Focus Chapters:
- 1 Kings 11
- 2 Chronicles 9:29-31
- Ecclesiastes 1:1-11
Standout Verse(s):
1 Kings 11:1-3 NLT
Now King Solomon loved many foreign women. Besides Pharaoh’s daughter, he married women from Moab, Ammon, Edom, Sidon, and from among the Hittites. The Lord had clearly instructed the people of Israel, “You must not marry them, because they will turn your hearts to their gods.” Yet Solomon insisted on loving them anyway. He had 700 wives of royal birth and 300 concubines. And in fact, they did turn his heart away from the Lord.
Observation (s):
- Solomon disobeyed God’s instructions and married foreign women.
Besides Pharaoh’s daughter, he married women from Moab, Ammon, Edom, Sidon, and from among the Hittites. The Lord had clearly instructed the people of Israel, “You must not marry them, because they will turn your hearts to their gods.”
- Solomon’s love of his foreign wives was the root cause behind his heart straying away from the Lord.
Yet Solomon insisted on loving them anyway. He had 700 wives of royal birth and 300 concubines. And in fact, they did turn his heart away from the Lord.
Application:
“Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Did you know that the people you love can become your treasure? Deep love brings with it a deep desire to please, giving the recipient of that love, power that can be easily abused. The people you love have the power to lead you astray. It is, therefore, critical to choose companions who share your fundamental belief systems.
Throughout his youth, Solomon loved and pleased God, yet he made one fundamental mistake. In his wisdom, he understood the importance of marrying to form foreign political allies. However, he disobeyed God’s precise instructions and made room in his life for foreign princesses and their foreign gods. He grew to love these women, giving them the control and room to sway him from his beliefs. In his old age, his love, for these women, turned his heart away from God to them and their gods.
Are you choosing your companions wisely? Do they add or detract from your spiritual life? Don’t be like Solomon whose love for his wives caused him to stray from God.
