January 12, 2024

Author: Pastor David Miner
January 12, 2024

Reading: 1 Kings 11                  Optional Reading: 1 Kings 9, 10, 12
“He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines, and his wives led him astray.”
(1 Kings 11:3 NIV)

When you were growing up did your mother ever say to you, “Birds of feather flock together!” I got that because of the people I hung around. What I learned the hard way is what our text is telling each of us today. Hanging around with the wrong people can lead to disaster.
King Solomon is a perfect example. He liked having beautiful women around him. He enjoyed making them his wives. In those days, it was common for the kings of Israel to practice polygamy. That means marrying more than one woman at a time. Solomon went to such an extreme that he married seven hundred women during his reign.
God warned the kings of Israel not to marry foreign women. He also warned them not to have multiple wives. Solomon disobeyed both laws. Those wives from other countries worshiped idols, but Solomon did not care. He was the wisest man who ever lived, yet he acted stupidly in this matter. Those wives liked worshiping idols. They told Solomon about it. They pestered him. They nagged, “Come, worship Baal.” Or “It is not hard. Try my goddess Ashtoreth.” Solomon was sucked in. He began to worship idols. God was terribly angry. He punished Solomon by taking half his kingdom from his son Rehoboam.
Who you hang with matters. Bad people want to do dreadful things. They will slowly drag you into sin if you are not incredibly careful. Choose your friends wisely. Choose carefully what you read, watch on television, or listen to on the radio. It is a matter of life and death.

Father, help me always to choose good friends to hang out with. Amen.

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