Dangers of Lust

Recently I have come across many opinions favoring polygamy, where the male perspective uses Bible stories for their reasons. Unfortunately, those stories are false as they lack the crucial parts: reason and the consequence. It's like telling a war story but omitting why it broke out and who won. In this post, I present some of those stories in their full context, along with what godly obedience in this area requires. Old Covenant vs New Covenant All of the stories that reflect polygamy are within the Old Testament, otherwise called the Old Covenant. Jesus Christ was not yet revealed to the world, and atonement for sin required physical sacrifice; the blood of an animal. However, animal blood could not remove sin, and the rituals had to be repeated because sin was repeated. Therefore, people who have not turned their hearts to God (then, and today) are required to follow the law of Moses, but at the same time; they're unable to follow it, because of their sinful nature. They keep falling into sin because their sinful nature is still alive. The times of the Old Testament REPRESENT the "Slavery of Egypt." God did free His people from Egypt in a historical sense, but it has a Spiritual meaning as well. Anyone who still sins still lives in Egypt; it's slavery to Satan. God appointed Moses to lead them out, just to prove the point that they really couldn't leave Egypt because sinful nature was still active, so they kept sinning. God took them from Satan, but Satan was still in their hearts and they did not stand the test of being in the wilderness only with God. It's similar to saying, "You can take your boy out the hood but you can't take the hood out the homie." Until a better and sufficient Sacrifice was made; the Blood of God's Son. Jesus Christ, by dying on the cross and rising up to Life, made way for us to kill the sinful nature once and for all, so the Law of Moses could be fulfilled, obeyed, and without the repetition of sins. This is the New Covenant. Jesus Christ is the only one who can "take the hood out the homie." No one else can do it, because God has only one Son. No other blood is sufficient for heart circumcision. Those who believe and go through Repentance that results in a complete transformation become God's adopted children; Jesus Christ's brothers and sisters, because they receive the Holy Spirit; the Spirit of Jesus Christ. They become a new creation. The rules were clear from the start: Genesis 2:24 "This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into ONE."

• Not three into one, not five into one, but TWO into ONE. One stands for the Union in Marriage, as well as the sexual aspect. This verse also points out the significance of leaving the family behind; so they don't stick their noses into "none of their business," which is always the case; it disturbs the Unity of marriage. It's no coincidence when you hear, "If you marry someone, you also marry their family." It's against God's will.

Exodus 20:14 “You must not commit adultery." Exodus 20:17 “You must not covet your neighbor’s house. You must not covet your neighbor’s wife, male or female servant, ox or donkey, or anything else that belongs to your neighbor.”

1. Men who took more wives and concubines had full responsibility for them. It was only for the wealthy and kings.

2. When a king requested to sleep with a woman he liked; she had no say in the matter. If he liked her enough, she became his wife and took part in the inheritance, but if he didn't like her, she was marked as his concubine and he had to care for her until her death; no matter if their sexual relations continued or not.

3. If a man wanted to obtain land that belonged to a woman; he also had to marry her as part of the deal, or there was no deal. In most cases, the woman was a widow.

4. If a man was required to care or simply wanted to rescue a woman, he also had to marry her, even if there was no sexual relation between them.

5. There was a lot of resentment and rivalry between women who had to share one man. It was not a "go with the flow" at all!

6. Only paid prostitutes were on their own, as they are to this day.

❗Single women who have sexual relations without getting paid or provided for; are worse than prostitutes;

• Ezekiel 16:31-34 "You build your pagan shrines on every street corner and your altars to idols in every square. In fact, you have been worse than a prostitute, so eager for sin that you have not even demanded payment. Yes, you are an adulterous wife who takes in strangers instead of her own husband. Prostitutes charge for their services—but not you! You give gifts to your lovers, bribing them to come and have sex with you. So you are the opposite of other prostitutes. You pay your lovers instead of their paying you!"

This lowest kind in the modern-day is known as a one-night stand, a friend with benefits, or a girlfriend. Women who allow themselves to be in this category get no benefits but only give benefits. What's so prideful about being a girlfriend? Trading your body for a plate of shrimp? How is it not offensive?! The return on that investment is getting used, abused, and cursed by God❗📣 Women, I'm not trying to condemn you; I say this to open your eyes, so you don't condemn yourselves.

❗And a word to "men" who try to imitate the animal kingdom by acting like "lions," and for-profit, tell others to do the same; your evolution is backward as you're reducing yourselves to primal beasts❗📣

• 2 Peter 2:12 "These false teachers are like unthinking animals, creatures of instinct, born to be caught and destroyed. They scoff at things they do not understand, and like animals, they will be destroyed."

Proverbs 13:18-19 "If you ignore criticism, you will end in poverty and disgrace; if you accept correction, you will be honored. It is pleasant to see dreams come true, but fools refuse to turn from evil to attain them." Proverbs 5 Avoid Immoral Women “My son, pay attention to my wisdom; listen carefully to my wise counsel. Then you will show discernment, and your lips will express what you’ve learned. For the lips of an immoral woman are as sweet as honey, and her mouth is smoother than oil. But in the end she is as bitter as poison, as dangerous as a double-edged sword. Her feet go down to death; her steps lead straight to the grave. For she cares nothing about the path to life. She staggers down a crooked trail and doesn’t realize it. So now, my sons, listen to me. Never stray from what I am about to say: Stay away from her! Don’t go near the door of her house! If you do, you will lose your honor and will lose to merciless people all you have achieved. Strangers will consume your wealth, and someone else will enjoy the fruit of your labor. In the end you will groan in anguish when disease consumes your body. You will say, “How I hated discipline! If only I had not ignored all the warnings! Oh, why didn’t I listen to my teachers? Why didn’t I pay attention to my instructors? I have come to the brink of utter ruin, and now I must face public disgrace.” Drink water from your own well—share your love only with your wife. Why spill the water of your springs in the streets, having sex with just anyone? You should reserve it for yourselves. Never share it with strangers. Let your wife be a fountain of blessing for you. Rejoice in the wife of your youth. She is a loving deer, a graceful doe. Let her breasts satisfy you always. May you always be captivated by her love. Why be captivated, my son, by an immoral woman, or fondle the breasts of a promiscuous woman? For the Lord sees clearly what a man does, examining every path he takes. An evil man is held captive by his own sins; they are ropes that catch and hold him. He will die for lack of self-control; he will be lost because of his great foolishness.” 1 Corinthians 6:12-20 "You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is good for you. And even though “I am allowed to do anything,” I must not become a slave to anything. You say, “Food was made for the stomach, and the stomach for food.” (This is true, though someday God will do away with both of them.) But you can’t say that our bodies were made for sexual immorality. They were made for the Lord, and the Lord cares about our bodies. And God will raise us from the dead by his power, just as he raised our Lord from the dead. Don’t you realize that your bodies are actually parts of Christ? Should a man take his body, which is part of Christ, and join it to a prostitute? Never! And don’t you realize that if a man joins himself to a prostitute, he becomes one body with her? For the Scriptures say, “The two are united into one.” But the person who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with him. Run from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body. Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body." Jacob

Jacob had 2 wives and 2 concubines. He was one of a kind because God used him as a symbol to represent the qualities of "Israel;" the people who are chosen by God before and after their repentance. Jacob became a father to 12 sons; through 4 women. It stands as a representation of the 12 tribes of Israel. Jacob's two wives were sisters; Leah (older) and Rachel (younger). He loved Rachel and didn't care much for Leah; he was required to work 7 years before getting married to Rachel. After 7 years, their father tricked Jacob and instead of marrying Rachel, he was given Leah; just for the fact that she was older and not yet married.

Leviticus 18:18 “While your wife is living, do not marry her sister and have sexual relations with her, for they would be rivals."

This practice was not yet forbidden to Israelis, so Jacob did not break it. However, his story tells us why it was given.

Genesis 29:25-29 "But when Jacob woke up in the morning—it was Leah! “What have you done to me?” Jacob raged at Laban. “I worked seven years for Rachel! Why have you tricked me?" “It’s not our custom here to marry off a younger daughter ahead of the firstborn,” Laban replied. “But wait until the bridal week is over; then we’ll give you Rachel, too—provided you promise to work another seven years for me.” So Jacob agreed to work seven more years. A week after Jacob had married Leah, Laban gave him Rachel, too. (Laban gave Rachel a servant, Bilhah, to be her maid.) So Jacob slept with Rachel, too, and he loved her much more than Leah. He then stayed and worked for Laban the additional seven years." Lesson for men; if you want a better quality woman, you are required to earn your right to her; they don't come easy. If they do come easy; you'll be disappointed. Laban knew that Jacob loved Rachel, so he took advantage of him because any man would do anything for the woman they truly loved.

Lesson for women; trickery doesn't work long-term. Leah also knew about Jacob's love for her sister but was desperate to be married. She thought she could win his love through childbirth. Genesis 29:31-35 "When the Lord saw that Leah was unloved, he enabled her to have children, but Rachel could not conceive.

• this only shows that we can't have it all; as sinners, we don't deserve it all

So Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Reuben, for she said, “The Lord has noticed my misery, and now my husband will love me.”

• he didn't

She soon became pregnant again and gave birth to another son. She named him Simeon, for she said, “The Lord heard that I was unloved and has given me another son.”

• still no love from Jacob

Then she became pregnant a third time and gave birth to another son. He was named Levi, for she said, “Surely this time my husband will feel affection for me, since I have given him three sons!”

• nothing changed

Once again Leah became pregnant and gave birth to another son. She named him Judah, for she said, “Now I will praise the Lord!” And then she stopped having children."

• only after giving birth to Judah, she learned her lesson and turn her love to God because He was the only one who loved her in the first place

• Love goes both ways, or there is none.

Rivalry Genesis 30:1-24 "When Rachel saw that she wasn’t having any children for Jacob, she became jealous of her sister. She pleaded with Jacob, “Give me children, or I’ll die!” Then Jacob became furious with Rachel. “Am I God?” he asked. “He’s the one who has kept you from having children!” Then Rachel told him, “Take my maid, Bilhah, and sleep with her. She will bear children for me, and through her I can have a family, too.” So Rachel gave her servant, Bilhah, to Jacob as a wife, and he slept with her. Bilhah became pregnant and presented him with a son. Rachel named him Dan, for she said, “God has vindicated me! He has heard my request and given me a son.” Then Bilhah became pregnant again and gave Jacob a second son. Rachel named him Naphtali, for she said, “I have struggled hard with my sister, and I’m winning!”

• jealousy and rivalry was the only reason Rachel wanted to have kids with Jacob; she was motivated by her sinful ego. Through that, she brought another person to an already crowded marriage

Meanwhile, Leah realized that she wasn’t getting pregnant anymore, so she took her servant, Zilpah, and gave her to Jacob as a wife. Soon Zilpah presented him with a son. Leah named him Gad, for she said, “How fortunate I am!” Then Zilpah gave Jacob a second son. And Leah named him Asher, for she said, “What joy is mine! Now the other women will celebrate with me.”

• Leah's ego kicked in, and she followed suit in the war of "who's better," extending their marriage to 5 people; since giving Jacob more children didn't turn him to love her; she continued to look for approval among other women

One day during the wheat harvest, Reuben found some mandrakes growing in a field and brought them to his mother, Leah. Rachel begged Leah, “Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.” But Leah angrily replied, “Wasn’t it enough that you stole my husband? Now will you steal my son’s mandrakes, too?” Rachel answered, “I will let Jacob sleep with you tonight if you give me some of the mandrakes.”

• women; are you ok trading for one man and taking turns? 🤯

So that evening, as Jacob was coming home from the fields, Leah went out to meet him. “You must come and sleep with me tonight!” she said. “I HAVE PAID FOR YOU with some mandrakes that my son found.” So that night he slept with Leah. And God answered Leah’s prayers. She became pregnant again and gave birth to a fifth son for Jacob. She named him Issachar, for she said, “God has rewarded me for giving my servant to my husband as a wife.” Then Leah became pregnant again and gave birth to a sixth son for Jacob. She named him Zebulun, for she said, “God has given me a good reward. Now my husband will treat me with respect, for I have given him six sons.” Later she gave birth to a daughter and named her Dinah.

• just because she reasoned this way, didn't make it true. God used this situation for the 12 Tribes of Israel. None of her "achievements" made Jacob change his feelings

Then God remembered Rachel’s plight and answered her prayers by enabling her to have children. She became pregnant and gave birth to a son. “God has removed my disgrace,” she said. And she named him Joseph, for she said, “May the Lord add yet another son to my family.”

• Rachel gave birth to Jacob's 12th son Benjamin, right before she died.

David David was already a reigning King, with wives and concubines. He was also one of a kind because, through his line, God sent His son, Jesus Christ. David's descendants are the future and eternal rulers after God's Kingdom takes over during Judgment Day. 2 Samuel 7:11-16 "starting from the time I appointed judges to rule my people Israel. And I will give you rest from all your enemies. ‘Furthermore, the Lord declares that he will make a house for you—a dynasty of kings! For when you die and are buried with your ancestors, I will raise up one of your descendants, your own offspring, and I will make his kingdom strong. He is the one who will build a house—a temple—for my name. And I will secure his royal throne forever. I will be his father, and he will be my son. If he sins, I will correct and discipline him with the rod, like any father would do. But my favor will not be taken from him as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from your sight. Your house and your kingdom will continue before me for all time, and your throne will be secure forever.’” However, just because God has specific roles for His chosen people, doesn't mean they are immune to disobedience. David made a mistake based on lust and it created a chain of consequential events. Even though God forgave him, David still had to pay the price.

• Hebrews 10:30 "For we know the one who said, “I will take revenge. I will pay them back.” He also said, “The Lord will judge his own people.”

• Acts 10:34 "Then Peter replied, “I see very clearly that God shows no favoritism."

2 Samuel 11:2-5 "Late one afternoon, after his midday rest, David got out of bed and was walking on the roof of the palace. As he looked out over the city, he noticed a woman of unusual beauty taking a bath. He sent someone to find out who she was, and he was told, “She is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite.” Then David sent messengers to get her; and when she came to the palace, he slept with her. She had just completed the purification rites after having her menstrual period. Then she returned home. Later, when Bathsheba discovered that she was pregnant, she sent David a message, saying, “I’m pregnant.” David wanted to make sure her husband was home and slept with her, to cover up that the child was his. But Uriah was his faithful servant who spent a few nights in a row guarding his palace door. So David made a plan to kill Uriah and make it look like an accident, and his plan was fulfilled. Lust in heart turned to physical adultery, turned to murder. 2 Samuel 11:26-27 "When Uriah’s wife heard that her husband was dead, she mourned for him. When the period of mourning was over, David sent for her and brought her to the palace, and she became one of his wives. Then she gave birth to a son. But the Lord was displeased with what David had done." 2 Samuel 12:1-14 "So the Lord sent Nathan the prophet to tell David this story: “There were two men in a certain town. One was rich, and one was poor. The rich man owned a great many sheep and cattle. The poor man owned nothing but one little lamb he had bought. He raised that little lamb, and it grew up with his children. It ate from the man’s own plate and drank from his cup. He cuddled it in his arms like a baby daughter. One day a guest arrived at the home of the rich man. But instead of killing an animal from his own flock or herd, he took the poor man’s lamb and killed it and prepared it for his guest.” David was furious. “As surely as the Lord lives,” he vowed, “any man who would do such a thing deserves to die! He must repay four lambs to the poor man for the one he stole and for having no pity.” Then Nathan said to David, “YOU ARE THAT MAN! The Lord, the God of Israel, says: I anointed you king of Israel and saved you from the power of Saul. I gave you your master’s house and his wives and the kingdoms of Israel and Judah. And if that had not been enough, I would have given you much, much more. Why, then, have you despised the word of the Lord and done this horrible deed? For you have murdered Uriah the Hittite with the sword of the Ammonites and stolen his wife. From this time on, your family will live by the sword because you have despised me by taking Uriah’s wife to be your own. “This is what the Lord says: Because of what you have done, I will cause your own household to rebel against you. I will give your wives to another man before your very eyes, and he will go to bed with them in public view. You did it secretly, but I will make this happen to you openly in the sight of all Israel.” David Confesses His Guilt Then David confessed to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” Nathan replied, “Yes, but the Lord has forgiven you, and you won’t die for this sin. Nevertheless, because you have shown utter contempt for the word of the Lord by doing this, your child will die.” Consequences Even though David fasted, worshipped, and prayed, his child died. Then, David's daughter got raped by her half-brother. 2 Samuel 13:1 "Now David’s son Absalom had a beautiful sister named Tamar. And Amnon, her half brother, fell desperately in love with her."

• he didn't really love her but lusted after her, so he created a plan to seduce her by acting sick and making her cook for him

2 Samuel 13:10-22 "Then he said to Tamar, “Now bring the food into my bedroom and feed it to me here.” So Tamar took his favorite dish to him. But as she was feeding him, he grabbed her and demanded, “Come to bed with me, my darling sister.” “No, my brother!” she cried. “Don’t be foolish! Don’t do this to me! Such wicked things aren’t done in Israel. Where could I go in my shame? And you would be called one of the greatest fools in Israel. Please, just speak to the king about it, and he will let you marry me.” But Amnon wouldn’t listen to her, and since he was stronger than she was, he raped her. Then suddenly Amnon’s love turned to hate, and he hated her even more than he had loved her. “Get out of here!” he snarled at her. “No, no!” Tamar cried. “Sending me away now is worse than what you’ve already done to me.” But Amnon wouldn’t listen to her. He shouted for his servant and demanded, “Throw this woman out, and lock the door behind her!” So the servant put her out and locked the door behind her. She was wearing a long, beautiful robe, as was the custom in those days for the king’s virgin daughters. But now Tamar tore her robe and put ashes on her head. And then, with her face in her hands, she went away crying. Her brother Absalom saw her and asked, “Is it true that Amnon has been with you? Well, my sister, keep quiet for now, since he’s your brother. Don’t you worry about it.” So Tamar lived as a desolate woman in her brother Absalom’s house. When King David heard what had happened, he was very angry. And though Absalom never spoke to Amnon about this, he hated Amnon deeply because of what he had done to his sister."

• As a result, Absalom killed Amnon.

2 Samuel 13:37-39 "And David mourned many days for his son Amnon. Absalom fled to his grandfather, Talmai son of Ammihud, the king of Geshur. He stayed there in Geshur for three years. And King David, now reconciled to Amnon’s death, longed to be reunited with his son Absalom."

• They reunited, but shortly after, Absalom turned against his father

2 Samuel 15:13 "A messenger soon arrived in Jerusalem to tell David, “All Israel has joined Absalom in a conspiracy against you!”

• David had to flee Jerusalem. On his way, he was also cursed.

2 Samuel 16:5-13 "As King David came to Bahurim, a man came out of the village cursing them. It was Shimei son of Gera, from the same clan as Saul’s family. He threw stones at the king and the king’s officers and all the mighty warriors who surrounded him. “Get out of here, you murderer, you scoundrel!” he shouted at David. “The Lord is paying you back for all the bloodshed in Saul’s clan. You stole his throne, and now the Lord has given it to your son Absalom. At last you will taste some of your own medicine, for you are a murderer!” “Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king?” Abishai son of Zeruiah demanded. “Let me go over and cut off his head!” “No!” the king said. “Who asked your opinion, you sons of Zeruiah! If the Lord has told him to curse me, who are you to stop him?” Then David said to Abishai and to all his servants, “My own son is trying to kill me. Doesn’t this relative of Saul have even more reason to do so? Leave him alone and let him curse, for the Lord has told him to do it. And perhaps the Lord will see that I am being wronged and will bless me because of these curses today.” So David and his men continued down the road, and Shimei kept pace with them on a nearby hillside, cursing and throwing stones and dirt at David."

• when the battle broke out, more people died

2 Samuel 18:7-8 "and the Israelite troops were beaten back by David’s men. There was a great slaughter that day, and 20,000 men laid down their lives. The battle raged all across the countryside, and more men died because of the forest than were killed by the sword."

• David's men found Absalom dangling from a tree as his hair was caught up in branches.

2 Samuel 18:14-16 “Enough of this nonsense,” Joab said. Then he took three daggers and plunged them into Absalom’s heart as he dangled, still alive, in the great tree. Ten of Joab’s young armor bearers then surrounded Absalom and killed him. Then Joab blew the ram’s horn, and his men returned from chasing the army of Israel. They threw Absalom’s body into a deep pit in the forest and piled a great heap of stones over it. And all Israel fled to their homes."

• David learned about what happened

2 Samuel 18:33 "The king was overcome with emotion. He went up to the room over the gateway and burst into tears. And as he went, he cried, “O my son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you! O Absalom, my son, my son.”

• Joab rebukes David

2 Samuel 19:6-7 "You seem to love those who hate you and hate those who love you. You have made it clear today that your commanders and troops mean nothing to you. It seems that if Absalom had lived and all of us had died, you would be pleased. Now go out there and congratulate your troops, for I swear by the Lord that if you don’t go out, not a single one of them will remain here tonight. Then you will be worse off than ever before.”

• it wasn't over yet

2 Samuel 20:1-3 "There happened to be a troublemaker there named Sheba son of Bicri, a man from the tribe of Benjamin. Sheba blew a ram’s horn and began to chant: “Down with the dynasty of David! We have no interest in the son of Jesse. Come on, you men of Israel, back to your homes!” So all the men of Israel deserted David and followed Sheba son of Bicri. But the men of Judah stayed with their king and escorted him from the Jordan River to Jerusalem. When David came to his palace in Jerusalem, he took the ten concubines he had left to look after the palace and placed them in seclusion. Their needs were provided for, but he no longer slept with them. So each of them lived like a widow until she died."

---

Proverbs 9:13-18 "The woman named Folly is brash. She is ignorant and doesn’t know it. She sits in her doorway on the heights overlooking the city. She calls out to men going by who are minding their own business. “Come in with me,” she urges the simple. To those who lack good judgment, she says, “Stolen water is refreshing; food eaten in secret tastes the best!” But little do they know that the dead are there. Her guests are in the depths of the grave." Proverbs 6:25-35 "Don’t lust for her beauty. Don’t let her coy glances seduce you. For a prostitute will bring you to poverty, but sleeping with another man’s wife will cost you your life. Can a man scoop a flame into his lap and not have his clothes catch on fire? Can he walk on hot coals and not blister his feet? So it is with the man who sleeps with another man’s wife. He who embraces her will not go unpunished. Excuses might be found for a thief who steals because he is starving. But if he is caught, he must pay back seven times what he stole, even if he has to sell everything in his house. But the man who commits adultery is an utter fool, for he destroys himself. He will be wounded and disgraced. His shame will never be erased. For the woman’s jealous husband will be furious, and he will show no mercy when he takes revenge. He will accept no compensation, nor be satisfied with a payoff of any size." Solomon David's son took over the throne.

1 Kings 3:10-14 "The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for wisdom. So God replied, “Because you have asked for wisdom in governing my people with justice and have not asked for a long life or wealth or the death of your enemies— I will give you what you asked for! I will give you a wise and understanding heart such as no one else has had or ever will have! And I will also give you what you did not ask for—riches and fame! No other king in all the world will be compared to you for the rest of your life! And if you follow me and obey my decrees and my commands as your father, David, did, I will give you a long life.” God promised his father, David, that one of his descendants would build the Temple for God. Solomon took it upon himself that it must be him, and spent 20 years building the Temple. After dedication prayer, God responded to Solomon with a warning: 1 Kings 9:2-9 "Then the Lord appeared to Solomon a second time, as he had done before at Gibeon. The Lord said to him, “I have heard your prayer and your petition. I have set this Temple apart to be holy—this place you have built where my name will be honored forever. I will always watch over it, for it is dear to my heart. “As for you, if you will follow me with integrity and godliness, as David your father did, obeying all my commands, decrees, and regulations, then I will establish the throne of your dynasty over Israel forever. For I made this promise to your father, David: ‘One of your descendants will always sit on the throne of Israel.’ “But if you or your descendants abandon me and disobey the commands and decrees I have given you, and if you serve and worship other gods, then I will uproot Israel from this land that I have given them. I will reject this Temple that I have made holy to honor my name. I will make Israel an object of mockery and ridicule among the nations. And though this Temple is impressive now, all who pass by will be appalled and will gasp in horror. They will ask, ‘Why did the Lord do such terrible things to this land and to this Temple?’ “And the answer will be, ‘Because his people abandoned the Lord their God, who brought their ancestors out of Egypt, and they worshiped other gods instead and bowed down to them. That is why the Lord has brought all these disasters on them.’” 1 Kings 11:1–13 "Now King Solomon loved many foreign women. Besides Pharaoh’s daughter, he married women from Moab, Ammon, Edom, Sidon, and from among the Hittites. The Lord had clearly instructed the people of Israel, “You must not marry them, because they will turn your hearts to their gods.” Yet Solomon insisted on loving them anyway. He had 700 wives of royal birth and 300 concubines. And in fact, they did turn his heart away from the Lord. In Solomon’s old age, they turned his heart to worship other gods instead of being completely faithful to the Lord his God, as his father, David, had been. Solomon worshiped Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molech, the detestable god of the Ammonites. In this way, Solomon did what was evil in the Lord’s sight; he refused to follow the Lord completely, as his father, David, had done.

• David, even though he sinned and paid the price, he never turned away from God to worship idols. David sang songs of praise to God.

On the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, he even built a pagan shrine for Chemosh, the detestable god of Moab, and another for Molech, the detestable god of the Ammonites. Solomon built such shrines for all his foreign wives to use for burning incense and sacrificing to their gods. THE LORD WAS VERY ANGRY with Solomon, for his heart had turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice. He had warned Solomon specifically about worshiping other gods, but Solomon did not listen to the Lord’s command. So now the Lord said to him, “Since you have not kept my covenant and have disobeyed my decrees, I will surely tear the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your servants. But for the sake of your father, David, I will not do this while you are still alive. I will take the kingdom away from your son. And even so, I will not take away the entire kingdom; I will let him be king of one tribe, for the sake of my servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, my chosen city.” Consequences God raised two adversaries that brought Solomon trouble. Jeroboam, one of Solomon's officials, also rebelled against him. The prophet Ahijah from Shiloh took the cloak he was wearing and tore it into 12 pieces: 1 Kings 11:31-39 "Then he said to Jeroboam, “Take ten of these pieces, for this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘I am about to tear the kingdom from the hand of Solomon, and I will give ten of the tribes to you! But I will leave him ONE tribe for the sake of my servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel.

• the tribe of Judah; where Jesus Christ was born

For Solomon has abandoned me and worshiped Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Sidonians; Chemosh, the god of Moab; and Molech, the god of the Ammonites. He has not followed my ways and done what is pleasing in my sight. He has not obeyed my decrees and regulations as David his father did. “‘But I will not take the entire kingdom from Solomon at this time. For the sake of my servant David, the one whom I chose and who obeyed my commands and decrees, I will keep Solomon as leader for the rest of his life. But I will take the kingdom away from his son and give ten of the tribes to you." His son will have one tribe so that the descendants of David my servant will continue to reign, shining like a lamp in Jerusalem, the city I have chosen to be the place for my name. And I will place you on the throne of Israel, and you will rule over all that your heart desires. If you listen to what I tell you and follow my ways and do whatever I consider to be right, and if you obey my decrees and commands, as my servant David did, then I will always be with you. I will establish an enduring dynasty for you as I did for David, and I will give Israel to you. Because of Solomon’s sin I will punish the descendants of David—though not forever.’”

• God punished the entire tribe of David's descendants because of Solomon's sin; which came from his lustful heart. Let it sink in.

• I am one of those descendants, living many centuries later, so there is a fire in my bones. Not so much against Solomon, but against lust, idols, and disobedience. Those are heavy consequences.

I hear some pastors who advocate for relationships; use the example of Solomon as some virtuous man pairing him with the queen of Sheba. Here are some facts:

1. Queen of Sheba paid Solomon ONE visit to find out if he was as wise as people told

2. He was as wise as people told only because that wisdom came from God; it was not his own human wisdom; which is how he was able to answer all of her hard questions.

Afterward, the queen of Sheba said to Solomon: 1 Kings 10:9 "Praise the Lord your God, who delights in you and has placed you on the throne of Israel. Because of the Lord’s eternal love for Israel, he has made you king so you can rule with justice and righteousness.”

• after they exchanged gifts, she returned back to her land and there is no record of them seeing each other again

• Solomon obviously did not brag about his dark side.

Matthew 12:42 "The queen of Sheba will also stand up against this generation on judgment day and condemn it, for she came from a distant land to hear the wisdom of Solomon. Now someone greater than Solomon is here—but you refuse to listen." That someone greater is Jesus Christ, whose royal throne will rule Forever. Before Jesus preached the truth about the law of Moses, people tried going around it by marrying people they shouldn't marry, to keep from "committing adultery." It didn't work, they still sinned, and more sin followed.

• Isaiah 5:18 "What sorrow for those who drag their sins behind them with ropes made of lies, who drag wickedness behind them like a cart."

Matthew 5:28-29 "But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. So if your eye—even your good eye—causes you to lust, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell."

• going back to my first point; Jesus Christ is the only one who can "take the hood out the homie" by killing the sinful heart and replacing it with a godly heart

• Ezekiel 36:26 "And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart."

• Why would anyone refuse such a gift?! 🤯

Malachi 2:13-17 "Here is another thing you do. You cover the Lord’s altar with tears, weeping and groaning because he pays no attention to your offerings and doesn’t accept them with pleasure. You cry out, “Why doesn’t the Lord accept my worship?” I’ll tell you why! Because the Lord witnessed the vows you and your wife made when you were young. But you have been unfaithful to her, though she remained your faithful partner, the wife of your marriage vows. Didn’t the Lord make you one with your wife? In body and spirit you are his. And what does he want? Godly children from your union. So guard your heart; remain loyal to the wife of your youth. “For I hate divorce!” says the Lord, the God of Israel. “To divorce your wife is to overwhelm her with cruelty,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. “So guard your heart; do not be unfaithful to your wife.” You have wearied the Lord with your words. “How have we wearied him?” you ask. You have wearied him by saying that all who do evil are good in the Lord’s sight, and he is pleased with them. You have wearied him by asking, “Where is the God of justice?” Hebrews 13:4 "Give honor to marriage, and remain faithful to one another in marriage. God will surely judge people who are immoral and those who commit adultery." 1 Corinthians 7:1-7 "Now regarding the questions you asked in your letter. Yes, it is good to abstain from sexual relations. But because there is so much sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman should have her own husband. The husband should fulfill his wife’s sexual needs, and the wife should fulfill her husband’s needs. The wife gives authority over her body to her husband, and the husband gives authority over his body to his wife. Do not deprive each other of sexual relations, unless you both agree to refrain from sexual intimacy for a limited time so you can give yourselves more completely to prayer. Afterward, you should come together again so that Satan won’t be able to tempt you because of your lack of self-control. I say this as a concession, not as a command. But I wish everyone were single, just as I am. Yet each person has a special gift from God, of one kind or another." Proverbs 18:22 "The man who finds a wife finds a treasure, and he receives favor from the Lord."