Hold Fast

5/25/2017

1 Kings 11.2 They were from nations about which the Lord had told the Israelites, “You must not intermarry with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods.” Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love. 

Love is a many-splendored thing. So, they say. That many-splendored love of which they speak is that mysterious love between a man and a woman. And mysterious it is. And complicated. And, though splendored, it is also faceted. Human affection is as natural as it can be, but it isn’t an end, it’s a means. 

King Solomon, the wisest man that ever lived, was a dumbass when it came to women. Solomon used his power and influence to wow the girls, and he thought he was some kind of sexual superman in attempting to replicate his ‘love’ to nearly a thousand women. The Scripture is pretty emphatic when it says Solomon held fast to them in love. Solomon had quite a collection, but his love for women outstripped his love for God, and it cost him dearly. 

Love can be affection. Love can be attraction. Love can be abundant, but love cannot be multiplicitous. Nor is love to be replicated – at least in the way Solomon attempted. 

Solomon had an advantage, as potentate, he could choose any woman he wanted, whenever he wanted, and as often as he wanted. Many men dream of such power. Few ever get the opportunity. Most regret having that kind of freedom; it costs them dearly. 

If love was only sexual, it would wear off pretty quickly. But sexuality is only a component of love – not the sum-total. Solomon’s view of love was mainly sexual, and the only way to keep it fresh and new was to add another lover to the mix. Son, if you can’t do it with one, what makes you think you can do it with a thousand!? Sex is surely a factor in love, but it ain’t the thang-arang. The law of diminishing return has to be dealt with. 

In love, marriage, or pre-marriage, the goal is for the woman to feel secure that she has found the one. For the man, his need is to be admired. Her sense of strong security in the relationship makes her admire him. His feelings of being admired builds his desire to make her feel secure. We can’t do that with multiple partners. We may think we can; we may want to; but we aren’t wired that way and it won’t work – somebody is always telling the lie… and somebody is always left holding the bag. Love is always about the other, not the self. 

And that was the fallacy of Solomon’s plan: it was always about him. 

True love, whether eros, philos, or agape, is always about the other, not the self. If there is such a thing as self-love, it ought to be expressed through a deep satisfaction of living life for the benefit and satisfaction of others. Self only needs to know that others always count more than self… And God always counts more than all else. True, Godly love is what this world has too little of… 

Father God, fill me with Your Spirit this day to love, not to criticize and judge. Religion has its hierarchy and may I avoid that in my relationships today. May my love for others only be fulfilled by my love for You – and may I hold fast to You in love – amen.