As was normal practice, kings made treaties with foreign nations to make peace, and establishing family relationships was one way to do this. This was not Solomon’s first marriage. He had married Namath the Amonitess before he came to the throne, and he took many wives which proved his downfall. His marriages to foreign women led to disaster (1 Kings 11) ruining his spiritual life, as they led him to worship foreign gods. In verse 1 we are told that he married the daughter of Pharaoh. The LORD had told them not to marry women of other nations, but Solomon seemed to ignore that. This marriage was one of his early ones as the passage in 1 Kings 11 says that ‘when he was old, he married foreign women.’ However, the early ones set the pattern and led to other things. Solomon brought his new wife to the city of David.
There was still no house built for The LORD and people sacrificed at the high places. This was permitted so long as it was to The LORD and not idols (v2-4). King Solomon loved The LORD but went to Gibeon to offer his sacrifices and burn incense. There seems to be something not quite right, as we read the word ‘except’. Sadly, he had a divided heart because his foreign wives turned his heart to idols, thus, the ‘except’ may indicate that he wasn’t totally committed to The LORD even though he loved Him. The tabernacle was at Gibeon, but the ark was in Jerusalem, where David had brought it and built a temporary tent for it. (2 Samuel 6)
David was intent on building a temple, not moving the tabernacle.
At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream one night, and said, ‘Ask me for anything’? What a request, from God Himself. In verses 5-9 we read of Solomon’s answer. Solomon responded by acknowledging God’s faithfulness to his father, David and himself. He admitted his inexperience, went so far as to say that he was ‘a little child in the midst of God’s chosen people, a great people, too numerous to number.’ He could have asked for anything, so what was his request – “Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?” He recognised his inadequacies facing the task ahead of him. He realised that he must depend on God.
Note that he didn’t ask for knowledge but understanding. He knew that he would have to lead his people, but also, to judge them. He would need great wisdom.
How need to pray for our leaders, that they may seek the wisdom of Almighty God, and exercise it in their leadership and judgments.
Solomon’s speech pleased The LORD, and because he had not asked for riches, honour and victory over his enemies, and a long life, The LORD gave him wisdom and understanding more than anyone before or after him. In addition to that, The LORD said that He would give what he had not asked for – riches, honour and a long life (v10-15). There was, however, a condition to the latter, and that was, he must walk in God’s ways, keep His laws and commandments as his father David did.
He awoke, and realised it had been a dream, but he trusted in God, and God answered his request. One could have thought that it was only a dream, and not reality, but he believed in God and God certainly answered his request as we shall see. The only thing that was a disappointment was that he was led away from God by his foreign wives who led him into idolatry. He received much but would have received much more had he obeyed The LORD. Instead, his life ended in tragedy. He had so much going for him but he wasted it.
We than have an incident which exemplified the gift of wisdom which God had given to him. It was outstanding because of the two women involved, and the fact that they could approach the king. They were prostitutes who lived in the same house as each other. They both had a child within three days of each other (v16-22). There were no witnesses to this, so he only had their word for it. One woman said that the other woman’s child died in the night, and she had taken her child and nursed it after laying the dead child in her bosom. Thus, alleging that she had swapped the children around. The woman telling the story said that the living child should be hers and the dead one belonged to the other woman. The other woman said the opposite, both saying that theirs was the live one. Solomon listened to their story and asked for a sword and commanded that the living child be cut in two and one half given to each woman (v23-27). The woman whose son was the living one, was full of compassion and told the king to give the child to the other woman whose child had died. The other woman agreed that the child should be divided.
Solomon’s judgment would have seemed quite brutal, but it achieved the intended outcome. Solomon ordered that the living child be given to its mother as she would never have consented to the child being killed to satisfy their demands. The true mother proved her love and would prefer the child to live and go to the other woman, rather than to die.
It didn’t take long for the nation to hear of Solomon’s wise decision (v28) and as a result, they feared the king because of his wisdom.
