Always.
I’ve posted about it here before.
In my Bible reading yesterday, that same passage came up again. You know the one … “King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women … ” yada, yada, yada. God said “you must not intermarry.” And, “nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love.” He had 700 wives & 300 concubines.
Then, lo and behold, his wives led him astray. Surprise, surprise.
I don’t get it.
This man was supposed to be the wisest man ever alive.
But, he made such an un-wise decision. Actually, it was quite stupid.
If he was the wisest man and this was his choice, what does that say about the rest of us? Does that mean there’s no hope for us?
I’d like to think that the men I know now, would have never made such a choice. I’d like to think that I would have never made such a choice (with men obviously).
This reading comes on the heels of this reading:
Ecclesiastes 7:26-27
One discovery: A woman can be a bitter pill to swallow, full of seductive scheming and grasping. The lucky escape her; the undiscerning get caught. At least this is my experience—what I, the Quester, have pieced together as I’ve tried to make sense of life. But the wisdom I’ve looked for I haven’t found. I didn’t find one man or woman in a thousand worth my while.
The NIV says,
“I found one upright man among a thousand, but not one upright woman among them all.”
That’s the discovery that was made. Depressing.
Women cannot be the cause of the downfall of men, even the wisest man.
That’s not why we were created.
It frustrates me to read it. REALLY FRUSTRATES ME.
Why? Because I, along with thousands of other women in this world, strive to live a life that’s pleasing to God. REALLY STRIVE.
But, we still get lumped into that same group of women being described above.
So, I do as Solomon says, seek wisdom. I want MORE wisdom than Solomon himself.
But, most of all … can I please be that one out of a thousand that could be upright? Come on, women. Let’s be found there! Let’s be found upright!
Some days this seems impossible. Actually, most every day, this seems impossible.
The only hope we have is in the last verse …
Ecclesiastes 7:29:
This only have I found:
God created mankind upright,
but they have gone in search of many schemes.
God created mankind upright,
but they have gone in search of many schemes.
God created us upright.
It’s in us.
We’re the ones who choose. We have to choose to be upright. That’s the hard choice. Not hard in our desire to be upright, hard in our carry-out of this desire. But, this last verse says it is possible.
If my story was written in a book, like Solomon’s, I want to have minimal “however”s & “nevertheless”es. It’s in those words, where our downfalls come.
Let’s have words like “additionally” and “over and above.”
God, give us true, godly wisdom.
Love this post!
Blessings,
Amy
Wow. This was so good! Yes Lord, help us to be upright! Additionally, over and above what you have called us to be as women!
love it… and you are right.. it is frustrating,…. but we ARE NOT THEM- we are better- and can rise above that! amen?
conniegirl
I enjoyed this post. Well said.
~FringeGirl