Unitarian Universalist Meeting of South Berkshire

 

 

February 1, 2004

 

 

“Solomon’s Prayer for Wisdom”

 

 

Rev. Kathy Duhon

 

 

            We just heard Solomon’s prayer for wisdom, a famous part of the Hebrew Scriptures, representing a whole new area of religious thought for ancient Israel:  Wisdom.  Solomon had just become King, succeeding his father, the famous King David, and he went to Gibeon, a holy place, to pray.  He had a dream there, we are told, in which God asks him what he wants.  Like a genie out of the bottle, God says, “Ask what I should give you.” 

            Whether Solomon actually had a night dream, or a vision, or whether a later interpreter thought this was a good way to explain Solomon’s wise reign, here was a young man, only about 20 years old, who had just received tremendous ruling power, and had also just made a marriage alliance with the Pharaoh's daughter.  He was bound to have been facing some of the tough questions of power.  He’d already made some hard, hard decisions, including having his older half-brother put to death, the one who’d tried to become king before him, as well as having a few other rivals, of himself and of his father, killed.

Solomon was not a military man, though, not like his father King David, nor like King Saul before him, the very first king of Israel.  The Bible presents Solomon as more of an administrator, who consolidated the United Kingdom of Judah and Israel, and also as a writer, and a naturalist, and someone who cared about justice.  So of course he should have been wondering about what he wanted out of this new life – surely something more than killing more of his enemies for sure, more than riches, and more than just having a long life.  The God of his vision-dream congratulates Solomon for not asking for any of those things.  No, Solomon must have been seeing possibilities, realizing the good that could be done through power.  His prayer is simply for an understanding mind to govern the people, for being able to discern between good and evil.  He is seeking wisdom to do the work that has been given him, wisdom for which he is well remembered.

We have just begun an adult religious education class and the material challenged us in last week’s homework to write a definition of religion.  Mine included seeking wisdom, among other things.  What does religion mean to you?  The Hebrew people innovated in religion by changing from tribal gods to a lasting monotheism.  They also established a bedrock code of behavior, a religious understanding of the Law which gave society stability.  Then came their contribution of wisdom as one key to religion.  Wisdom literature was actually prevalent all around the Near East at the time of ancient Israel, but the Hebrew people added dimensions that were not present in the usual wise sayings being exchanged internationally then.

Israelite wisdom included the practical, the living skills, the lessons on conduct, but also more.  Wisdom could be clever, or poetic, or judicious, or could deal with an individual’s problems.  Wisdom was about right understanding and discernment.  Wisdom could involve knowledge, but was ultimately more than what you could figure out on your own – wisdom was a gift of God.  And, Wisdom was often portrayed as feminine, an enduring image of God as a nurturing, providing power or spirit.  People were saved by Her, by Wisdom. 

Solomon became completely associated with Wisdom, the way Moses was completely associated with the Law.  In fact, many pieces of wisdom literature in the Bible are purported to be written by Solomon – a couple of the Psalms, the book of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes -- a piece of which we read as a responsive reading earlier -- the sensuous Song of Solomon – also called Song of Songs – and the Apocryphal book, called Wisdom of Solomon.  We know, from careful study, that most of the above scriptures were not written by Solomon, but he might have composed some, or even all, of the 3000 proverbs and 1005 songs that are claimed as his creation in 1 Kings.  Sometimes the Bible’s false claims of authorship mean that the writing was based on an oral tradition went back to someone like Solomon, and was edited by someone else later, or else, that the writer/editor felt so inspired by a figure like Solomon that he credited him with his own writings because he thought they were in the spirit of Solomon.

A couple of proverbs that might be Solomon’s, or that might at least express his beliefs, are these:  “Where there is no guidance, a nation falls, but in abundance of counselors there is safety.” (Pr 11:14)  “Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses.” (Pr 10:12)  Psalm 72, which is attributed to Solomon, reads, “May he (the King) defend the cause of the poor of the people, give deliverance to the needy, and crush the oppressor.”  Psalm 127, which is also said to be of Solomon, cautions against anxiety.

There is another famous prayer reported to be Solomon’s, besides the earlier prayer for wisdom.  Solomon spent much of his reign of peace and prosperity building palaces and the first Temple in Jerusalem, and he is said to have dedicated the Temple with a prayer.  The prayer is very much for the people, asking that God hear them and heed their pleas.

Now, there are 2 more ways you have probably heard about Solomon, one involving wisdom, one not.  The non-wisdom one appears in the Christian Gospels, and is something Jesus is supposed to have said in the Sermon on the Mount.  It’s in a passage about not being anxious, and goes like this:  “Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these.”  In other words, don’t worry about anything – have faith in Providence.  This actually is a wisdom saying, though it is about the other aspect for which Solomon was famous – his glorious life filled with riches and splendor.

The wisdom of Solomon survives in a story that is also in the first book of Kings, and it comes just after the prayer for wisdom.  Two women, who were said to be prostitutes, came to the king and asked him to arbitrate their dispute over a child.  They were both mothers who lived in the same house and gave birth only three days apart.  One of the babies died in the night.  One mother said that the other mother’s baby died and that the dead baby’s mother exchanged the babies during the night, leaving her the dead one and taking away her live son.  And the other mother denied the story.  Each mother argued that the dead son belonged to the other mother and that the living one was theirs, but there were no witnesses in their house to back up either one’s story.

King Solomon repeated their contentions back to them, and then asked for a sword to be brought.  He said, “Divide the living boy in two; then give half to the one, and half to the other.”  Then the real mother had compassion for her son and pleaded that the living son be given to the other mother, rather than be killed.  The other mother tried to sound fair, but gave herself away by saying that the son should be neither of theirs, so dividing it would be all right.  Solomon gave the real mother back her son, reasoning that the one willing to sacrifice to save the baby’s life was the true mother.  And it was said that all of Israel stood in awe of Solomon’s judgment, believing the wisdom of God was in him to carry out justice.

This is a well-known story.  It turns out it’s not just in the Bible, but exists throughout the world’s folklore.  At least 22 versions of this story are found everywhere.  It may be that the original story is really about Solomon and was told and re-told along the trading routes of the ancient world, until it reached far away lands and was shaped by other details.  Or, it could be that it was such a great wisdom tale, and Solomon was such a wise king, that the editor/writer of 1 Kings decided to include this story in his narrative, since it told the greater truth about Solomon, although it might not have actually happened.

The story that is most similar to it is a Jain story, from India.  There are 2 widows of the same man and they dispute about a child, the son of the man, and his heir.  Whoever is the mother of the child will become the head of the household and will be able to stay with the estate that the son is inheriting.  They both claim to be the mother.  A magistrate says that he will divide everything of the dead man’s equally – they will each get half of the estate and half of the child.  The true mother then gives up her claim to the estate, and to the child, so that the child might live.  The magistrate decides that she is the mother and awards her both the child and the full estate.

The Jain version has more at stake.  Not only are the women arguing over property as well as a child, they are women of means who must have some standing in society.  Solomon’s version of the story involves prostitutes and no property.  Who is going to care about what happens to these women and this baby?  That a king took an interest, took the time, and got involved, in such a minor matter socially – it mattered to the child and the mothers of course – is a measure of wisdom and justice. 

Solomon was concerned about right and wrong, and did seek to have an understanding mind, as he had prayed.  We, who follow in this tradition, do plenty of foolish things – I know I have been plenty foolish.  May we seek wisdom through understanding and discernment, and may it lead us to peace, as it was for Solomon in all his glory.  Amen.