Thursday, July 24, 2014

Solomon Disobeyed God's Word (1 Kings 11:1-8)


1/24/2011 5:30:23 AM

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY

 

My Worship Time                                                      Focus:  Solomon disobeyed God’s Word

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                 Reference:  1Kings 11:1-8

 

            Message of the verses:  “1 ¶  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 sons of Israel, "You shall not associate with them, nor shall they associate with you, for they will surely turn your heart away after their gods." Solomon held fast to these in love. 3  He had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines, and his wives turned his heart away. 4  For when Solomon was old, his wives turned his heart away after other gods; and his heart was not wholly devoted to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father had been. 5  For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians and after Milcom the detestable idol of the Ammonites. 6  Solomon did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, and did not follow the LORD fully, as David his father had done. 7  Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the detestable idol of Moab, on the mountain which is east of Jerusalem, and for Molech the detestable idol of the sons of Ammon. 8  Thus also he did for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods.”

 

            “Did not Solomon king of Israel sin regarding these things? Yet among the many nations there was no king like him, and he was loved by his God, and God made him king over all Israel; nevertheless the foreign women caused even him to sin.”  (Neh. 13:26).

            This verse and verse two in today’s verses tell what happened to Solomon, and this part of his life is a very sad commentary.  I must point out one thing here that does speak to my heart, and that is that God did use Solomon to write the book of Ecclesiastes which tells of his downfall because of his foreign wives and in the end of that book Solomon does realize that the answer was to fear the Lord only, and worship Him.

            This SD begins a new chapter in Dr. Wiersbe’s commentary on 1Kings, and 2 Chronicles, and it, to me, is a very sad section for in it the downfall of Solomon is seen, and it all started by him disobeying the Word of the Lord.  Dr. Wiersbe writes in his commentary on this section the following which describes what happened to Solomon, “First he was friendly with the world (James 4:4), then spotted by the world (James 1:27), and then he came to love the world (1John 2:15-17), and be conformed to the world (Romans 12:2).  Unfortunately, the result of this decline can lead to being condemned with the world and losing everything (1Cor. 11:32).  That’s what happened to Lot (Gen. 13:10; 14:11-12; 19:1ff), and it can happen to believers today.”

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  The message, or at least the one I want to take from this section is to finish strong, for even if my life counted for the Lord when I was younger, and even if I had won some stars for my crown then if I stop living for the Lord now that I am older and do not finish strong then it is all for nothing, for like Lot I too will lose everything.  Willard Stull is a great example for me as he is still ministering at age 93, and is surely finishing strong.

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:

 

1.      Finish the race strong.

2.      Give myself to the Lord for worship and service.

3.      Trust the Lord to work out some of the problems that I am facing at word for His honor and glory.

4.      Continue to learn contentment.

 

1/24/2011 6:04:24 AM

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