Solomon and the Investigative Judgment
When Solomon went to Gibeon to sacrifice (I Kings 3:4) Israel, as a nation, was concerned about the wisdom and the ability of Solomon to lead a nation. Like all people of the earth Israel wanted a king that could judge them and care for them (I Samuel 8:19-20). Israel did not know if Solomon would be a petted, but ineffective, son of David or if he would have real merit to lead a nation and protect them from the nations that surrounded them. So Israel studied the movements of Solomon and observed all that he did.
When Solomon came to Gibeon he prayed for wisdom and God came especially to him to answer his prayer. God asked Solomon what he wanted most and Solomon told Him that he wanted. Solomon told God that he wanted a wise and understanding heart that he could judge God’s people Israel (I Kings 3:5-10). The request pleased God and God gave Solomon what he requested and He gave Solomon even more than he requested; God gave Solomon riches and honour like no other king like Solomon all the days of Solomon’s life (I Kings 3:12-13). God also told him that if he would walk in God’s ways and keep His commandments He would also give Solomon a long life.
When Solomon came back from Gibeon, no one could tell that anything had changed in Solomon’s life. He looked the same but God had changed him internally. God had added His blessing to Solomon and also gave him an opportunity to reveal the gifts of God to the nation of Israel.
Some time after his return from Gibeon Solomon was requested by two ladies to solve a very difficult problem. Both women were harlots and they both had male children that were still nursing. One lady’s child was just three days old when the other harlot, who also had a male child, rolled over on the child in the night and suffocated the child. At midnight the lady took her dead child and replaced the first ladies living child with the dead one. When presenting this case before King Solomon both women contended for the living child. And both women denied harming the child and both claimed to be the mother of the living child. Since King Solomon, nor any other man, was in the house to know for certain all they could do is receive the testimony of two harlots and make a decision.
After reciting the facts Solomon came to a conclusion: Solomon decided to call for a sword and would bring the investigative judgment to a close. Solomon proposed to cut the living child in two and give part to each harlot. But the real mother protested and asked the King to give the living child to the other harlot but to bring no harm on the child. The other mother thought it good to divide the living child to that neither woman would get an advantage. When Solomon heard the response of the real mother he discerned that the lady who protested harm to the child was the real mother and he decreed that the living child would be given to the real mother.
When the nation of Israel heard the story they were smitten with fear and respect for they became aware that God had blessed Solomon with wisdom and they knew that he would be able to judge Israel. They concluded that Solomon would be a good king due to his wisdom and ability to judge.
Before we leave this story lets us look just a little bit more at this story for according to the Bible all of these stories were written for our benefit upon whom the ends of the world have come. (I Corinthians 10:11; I Peter 1:10-12). The primary benefit is that Jesus is revealed in all things in the Bible for the Bible was written by Him and for Him and us. Jesus is the Word of God. (John 1:1-3). I Peter 1:10-12 indicates that all of the Bible stories contains the gospel including this story about Solomon.
In this story of Solomon investigating the complaints of the two harlots, and then passing judgment on them, is the story of the gospel – the good news about God and His ability to judge us. God has revealed to us that Jesus is even wiser than Solomon and when He judges He judges righteously. In the story we have just related Solomon is a type of Jesus for He is the Judge of the whole earth (Genesis 18:25). The two harlots are competing churches with different standards of life but both are in fact harlots, and are harlots because they have worshipped other Gods than Jesus. But in this Investigative Judgment the harlotry is not addressed other than to state a fact of the women’s behavior. It is this writer’s opinion that the two harlots brought before Jesus, in the last days just before the second coming, are the final two competing churches the Roman Catholic Church, and the Seventh Day Adventist Church – Babylon and God’s Remnant Church. The issue of struggle between these two churches is what to do with the living child – a symbol of the gospel. One church tries to steal the gospel from the other but in the Investigative Judgement the King asks for the Sword of the Spirit – the Word of God (Ephesians 6:17) to get to the bottom of the argument. The King proposes to divide the gospel in two and give to both churches equally. The True Church protests and asks that no harm come to the child/gospel but that it may live to accomplish its purposes on earth. The false church, the mother of harlots, is satisfied to have the gospel/child killed that the Remnant church will not have an advantage. When all have seen the perfidy of the church of Babylon they recognize that she is a false church because of how she addresses the gospel and Jesus gives the Remnant church full control and care of the gospel to be shed to all the world.
When the world can see that there is one gospel, through One King, and one church, they then can make a final decision and the hearts of those called of God will be softened by the testimony of this Investigative Judgment and they will be able to fear God and Worship Him and keep His commandments by the faith of Jesus. Thus it is proven by the Investigative Judgment that the ways of God are the only ways to follow by faith.