Scripture Reading: 1 Kings 11:1-8
“But King Solomon loved many foreign women…from the nations of whom the LORD had said to the children of Israel, ‘You shall not intermarry with them, nor they with you. Surely they will turn away your hearts after their gods.’ Solomon clung to these in love. And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines; and his wives turned away his heart.”—1 Kings 11:1-3
As a reward for his selfless desire to have an understanding heart to rule Israel effectively, God made Solomon the wisest man in the history of the world (1 Kings 3:12). In addition, God granted Solomon riches and honor, all which Solomon seemed to have managed without losing himself to the abundance he was given.
Still, Solomon made unwise choices. Seven hundred wives and three hundred concubines is an astronomically unmanageable number of mates for any person. These foreigners came with their own portfolio of gods, luring Solomon into appeasing his mates by embracing worship of their various gods. As God foretold, it wasn’t the foreign gods who led Solomon into idolatry; it was the people closest to him, his many foreign mates, who became a snare to Solomon’s faithfulness to God.
That the wisest man in history could make such a disastrous choice and fall prey to such a crippling situation is a lesson for us all. No one is invincible, no one is beyond reproach, no one is without weakness. Somewhere along the way, the irrefutably wise Solomon failed to apply his divinely appointed wisdom to be discerning of his environment. As is often the case, the temptation to evil is seldom a direct route, it is a slow, winding path through appeasement, accommodation and inclusion of corrupt influences around us.
Solomon allowed himself to be surrounded by far too many wrong influences that changed his heart from seeking God to seeking to appease his innumerable mates. Like Solomon, we can grant the world around us the latitude to slowly chip away at our fundamental beliefs and commitment to do the right thing. Who we allow in our circle of association matter. They can impact our homes, family, work environment, relationships, and ultimately, our peace and our faith.
Just as eagles don’t fly with buzzards, people of God should be cautious of close association with people whose presence is designed to detract us from our faith. Perhaps that is Solomon’s greatest gift and legacy—teaching us by his own example to guard who we allow to influence what we believe and who we worship.
Lesson to Remember: Be careful who you allow in your life. The wrong people = the wrong influences = the wrong behavior.
“Do not be deceived: ‘Evil company corrupts good habits.’ Awake to righteousness, and do not sin; for some do not have the knowledge of God…”—1 Corinthians 15:33-34
