The Case of the Switched Baby
A blank check from God, a room full of beetles, and my new ramen hack
Hello! Hope you’re well. Here’s the latest:
The One About Solomon
Yesterday saw the release of “The Answer and the Sage,” Episode 3 of Holy Ghost Stories Season 6. It tells the story of Solomon’s request for wisdom and his famous verdict on the case of the infant fought over by two women. Iconic moments and I loved being able to give them the Holy Ghost Stories treatment.
BITS AND BOBS
Solomon wasn’t supposed to be his name? - When David and Bathsheba have a son together, David names the child Solomon. After this, Yahweh appears to Nathan and assigns the boy a different name: Jedidiah (2 Sam 12:25). The child, though, continues to be called Solomon. Why didn’t “Jedidiah” stick? In short, we don’t know. Some posit that Jedidiah was simply an expression of Yahweh’s love for the boy (“Jedidiah” means “Beloved of Ja/Yahweh”) and wasn’t intended as an official throne name. Others say that the family’s choice to neglect Yahweh’s chosen name is evidence of simmering disobedience. Personally, I’m torn. You’ll notice in this episode, though, that I go with “Solomon,” since it’s the name the Bible uses when it tells his story.
The blank check - I grew up being fascinated by Yahweh’s offer for Solomon to ask for whatever he wanted. It was like a real-life version of Alladin, but with just one wish. I’d always thought, though, that Solomon had asked for a miraculous level of wisdom. And though this is what God gives to him, it’s not what he asked for. These are his exact words: “Give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong.” Nothing miraculous about that. Instead, it’s Yahweh who chooses to grant an amplified version of Solomon’s request: “I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be.” It gives new dimension to another passage that’s always intrigued me: “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you” (James 1:5). There aren’t many things presented as guaranteed “yeses” in the realm of prayer. Surely we’re fools if we’re not praying regularly for wisdom, right?
Lady Wisdom - I loved taking the opportunity to personify Wisdom in the first scene of this episode. My decision to do so was very much inspired by two passages: Proverbs 8 and Job 28. Here are some pieces from those chapters you’ll hear echoed in that scene:
Job 28
20 Where then does wisdom come from?
Where does understanding dwell?
21 It is hidden from the eyes of every living thing,
concealed even from the birds in the sky.
22 Destruction and Death say,
“Only a rumor of it has reached our ears.”
23 God understands the way to it
and he alone knows where it dwells
Proverbs 8
1 Does not wisdom call out?
Does not understanding raise her voice?
2 At the highest point along the way,
where the paths meet, she takes her stand;
3 beside the gate leading into the city,
at the entrance, she cries aloud:
6 “Listen, for I have trustworthy things to say;
I open my lips to speak what is right.14Counsel and sound judgment are mine;
I have insight, I have power.
15 By me kings reign
and rulers issue decrees that are just;
17 I love those who love me,
and those who seek me find me.
18 With me are riches and honor,
enduring wealth and prosperity.
I also portray Wisdom’s memory of creation, drawing from this part of Proverbs 8:
22 “The Lord brought me forth as the first of his works,
before his deeds of old;
23 I was formed long ages ago,
at the very beginning, when the world came to be.
24 When there were no watery depths, I was given birth,
when there were no springs overflowing with water;
25 before the mountains were settled in place,
before the hills, I was given birth,
26 before he made the world or its fields
or any of the dust of the earth.
27 I was there when he set the heavens in place,
when he marked out the horizon on the face of the deep,
28 when he established the clouds above
and fixed securely the fountains of the deep,
29 when he gave the sea its boundary
so the waters would not overstep his command,
and when he marked out the foundations of the earth.
30 Then I was constantly at his side.
I was filled with delight day after day,
rejoicing always in his presence,
31 rejoicing in his whole world
and delighting in mankind.
The Enormous Sacrifice - In the procession toward Gibeon, I’ve taken the liberty to depict many of the animals authorized for sacrifice in Leviticus. Among them, turtledoves (Lev 1:14, CSB). I describe these birds as “tortoise shell winged”—have you seen a picture of them? They’re gorgeous.
The Flashbacks - We’ve achieved a Holy Ghost Stories first in this episode: it’s the only time in three-and-a-half years that we’ve seen David or heard him speak. The reason I’ve stayed away from David’s story entirely is simple: I’m saving it. More on that soon enough. :) In the midst of the dream scene, I mention how Solomon must have felt the “shelter and chill” of David’s shadow—I can only imagine that following David must’ve been a deeply layered experience. I hope Solomon felt the fullness of what 1 Samuel 12:24 makes clear: “Yahweh loved him.”
The Baby Trial - Long the fodder of wide-eyed VBS attendees’ imaginations, Solomon’s “Bring me a sword” ruling is quite the epic moment. To me, the whole scene is made more poiignant when I remember the dead infant present throughout the trial. Were the women shoving its poor body back and forth at one another as they argued? The whole scene breaks my heart.
Song of Solomon (not that one) - Psalm 72’s superscript seems to attribute it to Solomon, and most scholars agree that Solomon likely wrote the psalm early in his reign as a prayer for the years to come. I loved being able to flash back to him scribbling these words, completely unaware that those two women would one day walk into his throne room:
1 Endow the king with your justice, O God,
the royal son with your righteousness.
2 May he judge your people in righteousness,
your afflicted ones with justice.
4 May he defend the afflicted among the people
and save the children of the needy
He’s The Answer - You probably know that the first term in the title of any Holy Ghost Stories episode refers to Yahweh. In this one, we call Him “The Answer.” Why this word? He extravagantly answers Solomon’s request for wisdom, sure—but more than that, He is the answer. The closer Solomon draws to Yahweh, the more justly he’ll be able to rule, the more he’ll have everything he needs, the safer he’ll be. Over the years, I’ve asked God for many things. What I’ve needed most every time, though, is Him.
Progress - I couldn’t help but see a potential connection between the way Solomon treated these prostitutes with justice, dignity, and grace…and the way Solomon’s mother was treated by David in one of David’s darkest moments. (He knew the story, surely, right?) Though Solomon eventually creates a vast harem (not a shining example of the righteous treatment of women), this throneroom scene seems to be a moment, at least, of generational progress.
Seeing the Story - This story has long been a muse for visual artists. I think this fresco on the ceiling of a church in Styria, Austria by an unknown painter in the 1600s might be my favorite. Solomon’s looking a little rough, but I like how clearly this painting conveys the chaos of the moment.
ENJOY
I hope “The Answer and the Sage” blesses you! If so, leave a rating/review in your app of choice. They’re always much appreciated. And if you’ve already listened, I’d love to hear your impressions—just reply to this email.
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Exquisite Creatures
If you’re not familiar with Christopher Marley’s work, let’s remedy that. I had the chance to see his “Exquisite Creatures” exhibit at Crystal Bridges Museum this week and it brought me to tears.
Marley’s work is essentially taxidermy, but wow is it so much more. Here’s an example:
Everything you see there is an actual insect, painstakingly preserved, beautifully displayed, and entirely unenhanced.
And this is one piece of scores of pieces. Beetles, butterflies, fish, dragonflies, snakes, crustaceans, chameleons, turtles, orchids, birds, lizards—the exhibit goes on an on. It’s an explosion of specimens arranged in ways that draw wrapt attention to the color, beauty, and absolute magnificence of creation.
Marley’s been collecting for years, of course, sourcing specimens by way of his own expeditions as well as developing a network of contacts at zoos and nature preserves the world.
You can check out his Instagram for professional photos (and you should), but even those images fail to evoke what we felt standing in the midst of Yahweh’s creative work. We often bemoan the difficulty of knowing intimately a God who is famously invisible and relentlessly mysterious, but this was an incredible glimpse into His mind and heart. It was a tour of His workshop. It was flipping through His journal. It was opening a book as He passed it across the table and said, “I wrote this, and it means a lot to me.”
“Since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.”
Romans 1:20
We left feeling very close to Him.
I don’t think Marley is a believer, but I found this part of his artist statement fascinating:
“When my museum exhibition Biophilia debuted at the Houston Museum of Natural Sciences in 2019, a visitor wrote to describe how her persistent depression had finally begun to resolve through repeated visits and quiet time spent there. I was, of course, thrilled to hear it but as the exhibit continued its tour, I was astonished to hear the essence of her story repeated hundreds of times. The details differed but an unmistakable theme began to emerge; something was happening to patrons of the exhibit that I could not account for.
Reports of severely autistic children being unusually expressive while visiting, notes from people who had experiences they described as life-changing, comments about clouds of depression parting for the first time in weeks or months, and reports of people brought to tears were posted or received almost daily.
Since the exhibit was initially created as merely a place where people could rejoice in the beauty of nature's elements and in human creativity not only mine but in their own as well), these reactions were surprising. Something was going on that was beyond my original intentions and I needed to understand it.”
I feel like Jesus would respond, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.”
So that’s my PSA. Check out Marley’s work and just get outside and touch grass. There’s someone waiting for you to see Him.
2 Cool Things
Milky Way Photographer of the Year - I love how these photgraphs enable us to see more than our eyes can see. The world is amazing. Here are two of my favorites from the winners:
Ramen Elevated - I have many ways of kicking the humble ramen package up a notch, but here’s my latest. It’s super easy: boil the noodles for 2:30 (not 3:00 as the instructions say), add the seasoning packet and then two tablespoons of low sodium soy sauce, a healthy drizzle of sesame oil, and some sriracha. Tastes like the best $1.38 you’ve ever spent.
That’s the latest! I hope “The Answer and the Sage” blesses you. As always, I love hearing your feedback.
Gratefully,
Justin