Solomon’s Wise Judgment
February 20, 2019
Commentary
Solomon’s wisdom is put to the test. Two prostitutes, living in the same house, each had a baby three days apart. During the night one of the babies died and his mother exchanged the dead child for the living child. The next morning the other woman realized that the dead son was not hers but the guilty mother refused to admit her wrong doing.
Unable to settle their dispute, they went to the King. It was obvious that one of the women was lying, but which one? Solomon, in his wisdom, ordered the baby to be cut in half and one half given to each woman. As he had anticipated, this order brought an immediate response from the real mother who quickly volunteered to let the other woman have the baby. When the other woman argued that the baby should be cut in two, it was evident that she had no compassion for the child and was not the real mother. Thus the dispute was resolved.
It is a precious truth to the Christian that God equips us for our calling. God made Solomon king, and God supplied all that he needed to serve acceptably. “Ask and it shall be given you.”1 To separate truth from falsehood is often difficult. Every situation is not clear cut. Solomon’s wisdom in this case became known throughout his kingdom so that he was admired as a wise administrator of justice.
Application
God gave Solomon great wisdom as he settled this dispute between the two women. I have God’s wisdom available to me as I pray and request it, but, like Solomon I must put it into action. It is important that I always do what I know I should do.
1 Kings 3:16– 28 (NET)
16 Then two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him. 17 One of the women said, “My master, this woman and I live in the same house. I had a baby while she was with me in the house. 18 Then three days after I had my baby, this woman also had a baby. We were alone; there was no one else in the house except the two of us. 19 This woman’s child suffocated during the night when she rolled on top of him. 20 She got up in the middle of the night and took my son from my side, while your servant was sleeping. She put him in her arms, and put her dead son in my arms. 21 I got up in the morning to nurse my son, and there he was, dead! But when I examined him carefully in the morning, I realized it was not my baby.” 22 The other woman said, “No! My son is alive; your son is dead!” But the first woman replied, “No, your son is dead; my son is alive.” Each presented her case before the king.
23 The king said, “One says, ‘My son is alive; your son is dead,’ while the other says, ‘No, your son is dead; my son is alive.’” 24 The king ordered, “Get me a sword.” So they placed a sword before the king. 25 The king then said, “Cut the living child in two, and give half to one and half to the other!” 26 The real mother spoke up to the king, for her motherly instincts were awakened. She said, “My master, give her the living child! Whatever you do, don’t kill him!” But the other woman said, “Neither one of us will have him. Let them cut him in two!” 27 The king responded, “Give the first woman the living child; don’t kill him. She is the mother.” 28 When all Israel heard about the judicial decision which the king had rendered, they respected the king, for they realized that he possessed divine wisdom to make judicial decisions.