King Solomon

1 Kings 2:1-3:28
King David says: "I am about to go the way of all the earth. Be strong, and show yourself a man, and keep the charge of the Lord your God, walking in his ways and keeping his statutes, ...that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn, that the Lord may establish his word that he spoke concerning me, saying, 'If your sons pay close attention to their way, to walk before me in faithfulness with all their heart and with all their soul, you shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.'"

Be strong, and show yourself a man, and walk in the way of the your Lord God. David gives good advice-and reminds his son of his relationship with the Lord. It is Solomon's Lord as well as David's. How funny it is after so many of these fathers and sons did not walk together in the way of the Lord. We even get a hint of family issues in the rest of David's talk about Solomon's brothers, and those who tried to scheme against the King. Solomon is the same son we read about at the end of yesterday's reading-the second son after David's failure to follow the Lord according to how he had done previously. 

Next we can see a way to pray that pleases God - when we don't pray for our own sake, and when we pray for wisdom to follow the Lord's directions and to do His will. This prayer of Solomon's, we read prompts God to say: "Because you have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, behold, I now do according to your word. ... I give you a wise and discerning mind, so that none like you has been before you and none like you shall arise after you....And if you will walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and my commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days."

Not asking for ourselves, but rather that we might do the Lord's will; this is something to emulate.

It was a dream. Or was it? The story of two children; one alive and one dead, and two mother's one lamenting her loss, one loving a living child, one jealous of a mother who has something she does not...who is whom in this story? King Solomon is called to arbitrate. And in dealing shrewdly with the two women he finds one cares more about the child and one cares only that she not be alone in her loss. The King does discern the difference and the truth, and in the end we find a child restored to its loving mother, safe. It was a dream? Perhaps not.

Pray for the sons and daughters in our lives; that they may follow the way of the Lord. Pray for a discerning mind, that we might follow the Lord all our days, and act according to His ways-and by doing so, bring about new life in our lives and the lives of those around us.

See you tomorrow.
-maggie