Neville Goddard on 1 Kings 3:1-10 - Mystical Bible Interpretation

Read 1 Kings 3 in context

Scripture Focus

1And Solomon made affinity with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and took Pharaoh's daughter, and brought her into the city of David, until he had made an end of building his own house, and the house of the LORD, and the wall of Jerusalem round about.

2Only the people sacrificed in high places, because there was no house built unto the name of the LORD, until those days.

3And Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of David his father: only he sacrificed and burnt incense in high places.

4And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there; for that was the great high place: a thousand burnt offerings did Solomon offer upon that altar.

5In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee.

6And Solomon said, Thou hast shewed unto thy servant David my father great mercy, according as he walked before thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee; and thou hast kept for him this great kindness, that thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day.

7And now, 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.

8And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude.

9Give 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?

10And the speech pleased the LORD, that Solomon had asked this thing.

1 Kings 3:1-10

Biblical Context

Solomon, newly made king, asks God for an understanding heart to discern between good and bad, seeking wisdom to govern the people. The narrative notes God's pleasure at the request.

Neville's Inner Vision

Solomon's tale is your inner drama. You are the throne, the I AM that sits above your restless thoughts. When Solomon says, 'Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart,' he is not asking for a distant gift; he is naming the state of consciousness you must enter to judge rightly of your inner people. The dream in Gibeon is the inner vision where God speaks as the still, small voice of your own awareness. The 'great people' Solomon sees are the manifold tendencies, memories, and fears within you, seeking clarity. To ask for understanding is to assume you already possess the faculty of discernment; the moment you assume, the mind becomes capable of distinguishing between what helps your true flourishing and what does not. The LORD’s pleasure rests on your faith in that inner capability, not on the external accomplishment. So the miracle is not the external throne; it is your readiness to live from the I AM, to judge from a place of truth, patience, and love. Practice: assume the state of understanding now, and watch inner problems reveal their true shape.

Practice This Now

Imaginative act: Close your eyes and assume the state, 'I am given an understanding heart now to discern rightly.' See yourself facing a present decision and hear a quiet inner verdict guiding you toward good and true choices.