1 Kings 11:1-8 “Undermining Devotion to God”
“Now King Solomon loved many foreign women along with the daughter of Pharaoh: Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite women,…” (1) God warned Israel not to associate with these neighbors. Why? “…’for they will surely turn your heart away after their gods.’ Solomon held fast to these in love.” (2c, d). Turning away from God did not occur suddenly, but over a period of time as Solomon’s attachment to foreign women caused him to build altars and detestable idols to the gods of those nations stealing away his whole hearted devotion to God. Consequently, “Solomon did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, and did not follow the LORD fully, as David his father had done.” (6). We will see later the consequences of this failure, but at this point we must learn from the example of Solomon’s grievous error. First, what or who we attach ourselves to has a subtle deteriorating effect on our devotion to God. Second, anything short of whole hearted devotion to God is unacceptable.
