Proverbs 31:3 pure strength
Proverbs 31:3 Do not give your strength to women, or your ways to that which destroys kings.
This is a wise mom. She considers the most important issue to raise with her son to be that of women. She knew that for him to be a strong leader, he would need an excellent wife, and he would need to stay away from other women. Sadly, if the author is indeed Solomon, he failed to take this advice.
1Kings 11:1-3 Now 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 has said to the sons of Israel, “you shall not associate with (lit. go among) them, neither shall they associate with (lit. go among) you, for they will surely turn your heart away after their gods.” Solomon held fast to these in love. And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines, and his wives turned his heart away.
And yet God kept His covenant with David found again in Jeremiah 33:20-21.
“Thus says the LORD, ‘If you can break My covenant for the day, and My covenant for the night, so that day and night will not be at the appointed time, then My covenant may also be broken with David My servant that he shall not have a son to reign on his throne, and with the Levitical priests, My ministers’”
Solomon had been given the wisdom he asked for (1Kings 3:9-15), thus pleasing the LORD. And he not only was enabled to build the temple as God had promised to David, but his prayer at it’s dedication resonates with humility, a reverential love for the Lord, and a knowledge of God’s mercy and every man’s need of repentance. And yet, in the end, Solomon held fast his love for foreign women and their gods. In 1Kings 11:9 it says that the LORD was angry with Solomon. And it goes on to say that the kingdom would be torn from him and given to his servant in the days of his son, but God would reserve a tribe for David His servant’s sake. The rest of Solomon’s days were lived fighting adversaries the LORD had raised up on every side.
We certainly see in Solomon’s life that it is a devastating thing for a man to give his strength to women.
But didn’t David model this in his sin with Bathsheba? Yes, and he paid dearly for this sin. But the great big difference was that David repented. The LORD is very loyal to those who are loyal to Him, turning their hearts back to Him.
Mark 8:38 “For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.”
From a parental perspective, we can know that if we hold fast our love to the LORD, then He will show Himself to our children and our grandchildren.
Exodus 20:4-5 You shall not make for yourself an idol (or, a graven image) or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.”
But as a parent, we also need to teach our kids that they cannot ride on our faith. God showed mercy to Solomon for David’s sake. But Solomon and his son suffered great consequence for turning away from the LORD.
I don’t need to write much about the dangers of pornography today, and the rampant sexual immorality. We probably all have witnessed the broken lives and families in it’s demolition path, or worse, been in it’s path. We must teach our sons, and we must pray for them.
God help us,
By Thy grace,
To lead the children
To finish their race—
With love in their heart for You.
…Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit’, says the LORD of hosts.
Zechariah 4:6
Action points
**serve the LORD and worship Him only
**pray for our sons and daughters
**teach them the dangers of sexual immorality
