Scripture Nugget 6.13.2017
Scripture Read 1 Kings 10-13
Nugget 1 Kings 11:1-10
“King 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 Israelites, ‘You shall not enter into marriage with them, neither shall they with you; for they will surely incline your heart to follow their gods’; Solomon clung to these in love. Among his wives were seven hundred princesses and three hundred 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 true to the LORD his God, as was the heart of his father David. For Solomon followed Astarte the goddess of the Sidonians, and Milcom the abominations of the Ammonites. So Solomon did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, and did not completely follow the LORD, as his father David had done. Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, and for Molech the abomination of the Ammonites, on the mountain east of Jerusalem. He did the same for all his foreign wives, who offered incense and sacrificed to their gods. Then the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned away from the LORD, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice, and had commanded him concerning this matter, that he should not follow other gods; but he did not observe what the LORD commanded.”
Devotional Thought: God is very clear in His command and the reason: ‘You shall not enter into marriage with them, neither shall they with you; for they will surely incline your heart to follow their gods’. Let’s not judge Solomon but our selves. What are the things God tells us not to do so we will not incline our hearts to other gods. What are the gods in my/your/our lives that draw our attention away from God? What is the sin that separates from God? It is no surprise God gets mad at Solomon, it should not be a surprise that God can also get angry with us. Who do you hang out with? Who and what do they ask you to worship? Anything, anyone other than God is the wrong answer? Don’t let friends, family, news, or social media influence who you worship and how you live. Holiness is defined by God, not outside influencers.