Bad Influences

​1 Kings 11:4 ~ “For when Solomon was old his wives turned away his heart after other gods, and his heart was not wholly true to the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father.”
 
How long does it take for the influences of those within the circle of our lives to move us in a new or different direction? For Solomon, when he was old, there was a definite change of direction. Perhaps a better question might be asked—who do you invite into the circle of your life to have an influence over you?
 
The Scriptures are filled with instruction about those we hold close. Proverbs 13:20 states, “Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.” Paul reminds the church of this principle in 1 Corinthians 15:33, “Do not be deceived: ‘Bad company ruins good morals.’” And in our text today, we discover that even the one who was given great wisdom was turned aside because of the close companionship with those who were of the world.
 
But for Solomon, where did it start? Consider 1 Kings 11:1-2, “Now King Solomon loved many foreign women, along with the daughter of Pharaoh: Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite women, from the nations concerning which the Lord had said to the people of Israel, ‘You shall not enter into marriage with them, neither shall they with you, for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods.’ Solomon clung to these in love.” Despite the command of the LORD to not enter a marriage with a foreigner, Solomon “clung to these in love” and rebelled against the God of Heaven. And, because he did love them, he was swayed by their foreign worship, and led astray into their idolatry. After a lengthy time of being influenced by those who worshiped false gods, the aged king gave in.
 
Dear reader, consider those that you have around you that will influence your life. Let me ask a simple question: are they leading you toward or away from following the LORD? They may be those whom you love. They may be someone who is so close to you in heart that it is nearly impossible for you to imagine that they have anything but your good in mind. Surely they don’t mean you harm, even though they want you to participate in those things that are forbidden by the Word of God. But you must understand that the enemy of God does not deceive with obvious lies or hostile opposition, he is the one who masquerades as an angel of light and his servants are disguised as agents of righteousness (see 2 Corinthians 11:13-15).
 
The key to our text for today is this: “and his heart was not wholly true to the LORD his God.” This is where everything went wrong for Solomon. With 700 wives and 300 concubines (see 1 Kings 11:3), the king was surrounded by those who did not follow the LORD but worshiped the false and wicked gods of the world. And without a heart set to be wholly true to the LORD, the only place that he would go was downward. In a bit of irony, Solomon had instructed the people to do the very thing at which he failed. Solomon commands the people in 1 Kings 8:61, saying, “Let your heart therefore be wholly true to the Lord our God, walking in his statutes and keeping his commandments, as at this day.”
 
It is a safe bet to think that at the time of Solomon’s proclamation to the people, that his heart was true to the LORD. But time, and the influence of his many wives, eroded away his stand and eventually he crumbled under the weight of all those who surrounded him. And, perhaps you are in a position now where you believe that your heart is fully and wholly devoted to the LORD Jesus Christ. Peter thought he was when he declared, “Even though they all fall away, I will not” (Mark 14:29). And yet, in the time of testing, Peter denied Jesus three times (see Matthew 26:75).
 
It is a daily thing, a moment-by-moment determination of the heart to be wholly devoted to the LORD. And we must not let the world hold sway over us to move our hearts away from Jesus Christ. Take a moment as you read this and note the influences you have in your life. Do they exalt the LORD Jesus? Do they encourage you to walk in faithfulness to His Word? Have you noticed if they are attempting to drag you away from your pure and sincere devotion to Christ (see 2 Corinthians 11:3). Let me encourage you, my friends, to have in your life those who love and serve the LORD, that they will continue to motivate you to walk in loving obedience, with a whole-hearted devotion to Jesus.
 
In His Grace,
Pastor Michael

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