Upon ascending to the throne, young Solomon traveled ten miles northwest to the hills of Gibeon to offer an extravagant sacrifice – a thousand burnt offerings. This was the same place where the sun stood still for Joshua and where twelve of David’s strong men defeated twelve of Saul’s men (Joshua 10:1-14; 2 Samuel 2:12-17). In the middle of the night, God burst through to Solomon in a dream. Solomon could have requested anything in all the earth. Through time spent in worship, Solomon realized that wisdom was the greatest of all God’s gifts.
Worship is like the rains that prepare the earth for God’s blessings. The story of the youthful Solomon preparing to take the throne is a beautiful reminder to us of the importance of worship. The story of God granting him the gift of wisdom opens with a swell of costly and reverent worship. For us, too, worship creates a context for us to encounter God; it sets our souls in motion in an upward spiral by which we pursue God, and he gladly responds.
Worship book-ended the exchange between the Sovereign God and the new sovereign of Israel. Solomon returned from his heavenly encounter and again made an offering to the God of Israel in Jerusalem before the ark of the covenant.
Like a gathering cloud, worship encircles and protects God’s people. It softens the soil of our hearts like nourishing rain. When we’ve been in a dark place and long for colorful beauty to replace the hardness that has settled into our scorched souls, simple acts of worship can prepare the way for God’s words of wisdom to permeate our hearts. If your life seems parched, won’t you allow God to paint a palette of colorful joy by spending time worshiping your Lord?
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