Why Did Solomon Ask For Wisdom, And Why Should You?

It’s important to know who you are; this gives you direction and purpose in life. The Bible has many purposeful descriptions of the Christian: The Christian is a disciple of Jesus, called to follow him. The Christian is an ambassador for Jesus, called to make him known in the world. And the Christian is a son of David, called to build temples. Wait, really? Yes, really. Let me explain by starting with Solomon.

When the Lord asked Solomon to request from him anything he wanted, Solomon asked not for riches or fame but for wisdom (1 Kings 3:9). This is often understood as nothing more than a morally selfless request. While it’s certainly not less than that, there’s more going on with Solomon’s request when it’s understood in light of earlier Scripture and the son of David’s role.

Role of the Son of David

Solomon was the son of David. This is more than a genealogical fact, akin to you being the son of Joe or Bill. The son of David is a title, more similar to royal titles such as the British Prince William bearing the title the Duke of Cornwall.

Such titles often come with specific roles or tasks. As outlined in the Lord’s covenant with King David, the son of David was to build the temple for the Lord (2 Sam. 7:13). Firemen put out fires, nurses tend to the sick, and sons of David build temples.

Firemen put out fires, nurses tend to the sick, and sons of David build temples.

Solomon must have known this. And as he rose to the throne (1 Kings 1) and established his rule by defeating those who opposed him (1 Kings 2), Solomon knew the time had come to build the temple. Building the temple is the major act in Solomon’s life that the author of Kings slowly details over four chapters (1 Kings 5–8). And so, before he sets out on this defining accomplishment, we read of Solomon asking the Lord for wisdom (1 Kings 3).

Once you know your role, you need to be equipped. Firemen need hoses, nurses need needles, and temple-building sons of David need wisdom.

Wisdom and Temple-Building in Earlier Scripture

First Kings 3:9 states that Solomon asked for wisdom “to govern [God’s] people, that [he] may discern between good and evil.” I’m not saying Solomon requested wisdom only to build the temple. This verse clearly states—and the subsequent case of Solomon settling the dispute between two prostitutes showcases—he gained wisdom to discern between good and evil (vv. 16–28). But building the temple was one reason he needed wisdom. While this isn’t stated explicitly in 1 Kings, it resounds throughout earlier Scripture.

In response to Solomon’s request, the Lord gave him a “heart of wisdom and understanding” (v. 12, author’s translation). The Hebrew word for “wisdom” is hokmah, and it first occurs in the Bible in relation to building the tabernacle. The leading craftsmen, Bezalel and Oholiab, along with the other workers possess this wisdom (Ex. 28:3; 31:3, 6; 35:26, 31, 35; 36:1, 2). Unfortunately, hokmah is translated in these occurrences as “skill” or “ability.” For example, regarding Bezalel, the Lord says, “I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability (hokmah) and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship” (31:3).

Scripture teaches that those building the tabernacle, God’s dwelling place, needed wisdom (hokmah) from God.

Many scholars have argued convincingly that the creation of the world occurred in such a way that it echoed the creation of a temple, a place for God to dwell with mankind; and that the garden of Eden was the first templelike structure. As we look at how the Bible retells God’s creation of the world, the first “temple,” we see that it also was created with wisdom. For example, Psalm 104, recounting God’s creation and sustenance of the universe, declares, “O LORD, how manifold are your works! In wisdom (hokmah) have you made them all” (Ps. 104:24; see also Prov. 3:19; 8:22–31; Ps. 136:5).

Thus, Scripture records that previous templelike structures, both the earth and the tabernacle, were built by the wisdom of God. Solomon, who as king knew his Bible well (Deut. 17:18–19), would have known this is how God’s dwelling places have been built in the past. And so, in light of his role as the son of David, Solomon asked for wisdom to build God’s temple.

Son of David and the Sons of David

This pattern of the temple-building son of David continues into the New Testament even as the details are reworked. Christ, the One greater than Solomon (Matt. 12:42), is the true son of David (9:27; Mark 12:37). We therefore shouldn’t be surprised to read that Jesus grew in wisdom (Luke 2:52) and that he foretold he’d rebuild the “temple of his body” (John 2:21).

And so he did. Christ built his church—that is, his body—into a holy temple for God (Matt. 16:18; 1 Cor. 12:27; Eph. 2:22). All Christians are said to be “living stones” (1 Pet. 2:5) within this new temple structure. And just as God’s presence filled the tabernacle and Solomon’s temple, so Christ has filled his temple with the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 3:16).

Christ built his church into a holy temple for God. All Christians are said to be ‘living stones’ within this new temple structure.

Our identity in Christ means we also are sons of David. Paul applies the Lord’s promise of his fatherly relationship with the son of David to Christians (2 Cor. 6:18; see Jer. 33:22). And if we’re sons of David, we also bear the role of the son of David—that is, temple-building. How do Christians build temples? Our gospel work builds on the existing foundation (1 Cor 3:9–17); through evangelism, new “living stones” are placed within the temple, and through discipleship, existing stones are fortified.

Knowing our identity as sons of David informs our purpose and role as Christians to be temple-builders—those who build up the body of Christ (Rom. 15:2; Eph. 4:16; 1 Thess. 5:11). And just like Solomon, we need to ask God to give us his wisdom, not just to navigate a hard personal decision but for the work of ministry, for building up Christ’s body, for building the temple (Eph. 4:12; Col. 1:9; James 1:5).