Why did Solomon ask for wisdom and yet in Ecclesiastes 10:19 he says, “...money is the answer to everything”?
Where in the bible do we ever see God’s people praying for worldly riches?
Well, we might say they didn’t have bills in biblical times. I have to argue that they had financial responsibilities because they had economies. They used gold and silver to buy fields. They brought treasures into the house of God. Slaves were bought and sold. There was currency, and a need for it. So what has changed? God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Which only leaves us.
God’s provision has never been in question. Manna fell from heaven for the Israelites in the wilderness (Exodus 16). Five loaves of bread and two fish were used to feed over 5,000 hungry people who had come to seek Jesus (Matthew 14: 13 - 21). Elijah and the widow at Zarephath had enough to eat in the drought until the rains came (1 Kings 17: 14) . Psalms 23 begins, the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not lack anything. The apostle Paul reassures us that God shall supply all our needs ( Philippians 4:1 9).
Then where does money come in? What is going on with us?
If we don’t read and understand the manual (Bible), how can we make use of the machine?
Back to our scripture, Solomon didn’t ask for riches, he asked for wisdom. 2 Chronicles 1 : 7 - 12 says,
“That night God appeared to Solomon and said to him, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.” Solomon answered God, “You have shown great kindness to David my father and have made me king in his place. Now, Lord God, let your promise to my father David be confirmed, for you have made me king over a people who are as numerous as the dust of the earth. Give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may lead this people, for who is able to govern this great people of yours?” God said to Solomon, “Since this is your heart’s desire and you have not asked for wealth, possessions or honor, nor for the death of your enemies, and since you have not asked for a long life but for wisdom and knowledge to govern my people over whom I have made you king, therefore wisdom and knowledge will be given you. And I will also give you wealth, possessions and honor, such as no king who was before you ever had and none after you will have.”
Solomon’s strongest desire was to do God’s work right. He wanted to govern God’s people in a way that would be pleasing to God. That’s all. The book of Proverbs urges us to stop being simple and receive wisdom. But what is wisdom? Job 28:28 says, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom. Reverence for God is wisdom. What would our lives look like if we had reverence for God?
There are so many verses that describe the choice that Solomon made. Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well (Matthew 6: 33). Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart (Psalms 37 : 4). When we truly honor God with all of our lives, he grants us the desires of our hearts. The hard question to continually ask oneself is, am I truly honoring God?
The beauty and majesty of God is that he is always waiting on us to turn away from living according to the world and in faith obey Him. Like the prodigal son, our return is celebrated in the kingdom. What a merciful God!
Think about this: could it be that we miss the fullness of our inheritance because of disobedience?
Obedience is loving and honoring our heavenly Father.
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