However
- Jerry Witham
- Jan 25, 2010
- Media Links
- Subscribe
King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women along with the daughter of Pharaoh: Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite women, from the nations concerning which the Lord had said to the songs 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. 1 Kings 11.1-2 (NIV)
King Solomon was a successful king, full of God-given wisdom, very powerful, wealthy, and ever growing in prestige. When you read about him everything looks great, but this word however puts an abrupt halt to such thinking, opening our eyes to the reality of Solomon’s life. The however opens us up to the dark side of Solomon’s life. We learn that he was married to 700 women and that he had 300 concubines (11.3). Not only that, but he had married women who were of the nations surrounding Israel. God had commanded him and the Israelites for years to not associate with such due to the gods they worshiped. As Solomon held fast to these in love his heart turned away from the Lord (11.2, 3). His heart was not wholly devoted to the Lord his God (11.4). We also learn that not only was Solomon given over to sensual living and chasing after the goddess Ashtoreth, but that he also went after Milcom the detestable idol of the Ammonites (11.5). This is the god that child sacrifices would be made to, which translates to our day as abortion.
Today we still see these gods and goddesses worshiped in our culture. As in Solomon’s day they were accepted and in many cases today as well. The big question for us is will we be swept away by the culture and give into the however? I was reminded by a friend of mine this week of the words of St. Augustine in his writing, Confessions. He speaks of the world cheering us on and saying, well done, when we live the way we want to. When we flex our rights and privileges to do what we want or do what feels good the world claps in agreement. When we choose to love the cheers and agreement of the world we are abandoning God to pursue the lowest things of God’s creation. That is what Solomon did. It is what we are tempted with daily.
Will we give into the temptation? I pray that we would not turn to the howevers. Instead I pray that we would trust the Lord, obey His Word, die to the flesh and the pursuit of the fornications of this world. As Asaph’s heart confesses, Whom have I in heaven but You? And besides You, I desire nothing on earth. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever (Psalm 73.25-26), I pray our heart would as well. May God be our highest prize and greatest treasure. When He is, the howevers’ lure grows weak and uninviting, but when we lose Him as our greatest all-satisfying joy we eat of the forbidden fruit. I am praying for you that we would hold fast to God, our great exceeding joy instead of the howevers of this world.
