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| Franz Francken II, 1622: The Idolatry of Solomon (Getty Museum) |
From today's reading in The Daily Office:
King Solomon loved many foreign women along with the daughter of Pharaoh: Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite women, from the nations concerning which the LORD had said to the Israelites, “You shall not enter into marriage with them, neither shall they with you; for they will surely incline your heart to follow their gods”; Solomon clung to these in love. Among his wives were seven hundred princesses and three hundred concubines; and his wives turned away his heart. (1Kings 11:1-3)How many times in a day did King Solomon have sex? Even if the answer is several times, it would have been ages between engagements with some of the wives and concubines. What is the point in having such a large number of wives and concubines? No point, of course.
The passage is good lesson against reading the Bible literally. The narrative of the many wives and concubines refers to Solomon's great wealth - he could have whatever he wanted - and indicates the enormity of his disobedience to God's command to refrain from associating with idolators, lest one follow their example and fall into worship of false gods. As the passage reads, Solomon inclined his heart to the worship of idols.
The passage reminded me to reflect once again on the always pertinent question, "What are my idols?"
And now back to The Daily Office.
