When all Israel heard the king's decision,
the people were in awe of the king, for they saw the wisdom God had given him
for rendering justice. 1 Kings 3:28
Below is the background scripture
explaining the situation about which Solomon showed his wonderful God-given wisdom.
It is an amazing story…and has probably been used in variation millions of
times. I know that I’ve offered to cut a toy in half to end an argument between
children—and neither of them wanted only half the toy, so they compromised and
shared. Good use of Solomon’s wisdom. Here’s the story and his wise solution.
Sometime later two prostitutes came to the
king to have an argument settled. "Please, my lord," one of them
began, "this woman and I live in the same house. I gave birth to a baby
while she was with me in the house. Three days later this woman also had a
baby. We were alone; there were only two of us in the house. But her baby died
during the night when she rolled over on it. Then she got up in the night and
took my son from beside me while I was asleep. She laid her dead child in my
arms and took mine to sleep beside her. And in the morning when I tried to
nurse my son, he was dead! But when I looked more closely in the morning light,
I saw that it wasn't my son at all." Then the other woman interrupted,
"It certainly was your son, and the living child is mine."
"No," the first woman said, "the living child is mine, and the
dead one is yours." And so they argued back and forth before the king.
Then the king said, "Let's get the facts straight. Both of you claim the
living child is yours, and each says that the dead one belongs to the other.
All right, bring me a sword." So a sword was brought to the king. Then he
said, "Cut the living child in two, and give half to one woman and half to
the other!" Then the woman who was the real mother of the living child,
and who loved him very much, cried out, "Oh no, my lord! Give her the
child—please do not kill him!" But the other woman said, "All right,
he will be neither yours nor mine; divide him between us!" Then the king
said, "Do not kill the child, but give him to the woman who wants him to
live, for she is his mother!" 1 Kings 3:16-2
Have you ever used Solomon’s wisdom, or
prayed for wisdom in some situation?
Prayer
~ Lord, grant us Your mercy and wisdom in the day to day problems or situations
that we encounter. Give us creative solutions that show us that You are working
in our lives…and help us to tell others how You are effectually coming along
side us to give us hope and joy in our lives.
© 2016 by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.
All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT)
unless otherwise noted.
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