2Chronicles 1:1-12: If I Only Asked For One
Thing
Attention
1. If you could have one thing given to you by God,
anything, what would you ask for?
2. There was once a king who received an offer to God that
sounded very similar to that.
3. King Solomon was a young man when he rose to power, but
he served God early and was rewarded for it.
4. What God might have given I don’t know, but I know that
Solomon made the best choice. 2Ch. 1:1-12
[Proposition] God is pleased when we acknowledge our need
for wisdom and petition Him for it.
I.
The Priority of Wisdom
A.
Solomon Recognized His Need for Wisdom
1.
Solomon was a young man when he became king, and he realized his
inexperience.
a)
He did not feel equal to the task of governing on his own. 1:8-10
b)
He did not shirk his duty or pray for God to remove it; he prayed for
God’s help to succeed.
2.
Solomon was not inflated at this time by his power; he felt the awesome
responsibility of it.
a)
Leadership is not an easy burden to bear; the weight of the task is
enough to cripple a man.
b)
Good leaders are humble enough to realize their areas of weakness and
seek help.
3.
The Lord made an incredible offer to the young king: “Tell Me what you
want.” 1:7
a)
What would you ask for? If you could have anything, what request would
you make of God?
b)
Solomon considered the gift of wisdom to be greater than riches, fame, or
long life.
B.
We Must Recognize Our Need for Wisdom
1.
How many of us feel equal to the tasks that God has given to us?
a)
Do you feel adequate for your job as a husband/wife, parent, teacher,
servant, or elder?
b)
Our sufficiency for service does not lie within us; it lies in God.
2Co. 3:5; Jer. 10:23
2.
Some seek leadership eagerly heedless of the awesome responsibility it
carries.
a)
Others view such responsibility as an impossible task and want to quit
when it is difficult.
b)
The true servant of God must find the balance of both reverence and
courage.
3.
We must be humble to see our need for God and to value His wisdom above
all else. Mt. 5:3
a)
We must regard wisdom as more precious than treasures or health or fame.
Pr. 3:13-18
b)
Wisdom may bring us riches, but riches will never make us wiser.
II.
The Procurement of Wisdom
A.
Solomon Showed Wisdom in Seeking Wisdom
1.
Solomon may have been young and inexperienced, but he was perceptive of
the truly important.
a)
Solomon demonstrated wisdom in leading the people of Israel in worship.
1:2-6
b)
Solomon demonstrated wisdom in asking God for the quality most important
for his success.
2.
How did such a young man know to ask for wisdom instead of seeking glory
for himself?
a)
Solomon’s father, King David, had prepared his son for this moment in
life. Pr. 4:3-9
b)
David enabled Solomon’s success by teaching his son to seek wisdom and to
serve God.
3.
Solomon prayed for God to give him wisdom and knowledge to judge the
people of Israel. 1:10
a)
The king knew that Jehovah God is the source of true wisdom.
b)
Jehovah gave Solomon the wisdom to govern he asked for. 1Ki. 4:29-34;
2Ch. 9:1-8
B.
We Must Seek Wisdom
1.
Those who are wise enough to seek wisdom from God will be rewarded.
Mt. 25:29
a)
God blesses those who use their resources wisely with greater ability.
b)
The question is not, “What would I do if I had X,” but is, “What
am I doing now?”
2.
Like David, we need to impress on the minds of our children the value of
seeking God’s wisdom.
a)
We may not be able to teach our children everything they may one day need
to know.
b)
But we can condition them for spiritual success by teaching them to seek
wisdom. Pr. 2:1-9
3.
Wisdom is a gift from God; the Lord promises to give it to those who seek
it in faith. Ja. 1:5-8
a)
This is not miraculous knowledge; wisdom is applied knowledge or
understanding in action.
b)
Solomon was inspired, but insofar as the NT promise, we can share the
blessing of wisdom.
III.
The Potential of Wisdom
A.
Solomon Used Wisdom in Administering His Kingdom
1.
Jehovah was pleased with Solomon’s request; He richly rewarded the humble
king. 1:11-12
a)
Verse one of our text may be an indication of Solomon’s later success.
1:1
b)
The Israelite monarchy reached the climax of its glory under Solomon.
2Ch. 9:23-28
2.
Solomon was given wisdom to govern his kingdom, and his wisdom truly
became famous.
a)
But Solomon did not show great wisdom in the later choices that he made.
(1)
He multiplied horses from Egypt contrary to God’s will. 2Ch. 9:25, 28
(De. 17:16)
(2)
He married foreign women for political alliance contrary to God’s will.
1Ki. 11:1-3
(3)
He practiced idolatry with his foreign wives contrary to God’s will.
1Ki. 11:4-10
b)
God gave Solomon wisdom to lead, but the king failed to lead within his
own family.
B.
We Must Use Wisdom
1.
When men set their heart on God and seek what is right, God will richly
reward them. Mt. 6:33
a)
Instead of worrying about everything that we want, we need to focus on
what God wants.
b)
Discover true needs in life, seek them earnestly from God, and He will
take care of the rest.
2.
Wisdom has great potential for good, but it is no guarantee that we
cannot do badly.
a)
We’re talking about praying for wisdom, not being granted invincibility!
b)
Like all blessings from God, wisdom is a stewardship that we must manage
properly.
3.
God may give us wisdom, but He certainly does not force us to use it.
a)
Wise and intelligent men can stumble and do very foolish things. (e.g.
Ga. 2:11-14)
b)
We must not only seek wisdom from God, we must purposefully concentrate
on using it.
Action
1. James said, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of
God who gives to all liberally and without reproach.”
a. How many of us can say we
have all the wisdom we need without God’s help?
b. None of us are wise enough
to direct our own course; we need God’s help as we go through life.
c. Yes, we must study to learn
what is true, and we are responsible for making good decisions.
d. But God promises to give
wisdom to those who ask in faith, and we need to avail ourselves of the promise.
2. True wisdom can only be found through knowing and
fearing God. Pr. 1:7; 9:10
a. If you have not obeyed
Christ and been cleansed of sin, you are lost and alienated from the Lord.
Ac. 22:16
b. If you have been walking in
your own wisdom, your efforts are doomed to fail apart from God.
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