The Critical Importance of a Wise and Discerning Heart
1 Kings 3:4-9, 16-28

Good leadership is critical. Whether it be in business, government, non-profit organizations, the church, or the family, good leaders are essential to success. We are keenly aware of the need for good leaders as election day draws near on November 8. Elections have consequences because the people we elect turn their values into policies that affect our lives.

There are many examples of mixed leadership. President Trump, for instance, enacted many good policies. He struck the Abraham Accords between Israel and the Arab nations. He enacted tariffs on Chinese goods to create a more equitable balance of trade between our nations. He largely secured our southern border and enacted policies that made our nation more energy-independent. However, he was a proud and boastful man. His personality was such that he alienated half the country.

President Biden has decades of experience in public office as a Congressman, a Senator, the Vice-President, and now, as the Commander in Chief. He has a heart for poor and working-class people. However, massive government spending under his administration has fueled inflation. There is general agreement that the withdrawal from Afghanistan could have been handled much better. We are more dependent on foreign energy again, and the southern border with Mexico is wide-open to the world.

In both presidencies, there were circumstances beyond their control. In President Trump’s case, it was the pandemic. For President Biden, it has been the lingering economic impact of the pandemic coupled with the war in Ukraine, but both leaders have made mistakes.

All of this begs the question, “What makes for a good leader?” Generally, we think of such traits as communication, confidence, integrity, courage, honesty, decisiveness, and loyalty. These are all excellent human characteristics, but they lack an all- important element: God. This morning’s text speaks to the importance of God in effective leadership.

King David was dead. His son, Solomon, was crowned in his place. Solomon was renowned for his wisdom and was the author of the books of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and The Song of Solomon. He ruled during a period of extended peace and prosperity. The peace and prosperity Israel enjoyed during Solomon’s reign stemmed from the events recorded in this morning’s text. Solomon received the ability to be an effective leader from God. There are several traits that are obvious from the passage.

The first trait of good leaders is that they have a relationship with God. “Now the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place: Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar” (vs. 4). “Then Solomon awoke; and indeed, it had been a dream. And he came to Jerusalem and stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, offered up burnt offerings, offered peace offerings, and made a feast for all his servants” (vs. 15). Solomon was seeking God through worship at Gibeon, and when he found the LORD, he was careful to express his thanks to the Almighty in worship at Jerusalem. Having a personal relationship with God is critical to good leadership. It opens the individual to hear from God and to receive from God. “At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night and said to Solomon, ‘Ask what I should give you’” (vs. 5). Solomon asked for wisdom to rule Israel. In verse 12, God gives what Solomon requested. “I give you a wise and discerning mind.”

The second trait of a good leader is a clear understanding of God’s favor. “And Solomon said: ‘You have shown great mercy to Your servant David my father, because he walked before You in truth, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with You; You have continued this great kindness for him, and You have given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day. Now, O Lord my God, You have made Your servant king instead of my father David’” (vs. 6-7a). Solomon was keenly aware of God’s favor to his father, David. God had made a covenant with David in 2 Samuel 7. God promised David, among other things, that one of his descendants would sit on his throne forever. God promised David a dynasty. That covenant promise was ultimately fulfilled in Jesus Christ, but Solomon’s coronation was a partial fulfillment of the LORD’s great and steadfast love to David. Solomon knew he was the beneficiary of God’s favor.

The third trait of a good leader is humility that stems from the gravity and difficulty of the responsibilities that come with the position. Solomon said, “But I am a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in” (vs. 7b). Solomon was actually a grown man with children of his own, but he knew that he was inadequate for his role apart from God. He felt like a little child when faced with the daunting task of kingship. Solomon was humble.

Humility has negative connotations for many people. They associate humility with words like "deference," "submission," "insignificance," "meekness," but humility in the Bible is having a clear understanding of who we are in relation to God. Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth” (Mt. 5:3 and 5). Humility is a virtue in God’s kingdom.

Furthermore, Solomon had a clear understanding of the gravity and difficulty of being the king of Israel. He said, “And Your servant is in the midst of Your people whom You have chosen, a great people, too numerous to be numbered or counted. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?” (vs. 8 and 9b). The Hebrew word translated as “great” can also be rendered as “difficult!” Not only was the nation of Israel numerous, they were also cantankerous! Solomon knew he needed God’s help to be an effective leader.

The fourth and final trait of a good leader is the wisdom to differentiate between good and evil. “Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil” (vs. 9a). An understanding mind that can distinguish good and evil is of paramount importance. The story of the two women who were prostitutes illustrates the wisdom Solomon received from God. As an aside, I discovered that the word “prostitute” is offensive in modern- day parlance. The preferred term is “sex worker!” The story of the two women is a “She said, … she said” case. The two women were sleeping in the same bed with their infant sons. One woman accidentally smothered her child, and while the other woman slept, she exchanged her dead child for the living infant. Both the women claimed the surviving child as their own. Solomon wisely called for a sword and commanded that the child be cut into two equal pieces so each woman could receive half. It is a rather horrifying judgment, but wisdom is justified of her children, i.e., what she produces. The conniving woman agreed to the king’s decision, but the actual mother pleaded for the child’s life to be spared. In so doing, she revealed herself as the true mother. This is God’s wisdom in action.

It is worth noting that God's wisdom is available to all of us. As the Apostle James wrote, “If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask God, who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be given” (James 1:5). We all need the wisdom from above, or we may succumb to the wisdom from below. James contrasts the two types of wisdom. “This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy” (James 3:15-17). I think we would all agree that the wisdom from below is more prevalent than the wisdom from above. We desperately need God’s wisdom in our time.

Would it not be remarkable if these traits of leadership were at the forefront of our priorities when we chose leaders? We could ask them: Do you have a relationship with God? Do you seek God and thank God in worship? Do you have a clear sense of God’s favor in your life? Are you a humble person who understands the gravity and difficulty of the office you seek? Do you have a discerning heart to distinguish between good and evil? Can you put that wisdom into practice in the office you seek? If these were the criteria of leadership, we would have very different leaders.

This is a good word for our body politic as national elections draw near, but it is also a good word for the Elders of our church and for our members and friends too. These are the kind of people we want as Elders, and I believe we have such folk, which is a sign of God’s favor, but it is also the kind of person we all want to become ourselves.

As you know we are in the season of stewardship, a time when we examine our relationship with God and with the body of Christ, the Church. We ask ourselves, “Am I rightly using my time, talents, and treasure in the service of God in the world and here in my own family of faith? Am I praying for God’s blessing on our church? Am I participating to the full extent possible for me in the life of the church? Am I helping to provide the resources for ministry in the church and the community?”

Perhaps we should add the questions that arise from this morning’s text to our stewardship musings. Do I regularly seek God and give thanks to God in worship? Do I fully appreciate God’s favor towards me in Jesus Christ? Do I understand the gravity and the difficulty of living out my Christian vocation? After all, “The gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few who find it” (Mt. 7:14). Am I a humble person? Do I have the ability to distinguish between good and evil? Do I have a discerning heart?

This morning’s text introduces us to Solomon at the beginning of his reign. Unfortunately, he did not live up to his potential. In the end his leadership was a mixture of good and evil. He built the temple and reigned over a long period of peace and prosperity, but he had “feet of clay.” He married foreign wives who led him into idolatry (see 1 Kings 11). He instituted forced labor and high taxation. He accumulated wealth for himself while his people struggled (see 1 Kings 12). After his death, ten of the twelve tribes rebelled against Solomon’s successor, Rehoboam, and the nation was divided into a southern and northern kingdom.

Solomon is a reminder to us all of the challenge to keep the faith and to walk in the fear of the Lord. He is a reminder that no matter how wise we may become, we continually need God’s steadfast love and faithfulness to cover our sins. Nonetheless, let us seek to follow Solomon’s example insofar as he followed the Lord.

There is wisdom to be had from God: wisdom to seek and give thanks to God, wisdom to understand God’s favor, wisdom to be humble, wisdom to know the gravity and difficulty of our vocation, wisdom to discern between good and evil, wisdom to follow the right way and avoid evil.

Perhaps the Prophet Micah sums it up best. “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8). Let us go and do as the Lord has shown us today. Let us be good leaders and examples in our varied spheres of influence: our homes, our communities, and our church. All glory be to God! Amen.