October 17, 2023
Now Solomon loved many foreign women ... who turned his heart away ... Now the Lord was angry with Solomon because his heart was turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice, and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods; but he did not observe what the Lord had commanded. (1 Kings 11:1-2, 9-10)
You would think that Solomon had learned. He watched his father, David, make a fatal mistake with unguarded affections and misplaced love. And now, this son, wiser than anyone who had ever lived, comes in his old age and “loved many foreign women.”
A DIVIDED HEART
The operative word in this tragic travelogue is “loved.” Solomon’s affections were turned away from the Lord ... the One who had blessed him with riches and a kingdom ... who had endowed him with unsurpassable wisdom. The Sovereign who had come and warned him not to go down the road of moral impurity.
But he loved something more greatly than he loved the One who had given him everything. And this divided loyalty, this misplaced love, was his downfall. The whole nation was plunged into disunity, chaos, and war because of one man’s misplaced affection. The history of Israel in the next generations became ugly and it all began with this fatal step.
MY HEART
What do I love more than I love Christ? Regardless of what He says and how He warns, what love am I unwilling to forsake? It is a recipe for disaster, not only for me but those around me and it could have ramifications for years.
The first and greatest commandment is to “love the Lord your God will ALL your heart, mind, soul, and strength.” All. Not only will this focused affection yield the best fruit and highest satisfaction, but it will also save us from the disasters of a worldly turn.
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