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August 7 Daily Devotional

The King and the Babies

Charles and Norma Ellis

Bible Reading:

1 Kings 3:16-38

16Then came there two women, that were harlots, unto the king, and stood before him.
17And the 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 it came to pass the third day after that I was delivered, that this woman was delivered also: and we were together; there was no stranger with us in the house, save we two in the house.
19And this woman's child died in the night; because she overlaid it.
20And she arose at midnight, and took my son from beside me, while thine handmaid slept, and laid it in her bosom, and laid her dead child in my bosom.
21And when I rose in the morning to give my child suck, behold, it was dead: but when I had considered it in the morning, behold, it was not my son, which I did bear.
22And the other woman said, Nay; but the living is my son, and the dead is thy son. And this said, No; but the dead is thy son, and the living is my son. Thus they spake before the king.
23Then said the king, The one saith, This is my son that liveth, and thy son is the dead: and the other saith, Nay; but thy son is the dead, and my son is the living.
24And the king said, Bring me a sword. And they brought a sword before the king.
25And the king said, Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other.
26Then spake the woman whose the living child was unto the king, for her bowels yearned upon her son, and she said, O my lord, give her the living child, and in no wise slay it. But the other said, Let it be neither mine nor thine, but divide it.
27Then the king answered and said, Give her the living child, and in no wise slay it: she is the mother thereof.
28And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had judged; and they feared the king: for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him, to do judgment.

Devotional:

One of the decisions of King Solomon which has come down to us regards the treatment of a baby claimed by two harlots. What feeble attempts at happiness are pictured here in the desire to possess a child even if it would be reared without a father and in an environment of sin and disgrace! Both of these women, despite their sinfulness, had a regard for the life and care of the little one for whose existence one of them was responsible.

How many women there are today who are harder of heart than these harlots and seek not to possess a living child but rather to abort an unborn child! The low estimate of human life reflected in the modern 'slaughter of the innocents' is frightening to those who recognize life as God's creation and children as His gift.

Not only is abortion sin, it is suicide to the peace of mind of the woman. And it is impoverishing to the home, for children are special, wonderful, created in the image of God. Happy is the man whose quiver is full of them. And happy is the woman who has borne them to him.

Babies are to be regarded with great honor even before birth! They are not to be trafficked in, experimented upon, destroyed! Do not suppose Solomon was ruthless in his sentence and was risking murder! He discerned the mothers' hearts before him and the horror his proposition would arouse. It was his knowledge of these women that led to his sentence. And the response was as he anticipated.

This story has a lesson for our own day which was not as relevant even [thirty] years ago. God's people should be working hard to alert our world to the consequences of the light view of human life that we see all around us! The gospel is the one chief weapon against abortion! And this weapon lies in our hands.


We are happy to have obtained permission to post as our current daily devotional Heirs Together of Life: Daily Bible Reading for Husbands and Wives, published by The Banner of Truth Trust. Don't be misled by the subtitle. As the book's "Preface" indicates (see below), although Heirs Together of Life is "especially prepared for couples,"the authors declare, "Since the basis for this guide is God's Word, we believe it would have value for any reader."

Charles and Norma Ellis are husband and wife and the authors not only of Heirs Together of Life (which was first published in 1980 and continues in print today), but also of Wells of Salvation (first published in 1985, and likewise still in print today). The latter contains a series of short studies covering the entire book of Isaiah, while the former contains a series of almost 200 short studies covering the entire Bible, from Genesis to Revelation. Both books by the Ellises can be ordered from the publisher, The Banner of Truth Trust. We trust that these daily Bible readings, posted daily on our site, will be helpful to you in your Christian walk before God. Whether married or not, all of us are members of families and members of the family of God.

Charles Ellis was educated at Wheaton College and Westminster Theological Seminary. Upon graduation from Westminster (where he earned not only a Th.B. but also a Th.M.), he was ordained to the ministry in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church and pastored a number of OPC churches, including Immanuel OPC in West Collingswood, New Jersey; First OPC in Cincinnati, Ohio; Covenant OPC in East Orange, New Jersey; Knox OPC in Silver Spring, Maryland; and Lakeview OPC in Rockport, Maine. Less biographical information is available about his wife, but it is known that they served as parents of seven children. After retiring from the ministry, Charles Ellis went to be with the Lord in 2003, but he and his wife left us with a beautiful legacy in the two books they have given to the world, and we are proud to share the daily Bible readings from Heirs Together of Life here with you.

 

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