City Life Starter

I. The Word:

“Now King of Solomon 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 people of Israel, “You shall not enter into marriage with them, neither shall they with you, for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods.  He had 700 wives, who were princesses, and 300 concubines.  And his wives turned away his heart.  For when Solomon was old his wives turned away his heart after other gods, and his heart was not wholly true to the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father.” 1 Kings 11:1-4

II. Study Questions

1. Who was Solomon?  What were his accomplishments as a king of Israel?

2. What was Solomon’s moral failure?

3. How do relationships influence our walk as a Christian?

Introduction

King Solomon reigned as a king of Israel for forty years (971-931).  His path to the throne was a shaky one. His mother Bathsheba and the prophet Nathan played a crucial role in the appointment of Solomon as king after David.  Solomon had many significant accomplishments, such as advancing the diplomatic and economic prosperity of Israel, his contribution to the Book of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes and the list goes on, but the most notable achievement was building the First Temple.  Solomon encountered God in Gibeon once he became a king, where God appeared and said, “Ask! What shall I give you?” (1 Kings 3:5) Though he could have asked for health, wealth or power, Solomon understood the weight of a king and leading God’s people, so he asked for the ability to do so: “Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil.  For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?” (1 Kings 3:9) Bible tells us that Solomon pleased God and he was granted this request.

What happened?

The text we read today is contrary to all of his accomplishments and right things He did before God.  Something went seriously wrong with the Solomon we learn in previous chapters (1 Kings 1-10).  Whatever Solomon had accomplished previously would be forgotten due to his moral failure.  He would do the unthinkable by intermarrying with foreign women who served idols and turn the heart of Solomon away from God.

Additionally, what is troubling about this story is in verse 7-8:

“Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, on the hill that is east of Jerusalem, and for Molech the abomination of the people of Ammon.  And he did likewise for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods.”

What is perplexed about this story has to do with the geographical proximity between Jerusalem, where the Temple of God that Solomon built was and the high places of foreign gods where Solomon allowed and built for his wives to sacrifice to their idols.  You could have easily made eye contact from one to the other, and walk from one place to the other within 10 minutes.  Molech worship even involved the human sacrifice of children.  It would be unfathomable to think that the Temple of God, where the Spirit of the Lord dwells, where the Israelites came to worship the One True God, could look onto the opposite hill where innocent children were being sacrificed.  All this was done under the rule of King Solomon.

Relationship matters

In 1 Corinthians 15:33, “Do not be deceived: Evil company ruins good morals.”  This is what I believe and learned throughout the years as a Christian: No one is godly enough, strong enough, and wise enough to withstand the corruption of sin that wages war against our soul.  If you surround yourself with a company of immoral, unrighteous, and sinful people, while neglecting those who committed themselves to God and His kingdom, it is just matter of time that the person becomes another casualty of moral failure and distancing themselves away from God.  Today’s text teaches us about how one man’s moral failure led to catastrophic results in the history of Israel.  I wonder if Solomon thought that he would not be influenced by the wives and concubines who served idols.  Maybe he believed in a possibility to convert these women to serve the One True God, the God of Israel.  You can read about what came after Solomon, how his actions led to divided kingdoms, destruction, and exile.  It all started with unhealthy relationships.  Who are your friends?  JY