The Currency of God's Kingdom Text: 2 Chronicles 1:7-13
Introduction: The Weight of a Crown
We come now to the story of a young king, freshly anointed, standing in the long shadow of his father, a man who was a giant in Israel. Solomon, the son of David, has just taken the throne. The kingdom is consolidated, the internal threats have been dealt with, and the nation is at peace. And in this moment of quiet, God Himself appears to Solomon in a dream with an offer that is staggering in its scope. "Ask what I should give to you." This is a blank check from the bank of heaven, offered to a man who holds the scepter of Israel.
Our culture, awash in materialism and therapeutic self-help, would know exactly what to do with such an offer. We would ask for riches, for a long and easy life, for the removal of all our enemies. We would ask for happiness, as though it were a commodity that could be delivered to our doorstep like a package from Amazon. Our desires are shaped by our impoverished, horizontal worldview. We want what the world can offer, only more of it. We are trained from birth to think like consumers, even in our religion. We approach God not as humble supplicants, but as customers with a list of demands.
But Solomon's request cuts directly against the grain of this fallen, self-centered ambition. His request reveals a heart that understands the nature of his calling, the weight of his office, and the source of all true authority. This is not just a story about a wise king. This is a foundational lesson in the economics of God's kingdom. It teaches us what true wealth is, what righteous ambition looks like, and how God's blessings flow in a pattern of covenantal succession. Solomon understood something that our generation has almost entirely forgotten: the task given by God is primary, and the resources needed for that task are secondary. When you get the first part right, God takes care of the second.
The Text
In that night God appeared to Solomon and said to him, “Ask what I should give to you.”
Then Solomon said to God, “You have shown great lovingkindness to my father David, and have made me king in his place. Now, O Yahweh God, let Your promise to my father David endure, for You have made me king over a people as numerous as the dust of the earth. Give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people, for who can do justice for this great people of Yours?”
And God said to Solomon, “Because you had this in your heart, and did not ask for riches, wealth, or glory, or the life of those who hate you, nor have you even asked for long life, but you have asked for yourself wisdom and knowledge that you may do justice for My people over whom I have made you king, wisdom and knowledge have been given to you. And I will give you riches and wealth and glory, such as none of the kings who were before you had nor those who will come after you.”
So Solomon went from the high place which was at Gibeon, from the tent of meeting, to Jerusalem, and he reigned over Israel.
(2 Chronicles 1:7-13 LSB)
The Divine Offer and the Covenantal Premise (v. 7-9)
The narrative begins with a direct and astonishing offer from God Himself.
"In that night God appeared to Solomon and said to him, 'Ask what I should give to you.'" (2 Chronicles 1:7)
God takes the initiative. He comes to Solomon, not the other way around. This is always how grace works. God is the great initiator, the one who seeks, who calls, who offers. And the offer is boundless. It is a test, certainly, but it is also a genuine invitation into the deep resources of God's goodness. What is in your heart? What do you truly want? God puts the question to Solomon, and in so doing, He puts it to every one of us.
Solomon's response is a master class in godly prayer. He does not begin with his own needs or desires. He begins with God's character and God's prior commitments. He grounds his request in the covenant.
"Then Solomon said to God, 'You have shown great lovingkindness to my father David, and have made me king in his place. Now, O Yahweh God, let Your promise to my father David endure, for You have made me king over a people as numerous as the dust of the earth.'" (2 Chronicles 1:8-9)
Notice the structure. First, he acknowledges God's "great lovingkindness" to David. The word is hesed, that steadfast, loyal, covenant love. Solomon is not approaching a capricious deity or a cosmic vending machine. He is speaking to the faithful God who made promises to his father. He is standing on the foundation of the Davidic Covenant. He is a son of the covenant, and he knows it. This is the principle of covenant succession. God's grace is not a series of disconnected, random acts; it flows down through the lines of generations. Solomon sees his own kingship not as a result of his own merit, but as a direct extension of God's faithfulness to David.
Second, he asks that God's promise to David "endure." What promise? The promise of an everlasting throne and a kingdom that would not be taken away (2 Samuel 7). Solomon's first concern is not for himself, but for the integrity of God's Word. He is essentially praying, "Lord, make good on Your Word. Fulfill what you promised my father." This is the essence of praying in God's will. We are not trying to bend God's will to ours; we are aligning our desires with His declared purposes. Solomon has read the contract, and he is asking the contractor to perform the work as specified.
The Godly Ambition (v. 10)
Having established the covenantal basis for his request, Solomon now makes his specific petition.
"Give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people, for who can do justice for this great people of Yours?" (2 Chronicles 1:10)
This is the heart of the matter. Solomon does not ask for an easy life. He asks for the tools to do a hard job. The phrase "go out and come in" is a Hebrew idiom for leadership, for the day-to-day execution of one's duties. Solomon looks at the task before him, governing "this great people of Yours," and he recognizes his own inadequacy. This is the beginning of true wisdom: knowing that you do not have it. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and that fear manifests itself as a profound humility in the face of God-given responsibilities.
He asks for wisdom and knowledge. Not just raw data, but the skill to apply it rightly. Wisdom is the master skill of living. It is the ability to navigate the complexities of a fallen world in a way that honors God and blesses His people. And notice the purpose: "that I may do justice for this great people of Yours." His ambition is not for personal glory, but for the good of the people God has entrusted to him. They are not his people; they are Yours. He sees himself as a steward, a manager, a vice-regent. This is godly ambition. Selfish ambition asks, "What can I get?" Godly ambition asks, "What is my duty, and how can I be equipped to perform it for the glory of God?" Solomon wanted to be a good king because God had called him to be a king. His desire was to be competent in his calling.
The Divine Commendation and the Great Reversal (v. 11-12)
God's response shows that He was not only listening to Solomon's words, but He was also examining his heart.
"And God said to Solomon, 'Because you had this in your heart, and did not ask for riches, wealth, or glory, or the life of those who hate you, nor have you even asked for long life, but you have asked for yourself wisdom and knowledge that you may do justice for My people over whom I have made you king, wisdom and knowledge have been given to you.'" (2 Chronicles 1:11-12a)
God commends Solomon for what he did not ask for. He lists the standard requests of the pagan heart: riches, glory, vengeance, and a long life of self-indulgence. These are the things our world chases with frantic, breathless energy. But Solomon's heart was set on a different treasure. Because his desire was aligned with his God-given duty, God was pleased. It was not the request itself that was magical; it was the heart behind the request. He wanted to be a faithful steward of "My people."
And because Solomon got his priorities right, God gives him not only what he asked for but also everything he didn't ask for. This is the great biblical reversal, the principle that Jesus would later articulate in the Sermon on the Mount.
"And I will give you riches and wealth and glory, such as none of the kings who were before you had nor those who will come after you." (2 Chronicles 1:12b)
"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you" (Matthew 6:33). This is not a formula for getting rich by pretending to be spiritual. It is a description of reality. When you make God's kingdom your ultimate concern, you plug into the source of all blessing. God is not stingy. He loves to bless His children. But He gives these things as by-products of a righteous quest, not as the goal itself. When you chase worldly things, they flee from you. When you chase God, they chase you. Solomon asked for the tools to do his job, and God gave him the tools, the workshop, and the whole factory besides.
The Gospel of Wisdom
This story is not simply a moral tale about a wise king. It is a signpost pointing to a greater King and a greater wisdom. Solomon, in his best moment, is a type of Christ. He is the son of David, the king of peace, who builds the temple. But Solomon, for all his wisdom, was a flawed and fallen man. His wisdom did not prevent him from eventually turning his heart away from God through foolish alliances and idolatrous marriages. His story ends in tragedy.
But there is one who is greater than Solomon (Matthew 12:42). The Lord Jesus Christ is the true Son of David, the one in whom the Davidic Covenant finds its ultimate fulfillment. He is the one who perfectly embodied the wisdom Solomon requested. When faced with His own blank check from the Father in the garden of Gethsemane, He did not ask for glory or riches or the death of His enemies. He asked, "Not my will, but Yours, be done." He sought first the kingdom of His Father, even though it meant the cross.
And because He did, the Father has highly exalted Him and given Him the name that is above every name. He has been given all glory and honor and riches, and a kingdom that will never end. All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in Him (Colossians 2:3).
The application for us is this. We are not all kings, but we are all called to exercise dominion in the spheres God has given us, as parents, as employees, as church members, as citizens. And God comes to us with the same offer: "Ask what I should give you." What is in your heart? Are your prayers filled with requests for comfort, ease, and worldly success? Or are they filled with requests for the wisdom and knowledge needed to fulfill your calling? Do you pray for the grace to be a better father, a more diligent worker, a more faithful witness? Do you look at the task God has given you and, like Solomon, say, "Who is able to do this?"
If you lack wisdom, ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault (James 1:5). Ask Him to give you the wisdom to navigate your life for His glory. Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness. Ground your requests in His covenant promises, sealed in the blood of His Son. And you will find that our God is a God who not only gives what is necessary, but who delights to give abundantly, pressed down, shaken together, and running over.