Part 1: Don’t Split the Baby
“Part 1: Don’t Split the Baby”
by Pastor John Morgan
September 6, 2020
Now two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him. One of them said, “Pardon me, my lord. This woman and I live in the same house, and I had a baby while she was there with me. The third day after my child was born, this woman also had a baby. We were alone; there was no one in the house but the two of us.
“During the night this woman’s son died because she lay on him. So she got up in the middle of the night and took my son from my side while I, your servant, was asleep. She put him by her breast and put her dead son by my breast. The next morning, I got up to nurse my son—and he was dead! But when I looked at him closely in the morning light, I saw that it wasn’t the son I had borne.”
The other woman said, “No! The living one is my son; the dead one is yours.”
But the first one insisted, “No! The dead one is yours; the living one is mine.” And so they argued before the king.
The king said, “This one says, ‘My son is alive and your son is dead,’ while that one says, ‘No! Your son is dead and mine is alive.’”
Then the king said, “Bring me a sword.” So they brought a sword for the king. He then gave an order: “Cut the living child in two and give half to one and half to the other.”
The woman whose son was alive was deeply moved out of love for her son and said to the king, “Please, my lord, give her the living baby! Don’t kill him!”
But the other said, “Neither I nor you shall have him. Cut him in two!”
Then the king gave his ruling: “Give the living baby to the first woman. Do not kill him; she is his mother.” - 1 Kings 3:16-28
Solomon feels overwhelmed as he is taking over his father’s role as king. God meets Solomon in a dream and asks him what he wants. Solomon asks for wisdom to lead the kingdom well (1 Kings 3:9). Because of what Solomon asks for, God also blesses him with riches. This is a Biblical principle: when we make God’s kingdom a priority, then he blesses us everything else. After Solomon asks for wisdom, immediately he faces a test of his wisdom when these two prostitutes approach him with the dispute of whose baby is living.
When we pray and ask God for things, God will test us on it. Faith is only faith when it’s tested. James tells us to count it all joy when we encounter trials and testing (James 1:3-5). Tests and trials are coming our way; it’s not a matter of “if,” but of “when.” This year has included not just one trial but many trials. However, nothing that we have experienced this year took God by surprise. We can’t control the trial, but we can control ourselves in the middle of the trial. We don’t have to be happy about the trial, but we do have to find joy in the middle of the trial. When trials come, we need joy to be able to maintain our faith, and we need the wisdom to navigate the trial.
If we are going to pass a test, we have to identify and understand the tests that we are facing. One test we have to face is the “Whose Voice” test. In 1 King 3, there is a debate between two women. One of them has a child, and one of them has lost their child, but now wants to make this other woman’s child her child. In 1 Kings 3:17, it says, “then one woman said,” but the text doesn’t say whether it is the mother of the living child or the mother of the one who passed. Solomon is listening to a conversation, and he has to be able to pass the “Whose Voice” Test.
Words have power (Proverbs 18:21). Conversations have power. Voices have power. They can bring life or destruction. What conversations have you been listening to this year that have been uplifting or that have been pulling you down? The voices that we listen to will be the voices that impact us.
Today, there are a lot of voices where we have to discern the truth.
1. Mainstream Media: One voice we have to listen to is mainstream media. Every news channel has an agenda, either blue or red. It’s hard to find the truth. You can’t just watch one media outlet to get truth; you’ve got to try to discern it with your own eyes.
2. Social Media: Another voice we have to use wisdom with is social media. This year, social media has become more like soapbox media. Be cautious of what you watch, listen to, and post on social media. Does it fuel hurt and division? Does it enable excuses?
3. Opinions: It’s good to have an opinion, but we should never let our opinion get in the way of a relationship. Proverbs says that a fool takes no pleasure in understanding but only in expressing his opinion (Proverbs 18:1). Sometimes with a little more information, an opinion can change. Sometimes our opinions change because our circumstances and experiences change. It’s good to have an opinion but don’t let your opinion get in the way of the kingdom, of your relationships, or of your destiny.
4. Assumptions: Assumption is a sibling of opinion. An assumption presumes that we know better. If we are sitting back on the sidelines, we shouldn’t assume that we know all of the information about someone else’s situation. We can’t assume that we know the heart of another person.
So how do we filter whose voice is speaking? Seek God’s word and his wisdom. What is God saying about the situation? The heartbeat of heaven is always a kingdom priority. Wisdom from above is pure, peaceable, gentle, submissive, full of mercy, good fruits, impartial, and sincere (James 3:17). Hebrews 13:7 says we need to consider the outcome of people’s conduct. We need to look at the fruit of people’s lives. Listen to the people who have fruit. Do not listen to the people who have no fruit of success in ministry, leadership, or building anything. Do not listen to the people in isolation because they will always rob you of your destiny. Ask God for his wisdom to listen to the right voices and discern right from wrong. Let’s all conquer the “Whose Voice” Test together.
Reflection/Discussion Questions:
1. How do you discern whose voice is speaking as you listen to voices in the mainstream media, social media, opinions and assumptions of others? How do you discern God’s voice?
2. Have you been speaking life or death over yourself and your life?
3. Have the people that you have been surrounding yourself with been speaking life or death?
4. Are there certain voices you believe you should stop listening to based on the fruit of those conversations?
5. Who are the voices in your life that demonstrate fruit that you want to listen to more?