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“I Am But a Little Child”
[Published first in
Special Testimonies
, Series B, No. 10,
Jehovah is
Our King
.]
At the beginning of his reign Solomon prayed: “O Lord my God,
Thou hast made Thy servant king instead of David my father: and I
am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in.”
1 Kings
3:7
.
Solomon had succeeded his father David to the throne of Israel.
God greatly honored him, and, as we know, he became in later years
the greatest, richest, and wisest king that had ever sat upon an earthly
throne. Early in his reign Solomon was impressed by the Holy Spirit
with the solemnity of his responsibilities, and, though rich in talents
and ability, he realized that without divine aid he was helpless as a
little child to perform them. Solomon was never so rich or so wise
or so truly great as when he confessed to the Lord: “I am but a little
child: I know not how to go out or come in.”
It was in a dream, in which the Lord appeared to him, saying,
“Ask what I shall give thee” (
verse 5
), that Solomon thus gave
expression to his feeling of helplessness and need of divine aid. He
continued: “Thy servant is in the midst of Thy people which Thou
hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted
for multitude. Give therefore Thy servant an understanding heart
to judge Thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for
who is able to judge this Thy so great a people?
“And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this
thing. And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing,
and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches
for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked
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for thyself understanding to discern judgment; behold, I have done
according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an under-
standing heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither
after thee shall any arise like unto thee. And I have also given thee
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