Countries Far And Wide Sought Out Solomon. He ...

Countries far and wide sought out Solomon. He gained influence and riches. Immediately after this passage, there is the story of two prostitutes who each had a baby. The mother of one child in her sleep rolled over and killed her child. She got up and switched her dead baby with the other women’s child. The other woman woke up and was horrified but then after looking closely, realized that this was her child. A big argument erupted, lawyers were retained, lawsuits were filed and the case finally ended up in Solomon’s Supreme Court.

Solomon listened for a few moments to the bickering and fighting and couldn’t stand it! “Someone get me a sword!” he shouted. They brought him a sword as everyone froze to see what would happen next. “Bailiff, take this sword and cut the child in two and give each mother half. Share and share alike. We compromise and everybody wins a little and everybody loses a little.”

The real mother cried out, “No, give him to her. I’d rather she get him than to see him die.”

The other woman said, “Yeah, that’s right. You tell her king. Neither one of us should get the whole thing.”

Then Solomon awarded the child to the woman who was willing to give up her rights that the child might live because she was the boy’s mother.

People were amazed at the discernment of Solomon. He was someone to be trusted. He was someone to look up to. He was worthy of service to as a just king. He had credibility with his people. So Solomon’s wisdom gave him credulity first with Israel.