“Then the king answered and said, Give her the living child, and in no wise slay it: she is the mother thereof. And all Israel heard of the judgment… and they feared the king: for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him” (1 Kings 3:27,28).
TEXT — 1 Kings 3:16-28
Message
With the advancement in science today, DNA testing resolves paternity or maternity disputes more quickly. Laboratory investigations of the genetic codes of mother and child or father and child are used to determine the biological parent of a given individual. These tests can be between 99 and 100 percent accurate.
Back in Solomon’s day, there was no DNA testing machine, and two harlots came up before him with a maternity dispute over a living child. Both women claimed to be the child’s mother. How would the king settle the matter? In a demonstration of great wisdom, he commanded that the child be sliced into equal halves for the two women. Predictably, the true mother recoiled at the suggestion to kill her baby, while the culprit was happy with the decision. Solomon’s test was to arouse the natural mother’s instinct in both women. Their responses were sufficient to determine the true mother of the living child.
Solomon received the gift of wisdom by asking God, which was demonstrated in how he ruled Israel. The clouds may drop down titles and estates; wealth may seek us; but wisdom must be sought before all. In all areas of life, wisdom is vital. All should desire and seek it from the repository of enduring wisdom. The all-wise God is generous and willing to give. Today, people can ask Him and receive even greater wisdom than Solomon’s. The Bible says, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him” (James 1:5).
Remarkably, Solomon was wise to solve complex issues and build a peaceful and prosperous kingdom. However, he was not wise enough to keep his relationship with God intact. His example reminds us that wisdom cannot replace obedience to God, and little compromises eventually expose us to greater sins. It would be best to have more than political, native or intellectual wisdom that can only make you worldly famous. The wisdom you need is that which makes you wise unto salvation and keeps you from the path of destruction.
Thought for the day
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.
Listed among “500 most powerful people on the planet” by the Foreign Policy magazine in 2013, Pastor (Dr.) William F. Kumuyi is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry (DCLM) headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria. DCLM started in 1973 as a 15-member Bible study group right in Kumuyi’s apartment at University of Lagos where he was a lecturer. His revolutionary Bible teaching on personal holiness and commitment to evangelism soon gained so much traction and resulted in a widespread revival.
God bless me today
Abiding in Christ all the days of my life