1 Kings 3:16

1 Kings 3:16 says, Then came there two women, that were harlots, unto the king, and stood before him.  Two women who were said to be harlots came to Solomon.  Matthew Henry points out that they came before Solomon themselves, without a lawyer, even though they were women and likely never were married.  When we come before God on judgment day, we either come alone or with Jesus Christ as our Advocate.  Verse seventeen adds, And the one woman said, O my lord, I and this woman dwell in one house; and I was delivered of a child with her in the house.  One of the women said she lived in a house with the other woman and had given birth to a child.  Matthew Henry said they lived in a public house and not one that belonged to either.  Since in that day and age, women had little standing and needed a husband or father to represent them, and they seemed to have neither.  We, male or female, need someone to represent us before God, and Jesus Christ is the only One Who can.  Verse eighteen continues, And it came to pass the third day after that I was delivered, that this woman was delivered also: and we were together; there was no stranger with us in the house, save we two in the house.  The woman said that while they were alone I the house that three days later the other woman had a baby.  This would have further indicated that they had no one to help them.  As Christians, we should never be that much without help if we need it and should do our best to make sure that no one else is either, no matter their status in the world.  Verse nineteen states, And this woman’s child died in the night; because she overlaid it.  The woman complained by saying that the second woman's child died the night he was born because the woman had lain down on top of him.  She was basically blaming the woman for the child's death and we may find that others place the blame on us if they find themselves in a bad situation, even if we aren't responsible.  Of course, what she was saying may have been true, just as at times we may be responsible for the bad things happening in our lives.  Verse twenty adds, And she arose at midnight, and took my son from beside me, while thine handmaid slept, and laid it in her bosom, and laid her dead child in my bosom.  She then said that at midnight, the other woman took her son and left the dead child with her.  Verse twenty-one continues, And when I rose in the morning to give my child suck, behold, it was dead: but when I had considered it in the morning, behold, it was not my son, which I did bear.  She then said the next morning when she was going to nurse her child, she discovered that the child was dead but that it wasn't her child.  I have to wonder about how she slept through all of this.  Of course, we still aren't told if she was the real mother or not.  Matthew Henry points out this was a difficult case, because there was no one close enough to the women who could help distinguish whose child it was.  Sometimes, we may not find an easy answer to difficult situations in life because no one knows who is telling the truth.  Verse twenty-two concludes, And the other woman said, Nay; but the living is my son, and the dead is thy son. And this said, No; but the dead is thy son, and the living is my son. Thus they spake before the king.  The other woman said the first one was lying and the child was hers, and they began to argue.  Only one could be telling the truth.  People will still lie to get what they want today.  Verse twenty-three declares, Then said the king, The one saith, This is my son that liveth, and thy son is the dead: and the other saith, Nay; but thy son is the dead, and my son is the living.  Solomon pointed out that they were both making the same claim so it would be impossible to tell who was telling the truth.  Sometimes today when there are no facts to help determine the truth, it is nearly impossible to decide who is lying and who is telling the truth.  Verse twenty-four continues, And the king said, Bring me a sword. And they brought a sword before the king.  Verse twenty-five says, And the king said, Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other.  Solomon asked for a sword and proposed cutting the child in half and giving half to each woman.  This would have certainly settled the dispute, but it wouldn't have settled the matter of who the child really belonged to.  We need to pray that we never settle disputes between people without really finding out the truth.  Verse twenty-six adds, Then spake the woman whose the living child was unto the king, for her bowels yearned upon her son, and she said, O my lord, give her the living child, and in no wise slay it. But the other said, Let it be neither mine nor thine, but divide it.  One of the women, and we aren't told which one, out of love for her son, told Solomon to give the child to the other woman but not to harm him.  She would have rather give up her child than have him harmed.  This is the type love that we need from mothers and also fathers today.  The other woman said, no, divide the child.  She had just been given what she claimed to want, the child, but she really had no interest in the child.  She seemingly just didn't want the other woman to have her son.  Some people really don't want what we have, but they just don't want us to have it.  Verse twenty-seven continues, Then the king answered and said, Give her the living child, and in no wise slay it: she is the mother thereof.  When we first read of Solomon's proposal, we might have thought that he hadn't gained much wisdom from God, but we now see that he had.  He knew that the real mother would not agree to have the child killed, so he knew that the one willing to give him up so that he would live was the real mother.  At times, we may have to act out of love in a situation and wait for God to bring about the best outcome, even if it seems that it is going to cost us.  Solomon said give the boy to the one who was willing to give him up, because she was the mother.  If we are willing to give up our claim in certain situations because the outcome would cost too much if we didn't, we need to put our faith in God bringing about the best result ultimately and simply let it go.   Verse twenty-eight concludes, And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had judged; and they feared the king: for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him, to do judgment.  When the people of Israel heard what Solomon had done, they feared him, because they saw that the wisdom of God was in him.  This would seem to be a strange reason to fear anyone, unless we are doing something wrong.  We need to pray that we will be known for having the wisdom of God in us, and we should never fear those who do,