When we think of King Solomon, perhaps the first thing that comes to mind is his request for wisdom. Or we might question his wisdom when we read he had seven hundred wives and three hundred concubines.

Either way, God granted Solomon’s request and added much more with the stipulation Solomon walk in integrity.

Wikipedia defines integrity this way.

Integrity is the qualification of being honest and having strong moral principles, or moral uprightness. It is generally a personal choice to hold oneself to consistent moral and ethical standards. In ethics, integrity is regarded as the honesty and truthfulness or accuracy of one’s actions. Integrity can stand in opposition to hypocrisy, in that judging with the standards of integrity involves regarding internal consistency as a virtue, and suggests that parties holding within themselves apparently conflicting values should account for the discrepancy or alter their beliefs.

Near the beginning of Solomon’s reign, all was well. He performed his duty as king with wisdom and integrity. He built a temple for the LORD. A dream his father, David, held but one which God did not allowed David to accomplish.

Before long, however, Solomon began to compromise his beliefs.

He made alliances with foreign kings by marrying their daughters, a common practice of the time, but these wives worshipped idols. To accommodate them, Solomon built altars for their false gods. Eventually, they turned his heart away form the Lord. They encouraged him to worship their gods instead of trusting completely in God.

Solomon no longer walked with integrity before the Lord.

He compromised his faith to appease those around him and his own selfish desires, instead of being faithful to the One True God. He broke the covenant God established between them.

The Lord passed judgment on Solomon. The kingdom would be torn from Solomon’s  son and family.

As followers of Jesus, we are called to walk with integrity before the Lord. We are to be honest and exhibit strong moral principles. Our actions are to display integrity with honesty and truthfulness. We are not to compromise our beliefs to fit in with the world around us.

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And if you live in honesty and truth as your father David did, always obeying me, then I will cause your descendants to be the kings of Israel forever, just as I promised your father David when I told him, ‘One of your sons shall always be upon the throne of Israel.’

 “However, if you or your children turn away from me and worship other gods and do not obey my laws,  then I will take away the people of Israel from this land that I have given them. I will take them from this Temple which I have hallowed for my name, and I will cast them out of my sight; and Israel will become a joke to the nations and an example and proverb of sudden disaster. 1 Kings 9:4-7 (TLB)

I wish you well.

Sandy

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