March 27: Of Disobedience, Solomon and Me

Deuteronomy 7:1-8:20

Luke 7:36-8:3

Psalm 69:1-18

Proverbs 12:1

Moses's instructions today are pretty harsh.  Those enemies you are about to defeat?  "Make no treaty with them, and show them no mercy.   Do not intermarry with them…for they will turn your children away from following me to serve other gods, and the Lord's anger will burn against you…"

God made it clear to Moses how prone we are to sin - to deluding ourselves into thinking we don't need to obey Him, we don't need Him, He doesn't exist.  God had wonderful plans for the Israelites, and He made clear to Moses the risk the Israelites would forget Him when they basked in the prosperity He was going to provide.  So He told Moses to instruct the Israelites to stay clear of anything - of anyone - that might divert their thoughts away from Him.  

If you're anything like me, you are living proof what Moses said is STILL true. Nothing like a bit of success, a bit of prosperity, to go to your head and squeeze the Lord out of all the space that is rightfully His between your ears.  And if you're anything like me, you're going to beat yourself up every time you find yourself doing it again.  

The good news for us is two-fold: first, we're in good company.  Biggest name in the Bible who didn't listen to Moses and REALLY should have known better?  Solomon.  1 Kings 11 starts off with how "Solomon…loved many foreign wives…from nations about which the Lord had told the Israelites '…they will surely turn your hearts after their gods.'".  Yeah, that Solomon - the one to whom God gave wisdom.  If someone as wise as he could fall, how much more me?

The second source of encouragement?  Mercy.  In today's NT reading, we see a "woman…who lived a sinful life". She repented, and Jesus - whom the Pharisees thought should have kept this unclean woman at arm's length - allowed her to draw near to Him, forgave her her sins.  If she can be forgiven, so can I.  

Father I claim no equality with Solomon, nor am I any better than the Israelites You saw fit to have Moses warn.  Thank You that when I do fall - when the sinful influences I continue to abide in my life tempt me to reject You, and the prosperity You grant leads me to think I do not need You - You are willing to let me draw near, and are prepared to forgive me.