Read 1 Kings 3:16–28
Questions from the Scripture text: Who came to whom in 1 Kings 3:16? Where did they dwell (1 Kings 3:17a)? And what happened (verse 17b)? How long later does what happen (1 Kings 3:18a)? And what were the circumstances in verse 18b? What happened (1 Kings 3:19a)? How (verse 19b)? What did the other woman do about it (1 Kings 3:20)? What does the speaker find, when (1 Kings 3:21a)? What did a closer look reveal (1 Kings 3:21)? What does the other woman say in 1 Kings 3:22a? And the first woman in verse 22b? How does the king summarize the case in 1 Kings 3:23? For what does he ask in 1 Kings 3:24? What does he command in 1 Kings 3:25? Who speaks in 1 Kings 3:26a? Why? What does she request? Who else speaks? What does she request? What does the king say to do in 1 Kings 3:27? Why? Who heard of this (1 Kings 3:28)? What did they do? Why—what did they see was in him? For what?
When we read this passage, we are impressed with the mercy of the king to care about the case even though they were harlots (1 Kings 3:16a). We’re impressed with the cleverness of the king to detect which of the women is the true mother (1 Kings 3:25-27). We’re impressed with the justness that drove the inquiry and that restored the living child to the proper mother.
But this compassion and wisdom and justness is not just great in quantity; it is incomparable in quality, for 1 Kings 3:28 tells us that the wisdom of Solomon was actually the wisdom of God that was in him!
The two big takeaways here are the faithfulness of God to have kept His Word to Solomon (cf. 1 Kings 3:12) and the great love and wisdom and justness of God that are reflected in a small way in Solomon’s. The kingdom is coming. But the story of the kingdom is our King!
Just as His promise to Solomon of wisdom, God has made promises to conform us to the image of Christ. He who was faithful to the one will be faithful to the other. And just as we appreciate what we see of the King in the king, so also the good that we see in Christians is actually Christ’s. And we appreciate it more for that, not less—desiring that He would be seen in us and get the glory for it as well.
What of Christ have you seen in others? What do you hope that they see in you? What difference does it make to you that Christ is all of these good things perfectly?
Sample prayer: Lord, we praise You for Your faithfulness to keep Your Word. And we confess that we have valued too little that honor and praise which You deserve for Your gracious work in believers. Neither has the desire for You to be glorified in our lives been the motivation it ought to have been to grow in Christ-likeness. For His sake, forgive us, and keep conforming us to His image by Your Spirit, which we ask in Christ’s own Name, AMEN!
Suggested songs: ARP1 “How Blessed the Man” or TPH400 “Gracious Spirit, Dwell with Me”
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