Through the Bible -1 Chronicles 11-13, John 9:24-41
Good morning,
I apologize for missing yesterday. I was travelling and unable to get internet service in my hotel room in the morning.
Moody's "Today in the Word" this month has been doing a study on the "Bad Boys of the Bible". Today's devotional took a look, tragically, at King Solomon.
Solomon had it all going for him, wisdom, knowledge, fame and fortune. Unfortunately, especially the "lust of the eyes" and the "pride of life" turned his heart from the God that had blessed him with all that he had. He even went so far as to build "high places" for the gods of some of his many wives.
Today's verse comes from I Kings 11 describing how far he had fallen.
1 Kings 11:7 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. 8 And he did likewise for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods. NKJV
Here, as in other times of Israel's history, the country had gone down the path of worshipping foreign gods, leaving the one true God.
Verse 7 mentions Chemosh, the god of the Moabites, to whom the sacrifice of children as a burnt offering was customary. Here, and at other times the people had resorted to sacrificing their children to the "fertility gods", going so far as to sacrifice their children for the sake of a better "harvest".
Before we go too far in condemning them, how are we, in this nation "under God" doing the same thing? How many abortions are performed, how many children are being "sacrificed" for convenience or wanting to have more in the bank account when they will be "better prepared" to have a child?
Where did this end up leading the nation of Israel?
1 Kings 11:11 Therefore the Lord said to Solomon, "Because you have done this, and have not kept My covenant and My statutes, which I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom away from you and give it to your servant. 12 Nevertheless I will not do it in your days, for the sake of your father David; I will tear it out of the hand of your son. NKJV
The nation would be torn away from Solomon, but not in his time, but his sons time.
God will only stand by for so long.
It's something to think about when you hear politicians speaking out, and voting for such travesties as partial birth abortions as a matter of "choice".
What we do now, who we vote for, what bills they pass will have an effect on future generations. The responsibilities of freedom are staggering.
We have been blessed with so much. Let us as individuals not be fooled, and led astray as Solomon was. Let us pray that we would have true hearts that will not be lead astray.
In Christ,
Mike
mikevw@bellsouth.net
1 Kings 11:1-14
Solomon's Heart Turns from the Lord
11 But King Solomon loved many foreign women, as well as the daughter of Pharaoh: women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites — 2 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. 3 And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines; and his wives turned away his heart. 4 For it was so, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned his heart after other gods; and his heart was not loyal to the Lord his God, as was the heart of his father David. 5 For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. 6 Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord, and did not fully follow the Lord, as did his father David. 7 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. 8 And he did likewise for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods.
9 So the Lord became angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned from the Lord God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice, 10 and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods; but he did not keep what the Lord had commanded. 11 Therefore the Lord said to Solomon, "Because you have done this, and have not kept My covenant and My statutes, which I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom away from you and give it to your servant. 12 Nevertheless I will not do it in your days, for the sake of your father David; I will tear it out of the hand of your son. 13 However I will not tear away the whole kingdom; I will give one tribe to your son for the sake of My servant David, and for the sake of Jerusalem which I have chosen."
NKJV
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