Harlots, Churches and the Living son
Solomon: Jesus, wisdom, power, glory
Harlot with living son: true Church
Harlot with dead son: false Church
1 Kings 3
We pick up in verse 9 after which Solomon has a dream where God tells him to ask him for something, of which Solomon asks for wisdom…
9 Give thy servant therefore an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and evil; for who is able to judge this thy great people?
10 And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing.
11 And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life, neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies, but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern justice;
12 behold, I have done according to thy word: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there hath been none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee.
13 And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches and honor, so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee, all thy days.
14 And if thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as thy father David did walk, then I will lengthen thy days.
15 And Solomon awoke;
and, behold, it was a dream: and he came to
Good thing Solomon asked for wisdom as he will need it to rightly decide on the following case:
16 Then there came two women that were harlots, unto the king, and stood before him.
Why two harlots? Even though one stands for the true Church and one the false Church, like the sheep and goats, or the wheat and the tares, it is like the woman caught in adultery. Jesus saves her. We are no longer in the age of law and it is clear we are guilty and in desperate need of a Savior. Like the woman who approaches Jesus and wipes his feet with her tears – so is the true Church…
17 And the one woman said, Oh, my lord, I and this woman dwell in one house; and I was delivered of a child with her in the house.
One house is a clue that this is the Church. There are only two harlots and one dwelling place – the Church.
18 And it came to pass the third day after 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.
Third day is another clue this is the Church – no stranger, just the two Harlots.
19 And this woman's child died in the night, because she lay upon it.
…”this woman’s child die because she lay on it…” this is symbolic for legalism. Why? Remember Jesus told the Pharisees that they heap up requirements on the people, that they themselves did now keep… By putting the weight, i.e. the support of the people and heaping the laws and themselves upon the people, they crush them to death – like this child. As the woman in heaven bears the man-child that is “caught up” to heaven, the Church born through Christ, is to bear a son. The false Church has crushed her offspring, the true Church has not, but the false Church does not stop there. She wants the “living son”.
20 And she arose at midnight, and took my son from beside me, while thy handmaid slept, and laid it in her bosom, and laid her dead child in my bosom.
Midnight stealing like a false rapture, i.e. the ten virgins parable. The Harlot attempts to steal the “living son”.
21 And when I rose in the morning to give my child suck, behold, it was dead; but when I had looked at it in the morning, behold, it was not my son, whom I did bear.
22 And 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.
The argument…now it calls for wisdom…
23 Then 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.
24 And the king said, Fetch me a sword. And they brought a sword before the king.
Sword standing for Jesus’ power and authority. Remember in Revelation it is a two-edged sword coming from his mouth that destroys. The word of God is a sword.
25 And the king said, Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other.
A moment of time and fear of death from the true mother. So it is we stand trial, not knowing the outcome until the time Jesus issues forth his word.
26 Then spake the woman whose the living child was unto the king, for her heart yearned over her son, and she said, Oh, my lord, give her the living child, and in no wise slay it. But the other said, It shall be neither mine nor thine; divide it.
27 Then the king answered and said, Give her the living child, and in no wise slay it: she is the mother thereof.
28 And all
Solomon standing for Jesus in the prophetic Archetype has supreme wisdom like no other. So it is we can trust in Jesus and his justice.
For more Archetypes like this one go to www.tony4yhwh.com
Blessings,
Tony