thin king

Good morning,


Kings and Wisdom


Samuel was the prophet who judged Israel until he was very old.
When his sons were not worthy of succeeding him, the Hebrews
asked for a king through Samuel. So, God gave them Saul, a
handsome young man, head and shoulder above other men,
and Saul became their first king.

When David was a youth, he went to see his brothers in king
Saul's camp. There he slew Goliath and helped Saul to rout the
Philistines. Later, David succeeded Saul and became their
second king.

When king David was nearing the end of his life, his son Adonijah
himself prepared to take over the kingship. But David had made a
pledge to Bathsheba, his wife, that the kingship would be given to
her son, Solomon. So, David arranged and had Solomon installed
as king. Adonijah feared for his life, but when he pledged his
loyalty, Solomon spared his life.

One night, Solomon had a dream in which God told him he could
have anything he asked for. Solomon replied that God had so
blessed his forebear David and all the way down to him, making
him king. He said that he was a mere youth to rule such a vast
nation, and he asked only to be given an understanding heart to
judge the people and to distinguish right from wrong.

God was very pleased with him for asking only for this, and gave
him such wisdom that no one, before or thereafter, could equal.
God also promised him what he had not asked for, riches and
glory no king ever had, and also a long life if he kept God's
commandments as David had done.

Then, there were two harlots who came to him for judgement.
One said that the other woman, her only housemate, had bore
a son three days after she had given birth to hers. But when the
other's baby died the other woman stole her baby and placed the
dead baby in its place. But the other woman insisted that the
living baby was hers.

Then Solomon, saying that since each women had claimed that
the living baby was hers, gave orders for the baby to be cut into
two and to let each woman have half of it. Whereupon, the first
woman pleaded for the baby to be given to the other woman to
save its life, while the other woman said that since it should not
be either's to let it be divided.

Thereupon, Solomon judged that the baby be given to the first
woman, for she was the mother.

When all Israel heard this, the people were in awe of him, seeing
that the king had in him the wisdom of God for giving judgement.


Have a nice day,
Ronald