Bible Passage: 1 Kings 3:5-12
Pastor: Joel Jenswold
Sermon Date: July 26, 2026

Bulletin – July 26, 2026

In the name of, and to the eternal glory of, Jesus,

“Ask for whatever you want.”  Those are the words many imagine they would love to hear!  That is the whole idea behind rubbing the mythical “magic lamp.”  A genie pops out and you get three wishes for whatever you want.  The mind races thinking of the possibilities!  Maybe some of you have had that philosophical discussion.  “What would you ask for?”

That question is not only the stuff of legends and fairy tales.  There was once a man who actually heard those words.  Not spoken to him by a genie, but spoken to him by the Lord God!  The man was Solomon, son of King David.  And Solomon’s answer may be surprising.  But, we are told in our text, the Lord was pleased (v. 10) with Solomon’s request.  What was Solomon’s request and why was it pleasing to the Lord?  Solomon’s request was this:  Give Your Servant a Discerning Heart.

Our text takes place shortly after Solomon has become Israel’s king.  His father, David, has died.  Solomon is new.  He is green.  He is young.  He is inexperienced.  But just before our text we are given a very important detail about Solomon at this point in his life.  Solomon showed his love for the LORD by walking according to the statutes of his father David. (1 Kings 3:3)  Solomon loved the LORD.  He has made a good start!  It is to young, green, inexperienced Solomon that the Lord comes in a dream.  Ask for whatever you want me to give you. (v. 5)

Oh my!  What might a brand new king ask for?  A king probably wants a large kingdom.  “Give me expanded borders!”  To rule such a vast kingdom a king will need a strong military. “Give me the strongest fighting force in the world!”  And what king is remembered for presiding over a bad economy?  “Give the kingdom economic prosperity!”  And what king wants to sleep with one eye open because of rivals to the throne?  “Grant me the death of all rivals to my throne!”  There you go!  That’s the stuff of kings!

Solomon goes a different route.  Now, O LORD my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David.  But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. (v. 7)  Literally what Solomon says is, “I don’t know if I’m coming or going.”  Solomon doesn’t know if he’s afoot or horseback!  And so here’s his request:  So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong.  For who is able to govern this great people of yours? (v. 9)

Let’s break down Solomon’s request.  First of all we notice how he refers to himself.  He calls himself the LORD’s servant.  At this point in his reign Solomon is very humble.  He is not too big for his britches.  He understands “chain of command.”  He sits on the throne of his father David as a “servant king.”  He is there first and foremost to love and serve the LORD by loving and serving his people.

To do that Solomon asks for a discerning heart.  Again, literally, Solomon asks for “a listening heart.”  He asks for “a heart with ears.”  Solomon wants a heart for the people he serves.  Not a hard heart, like Pharaoh of old.  Solomon wants a heart with ears, a heart that listens and responds to the needs of the people.  After all, these are the Lord’s people!  And who is able to govern this preat people?  It can only be done with the blessing of God.  So that is what Solomon seeks.  Look at what Solomon leaves on the table!  Riches and wealth!  Power and might!  Fame and renown!  He asks for none of it!  He asks that the LORD might give him what he needs to love and serve others.

Friends, Solomon’s prayer is such a wonderful “vocational” prayer.  You all have different vocations, or callings in life.  You are father, mother, son, daughter, employer, employee, student, church member.  Give your servant a discerning heart.  In every one of your vocations you are a servant!  Even if you are a king, you are a servant!  You serve the LORD!  “Lord, give me a heart with ears so I am a better Christian father or mother to my children.”  “Lord, give me a heart with ears so I love and serve people at work, even and especially the difficult ones!”  “Lord, give me a heart with ears so as I age I don’t become bitter and angry, but I continue to look and listen for ways to love and serve my neighbor.”  My sinful nature still wants God to be the genie who exists to give me the stuff of this world.

How is that old sinner within us broken and overcome?  How does loving and serving the LORD by loving and serving my neighbor rise above love of this world?  We might look to Solomon for our answer.  Solomon showed his love for the LORD. (1 Kings 3:3)  Solomon loved the LORD…because the LORD loved him first.  Solomon’s heart was changed by the LORD’s steadfast, covenant love.  The same is true for us.

Many years after Solomon was gone and it looked like great David’s dynasty was over for good, an angel appeared to a girl in Nazareth in Galilee and told her she was going to have a baby.  Not just any baby!  The angel told her, He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.  The Lord will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end. (Luke 1:32-33)  And just so there can be no doubt who the angel was talking about, the angel also said, You are to give him the name Jesus. (Luke 1:31)  The greatest King from David’s line, even greater than great Solomon, came in love for you!  He came to save you from loving all the wrong things!  This King loved you so much he died for you.  It is the love and blood of Jesus that empower us to rise above the “low fruit” of loving wealth and pleasure and…yada yada.  It is the love and blood of Jesus that make you humble enough to pray, “Give your servant a discerning heart…so I can love and serve others.”

Amen.