A Tale of Two Mothers

When I was a little girl, whenever I would flip through the pages of our huge family Bible, I would often stop at a certain picture and ponder what I saw there. A man dangling an infant by one leg, with a sword being held high above the child. While two women looked on, with two very different expressions upon their faces. The picture puzzled me greatly, and it wasn't until a long time after, that I actually read the story for myself, and learned all the details surrounding this very peculiar scene.

We find this account in 1 Kings 3:16-28 (reading from the Amplified Bible)

¹⁶Then two women who had become mothers out of wedlock came and stood before the king.

¹⁷And 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.

¹⁸And the third day after I was delivered, this woman also was delivered. And we were together; no stranger was with us, just we two in the house.

¹⁹And this woman's child died in the night because she lay on him.

²⁰And she arose at midnight and took my son from beside me while your handmaid slept and laid him in her bosom and laid her dead child in my bosom.

²¹And when I rose to nurse my child, behold, he was dead. But when I had considered him in the morning, behold, it was not the son I had borne.

²²But the other woman said, No! But the living one is my son, and the dead one is your son! And this one said, No! But the dead son is your son, and the living is my son. Thus they spoke before the king.

²³The king said, One says, This is my son that is alive and yours is the dead one. The other woman says, No! But your son is the dead one and mine is the living one.

²⁴And the king said, Bring me a sword. And they brought a sword to the king.

²⁵And the king said, Divide the living child in two and give half to the one and half to the other.

²⁶Then the mother of the living child said to the king, for she yearned over her son, O my lord, give her the living baby, and by no means slay him. But the other said, Let him not be mine or yours, but divide him.

²⁷Then the king said, Give her [who pleads for his life] the living baby, and by no means slay him. She is the child's mother.

This story is hailed as one of the first, that proves the sound wisdom that God had granted King Solomon. Which one of us, in that moment could have thought of something that would have revealed the truth in this very hard situation, as quickly as he did?

As I look at this story, I can't help but believe there is something very significant here, that we are to apply to our own lives. Undoubtedly, it is a story that does prove the God-inspired wisdom of Solomon, but actually, after much meditation upon this passage I believe there is a little more here for us. Too many times I rush through different passages and do not take the time to completely and fully digest just what it is our Lord has for me in His word.

I want to start off with the condition of the two women. We are told of their situation, and we plainly see they are equally sinful, just as we all are in the sight of God. We are all on an even playing field. Not one single human being can boast of a life free of sin. The curse of utter depravity fell upon us all.

The difference comes in our life, once we come to our Just King, and by belief in His Authority over our lives, as our Just and Righteous Savior, we are changed. But always, while on this earth, we have choices to make in this life, until one day when we will be completely redeemed from the flesh. Do we sow to our flesh or to the Spirit? I think possibly there is a simple, yet extremely important, symbolic picture here for us to grasp.

One of the women shares the fact, that they are two, living in one house. Does this remind you of anything? Two. . . living inside one house? ^{Galations 5:17-"}For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would." These two ladies are in opposition with one another, one chooses falsehood the other truth. Our flesh relies on falsehood, our new life in Christ, or life in the Spirit is a life based upon truth. Our flesh is deceiftul, prideful, self-seeking, glories in itself, and wrongly believes that it knows best. Our life in the Spirit trusts in truth, abides in truth, learns that love based on truth is self-less, is humbled by truth, seeks to glorify the Father with lives built upon His truths, and knows beyond a shadow of a doubt that our Just God knows what is best.

Other scripture in the Bible reveal more about the Spirit and flesh, like here in Romans 13:14-"But clothe yourself with the Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah), and make no provision for [indulging] the flesh [put a stop to thinking about the evil cravings of your physical nature] to [gratify its] desires (lusts).the things that ye would."

In another place Paul states- "For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another." The flesh is real, and as believers we are not to let it have liberty or free reign in our lives, because there are consequences that are very damaging to us and others.

And so this tale goes on, both of these women have given birth, and both kept their babies in their beds with them, during the night, so that the babes could easily nurse during the night hours. One mother accidentally lays upon her child, and the child does not live. She takes the dead baby, and switches it with the other woman's baby during the night. It is not until morning, that the other mother can plainly see, that the child who died, is not the baby she gave birth to.

And so, they go to the King to clear up this matter, each mother declaring that the dead baby is not hers, and each one stating that the living child is theirs. It is very clear, one mother is lying and the other is telling the truth. Jeremiah17:9-10 "The heart is deceitful above all things, and it is exceedingly perverse and corrupt and severely, mortally sick! Who can know it [perceive, understand, be acquainted with his own heart and mind]? I the Lord search the mind, I try the heart, even to give to every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings." And so here they are before the wise King, a picture of our Just and all-knowing God, in this particular situation.

At this point in the story, let us take note of what object it is, that the Just and Wise King chooses, to make all things known in this situation? It is very clear that one of the two is lying, and there must be a way to reveal this. And so the King chooses a sword. And what he decides to do with this sword, reveals truth. This quick decision reminds me of this verse, and I do not believe it is any accident at all, that a sword is chosen by the King. See the parallel in Hebrews 4:12- "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."

Is that not exactly what happens, once this wise King decides the course of action that must be taken in this situation? Both women make a claim on this living child. Who can know the truth, at this moment but only God? Truth will be revealed by the presence of the sword. The thoughts and intents of these two women are clearly revealed once the sword comes onto the scene.

Immediately, at the thought of the child being killed, the honest and rightful mother, relinquishes all rights that she has to her very own child. In no way would this woman choose death for her child, the fruit of her womb. "Self" is of no concern to her, it does not matter to her at this point which woman will win in this situation, it only matters to her that her dear baby is not killed. She who gave life to him will also make a selfless decision to preserve his precious, innocent life. She chooses for herself a life of loneliness, only so that her child will live. She is a picture of one who lives by the Spirit. For the one who chooses to live by the Spirit, will do the right thing, even when it is very, very hard. Ephesians 5:9 "For the fruit (the effect, the product) of the Light or ^a]">[a]the Spirit [consists] in every form of kindly goodness, uprightness of heart, and trueness of life."(Amplified Bible)

The other woman, consumed with her own selfish desire, completely enveloped and blinded by her own lie, she chooses death. Neither one of them will have a child and that pleases her selfish heart. How disgustingly gruesome, I find this. That this woman would be happy to see this precious child split in two, a bloody, lifeless mess, and neither one of them would have a child. Her selfishness would leave both of their arms empty, and an innocent child would be slain. What an ugly and awful scene this is. But dear reader, this is exactly how ugly and awful our sin is to our perfect Holy God. Does this not grieve your heart to think about how our selfishness produces messes, that are just as despicable?

But let us go on, immediately, once the true intents of each heart are made plain before the Just King, He openly rewards the mother whose witness has been true. The living child is reunited with his true mother. What joy must have flooded her heart, to hold her dear babe once again, knowing that her honesty had saved his life. Her selflessness, her act of compassion, her choice produced life. The other, fleshly, lying woman her choices will always produce death as long as she lives by the desires of her flesh.

We can learn from this story, and decide what kind of mother or woman do we want to be? In the hard situations that come our way, do we choose to act upon our fleshly desires? Because if we do, whatever situation we find ourselves in, we will be dispensing death. Death to relationships and death to goodness. The fruit of our fleshly desires will never bring forth life. Galations 6:7 "Do not be deceived and deluded and misled; God will not allow Himself to be sneered at (scorned, disdained, or mocked by mere pretensions or professions, or by His precepts being set aside.) [He inevitably deludes himself who attempts to delude God.] For whatever a man sows, that and that only is what he will reap." I love how plainly the Amplified Bible makes this matter of the heart, and what a great warning that should be to us all, when it comes to the choices we make on a daily basis.

With the Spirit as our guide, we can make the right choices, and obey and choose to do what is right, speak and act in truth, even if it means we may have to give up something that is very dear to us. Our actions of selfless love, no concern for our own fleshly desire, but a love for what is right, that choice is the choice that will bring life to the situations we are faced with.

It goes on to say in Galations 6:8- "For he who sows to his own flesh (lower nature, sensuality) will from the flesh reap decay and ruin and destruction, but he who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life."(Amplified Bible)

I do hope and pray, that what I believe the Lord has shown me here in this story helps to be a constant reminder to me, that I do have a choice each time I am faced with a difficult situation and am tempted to act selfishly. I pray that I choose the selfless path, that will bring forth life and healing, hope and love. I do not always obey perfectly, sometimes my flesh does get the best of me, and this short little story has done wonders to help me see the result of a selfish life, a life that would produce everything contrary to the life-giving fruit of our Holy Spirit. And I pray that I never shrink back or hide, or even deny, whenever God's word, the Sword of the Spirit reveals in me, the true intentions of my heart, I pray that I deal immediately with those things, and let His word cleanse me, creating in me a "clean heart, O God, and renew a right, persevering, and steadfast spirit within me." Psalm 51:10

(This post is a result of a recent battle with my own flesh, and what my God wanted me to learn when I try to take matters into my own hands. He is the discerner of all hearts, He knows all, and I have to trust Him constantly. He will make all things plain, He knows the truth, and He will always do what is right in His time. Praise be to God alone.)