people. God had permitted David’s son to become the next king. (This is remarkable, for it is the first time in Israel’s history that a ruler was succeeded by his son.) God had promised to show his greatest kindness to David’s family by sending the Savior into the world through that family. When Solomon thought about the heavy responsibility resting on his shoulders, he saw his own weakness and inability. He therefore prayed that God would give him a wise and understanding heart so that he might