I Kings 3:1
“Solomon made an alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt and married his daughter. He brought her to the City of David until he finished building his palace and the temple of the Lord, and the wall around Jerusalem.”
While Solomon was the wisest one, he did some foolish things. Marrying many wives was one. I know this was common among kings. Even his father had multiple wives. We will come across this verse later in I Kings 11:4, “For when Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and he was not whole heartedly devoted to the LORD his God, as his father David had been.”
The Word of God warned them against this. Deuteronomy 17:17 says, “He must not take many wives for himself, lest his heart go astray. He must not accumulate for himself large amounts of silver and gold.” That’s why we are to conform our lives to the bible. It gives us a guide for life.
Making alliances with other nations may be wise, we are never to do something that compromises with God’s word. Solomon must have known this. He was one of the most powerful persons on earth. That has to have an effect on him. He feared God to a degree, but not whole heartedly as said above.
Are we following God whole heartedly? That’s a tough question. Partly because we all have blindspots. Which means we have parts of our lives that we are unaware of. Proverbs 20:5 says, “The intentions of a man’s heart are deep waters, but a man of understanding draws them out.” Some have this kind of wisdom. This doesn’t mean those of us without those gifts are out of luck. Psalm 119:99 says, “I have more insight than all my teachers, for Your testimonies are my meditation.” As we follow Christ and are in His Word, He gives us such understanding.
I used to feel much guilt about wondering if I were following God whole heartedly. The devil had much success with me. I would think, “If I love mountain biking, then how can I love God completely?” Then I learned about God’s grace. He wants me to enjoy life. There was an older gentleman I went to church with who saw this legalism in me. He would encourage me to not be so hard on myself. He was right.
Charles Finney has a tract which encouraged readers to scour our memories for sin, then to go back and repent. I did this. However, I don’t think God was in this. I have learned that God brings up issues He wants weeded out in His time. This was a big discovery. The phrase tectonic shift comes to mind. This was the magnitude of this lesson. It divides the ones who know God and those that are legalistic. This was the work of the Holy Spirit. Only God can do this. Knowledge of the grace of God is necessary. This isn’t book learning. Only the kind God can impart. Much gratitude wells up as this is reflected upon. I was once enslave, but now am free.
Knowing God allows us to relax in Him. There is no rest for the legalist. The old fable of the wind vs the sun comes to mind. They were disputing who could get the man to remove his coat. The sun through its warmth succeeded. So also, the Holy Spirit allows us to relax. It’s divine.
God wants to do this work in us all. No one is special. However, not all get there. Hebrews 5:14 comes to mind, “But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained their senses to distinguish good from evil.” When in Christ, we all start with the milk of the Word. But we have to progress to solid food. Not all do that. They are christians, but not mature. I pause here and give thanks to God for giving grace to press on to maturity.
God’s will assists us to navigate a path we would never travel. Proverbs 3:5,6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge and He will direct your path.” As we live life we come across decisions which provide multiple choices. As we walk with Christ, He guides us.
This entry is on the topic of having a heart after God. Solomon sabotaged his faith with multiple wives. As we are in the bible, He guides us in the process of sanctification. It’s a blessing that He guides us in. If we feel compulsion or guilt, that’s not Him. Maturity doesn’t happen over night. It takes time. We don’t force our children to mature. God guides us with grace and favor. Walk in His love and be patient.