Getting Too Close

Read 1 Kings 9:1–11:43

1. King Solomon loved many foreign women. Besides Pharaoh’s daughter, he married women from Moab, Ammon, Edom, Sidon, and from among the Hittites.
2. 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.
3. He had 700 wives of royal birth and 300 concubines. And in fact, they did turn his heart away from the Lord.
4. In Solomon’s old age, they turned his heart to worship other gods instead of being completely faithful to the Lord his God, as his father, David, had been.
5. Solomon worshiped Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molech, the detestable god of the Ammonites.
6. In this way, Solomon did what was evil in the Lord’s sight; he refused to follow the Lord completely, as his father, David, had done. 1 Kings 11:1-6

Dagwood is always making a sandwich or taking a nap. Blondie is always hoping he will do something more productive—like fixing the sink. We laugh at the comic strip because it mirrors life. And we know that two people coming to marriage from two different directions can lead to bumps and even collisions.

This passage tells of Solomon’s greatness and his downfall. His greatness was asking God to be with him and the people and to bless them. Solomon’s downfall involves a domestic problem—marriage doesn’t work for him at all. As you read, determine to emulate Solomon’s good decisions and to avoid the ones that led to disaster. You will also find cautions about indulging in luxuries and about flirting with false gods.

Solomon had hundreds of wives. Most of these he married for political reasons, but eventually, they exerted significant influence on Solomon and changed him. Unfortunately, most of Solomon’s wives worshiped idols, and this put tremendous pressure on Solomon to do the same. Faced with such pressure, at first he resisted it, maintaining his own purity of faith while tolerating his wives’ private preferences. Then Solomon tolerated a more widespread practice of idolatry throughout Israel. Finally, he involved himself in idolatrous worship, rationalizing away the potential dangers to himself and to the kingdom. Solomon could handle great pressures in running the government, but he could not handle the pressure from his wives (1 Kings 11:4).

In marriage and in close friendships, it is difficult to resist pressure to compromise. Our love leads us to identify with the desires of those we care about. Because of this strong desire to please our loved ones, God tells his people not to marry those who do not share a commitment to him. Build your closest relationships with those who share your faith and values.