatever form, followed by a prayer meeting. All we have retained in our own Parliament is the Lord’s Prayer at every opening, but one fears that not all those who voice the words of the prayer intend to “hallow Thy Name”, nor intend to assist so that “Thy Kingdom come”. And so, all the more prayer is asked of the Christian citizens of our country for those who hold the political reins in their hands.

Another element in Solomon’s request ought to be noted by us, namely, that he asks for that attribute, that quality so that he can make a meaningful contribution to the Kingdom of God! He is concerned, not about his own glory, but about the glory of God’s throne, God’s rule, God’s glorious Presence with and in His Covenant people. If there is peace and righteousness amongst God’s people, then there is a beginning already of the Messianic peace, of which Israel’s kings were types, and of which soon the Prophets of Israel would speak as a future hope! Thus, in his request, Solomon was concerned about God’s Kingdom!

Congregation, if we were allowed to make our deepest wishes known to God, would our wishes be ‘unusual’ in the sense of being a specific CHRISTIAN hope instead of a worldly one? Just think about this for a moment – what are our deepest wishes? Or… do our wishes lie on the same level as those of unbelievers? Have we also become slaves hoping and working for all sorts of gadgets to make daily burdens a little lighter… and still spend that gained, extra time, in pursuing fairly useless and frivolous activities?

Is it not true that Christians flatten their noses against the same shop windows that unbelievers desire to observe? Of course it is not true that we have to bypass everything the unbeliever wants and buys.. In these things the blessings of God are actually present, and we may make use of them… wisely and with thankfulness.

But if we, with our wishes, do not get beyond wishing for the same things the world wishes for, we are just LIKE the world, and no better! Then we do not indicate that we think and choose and desire as the Christian should! For if the Christian is placed before God’s window display, his choice shall be different, or, at least, ought to be different! And MUST be different!

You see, God would show us many beautiful things, many things we need and are short of. But above all, He would show us, amongst other things, His Kingdom, and the glory of His Name and of His Son Jesus! And the Christian would exclaim:

“O Lord, may Thy Kingdom come! And grant me the gifts whereby I can be of service to that Kingdom! And grant me to love You above all, and my neighbour!”

Wishing the things God is pleased with must be our aim.

For example, when your children come home and tell about their new friend who is taking them out, and see a romance is in the making, your first question will not be about looks or jobs, but whether the friend is a believer, a Christian.

We need to pray for health and work, but also for the readiness to speak about the Lord when a suitable occasion arises. You may say, “I do not have the gift to speak about spiritual matters easily…”, but have you ever prayed for this gift? Have you ever prayed that the Lord may use you to bring one person closer to Him?

Yes, we choose and wish. But is our choice unusual? Is it particularly Christian? As Solomon’s request was?

“Seek first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness… and all these other things shall be yours as well.”

II. The second point we note from our text is that Solomon’s choice is a noble choice. When the Lord proposes to him: “Ask what I shall give you”, he answers “Give Thy servant an understanding mind…!” Later in this chapter it is called a “wise and discerning mind.” Solomon asks this because in his ruling of the nation he must come in contact with many people. Therefore, Solomon makes a noble choice.

He must be able to grasp what is right and what is wrong. He must search for motives, purposes and long-range effects of decisions. Above all, he must have the ability to listen. And, brothers and sisters, if there is need of one thing today amongst people, it is the ability to listen! This ability is necessary most of all for people who take a leading role in society, but also for every person who comes into contact with other people.

Sometimes, one hears people mention that ministers must be good speakers. But it is equally important to be good listeners, and this also goes for the elders of the church.

Listening to people as they speak.

Listening to what is being said, and to what is being conveyed, which may in fact be two different matters altogether.

Listening also to God’s Word.

Listening with a discerning heart for what is living in peoples’ minds and hearts.

As infants and children we have a great need for mother to listen to our stories of the day. We need a mother who does not brush aside our experiences as if they are trivial matters.

When we have a problem on our mind, is it not tremendously helpful to just speak to someone about it, even if the problem is thereby not solved immediately?

There is something wrong with an office-bearer’s conception of his duty if he thinks that he must always be able to supply answers to the problems presented to him in home visits or during a conversation outside of his official calling on members.

It may well be a special prayer for us to pray with Solomon, “Lord, give me an understanding, a listening heart”. We are each to serve each other as counsellors and spiritual advisors, and a listening heart may well be the right start for us to become more useful and helpful in our common task toward each other.

But above all, the emphasis must not be on the horizontal level only in listening. God’s Word must continually be listened to. Is it not a fact that, whenever we hear a sermon God reaches out to us with His advice for our happiness?

Are the beginnings of a host of problems not solved we listen attentively to His Word each Sunday and whenever we read it!?! Are the basic solutions to our frustrations and unhappiness, both in our personal and family life, not touched on each time God speaks to us!?!

Indeed, like Solomon’s request, our need is to listen to God, as He speaks to us of warnings and blessings. Unless we let God speak and we obey His Word, not only unhappiness-but evil will surely come upon us as a direct result of our inattentiveness and disobedience.

III. Finally, Solomon’s choice was an unselfish choice. From the above it is already clear that his choice was not directed at his own wealth and success, but out of deep concern for the welfare of the people and God’s Kingdom amongst them.

And, congregation, our choices and wishes ought to be in line with these desires. Our main desire should be to serve God’s people, His Church, and to be effective members of His Kingdom here on earth. We must ask ourselves the question: how much do I ask for myself? How much time and money and attention is spent on my likes and relaxation; on my house and my holidays; on our sport and development? How much time de we spend viewing what the world also views, instead of having time spent with God’s people? How much time is spent on reading the daily and often sensuous newspapers. And how much time do we spend reading God’s Word or upbuilding Christian literature …personally?

Thus, we ought to work hard for ourselves, so that we can give a large part away to serve God’s Kingdom and the society where we are placed. We work, in order also to serve! Thus also, when the sermon is finished, the service must begin.

Solomon’s choice was unusual, noble and unselfish.

He began his reign with high and praiseworthy ideals.

And we ought to note that the Lord blessed him for it by adding to his stated desire also wisdom and riches, as verse 13 informs us. And, on the condition of walking in God’s ways and keeping His commandments, a long life is also promised.

But Solomon has not been able to maintain his stated desire for fu having an understanding mind. As time went by, he became caught up in his own desires being fulfilled. His listening to people went beyond the bounds of God’s commandments, for he went after other gods and built places of worship for these gods; he gathered many chariots and horses, and his reliance was not on the Lord but on weapons of war. His heart, which had first prompted him to ask for understanding, led him astray to serve the idols of his many wives.

There is only One Person Whose desire was to serve His God and Father, and to give Himself fully without reserve to mankind. There was only One Person, our Lord Jesus Christ, Who is more than Solomon, for He made the choice more unusual, noble and unselfish than any living man had or could ever make. He did not choose the glory and riches of the world but rather put these aside and took the form of a servant to serve His Father and His people.

No one had a heart that cared so much for men as Jesus Christ, Who listened to men in order to help them. And His choice meant for all sinful mankind, for all those who received Him as their Saviour, the path to the glory and riches and long life Solomon was promised upon the condition of obedience. Where Solomon failed, we all fail, for who can consistently love and serve the Lord God? But Jesus Christ, Who stood in our place and Who died in our place gives us freely the blessings of riches in Himself and life eternal!

People may disappoint us and have little or no time for us, and place their own happiness first on their list, but Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd and our King, has time and attention for us!

In His final suffering, hear how He forgives those who crucify Him; hear how He committed the care for His mother to the disciple John; hear how He listened to the pleas of the dying criminal next to Him on the cross.

In Jesus’ unusual noble and unselfish choice lies our salvation, also salvation from our selfish and egocentric desires. But only His Spirit at work in us can awaken in us the desire to be of service to God’s people in the world, and equip us to unselfish service in God’s Kingdom. Left to ourselves, our zeal and enthusiasm soon diminish and fail, and our interest and involvement are easily distracted to other directions.

But His Spirit inspires us to unselfish service, counting the demands of the Lord God and the good of our neighbour as our prime goal in life.

Holy Spirit, all Divine,
Dwell within this heart of mine;
Cast down every idol throne,
Reign supreme, and reign alone!

AMEN.