The Un-Series: Week 3 Day 4

Exodus 34:16(ESV)

16 and you take of their daughters for your sons, and their daughters whore after their gods and make your sons whore after their gods.

1 Kings 11:1-8(ESV)

Now King Solomon loved many foreign women, along with the daughter of Pharaoh: Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite women, 2 from the nations concerning which the Lord had said to the people of Israel, “You shall not enter into marriage with them, neither shall they with you, for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods.” Solomon clung to these in love. 3 He had 700 wives, who were princesses, and 300 concubines. And his wives turned away his heart. 4 For when Solomon was old his wives turned away his heart after other gods, and his heart was not wholly true to the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father. 5 For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. 6 So Solomon did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and did not wholly follow the Lord, as David his father had done. 7 Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, and for Molech the abomination of the Ammonites, on the mountain east of Jerusalem. 8 And so he did for all his foreign wives, who made offerings and sacrificed to their gods…

King Solomon had more wealth, wisdom, and fame than any other king. Today we learn that he also had a total of 1000 wives and concubines.  These women were from various nations outside of Israel and Solomon’s marital choices were in complete violation of God’s commands.

Exodus 34:16 warns the people of God what will happen if they marry people who worship foreign gods. 1 Kings 11:2 echoes God’s words concerning marriage:

“from the nations concerning which the Lord had said to the people of Israel, “You shall not enter into marriage with them, neither shall they with you, for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods.” 

God warned His people that their hearts would begin to turn away from Him and towards the gods of the nations they had married into; Solomon was no exception.  

As time passed, Solomon’s life of humility and dependence on God shifted, instead, to the sinful ways of the world.  His heart was led astray and fleshlike desires replaced his love and devotion to God, one unfaithful step at a time.

Like Solomon, each of us has temptations and desires that threaten our relationship with God. When we allow ourselves to live in disobedience to God’s commands, it opens a door to things that will pull us away from the heart of God.