Ten Minute Bible Talks Devotional Bible Study - Why Wisdom is Worth It | Historical Books | 1 Kings 3:16-28

Episode Date: July 29, 2025

Why is wisdom worth it? What kind of wisdom do you need right now? What kind of wisdom do you hope for? In today's episode, Tanya shares how 1 Kings 3:16-28 encourages us to ask God for help when facing a difficult decision. If you're listening on Spotify, tell us about yourself and where you're listening from! Read the Bible with us in 2025! This year, we’re exploring the Historical Books—Joshua, Judges, 1 & 2 Samuel, and 1 & 2 Kings. Download your reading plan now. Your support makes TMBT possible. Ten Minute Bible Talks is a crowd-funded project. Join the TMBTeam to reach more people with the Bible. Give now. Like this content? Make sure to leave us a rating and share it so that others can find it, too. Use #asktmbt to connect with us, ask questions, and suggest topics. We'd love to hear from you! To learn more, visit our website and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter @TenMinuteBibleTalks. Don't forget to subscribe to the TMBT Newsletter here. Passages: 1 Kings 3:16-28

Welcome to 10-minute Bible Talks, where we connect the Bible to your life. In the time it takes to get to work. I'm Tanya Wilmeth. Do you know the story about Solomon asking for wisdom and then helping the mothers who couldn't decide who the baby belonged to? Well, that's what we're going to talk about today. But even if you haven't heard it before, we're going to explain it. And if you have, we're hopefully going to talk about it in a way that is relevant for where we are today. So before Solomon built anything, before he issued a decree or before he expanded,

the nation he was handed the crown and he immediately asked for something that would determine what kind of king he would be. The first real decision that Solomon Wade wasn't about war or politics, it wasn't about the economy. It was about what he would ask God for. And he didn't ask God for something that was super flashy or something that in this day would really impress people. He asked for, do you know what it is? Wisdom. Well, why? Because he knew something that most people don't want to admit, out loud. Leadership is hard. People are complicated and without wisdom, even our best efforts can make a mess of things. And today we're going to look at a story that proves that God answered that prayer, and it just might help us realize why we need to ask God for the same thing. So we're in First Kings

Chapter 3. And in First Kings 3, 9, Solomon says to God, give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and distinguish between right and wrong. Solomon, of course, is stepping into an enormous role. I wonder if you can relate to that in any way. And now he is responsible for the spiritual and political well-being of an entire nation. It doesn't matter who you're in charge of. You're probably in charge of someone or something that feels like a big role. And instead of pretending that he has it all handled, Solomon decides to ask God for help. Now, God responds in verse 12, saying, I will give you a wise and discerning heart. And then almost immediately that wisdom is tested. Two women come to Solomon with a painful dispute. These women are mothers, and each of them

claims to be the mother of the same baby. Now, one of them had lost her child, and in her grief, she switched babies while the other woman slept. Now, there are no witnesses. There's no evidence, no genetic testing, no way to prove which woman is telling the truth. So this isn't just a question of justice. It's a question of insight. How do you make a right decision when the facts are just either not present or buried underneath all of this emotion and tension in these women's hearts. So Solomon listens, and then he calls for a sword, and he says, cut the child into and give half to each woman. Now, this is a pretty shocking move, but it's kind of a test, because the real mother is revealed right in that moment. And it's because of what she does.

She pleads, no, give her the baby, just don't harm him. And the other woman says, fine, divide him. So Solomon sees the truth through discernment, whose baby this is, which mom is the true mother. And then all of Israel, when they hear the verdict, they recognize that God truly has given their king the ability to see clearly and to judge rightly. So what does this story show us about Jesus? Well, it shows us that God delights in giving wisdom. And it points forward to a king even greater than Solomon that will have perfect wisdom. Jesus, the true and better king, never judged by appearances.

Jesus sees the hearts. He cuts through flattery, he gets through fear, he cuts through our even our grief. He calls people to repentance, but also to life, to healing, to truth, to light. And in Luke 11, Jesus says, the queen of Sheba came from far away to hear Solomon's wisdom. And then he says, now something greater than Solomon is here. And he's referring to himself, of course. The wisdom of God is not just a concept. It is a person reflected in Jesus Christ. And if you belong to Christ, that means that wisdom lives in you through the Holy Spirit. And I think that's super cool.

So what does this mean for you and for me? Well, first of all, Solomon had to ask, right? So it means that we should ask for wisdom, not just when we're absolutely desperate, but just as a way of life. Scripture makes us pretty clear. Proverbs 910 says, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. And James 1.5 says, if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault. Hebrews 514 reminds us that the mature are those who have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. And James 3 says that wisdom from above is pure, peace-loving, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruit. So wisdom is important. It's something that we should ask for. It's a

something we should consistently ask for. It's not just knowledge, but it's part of our character and our image bearing of Jesus. Wisdom is also humility, and it's the fruit of God's spirit forming our instincts, our decisions, and our responses. So let me ask you, what kind of wisdom do you need right now? Or what kind of wisdom do you hope to have one day? Maybe right now you're navigating a relationship where you need discernment to know how to know how to be. And how to move forward or how not to. Maybe you need wisdom because you're leading others. It could be anything from your kids to your team, to your coworkers, or community. Maybe you feel out of your depth and you need God's wisdom to know who to appoint or who to lift up, who to encourage,

or who to speak truth to. Maybe you need wisdom because you're facing a big decision and you don't know how to respond or you don't know what the next right move is. Or maybe like Solomon, you just simply want to live your life in a way and lead in a way that honors God, that serves God well, and that just improves quality of life for everyone around you. I think that what we learn from the story is that God delights in hearing our prayers and even answering our prayers. So let's pray together. Lord, you are the source of all wisdom. I come to you because there is no book that I can read, no post on social media, no podcast that can outdo your voice of wisdom. Give me wisdom through your word. Help me see clearly through your spirit. Teach me what is good

and right. And give me courage to follow it. Lord, use your word and your spirit to shape my thinking, to soften my heart and to help me reflect your wisdom in the way I live, lead, and love. In Jesus name, amen.