Though many have
emphasised the number of Solomon’s wives, as being the cause of his heart
becoming less than perfect in his old age, this does not appear to be the
emphasis of scripture. The stress of the text highlights the fact that the
women he ‘loved’ were ‘strange’ women. In context with the listing of the
various nations from which God warned Israelites regarding intermarriage, this
must be taken to mean ‘foreign’ women, but more importantly, foreign women
which had not become proselytes to the Hebrew faith! God does not rebuke
Solomon for the many wives and concubines he loved, but for loving and cleaving
to them, to the detriment and loss of his love for God! Evidence would show
that this is just as possible with one wife as with many, or with one sole
possession as easily as with much wealth! Should Solomon not have had as many
wives? As a king, this man was indeed ‘excessive’ in many ways; with his
wealth, his horses and with his wives, yet nowhere do we find God reprimanding
him for any of those things. Should Solomon not have loved his wives? Clearly
both loving and cleaving to one’s wife, or as in this case, wives, is not
against God, but rather encouraged and even commanded by the Lord! The simple
fact and truth we are presented with in these verses, is that Solomon failed
when it came to the comparative love he gave his wives, as against the quality
of love He had and lost for his God! He failed to ensure the conversion of his
foreign wives; then tolerated his foreign wives’ idols; then facilitated their
idolatry by building temples and shrines to them; and lastly ended up himself
influenced by them to enter into their idolatry! This was the cause of the deterioration
of his relationship with God. It was descent by degree, born from the misplaced
consent of his heart. The prime reason this happened, appears to be because he
loved and clave to unconverted women, more so than he loved and clave to God! Could
not this have happened just as easily with loving and cleaving to just one unconverted
wife, and displacing the love he had for God, if a man’s heart was so inclined?
The lesson we learn from his life, in the context of these verses, is that we
must be extremely careful not to yield the love and passion we owe to God, to
anything or anyone else, at any time! Interestingly, this was the very righteous
and godly example, Solomon had seen from his father David, a man who also had
been much blessed of God, allowed a great deal of wealth, position, influence
and a large family with multiple wives. David was the standard of upright and ‘perfect’
heart by whom, the Lord compared and judged Solomon’s heart! Seeking God and
His will, loving and pleasing Him, must take priority, remain first, and be in
importance, above all other people, pursuits or purposes in our lives!
http://www.pentecostalfamilychurch.com.au/devotion
No comments:
Post a Comment