1 Kings Chapter 3: The Supreme Value of Wisdom

Let us examine 1 Kings Chapter 3. This is a vital chapter. If you can acquire wisdom, it is superior to any material possession. The core theme here is clear: Ask God for wisdom to govern His people and discern right from wrong. This is a direct quote from the scripture:

"Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?" (1 Kings 3:9)

Nothing is More Valuable Than Wisdom

We must recognize a fundamental truth today: nothing is more valuable than wisdom. Consider the Viceroy of Liangguang, an immensely wealthy official. He made a very sharp, realistic observation: "If my son is as capable as I am, why does he need my money? If he is not, why should I waste my money on him?" This is a hard, logical truth.

Therefore, brothers and sisters, you must realize that wisdom surpasses all else. In the early days of our church, my primary goal was to see everyone become intelligent and capable. If you have brains, earning a living is never an issue. But if you are foolish, no matter how much assistance I provide, you will remain a difficult case.

Ask yourself: do you possess wisdom? If you are given wealth without wisdom, it becomes a liability. If you are given power without wisdom, it becomes a disaster. If you serve in high office, you will lose your head in no time. If you ask for longevity but live foolishly, it is a curse. You will merely prolong your own misery. Is this clear to you?

Without wisdom, governance is impossible; indeed, nothing of value can be achieved. I tell you this: wisdom is paramount. If a person lacks intelligence, their life is bound to be a tragedy.

Let me give you a concrete example. I observed a man in his forties. His father is highly intelligent, his mother is capable, but the son has been foolish from youth. He refused to leverage the resources and estate his father built up. When the father spoke to me, his smile was masked with deep pain. He said, "My son is begging for food while holding a golden bowl."

Do you understand the folly of begging with a golden bowl? I advised this young man to utilize his family's assets. He stubbornly refused, claiming he wanted to prove himself. Yet, he lacked the basic competence. He failed at everything he touched, but was a champion at spending money. Once, he imported a large shipment of wine which he could not sell. He then blamed his father: "You see, I bought this wine, and you refuse to help me sell it!"

It is a nightmare for any parent. He was first-class at shifting blame, but utterly incompetent at execution. I wanted to help. I thought of involving him in engineering projects to sharpen his intellect. Why? Because foolish people never realize their own folly. He would offer unsolicited advice to his father and me. We could only shake our heads in disbelief. He would then walk away, convinced he was an unappreciated genius. His ideas were completely detached from reality.

Raising a foolish child is a tragedy. Without him, you have peace; with him, you have endless misery. Therefore, wisdom is paramount. If you raise a child, do not coddle them. Coddling breeds weakness and trouble. At all costs, you must ensure your child acquires wisdom.

When my mother raised me, she never worried about my survival. She knew I would manage. She did not know the hardships I endured, but she had peace of mind because she knew I possessed practical wisdom. This lack of wisdom in people deeply concerns me. In my anxiety, I have sometimes acted foolishly myself, becoming a "fool" as the Apostle Paul described.

I have been reflecting on how one acquires wisdom. I have grasped a small truth. Wisdom is not achieved by constant nagging. Nagging is counterproductive and irritating. I used to behave this way, and I asked our congregation if I sounded like a nagging old woman. I realized I had to change. I had to understand how to cultivate intellect and clarity of mind.

Through rigorous reflection, I realized that people do not become intelligent through nagging. One must contemplate and ponder deeply. You must learn to exercise your intellect, to analyze and comprehend.

Throughout my life, I have been a man who ponders deeply. My former classmates often ask, "At your age, are you still analyzing things?" I tell them, "Yes, I am." I have done this since childhood. Constant analysis leads to comprehension. Once you comprehend the core of an issue, the solution becomes clear.

Therefore, stop being mindlessly busy—typing furiously or working yourself to exhaustion without taking time to think. I worry my advice might fall on deaf ears. You must halt the frantic activity and contemplate. Once you grasp the underlying principles, you will see clearly. Consider happiness, money, or the purpose of existence. You must analyze these systematically.

Years ago, I was involved in the internet—even before Jack Ma, though I did not have his fortune. I analyzed the technology. As an engineer developing software, and later in corporate management, I constantly analyzed. My life has been defined by this intellectual pursuit. Fortunately, I do not scheme against people; I only pursue wisdom.

Seek Nothing But Wisdom

Remember, if you do not ask, you will not receive. The Scripture states clearly:

"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you." (Matthew 7:7)

If you hunger for wisdom day after day, God will eventually open your mind. Do not ask for wealth, power, or longevity. I have analyzed these matters. What is the utility of money or power? Why desire a long life if it is devoid of understanding? We must ask for wisdom.

Building this church was an arduous journey. Initially, I lacked the blueprint. I encountered all sorts of problematic individuals, heavily influenced by evil spirits that constantly laid traps for me. I managed to evade these traps repeatedly. Had I fallen into even one, the consequences would have been disastrous.

I desperately needed the wisdom to build the church. Eventually, I realized the core of church-building is pastoral care. Yet, training leaders to replicate my efforts was highly difficult. Fortunately, God provided Artificial Intelligence in our era. "Xiao Mu" is essentially my digital counterpart, perhaps even more efficient. AI has effectively resolved this bottleneck.

Therefore, ask for nothing but wisdom. Seeing you grow in intelligence is my greatest satisfaction. Do not offer me sentimental platitudes like, "Pastor, I love you, you must not die." That is carnal and unproductive. Some tell me they lost sleep upon hearing of my potential demise. This only saddens me, for it betrays a lack of wisdom. Do you see the logic?

Utilize "Xiao Mu" effectively. Seek wisdom above all else. Ponder this deeply. Today, we examine how Solomon obtained wisdom in 1 Kings Chapter 3. Initially, he was simply driven—perhaps influenced by his mother—to build the temple of God.

Solomon secured the throne. But was he wise at the start? Not quite. He simply chose to build the temple and became king. Yet, he lacked the wisdom to govern. When complex legal disputes arose—cases that local and provincial magistrates could not resolve—they were brought to Solomon. These were highly ambiguous cases. If you hand down blind judgments, you attract curses. Remember, incompetent judgment is a curse.

Solomon faced these cases daily, likely pleading for simpler disputes. Why? Because he lacked the capacity to resolve them. He was no master detective. It was exhausting work. Resolving such disputes is highly time-consuming because both parties present equally plausible arguments.

Troubled by his inability to govern, Solomon took action. He offered a thousand burnt offerings at Gibeon. Why? Because he lacked wisdom and realized he could not manage a difficult and complex populace.

I, too, desperately require wisdom. Recently, I have intensified my prayers, asking God to eradicate my ignorance. I need wisdom to govern this church. Ask in faith. Nothing is more critical than wisdom. I want you to engrave this truth upon your minds.

I have discovered that the root of all folly is the judgment of good and evil based on human standards. If you expend your energy on this, you will inevitably grow more foolish. It is the very source of ignorance. Ponder this: you lose your temper over trivialities because you are convinced of your own righteousness. This self-righteousness breeds physical and mental tension, inviting a spirit of foolishness that manifests even in physical ailments.

This is sheer stupidity. People obsess over their grievances, blaming others for their life's misfortunes. Is your life not in God's hands? Why blame external factors? If not a person, you would blame the moon or the planets. You blame everything except your own lack of wisdom.

Why Did God Ask Solomon: "What Shall I Give You?"

Why did God ask Solomon, "What shall I give you?" It was because Solomon was in agony over his inability to govern. He was so desperate that he offered a thousand sacrifices at Gibeon. If you do not ask, God will not answer. For myself, I desire only to serve God faithfully until my death. This world offers no ultimate hope; to be with God is far superior. I say this because life in this world is a grueling endeavor.

To be completely frank with you, looking back at the journey over these past years, every single step has been paved with either tears or sweat. No one has ever asked if I am tired. But the truth is, I am exhausted. If I tell you that I have not taken a single day of rest, you might be surprised. Indeed, you would be. In fact, I have often wished to return to the Lord sooner. Then, one day, God asked me: "Are you willing to die for Me?" I replied, "Lord, you have finally asked! Yes, I am willing!" After that, God simply ignored me.

This is actually a good thing. Why? Because once you have resolved to die for God, nothing can hurt you. Without this absolute commitment to lay down everything for Him, my heart would have been torn to shreds, riddled with holes like a sieve. But with this resolve, no injury can touch me. Do I still feel the pain? Of course I do. I am human, and I must constantly master myself. Throughout these years of ministry, step by step, the most common thing I have encountered is ingratitude.

When Solomon became king, what was his most pressing need? It was to administer justice effectively. You cannot judge arbitrarily; if you cannot resolve a case, you cannot act. But if you do not judge, the backlog of cases simply piles up. Do you understand this? What the local magistrate cannot resolve goes to the provincial governor; what the governor cannot resolve goes to the highest imperial court; and what the highest court cannot resolve ends up before Solomon. Therefore, every case that reached Solomon was highly complex and unresolved. His desk must have been piled high. Solomon must have thought: "My God, look at this pile. These are not resumes; these are lawsuits!"

Do you know what the case files of these lawsuits look like? Are you familiar with the Epstein Island case? The evidence unearthed—videos, audio recordings, documents—reportedly ran into millions of pages. Even artificial intelligence would struggle to make sense of millions of pages. Do you understand? The web of individuals implicated was far too vast.

Solomon looked at a room filled with case files and wondered how on earth he was going to read them. Try reading a single novel; it takes an entire night. Now imagine thousands of novels stacked before you, each representing an extremely complex legal dispute. Look at the corruption cases in China—the sheer volume is staggering. Even those tasked with catching the corrupt officials ended up corrupt themselves.

Good heavens, Solomon was deeply vexed. He had no idea that kingship would be so tedious. Had he known, he would certainly have declined the throne. Am I right? As he journeyed to Gibeon, his heart was heavy. He thought to himself: "I must acquire wisdom to govern God's people." God's people were in a shambles, constantly litigating. Why did they bring so many disputes to him? Even the Egyptian princess was waiting for him in the palace, yet he had no time for her, consumed day and night by these files. It was an exhausting, painful existence. In this state of mind, he arrived at Gibeon.

"Solomon showed his love for the Lord by walking according to the instructions for his father David, except that he offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places. The king went to Gibeon to offer sacrifices, for that was the most important high place, and Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar. At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, 'Ask for whatever you want me to give you.'" (1 Kings 3:3-5)

To love the Lord—let me tell you, the wisdom of Yahweh far surpasses any artificial intelligence. Solomon recognized this. He resolved to offer sacrifices. Offering a thousand burnt offerings required substantial capital. But Solomon was prepared to pay a heavy price. He did not complain, "I quit, I have no time for these cases." If you adopt a defeatist attitude, you will eventually throw in the towel. That is unacceptable. If God takes my life, so be it. But as long as I am alive, I know there is a curse upon me if I do not serve Him diligently.

Because he loved the Lord, desired wisdom, and offered a thousand sacrifices, Yahweh appeared to him and said: "Ask for whatever you want me to give you." This is why God spoke to him. Today, I petition God in the same manner, though I do not know if I will receive the same measure of divine wisdom. Yet, I thank God that through years of seeking, we have received the Chinese Mingding Doctrine. Whether God approves of this name, I cannot say. May He have mercy; perhaps He does not mind the label. But this name represents the most advanced theological framework of our era. This is my conviction; you are free to disagree.

"Solomon made an alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt and married his daughter. He brought her to the City of David until he finished building his palace and the temple of the Lord, and the wall around Jerusalem." (1 Kings 3:1)

Because Solomon loved God and desired wisdom, God did not dwell on his marriage to an Egyptian princess. Did God make an issue of it? There is a saying: "A fair complexion hides a hundred flaws." A flawless, radiant complexion is highly desirable, whereas a patchy, uneven skin tone is not.

Once you seek wisdom, does it mean you are flawless? No. Why did he marry Pharaoh's daughter? Why did he acquire hundreds of concubines in his harem? Did he have the stamina for that? Yet, because he sought wisdom, his flaws were covered. God did not fixate on those shortcomings.

If you ask me whether we have flaws, I will tell you plainly: yes, we have many. But once we love God, once we offer ourselves as a burnt offering, and once we desire His wisdom to govern His church, our other shortcomings are covered. This is a remarkable reality. Our God is indeed fascinating.

Do you wish to be such a person? If so, you must desire wisdom. Do not be foolish, especially not in the presence of God. If you act foolishly before me, it is of little consequence. But if you display folly before God, you are in serious trouble.

Solomon's Attitude in Seeking Wisdom

Solomon loved God. He offered a thousand sacrifices, consuming them entirely as burnt offerings to God. His fundamental attitude in seeking wisdom was correct.

"Solomon answered, 'You have shown great kindness to your servant, my father David, because he was faithful to you and righteous and upright in heart. You have continued this great kindness to him and have given him a son to sit on his throne this very day. Now, Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?'" (1 Kings 3:6-9)

This is an exemplary response. "Lord, I am Your servant, as was my father. You granted the throne to my father and now to me, allowing me to succeed him." Do you understand the source of this authority? It comes from God. Yet, he admits: "I am only a little child, and I do not know how to carry out my duties."

Remember this: first, acknowledge that you are God's servant; second, admit your own limitations and ignorance. If you carry yourself with arrogance, strutting around as if you are superior to everyone else, you will never acquire wisdom. Let me tell you how people remain foolish—it is because they are self-satisfied. If a man does not know that he does not know, he is ruined.

He admitted he did not know how to carry out his duties. What does this mean? It means: "Lord, I do not know how to be king. I do not know how to govern Your people. My office is piled high with unresolved cases. This is a daunting task, and I am inadequate." He was unlike those incompetent leaders who hand down arbitrary judgments, leaving a complete mess in their wake. If you judge poorly, you invite endless appeals and petitions. If you resolve cases with wisdom, order is restored.

A nation plagued by miscarriages of justice is a nation under a curse. Thus, Solomon pleaded: "Lord, I desperately need wisdom to govern Israel." These people were constantly in dispute, and the most difficult cases escalated to him. He was the court of last resort, yet he recognized his own inadequacy. This is the correct attitude when seeking wisdom.

The same principle applies to building a church. If you are a pastor, you must have wisdom. Without it, your foolish actions will bring curses upon you. Make no mistake: ministry is a serious, demanding task. If you are a church leader who happens to come across this sermon on YouTube or our website, let me offer you some advice: be careful, and govern diligently according to the wisdom God provides.

Over the years, I have witnessed many absurdities. There is much I could say. We had a sister who appeared to love the Lord deeply. I thought, since she is so devoted, let her enter full-time ministry. We provided her with accommodation and a salary; we do not expect ministers to live on air.

Yet, her performance was worse than before she joined us full-time. Previously, she balanced a secular job and ministry with great zeal. Now, she has become complacent and undisciplined. To make matters worse, she entered a relationship. While romance is not a sin, her lax attitude toward ministry was deeply disappointing and vexing. But I thank God for giving me the wisdom to redeem her rather than lose her.

We must maintain the right attitude in seeking wisdom. If you seek wisdom to serve God's people, your motive cannot be financial gain. The moment you focus on money, you are ruined. Building a church does not require money; it requires being fishers of men. We must restore others with gentleness. Perhaps she has forgotten this lesson; I do not know. But witnessing such complacency is deeply painful. I had to discipline my own mind and seek God's wisdom. To this day, the devil has laid many traps to ensnare me, but he has failed. You cannot govern God's church without wisdom.

This Pleased the Lord

"The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. So God said to him, 'Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be. Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for—both wealth and honor—so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings. And if you walk in obedience to me and keep my decrees and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life.' Then Solomon awoke—and he realized it had been a dream. He returned to Jerusalem, stood before the ark of the Lord’s covenant and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. Then he gave a feast for all his court." (1 Kings 3:10-15)

When God saw that Solomon sought wisdom, He added everything else to him. Let me tell you this: we who have received God's grace must not take it in vain. We do not deserve it. The moment you believe you are entitled to it, you are ruined. The greatest danger is to fail to please the Lord.

This is what Solomon asked for, and it pleased the Lord. Throughout my life, I have sought to emulate Solomon. How successful I have been remains to be seen, but my deepest desire is to spend my life pleasing the Lord.

One of our brothers often tells me: "We live for one purpose—to please the Lord. If we incur His wrath, we are finished." Do you understand this? The only reason we are alive today, the only reason we have come this far, is because we have a heart that seeks to please God. Without it, we are ruined. And when I say "ruined," I do not mean a minor setback. I mean absolute disaster. Is that not clear?

Brothers and sisters, join me in confronting our inner folly and self-righteousness. We must constantly seek, contemplate, and discern. True wisdom is born of deep reflection. You may not grasp it in a single day, but persist, and you will attain it. I urge you to cast away your worldly self-righteousness. The ways of this world are insidious. What you deem natural and right is often an abomination to God. To be carnally minded is enmity against God; to judge by worldly standards of good and evil leads to death. Do you understand? If you love the world, you deliver yourself into the hands of the devil.

Do we possess hearts of wisdom? Look at the fruits of our ministry. Look at how we shepherd. Frankly, it pains me deeply at times. I know many of you sacrifice a great deal. But is sacrifice alone enough if the direction is wrong?

I have observed an interesting phenomenon. Some of our junior leaders focus on providing emotional support, building up people's faith without overcomplicating things. Their ministry is effective. Yet, others exert tremendous, brute effort, micromanaging and driving themselves to exhaustion, only to produce dismal results.

A teacher once told me: "In our profession, if you lack competence, do not compensate with excessive zeal." Do you grasp the meaning? An incompetent teacher, lacking wisdom, will force students to use foolish, laborious methods. They appear dedicated, working past midnight, but they only succeed in dulling the minds of the children. Do not be offended by my bluntness, but this is the cold, hard truth.

Why does this happen? The reason is simple: you are not seeking the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. You are trying to prove yourself. Think about it. Can self-validation ever please the Lord? If your goal is self-aggrandizement, your ministry would be better off without your frantic efforts. Do not expect me to applaud your misguided zeal.

Let me give you an analogy from home renovation. If I have no skill in renovation but insist on doing it myself with brute force, I will end up leaking through the ceiling below and punching holes in the floor above. Will I not have to pay for the damages? Do you see the point? Ignorant, blind action is a tragedy. When a person does not know that he does not know, disaster is inevitable.

Therefore, learn from those junior leaders who are effective. Some of you might feel hurt by this, and perhaps I must offer you some comfort. But if you emulate Solomon, God will surely grant you wisdom. God was pleased with him. What God desires most is a person who abandons self-righteousness and begins to seek divine wisdom. God will never withhold it from such a person.

When Solomon returned, he was filled with joy. God promised him wisdom, and along with it, all the things he did not ask for. See how vital it is to seek wisdom, and how destructive self-righteousness is. If you do not guard your mind, your thinking will quickly go astray.

A Preliminary Test of Wisdom

Once Solomon received wisdom, God brought a case before him. It was likely a cold case that had been pending for some time. The court was convened, and the plaintiff and defendant—two prostitutes—were brought forward.

It is an intriguing story. Both women had given birth. One mother accidentally smothered her child in her sleep, then swapped the dead infant with the living child of the other mother. They stood before Solomon, both claiming, "The dead child is yours, the living one is mine." Consider the sheer malice of human nature. How depraved must one be to do this? If your child died, accept the tragedy. Why steal another's child? As the child grows, he will look nothing like you, but exactly like his true mother. You would raise him in vain. It is absurd.

Faced with this dilemma, Solomon did not struggle. Today, we would rely on DNA testing, but they had no such technology. Solomon had wisdom. With a sharp mind and swift judgment, the solution came to him. It was a simple test. He ordered: "Bring a sword. Cut the living child in two, and give half to each." Did they think it was a piece of meat? Half to each sounds fair on paper, but this was a living child.

The onlookers were baffled, as were the two women. The true mother pleaded, "No, spare the child! Give him to her." The imposter said, "Let him be divided." Did Solomon actually intend to butcher the child? Of course not. Instantly, the true mother was revealed. Did this wisdom require grueling effort? Was a DNA test necessary? This is not like the mythical tale of the real and fake Monkey King appealing to the Buddha, where even the heavens are plagued by corruption and bureaucracy, driving the master to despair. In a world devoid of natural justice, wisdom cuts through the noise.

Did Solomon struggle? Did he need to pore over volumes of legal precedents? No. He resolved it in an instant. Let me tell you this: if your work is constantly a grueling struggle, you lack wisdom. If you are bogged down in inefficiency and frustration, you are not operating with wisdom. Is that clear?

Today, I spoke with a pastor about the children in his district. He told me about a junior leader whose child is excelling academically. How did he achieve this? He trained his child using the learning methods I taught you. Another leader did the same—one child is in high school, the other in primary school—and both have seen their grades soar.

There is also a mother with a daughter about to graduate from a vocational school. They share a close bond and applied my learning techniques diligently. The daughter has performed exceptionally well. Why? Because my method is efficient. Remember, if a task is excessively difficult, you are doing it wrong. Consider a driving test. If you pass on your first attempt, it is efficient. If you fail ten times, think of the wasted energy. Do not fall into the fallacy that hard work alone is virtuous.

Inefficiency and procrastination are intolerable. In my ministry, I will ruthlessly eliminate this sluggishness. Thank God that people are beginning to realize that exhausting themselves without results wins no appreciation. My goal is simple: I want my co-workers and congregation to work highly effectively for three hours a day. The rest of the time, you may sleep, relax, or watch videos. Do you understand?

We must shatter this myth of busywork. Solomon said, "Bring a sword," and resolved the crisis instantly. It was swift and decisive. I tell you, errors breed delay; correct actions are swift. This is why I manage a heavy workload without exhaustion, leaving me time to confront my own judgments of good and evil. You must understand: if a process is tedious and slow, it is wrong. If it is correct, it is fast. You must grasp the essence of the matter.

A brother once brought me a drawing: "Teacher, look at my design." It was a 3D wireframe. I asked, "Is this a perspective drawing?" He replied, "No, I didn't draw it that way." I said, "If it is not perspective, a simple sketch would suffice. But where is the key reference?" He said, "I just drew the framework." The word "framework" is thoroughly overused. I asked, "Where are the coordinates?" You must learn the concept of coordinates. Any design requires coordinates—reference axes, reference points, and reference planes.

A foolish man is doomed to hard labor. His efficiency is abysmally low. I choose to work smart. If you persist in foolish methods, believing it is the only way, you will ruin yourself. That is self-righteousness. Solomon’s judgment opens our minds to a vital principle: speed and decisiveness. He settled the matter instantly.

Solomon's Wisdom Inspires Awe

This story spread throughout Israel. What was the result? All Israel stood in awe of the king, because they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to administer justice. Would anyone dare to steal another's child again? No. Why? Because the perpetrator would be imprisoned.

We do not know the exact sentence the imposter received, but she was undoubtedly punished. Kidnapping a child is no different from human trafficking. She was sent to prison, stripped of even her livelihood. Would any Israelite dare to flout the law after that? No. If a judge rules incorrectly, lawlessness and wickedness multiply. Solomon’s wisdom deterred potential criminals. His wisdom established order and inspired awe.

We must pray for wisdom to govern God's people and discern right from wrong. This applies not only to legal disputes but also to engineering, administration, and human relations. I have previously spoken on how to conduct oneself and execute tasks. This is fundamental. Many do not know how to conduct themselves or get things done. Reflect on this. Many do not even know how to learn. These are critical problems we must solve.

To address these deficiencies, I feel a sense of urgency. In the coming days, in addition to Bible study and prayer, I will organize an extra course. I will guide you through books of profound wisdom. Our Chinese ancestors accumulated vast wisdom over thousands of years. These texts are akin to the Book of Proverbs—they are the Chinese Book of Proverbs.

Let me give you a brief preview. There is a text of just over a thousand words, yet it is extraordinary. It outlines the principles of conduct and leadership with absolute clarity. This book is called Su Shu (The Book of Plain Words).

For your background: Su Shu was written by Huang Shigong. He gave it to Zhang Liang, who helped Liu Bang conquer the empire. When Zhang Liang died, the book was buried with him. Centuries later, grave robbers opened his tomb and discovered this manuscript beneath his jade pillow. Thus, Su Shu was preserved for posterity.

It is a remarkable text. Zhang Liang was one of the very few strategists who helped found a dynasty and managed to survive with his life and reputation intact. Most who helped emperors win empires were eventually executed. Zhang Liang was exceptionally shrewd, and the Su Shu written by Huang Shigong contains that profound wisdom.

May God grant us all wisdom, so that we may build His glorious church and become people of true competence and understanding.

May God bless you all!