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Friday, June 2, 2017

Marriage and Romance. NOT gods.

King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba whatever she asked for, besides all the customary gifts he had so generously given. Then she and all her attendants returned to their own land. (1 Kings 10:13 NLT)

Solomon certainly knew his way around the ladies.  Not only did he marry the Pharaoh’s daughter, but he wrote the only book of romantic love we find in the Bible.  Solomon understood all the intricacies of marriage and romance.

Now King Solomon loved many foreign women. Besides Pharaoh's daughter, he married women from Moab, Ammon, Edom, Sidon, and from among the Hittites...He had 700 wives of royal birth and 300 concubines. (1 Kings 11:1, 3a NLT)

Solomon didn’t just marry the Pharaoh’s daughter for political reasons.  He married 699 other women of royal birth for the same reason.  In addition to that, the married 300 other women who offered no political gain for him.  Perhaps they offered more “Song of Solomon” to him instead.  Whatever the reason, Solomon ended up with 1,000 wives…against God’s command.

The king must not take many wives for himself, because they will turn his heart away from the LORD. (Deuteronomy 17:17 NLT)

Now King Solomon loved many foreign women. Besides Pharaoh's daughter, he married women from Moab, Ammon, Edom, Sidon, and from among the Hittites. 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. And in fact, they did turn his heart away from the LORD. (1 Kings 11:1-2, 3b NLT)

Solomon was given the very wisdom of The LORD.  Solomon threw it all away for marriage and romance.  Just like his father, David, Solomon let his libido be his god.  He let his lovers be his gods.  He let his wives be his gods.  Then, he started to worship their gods.

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. Solomon worshiped Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molech, the detestable god of the Ammonites. 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. On the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, he even built a pagan shrine for Chemosh, the detestable god of Moab, and another for Molech, the detestable god of the Ammonites. Solomon built such shrines for all his foreign wives to use for burning incense and sacrificing to their gods. (1 Kings 11:4-8 NLT)

How about you?  Do you allow marriage, romance, and your libido become your gods?  Or do you make them all subject to and obedient to The LORD God?

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