1 Kings 11;1-11 (KJV)
But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites;
Of the nations concerning which the Lord said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon cleaved unto these in love.
And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart.
For it came to pass, when Soloman was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father.
For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.
And Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord, and went not fully after the Lord, as did David his father.
Then did Solomon build a high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon.
And likewise did he for all his strange wives, which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods.
And the Lord was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the Lord God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice,
And commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods: but he kept not that which the Lord commanded.
Wherefore the Lord said unto Solomon, Forasmuch as this is done of thee, and thou has not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant.
As I prepared today's encouragement, a question asked by a young lady on facebook came to mind: If a man of certain power or fame has a beautiful, intelligent, accomplished wife by his side who is faithful, why would he cheat on her?
That question has probably been answered by a number of individuals, who more than likely have listed a number of very valid reasons; along with some good opinion, observations, and passionate rebuttal. But, I would reach out a little further and answer that it is because that man's heart TURNED AWAY from God. Today, we have to see, whether male or female, that if our heart is not about pleasing God: 100%, then any and everything we chase after will bring us that much closer to the harsh judgement of God. Yes, there will be a judgement pronounced over you.
So, look at Solomon. This great man of God, son of David: a man that has been acknowledged as having a heart after God's. Solomon, the richest man in the world, the wisest man in the world. These are just a few of the credits we give to Solomon, but it is plain fact that the credit is belonging, solely to God. Why? Because, if you study all of Solomon's accomplishments, you will see that all he did was follow behind the command or statute of God. Hey, if following the greatest mind is all it takes to be considered 'wisest', 'richest', and 'most powerful', then I will not step out from behind at no time. Not for no one; no man or no woman..... "I bet" LOL
Let's look at a very critical point, within the text, which I would say is pretty much Solomon's place of "turn away", and quite possibly the same, exact place for most men and women when they attain a level of power or fame. Verse 2; 'Solomon cleaved unto these in love'. Now, if you remember God is a jealous God, and he desires that we not give our love to none other god. That is, after all the very first commandment. Deuteronomy 5;7, Thou shalt have none other gods before me. This is where most of us slip up. We allow our hearts to be "turned away" after other gods. As we can see, also, Solomon probably got worn down (over the years) by these many women in his life too. Verse 4 indicates that it was 'when Solomon was old' that his wives turned away his heart. Remember Samson? Remember how Delilah got to the secret of his strength? Oh, you: especially you men, should go read that (Judges 16;4-22). Delilah got to the secret by annoying Samson, which occurred because Samson allowed for his heart to be "after" Philistine women. That which you do not lend credence to will not inconvience you.
Which brings me back to the question that the young lady posed to the facebook community. Why? Why would a man, or woman for that fact, allow for these types of indiscretions to happen when they would seem to have all any one person would need or desire? Answer: It is their heart. As the title indicates; the heart wants what the heart wants..... And, that is a lie. For, that widely pronounced little annecdote should be rephrased to exclaim: the flesh wants what the flesh wants. Because, it is actually that miscreant which bellies up to our heart and begs for a "little more of that which you let me have last time". Which is where the lie habitates. For the flesh has no remembrance of what it had before. If it did, it could run to that remembrance and sit still awhile. But, with no memory, this flesh must employ all of its tactics to gain satisfaction again, and whats even more mind-blowing is that the next satisfaction will have to be even greater than the last. Do you see how Solomon did himself in now? The same way these people of certain fame or wealth, or both, will do themselves in when 'turning away'. Allowing the flesh to have its way.
In closing, I would say that this day's encouragement isn't meant to bring an answer, or relief for anyone. It is meant to draw the curtains, so that you can see your way to moving toward that which God has for you, through your willing submission to Christ Jesus (John 14;6-7). To turn away from God, just to chase behind some false idol, weak copy, or faulty teaching is devistating to your heart. For your heart desires to serve God. Your heart knows that it was created by God; to give praise and honor to God, as is the truth of your body entire. I know this might make you giggle, or make the internal statement 'Brova has finally fallen down and bumped his head', but I ask you this question: Away from the presence, commandments, or conversations you have with God, what has your life been like? No, serious, reflect on it a bit. How much peace do you rest in? How much joy, real life joy, do you have? How much fear lays within you? These question, when you are dwelling with God; daily and following his commandments and statutes, will make you giggle or look at the asker like, "You must not know Jesus!" HAHAHAHAHAHAHA
I desire that you, just like I, have a joy everlasting, a peace that surpasses all understanding, and a hope that never fails. This is all secured when you stop that turning away from God, and begin to turn back. So, to really answer that young lady's question on facebook: He doesn't fully know Christ Jesus. Forgive him, for he knows not what he do.
Holla,
Yer Brova Catalyst
No comments:
Post a Comment