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Thrilled With The Wrong Throne
Jon Burgess1Now King Solomon loved many foreign women. Besides Pharaoh’s daughter, he married women from Moab, Ammon, Edom, Sidon, and from among the Hittites.2TheLordhad clearly instructed the people of Israel, “You must not marry them, because they will turn your hearts to their gods.” Yet Solomon insisted on loving them anyway.3He had 700 wives of royal birth and 300 concubines. And in fact, they did turn his heart away from theLord. 1 Kings 11:1-3
God instructed. Solomon ignored. God instructed. Solomon insisted. God instructed. Solmon idolized. Every throne has a blind spot. Not even the wisest man on earth is able to see what God can see. While his foreign wives led his heart astray Solomon's affection was already thrilled with the wrong throne: "Then the king made a huge throne, decorated with ivory and overlaid with pure gold. The throne had six steps, with a footstool of gold... There were also twelve other lions, one standing on each end of the six steps. No other throne in all the world could be compared with it!"(2 Chron. 9:17-19) So while Solomon authorized an outward throne he abidacated the throne of his own heart. While he built this throne in Judah surrounding every step with lion he was stepping further and further away from the Lion of Judah reigning in his heart. Waht's built on the inside will eventually be built on the outside. Solomon built a throne for himself and then built places of worship or thrones for the false gods: Ashtoreth, Molech, and Chemosh to name a few. (1 Ki. 11:5-7)
When we are thrilled with the wrong thrones the God we know is longer enthroned in our lives. My mother-in-law puts it this way: "The throne of your heart is one-seater. There's no room for two. So, if God isn't reigning over every part of you life then who have you put in charge?" Any throne that isn't surrendered, any God-given place of authority that isn't given back to God can become a throne for the enemy. How can we make sure we don't make the mistake Solomon made? How can we make sure we don't miss the blind spots in our positions of authority and influence?
* Make Jesus your primary passionate pursuit
* Don't believe your own press
* Give Scripture supremacy over your passions
* Seek out and receive correction and direction from God-fearing people
Lord, I don't stand in arrogrance this morning at Solomon's folly. I fall on m knees knowing full well this could be me at any moment. I surrender the thrones of authority and influence You've given me. I want You to reign in each of these areas. Reveal the blind spots, open my eyes. There's only room for One on the throne of my heart and it's You Jesus!
