The 3:16s of the Bible

Years ago, my dad was driving us through the Ozarks while on vacation, looking for "cheap gas."  Back in those days, (the mid-1960s), there were often so-called 'gas wars,' where competing gas stations would try to lure in customers from other stations with lower gas prices.  So intense was the competition that even a penny or two difference per gallon could make a huge difference!  At some point during this search, it became apparent that the 'cheap gas' being pursued was nowhere to be found; in disgust, my father asserted, in an angry tone, "I'll never pay $.25 for a gallon of gas!"  We were stunned by his anger and said nothing.  He only relaxed when he found what he had been looking for – cheap gas at $.23 a gallon.  What a relief!  Years later, of course, we teased him mercilessly for getting angry over $.25 a gallon of gas – by the time we were teasing him, gas was well over $1.50 a gallon.

 

Now, my dad was not an ignorant man, but he was 'stuck;' in the situation. What I mean is that he was thinking like everyone else, in ways that were restricted by the shared wisdom of the day.  No one else wanted to pay $.25 for a gallon of gas, either.  The world had changed!

 

What brought this story to mind is how most people think; the "wisdom of this world" is conditioned and shaped by so many things, including our emotions, the current practices of the day, and more.  Also, the "wisdom of this world" is often wrong and will fade away over time, to be replaced by some other 'wisdom' that might be just as far from the truth.

 

In the Bible, there is a story from King Solomon's life that literally 'put him on the map' in the politics of the day.  It's a familiar story of God's wisdom bringing peace to a tragic situation.  Solomon was king, and there was trouble in the courtyard.  Two women were fighting over a child.  Both were prostitutes with infants and shared an apartment.  One of the infants had died overnight.  The mother of the deceased baby recognized the situation and, in the middle of the night, 'switched out' her dead infant with the one who was sleeping.  When the other mother woke, she recognized that the infant was dead, and the baby in her bed was the other woman's.  She immediately understood the situation – the babies had been switched!  There was a loud, screaming fight between the two, of course, and the two ended up in front of the king, whose task was to bring justice and peace to the now buzzing community.

 

Solomon pondered the situation and said, 'Bring me the child.'  He then reasoned that the only way to satisfy both women was to cut the child in half, giving each one half.  The woman who had switched the babies accepted the ruling; the true mother of the living child, though, immediately acted to save her child, begging the king to give the child to the other.  In some way, God's wisdom had helped Solomon to discern that the real mother would instead save the life of her child, even if it meant she would lose him.  Solomon gave that woman the child, as he recognized her sincerity and the facts of the situation.  So clearly, this act of Solomon from God was something the people immediately recognized as something beyond human understanding.  The Bible says, "When all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had handed down, they feared the king; for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to administer justice."  I Kings 3:28  Word spread throughout the land, and soon people from all over the world came to hear Solomon speak the wisdom that was recognized to be from God.

 

People need justice and guidance in messy situations, and they need to be given the understanding that it is better than what the world has to offer!

 

When we read this old story, we are confronted with the understanding that there are two types of wisdom:  Earthly wisdom, which often brings suffering, broken relationships, and even wars.  Then, in contrast, is godly wisdom, which can get justice, emotional healing, and even peace when applied to a life or event.  That wisdom is a gift from God, given through his grace.  

 

You may sense a need for wisdom from God to be applied to some situation in your life.  Ask God for wisdom, and follow His direction.  He can guide us in this life!

 

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