2 Kings 3:16 – 28 “At that time two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him. One woman said, “Please, my lord, this woman and I live in the same house, and I gave birth while she was in the house. On the third day after I gave birth, this woman also had a baby. We were alone, with no one in the house but the two of us. During the night this woman’s son died because she rolled over on him. So, she got up in the middle of the night and took my son from my side while I was asleep. She laid him in her bosom and put her dead son at my bosom. The next morning, when I got up to nurse my son, I discovered he was dead. But when I examined him, I realized that he was not the son I had borne.”
“No,” said the other woman, “the living one is my son and the dead one is your son.”
But the first woman insisted, “No, the dead one is yours and the living one is mine.” So, they argued before the king.
Then the king replied, “This woman says, ‘My son is alive and yours is dead,’ but that woman says, ‘No, your son is dead and mine is alive.’”
The king continued, “Bring me a sword.” So, they brought him a sword, and the king declared, “Cut the living child in two and give half to one and half to the other.”
Then the woman whose son was alive spoke to the king because she yearned with compassion for her son. “Please, my lord,” she said, “give her the living baby. Do not kill him!”
But the other woman said, “He will be neither mine nor yours. Cut him in two!” Then the king gave his ruling: “Give the living baby to the first woman. By no means should you kill him; she is his mother.”
When all Israel heard of the judgment the king had given, they stood in awe of him, for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to administer justice.”
There is a phrase “a Solomon come to judgement,” and this story is the origin of that phrase. Until now, Solomon hasn’t done anything that a pagan king would not have done, apart from sacrificing to the Lord. But pagan kings will also sacrifice to their gods. In the handling of this incident, Solomon begins to demonstrate God’s gift of divine wisdom. Two prostitutes give birth 3 days apart, but one of them rolls over on her child at night as they sleep on a mat together. Realizing that she has smothered her child, this woman swiftly exchanges her dead baby for her colleague’s live one and lies down again. The other prostitute wakes and realizes that there is a dead baby lying next to her and that this baby is not hers. The two women come to Solomon, and Solomon settles the matter in a dramatic fashion by threatening to cut the baby in half. The mother of the dead baby agrees to this division; why should she care? But the actual mother of the child longs for the life of the child and is willing to give it up rather than see the child put to death.
APPLICATION: This story seems so simple but it is really profound. God has given Solomon His wisdom. Without the wisdom of God, Solomon might have descended into a morass of arguments between the two women, culminating in a hair – pulling match right there in the throne room!
Which of us does not need divine wisdom? We are parents and workers, students and teachers. We may be supervisors or we may be in the ranks of those who are supervised. No matter our situation, we need the perfect wisdom that only God can give.
James 3:117 tells us, “But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.” The name “Solomon” means “man of peace.” God gave Solomon wisdom so that he could truly be a man of peace. Today, let us ask God to give us His wisdom, so that we too will be able to become people of peace.
PRAYER: Father God, thank you for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help each of us to ask You for Your wisdom so that Your peace will pervade our lives. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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