A Tricky Situation

A Tricky Situation

Q: One of the first disputes Solomon had to settle as a new king was

• a. which woman a baby belonged to.
• b. which piece of land belonged to a farmer.
• c. how much to tax the people.

Solomon’s wisdom was put to the test in a tricky situation. Two women lived in the same house. They both gave birth to baby boys just days apart. One baby died during the night, and the mother of the child who’d died switched her baby with the living one.

When the second mother saw the dead infant beside her, she realized it wasn’t her son. But the other mother claimed it was. The mothers went to Solomon to have him decide what to do.

Solomon didn’t know which woman was the mother of the living child, so he gave them a test. He said they should cut the baby in half and give half of the baby to each mother. Of course Solomon wouldn’t have done that. He just wanted to see their reactions.

The real mother of the child said, “Oh no, my lord! Give her the child—please do not kill him!”

The other woman said, “All right, he will be neither yours nor mine; divide him between us!”

Solomon knew the real mother was the one who wanted the child to live even if it meant giving him to the other lady.

That was a tricky situation for Solomon since he didn’t know whom the baby really belonged to. But he knew that a mother would protect her child, so he tested them to see which woman was the baby’s mother.

For You

God gave Solomon discernment (another word for wisdom), but it was up to Solomon to use it. It’s important not to just ask God for wisdom, but to be willing to apply it to all areas of your life.

Answer: a

The king said, “Let’s get the facts straight. Both of you claim the living child is yours, and each says that the dead one belongs to the other. . . .” Then the king said, “Do not kill the child, but give him to the woman who wants him to live, for she is his mother!”   1 Kings 3:23, 27

(The Whole Story: 1 Kings 3:16-28)