What kind of wisdom did Solomon have?
1 Kings 3:16-28
Hearing discussions about the gifts that God gives to His people in the New Testament left me confused as a young Christian. It seemed to me that the lists included a wide variety of categories, often in no particular order. Some looked ‘supernatural’ such as healings or works of power/miracles (1 Cor 12:28), others were more the kind of ‘natural’ skills that even non-Christians might have in a different context, such as leading or teaching (Rom 12:7-8). Yet others were mundane abilities or acts that are expected of all Christians like giving, serving or showing mercy (vv.7-8). One reason why this may feel puzzling is because we tend to associate spiritual gifts with something supernatural and may discount abilities that we are born with. In Solomon’s case, for instance, we might wonder what kind of wisdom he was given and how it was different from his earlier shrewdness or wisdom during his succession to the throne.
The challenge of a difficult case
The judicial case of the two women’s dispute over a baby follows immediately after Solomon’s request for wisdom and will demonstrate the kind of wisdom God gives the king. The primary function of a king was to judge his people and even the lowest and most marginal (like prostitutes, 1 Kings 3:16) were entitled to justice.[1] The case is notoriously difficult because there is no age difference to speak of between the children to help distinguish them, nor are there outside witnesses to the events (1 Kings 3:18).[2] Being of the same social standing, neither woman is a more reliable character whose testimony could be trusted. The first woman’s explanation of events sounds reasonable until one considers that she was asleep when the events she describes unfolded (1 Kings 3:20). If she recognised in the morning that the baby was not her son, it was a sensible deduction to suggest that the other woman did a swap (v.20), but how would she know how the second woman’s son died (1 Kings 3:19)? Or is she simply making assumptions (which in itself does not make her guilty)? On the other hand, the second woman gives no story and simply insists that the living son is hers (1 Kings 3:22).
The kind of wisdom Solomon is given
Solomon’s wisdom that moves beyond the impasse is not some supernatural insight into the heart of these women that would help him know the truth. Rather it is one that creates a situation in which the motivation of the women is revealed to all (1 Kings 3:25-26). Although we readers never find out which of the women was the mother of the living child (the Hebrew only says ‘give her the living child’ in 1 Kings 3:27),[3] she is identified by her mother-love, the compassion for her son that is shown even at the cost of losing her claim over him (v.26). The key to the significance of the story is that all Israel recognises the extraordinary wisdom of the king as coming from God (1 Kings 3:28). It would be too simplistic to see Solomon’s earlier astuteness as only ‘human’ or ‘natural’ as if such skills were in opposition to what God gives. David has already recognised wisdom in his son (1 Kings 2:6, 9) and such abilities are as much God’s gift as the special endowments given to Solomon in our reading. In fact, it is perhaps best to see the latter as God’s enhancement of what He has already given the king in skills.
The purpose of God’s gifts
The point of all this is that such a gift is given so that the king might better fulfil his role as judge. Our gifts, whether we are born with them or specially given them after salvation, are meant to be used for the benefit of others. It is a key point in the NT’s discussion of various gifts that they are to build up the Christian community (e.g. Eph 4:11-16), just as Solomon’s wisdom was to help the people of God. Thus, God’s gifts lead to fruit in the lives of others. Conversely, a fruitful and faithful life lived for God is the one in which God’s gifts will have their full effect.[4] We have already seen how Solomon’s wisdom is connected to a ‘hearing heart’ (i.e. to obedience to God) and Romans exhorts Christians on attitudes that they should show in the exercise of their gifts (Rom 12:6-8). Thus, the fruit and gifts of God (the Spirit) are interrelated. May we use our gifts in the Lord’s service for the benefit of others and in the context of a faithful life lived for God.
[1] While prostitutes were on the margins of society and even despised by many, such a lifestyle was often the result of poverty. If women could not marry or lost their husband and any male relative to support them, they may have had to resort to prostitution to make a living.
[2] ‘Three days’ is sometimes conventionally used to refer to an undefined short period of time though it can also mean the actual number of days between the birth of the babies.
[3] Several translations try to remove the ambiguity by including ‘the first woman’ in the sentence (1 Kings 3:27), but this is pure conjecture. In fact, given the issues around the first woman’s story, it is quite possible that the second is the mother of the living child.
[4] The relationship between gifts and faithful living are not always straightforward for us to see. In some cases, deliberately living in sin can blunt the effectiveness of the gift. In others, there may be a delay between a person’s sin and the effects of it in their ministry. God can even use the gifts of people despite their deliberate sin; witness such Christian leaders whose sermons or talks still benefit others.
If you enjoyed this post, please share it with others.