Drawn Away

When Solomon dedicated the first temple in Jerusalem, he prayed, "May the Lord our God be with us as he was with our ancestors; may he never leave us or abandon us. May he give us the desire to do his will in everything and to obey all the commands, decrees, and regulations that he gave our ancestors" (1 Kings 8:57-58).

That sounded great. But there was just one problem. Solomon was not doing that himself. Before the temple was built, the people would offer their sacrifices to God on pagan altars. Solomon did this, too, all the while saying that he loved the Lord. Solomon was married to an Egyptian who worshipped false gods, so he worshipped false gods as well.

Did Solomon cause her to worship the true and living God? No. But she persuaded him to worship at pagan altars. That is why the Bible warns us, "Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness?" (2 Corinthians 6:14).

That is what happened to Solomon. One thing led to another, and things went from bad to worse. Solomon started a collection: he had 700 wives and 300 concubines. Not only was this wrong morally, but it caused him to turn to other gods these women worshipped.

Maybe as a Christian you are attracted to some of the things the Bible has told you to steer clear of. You are like a moth drawn to the light. Learn the lesson of Solomon, who did it all and reaped the consequences. Don’t go that way.