The primary thing is wisdom, therefore acquire wisdom and with all your acquiring, get understanding. Proverbs 4:7.
Today your LORD (יהוה) God (אלהים) says:
In all your seeking, seek wisdom. Wisdom is more than knowledge and understanding of things, it is always knowing the right thing to do at the right time. I describe wisdom as the primary thing, beginning, or starting point, to living a fruitful life free of evil and sin.
By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; and by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches. Proverbs 24:3-4.
With wisdom come riches, honor, and long life.
How blessed is the man who finds wisdom and the man who gains understanding. For her profit is better than the profit of silver and her gain better than fine gold. She is more precious than jewels; and nothing you desire compares with her. Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor. Proverbs 3:13-16.
When I told Solomon to ask for what I should give him, he asked for wisdom to judge the people correctly, 2 Chronicles 1:10, and the way he asked for wisdom to come to him was by My giving him a heart that heard from Me. 1 Kings 4:9. He knew that wisdom comes from Me.
For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding. Proverbs 2:6
The word for wisdom in Hebrew is chokmah (חָכְמָה), it conveys the idea of possessing knowledge, understanding, skill, and discernment and being able to combine them and apply them in any given situation to bring about the best and highest result. It is wisdom from above that is honorable and is governed by integrity.
Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and strife in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, fleshy, demonic. For where jealousy and strife exist, there is disorder and every evil thing. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. James 3:13-18.
The adjective “wise” is chakam (חָכָם), which is also translated at times as “skillful.” The noun and the adjective are derived from the root חָכַם (chakam), which is a verb meaning “to be wise” or “to become wise.”
Wisdom (חָכְמָה) and understanding (bin (בִּין): to understand, discern, perceive, consider) in people bring them into the limelight so that they cannot escape notice. What Pharaoh saw in Joseph was divine wisdom and understanding and it made him want Joseph to run his kingdom.
Then Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find a man like this, in whom is the divine spirit?” So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has informed you of all this, there is no one so discerning (בִּין) and wise (חָכָם) as you are.” Genesis 41:38-39.
What you seek, you shall find. How do you seek wisdom? At its source: For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding. Proverbs 2:6.
Wisdom is a gift from Me, I am the possessor of all wisdom, and knowledge understanding are acquired from My Word. But the way I give you the gift of Wisdom is by, in, and through My Word of empowerment. I send My Word to heal you and to deliver you from all destruction, from every pit you fall into. Psalm 107:20.
How did Solomon acquire so much amazing, supernatural wisdom? He simply asked Me for it with faith and I poured it into him for the task at hand, i.e., governing the nation of Israel.
But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. James 1:5-8.
Wisdom is an endowment of grace that contains all the skill needed to excel in the task at hand, whether it be in governing a nation, craftmanship, construction, teaching, running a ministry, or raising children, or any of the various tasks that build up a body of believers, whether it be the Church or a nation, a home or a city.
I spoke of it to Moses in that I had endowed the craftsman who sculptured and built the furnishings, set the precious stones and engraved upon them, and wove the tapestries and the vestments for the priests, all the parts and things for the Tabernacle for which I gave Moses the plans, with the spirit of wisdom to do the tasks at hand.
Now the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “See, I have called by name Bezalel, the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. I have filled him with the Spirit of God in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all kinds of craftsmanship.” Exodus
For Solomon the wisdom gave him skill to reign as king of Israel. But I went further, I revealed to him many things of the physical world such as the workings of plants, animals, birds, and fish. I gave him songs and proverbs as well.
Now God gave Solomon wisdom and very great discernment and breadth of mind, like the sand that is on the seashore. Solomon’s wisdom surpassed the wisdom of all the sons of the east and all the wisdom of Egypt. For he was wiser than all men, than Ethan the Ezrahite, Heman, Calcol and Darda, the sons of Mahol; and his fame was known in all the surrounding nations. He also spoke 3,000 proverbs, and his songs were 1,005. He spoke of trees, from the cedar that is in Lebanon even to the hyssop that grows on the wall; he spoke also of animals and birds and creeping things and fish. Men came from all peoples to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all the kings of the earth who had heard of his wisdom. 1 Kings 4:29-34.
Wisdom is discernable as a gift of My Spirit, as Pharaoh discerned in Joseph, as also was Samson’s strength, Judges 16:18-20, but you will note, and this happened in Solomon’s case as well, once you begin to abuse that endowment for your own selfish interest which is contrary to Mine, that gift leaves you and goes back to the Spirit from whence it came.
Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons. But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good, for the benefit of all. 1 Corinthians 12:4-7.
To keep wisdom operating in your life you must keep what Solomon knew to ask for to have that gift: a heart that hears My voice instructing you in the way to profit and the way you should go. But in his older age, his heart turned away from Me to idols of other nations. He no longer listened to Me but followed his own ways. He no longer had a heart that heard Me because he shut Me out. Not because I was not still talking to him. But he, like Adam and Samson, no longer wanted to hear what I said but went after his own lusts, his own greatness, and his own authority without Me. And that is not wisdom but folly that will tear down everything that I so carefully guided you in building in your life. The wise person builds the house, but the foolish one tears it down by his or her own hands.
For when Solomon was old, his wives turned his heart away after other gods; and his heart was not wholly devoted to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father had been. For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians and after Milcom the detestable idol of the Ammonites. Solomon did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, and did not follow the LORD fully, as David his father had done. Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the detestable idol of Moab, on the mountain which i]east of Jerusalem, and for Molech the detestable idol of the sons of Ammon. Thus also he did for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods. Now the LORD was angry with Solomon because his heart was turned away from the LORD, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice, and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods; but he did not observe what the LORD had commanded. 1 Kings 11:4-10.
How was it that a man to whom I had given his heart’s desire and much more could harden his heart to me and put me aside for idols? For the same reason Adam did that. And the same reason the Israelites I brought out of Egypt did it. They were not grateful and they did not value what I gave them. It came to them very easily and they thought they were the ones that had earned it themselves. They had high opinions of themselves and attributed their success to their own efforts. None of them were humble. Complaining denotes a person who thinks he deserves far better, gratitude for the things given denotes a humble person. Think about that.
Now listen to what Solomon wrote about himself in the book of Ecclesiastes, which was written later in his life:
I enlarged my works: I built houses for myself, I planted vineyards for myself; I made gardens and parks for myself and I planted in them all kinds of fruit trees; I made ponds of water for myself from which to irrigate a forest of growing trees. I bought male and female slaves and I had homeborn slaves. Also I possessed flocks and herds larger than all who preceded me in Jerusalem. Also, I collected for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I provided for myself male and female singers and the pleasures of men—many concubines. Then I became great and increased more than all who preceded me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also stood by me. All that my eyes desired I did not refuse them. I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure, for my heart was pleased because of all my labor and this was my reward for all my labor. Thus I considered all my activities which my hands had done and the labor which I had exerted, and behold all was vanity and striving after wind and there was no profit under the sun. Ecclesiastes 2:4-11.
He attributed everything he had done to himself and he did everything he did at that point for himself. He called it “his wisdom,” he forgot that wisdom came from Me. Later in life, he attributed none of his great wisdom or great projects to Me and he did not do them for Me. And what happened? It all turned to vanity for him with no joy because he realized he could not take it with him when he died and another would have all that he had stockpiled up for himself by his “own” wisdom and labor and that person might be a fool who loses it all.
Thus I hated all the fruit of my labor for which I had labored under the sun, for I must leave it to the man who will come after me. And who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have control over all the fruit of my labor for which I have labored by acting wisely under the sun. Ecclesiastes 2:18-19.
All him, and no Me, and he is focusing on life as only here in the world so all is vanity. Sad when I showered him with wisdom without limits and riches like no one had ever had, all because of his father, My servant David. I loved Solomon, the man of peace, whose beginnings as king were all centered on building My house and giving Me glory, but it all changed to his own glory and it all came down to seeking the pleasure of his flesh. He was never thankful for Me. He never told Me he loved Me. It was all one sided, it all flowed from Me to him and no love flowed back, it stopped in him and it turned his attention on himself alone. He did it all.
“I have surely built You a lofty house, a place for Your dwelling forever.” 1 Kings 8:13.
But David had written out the plans, 1 Chronicles 28:11-19, set aside all the gold, silver, bronze and supplies for construction the temple, 1 Chronicles 29:1-9,and had instructed Solomon what to do. 1 Chronicles 28:20-21. Be careful about this. Remember your source. Adam forgot and so did Samson, but when you cut off from your source to run dry.
I love you. Seek wisdom but value it and don’t forget who gave it to you. I love to give it to you. I love a cheerful giver but even more I love a thankful receiver, because whatever you give, I gave you. The Israelites gave offerings to build the tabernacle, but it was from the riches I gave them freely when I redeemed them out of Egypt otherwise they would have had nothing to give. Selah.
So David blessed the LORD in the sight of all the assembly; and David said, “Blessed are You, O LORD God of Israel our father, forever and ever. Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, indeed everything that is in the heavens and the earth; Yours is the dominion, O LORD, and You exalt Yourself as head over all. Both riches and honor come from You, and You rule over all, and in Your hand is power and might; and it lies in Your hand to make great and to strengthen everyone. Now therefore, our God, we thank You, and praise Your glorious name. But who am I and who are my people that we should be able to offer as generously as this? For all things come from You, and from Your hand we have given You. For we are sojourners before You, and tenants, as all our fathers were; our days on the earth are like a shadow, and there is no hope. O LORD our God, all this abundance that we have provided to build You a house for Your holy name, it is from Your hand, and all is Yours. Since I know, O my God, that You try the heart and delight in uprightness, I, in the integrity of my heart, have willingly offered all these things; so now with joy I have seen Your people, who are present here, make their offerings willingly to You. O LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, our fathers, preserve this forever in the intentions of the heart of Your people, and direct their heart to You; and give to my son Solomon a perfect heart to keep Your commandments, Your testimonies and Your statutes, and to do them all, and to build the temple, for which I have made provision.” 1 Chronicles 29:10-19.