But King Solomon loved many foreign women… 1 Kings 11:1a.
Was reading this chapter early this morning and this opening sentence stuck in my mind… But King Solomon loved many foreign women…
The footnotes in my Bible makes it clear that in those times in the East, nations made treaties and sealed them with bonds of marriage. It was common for a king to marry across from the neighbouring countries though God prohibited it.
In my thinking, these marriages were more about political maneuvers than affections of the heart; but here again is Solomon. 🙄
The text goes on to elaborate where these foreign women came from:-
Pharaoh’s daughter- an Egyptian
Ammonites
Moabites
Edomites
Sidonians
Hittites
And all in plural, and all in complete disobedience to the express command of God.
Why?
Because they would turn his heart after their gods…
But what did Solomon do? The wisest man who ever lived? Did he find wisdom in the warning and command of God?
Nope.
Verse 2b… Solomon clung to these in love.
He did not merely like them.
He did not merely enjoy conversing with them and hanging out with them.
He did not tolerate them either…
Solomon was completely taken in by them. The whole lot of them!
He clung to them in love!
While the marriages in themselves were wrong, I would point to this, his heart’s bond that was at the root of all that comes.
Thinking about this sent me to another story in Jeremiah 42-44.
It’s a long story but I’ll bring out the highlights…
For context, a few chapters before Jerusalem had fallen(Just as Jeremiah had prophesied) and the majority of the nation had been taken captive to Babylon. And now the remnants were facing a threat and considering going to Egypt.
It is at this point that Jeremiah brings a word from God warning against going to Egypt. But they adamantly refuse.
Jeremiah 42:22 Now therefore know for a certainty that you shall die by the sword, by famine and by pestilence in the place where you desire to go live…
Once again as the story unravels, the inclination of their hearts become clear. They’re stubborn in their idolatry.
Against explicit warning they pack up and go.They could not be “arranged” (Hawapangwingwi😅)
Now chapter 44 has them deeply ingrained in the life of Egypt and sacrificing to Egyptian gods religiously, and fervently!
Jeremiah once again sounds the warning bells…
Do they listen? You’re guess is as good as mine … Nope
In fact they tell him blatantly to his face, and note this was an assembly of men and women… “We will not listen to you” (verse16b) “We will do everything that we have vowed, make offerings to the queen of heaven and pour out drink offerings to her…)
These were not people who had not seen disaster and destruction, they were not people who had enjoyed great prosperity but people hiding away in a foreign land because of the terror and destruction that had come to them precisely because of what they were vowing to do.
And they stuck to it with all their heart…
And he clung to them in love…
We will do everything that we have vowed…
And the women tell him, we are doing this in full knowledge and approval of our husbands! (Verse 19)
Is there anything more shocking?
If you go back to 1 Kings 11:9, the text makes it clear that God had appeared to Solomon twice.
Twice!
Sometimes I think that if maybe I had but a glimpse of God, or saw His miraculous work or heard His voice even but once I would be a believer 100% and I would live in perfect obedience. We all do, in one sense or another; whether we say it explicitly or not. We reckon we don’t know enough or we haven’t seen enough to be utterly convinced…
We suppose that if maybe we were blessed beyond measure or had it so good in life or were always happy we’d walk before God in eternal Bliss.
But here is Solomon. The wisest man ever! Two divine encounters, wealth and benefits beyond description…
Here is Solomon, for all that; clinging to death.
Here are the remnants, clinging to the idols of Egypt
And here I am judging them.
But where do I stand?
When reading stories of Old Testament folks and their follies, the inclination is always to stand apart from them and judge them. And sometimes we judge and embrace them as the tale unfolds so that we’d like to be Solomon all wise and not Solomon clinging to foreign women in love.
But one thing is clear, we; like them draw our ancestry from the same pool and have hearts just like theirs. This is the story of the Bible. That the inclinations of the hearts of men are ever towards evil.
It is a hard inconvenient truth that I am as flawed as that man or as stubborn as the Israelites for often I do what I want, not always what is right…
It scares me what idols my heart in the silence of my person conjures up.
It scares me so what evil lies peacefully in my heart only because mercy restrains me.
If the conditions were perfect, I fear I am as vile as the next man… Or worse.
And the more light I shine within the more I find reason to be terrified of my heart.
Look at Solomon. What was the price for his affections? God raised up fellows to torment him and tore the nation from his hand leaving only a remnant tribe for his son to rule in Jerusalem.
Did he regret his actions and change his ways? Nope.
The affections of his heart for these women was a bond too strong.
That terrifies me.
It should terrify you.
Much more though, it should cause us to reflect…
The world prescribes cures that do not work for no reform that doesn’t change the heart can help..
The religions of the world give a list of dos and dont’s but there’s no help there either
If the heart is not changed, your lot will not change. Your heart I assure you like the Ring in The Lord of the Rings will betray you.
A trusting in Christ for Salvation is the soul’s only hope.
For those outside of Christ your lot is terrible. Your enemy lies at your bosom and your heart will drive you to ruin, to death and to destruction. And you’ll go there gladly for it is what you love and enjoy.
What madness is this for a man to plunge deep into the abyss and not care for the utter darkness that awaits?
What madness is this that blinds so much that disaster is your pursuit?
Oh that God’s word would shine a light into your soul and cause you to stir, and cause you to reflect and cause you to cry out; SAVE ME!
For those who have trusted in Christ, this is a moment for gratitude, for Thanksgiving that He has changed your heart and given you an affection for the gold. But it should guard you as well from cheaply esteeming so great a salvation.
Oh that this day while we have breath and life we would pray for a changed heart
For our problem is a matter of the heart and the affections within.
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