May 23rd | 1 Kings 11
It's A Slow Fade
Casting Crowns has a song entitled “Slow Fade.” The chorus says,
It's a slow fade
When you give yourself away
It's a slow fade
When black and white have turned to grey
And thoughts invade, choices made
A price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day
It's a slow fade
Sin often seeps into our hearts slowly, and it isn’t until much later that we see the effects of that sin and how far it has taken us away from God. I believe this is the case with King Solomon.
What a sad picture. Solomon started off so strong, yet in the end, he faltered, and his sins divided the nation of Israel and began their descent into destruction. What was Solomon’s problem? He loved women more than God. Solomon had 700 wives and concubines. The number of wives isn’t what is condemned (although I believe polygamy is condemned in the Scriptures), but rather where the wives are from.
1 Kings 11:1-3, “1 Now King Solomon loved many foreign women, along with the daughter of Pharaoh: Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite women, 2 from the nations concerning which the Lord had said to the people of Israel, “You shall not enter into marriage with them, neither shall they with you, for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods.”
Solomon clung to these in love.”
Not only did Solomon go against God’s direct command, but he CLUNG to those wives in love. The love reserved for God, he gave away to these women. And inevitably, his wives swayed him to build idols to false gods and defame God’s name in Israel. It is a slow fade. He didn’t acquire 700 wives overnight! No, year after year, a little piece of his heart was pulled away from God and towards these women until he did the unthinkable, forsaking God for idols.
You might not struggle with having 700 wives today (I certainly hope not!), but what is turning your heart from God?
- A travel ball team pulls you from church to worship winning instead of God?
- Friends who pull you away to worship acceptance by the group and a “good time”?
- A job that pulls you away from family and church so you can worship money?
There are a lot of things in this world that are pulling us away. If we aren’t diligent and careful, slowly but surely, they will ultimately pull us so far from God that we will make a devastating mistake like Solomon.
However, if you do make a mistake, take heart. God punished Solomon, but he kept a remnant for himself that he would save. Years later, Christ would come to redeem and save us and the people of Israel from their sins. Christ has done this for you, so fight sin and worship God alone. Do not be pulled away slowly; passionately pursue Christ every day!
