Solomon’s Prayer for Wisdom

This seems to be a prayer of Solomon in his younger years, probably when he first became king of Israel. Solomon recognises God is the creator and the references to creation are very consistent with that in Genesis. He prays to God for wisdom to rule the nation and people because he knows that is what he needs. It also seems that Solomon is asking not just mere mortal wisdom "For the reasoning of mortals is worthless", but for a supernatural kind of wisdom that surpasses conventional wisdom. The reference made about the holy spirit may suggest perhaps Solomon knew about Him.


Wisdom 9  (NRSV)
Solomon’s Prayer for Wisdom
9 "O God of my ancestors and Lord of mercy,
who have made all things by your word,
2 and by your wisdom have formed humankind
to have dominion over the creatures you have made,
3 and rule the world in holiness and righteousness,
and pronounce judgment in uprightness of soul,
4 give me the wisdom that sits by your throne,
and do not reject me from among your servants.
5 For I am your servant[a] the son of your serving girl,
a man who is weak and short-lived,
with little understanding of judgment and laws;
6 for even one who is perfect among human beings
will be regarded as nothing without the wisdom that comes from you.
7 You have chosen me to be king of your people
and to be judge over your sons and daughters.
8 You have given command to build a temple on your holy mountain,
and an altar in the city of your habitation,
a copy of the holy tent that you prepared from the beginning.
9 With you is wisdom, she who knows your works
and was present when you made the world;
she understands what is pleasing in your sight
and what is right according to your commandments.
10 Send her forth from the holy heavens,
and from the throne of your glory send her,
that she may labor at my side,
and that I may learn what is pleasing to you.
11 For she knows and understands all things,
and she will guide me wisely in my actions
and guard me with her glory.
12 Then my works will be acceptable,
and I shall judge your people justly,
and shall be worthy of the throne[b] of my father.
13 For who can learn the counsel of God?
Or who can discern what the Lord wills?
14 For the reasoning of mortals is worthless,
and our designs are likely to fail;
15 for a perishable body weighs down the soul,
and this earthy tent burdens the thoughtful[c] mind.
16 We can hardly guess at what is on earth,
and what is at hand we find with labor;
but who has traced out what is in the heavens?
17 Who has learned your counsel,
unless you have given wisdom
and sent your holy spirit from on high?
18 And thus the paths of those on earth were set right,
and people were taught what pleases you,
and were saved by wisdom.”

And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one

John 17:22
And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one

Personality is a mark of our inner spiritual man. It is that which is exposed outside reflection the person deep inside. When we are at one with God, Jesus is an example of this, our personality would be a reflection of the personality of God. Such a person would think of themselves, not as individuals, but as one in unity with God. This transformation will happen when we surrender to the Holy Spirit and be guided by Him.

He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment

John 16:8
And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment

The Holy Spirit convicts us of sin, He lives within us to tell us what is right and wrong in God's eyes. Before people receive the Holy Spirit, God has also built into man, a conscience knowing what God thinks is right and wrong. Having the Holy Spirit is much more because God Himself tells us and makes it clear His path. It is through the work of the Holy Spirit that makes it possible for us to renew our minds and renew our lives so that we live for the Glory of God.

As for me, being on the way, The Lord led me to the house of my master’s brethren

Genesis 24:27
... As for me, being on the way, the Lord led me to the house of my master’s brethren.”

This is a passage where Abraham was dependent on the leading of God. He has matured to the stage that he no longer questions or debate with God, rather he hears God's guidance and follow. We too are suppose to live this way, how much more so since we have the Holy Spirit living in us to guide us. If we belong to Yshua, then and wrong deeds would result in a conflict within our spirit. Another warning for us is to not fall into the trap of religious traditions, but in anything we do, do it unto the Lord.

Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations

Matthew 28:19
Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit

Making disciples can be understood in the following way. Usually we think this verse means to tell the gospel with the intention of converting others. However, to make disciples may also mean that the seed has sown, and that the people have already been converted to Christ by the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit. At that stage, they will be like newborn babes. God as the Father would want to see these new Christians being cared for, hence the making of disciples could well mean grooming new Christians by bringing them into lifelong discipleship of our Lord Yshua.

All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth

Matthew 28:18-19
And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore[c] and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 

To obey and go on the mission directed by God, requires us to have Him always in mind. Namely, we must remember that we will be going in His Authority and since He is Sovereign, this is very powerful indeed. To know His authority, we need to know Him more ourselves, we need to be close to our Lord Yshua. One way of doing this is to abide in Him, that is to live according to His words and become a living witness to others.

And Enoch walked with God

Genesis 5:24
And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.

Believers are called to walk with God. This can only be done with the guidance of the Holy Spirit. It is not easy for our natural self to walk with God, but it is not impossible otherwise God would not have asked us to do so. A perfect example we can look to is Jesus Himself. As he taught us the secret, He only does what He hears the Father telling Him to do and not do the things the Father did not tell Him to do.

Come to me

Matthew 11:28
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 

The invitation to simply come to Lord Yshua seems to simple. Sometimes people who are very ready to serve God may be expecting something great to accomplish or something challenging from the outset. So this simple command to come may be difficult to accept. On the other hand, people with still some evil strongholds in their life may be resisting this invitation to come to the perfect Lord. Yet we have our part to play, and that is to surrender in obedience when the Holy Spirit tells us to drop our worries and just Come to Yshua.

That I might preach Him among the Gentiles

Galatians 1:15-16
15 But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, 16 to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood,

God did something in us when we are saved, He put His Holy Spirit into us. Without this miracle no one could be saved. Jesus could have started the movement to preach the things about the Kingdom of Heaven, but no one could actually attained it unless He redeemed us, followed by imparting His Holy Spirit to us. Our original hereditary is one of sin, but putting His Holy Spirit into us marked us as redeemed. And though we may still sin, we continue to work out our salvation towards Yshua our absolute focus.

Lord, teach us to pray

Luke 11:1
Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.”

One of the popular misconception is that prayer is only about asking God to give us things. This is similar to what other religions promote about their idols. However, the prayer to the Creator, Lord, Father of All is much more than that. There is no denying to the aspect of prayer where we can ask God and He will give like a Good Father, but there is much more.

Prayer is getting in touch with the Father via the Holy Spirit. It is talking to God, and maintaining that relationship, otherwise it will grow cold and we would lose touch with God. It is to nourish us, to build our character, to acknowledge our lack and hence dependence to God. A commentator said, "prayer is not a matter of changing things externally, but one of working miracles in a person's inner nature."

Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you

John 12:35
Then Jesus said to them, “A little while longer the light is with you. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you; he who walks in darkness does not know where he is going.

At one point, our Lord told His disciples that He will not always be with them. Even though God is present everywhere, there are times when we need to walk alone. So rejoice in the presence of God, and sanctify ourselves as much as we can while we are in a spiritual high with him. The Holy Spirit is always with us. Yet there will be darkness, and yes we can depend on the Holy Spirit, but we need to build a relationship with Him and learn to hear His voice. So that during the dark times we are still in touch with Him.

He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire

Matthew 3:11
I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

John was fully aware of his mission. He followed God and called others to repentance, the exact message that God wanted His people to hear. However, he also realised that repentance is just the start. He knows he himself is a sinner who can only redeemed by grace because he cannot gain worthiness in any way. He then pointed to Messiah, the only One with the solution, and who is mightier than all before Him. Only Messiah  can baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire.

And I will give you rest

Matthew 11:28
.... and I will give you rest.

We may be faced with many things from time to time that causes unrest in our body, soul and spirit. If this is allowed to go on undealt with it could damage us physically as well as spiritually. Sometimes we simply can solve the particular problem or sometimes it is us who are stuck at the problem. Only the Lord can give us rest. He may comfort us through the Holy Spirit and / or take us above the problem so we can see things from His point of view instead of ours.

Do not quench the Holy Spirit

1 Thessalonians 5:19
Do not quench the Holy Spirit

God the Holy Spirit lives inside us. He is known to speak to us in a still gentle voice that some people recognize as our conscience. However, those walking with Yshua will sense His presence in the Holy Spirit. We need to listen and obey and try not to quench the Holy Spirit. There is a danger that the more we disobey, the harder it is to hear His voice and guidance again the next time.

Father, I thank you that you have heard me

John 11:41
So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me.

Yshua's prayers to His Father is always heard and He knows this. Do we have that kind of confidence in the God that we call Lord? Certainly when we have the Holy Spirit in us, then God hears our prayers. It is thus important that we stay in constant communication to God via the Holy Spirit. As we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit, as the Scripture says, and this is by prayer no matter what circumstance we are in.

So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God

Luke 1:35
The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. 

Mary was chosen for the Son of God to be physically born inside her. Believers in the Son of God, are also chosen to have the Holy Spirit born inside us. Mary's response was a positive acceptance and obedience as she surrendered herself to God's will. So believers too are expected to surrender their wills to the Holy Spirit who lives in us and guides us in our lives. He who lives in us, does not control us, so we can still make mistakes, but to allow ourselves to follow Him would be walking according to God's will.

Let perseverance finish its work

James 1:4
Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

After we are born again, that is the beginning of a new journey. The use of the words "Born again" is so accurate because like babies, we have to learn many things before we can grow up. Along the way there are various stumbling blocks. Some may keep falling more than others and God knows this already. Hence He encourages us to have perseverance and let the Holy Spirit mold us. Of course, our part includes surrendering to the Holy Spirit, but some will mature faster than others. For those who keep stumbling, it is important to realise the need for perseverance and keep coming back to Yshua when we fall. For in Him, there is no condemnation when we confess and repent.

Blessed are

Matthew 5:3-11
Blessed are ...

The beatitudes are some of the well remembered verses of Yshua's teachings. They appear very soft and spiritual, unlike the Ten Commandments with "Thou Shalt Not ....". The deeper meaning of the beatitudes are often missed, even by non-new believers. It seems to focus more on positive reinforcements by beginning with Blessed are those who will do certain things. Upon careful reading and understanding, it may not be easy at all. In fact it reflects the perfect standard that Yshua expects us to live up to. By our own means it is as impossible to follow as the Ten Commandments. It is only by surrendering to the Holy Spirit that we can live out the Beatitudes.

Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips

Isaiah 6:5
“Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips,

When Isaiah came into the presence of God, he knew how indefensible he was regarding his own sin. One interesting aspect is that this particular verse highlights the part of the body which is the lips. Different people are more susceptible to different sins. However, when we are convicted of our sins, it is not just a blanket conviction of all types of sins. Our specific sins will be revealed to us, and concentrate on the part of our body that commits those sins. So when God cleanse Isaiah, he specifically cleanse his lips - perhaps that was where he sinned the most.

Agree with your adversary quickly, .... lest your adversary deliver you to the judge

Matthew 5:25
Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison.

Jesus taught the above just after the Beatitudes, while He was explaining that hatred is regarded as murder. Rather than having conflict with our adversaries to the point of going to court over certain matters, it may be more prudent to agree with the adversary and move forward. We tend to regard our rights as all-important and would defend our rights. When our rights are violated, we try to seek justice including in the most civilised manner. However, despite the injustice of His arrest, Jesus asked His accusers to promptly carry on with the unjust trial and sentence. When we come certain trials and tribulations, unlike Jesus who is perfect, we have to examine ourselves and repent. A commentary said: "as long as there is disobedience in any point of His teaching, He will allow the Holy Spirit to use whatever means necessary to bring us back into obedience"