Saturday,  June 28th
Reading for today:  2 Chronicles 9,   1 Kings 10-11

The Queen of Sheba visits Solomon.   This account was recorded after Solomon's death apparently, since it says "nothing like it has ever been seen since..." in several places.   I am thinking that this account doesn't do much to add to the narrative of Solomon's life, but it underscores just how wealthy and popular he was.   It also might explain how items indigenous to one area ended up in others.   Solomon's wealth, along with relative peace on all sides made for a robust trading environment.

Sadly, the story of Solomon's life doesn't end on a high note.   Chapter 11 tells us that Solomon, even with all his wisdom, intermarried with royal women from other countries.   I am sure they were educated and beautiful, and that marrying them in some way helped keep good relations with all the countries around Israel.   The problem is that Solomon wasn't allowed to marry women outside of Israel.    His disobedience in this one area spells the beginning of the unraveling of Israels supremacy.     It sticks in my mind also that receiving horses or chariots from other countries was warned against....but I don't remember the reference right now.    In any case, Solomon knew better, but did it anyway.   Some would question his wisdom for behaving in such a way.  It is interesting that the wisest man to ever live would make such a rookie mistake.   But isn't that the exact mistake that many men in ministry make?   How many great leaders and statesmen have been toppled because they failed in this one area?    I can count dozens from just the last few years.

Perhaps the lust for relationships outside the confines of marriage is a more powerful temptation than we realize.   And maybe since it's so effective, satan uses it most often.   In football, if a play is working, however simple, you keep running it to help you move the ball.   By this time in human history we should be aware and prepared against sins of this nature.   And yet they still overtake us as if this is the first time we've ever encountered them.

We need to break this cycle of falling back into the same sins again and again.

PR