Solomon’s Dream – A Life-changing Conversation With God S1E9

In Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream at night; and God said, “Ask [Me] what I shall give you.”

Solomon’s Prayer

⁶Then Solomon said, “You have shown Your servant David my father great lovingkindness, because he walked before You in faithfulness and righteousness and with uprightness of heart toward You; and You have kept for him this great lovingkindness, in that You have given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is today. ⁷So now, O Lord my God, You have made Your servant king in place of David my father; and as for me, I am but a little boy [in wisdom and experience]; I do not know how to go out or come in [that is, how to conduct business as a king]. ⁸Your servant is among Your people whom You have chosen, a great people who are too many to be numbered or counted. ⁹So give Your servant an understanding mind and a hearing heart [with which] to judge Your people, so that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge and rule this great people of Yours?”

God’s Answer

¹⁰Now it pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this thing. ¹¹God said to him, “Because you have asked this and have not asked for yourself a long life nor for wealth, nor for the lives of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to recognize justice, ¹²behold, I have done as you asked. I have given you a wise and discerning heart (mind), so that no one before you was your equal, nor shall anyone equal to you arise after you. ¹³I have also given you what you have not asked, both wealth and honor, so that there will not be anyone equal to you among the kings, for all your days. ¹⁴If you walk in My ways, keeping My statutes and My commandments, as your father David did, then I will lengthen your days.” ¹⁵Then Solomon awoke, and he realized that it was a dream. He came [back] to Jerusalem and stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord; he offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, and he prepared a feast for all his servants.

1 Kings 3:5-15AMP

In this Scripture passage, we see Solomon’s conversation with God in his dream at nigh. When God asked him for what he wanted, Solomon responded by asking for wisdom and understanding to govern God’s people with justice and discernment. Pleased with his request, God granted him not only wisdom but also wealth and honor beyond any king before or after him.

(i) Generational Transformation

This conversation between God and Solomon was life changing for Solomon. It set him on a path of wise leadership and prosperity, as he became known for his just rulings and great wealth.

A conversation with God brings generational transformation. It sets men and women on the path of purpose to do exploits for the Kingdom of God. Through obedience to God’s word, we can also pass the tests and trials that come our way and fulfil our own purposes in life. As we seek to follow His ways, we can trust that He will guide us and provide for us, just as He did for Jesus in the wilderness.

When the Holy Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness, the devil tried to get him to do bad things. After going forty days and forty nights without eating, Jesus got hungry. The devil came to Him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to turn into bread.” Matthew 4:4 records Jesus response, which forms our way of life:

But Jesus replied, “It is written and forever remains written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes out of the mouth of God.’”

Jesus responded to the devil with this quote from Deuteronomy, showing that He valued obedience to God’s Word over satisfying His physical hunger. This encounter with the devil in the wilderness was a test of Jesus’ faith and commitment to God’s ways, which He passed.

Jesus’ ministry on earth was successful, having an impact thousands of years after He ascended. His obedience to God’s will and His unwavering faith in His Father enabled Him to perform miracles and fulfil His mission on earth. As followers of Christ, we too can have a lasting impact on the world by living a life of obedience and faith and trusting in God’s plan for our lives. Let us strive to be like Jesus, fulfilling our purpose and bringing transformational change to future generations.

In the same manner, we see God’s Word to Solomon remains true to date. In the dream, God told Solomon that his prayer for wisdom to rule in justice was granted. He promised him that ‘no one before you was your equal, nor shall anyone equal to you arise after you.^‘ Solomon remains the wisest man on earth.

That’s not all… God said to him, ‘I have also given you what you have not asked for, both wealth and honour, so that there will not be anyone equal to you among the kings, for all your days. Solomon went ahead to become the wealthiest King of his time, such that silver was like common stones, and dignitaries travelled from far and wide to see and marvel at his wealth.

(ii) Generational Warning

Solomon’s conversation with God in a dream also came with a warning that if he strayed from God’s ways, there would be consequences.

If you walk in My ways, keeping My statutes and My commandments, as your father David did, then I will lengthen your days.

In Job, we learned that God sends us warnings even in our dreams, to keep us from destruction, pride and death. These warnings are meant to keep us from danger.

God gave Solomon a warning in his dream. Solomon must keep God’s commandments so that his days are lengthened. If he did not heed to the warnings, then there would be consequences.

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