Choose Mercy Instead

¹ In addition to Pharaoh’s daughter, King Solomon loved many foreign women, including Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites. ² These came from the nations that the LORD had commanded the Israelites about: “Don’t intermarry with them. They will definitely turn your heart toward their gods.” Solomon clung to these women in love. ³ He had seven hundred royal wives and three hundred secondary wives. They turned his heart. ⁴ As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods. He wasn’t committed to the LORD his God with all his heart as was his father David. ⁵ Solomon followed Astarte the goddess of the Sidonians, and Milcom the detestable god of the Ammonites. ⁶ Solomon did what was evil in the LORD’s eyes and wasn’t completely devoted to the LORD like his father David. ⁷ On the hill east of Jerusalem, Solomon built a shrine to Chemosh the detestable god of Moab, and to Molech the detestable god of the Ammonites. ⁸ He did the same for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods. ⁹ The LORD grew angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned away from being with the LORD, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice. ¹⁰ The LORD had commanded Solomon about this very thing, that he shouldn’t follow other gods. But Solomon didn’t do what the LORD commanded. ¹¹ The LORD said to Solomon, “Because you have done all this instead of keeping my covenant and my laws that I commanded you, I will most certainly tear the kingdom from you and give it to your servant. ¹² Even so, on account of your father David, I won’t do it during your lifetime. I will tear the kingdom out of your son’s hands. ¹³ Moreover, I won’t tear away the entire kingdom. I will give one tribe to your son on account of my servant David and on account of Jerusalem, which I have chosen.”