May 27, 2013: Catching Up.../ Why Would He Do That???

1 Kings 11:1-13

Amplified Bible (AMP)

11 But King Solomon [defiantly] loved many foreign women—the [a]daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites.

2 They were of the very nations of whom the Lord said to the Israelites, You shall not mingle with them, neither shall they mingle with you, for surely they will turn away your hearts after their gods. Yet Solomon clung to these in love.

3 He had 700 wives, princesses, and 300 concubines, and his wives turned away his heart from God.

4 For when Solomon was old, his wives turned away his heart after other gods, and his heart was not perfect (complete and whole) with the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father.

5 For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom the abominable idol of the Ammonites!

6 Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord, and went not fully after the Lord, as David his father did.

7 Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abominable idol of Moab, on the hill opposite Jerusalem, and for Molech the abominable idol of the Ammonites.

8 And he did so [b]for all of his foreign wives, who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods.

9 And the Lord was angry with Solomon because his heart was turned from the Lord, the God of Israel, Who had appeared to him twice,

10 And had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods, but he did not do what the Lord commanded.

11 Therefore the Lord said to Solomon, Because you are doing this and have not kept My covenant and My statutes, which I have commanded you, I will surely rend the kingdom from you and will give it to your servant!

12 However, in your days I will not do it, for David your father’s sake. But I will rend it out of the hand of your son!

13 However, I will not tear away all the kingdom, but will give one tribe to your son for David My servant’s sake and for the sake of Jerusalem, which I have chosen.

Footnotes:

1. 1 Kings 11:1 “Solomon brought the daughter of Pharaoh out of the City of David into the house he had built for her, for he said, My wife shall not dwell in the house of David king of Israel, because the places are holy to which the ark of the Lord has come” (II Chron. 8:11). God had given Solomon the name “Jedidiah [beloved of the Lord]” (II Sam. 12:25), yet he chose to be the beloved of heathen women instead, in defiance of God’s covenant with him.
2. 1 Kings 11:8 What all this did to Solomon’s sweet fellowship with God is to be seen in Ecclesiastes. Take the sun out of the sky, and all earth’s beauty and fruitfulness will go also. Take God out of your sky, and life’s joys will be turned to dregs, bitterness, and futility. Solomon had deliberately chosen to live “under the sun” instead of under God. In the awareness of his own unquestionable greatness, he had become indifferent to the fact that “here is more than Solomon” (Luke 11:31) and that to scorn or ignore God is fatal. With all his wisdom he failed to recognize that “God will not allow Himself to be sneered at (scorned, disdained, or mocked by mere pretensions or professions or by His precepts being set aside)... For whatever a man sows, that and that only is what he will reap” (Gal. 6:7).

Why, oh why, would He do that??? He was obviously overcome with lust. He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines. Or maybe it was pride.

"The higher you fly, the further you fall." unknown

1 Corinthians 10:12

Amplified Bible (AMP)

12 Therefore let anyone who thinks he stands [who feels sure that he has a steadfast mind and is standing firm], take heed lest he fall [into sin].

Matthew 6:13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Matthew 26:41 Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

Luke 4:13 And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time.

Luke 11:4 and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation.”

Luke 22:40 And when he came to the place, he said to them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.”

1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

1 Timothy 6:9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.

Psalms 26:2 Prove me, O LORD, and try me; test my heart and my mind

Jeremiah 9:7 Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts: “Behold, I will refine them and test them, for what else can I do, because of my people?

Jeremiah 17:10 “I the LORD search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.”

It's hard to imagine the wisest, richest man in the world choosing, on purpose, to go directly against God. Maybe he thought he was untouchable. He had so much favor from God. I guess he thought he gould get away with anything? I'm completely stumped on this one. This just lets me know to be very careful, be very careful.

Proverbs 16:18

Amplified Bible (AMP)

18 Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.

"Dear Jesus, I must stay sooooo close to You that I don't fall into sin. That castaway scripture haunts me a lot.

1 Corinthians 9:27

King James Version (KJV)

27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

I don't want to be a castaway, O God!!! Then there's the one about the chaff. That one pierces me like a knife!!!

Matthew 3:12

King James Version (KJV)

12 Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.

Solomon was an amazing, amazing king. Loved and revered by the world! And You, the God of the universe, even appeared to him twice! Seriously??? I don't want to be that person, O God. Please continue to try me and test me. Please continue to crush and break me. I must be perfected. I love You more than ANYTHING! I MUST be saved. Blessed be Your HOLY name. I must be HOLY, as You are HOLY. AMEN."