1 Kings 3:16-28 “The Wisdom of Solomon”
As an example of Solomon’s wisdom, we are told the story of two harlots who came to the king. Each of them had a son within three days of each other. However, one of them rolled on her son in the night and he died. Being stricken with grief she exchanged her son with the living one placing her dead son with the mother of the living son. They each presented their case to the king with great emotion. So the king asked for a sword to divide the child in two. “Then the woman whose child was the living one spoke to the king, for she was deeply stirred over her son and said, ‘Oh, my lord, give her the living child, and by no means kill him.’ But the other said, ‘He shall be neither mine nor yours; divide him!’” (26b, c) The king was not going to kill the child but used this to discern the real mother. When Israel heard of his judgment, they feared the king and saw the wisdom God had given him to administer justice. Like Solomon, we need the wisdom of God to discern truth that is often blurred by emotions and the clouds they emit.
