“Then the king said, “Let’s get the facts straight. Both of you claim the living child is yours, and each says that the dead one belongs to the other. All right, bring me a sword.” So a sword was brought to the king. Then he said, “Cut the living child in two, and give half to one woman and half to the other!” Then the woman who was the real mother of the living child, and who loved him very much, cried out, “Oh no, my Lord! Give her the child—please do not kill him!” But the other woman said, “All right, he will be neither yours nor mine; divide him between us!” Then the king said, “Do not kill the child, but give him to the woman who wants him to live, for she is his mother!” When all Israel heard the king’s decision, the people were in awe of the king, for they saw the wisdom God had given him for rendering justice.”
1 Kings 3:23-28 NLT
Solomon shows his wisdom by drawing ideas to their natural conclusion and then discerning where they came from. In modern times, surely forensics and a complex legal battle would have been employed. Here, Solomon cuts to the quick (pun intended) and quickly divines the truth. The wisdom on display is not merely intellectual knowledge. This was not necessary to find the truth. Solomon believed that he could use the metric of a mother’s love to guide his decision. It was a wise choice because it had no negative outcome. Even if the women who protested the death of the baby was the thief of the child, it still would’ve been better for the baby to be with her, based on the response of the women who didn’t protest. This wisdom looked for the best outcome of the child as it’s highest indicator of the right choice. When we judge hard cases, we can take Solomon’s example and apply it. Judge the best outcome for all and the motivations for behavior. This will generally lead to justice.
JOSH McGARY. COM 