Psalm 18:1-20; 1 Kings 3:16-28; Acts 27:27-44; Mark 14:12-26
Solomon’s wisdom is illustrated through his solution to the problem of the two women, one of whose child is dead. Absent other witnesses, Solomon has to decide which of the two women is lying. He chooses a dramatic solution to the problem, one that he believes will expose the truth. Could anyone be so hard-hearted that they could allow a child to be killed to settle a dispute? The mother of the dead baby is clearly dealing with grief and envy and so is willing to go forward with Solomon’s solution and it doesn’t seem far-fetched to believe that her pain could be so deep that it could only be assuaged by having another share it. Solomon’s wisdom, the answer to prayer, begins to be shown and the people hold him in awe.
Judas is willing to betray Jesus into the hands of the leaders because his frustration with Jesus is so high, He won’t do and be what he wants Him to. Has Judas lost faith? Is he angry that he believed and Jesus has disappointed him? Is he trying to force Jesus’ hand, to step into what Judas believes about Messiah? Jesus has just spoken about his death when Judas goes to betray Him, and everyone knew Messiah didn’t die because He lives forever. Jesus knows who it is who will betray Him but won’t tell the disciples. The end is drawing nigh but could any of them have believed it? Judas is taking matters into his own hands to bring about what he believes and how wrong he will be and how right, but he will not see the finale in the flesh.
Wisdom is listening to God and acting accordingly. Paul sees the ship being let down and realizes the soldiers are going to try and save themselves. He pronounces that the only way to be saved is to stay on board ship together. In the midst of the tempest and with danger all around after two weeks in the maelstrom, Paul breaks bread and encourages all to eat a meal. What a strange thing to do and yet it was the right thing to do, trusting God rather than the efforts they had made over those two weeks that had availed nothing. Finally, they determine to run aground but don’t make the beach. By now, the centurion knows something and rather than do the thing that would be allowable, killing the prisoners to keep them from escape, he gets all to shore. Have all 276 of these people begun to believe that Paul’s God is in charge of these events?
Round each habitation hovering,
see the cloud and fire appear
for a glory and a covering,
showing that the Lord is near.
Thus they march, their pillar leading,
light by night, and shade by day;
daily on the manna feeding
which he gives them when they pray.
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