Read: 1 Kings 3:4-4:34; Acts 6:1-15; Psalm 126:1-6; Proverbs 16:26-27
Solomon went to Gihon to worship the Lord. There was no formal temple so the main place of worship was at Gihon. While Solomon was there he had a dream where God came to him and asked him for a request. He would give him anything he asked for. It was a test and Solomon passed it with flying colors. Solomon admitted his need for help in ruling the people and asked God for an understanding heart able to administer justice to God’s people. God was so pleased with his answer that he gave him all the things he didn’t ask for also. He told him he would be the wisest man ever and he would also be the richest. If he lived for the Lord, he would give him a long life also.
It wasn’t long before he got to prove his gift of wisdom. Two prostitutes came to him for judgement. They had both had a baby and one of them had died in the night. The mother of the dead baby was being accused of switching babies so that she had the live baby. Solomon saw that the only way he could find out the real mother was to put the live baby on the altar and see which one would save it. The real mother stepped forward to beg for its life letting Solomon know the true mother. She got her baby returned to her. All Israel heard of the story and were amazed and recognized that his wisdom came from God.
We are given a list of Solomons high officials or governors and I noticed that none of them were his own sons. Two of them were his sons-in-law.
In Acts we see the growing pains of the church. The Greek-speaking Christians were complaining that the Hebrew-speaking widows were treated better than theirs. Paul saw that this was not his gift so he anointed other men to help him in meeting the needs of the people. Stephen was one of the ones anointed to help. Stephen moved in the gifts of miracles and signs which made the members of the Synagogue of the Freed Slaves jealous.
They tried humiliating him in public, but Stephen was given the right answers and it made them look foolish. Next they brought him before the Sanhedrin with false accusations about his teaching. They claimed that Stephen taught against the Torah and the laws of Moses. As they accused him falsely, Stephen’s face transformed into what looked like the face of an angel. It glowed with the glory of God. Stephen fulfilled Matthew 10:18-20.
Lord, we ask you for discernment to see what you are doing and join in your work. Give us wisdom to make right choices and give the right answers.
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