What’s your heart’s desire? You have heard the story a thousand times. A down on their luck individual stumbles upon a discarded and dingy old oil lamp. In an attempt to make the lamp appear more appealing to buyers the individual attempts to polish the lamp, but as they begin rubbing on the lamp smoke starts pouring from the spout. Suddenly a mysterious blue being appears. The blue being identifies itself as a genie and explains that it had been imprisoned inside the lamp until the individual unintentional set it free. Out of gratitude for its release, the genie offers to grant the individual three wishes. “Tell me your heart’s desire”, the genie inquires, “and I will give it to you”.
Of course, the story of a wish granting genie is a nothing more than an Arabian folk tale, but still, the premise is intriguing. Hypothetically, if you were somehow given the opportunity to have your greatest wish granted, what would you wish for; Fame? Fortune? Power? Glory? More wishes? What’s your heart’s desire? This morning I want you to keep that question in the back of your mind as we take a look at 1 Kings 3:5-12.
It is a very prosperous time for the kingdom of Israel. Through the conquests of the warrior king, Israel has become a world power. Under King David, the territory of Israel has been expanded and her borders have been secured. Israel is as prosperous as it has ever been, but now the task of preserving the prosperous nation has fallen to David’s son Solomon. Try to imagine for a moment what that must have been like for young king Solomon. He finds himself sitting upon his father’s throne, a man whom God described as “a man after my own heart.”[1] Not only does young king Solomon sit on the throne of God’s favorite king, but he is also the ruler of God’s chosen people; a people from whom the Savior of the world will come. As if that were not enough, Solomon has additionally been tasked with the responsibility of building a great temple to the LORD, a temple that the LORD Himself had designed. Finally, just to put all of this into perspective, Solomon was probably in his twenties when the weight of these expectations, responsibilities, and obligations were placed upon him.
Can you empathize with Solomon’s situation? Have you ever found yourself burdened with the weight of expectations, responsibilities, or obligations? Maybe some of you feel the weight of expectations that your parents have placed upon you? Get good grades, stay out of trouble, get into the right school, find a good job, marry well… Maybe some of you feel the weight of responsibility that your children have placed upon you to provide a roof over their heads, clothing for their backs, and food for their stomachs... Maybe some of you feel the weight of obligation at your place of work, in your local community, or even here at church.
As you think about the weight of the expectations, responsibilities, and obligations that you face, can you empathize with Solomon’s situation? If you can, then you will have a greater appreciation for what it says in verse five. There we read, “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.” Can you imagine being presented with a proposition such as this? This is no fairy tale genie that we are talking about. The living LORD invites, rather the living LORD commands Solomon to “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.” Can you imagine being presented with such a proposition as this? You should be able to imagine it, because the living LORD presents you with a similar proposition in Psalm 50:15 where He says, “call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me.” And again, in Matthew 7:7 where Jesus says, “Ask and it will be given to you”. “Tell me”, the LORD inquires, “What’s your heart’s desire?”
What would your answer be? Parents that understand? Children that appreciate? People that are patient? It’s not difficult for us to imagine Solomon wishing to be sipping on a coconut cocktail in front of a beachside bungalow on a tropical island far away from all of his expectations, responsibilities, and obligations. But instead in verse 6 we read, “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.” The first thing Solomon does is express his confidence in the LORD’s kindness. In the original Hebrew Solomon speaks of the LORD’s חֶסֶד (ḥesed). חֶסֶד, here translated as “kindness”, draws attention to the LORD’s promises to His people. Solomon mentions how the LORD kept His promises to bless his father with both success and a successor. The first thing Solomon does is confesses his confidence in the LORD’s kindness.
Well, you also have reason to express confidence in the LORD’s kindness. Like Solomon, on a personal level you have evidence of the LORD’s kindness in your own life. The LORD God has promised that He will provide for you, He has promised that He will protect you, and He has promised that He will prosper you. Take a look at the evidence in your own life and you will see that the LORD God has kept His promises. Even in a time of want, in a moment trial, even when the LORD’s answer to your prayer was “no”, even then when you back up and look at the big picture you can see that the LORD has kept His promises to provide, protect, and prosper you. Additionally, you have thousands of years’ worth of the LORD’s kept promises recorded in the pages of scripture. Of course, the greatest promise the LORD has ever made was His promise to crush the serpent’s head, His promise that the virgin would be with child, His promise that by His wounds we are healed. In Jesus, the LORD God has kept His greatest of promises; He has kept His promise to save you. So, you have as much, if not more reason than Solomon to express your confidence in the LORD’s kindness.
After expressing his confidence in the LORD’s kindness, Solomon was ready to share his heart’s desire. In verse 9 Solomon says to the LORD, “9 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?” With thoughts of the LORD’s kindness filling his mind Solomon does not seek to be set free from expectations, responsibilities, and obligations. Rather, Solomon seeks to serve. He asks for a “discerning heart”, that is, a heart that hears what the LORD wills. Solomon asks for a hearing heart that is open to the LORD’s instruction so that he can “distinguish between right and wrong.” Solomon would be surrounded be counselors and adviser who would give guidance and offer opinions, but Solomon knew the only way to know the difference between right and wrong was to listen the LORD. Solomon asked for a hearing heart so that he could “govern this great people of yours.” With this request, Solomon is asking for the ability to meet the expectation, carry out the responsibilities and fulfill the obligations that the LORD had given him. Simply put, Solomon is asking for the ability to live a life that gives glory to God.
With thoughts of the LORD’s kindness filling his mind Solomon sought to serve; it was his heart’s desire. With thoughts of the LORD’s kindness filling our minds we seek the same. We do not seek to be set free from expectations, responsibilities, and obligations. Rather, we seek to serve. Solomon asked God to give him what he needed in order to meet the expectation, carry out the responsibilities, and fulfill the obligations placed upon him. So, let us do the same. Let us ask God to give us what we need in order to meet our expectations, carry out our responsibilities, and fulfill our obligations. Instead of grumbling about expectations of our parents, let us rather pray for the ability to meet and exceed those expectations. Instead of complaining about the responsibility to provide, let us rather pray for the wisdom to manage our resources with care and cunning. Instead of griping about obligations forced upon us, let us pray for an attitude that recognizes the opportunities placed before us. We may not be kings and queens tasked with the responsibility of ruling God’s chosen people, but that does not mean we cannot ask God to give us what we need in order to live our lives to the glory of our God.
When serving God is your heart’s desire there is no doubt that your prayers will be answered. In verses 10-12 we read, “10 The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. 11 So God said to him, “Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, 12 I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be.” The wisdom of king Solomon is well documented and established. In the next chapter we read about two prostitutes who claimed to be the mother of the same child and how Solomon used his wisdom to settle the dispute. A few chapters later we read how the Queen of Sheba was overwhelmed by Solomon’s wisdom. Still today the proverbs of Solomon offer words of wisdom superior to the greatest minds of our day.
The LORD gave to Solomon what he needed in order to fulfill his heart’s desire; He gave him what he needed to serve. The LORD may not give you the wisdom to rule a nation, but He will give you what you need in order to meet your expectations, carry out your responsibilities, and fulfill your obligations. When serving the LORD is your heart’s desire, you can be confident that the LORD will give you what you need. Amen
[1] Acts 13:22