Sermon Tone Analysis

The Tale of Two Mothers

1 Kings 3:16-28

Intro:

This is the setting:  David died and Solomon took over the throne, and the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream at Gibeon…………..and so wisdom was given to him….and now we see a display of that wisdom…

Now we pick up the story in verse 16…..

Without doubt, Solomon is the primary player in this passage.

We see how masterfully he executes the wisdom that God gave him by making a judgment call that returned a baby to her mother..

But there are two other characters that should be noted as well, they may not get the gold medal here, but they are deserving of some commendation.

!

I.       The harlot who lost her baby should be commended- give her the bronze medal.

You may be thinking wait a minute how can you commend her.

She was a prostitute, she lied about whose baby it was, she was deceptive and how can you even think about commending her?

!! A.   She should be commended because she wanted the baby.

!!! 1.

She could have had an attitude that this baby would bring her shame.

!!! 2.

She could have had an attitude that this baby would be an interference with her career.

With the career she had a baby wouldn’t be conducive.

!! B.   Many women don’t want a baby because it interferes with their career.

(ILLUS) It is sad when women get rid of a baby for the sake of their career or to pursue their own wishes…

(ILLUS) There is a wonderful trend taking place.

Many of our younger women in our elite colleges are pursing motherhood over their careers…

(ILLUS) When Janet Parshall came down a few years ago I had the opportunity to pick her brain…

(ILLUS) Satan is trying to pervert the role of women in our culture.

The illusion he builds is that women are just as tough as men and can accomplish everything they can and so the picture he paints of a real woman is not one in a rocking chair breast feeding her baby, but the one like those on the reality show Survivor…

Psalm 127:3 Behold, children /are/ a heritage from the Lord, The fruit of the womb /is/ a reward.

This woman could of woken up the next morning and said, “Oh well, this will be better off for me, now nothing will get in the way of my career.

! II.

The Silver medal goes to the woman whose baby this was.

She could have done the same thing and looked at the child as a career hindrance or shame in society….

She didn’t have to give birth to this child, she could have aborted it if she wanted to

!! A.   She goes the extra mile, she’s willing to let go of the baby.

Even though the baby was hers she said, “give her the baby and don’t kill it.”

She wanted what was best for the baby and was willing to suffer the loss…

 

!! B.   Maybe you’re here this morning and Mother’s Day is a day of dread.

!!! 1.

Your mother may have had a questionable past.

!!!! a)    Maybe she wasn’t around much and kind of did her own thing…

She had a shady past, led an immoral life-style and you have nothing to say to her let alone honor her…

!!!! b)    She still should be honored for this one thing- she had you…

!!! 2.     Maybe you were put up for adoption and you resent that.

(ILLUS) I was talking to a family member on the phone yesterday and he was put up for adoption when he was an infant……….

This woman in our story was willing to let her child go so that he may live, have a life and maybe that’s why your mother had to let you go…

!

III.

The Gold medal goes to Solomon.

!! A.   He used God’s gift of wisdom to help this lady in distress.

A king, that’s the highest you can climb on the social ladder, taking the time to come along side of this woman, a prostitute, one of the lowest on the social ladder, in order to help her in her dilemma.

He’s standing with the sinner…..

!! B.   But wasn’t our Savior that way?

Didn’t he come along side of the sinners of this world?

!!! 1.

In John chapter 4 he met a woman at the well.

!!! 2.     In John chapter 8 they bring a woman caught in adultery to Him.

!!! 3.     In the genealogy of Christ in Matthew 1 we see four women recorded.

Women aren’t usually mentioned in a Jewish genealogy but in Jesus’ case there is an exception.

!!!! a)    The first is Tamar

!!!! b)    The second is Rahab

!!!! c)     The third is Ruth- A Moabite

!!!! d)    The fourth is Bathsheba.

Four women in the genealogy of Jesus with at least a questionable past and even an immoral past and there they are, in His genealogy.

He truly was the friend of sinners.

Solomon showing grace and mercy to the prostitute, Jesus showing grace and mercy to the woman at the well and the woman caught in adultery.

The religious community condemned Him for it, but sinners were drawn to Him…..

(ILLUS) On this Mother’s Day maybe there are mothers here who are haunted by, sad about, and regretful of past failures.

Jesus will stand along side of you, He is there to make things new…

 

CLOSE:  I want to be like Solomon, I want to be like Jesus, I want to stand along side of the sinners, not condone their sin, but help them through it and help them leave it.

Single mothers that have had children out of wedlock I want our church to be there for them- not condoning, but them confessing and helping them turn to Jesus.

If you’re here and you say, “I have had an abortion.”

When Jesus hung on the cross it was for all sin….”