July 15,2012
Lesson Focus:
Wise rulers act
with God's justice
Lesso Scripture:
1kings 3:16-28
2Chronicles 9:8
INTRODUCTION.While offering a great sacrifice at Gibeon, Solomon had a dream in which he confessed to God his inexperience and youth (see I Kings 3:7-8).He recognized how God had worked in his father’s life, so Solomon asked God to give him an understanding heart to enable him to properly discern truth and judge Israel God responded by giving him wisdom and understanding beyond that of anyone else (see I Kings 3:10-12).Wisdom and justice are rare commodities and when combined, they produce wonderful results.This lesson gives us a glimpse of such a combination during the reign of Solomon.
A. The first child is born (I Kings 3:16).
1.Our lesson begins withThen came there two women, that were harlots, unto the king, and stood before him.”Not long after Solomon’s dream at Gibeon,he was faced with his first test of judgment as king. It was a dispute between two “harlots” or prostitutes.
2. (vs. 17).This verse continues with “And the one woman said, O my lord, I and this woman dwell in one house; and I was delivered of a child with her in the house.”One of the two women spoke to the king first saying that they both lived in the same house and she delivered her baby.When she delivered, she and the other woman were the only ones in the house.
B. The second child is born and deceased (I Kings 3:18-19).
1. (vs. 18). The first woman went on to say “And it came to pass the third day after that I was delivered, that this woman was delivered also: and we were together; there was no stranger with us in the house, save we two in the house.” The first prostitute declared that three days after she gave birth, the other prostitute gave birth also.She plainly stated that “there was no stranger with us in the house, save we two in the house” meaning that they were the only two people in the house.This was also an indication that there were no witnesses to these events.This could present a major problem for Solomon.
2. (vs. 19).The first woman continued to say “And this woman's child died in the night; because she overlaid it.”The word “overlaid” means that the other woman laid on top of the baby.The first woman was really accusing the second woman of smothering her child by lying on it, even though she had not witnessed that because she was sleeping at the time. For her, this was the most logical conclusion.
1. (vs. 20). The first woman continued to say “And she arose at midnight, and took my son from beside me, while thine handmaid slept, and laid it in her bosom, and laid her dead child in my bosom.” The first woman alleged that the second woman got up at midnight while she was still asleep and switched babies, replacing her living child with the other woman’s dead child. The second woman then laid the living child in her arms. Again, there were no witnesses to all of this but it made sense.
2. (vs. 21).Still telling her story, the first woman continued “And when I rose in the morning to give my child suck, behold, it was dead: but when I had considered it in the morning, behold, it was not my son, which I did bear.”When the first woman wanted to nurse her baby the next morning, she discovered that the child was dead.The phrase “but when I had considered it” means that after examining the child further, she realized it was not her baby.This all made sense, for surely the real mother would recognize her own child.
The accusation denied (I Kings 3:22). At this point the other woman interrupted and challenged what the first woman said. This verse says “And the other woman said, Nay; but the living is my son, and the dead is thy son. And this said, No; but the dead is thy son, and the living is my son. Thus they spake before the king.” The second woman said no, the living child is mine and the dead one is yours. Then the first woman spoke again saying, no, the dead son is yours and the living child is mine. At this point they were arguing back and forth with each other right in front of the king. This is the meaning of the phrase “Thus they spake before the king.” It appears that complete animosity had broken out between these two women right before the king.
III. AN ASTUTE DECISION (I Kings 3:23-28)
A. The review (I Kings 3:23). Both women had presented their cases and now Solomon faced the responsibility of rendering a just and fair verdict. But there was still one problem; he had no real evidence to assist in making that decision. All he had was conflicting stories from these two women. In this verse we read “Then said the king, The one saith, This is my son that liveth, and thy son is the dead: and the other saith, Nay; but thy son is the dead, and my son is the living.” At this point Solomon repeated what the two women had claimed and testified to. However, it appears that he was not talking to the women. He may have been speaking to himself or to one or more of his advisors.
B. The proposal (I Kings 3:24-25).
1. (vs. 24). The king didn’t waste words. This verse says “And the king said, Bring me a sword. And they brought a sword before the king.” One can only imagine what was going through the minds of the two women and everyone else present when the king asked for a sword. No doubt many of them thought about the many unstable kings who had resorted to violence when his reason failed him. Had King Solomon lost his mind? Would he kill the baby? Would he kill the two women? Solomon probably could have cut the tension in that room with the sword he was given.
2. (vs. 25). Here we are told what Solomon’s next move was: “And the king said, Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other.” With this command, Solomon brought forth a startling and brutal solution that couldn’t be reversed. His chilling instructions to “Divide the living child in two” would pierce the heart of the real mother just as effectively as the sword would have divided the child. Of course Solomon was no monster. Yes, his order to cut the child in half was a risk, but he was hoping that this command would cause responses that would give him a real solution to the problem.
C. Two reactions (I Kings 3:26). As soon as Solomon commanded that the living child be divided, we are told that “Then spake the woman whose the living child was unto the king, for her bowels yearned upon her son, and she said, O my lord, give her the living child, and in no wise slay it. But the other said, Let it be neither mine nor thine, but divide it.” Solomon’s instructions brought an immediate response. Up to this point, Solomon had no idea which woman was the living child’s mother. He probably had his suspicions, but he couldn’t be sure. However, the two different reactions from the women left no doubt in the king’s mind as to who was the living child’s mother. The first woman, who was the child’s real mother quickly interrupted as they were about to slay the baby. She did so because “her bowels yearned upon her son.” In other words, her tender compassion became hot for her son. She cried out and begged the king not to kill the baby, but give it to the other woman. Earlier she desperately tried to claim her son against the schemes of her wicked rival, but now faced with her child’s death, she would rather give him up than see him killed. Now the other woman seemed unconcerned about the chance that the baby would be killed. She quickly said “Let it be neither mine nor thine, but divide it.” The woman’s use of the words “neither mine nor thine” indicates that she was speaking to the real mother not to king Solomon.
D. The decision (I Kings 3:27). In response to the two reactions from these women “Then the king answered and said, Give her the living child, and in no wise slay it: she is the mother thereof.” The king had seen and heard enough! He was now able to make the correct decision. He commanded that the child be given to the woman who had begged for his life. Solomon was now convinced that she was the real mother. The contrast between self-sacrifice and unfeeling harshness solved this issue for Solomon.
The response of the people (I Kings 3:28). This verse says “And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had judged; and they feared the king: for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him, to do judgment.” News of this case, based on Solomon’s applied wisdom, quickly spread throughout all of Israel. As a result, the people “feared the king” or were in awe of him. This was because they saw “the wisdom of God was in him, to do judgment.” God honored Solomon with godly wisdom so that he could govern the Israelites, and they revered and esteemed him. Leaders today will never possess wisdom equal to Solomon’s, but they have only to ask of God, who freely gives wisdom without reproach (see James 1:5).
DISCERNING OBSERVATION (II Chronicles 9:8). Our last verse is part of the praise given to King Solomon by the Queen of Sheba. She said “Blessed be the Lord thy God, which delighted in thee to set thee on his throne, to be king for the Lord thy God: because thy God loved Israel, to establish them for ever, therefore made he thee king over them, to do judgment and justice.” This queen from Arabia visited Solomon at the height of his reign. She had heard about Solomon’s wisdom and wealth but she had to see it for herself (see II Chronicles 9:5-6). After declaring how happy his subjects were (see II Chronicles 9:7), she gave glory to the God of Israel when she said “Blessed be the Lord thy God.” When God does wondrous things, even the heathen has to honor and glorify Him. Indeed the Queen of Sheba recognized that the God of Israel had made Solomon “king over them (Israel), to do judgment and justice,” or to rule justly and fairly.
***Conclusion.A person can be sure of judging justly only when he or she knows and applies the wisdom that comes from God. Solomon’s wisdom was clearly the result of God’s answer to his prayer. The unique first test Solomon faced was important in establishing his reputation as a wise king. King Solomon was a unique ruler, chosen and endowed by God to demonstrate His wisdom. We can’t expect all rulers and leaders to have Solomon’s qualities, but God’s Word instructs us to be obedient citizens and to pray that God will work through our leaders’ strengths and overrule their weaknesses in order to glorify Himself (see Romans 13:1-7; I Timothy 2:1-2).
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