Part II: Don’t Split the Baby
“Part II: Don’t Split the Baby”
By Pastor John Morgan
September 13, 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.” When all Israel heard the verdict the king had given, they held the king in awe, because they saw that he had wisdom from God to administer justice.
1 Kings 3:16-28 (NIV)
Solomon is arbitrating a conflict between two women, and it’s incredibly important that he gets it right. Solomon feels inadequate to be king, so he asks God for wisdom to lead the kingdom correctly. Because Solomon asks God for wisdom instead of riches, he receives both. After Solomon asks for wisdom, he goes into a test. God doesn’t bring a test our way so that he can find out whether we got it or not; we go through tests so that we know that God has done in our life what he said he would do.
2020 is a test in our lives and so we need wisdom and how to move through it. Last week we talked about the “Whose Voice” test, and how to gain wisdom and understanding in how to navigate whose voice is speaking. The next test is the “What’s Real?” test: using wise judgment to determine truth from lies, fact from fiction, and opinion from reality.
1. The “What’s Real?” Test
These two prostitutes’ stories mirror each other almost perfectly. They’re both prostitutes, they live in the same house, they both gave birth to sons at the same time, and their future is reliant on their sons to get them out of their situation, and they both have experienced the loss of a child--one through death, and one through their child being taken by the other woman.
There is truth here. This is not about an opinion. In this information age, we are quick to form opinions and sometimes slow to listen. Whether it’s masks, voting, or social unrest, we need to be alert and aware of the voices that are trying to influence us. We need to distinguish the truth from opinions.
James 3:15-16 warns us to test what we hear. In James we learn that there are two types of wisdom. The first type of wisdom is earthly, unspiritual, and demonic, where jealousy and selfish ambition exist. One of these women is operating in selfish ambition--she wants a baby no matter what it costs someone else or the life of the child. James says that the result of this ungodly wisdom is division and conflict.
The second type of wisdom, which is from above, is the fruit of the kingdom. It is pure, peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial, sincere, and produces a harvest of righteousness. These words become the filter to help us determine where wisdom comes from and what spirit is behind it. Peaceable means it brings people together rather than pushes people apart. Being correct is not more important than the relationship we are trying to preserve. We need to weigh facts with wisdom and discernment. A spirit of peace leads to unity. Just as Jesus examined and cursed the fig tree, Hebrews 13:7 instructs us to examine the fruit of our lives.
2. The “What Spirit” Test
The third test is the “What Spirit?” Test. This test is about discerning the spirit behind the person, the conversation, or what is happening. In verse 26, the king asks for the sword and says, “we’re going to split the baby in two.” The wisdom of this move by the king revealed the heart of the mother. The woman who was not the mother agreed quickly to split the baby in two. She had nothing to lose since her child was already dead. The real mother, however, did not want to take the child’s life, even if it meant she could never be a part of it. This selfless act produced fruit by saving her child’s life. The king is immediately able to discern the spirit behind the person and says to give the baby to the first woman.
1 John 1:11 tells us not to believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God. If they’re willing to split the baby, they’re probably not the mother. If they’re willing to split the sheep, they’re probably not the shepherd. If they’re willing to split the Kingdom, they’re probably not from God. We have to get wise and not let the division get into our spirit. Our calling is to keep unity in the spirit rather than create division. This is the wisdom from above.
Reflection/Discussion Questions:
1. How do you determine what’s real when listening to the opinions and other voices in your life?
2. How do you discern what spirit is behind a person, conversation, or a situation in your life?
3. When have you experienced godly wisdom in the process of making an important decision?