written by Bruce Talbert

Wow! My reaction from reading this text is triggered by Solomon’s solution to the problem presented before him: “Bring me a sword…cut the living child in two.” This is not some half-hearted statement you and I tend to make several times a day; this is coming from a guy who had people to do exactly what he said without hesitation. I can’t help but wonder what the poor guy to whom the order was given was thinking! He must have said in his mind “Are you kidding me?” I’m sure he froze for a second as he digested this strange command. I’m also amazed at the fact that two prostitutes apparently had direct access to the king. Weren’t there local judges or some system of law to which these women could have petitioned their dispute? Sure, this matter was important to the innocent party, but from a kingdom perspective didn’t King Solomon, one of the greatest kings in Israel, have more pressing issues to address, like planning for his next military conquest, or working on next year’s budget? You know, kingly sort of stuff. However, instead of dismissing this concern, he took his time to address a very personal and important issue for one of his subjects.

This story makes me think about how God, ruler of the universe, takes time to listen to our concerns and works to provide justice against evil. The parallels of our relationship with God and the story we just read are striking. Here we have two women who some would argue were members of one of the lowest classes of society. Perhaps a failed relationship led them to seek out this trade whereby they could provide for themselves. Certainly in that day women without husbands or sons could be destitute. Or maybe their socio-economic background did not give them the opportunity to advance further in society. Or maybe the explanation is something we can’t comprehend, so we chalk it up to “just plain bad luck.” Whatever the circumstances, we find these women without a family support structure, living together, and turning to prostitution to provide for themselves and their children. Before we are saved, in God’s kingdom we are pretty much at the same level as these women: hopeless, living day to day without purpose and certainly failing to experience the love and attention that is awaiting us from a Supreme Being. When I think about Solomon’s attention to this matter, I think about how we have access directly to God, the King of Kings. When we decide to be a Christ-follower, the door is open to Him. No ticket is required to get in. There is no waiting, and certainly no protocol, just a desperate plea for help on our part. Wow! Now that’s amazing!

Your fellow traveler,
Bruce