Going Against God: The Beginning of The End
King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women besides Pharaoh's daughter -- Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians and Hittites. They were from nations about which the LORD had told the Israelites, "You must not intermarry with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after other gods." Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love. He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines, and his wives led him astray.
As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father had been. He followed Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molek the detestable god of the Ammonites.
So Solomon did evil in the eyes of the LORD; he did not follow the LORD completely, as David his father had done. I Kings 11:1-6.
As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father had been. He followed Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molek the detestable god of the Ammonites.
So Solomon did evil in the eyes of the LORD; he did not follow the LORD completely, as David his father had done. I Kings 11:1-6.
Solomon was extremely wise and wealthy but there was one vital area in which he did not exercise wisdom: his pursuit of women! God enriched Solomon with wealth and wisdom; but Solomon decided to "enrich" himself with the one thing God had forbidden him from touching: foreign women. Solomon built a magnificent temple laden with golden decorations for God and sacrificed countless numbers of sheep and goats but in the end his heart was not fully devoted to God. That was the beginning of the end for him!
So how was this downward spiral started? It is as clear as day: "King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women . . . They were from nations about which the LORD had told the Israelites, "You must not intermarry with them, because they will turn your hearts after other gods." Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love. He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines, and his wives led him astray."
Think about this: The God who created you and me is passionately committed to our well-being. He blesses without adding sorrows. The blessings will only invite sorrows when we attach things forbidden by God to those blessings. This has been the tragedy of humans since creation. God blessed Adam and Eve with every conceivable blessing in the Garden of Eden. There was absolutely no sorrow attached. Sorrow and curses and death were invited when Adam and Eve decided to "enrich" themselves with the one thing God had forbidden them not to touch: the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. That was the beginning of the end for all humanity.
It is interesting that Solomon's wives gained control over him and turned his heart away from God as he began to grow old. This means that his heart was devoted to God for a long time in spite of the possible efforts by his many wives to turn him away from God. But he finally lost.
You see: God's word is true. When we start dabbling in things forbidden by God, we might still stand for a while -- even years -- but it is only a matter of time before we fall completely away from God. Going against God's word is always the beginning of the end, no matter how strong we think we are. Scrupulous obedience to God provides a solid ground that guarantees our continuous standing. Nibbling away at God's word with various excuses undercuts the very foundation upon which we stand.
Question: Is there anything that is potentially turning your heart away from God? Run away from it because it will definitely derail you and bring disaster. The evidence in Scripture and in life, to that effect, is simply overwhelming.
So how was this downward spiral started? It is as clear as day: "King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women . . . They were from nations about which the LORD had told the Israelites, "You must not intermarry with them, because they will turn your hearts after other gods." Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love. He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines, and his wives led him astray."
Think about this: The God who created you and me is passionately committed to our well-being. He blesses without adding sorrows. The blessings will only invite sorrows when we attach things forbidden by God to those blessings. This has been the tragedy of humans since creation. God blessed Adam and Eve with every conceivable blessing in the Garden of Eden. There was absolutely no sorrow attached. Sorrow and curses and death were invited when Adam and Eve decided to "enrich" themselves with the one thing God had forbidden them not to touch: the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. That was the beginning of the end for all humanity.
It is interesting that Solomon's wives gained control over him and turned his heart away from God as he began to grow old. This means that his heart was devoted to God for a long time in spite of the possible efforts by his many wives to turn him away from God. But he finally lost.
You see: God's word is true. When we start dabbling in things forbidden by God, we might still stand for a while -- even years -- but it is only a matter of time before we fall completely away from God. Going against God's word is always the beginning of the end, no matter how strong we think we are. Scrupulous obedience to God provides a solid ground that guarantees our continuous standing. Nibbling away at God's word with various excuses undercuts the very foundation upon which we stand.
Question: Is there anything that is potentially turning your heart away from God? Run away from it because it will definitely derail you and bring disaster. The evidence in Scripture and in life, to that effect, is simply overwhelming.
Prayer: Lord, please search my heart and see if there is any wicked way in me. Help me to quickly turn away from it so that I will stand and not fall. Amen.