Do you ever feel like God wouldn’t listen to someone like you? Who has done what you’ve done or thought what you’ve thought? Or that He just doesn’t have time for you? There’s an Old Testament story which shows that a good king, our King, is willing to listen to anybody.
This well-known story of King Solomon comes from 1 Kings 3, in two parts. In the first part, Solomon asks God for wisdom to rule Israel instead of asking for “long life or riches or the life of your enemies,”[1]so God grants him wisdom, but also the riches and honor he didn’t ask for. In the second part, an example is given of the wisdom God gave to Solomon.
This example comes in a story of two women who came to Solomon, both claiming that a newborn baby belongs to them. One claims the other took their child after killing their own child by lying on him in her sleep. The other claims the living child is their own.
Solomon’s judgement? “Bring me a sword…Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one and half to the other.”[2] Surprisingly, only one of the women objected to killing the baby, saying the other woman could take him. Solomon announces that this woman must be the mother instead of the woman who just said, “He shall be neither mine nor yours; divide him.”[3] In his wisdom, Solomon preserves this child’s life, gives justice to the mother, and demonstrated the great gift God had given Solomon and his people.
But there’s another important detail in this story. These women were “two prostitutes,”[4] and therefore both babies were probably illegitimate. There are many conclusions I could draw from this, but for now, just notice that King Solomon (surely a very, very busy king) found time to give audience to two prostitutes and provide justice between them. He did not send them away because of who they are.
Our king Jesus is similar. No matter who you are or what you’ve done, He will give you an audience. You could be a prostitute, an unwanted child, or maybe you look like a model citizen, and God will listen to you, because the blood of Jesus shed on the cross covers all sins, not just some of them.
Anyone, really anyone, who sincerely comes to Him looking for wisdom and justice will find it in God’s kingdom.
“Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” – Hebrews 4:16
[1] 1 Kings 3:11
[2] 1 Kings 3:24-25
[3] 1 Kings 3:26
[4] 1 Kings 3:16
Driving Toward the Morning Sun 