This chapter describes many other works of Solomon in building up Israel and its fortifications, plus some details about his people management.
“Solomon brought Pharaoh’s daughter up from the city of David to the house that he had built for her, for he said, ‘My wife shall not live in the house of David king of Israel, for the places to which the ark of the Lord has come are holy.’ ” (v11)
Solomon did not want his wife, an Egyptian princess, to live in a holy/sanctified place. This would indicate that Pharaoh’s daughter was not a believer in God, and Solomon knew it was not right to bring her into a holy place, so he built a house for her outside of Jerusalem.
This marriage is the first of many poor choices Solomon makes concerning women. He ultimately gives into his wives’ ways and their gods. Perhaps he thought he could convert them, or perhaps he thought he could control them, but he eventually compromises.
I encourage us to consider Solomon’s choices as a warning when we choose our sources of influence. Solomon surrounded himself with ungodly women who negatively affected his relationship with God. Who do we surround ourselves with? What are our primary sources of influence? To what sources do we subscribe? What news feeds or cultural information do we read/watch?
I suggest we perform regular audits of our sources of influence. We can start with the largest draws of our time, energy and money. Perhaps work is a large part of your life – do you have any Christ-honoring influences there? Perhaps you spend time at home – what God honoring practices are there? If you spend a great deal of time with friends (virtually at this point?) – are some of them Christ followers?
As we identify our sources of influence, then we can seek to make small changes over time. I would not suggest changing everything all at once. Perhaps starting small with something like changing out a weekly movie with one of good morals, or switching a gossip magazine subscription for a Christ-centered one is a good first step.
The more God-honoring influences we can build into our lives, the better equipped we will be to withstand temptations when we go into the world and speak to those who do not yet know Jesus. The stronger we are in our faith, the less likely we are to waiver and give in to other influences.
Father God, our High and Mighty Lord, we praise and glorify Your name. Thank you for blessing us with wisdom and discernment through Your Spirit, so we may make wise choices. Thank you for helping us choose God-honoring sources of influence in our lives. Thank you for providing brothers and sisters in Christ who can walk this journey with us, holding us accountable to our relationship with You. May we rely on You and Your teachings exclusively, and then share that good news with those around us. Please guard our hearts against temptation, and deliver us from the evil one, in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, amen.
~ Conqueror in Training