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1 Kings 3-11 – The Limits of Wisdom
How could someone so wise act so foolish? How could the wisest of men become the greatest of fools? That is the conundrum about Solomon asked possibly for 3 thousand years and counting. His wisdom is seen in his writings, songs, proverbs and judicial decisions. His wisdom exceeds all the wise of the East and West (4:29-34). So how can such a wise man fail by his own foolishness by marrying 700 women, keeping 300 concubines, and falling down before false gods?
One suggestion is that in Solomon’s famous request of God, that he never asked for “spiritual wisdom” but rather for “administrative discernment, sagacious judgment, intellectual grasp; aptitude for the acquisition of knowledge, a practical wisdom in the directing of affairs” (J. Sidlow Baxter, Explore the book, vol.2, p.99).
While such a specialization of wisdom might appear to be a comforting answer, the complaint of the Israelites concerning Solomon’s “harsh service and heavy yoke” (1 Kings 12:4) shows that even in politics, Solomon did not act wisely.
I suggest something far more real, at least in my experience. Wisdom has limits, and that limit is the willingness to follow what we know. How often do you, I or others, not do what we know is right and best? Too often. Either we lie to ourselves or else become callous to the truth. So how could someone so wise act so foolish? Change that question a little bit and the answer becomes all too clear. “How can I act so foolish when I know better?” Simple, because I want to.
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