Many of us dream of walking in great wealth, while some of us dream of contentment. Whichever side of the scale you fall on, I believe we all have a lot to learn concerning wealth from King Solomon. He who the Lord promised in 1 Kings 3:13 (NIV):
Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for—both wealth and honor—so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings.
King Solomon walked in such great wealth, that in today’s terms, his net worth is estimated to be $2.2 trillion. 1 Kings 4:22-27 gives us a sneak peek into the vastness of his wealth.
King Solomon was by no means a perfect man. He had his weaknesses (so stop thinking you have to be perfect for God to bless you!) And it is because he was so human, that I believe there is no better teacher from whom to learn the principles of wealth. So…shall we get started?
1. Seek ye first the Kingdom of God
Solomon made an alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt and married his daughter. He brought her to the City of David until he finished building his palace and the temple of the Lord, and the wall around Jerusalem. 2 The people, however, were still sacrificing at the high places, because a temple had not yet been built for the Name of the Lord.3 Solomon showed his love for the Lord by walking according to the instructions given him by his father David, except that he offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places.4 The king went to Gibeon to offer sacrifices, for that was the most important high place, and Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar. 5 At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream,and God said, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.”6 Solomon answered, “You have shown great kindness to your servant, my father David, because he was faithful to you and righteous and upright in heart. You have continued this great kindness to him and have given him a son to sit on his throne this very day.7 “Now, 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. 8 Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number.
1 Kings 3:1-8 (NIV)
The Lord gave King Solomon an open cheque when He told him, ” Ask for whatever you want Me to give you.” From the above passage, we know that King Solomon asked for wisdom. What is the significance of his request for wisdom?
Proverbs 8:1, 22-36 (NIV) answers this question:
Does not wisdom call out?
Does not understanding raise her voice?
The Lord brought me forth as the first of his works,[a][b]
before his deeds of old;
23 I was formed long ages ago,
at the very beginning, when the world came to be.
24 When there were no watery depths, I was given birth,
when there were no springs overflowing with water;
25 before the mountains were settled in place,
before the hills, I was given birth,
26 before he made the world or its fields
or any of the dust of the earth.
27 I was there when he set the heavens in place,
when he marked out the horizon on the face of the deep,
28 when he established the clouds above
and fixed securely the fountains of the deep,
29 when he gave the sea its boundary
so the waters would not overstep his command,
and when he marked out the foundations of the earth.
30 Then I was constantly[c] at his side.
I was filled with delight day after day,
rejoicing always in his presence,
31 rejoicing in his whole world
and delighting in mankind.
32 “Now then, my children, listen to me;
blessed are those who keep my ways.
33 Listen to my instruction and be wise;
do not disregard it.
34 Blessed are those who listen to me,
watching daily at my doors,
waiting at my doorway.
35 For those who find me find life
and receive favor from the Lord.
36 But those who fail to find me harm themselves;
all who hate me love death.”
Wisdom is a Person and His name is Jesus Christ! In effect, King Solomon, unbeknownst to him( or maybe known to him) asked the Father for the Son! This request so pleased the Lord that not only did He honour the request, He gave him that which he did not ask for- unfathomable wealth (See 1 Kings 3:12-15).
This same principle was echoed by Wisdom in Matthew 6:31-33( NIV)
31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
It would only be wise then for us to stop seeking wealth and status and to start seeking the Lord as per Proverbs 4:7 and James 1:5. And as you follow Wisdom’s leadership, then all else shall be added to you.