“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.” (v.4)
After all
the praise, admiration, and grandeur of the first ten chapters, today's reading
begins with Solomon breaking a solemn command of God (vv.1-2). By explicitly
disobeying God's commands about taking wives from the surrounding pagan regions
(Deut.7:3-4), a slow change begins to occur in Solomon’s heart - it was no
longer wholly devoted to the LORD and was turned “after other gods.”
This did
not happen overnight but rather his singular love for God was slowly replaced
with other loves. A heart once devoted to the Lord had become a divided heart.
Solomon's failure to heed God's explicit commands not only resulted in this
divided heart but, eventually, a divided kingdom (vv. 10-11).
The
difference between David and Solomon was not that one was holier that the
other, for they both were sinners, it was the status of the heart. David’s
heart was always toward the LORD but, Solomon’s heart turned after others gods.
Today's
passage reminds us that when an earthly love replaces our love for God, and we
find ourselves “clinging” to other things for our full satisfaction, we need
change our priorities.
The Truth
“And you
shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your
soul, with all your mind, and
with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment.” (Mark 12:30)
