Have you ever wondered why the Bible warns us not to closely associate with people of bad character? Or why we shouldn’t marry someone who isn’t a believer in Christ? Or why it encourages believers to meet often in gatherings we call “churches” and “small groups”? If you’ve ever wondered about such things, it is because as human beings, our hearts are prone to wander. For many of us, our hearts are easily turned. To insure that we maintain a healthy relationship with God, and to help us operate in obedience to him, it helps when we surround ourselves with people who are pursuing these same goals. King Solomon learned this lesson the hard way. The Bible tells us, in first Kings chapter 11, that Solomon loved many foreign women from many nations who didn’t worship the God of his forefathers. Verse 2 goes on to say:
“They were from nations about which the Lord had told the Israelites, ‘You must not intermarry with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods.’ Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love.”
You might think that you are a strong believer and that no human being could cause your zeal for the Lord to change or to grow cold. But Solomon was a strong believer. He was the son of David, and he knew the truth. He spoke to God at the beginning of his reign and God gave him a wise an discerning heart. God gave him a wisdom that surpassed the wisdom of any man who ever lived and any man that ever will live. Yet with all of his wisdom, and with his initial zeal for the Lord, his heart was turned and he worshipped other gods. So I encourage you to heed this warning. If Solomon’s heart could be turned, I wouldn’t want to put my heart to the test. And I hope you wouldn’t either.
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The Lord told the Israelites that they must not intermarry with people from other nations, because they will surely turn their hearts after other gods. It never ceases to amaze me how weak humans are. Yes, we experience moments of strength, especially when we are in step with the Spirit. But in our flesh, we are exceedingly weak. Our hearts are fickle and God is a jealous God. When we invite influences that are contrary to God and his nature, when we closely associate with people who oppose him and when we marry unbelievers, there is a good chance that our hearts will be turned away from him. That is why the Bible encourages us to think on heavenly things, to read his word and to pray often. We need to be believers of character. We need to expose our hearts to more of God and keep our hearts away from those who oppose him.
