Solomon marrying Pharoah’s daughter
was perhaps the reason for the nation’s problem. We are told in 1 Kings 7:8
that Solomon built her a house. This house for her must have been built after
the temple, palace, and defensive walls were completed. So after the dedication
of the temple, 1 Kings 9:15 said that she came up from the city of David to
stay in the house Solomon had built for her. From 2 Chronicles 8:11, we get the
reason why Solomon built her the house. He admitted that “My wife (Pharoah’s
daughter) shall not dwell in the house of David king of Israel, because the
places are holy where the ark of the Lord has entered.” Deep in the king’s
heart, he was concerned for purity. He knew that having a pagan wife would be a
compromise to the holy presence of God. So he specially built a house for her
and even buttressed it with defensive walls.
Having a foreign wife, who did not worship the same God as he, was already a
fault line in his life. Firstly, he had to consider how to have her without
having to compromise his commitment to God. That’s the reason he specifically
built her a house. This would mean incurring extra costs to build and maintain
the house. Then he had to put up with the fact that she was of a different
faith than his. She would be worshiping her array of Egyptian gods whereas he
must remain faithful to his God. How long could he stay faithfully committed to
God without being influenced to pursue her gods? Unwittingly, Solomon had
created loopholes that could lead him to compromise his faithfulness to God.
One lesson we can deduct from this one verse would be about the wisdom of
choosing the right life partner. A spouse can either be an encouragement to our
walk with God or lead us to compromise our faith in Him. When we have a life
partner of a different faith, we would have much to contend with in our
spiritual journey. There will be different goals and values that we must put up
with. So hear the wise counsel of Paul in 2 Corinthians 6:14-16. He said, “Do
not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness
and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? Or what harmony
has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? Or
what agreement has the temple of God with idols.” For those of us who have a
life partner who shares the same faith and loves God, we must give thanks to
God for him or her. For those with a pre-believing spouse keep praying for them
to come to know the Lord. And for those who are now courting or choosing a life
partner, be wise in choosing one’s life partner. Get a spouse who shares your
faith, values, and goals. You will save yourself needless troubles. God’s word
is never wrong!
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