I realize Solomon is speaking to the common man — and woman — but reading his words this morning, I didn’t think of myself or you; I thought of Jesus.
“21 He that followeth rightfulness and mercy, shall find life, [and rightwiseness,] and glory.”
When each disciple leaves his home and livelihood to follow after Jesus, he is following after rightfulness and mercy. Jesus finds life and glory. So do His friends.
5 Soothly the Lord appeared to Solomon by sleep in the night, and said, Ask thou that, that thou wilt, that I give it to thee.
God offers Solomon a choice. God says He will give to Solomon whatever he asks.
6 And Solomon said, Thou hast done great mercy with thy servant David, my father, as he went in thy sight, in truth, and [in] rightwiseness, and in rightful heart with thee; thou hast kept to him thy great mercy (thou hast shown him thy great love), and hast given to him a son, sitting on his throne, as it is today.
7 And now, Lord God, thou hast made thy servant to reign for David, my father; forsooth I am a little child (but I am like a little child), and not knowing mine out-going and mine in-coming.
Here Solomon recognizes how little he knows, comparing himself to “a little child, and not knowing [his] out-going and [his] in-coming.”
8 And thy servant is in the midst of the people, which thou hast chosen, of [a] people without number, that may not be numbered and reckoned, for multitude. (And thy servant is in the midst of the people, whom thou hast chosen, of a people without number, who cannot be counted, or reckoned, for their multitude.)
Solomon perceives the enormity of the task of ruling God’s people, “a people without number, who cannot be counted.”
9 Therefore thou shalt give to thy servant an heart able to be taught, that is, enlightened of thee, that he may deem thy people, and judge betwixt good and evil; for who may deem this people, thy people, this much people? (And so give thou to thy servant a heart able to be taught, that is, able to be enlightened by thee, so that he can judge, or rule, thy people, and judge between good and evil; for who can judge, or rule, this people, this great people of thine?)
Therefore, Solomon asks God for wisdom, for the ability to “judge betwixt good and evil.”
10 Therefore the word pleased before the Lord, that Solomon had asked (for) such a thing.
God is pleased.
11 And the Lord said to Solomon, For thou askedest this word, and askedest not to thee many days, neither riches, neither the lives of thine enemies, but thou askedest to thee wisdom to deem doom, (And the Lord said to Solomon, For thou askedest for this thing, and askedest not for many days for thyself, nor riches, nor the lives of thy enemies, but thou askedest for wisdom to judge justly, or wisely,)
12 lo! I have done to thee after thy words, and I have given to thee a wise heart and an understanding (one), in so much that no man before thee was like thee, neither shall rise (up) after thee.
Therefore God gives Solomon wisdom but also the things he does not ask of God — “riches, and glory.”
13 But also I have given to thee these things, which thou askedest not, that is, riches, and glory, that no man be like thee in kings in all times afterward (so that there shall not be any man like thee among the kings in all thy days).
14 Forsooth if thou goest in my ways, and keepest my biddings and [my] commandments, as thy father went in them, (then) I shall make thy days long.
God provides a means for Solomon to demonstrate his gift of wisdom to the people of Israel.
16 Then two women whores came to the king, and stood before him;
17 of which one said, My lord, I beseech, I and this woman dwelled in one house, and I childed at her in a couch (and I brought forth my child in a bed when she was there).
18 And in the third day after that I had childed, also this woman childed (And on the third day after that I had given birth, this woman also gave birth); and we were together in the house, and none other was (there) with us in the house, except us twain.
19 And the son of this woman was dead in the night, for she slept, and over-lay him; (And this woman’s son died in the night, for while she was sleeping, she rolled over, and laid upon him;)
20 and she rose up in the fourth part of the night in silence, and took my son from the side of me, (while) thine handmaid (was) sleeping, and she laid it in her bosom; and she putted in my bosom her son, that was dead.
21 And when I had risen early, to give milk to my son, he appeared dead; whom I beheld more diligently by clear light, and I perceived, that he was not mine, whom I had engendered (whom I had begat).
22 The tother woman answered, It is not as thou sayest, but thy son is dead; forsooth my son liveth. The contrary, she said, Thou liest (But the other woman said, Thou liest); for my son liveth, and thy son is dead. And by this manner they strove before the king.
Two women claim the living child is hers while the dead child is not. Solomon arrives at a solution.
23 Then the king said, This woman saith, My son liveth, and thy son is dead; and this woman answereth, Nay, but thy son is dead, and my son liveth.
24 Therefore the king said, Bring ye to me a sword. And when they had brought a sword before the king,
25 he said, Part ye the quick young child in two parts (Divide ye, or cut ye, the young living child in two), and give ye the half part to the one, and the half part to the tother.
26 And the woman, whose son was quick, said to the king; for her entrails were moved on her son; Lord, I beseech, give ye to her the quick child, and do not ye slay him. The contrary, she said, Be he neither to me, neither to thee, but be he parted. (And the woman, whose son was living, said to the king; for she was moved with love for her son; Lord, I beseech thee, give ye to her the child alive, and do not ye kill him. But the other woman said, Be he neither to me, nor to thee, but be he divided, or cut in two.)
27 The king answered, and said, Give ye to this (first) woman the young child quick, and be he not slain (Give ye this first woman the young child alive, and do not kill him); forsooth this is his mother.
Solomon recognizes the true mother; she is the woman who would rather give up her child to the other woman than have her son killed.
28 Therefore all Israel heard the doom, which the king had deemed; and they dreaded the king, and saw, that the wisdom of God was in him, to make doom. (And so all Israel heard the judgement, which the king had decreed; and they revered the king, and saw, that God’s wisdom was in him, to make judgements, or justice.)
Israel hears of Solomon’s wisdom. The people of God know “that God’s wisdom is in [Solomon]” and that he is able “to make judgements, or justice.”
Solomon prays “before the altar of the Lord in front of the entire congregation of Israel” (1 Kings 8:22) He asks, rhetorically, “Will God indeed live on earth? Even heaven, the highest heaven, cannot contain You, much less this temple I have built.”
Solomon asks God for mercy when the people of Israel “sin against You, and they return to You and praise Your Name, and they pray and plead with You.” (1 Kings 8:33) Solomon asks God to “hear in heaven and forgive the sin of Your people Israel.” (1 Kings 8:34) He begs God to “teach them the good way they should walk in.” (1 Kings 8:36) “May You hear in heaven, Your dwelling place, and may You forgive, act, and repay the man, according to all his ways, since You know his heart, for You alone know every human heart.”
Solomon adds, “When they sin against You — for there is no one who does not sin — and You are angry with them and hand them over to the enemy, and when they come to their senses and repent and petition You: ‘We have sinned and done wrong; we have been wicked,’ and when they return to You with their whole mind and heart and when they pray to You, may You hear in heaven, Your dwelling place, their prayer and petition and uphold their cause. May You forgive Your people who sinned against You, and may You give them compassion. For they are Your people and Your inheritance. For You, Lord God, have set them apart as Your inheritance.” (1 Kings 8:46-53 selected)
God alone knows every human heart. And every human heart has sinned.
Thank You, heavenly Father, for Your willingness to show mercy. Thank You that the Lord Jesus Christ makes it possible for us to approach the throne of grace, despite our sinfulness and unworthiness. Thank You that You give us Your own holiness through the shedding of Your Son’s blood and the gift of Your Holy Spirit. Let us forever be grateful, showing our love for You in praise. In Jesus’ Name, amen.
Two prostitutes come to Solomon, the king to seek his wisdom. Both claim to be the true mother of a surviving infant and not the mother of a deceased infant. Both live in the same house; both give birth about the same time. One infant dies in the night; the other lives. Both mothers, of course, claim the living child.
“The first woman says, ‘ My son is the living one; your son is the dead one.’ So they argue before the king.”
Solomon listens to both women, then says, ‘Bring me a sword.’ (1 Kings 3:24) With the sword in hand, Solomon orders that the infant be brought to him so that he can “cut the living boy in two and give half to one and half to the other.” (1 Kings 3:25)
The true mother immediately “feels great compassion for her son” and decides she’d rather her son live with the other woman than be lost forever to both of them. She begs Solomon, “Please don’t have him killed.” (1 Kings 3:26) But the other woman, who is embittered by her own loss, says “He is not to be mine or yours. Cut him in two!” (1 Kings 3:26)
Solomon gives the infant to the true mother.
In the United States at present, we apparently have three competing ‘mothers’ who are trying to tear this country apart so that one of them can say, “This is my country; I love it. And you? You better just leave it. Cause if I can’t have it the way I want it, then no one is going to have this country. Let’s just kill it.” The three parties — that is, the Democrats, the Republicans and the Tea Party-goers — are continuing to argue with the President rather than recognize that no one wins if no one compromises. If no one cares about the country itself, then everyone loses.
Let’s pray God gives wisdom.
“A crucible for silver, a smelter for gold, and the Lord is the tester of hearts.” “All a man’s ways seem to right to him, but the Lord evaluates the motives.” (Proverbs 16:2) “The Lord’s lamp sheds light on a person’s life, searching the innermost parts.” (Proverbs 20:27) “Get wisdom — how much better than gold! And get understanding — it is preferable to silver.” (Proverbs 16:16) “The one who acquires good sense loves himself; one who safeguards understanding will find success.” (Proverbs 19:8) “Listen to counsel and receive instruction so that you may be wise later in life.” (Proverbs 19:20) “There is gold and a multitude of jewels, but knowledgeable lips are a rare treasure.” (Proverbs 20:15) “Listen closely, pay attention to the words of the wise, and apply your mind to knowledge.” (Proverbs 22:17) “The words of a man’s mouth are deep waters, a flowing river, a fountain of wisdom.” (Proverbs 18:4) “A wise heart instructs its mouth and increases learning with its speech.” (Proverbs 16:23) “I have instructed you today — even you — so that your confidence may be in the Lord.” (Proverbs 22:19)
Nothing need be added to Christ’s finished work — the redemptive work He completed on the cross.
“[God] has set eternity in the hearts of men, yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” (Ecclesiastes 3:11) Men — that is humankind — desire God; they feel an emptiness when they are without His intimate presence.
Solomon reminds us that “God will bring to judgment both the righteous and the wicked, for there will be a time for every activity, a time for every deed.” (Ecclesiastes 3:17) Because all will stand before the judgment seat of God Almighty, humankind needs One who will stand in the gap for them — One who has taken upon Himself the sins of the world.
Nothing is more powerful than the shed blood of Jesus Christ crucified. No “good deeds” compare to His effort on the cross of Calvary. Add nothing to His work, for it is not only unnecessary, it is worthless.
The thought that anyone would deliberately intend evil is difficult to fathom; and this despite my acceptance of humankind’s fallen nature. God warns that “no man can establish himself by wickedness.” (Proverbs 12:3) Apparently some people believe their evil schemes will work to make their lives better. Instead, “an evil man is brought down by his wickedness.” (Proverbs 14:32) “The wicked [man] is destroyed by [his] own words.” (Proverbs 12:6) Therefore,”those who plot evil delude themselves;” (Proverbs 12:20) for the truth is “the renegade reaps the fruit of his conduct.” (Proverbs 14:14) “The stronghold of the wicked crumbles like clay.” (Proverbs 12:12) In the end, “the wicked man is trapped by his own falsehoods.” (Proverbs 12:13)
“To turn from evil is the highway of the upright; watch your step and save your life.” (Proverbs 16:17)
“A word in season, how good it is!”
I’m sure you’ve been in that situation where you are not certain of what you should say to the other — they’ve lost a child; their marriage is in shambles; they’ve done something horribly wrong and hurt others; they’ve utterly lost their way.
Solomon says, “The heart of the wise makes his speech judicious and adds persuasiveness to his lips. Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body.” (Proverbs 16: 23-24) He also warns that “without counsel plans fail.” (Proverbs 15: 22)
Often, when uncertain of what to say, learning from others is a wise course of action. “The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouths of fools pour out folly.” (Proverbs 15: 2) Therefore, “whoever restrains his words has knowledge, and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding.” (Proverbs 17: 27) Remember, “even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent.” (Proverbs 17: 28)
Solomon might say to us that perhaps it’s better not to say anything; rather the best solution is to pray with the person. I don’t mean pray for the person at some later date, but to actually pray with that person at that time. Lay out before the Lord the truth and leave it to Him.
“Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans are established.” (Proverbs 16: 3)
“A man may think he is always right, but the Lord fixes a standard for the heart.”
A person justifies his acts to himself. For example, if you are running late to an important meeting and many are waiting on you, is it right to run a red light if there are no cars coming in either direction? Some say, ‘Yes.’ Others say, ‘No.’ Some are just bewildered, knowing they’d consider running the light.
Whatever you decide, you justify your decision to yourself as the correct one. Otherwise, if you are like most people, you won’t do that which you’ve decided is wrong. In order to commit an illegal or immoral act, you must first decide it is ‘not so bad,’ ‘the correct or better thing to do in this situation,’ or ‘okay because everyone else is doing it.’
You see yourself as being in the right.
“But the Lord fixes a standard for the heart,” writes Solomon. Jesus knows that it is what comes out of the heart that defiles a man. And, unfortunately, a person’s heart is deceitful above all things, says Jeremiah.
God’s standard is high; fixed so high we can not attain to it. We must place ourselves under the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ where God’s mercy overshadows us. Here we are justified not by ourselves, but by God Himself. Rejoice! I say again – Rejoice!
“How shall a young man steer an honest course? By holding to Thy Word.” (Psalm 119: 9)
A wise young man will say, as does David: “I will bow down towards Thy holy temple, for Thy love and faithfulness I will praise Thy Name; for Thou hast made Thy promise wide as the heavens.” (Psalm 138: 2)
Knowing the Word of God allows the Holy Spirit a greater opportunity to guide in moments of need. “For the Word of God is alive and active. It cuts more keenly than any two-edged sword, piercing as far as the place where life and spirit, joints and marrow, divide. It sifts the purposes and thoughts of the heart.” (Hebrews 4: 12 – 13) Without this sword, a young man may be left to his own devices, his own knowledge and fail to “steer an honest course.”
Solomon teaches the young man to “understand the fear of the Lord and attain to the knowledge of God; for the Lord bestows wisdom and teaches knowledge and understanding.” (Proverbs 2: 5 – 6) Solomon promises that this wisdom from God will enable the young man to “understand what is right and just and keep only to the good man’s path.” (Proverbs 2: 9)
Solomon tells the young man: “Prudence will keep watch over you, understanding will guard you, it will save you from evil ways and from men whose talk is subversive, who forsake the honest course.” (Proverb 2: 11 – 13)
