Read carefully the charge David gave his son Solomon recorded in 1 Kings 2. Take charge, but be sure you do so in a way that’s consistent with God’s Word. God made promises about me and my family, David said, and I want them to be fulfilled. This will happen he said to Solomon “If your descendants watch how they live, and if they walk faithfully before me with all their heart and soul, you will never fail to have a man on the throne of Israel.”
Then David shared some unfinished business he wanted Solomon to carry out. Notice: he empowered him by affirming that Solomon knew what to do to carry out this request. Then verse 6, “Deal with him according to your wisdom.” Again in verse 9 he says, “You are a man of wisdom.” These affirmations empowered Solomon to do what David requested. The rest of the chapter explains how shrewdly Solomon did it. Those David wanted killed were killed because they brought judgment upon themselves. He couldn’t be charged with wrongdoing. He gave them, so to speak, enough rope to hang themselves.
Once the kingdom was firmly established, God gave Solomon a unique opportunity one night in a dream, saying “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.” Solomon prudently asked for wisdom to govern his people. God not only gave him the wisdom he requested but an unbelievable abundance of everything his heart might have wanted. The people held the king in awe, because they saw that he had wisdom from God to administer justice.