As King David's reign drew to a close, Solomon faced the immense task of establishing himself as the rightful ruler over God's people. Wasting no time, he eliminated any threats against his throne by judiciously removing those who had sided with his rival brother, Adonijah. This firm yet prudent action allowed the bloodguilt from past conspiracies to be removed and peace to be established within the kingdom.

Yet Solomon knew that maintaining peace would require even greater wisdom. Though only a young man when he became king, Solomon approached the Lord with humility, acknowledging his need for divine guidance. In a dream at Gibeon, the epicenter of Israel's worship, God invited Solomon to ask for whatever he desired. Rather than requesting long life, riches or vengeance against his enemies, Solomon petitioned the Lord for discernment and an understanding heart to lead God's people righteously.

The Lord was pleased with Solomon's selfless petition. Not only did he endow the new king with unsurpassed wisdom, but promised to also grant him riches and honor beyond measure if he faithfully obeyed the commands of his father David. When Solomon awakened from this profound dream, he hastened to the temple in Jerusalem to offer sacrifices of dedication and thanksgiving to the God who had so bountifully blessed his kingship.

Solomon's divine wisdom was soon put to the test. Two women engaged in prostitution came before the king, each claiming to be the mother of the same living child. In their arguments over the true mother, they revealed that one woman's infant son had unexpectedly died in the night, whereupon the other woman had secretly switched the living child with the dead one. Without any further evidence, justice seemed impossible to determine.

Rather than rushing to judgment, Solomon shrewdly devised a plan to reveal the real mother through her natural affection. He commanded that the living child be cut in two, so that each woman could receive half. Shockingly, one woman passionately pleaded for the boy's life, willing to forfeit her maternal rights rather than see him killed. Through her unconditional love demonstrated in crisis, her identity as the true mother was unmistakably clear.

As news of Solomon's discerning verdict spread throughout Israel, all the people stood in awe of the King's God-granted wisdom. They saw that he had been endowed with an ability to administer justice far beyond any human ability. In Solomon's rule, the Israelites glimpsed qualities that would be perfectly embodied in their promised Messiah - a Son of David who would one day judge all nations with faultless righteousness and establish an eternal kingdom of peace.

Notes: https://media.versebyverseministry.org/uploads/lesson_translations/1550/notes_file/368ba0fbb8f8a16bcec26f196910b00a.pdf

Web: https://versebyverseministry.org/lessons/1-kings-lesson-3a

Transcript: https://drive.proton.me/urls/9CEQH53F6C#qyXOmzZPbN4q