Who among us couldn’t use more wisdom? We face decisions daily—some minor, some MAJOR—for which we would greatly benefit from the confidence that we know the best course of action.
The story of the wisest man in the Old Testament may be helpful in correcting our conception of what it means to be wise. We may believe that wisdom is intuitively knowing the best course to take in a given situation. For that reason, we could be missing a crucial element of wisdom. Solomon’s story shows that if we would be wise we must listen.
In 1 Kings 3, God appears to Solomon in a dream and says, “Ask what I shall give you” (3:5b). Solomon expresses gratitude for God’s steadfast love, confesses his own felt inadequacy to lead the nation as such a young man, and so asks, “Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?” (3:9). Strictly speaking, Solomon did not ask for wisdom. That is, he did not use the word “wisdom.” However, we might say he defined it in that he asked for the ability to do what wisdom does.
The Lexham English Bible gives a more literal translation of this verse and helpfully exposes a key component of wisdom: “Give to your servant a listening heart to judge your people, to discern between good and bad…” (3:9a).
That Solomon in a sense defined wisdom when he asked for a “listening heart…to discern between good and evil” is confirmed by God’s response: “I hereby give you a wise and discerning heart,” (1 Kings 3:12b LEB).
So, wisdom is not an intuitive ability to discern good and evil, but the ability to discern good and evil upon listening. In fact, as Solomon phrases it, the wise person has a listening heart. That is, his disposition is to hear before he speaks. We ought not find it surprising then that James, who in his first chapter encourages us to pray confidently for wisdom, exhorts us to be quick to hear and slow to speak.
Solomon’s wisdom—his heart to listen unto discernment—is demonstrated immediately in the storyline. Two prostitutes with a dispute come to Solomon. He listens to their conflicting stories at length. And he applies a brilliant method to determine which is telling the truth, such that the people then stood in awe of his wisdom (1 Kings 3:16-28).
Consider then the numerous instructions in Proverbs connecting wisdom and hearing:
I did not listen to the voice of my teachers or incline my ear to my instructors. I am at the brink of utter ruin in the assembled congregation. Pro 5:13-14
The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice. Pro 12:15
A wise son hears his father’s instruction, but a scoffer does not listen to rebuke. Pro 13:1
The ear that listens to life-giving reproof will dwell among the wise. Pro 15:31
Whoever ignores instruction despises himself, but he who listens to reproof gains intelligence. Pro 15:32
If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame. Pro 18:13
Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom in the future. Pro 19:20
Cease to hear instruction, my son, and you will stray from the words of knowledge. Pro 19:27
It appears that one cannot be wise without listening.
On the other hand, listening alone does not make one wise. We can gather all the information available and still do foolish things with it. Solomon’s own son Rehoboam is a prime example. Upon Solomon’s death, all Israel came to Shechem to make Rehoboam king. They had one request, “Your father made our yoke heavy. Now therefore lighten the hard service of your father and his heavy yoke on us, and we will serve you” (1 Kings 12:4). So, Rehoboam asked for counsel from the old men, who advised him to be kind to the people. He then sought counsel from the young men, who advised him to increase the burden of the people.
Good for Rehoboam for listening. Bad for Rehoboam for failing to discerning good and evil in what he heard. Rehoboam followed the counsel of the young men…and the kingdom was split forever.
As we seek wisdom, we should:
Pray for listening hearts. May the Lord make us quick to hear. To pray for this is to pray for wisdom, as James encourages us to do (Jas 1:5-7).
Strive to listen. That is, purposely do what we’re asking God to help us do. This may sound contradictory, but it is exactly what the NT tells us to do as we pursue sanctification. For example,
“Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure” (Phil 2:12–13).
Pray for discerning minds. May the Lord grant us to sift rightly through what we’ve heard. This is an ability with which God blessed Solomon, and according to James, He is eager to give it also to all who request it in faith.
Strive to discern. Given the repeated exhortations of Proverbs, it seems that a key to growing in this ability is saturation in the Word of God. Hebrews also indicates that the ability to discern is a product of bible intake purposefully put to use in distinguishing good and evil (Heb 5:11-14). So once again, let us do what we’re asking God to help us do.
To be wise is to listen with understanding. Let us pray, listen, and discern.
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