Monday, June 27 - Jody

Today's reading from the Chronological OT/NT Reading Plan is  1 Kings 10-11, Acts 8:26-40

Happy Monday Everyone! I cannot believe we are at the end of June already! That's crazy!

Our actions today, affect generations to come. Good or bad. In reading today's passage I was struck by the wealth of King Solomon. It sounds absolutely astounding!

King Solomon was greater in riches and wisdom than all the other kings of the earth. The whole world sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart. (1King 10:23-24)

His wealth was not just material things and wisdom. Unfortunately he also had all the women he wanted. I could not believe it when I read about his wives and concubines! 700 wives of royal birth (not just random women, but women of ROYAL birth!) and then 300 concubines. 1000 women that he was committed to and had children with. And surprise surprise, his wives lead him astray. Afterall, who has the most influence in our lives? Our partners right? King Solomon could choose all the royal advisers he wanted, but with 1000 women around him from different countries worshiping idols, there was bound to be trouble. And God knew it.

They were from nations about which the LORD had told the Israelites, “You must not intermarry with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods.” (1 Kings11:2)

And so, sure enough, over time these 1000 women turned the heart of Solomon towards their idols and note, it doesn't say anywhere that Solomon gave up on God. It doesn't say he turned is back on God and jumped all the way into idol worship, it just says:

 ⁴ As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father had been. ⁵ He followed Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molech^[m] the detestable god of the Ammonites. ⁶ So Solomon did evil in the eyes of the LORD; he did not follow the LORD completely, as David his father had done. (1 King 10:4-6)

He still loved God, just with distractions of trying to please his 1000 wives and dabbling into their worlds to make his life just a little easier to deal with by pleasing them. It can't be that bad, after all, he still loved God and followed him with part of his heart, what's the big deal? How often don't I do this? I dabble in things of this world, because it just makes life so much easier!

So what's that rest of the story here? What's the harm with taking a sidebar of not following the Lord completely? The decisions I make today affect not only me, but the lives and eternity of future generations of my children, grandchildren etc. My committed or divided heart will affect the work of the Holy Spirit in my descendants lives.

¹¹ So the LORD said to Solomon, “Since this is your attitude and you have not kept my covenant and my decrees, which I commanded you, I will most certainly tear the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your subordinates. ¹² Nevertheless, for the sake of David your father, I will not do it during your lifetime. I will tear it out of the hand of your son. (1Kings 11:11-12)

The Lords punishment of Solomon was declared onto the life of his son. Let's think about that. The Lord's punishment of Solomon was declared onto the life of his son. Insert name here...

The punishment of Jody is declared onto the life of her son.

Sobering thoughts. Friends, our divided hearts must be defeated, if not for victory in our own lives here on earth, but for victory in our children's lives. The good thing about this story for me is that the Lord appeared to Solomon twice to turn Solomon away from his idol worship. He is speaking to us, through prayer, through His Word and through wise, Godly council. Listen. Follow. Repent. We can claim victory over our lives and the lives of the generations that follow us.

Tomorrow's passage: Ecclesiastes 1-3, Acts 9:1-22