1 Kings 9:1–9 ‘If you walk before me faithfully… I will establish your royal throne over Israel for ever…’ (vv4–5)
Solomon prays, and God responds. He appears before Israel’s leader and shares not only the promises of His relationship with His people but also the requirements.
Namely that God will establish Solomon’s throne as promised to David (v5), but if God’s people betrayed Him, turning from Him, He will destroy the Temple (v8) and Israel will become an object of ridicule (v7).
These terms might feel exacting or difficult, but God’s covenant with His people meant He did not want them worshipping other gods.
He sought their full loyalty, and did not want them to squander their fidelity to and love for Him on idols of the heart.
When we read of idols and other gods, we might think of ancient bronze statues – things that don’t hold sway over our hearts today.
But plenty of modern-day idols can shift our focus away from God, even good things such as our relationships with those we love or our efforts to share God’s grace in our communities.
A way to offset our idols is to keep a regular time to read the Bible and pray. Not only do we learn from our wise God then, but we can ask Him to show us through His Spirit where we might stray from Him.
We also benefit from having trusted people close to us who will name any blind spots they see in us. We can work to stay true to our holy God, He who will brook no idols. He wants us to love Him with our whole heart, serving Him with joy and fulfilment.
A Prayer To Make:
‘Father God, You call me Your child. Help me not to rebel or to turn to other loves as I forget about You. Draw me into Your loving embrace. Amen.’
An Action To Take:
Write down three things you desire. Ask God to show you if you’ve turned them into idols. If you have, ask Him for help to break their power over you.
Scripture To Consider:
Exod. 20:4–5; Isa. 42:8–9; 1 Cor 10:11–14; Col. 3:5–7
