1 Kings 3:16-28Contemporary English Version (CEV)
Solomon Makes a Difficult Decision
16 One day two women[a] came to King Solomon, 17 and one of them said:
Your Majesty, this woman and I live in the same house. Not long ago my baby was born at home, 18 and three days later her baby was born. Nobody else was there with us.
19 One night while we were all asleep, she rolled over on her baby, and he died. 20 Then while I was still asleep, she got up and took my son out of my bed. She put him in her bed, then she put her dead baby next to me.
21 In the morning when I got up to feed my son, I saw that he was dead. But when I looked at him in the light, I knew he wasn’t my son.
22 “No!” the other woman shouted. “He was your son. My baby is alive!”
“The dead baby is yours,” the first woman yelled. “Mine is alive!”
They argued back and forth in front of Solomon, 23 until finally he said, “Both of you say this live baby is yours. 24 Someone bring me a sword.”
A sword was brought, and Solomon ordered, 25 “Cut the baby in half! That way each of you can have part of him.”
26 “Please don’t kill my son,” the baby’s mother screamed. “Your Majesty, I love him very much, but give him to her. Just don’t kill him.”
The other woman shouted, “Go ahead and cut him in half. Then neither of us will have the baby.”
27 Solomon said, “Don’t kill the baby.” Then he pointed to the first woman, “She is his real mother. Give the baby to her.”
28 Everyone in Israel was amazed when they heard how Solomon had made his decision. They realized that God had given him wisdom to judge fairly.
John 6:37-39
All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day.
John 10:25-30
Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in My Father’s name, they bear witness of Me. But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you. My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. I and My Father are one.”
Philippians 2:12-13
Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.
Work out your own salvation” (Phil. 2:12) does not suggest, “Work for your own salvation.” To begin with, Paul is writing to people who are already “saints” (Phil. 1:1), which means they have trusted Christ and have been set apart for Him. The verb “work out” carries the meaning of “work to full completion,” such as working out a problem in mathematics. In Paul’s day it was also used for “working a mine,” that is, getting out of the mine all the valuable ore possible; or “working a field” so as to get the greatest harvest possible. The purpose God wants us to achieve is Christlikeness, “to be conformed to the image of His Son” (Rom. 8:29). There are problems in life, but God will help us to “work them out.” Our lives have tremendous potential, like a mine or a field, and He wants to help us fulfill that potential.
~Warren wiersbe
work out: The Greek term speaks of the present deliverance of the Philippians. The word translated work out is used by the first century author Strabo to speak of digging silver out of silver mines. Thus, salvation can be compared to a huge gift that needs to be unwrapped for one’s thorough enjoyment. Note that Paul is encouraging the Philippians to develop and work out their salvation, but not to work for their salvation.
~
Nelson’s new illustrated Bible commentary
| work | κατεργάζεσθε | katergazesthe | 2716 | to work out |
2716 katergázomai (from 2596 /katá, "down, exactly according to," intensifying 2038 /ergázomai, "work, accomplish") – literally, "work down to the end-point," i.e. to an exact, definite conclusion (note the prefix, 2596 /katá); bring to decisive finality (end-conclusion).
To solve or calculate
To develop in detail, elaborate
To study fully (rare)
To understand fully
To loosen or come out little by little
To turn out in the end
To reach a final (satisfactory) result
(of an athlete, etc) to train, exercise (work'out noun)
To effect by continued labour
To expiate, to discharge (a debt or obligation) with one's labour (old)
To make by cutting, digging, etc (obsolete)
To exhaust (a mine)
For a moment pause and let your thought wonder.
How did Solomon knew who is the real mother?
Because only the real mother will step out to stop the killing of her son.
Why would the sheep wants to follow Jesus?
Because only the sheep hears His voice.
Have we work out our salvation?
Have we work it out?
That it is the Lord who is behind it all these while?
No man who merely skims the Book of God can profit from it; we must dig and mine until we obtain the hid treasure. ~Charles Spurgeon
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