The Wisdom of God
Solomon and the Two Mothers
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About the Video:
God gave King Solomon the opportunity to ask for anything he wanted. Solomon could have asked for riches and honor. Instead, he asked for godly wisdom that would help him make wise decisions about ruling the kingdom.
Not long after Solomon requested wisdom, two women sought his advice to solve a difficult problem. Each woman was the mother of an infant, but one of the infants had died at only three days old. Both women claimed that the living infant was theirs. What an impossible task before Solomon! He needed to solve the mystery of which woman was the mother of the infant!
Solomon suggested that they cut the baby in half so that each Mom could have part of the child. Of course, he sounded crazy to everyone that heard this suggestion! But because Solomon had the gift of wisdom from God, he understood that he would not need to follow through with the gruesome threat. The mother that stole the baby was selfish and would let Solomon follow through on the threat. But, the real mother, desperate to save her child, would give up the baby.
Wisely, Solomon knew that the real Mom would do anything to protect her child. Solomon’s great wisdom saved the child, and he returned the boy to his mother.
Questions to Consider:
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Why did Solomon ask God for wisdom?
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How did Solomon use his wisdom to determine the baby’s real mother?
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How do you think the baby’s real mother felt when Solomon suggested cutting the baby in two?
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If you could ask God to give you anything, what would you ask for? Why?
Background to the Story:
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Solomon was the son of King David. David was faithful and followed the laws of God. David did not always do right, but he was also humble and asked for forgiveness when he made a mistake. David was known as the best and most faithful king of Israel.
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Solomon also wanted to be faithful and follow God’s laws. He learned from David that being a king and following God is very difficult, and Solomon knew that he needed wisdom to be a faithful king.
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God gave Solomon wisdom, but Solomon had to choose to be faithful to God. When promising Solomon wisdom, wealth, and honor, God said to him, “And if you walk in obedience to me and keep my decrees and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life.” (1 Kings 4:14) We learn later in Solomon’s story that he is not faithful to God, which will lead to bad decisions and severe consequences.
