FACE-TIME WITH MOMMY
Then the woman whose child was the living one spoke to the king, for she was deeply stirred over her son and said,
“Oh, my lord, give her the living child, and by no means kill him.”
1 Kings 3:26
One of the most provocative stories in the Bible involves the judgment decision of King Solomon between two women. Both women were prostitutes; they lived in the same home; they had no husband; they both gave birth within three days of each other. While one of the women was sleeping, she accidentally rolled over on her child and suffocated him. After realizing that he was dead, she got up and switched her baby with her roommate’s baby. The Bible notes her words upon waking “When I rose in the morning to nurse my son, behold, he was dead; but when I looked at him carefully in the morning, behold, he was not my son, whom I had borne.” (1 Kings 3:21) An argument ensued between the two women and they took their case to King Solomon as he was the highest court in the land. His decision stood.
King Solomon, we are told, questioned both women in order to get the facts of the story. As he had just previously asked God for wisdom rather than riches, this incident was a test for him. He listened to the pleas of both women.
This story continues, “Then the king said, “The one says, ‘This is my son who is living, and your son is the dead one’; and the other says, ‘No! For your son is the dead one, and my son is the living one.’” The king said, “Get me a sword.” So, they brought a sword before the king. The king said, “Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one and half to the other.”
It is difficult to really understand the depth of emotion in this episode. The one woman who accidentally suffocated her son, is distraught with grief. In her grief, she did a foolish act of stealing the other woman’s baby. Yet the woman whose baby is alive is distraught as well. Before King Solomon, she cries “Then the woman whose child was the living one spoke to the king, for [she was deeply stirred over her son and said, “Oh, my lord, give her the living child, and by no means kill him.” (1 Kings 3:26) The woman who was the thief, pleaded before King Solomon for the murder of the child “He shall be neither mine nor yours; divide him!” (1 Kings 3:26b)
I cannot even imagine the depths of sorrow that the woman had whose son was still alive. We are told that she rose in the morning to nurse her son. Morning after morning, day after day, she nursed her son. A healthy baby needs to feed at least seven to ten times a day. That is a lot of face-time with mommy. Mommy looks into the baby’s eyes, there is a beautiful connection and an intimate connection. I love to enjoy fellowship over eating with friends and family. I am satisfying a tummy desire and also a heart desire. There is a beautiful intimacy exchanged.
This mother raised her baby, she fed her baby, day after day, she changed the baby’s diaper, she KNEW her baby. Yet we are told that she had a deep compassion for him, so much compassion that she was willing to let go of her child, to make sure that her baby lived. We see a similar experience of surrender with Yocheved, Moses’s mother. She hid Moses in a small boat, covered it with pitch to make it waterproof then let go. How does a mother do this action? Rather than appeal to the law of the land, (Yocheved’s name means God is glorious), she appealed to the Highest court on earth and in heaven, God. Similarly, this unnamed prostitute let go of her son and appealed to the highest court in the land, King Solomon. “Then the king said, “Give the first woman the living child, and by no means kill him. She is his mother.” (1 Kings 3:27)
Many are amazed at the wisdom of Solomon, this writer included. Yet, I am most amazed at the woman whose baby was stolen. Many of us can relate to her. Perhaps you have “lost your baby.” It might have been a relationship, marriage, a child, a job promotion, a business. Perhaps you have struggled as the prostitute did, knowing that YOU birthed the baby, you nurtured it, you loved it, then POOF, life changes.
For God so loved the world that He gave HIS ONLY SON, that whosoever believes in Him, shall not perish but have life everlasting (John 3:16.) What a Beautiful verse of parental surrender; what a beautiful verse of surrender. Fix your eyes on Yeshua, the author and perfecter of FAITH, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:2)
Our God will shine forth in your situation, although it might not be in the way that you imagined. God answers prayer one of two ways, “Yes,” or “I have a better idea.” I am willing to wait for the better idea, how about you?