1 Kings 8:12-21 ESV

12 Then Solomon said, “The Lord has said that he would dwell in thick darkness. 13 I have indeed built you an exalted house, a place for you to dwell in forever.” 14 Then the king turned around and blessed all the assembly of Israel, while all the assembly of Israel stood. 15 And he said, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who with his hand has fulfilled what he promised with his mouth to David my father, saying, 16 ‘Since the day that I brought my people Israel out of Egypt, I chose no city out of all the tribes of Israel in which to build a house, that my name might be there. But I chose David to be over my people Israel.’ 17 Now it was in the heart of David my father to build a house for the name of the Lord, the God of Israel. 18 But the Lord said to David my father, ‘Whereas it was in your heart to build a house for my name, you did well that it was in your heart. 19 Nevertheless, you shall not build the house, but your son who shall be born to you shall build the house for my name.’ 20 Now the Lord has fulfilled his promise that he made. For I have risen in the place of David my father, and sit on the throne of Israel, as the Lord promised, and I have built the house for the name of the Lord, the God of Israel. 21 And there I have provided a place for the ark, in which is the covenant of the Lord that he made with our fathers, when he brought them out of the land of Egypt.”

WHAT IS IN YOUR HEART?

King Solomon had proclaimed with pride for the opportunity that he built the house of God. And blessing the assembly, he said, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who with his hand has fulfilled what he promised with his mouth to David my father.” Yes, the building of the temple was in Solomon’s hands. But, Solomon recognized that it was always in the heart of David. He recollected that God had told his father David,” ‘Whereas it was in your heart to build a house for my name, you did well that it was in your heart.”

Definitely, David was flawed. His battle scars both physically, morally and spiritually couldn’t be concealed. But, he wasn’t called the ‘man after God’s heart’ for no reason. Was it not the burning passion in his heart to build the house of God until his last breath? He did not content to die as the king, did he? The temple was always in his mind and heart. He said;

“One thing have I asked of the Lord,

that will I seek after:

that I may dwell in the house of the Lord

all the days of my life,

to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord

and to inquire in his temple.”[Psa 27:4]

What is the burning passion of your heart?

Jesus’ mission is to establish God’s kingdom. And, He had laid the blueprint by building his church. And, nobody could avert it. He said, “I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” [Matt 16:18] Is the advancement of God’s kingdom our passion also?

Jesus also said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.”[John 14:12] He has done a great work. But, the greater work will be done by His disciples as Solomon did than David. In what way? Jesus’ influence was limited to His eleven disciples. He had not traveled outside Israel. Yet, He had ignited a movement of the kingdom of God that will diffuse all over the world after His death.

May we will end up our lives with an apparent passion for Christ and the gospel. And, that our lives are as mustard seeds sown to become a gigantic tree. The next generation like Solomon could cultivate the flame from the sparks that we initiated. We are not living for our generation, are we? What is then in our hearts? What is it that we can pass to the next generation?

1 Kings 8:1-11 ESV

Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, the leaders of the fathers' houses of the people of Israel, before King Solomon in Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of the city of David, which is Zion. 2 And all the men of Israel assembled to King Solomon at the feast in the month Ethanim, which is the seventh month. 3 And all the elders of Israel came, and the priests took up the ark. 4 And they brought up the ark of the Lord, the tent of meeting, and all the holy vessels that were in the tent; the priests and the Levites brought them up. 5 And King Solomon and all the congregation of Israel, who had assembled before him, were with him before the ark, sacrificing so many sheep and oxen that they could not be counted or numbered.6 Then the priests brought the ark of the covenant of the Lord to its place in the inner sanctuary of the house, in the Most Holy Place, underneath the wings of the cherubim. 7 For the cherubim spread out their wings over the place of the ark, so that the cherubim overshadowed the ark and its poles. 8 And the poles were so long that the ends of the poles were seen from the Holy Place before the inner sanctuary; but they could not be seen from outside. And they are there to this day. 9 There was nothing in the ark except the two tablets of stone that Moses put there at Horeb, where the Lord made a covenant with the people of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt. 10 And when the priests came out of the Holy Place, a cloud filled the house of the Lord, 11 so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord.

THE ARK OF THE COVENANT.

This box, or chest, was called an “ark of the Lord” and was made of acacia wood overlaid with gold. The ark was to be housed in the innermost sanctum of the tabernacle. Inside are placed the two tablets of stone only that Moses received at Horeb.’ However, in Heb 9:4, the golden urn with the manna and Aaron’s staff that budded are said to be placed inside.

“The bowl of manna and Aaron’s staff were not usually inside the ark of the covenant, but rather beside it. God’s command in Exodus 16:33 was for Moses to place the manna “before the LORD” (ESV) or “in a sacred place before the LORD” (NLT). Similarly, the staff was to be placed “before the testimony” (Numbers 17:10, ESV) or “permanently before the Ark of the Covenant” (NLT). So, the manna and the staff were kept in the same place as the tablets of stone, but it’s possible they were not, strictly speaking, inside the ark.”[www.gotquestions.org]

It’s because of the covenant that God made with the Jews through Moses that this box is also called the ‘ark of the covenant”. He promised blessings and chastisements if either they obey or disobey His laws, respectively. Simply said, it was a conditional covenant.

The day finally came to transfer the ark of the Lord from Zion[ the city of David] to the newly finished temple. King Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, the leaders of the fathers' houses of the people of Israel. He and all the congregation of Israel, who had assembled before him, were with him before the ark, were sacrificing so many sheep and oxen that they could not be counted or numbered.

It was a day worth celebrating without a doubt. We must always cherish the truth that God loves us so that He initiated to reach for us. As the ark of the covenant, He sent His only begotten Son who became flesh and dwelt among us. And as John exclaims, “and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”[John 1:14]

Should the glory of the Lord shines, men must be out of the picture. God deserves all the eternal praise and glory. Moreover, nobody can stand in proximity with God, not even the priests.

1 Kings 7:13-14  ESV

13 And King Solomon sent and brought Hiram from Tyre. 14 He was the son of a widow of the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a worker in bronze. And he was full of wisdom, understanding, and skill for making any work in bronze. He came to King Solomon and did all his work.

HIRAM, THE METALSMITH.

There are three persons named Hiram in the bible. The first two are the King of Tyre[1 Kings 5:1] and the grandson of Benjamin.[1 Chron 8:3-5]

But, another man named Hiram worked on Solomon’s temple as a metalsmith. He was from Tyre, as was his father, and his mother was from the tribe of Naphtali. “Hiram the metalsmith is referred to as Huram in 2 Chronicles 4:11 but called Huram-abi in 2 Chronicles 2:13 and 4:16. Abi means “master.”[ https://www.gotquestions.org/Huram-Hiram.html]

He was full of wisdom, understanding, and skill for making any work in bronze. Like Hiram, it’s important to know our gifts and skills. Let’s be aware that all of us had at least a gift from the Spirit. Paul said, “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone.” [1 Cor 12:4-6] Do you know what is your gift?

Moreover, Hiram made himself available in times of need. And, he did an excellent job [see 1 Kings 7:15-58] Doesn’t God say, “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might, for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going.”[Ecc 9:10] Our time and opportunity may not come again. Let’s be “making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.”[Eph 5:16,17]

Identifying our giftedness and making ourselves available are what we need in effectively serving the Lord. Who you are [ with your gifts] is God’s gift to you. What we do with our lives [ in using our gifts] is our gift to Him.

-------------------------

Visit and FOLLOW Gospel Light Filipino on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram

1 Kings 6:11-13  ESV

11 Now the word of the Lord came to Solomon, 12 “Concerning this house that you are building, if you will walk in my statutes and obey my rules and keep all my commandments and walk in them, then I will establish my word with you, which I spoke to David your father. 13 And I will dwell among the children of Israel and will not forsake my people Israel.”

GOD’S PRESENCE IN THE TEMPLE.

After seven years of construction, the temple of Solomon was finished. In terms of beauty and cost, it was matchless. It was built with the choicest materials; hewn stones and cedar and cypress timbers overlaid with gold and silver. Its cost today may be estimated to 3 to 6 billion U.S. dollars.

However, the true value of the temple is the presence of God, isn’t it? Similarly, heaven becomes meaningful because God is there. And the way to ensure God’s abiding presence is their obedience. God said, “Concerning this house that you are building, if you will walk in my statutes and obey my rules and keep all my commandments and walk in them, then I will establish my word with you, which I spoke to David your father. And I will dwell among the children of Israel and will not forsake my people Israel.” Failure to heed and walk according to God’s statutes, commandments and rules will cause God to forsake them.

Today, having a beautiful church building where God’s people can gather for worship and fellowship is a good idea. It becomes wrong only when the people content themselves more with it and the activities in it more than God’s presence. Functions should be taken into consideration more than forms.

As a church, in fact, Paul argued that it’s only the indwelling of God through the Spirit that makes it holy. He said, “ Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple.”[1 Cor 3:16,17]

Let’s not forget that loving God being demonstrated by keeping His words matters most. Jesus said, “Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him. If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.” [ John 14:21,23]

-------------------------

Visit and FOLLOW Gospel Light Filipino on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram

1 Kings 5:13-18  ESV

13 King Solomon drafted forced labor out of all Israel, and the draft numbered 30,000 men. 14 And he sent them to Lebanon, 10,000 a month in shifts. They would be a month in Lebanon and two months at home. Adoniram was in charge of the draft. 15 Solomon also had 70,000 burden-bearers and 80,000 stonecutters in the hill country, 16 besides Solomon's 3,300 chief officers who were over the work, who had charge of the people who carried on the work. 17 At the king's command they quarried out great, costly stones in order to lay the foundation of the house with dressed stones. 18 So Solomon's builders and Hiram's builders and the men of Gebal did the cutting and prepared the timber and the stone to build the house.

FOUNDATIONS.

King Solomon launched a massive preparation for the temple building. His workforce by the tens of thousands to prepare the timber and stones had shown it. A staggering number of 183,300 workers deployed onsite. Aside from the best of timbers from Tyre, they quarried out great, costly stones in order to lay the foundation of the house with dressed stones.

Since the strength of a building lies in its foundation, its importance shouldn’t be ignored. “These great stones” were to hold the structure above it and keep it upright. According to C. Stanley, “These great stones were at least twelve feet every way, and fifteen feet every way. If you just cast it up, you will find they weighed about 250 tons each. There was one stone in the temple, after its restoration, thirty feet by thirteen by seven and a half feet. There are similar great stones in the ruins at Balbec, which may have been built by Solomon, called the "House of the forest of Lebanon. The temple was built on a rock, by the side of a frightful precipice. We are told by historians that 600 feet of foundation work had to be built to the level, on one side, where Solomon's porch stood. The foundation stones were dovetailed, or mortised, in a most wonderful manner into the very rock. The joint was so finely wrought that it could scarcely be found. Thus they were rooted, and grounded, and built, into the very rock.”[

https://www.stempublishing.com/authors/stanley/great_stones.html]

When talking about our spirituality and morality, the psalmist asks, “If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?”[Psa 11:3] And we must recognize that Jesus’ life and work is our foundation. "For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ." (1 Cor. 3:5-16.) Such claim is a fulfilment of Isaiah’s prophecy that Peter wrote,” For it stands in Scripture:

“Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone,

a cornerstone chosen and precious,

and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”[1 Pet 2:6]

-------------------------

Visit and FOLLOW Gospel Light Filipino on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram

1 Kings 5:6-12 ESV

6 Now therefore command that cedars of Lebanon be cut for me. And my servants will join your servants, and I will pay you for your servants such wages as you set, for you know that there is no one among us who knows how to cut timber like the Sidonians.”

7 As soon as Hiram heard the words of Solomon, he rejoiced greatly and said, “Blessed be the Lord this day, who has given to David a wise son to be over this great people.” 8 And Hiram sent to Solomon, saying, “I have heard the message that you have sent to me. I am ready to do all you desire in the matter of cedar and cypress timber. 9 My servants shall bring it down to the sea from Lebanon, and I will make it into rafts to go by sea to the place you direct. And I will have them broken up there, and you shall receive it. And you shall meet my wishes by providing food for my household.” 10 So Hiram supplied Solomon with all the timber of cedar and cypress that he desired, 11 while Solomon gave Hiram 20,000 cors of wheat as food for his household, and 20,000 cors of beaten oil. Solomon gave this to Hiram year by year. 12 And the Lord gave Solomon wisdom, as he promised him. And there was peace between Hiram and Solomon, and the two of them made a treaty.

A FAVOR FROM A FRIEND.

King Solomon had recognized the friendship of Hiram with his father David. He knew that the king of Tyre was aware to David’s desire to build the temple. This, had prompted him to ask him the favor to supply the timber needed for the house of God. Hiram as the father’s friend became the son’s friend as well. And there was peace between Hiram and Solomon, and the two of them made a treaty.

A friend in need is a friend in deed. Hiram was available to supply what Solomon wanted. Isn’t availability one of the most important traits of a friend? Of what help is a friend who’s not there when you needed him most?

Moreover, Solomon had acknowledged Hiram’s exceptional skill. He said, “ there is no one among us who knows how to cut timber like the Sidonians.” Hiram did not fail his expectations. True friends won’t settle to do for the second best in helping their friend, would they?

And, there was mutuality in their friendship. As Hiram supplied Solomon with all the timber of cedar and cypress that he desired, Solomon gave Hiram 20,000 cors of wheat as food for his household, and 20,000 cors of beaten oil. Solomon gave this to Hiram year by year.

Today, let’s not forget that Jesus is known as a “friend of sinners” (Luke 7:34) What could He get from sinners? And, He has promised us, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5). Indeed, Jesus is truly the Friend who sticks closer than a brother [Prov 18:24] Thus, blessed are those who have Him as their Friend (John 15:14).

-------------------------

Visit and FOLLOW Gospel Light Filipino on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram

1 Kings 5:1-5 ESV

Now Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants to Solomon when he heard that they had anointed him king in place of his father, for Hiram always loved David. 2 And Solomon sent word to Hiram, 3 “You know that David my father could not build a house for the name of the Lord his God because of the warfare with which his enemies surrounded him, until the Lord put them under the soles of his feet. 4 But now the Lord my God has given me rest on every side. There is neither adversary nor misfortune. 5 And so I intend to build a house for the name of the Lord my God, as the Lord said to David my father, ‘Your son, whom I will set on your throne in your place, shall build the house for my name.’

MY TIME IS IN GOD’S HANDS.

At long last, there was rest in the kingdom. There was neither adversary nor misfortune anymore. King Solomon had inherited this from his father, the late king David. Most importantly, he had also caught the vision of David, that is, to “build a house for the name of the Lord his God.”

David, the man after God’s own heart, had the passion to build the temple. The fact that his friend Hiram, king of Tyre, knew it well means that he was very open about it. 1 Chron 22:1-5 has accounted, “Then David said, “This is the house of the Lord God, and this is the altar of burnt offering for Israel.” So David commanded to gather the aliens who were in the land of Israel; and he appointed masons to cut hewn stones to build the house of God. And David prepared iron in abundance for the nails of the doors of the gates and for the joints, and bronze in abundance beyond measure, and cedar trees in abundance; for the Sidonians and those from Tyre brought much cedar wood to David. Now David said, “Solomon my son is young and inexperienced, and the house to be built for the Lord must be exceedingly magnificent, famous and glorious throughout all countries. I will now make preparation for it.” His wasn’t yet the time. But, David made abundant preparations for it before his death.

Our time is in God’s hands. David wrote,” My times are in your hand; rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from my persecutors!” [Psa 31:15] Simply put, God, in His sovereignty, is arranging the ‘ups and downs’ and ‘twists and turns’ of our lives.

David did pray, plan and prepare, didn’t he? He saw to it that his desire was aligned to God’s will before planning and preparing to build it. However, it was God who accomplished it through his son Solomon, after his death. Did he fail because he wasn’t able to see the temple? Definitely not.

Perhaps, God intends that some of our present visions and desires will happen at a distant future. Nevertheless, it’s important therefore to pursue it and prepare for it for the next generation. David had cast the vision and Solomon materialized it. And, Solomon recognized this perfect time.

Indeed, “Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.”[Prov 19:21] Simply put, our plans must subscribed to His purposes. His purpose should overrule our plans, including the time and seasons in executing it. Either, we are like David to cast the vision or Solomon who make the vision real. Similarly, Paul had recognized this in the kingdom’s work. He wrote, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.” [1 Cor 3:6]

-------------------------

Visit and FOLLOW Gospel Light Filipino on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram

1 Kings 4:20-34 ESV

20 Judah and Israel were as many as the sand by the sea. They ate and drank and were happy. 21 Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates to the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt. They brought tribute and served Solomon all the days of his life.

22 Solomon's provision for one day was thirty cors of fine flour and sixty cors of meal, 23 ten fat oxen, and twenty pasture-fed cattle, a hundred sheep, besides deer, gazelles, roebucks, and fattened fowl. 24 For he had dominion over all the region west of the Euphrates from Tiphsah to Gaza, over all the kings west of the Euphrates. And he had peace on all sides around him. 25 And Judah and Israel lived in safety, from Dan even to Beersheba, every man under his vine and under his fig tree, all the days of Solomon. 26 Solomon also had 40,000 stalls of horses for his chariots, and 12,000 horsemen. 27 And those officers supplied provisions for King Solomon, and for all who came to King Solomon's table, each one in his month. They let nothing be lacking. 28 Barley also and straw for the horses and swift steeds they brought to the place where it was required, each according to his duty.

29 And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding beyond measure, and breadth of mind like the sand on the seashore, 30 so that Solomon's wisdom surpassed the wisdom of all the people of the east and all the wisdom of Egypt. 31 For he was wiser than all other men, wiser than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, Calcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol, and his fame was in all the surrounding nations. 32 He also spoke 3,000 proverbs, and his songs were 1,005. 33 He spoke of trees, from the cedar that is in Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of the wall. He spoke also of beasts, and of birds, and of reptiles, and of fish. 34 And people of all nations came to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and from all the kings of the earth, who had heard of his wisdom.

THE GLORY OF KING SOLOMON.

The kingdom of Solomon had reached to its zenith politically, militarily and economically. “Judah and Israel were as many as the sand by the sea. They ate and drank and were happy. Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates to the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt. They brought tribute and served Solomon all the days of his life.” [v.20,21]

“For he had dominion over all the region west of the Euphrates from Tiphsah to Gaza, over all the kings west of the Euphrates. And he had peace on all sides around him. And Judah and Israel lived in safety, from Dan even to Beersheba, every man under his vine and under his fig tree, all the days of Solomon.” [v.24,25]

He was most famous as the wisest king in all of the east including Egypt.[see v.30]. Thus, people of all nations came to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and from all the kings of the earth, who had heard of his wisdom. [v.34]

Indeed, the glory and magnificence of King Solomon was undeniable that the Queen of Sheba came from the “ends of the earth” to see. Yet, Jesus, referring to himself, said, “Behold, something greater than Solomon is here.” [Matt 12:42b] John exclaimed, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” [John 1:14]

And instead of chasing after Solomon’s fame and glory, we should glory in the way God had esteemed each one of us uniquely. Solomon was clothed in the best finery in the world and his kingdom flowed with gold and silver. He lived in great luxury. However Jesus says, “Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.”[Matt 6:28,29]. e sees the splendor of the lilies' beauty surpasses even Solomon's, though they do nothing to put it on. You and I are more glorious in the sight of God. 

1 Kings 3:16-28 ESv

16 Then two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him. 17 The one woman said, “Oh, my lord, this woman and I live in the same house, and I gave birth to a child while she was in the house. 18 Then on the third day after I gave birth, this woman also gave birth. And we were alone. There was no one else with us in the house; only we two were in the house. 19 And this woman's son died in the night, because she lay on him. 20 And she arose at midnight and took my son from beside me, while your servant slept, and laid him at her breast, and laid her dead son at my breast. 21 When I rose in the morning to nurse my child, behold, he was dead. But when I looked at him closely in the morning, behold, he was not the child that I had borne.” 22 But the other woman said, “No, the living child is mine, and the dead child is yours.” The first said, “No, the dead child is yours, and the living child is mine.” Thus they spoke before the king.

23 Then the king said, “The one says, ‘This is my son that is alive, and your son is dead’; and the other says, ‘No; but your son is dead, and my son is the living one.’” 24 And the king said, “Bring me a sword.” So a sword was brought before the king. 25 And the king said, “Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one and half to the other.” 26 Then the woman whose son was alive said to the king, because her heart yearned for her son, “Oh, my lord, give her the living child, and by no means put him to death.” But the other said, “He shall be neither mine nor yours; divide him.” 27 Then the king answered and said, “Give the living child to the first woman, and by no means put him to death; she is his mother.” 28 And all Israel heard of the judgment that the king had rendered, and they stood in awe of the king, because they perceived that the wisdom of God was in him to do justice.

LOVE WINS

As both mothers were arguing furiously over the ownership to the infant, how did the king discern who was the real mother? There were no witnesses and clear evidences.

Out of the wisdom of God in him, King Solomon made the most bizarre and weird decision – to cut the baby in half, that is, to kill the baby. Was the king annoyed and impatient? Did the king forget that the goal was to give the baby alive to the rightful mom? It was only when we see the reactions of the respective moms that could see his point clearly.

The king’s purpose was to create a clear evidence where there was none. Apart from what he decided, there was no way to see their reactions and emotions. The one who is real broke down and gave up her claim while the culprit has no concern that the child be killed. How could a real mom afford to see her child split to half before her eyes? For her love, she desired her child should live even apart from her. True love is wanting the best to happen for her child even in this dire situation. She has had no hesitation to sacrifice. “Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.” [1 Cor 13:7,8a] She won by yielding. She gained her child through losing.

Does not God allow some perplexing circumstances in and through our lives in order to test our love? And like Solomon, God knows perfectly what He is doing. A man fell at the cliff and happened to grab with both hands at a root. He noticed the root is beginning to give way so that he shouted, “Help, is there anybody out there, Help!” And, he heard a voice, “ Son, I’m God, let go and I will catch you.” Silence. Then he shouted, “ Help, is there somebody else out there?”

Should our circumstance is uncertain, are we willing to give up our rights and give our King the benefit of the doubt/ Our God is too good to be unkind, too wise to commit mistakes.

1 Kings 3:3-15 ESV

3 Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of David his father, only he sacrificed and made offerings at the high places. 4 And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place. Solomon used to offer a thousand burnt offerings on that altar. 5 At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and God said, “Ask what I shall give you.” 6 And Solomon said, “You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant David my father, because he walked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart toward you. And you have kept for him this great and steadfast love and have given him a son to sit on his throne this day. 7 And now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of David my father, although I am but a little child. I do not know how to go out or come in. 8 And your servant is in the midst of your people whom you have chosen, a great people, too many to be numbered or counted for multitude. 9 Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?”

10 It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. 11 And God said to him, “Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches or the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, 12 behold, I now do according to your word. Behold, I give you a wise and discerning mind, so that none like you has been before you and none like you shall arise after you. 13 I give you also what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that no other king shall compare with you, all your days. 14 And if you will walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and my commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days.”

15 And Solomon awoke, and behold, it was a dream. Then he came to Jerusalem and stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and offered up burnt offerings and peace offerings, and made a feast for all his servants.

A WISE AND DISCERNING MIND.

Solomon was in Gibeon to sacrifice at the great high place. It’s because the ark of the covenant was there for no house had yet been built for the name of the Lord. [see v.2] Previously, the prophet Samuel blessed sacrifices that were offered at high places. (1 Sam 9:12–25]

It was here when the Lord appeared to him in a dream by night asking, “Ask what I shall give you?” Solomon in worship had humbly asked the Lord, “And now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of David my father, although I am but a little child. I do not know how to go out or come in. And your servant is in the midst of your people whom you have chosen, a great people, too many to be numbered or counted for multitude. Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?”

He asked the right thing. And, the Lord was so pleased. Thus, aside from giving a wise and understanding heart, God gave Solomon “both riches and honor, so that no other king shall compare with him, all his days”[v.12,13]

In fact Solomon later wrote, "Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding." [Prov 4:7 KJV] Wisdom is far more valuable than any material possession, see Prov 3:13–15 says; 

In fact, riches were given as an add-on to Solomon. Hence, the wisest thing we can do is to seek wisdom. In modern parlance, we may say "the first rule of wisdom is to always ask for more wisdom from God. "And, we’ve got to take note that “the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.”[Prov 9:10] Despising this we would become fools.[see Prov 1:7].