A Heart after Women and Other gods.
On a hill east of Jerusalem, Solomon built a place for Chemosh the detestable god of Moab, and for Molek the detestable god of the Ammonites. He did the same for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and offered sacrifices to their gods.
The LORD became angry with Solomon because his heart had turned away from the LORD, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice. Although He had forbidden Solomon to follow other gods, Solomon did not keep the LORD's command.
So the LORD said to Solomon, "Since this is your attitude and you have not kept my covenant and my decrees, which I commanded you, I will most certainly tear the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your subordinates.
Nevertheless, for the sake of David your father, I will not do it during your lifetime. I will tear it out of the hand of your son. Yet I will not tear the whole kingdom from him, but will give him one tribe for the sake of David my servant and for the sake of Jerusalem, which I have chosen." I Kings 11:7-13
The LORD became angry with Solomon because his heart had turned away from the LORD, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice. Although He had forbidden Solomon to follow other gods, Solomon did not keep the LORD's command.
So the LORD said to Solomon, "Since this is your attitude and you have not kept my covenant and my decrees, which I commanded you, I will most certainly tear the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your subordinates.
Nevertheless, for the sake of David your father, I will not do it during your lifetime. I will tear it out of the hand of your son. Yet I will not tear the whole kingdom from him, but will give him one tribe for the sake of David my servant and for the sake of Jerusalem, which I have chosen." I Kings 11:7-13
As I reflected over this passage of Scripture, I came to one conclusion: David, Solomon's father, was a man after God's own heart, and David's son, Solomon, was a man after women and other gods. When God confronted David with his sins, he was repentant and remorseful and asked God not to cast him away from His presence. But when Solomon was confronted with his sin of holding fast to foreign wives and serving other gods, he was recalcitrant. He did not repent. He went on to build places of worship for the gods of his foreign wives and most likely participated in worshiping with them since his heart had turned away from God.
The lessons from Solomon's life are numerous:
First: David seemed to have no control over his sons. Both Absalom and Adonijah lived in rebellion and brought harm, confusion and disrespect into David's household. Similarly, Solomon had household issues because he seemed to have lost "control" over his many foreign wives who succeeded in turning his heart away from the very God who had blessed him with wealth, wisdom and honor. He honored his wives over the Almighty God.
A basic requirement for leading God's people is that we must direct our households well. Failure to do this diligently, affects God's Kingdom agenda very negatively. It gives room for the Enemy to attack and destroy.
Second: The most important thing we can give to God is not a "Temple of Gold" but a "Heart of Gold." God is not as impressed with "Golden Temples," as He is with "Golden Hearts" that live in obedience to Him. Never allow what you give to God materially to replace "what you are to God" by way of obedience. God looks at the heart, not at the outside.
Third: An attitude of repentance is a big thing with God. David had a heart of repentance, but Solomon had a heart of disobedience. David followed God wholeheartedly but Solomon's heart was eventually turned away from God and did not repent when God confronted him about it.
How we finish our Christian journey is determined to a large extent by how repentant we are when we sin. When we sin, we must own up and repent. A repentant person finishes well. A defiant person never finishes well. Solomon did not finish well. His unrepentant attitude eventually led to a divided and decimated nation. Unrepentance leads to a decimated life!
The lessons from Solomon's life are numerous:
First: David seemed to have no control over his sons. Both Absalom and Adonijah lived in rebellion and brought harm, confusion and disrespect into David's household. Similarly, Solomon had household issues because he seemed to have lost "control" over his many foreign wives who succeeded in turning his heart away from the very God who had blessed him with wealth, wisdom and honor. He honored his wives over the Almighty God.
A basic requirement for leading God's people is that we must direct our households well. Failure to do this diligently, affects God's Kingdom agenda very negatively. It gives room for the Enemy to attack and destroy.
Second: The most important thing we can give to God is not a "Temple of Gold" but a "Heart of Gold." God is not as impressed with "Golden Temples," as He is with "Golden Hearts" that live in obedience to Him. Never allow what you give to God materially to replace "what you are to God" by way of obedience. God looks at the heart, not at the outside.
Third: An attitude of repentance is a big thing with God. David had a heart of repentance, but Solomon had a heart of disobedience. David followed God wholeheartedly but Solomon's heart was eventually turned away from God and did not repent when God confronted him about it.
How we finish our Christian journey is determined to a large extent by how repentant we are when we sin. When we sin, we must own up and repent. A repentant person finishes well. A defiant person never finishes well. Solomon did not finish well. His unrepentant attitude eventually led to a divided and decimated nation. Unrepentance leads to a decimated life!
Prayer: Father, please help me to continually live in genuine repentance so that I will honor you and finish well. Amen.