12-15-13. 1 Kings 3:16-28. GOD GAVE SOLOMON WISDOM-my devotional

Key Verse: 3:28                                                     Kevin E. Jesmer          Sunday Dec 15,2013

“28 And all Israel heard of the judgment that the king had rendered, and they stood in awe of the king, because they perceived that the wisdom of God was in him to do justice.”

    Dear Lord, thank you for this advent season where we could look forward to the celebration and the meditation of the birth of Jesus Christ. Sometimes it is not easy to get excited about anything in life. The demands of life, our own physical weaknesses and personal struggles make each day, blend into another, simply trying to survive as best we can. We only think about getting by each day. So many people wonder what the “Christmas spirit” is all about and how can they get into it? Lord, sometimes I feel that way. But I know that there is great joy in Christ. The good news of the Gospel is indeed great joy of all the people. Touch our hearts with your Holy Spirit. Reveal to us why this Christmas season is good new of great joy for all the people. Help us to break free from the mundane things of a world without Christ and help us to tap into the joy that is in Christ Jesus. Please help me to accept one word of God in my heart through this passage. I pray all of this things in the name of the King Eternal, Jesus Christ.

Part 1: An Unsolvable Dilemma (16-23).

Verses 16-23, “Then two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him. 17 The one woman said, “Oh, my lord, this woman and I live in the same house, and I gave birth to a child while she was in the house. 18 Then on the third day after I gave birth, this woman also gave birth. And we were alone. There was no one else with us in the house; only we two were in the house. 19 And this woman’s son died in the night, because she lay on him. 20 And she arose at midnight and took my son from beside me, while your servant slept, and laid him at her breast, and laid her dead son at my breast. 21 When I rose in the morning to nurse my child, behold, he was dead. But when I looked at him closely in the morning, behold, he was not the child that I had borne.” 22 But the other woman said, “No, the living child is mine, and the dead child is yours.” The first said, “No, the dead child is yours, and the living child is mine.” Thus they spoke before the king. 23 Then the king said, “The one says, ‘This is my son that is alive, and your son is dead’; and the other says, ‘No; but your son is dead, and my son is the living one.’”

Two prostitutes came to Solomon. The two women shared a house. Both also gave birth within three days of each other. One of the babies died during the night, but both women claimed that the baby who was still alive belonged to her. Because there were no other witnesses, it was humanly impossible to substantiate either claim. This was the dilemma brought before Solomon.

Why does God allow dilemmas to be placed in our lives? There can be many reasons. First, they make life interesting. What would life be like if there were no choices to be made? What if there were no dilemmas to be solved? What if nothing a mystery? Wouldn’t life be boring and predictable with no meaningful challenges?

Dilemmas are also there to test our faith and grow us in faith. They are there to make us turn to God in prayer and wait on him. They are there for us to act on faith and see God’s deliverance. When we are faced with impossible situations and choose to turn to Jesus the God comes through in a pinch…our hearts are filled with thanksgiving and praise. We can see the living God, with the eyes of our hearts, dwelling among us and at work in our midst. Then our hearts will shout, “Immanuel!”

Dilemmas also come when we are mentoring the flock of God? Solomon was called to be a shepherd for the nation of Israel. With that call comes many problems that need solving. Many people will come to him in distress and in need of help and wise counseling. I think that is one of the greatest need of people nowadays in our society. They need someone to sit and talk with them and give them wise words of counsel. Some pastors can spend 7 hours a day counseling the members of the church. And why do they come to the pastor? Because of the wise counsel that they can provide.

We should thank God for dilemmas in our lives. They can be God’s gift to us.

Part 2: God’s Wisdom (24-28).

Verses 24-28, “And the king said, “Bring me a sword.” So a sword was brought before the king. 25 And the king said, “Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one and half to the other.” 26 Then the woman whose son was alive said to the king, because her heart yearned for her son, “Oh, my lord, give her the living child, and by no means put him to death.” But the other said, “He shall be neither mine nor yours; divide him.” 27 Then the king answered and said, “Give the living child to the first woman, and by no means put him to death; she is his mother.” 28 And all Israel heard of the judgment that the king had rendered, and they stood in awe of the king, because they perceived that the wisdom of God was in him to do justice.”

Then God inspired Solomon to do something outrageous. Because Solomon did not know who was lying, he ordered the surviving baby to be cut in two and divided between the two women. This would not solve the problem but it would test each woman’s heart. The woman whose son was alive told Solomon to give the baby to the other woman. The other woman told Solomon to proceed with cutting the baby in two. These responses revealed to Solomon the real mother of the baby. God worked out an impossible situation.

Sure, Solomon was in an unsolvable situation, but he was not in an unsolvable situation. He had God on his side and he had the wisdom of God granted him as a gift, so that he could stand as a servant of God and the leader of his people. God never leaves his servants in an impossible situation. He comes to our aid with the best help. God can help and he does. Not only because his is the all powerful creator of the heavens and the earth, but also because his is the source of all wisdom.

Think about Jesus. In John 8 a woman caught in the act of adultery was brought before him. The religious leaders posed an impossible question to him. Look at John 8:3-9, “The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst 4 they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. 5 Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” 6 This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. 7 And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. 9 But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him.”  (ESV)

Jesus was in an impossible situation. If he said not to stone the woman he would be going against the Law of Moses. If he told them to stone her according to the Law of Moses, then he would be going against his own teaching of forgiveness and grace. What could he do? There would seem to be no answer. But there was the perfect answer. Look at verse 6b-7 again, “…Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. 7 And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.”  The results were truly life remarkable. Look at verse 9, “But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him.”  Jesus not only saved this woman from stoning, but he led all the participants to the grace of God. Many were led to salvation, both then and for the last 2,000 years. Jesus’ actions of writing in the sand and the words he spoke were the wisest things that he could do and say. There is great wisdom in God and he will impart that wisdom to any who seek it.

I thank God that we are not left out in the cold when we truly need his wisdom in impossible situations in life. We are not alone. Immanuel, means “God with us” and it is so true. I need his wisdom to navigate my relationships with others. I need his wisdom as how to best serve the mission to the North. I need his wisdom on how to be a good father and husband, son, friend, nurse, and spiritual mentor.

There are times when I am in a dilemma and don’t know what to do. I may not know what to do but God knows. Jesus is the Light of the World. (John 8:12) In him there is no darkness at all. All I need to do is step out in faith and try something to please God and God will come through. I know he will. He always has and he always will. He came through for Solomon. He will also come through for me. There is no situation or dilemma that is impossible for Jesus. There is always an answer.

I am also impressed that Solomon was willing to act on the wisdom that God had given him. He knew what to say. But it was a very hard thing situation to put these two ladies in and also the court. Sometimes the answers that God gives requires executive decisions to be made, decisions that require a lot of courage. I pray that I can have that kind of courage when God shows me what to do. Being a missionary on a remote community in Canada can be one of those decisions. Traveling a winter road could be another. Building godly relationships with those around me could be another. I pray that I will be able to act on the wisdom that God reveals.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for providing wisdom when we ask. Please give us a discerning heart when we are facing dilemmas in life.

One Word: God gives all wisdom and discernment. Turn to him.