that Solomon had asked this thing. You notice I put there, God is pleased when men express His concerns unto them. Think about that when we pray. God is pleased when we discern from the Word of God what His concerns are. What does God desire? What does God want? When we pray, According to what God has shown us that is His concerns, and that becomes our concern, God's pleased with that. You want God pleased with your prayer? Then pray that way. Seek to know what God's will is in the Word of God, and pray that way. And God will be pleased with your prayer. God tells us that He will give us everything that we ask. Well, when we desire what God desires, He'll give it to us in His time. Verses 12 and 13 goes on. It tells us in verse 11, And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life, neither hast thou asked riches for thyself, nor hast thou asked the life of thine enemies. You see, He didn't ask anything for Himself, but has asked for thy self-understanding to discern judgment, that He might have it for Himself, but for God's glory, and to serve God. So, verse 12 says, Behold, I have done. Because you ask the right thing, I have done according to thy works. Lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart, So that there shall none like thee before thee, neither after thee, shall in any wise like thee, or any arise like thee. And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked. I'm going to give you what you did ask, and out of that you're going to get what you didn't ask for. I'm going to give you honor. Solomon didn't ask for honor among all the kings of the earth, did he? But God gave him that anyway. It came along with the discernment and the understanding that God gave him. Along with that will come this other that you didn't ask for. So God gave him more than he asked for, didn't he? And then he says, you didn't ask for all these things for yourself. Well, I have also, verse 13, given thee that which thou hast not asked. both riches and honor, so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days." We're on the... the notes I handed out are my notes. That's the extra note you have this morning. That's my notes. I might as well just give you that. You don't have that going forward. So I'm on the second page, which is the lesson today. The first page is last week's lesson. Now we're on the second page under C. And the third one there. It should be gave, not have. Gave Solomon such a wise and perceptive and understanding heart that there never was before or after that was superior to him except the God-man. Outside of the Lord Jesus Christ, and I say this without any qualification, not in his personal life, especially towards the end of his life, but as far as a ruler is concerned, there's not been a king or a president or a prime minister ever as wise as him. Now, if you want to challenge that, then I would say take a look at the book of Ecclesiastes and the book of Proverbs and Song of Solomon, and just think about that a little bit. You find me another king that God used to write that and had, when God says, this is the way it's gonna be, that's the way it's gonna be. Now, it would be good, that means this, if any ruler at any level, doesn't matter if it's the mayor of the smallest town, 650 people, Darby, Montana, It doesn't matter if it's the sheriff there. It doesn't matter if it's the President of the United States or anybody in between or a king of a nation. If they want to be a good one that pleases God, and they are going to give account to God, aren't they? So if they want to be a good one before God that God's pleased with, try following the Word of God. I've known people, more than one, work hard all day, come in at night, don't have even a table they can spread out on because that would be the kitchen table that people are using. So they take an ironing board or whatever they can, set it up, put their Bible on that, read the Word of God. Because they want to learn how to be a dad, how to be a mom, how to please God, how to serve God, and they're diligent about studying the Word of God to find out. Ephesians chapter 3 and verse 20, God gave him far more than he thought about asking, didn't He? And that's what Ephesians 3 verse 20 says, now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think. according to the power that worketh in us." Just remember, when we're asking, seek God's desires first in our prayers. You say, well, doesn't God say we're supposed to pray that God give us our daily bread? Yeah, He is. The context of that prayer is the kingdom of God. It's the kingdom of God. Well, if what we want is so that we have the strength and the health to serve God, He'll even give us more than we ask or think. See, everything revolves around God first. Not earthly things, but faith, love, Comprehending the love of Christ. If you look at the context, I challenge you to look at the context later. When you go over this again, read the verses before and after this verse in Ephesians. That's the context of the verse. It all revolves around believing God, loving God and God's people, and loving the word of God, loving God's work, and comprehending the love of Christ for us. Now, you ask for that, and you're sincere about that, you'll get some of that, and I guarantee you'll get more than that. So it requires a thorough understanding of the law for Solomon and the Word of God as a whole, as well as people and circumstances. So to know the Word of God and then to have an understanding of people and of circumstances. We're going to see that in just a little bit. And if thou wilt walk in my ways and keep my statutes and my commandments as thy father David did walk, then I will lengthen thy days. You know what that sounds like? That sounds like what God said in the law to Israel, doesn't it? If you keep my commandments and my statutes, you'll live long in the land. Length of days. God meant that. How long did Solomon live? I don't know. I've looked. I know how long he reigned. He reigned four years, but I don't know exactly when he started. I know he was an adult and he was a young man, but I don't know exactly how old he was. I have a real strong suspicion that he didn't live as long as David did, his father. Why? Because he didn't keep the Word of God. As he got to be an older man, he fell into idolatry, had many strange wives, and they influenced him. So no, I don't think he lived as long as David did. But Solomon was blessed. with greater riches and honor than any king in his days. Now, I want you to notice something. I highlighted this there. The way to receive spiritual blessings is to be importunate about it. Be importunate with God. Pray fervently. And continually, the way to receive material blessings is to be indifferent about them. In other words, the way to receive the blessings of God, even the material blessings of God, is be very fervent and persistent with God about the things that have to do with the kingdom of God, spiritual things. Make those things that your faith would be stronger, that you would understand more of the Word of God, understand more of the will of God, more of how to serve God. Be persistent about that, praying for lost souls, the needs of others of God's people. Be importunate about that. Be indifferent about the material things, and God's made a promise about it. Leave it in God's hands. That's what it means to be indifferent. Not that you don't care. We care about our family's needs, but if you really care, do it God's way. Now, verse 14. And if thou wilt walk in my ways and keep my statutes and my commandments as thy father David did walk, then I will lengthen thy days. The first blessings were conditional. See, it says, if you'll do this, then I will do this. That's conditional. But the first blessings were not conditional. He had already asked for the right thing. He sought the kingdom of God, Israel, right then, first. And so all the blessings God said He was going to give them as a result of that, that's taken care of. That's not conditional. It's according to promise. So is Matthew 6, 31 to 33. Now, the rest of it's conditional. If you'll do this, I will lengthen your days. That's conditional. Now, verse 15, "'And Solomon awoke, and behold, it was a dream. When it says, behold, it was a dream, it's not like, well, I've had some. You know, I'm not a big dreamer as far as, I mean, some people just, my wife dreams all the time. One of my oldest son, especially, he was always, as a kid, he always said, man, I had a dream last night. I sleep too hard. I mean, they say everybody dreams. But I usually, when I go to sleep, I know absolutely nothing. until I wake up, and when I wake up, I'm awake. My eyes may be closed, but I'm awake. It's not like my eyes pop open, but I'm just awake. But sometimes I have some, and they're always just before I wake up. And man, I have. This last week, I have had a couple. When somebody's about to kill you or something similar to that, And you know you need to get up, and you're stuck. It doesn't matter how hard you try. Your body's just stuck, and you're just glued to the bed. I used to have that. First time I experienced that was when I was in college, and I'd do these power naps. I'd study until I was falling asleep, and then I'd lay down on my back, because that's the only way I could get my mind to shut off. I'd just lay down on my back and just imagine I was sinking into the bed, and I would go out. But I only got about two hours before I had to go to work. And when I would wake up, it was like I couldn't pull myself off the bed. Well, that's the way these dreams were. I mean, my legs and my arms hurt so bad trying to, but I couldn't get them to move. And then I'd wake up. Glad that was a dream. That's not what he had. That's not what he had. When it says he realized it was a dream, It means he awoke and realized God was showing him something. It was an inspired dream, if you will. We don't have those. The Word of God wasn't completed this time. And many prophets of old had these. So that's what it was. He knew it was a promise of God he could trust. So I want you to notice what he does. This is how sincere he was and knew what he was doing. in many ways. It produced, when he prayed the right way, it changed him. Now, think about that. When you and I pray the right way, we need to be serious about it. When we are, it'll change us. That's why the Lord said, pray in your closet and He'll reward the openly. People will see a change. They won't know why, but you will. Now, it'll change us. Notice what he did. He came to Jerusalem. Where had he been? You remember earlier in the chapter, he was at Gion. That was the greatest high place. Most beautiful, the highest, all that. All that, it's religious worship. He's worshiping the right God. But all those high places were convenient, and they appealed to the carnal nature of men. I mean, I like to stand on the mountains and get a good view of things. Beautiful. And stood before the Ark of the Covenant. When he was at the high place at Gion, the Ark of the Covenant wasn't there. He was offering sacrifices to God. He was doing that right, but he wasn't in the right place. The Ark of the Covenant represents Christ, our intercessor, our high priest. So he stood before the Ark of the Covenant now of the Lord and offered up burnt offerings and offered peace offerings and made a feast to all his servants. It changed him, didn't it? When he prayed the right way and God promised blessing, it changed him. He went to a place that was humble in its appearance. Remember, the tabernacle was on the outside. It was badger skins on the inside. It was blue and white and red and gold. But on the outside, it was badger skins atop. It didn't have any special outward appearance. It wasn't in a place where you particularly get a good view, because you're not there to get a good view. but he worshiped God in the place that God instituted. So God had communed with Solomon, and he obeyed the word of God as David. He had mentioned that, that he would keep the commandments of God and the statutes of God as David his father. Well, David his father had put this tabernacle and this ark in Jerusalem. And so now he's doing what he said he would do. So the Ark of the Covenant, the presence of God was there, the tabernacle that David had pitched. Real communion, I put this bold, real communion with God leaves what appeals to the flesh to worship in God's house. Just remember that bold print. Remember that one. Now, verses 16 through 28, we see his practice. You know, this is probably one of the most familiar stories, of course, about Solomon. I think a lot of people in the world know about this story, even if they've never read it. That's the way it is with a lot of things. They've heard about it, but they haven't actually read what the Word of God says and haven't really thought about what it shows us here. A lot of things that it shows us. I want you to notice, first of all, the circumstances. God had said that He was going to do what for him? He was going to give him an understanding heart to discern and judge rightly. We're going to see the display of an understanding heart to have good perception and know how to exercise judgment. Now, we look at this, I think, I don't know about you, but I look at this, many, many times I've looked at this and I was taught it as a kid and heard it through the years and different times. And you start, we read it and then we look back on it. We're reading about things and we're looking back on them. If we could flip the script a little bit and look like they're looking, walk through it in the order they walk through it. then it wouldn't be as easy for us to say, well, you know, that's pretty, that's probably a no-brainer. That's really not that big of a deal. I've heard people say things like that. Well, that's really not a big deal. It's not all that wise. Let me show you some things. Then came there two women that were harlots unto the king and stood before him. And the one woman said, O my Lord, I and this woman dwell in one house, and I was delivered of a child with her in the house. And it came to pass the third day after that I was delivered, that this woman was delivered also. And we were together. There was no stranger with us in the house, save we two in the house. And this woman's child died in the night, because she overlaid it. And she arose at midnight and took my son from beside me, while thy handmaid slept, and laid it in her bosom, and laid her dead child in my bosom. And when I arose in the morning to give the child suck, behold, it was dead. But when I had considered it in the morning, behold, it was not my son, which I did bear. And the other woman said, Nay, but the living is my son, and the dead is thy son. And this said, No, but the dead is thy son, and the living is my son. Thus they spake before the king." We've all seen situations like this, haven't we? We've had situations like this when we were kids. If you've ever taught school, you've had things like this come up repeatedly. Two kids come in from recess. He did this. She did this. And the other one says, no, no, that's not how it was at all. Now, how do you know? How do you know who started this thing? How do you know who's really at fault here? It'd be good sometimes to have the wisdom of Solomon. You know what? perception that he had. God gave him great discernment. I want you to notice the first thing about this, so consider this. And that first point I put there. Here are two harlots—now think about this—here are two harlots that are fighting over the life of a child. One, as a possession—this is a big key— One sees the child as a possession. The other sees the child as the fruit of her womb and has the love of a mother's heart. On the outside, it appears from what has been presented and what was presented to Solomon, there's no difference. They're both telling the same story. This is what happened and what she did. And the other one's saying, no, this is what happened and she did it. Story's exactly the same. We can't go back and see how they really were acting and all that. We can't do that. But we have what they said. I want you to notice something. This is a bad situation, isn't it? I mean, it's a wicked situation. You got two women that are harlots, and they both have a child out of wedlock. And evidently, neighbors didn't even know what the babies looked like. Nobody could make a decision about, well, no, I know which one was which. Nobody could do that. It's not like you're at the hospital, and they put a band around the wrist or something, or the ankle. They don't do that. So you have this discussion or this accusation of both sides. But what happens in our day? Women would just soon kill them. They both. I mean, even when they have the kid, or when they're having the kid, they just soon kill it. Today, they will abandon it, send it away, Or just kill it and get rid of it. That'll solve the problem. I mean, in our day, it's a real reality that Solomon could be looking at this, and they'd both respond the same. Isn't that right? Or you might be having to make a decision. Neither one of them wants it, so what do we do with it? 2 Timothy 3 and verse 1 and verse 3, this know also that in the last days perilous times shall come. Verse 3 says, without natural affection. I want you to notice something about that. Without natural affection, truce breakers, false accusers, incontinent fears, despisers of those that are good. Without natural affection, Solomon realized One of these has natural affection, and one of them does not. The arguments are the same. Everything appears the same, but one of them doesn't have the same heart for this child. Now, I want you to think about something here. God had made Solomon a promise. And now he's required to act on that promise. God told him, I'll give you discernment. I'll give you understanding. And now he's acting on what God told him. He's facing this situation with confidence. That's the first thing I want us to see. He's facing this situation with confidence because God gave him a promise. And he's realizing. Now listen. You say, well, how do you know that? Because listen, if you don't believe God's promise, you don't have confidence. If you don't believe God's promise, you don't have confidence. If you believe the promise of God, you can act with confidence because you know God has given us promises so that we can know. He has revealed the Lord Jesus Christ and he's given us his word. And the Lord Jesus Christ taught his disciples things so that they would know. So they'd know. Solomon believed God. So now, God gave Solomon the understanding of a woman's heart. Now, not very many men have that. But he did. He understood natural affection. And he had discernment that one of them possessed that natural affection. And the other one did not. You can act, but you can't make it real. in your heart. These two women could both come and act the same and say the same thing. They could both be just as dogmatic about it, but they can't change who they are and they can't change their heart. Solomon knew that. How did he know that? Because God gave him the confidence to know that. One thing they can't do, they can say anything, they can act anyway, but they can't change who they are. A hypocrite cannot change the fact that they're a hypocrite. God can't. But if they're acting, they're just an actor. For a parent, you think about those that are your children. They're your joy. Man, I mean, When our fifth one came along still, you talk about, it's always such a joyous time. And there are hope for the future. Not that we don't have hope in Christ. I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about as far as life on this earth. I mean, what do we have for the future? We're going to die one of these days. But God's given us the ability to produce life and have the joy of raising that life. and being used of God to train that individual, that soul, to be raised to be an adult, and we trust to someday serve God. Now, I'm not saying these women cared about that, but even on an earthly plane, the real parent that has natural affection cares about the child more than themselves. Now, you remember that. The person with natural affection cares about the child more than they care about themselves. But without natural affection, even a child is just a possession. It's a possession. It's something to have. I have seen this many times, sadly. One person wants the children because they want to be taught right, and they wouldn't care about how they come out. And the other one wants them as a possession. Man, I've seen people, hateful, mean people, that just flat don't want other people to be happy. How do I know that? Because I've had them tell me so. I had a woman tell me, I think I've told you before, I had a woman tell me, I was miserable the whole, when I was raised, drugs in the house, I mean, all kinds of stuff. I can't even go into all of it. Just a mess. She said, I've been miserable my whole life, and I want my growth to be experience what I experience. Well, then that's kind of like, You know, the happy things in my life, the things I enjoy, I want my kids to enjoy the things I enjoy. I don't want my kids to have to experience the pain I've experienced. That doesn't mean I just make everything easy and rosy for them so they never have to learn to deal with things. But the goal is not just to make them miserable, because I've been miserable. But that's what a depraved nature can take a person to. The second point I put there is love is sacrificial for the object of our love. We will sacrifice ourselves and our own pleasures, if you will, and our desires, we'll sacrifice for the one we love. 1 Corinthians 13 and verse 5. Love, he's talking about charity. doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own." Love talking about her, not, you know, the person. But, seeketh not her own. Love doesn't seek her own. Love seeks the good of the other person. what pleases and will make happy, but it will be truly a blessing to the other person. It is not easily provoked. Think it's no evil. Love doesn't think. I want my loved one to experience my pain. That's wicked. But that can be a reality. It is a reality too many times. Love seeks God's honor and glory. Love seeks God's honor and godly love. On a natural plane, love seeks the best for the object of our love. The person we love, we want the best for them, and we're willing to put out of ourselves for that to happen. Now, when you look at this situation, look at this number three first, then we're going to read this. In a crisis, now this is a fact. You talk to people that deal with emergency management and all this kind of stuff. In a crisis, people don't have time to think. If you're going to prepare for a disaster, you better think about it ahead of time and practice ahead of time. until when something happens, people automatically do the right thing. Otherwise, they do the wrong thing. These two women didn't have a chance to plan. They didn't know what he was going to do. He had no idea what he was going to do. He created a crisis that they had to jump at a decision. Because he just said, bring the sword. Cut that baby in half, and we'll just split it for them. They had to react, because the soldier's standing there with a sword. Can you, I can just imagine, a soldier's gonna do what he's told. Cut that baby in half, pull the sword back, and somebody's gonna react, they're both gonna react. Immediately, the first one to react is the one that has natural affection for that child. Her first concern is not herself, and just the fact that she possesses the child, she wants the child alive. She reacted first. The other one had to react to that. God gave Solomon tremendous wisdom. I mean, he created a crisis. And they reacted. They didn't have time to go home and think about this like we do. We go, we read it, and then we think about what we just read. They didn't have time to do that. He created a crisis. God gave him, I'll tell you what, God gave him tremendous wisdom. He perceived, he saw immediately what was going on. He created the crisis for him. I'll let you read the rest of the chapter because we're out of time. But you'll see that that's exactly what God did. It produced then in verse 28, it produced a fear of the king. They reverenced this king. They saw that he had wisdom. He had perception. And it's like we would say, man, you don't want to mess with that king. You don't want to mess with that judge. Man, he'll look right through you. You see, that's the way they saw Solomon. Don't mess with him. He'll see right through you. And it produced fear in his kingdom, a fear of righteousness in his kingdom. Perfect in that is the Lord Jesus Christ. You don't want to mess with him either. He knows your heart. He knows what you're going to think before you think it. And He knows what you think in every minute. And He judges according to the thoughts. The thought of the wicked is sin, the Bible says.