DAILY READING
REFLECTION
A Little Sin
by Dave Thompson
This passage is about Solomon. He was the one who God made David wait for Solomon to get old enough to build His temple. Solomon believed in having multiple wives and in his old age he had amassed 700 wives and 300 concubines. Although there wasn't a lot written about having multiple wives in the Old Testament, there was an admonition from God to not marry outside of the Jewish religion and, to go further, those wives were suppose to be from Israel.
So, where did Solomon go wrong? The text tells us that he collected wives through his life from the Egyptians, the Moabites, the Ammonites, the Edomites, the Sidonians and from the Hittites. In Deuteronomy 17:14-20, the Lord was even more specific and named many of the above groups those to stay away from (see also 1 Samuel 8:11-18). So, perhaps it was a small sin in Solomon's mind when he was young and still pleasing God in so many ways. However, as he grew older the admonitions in Deuteronomy and 1 Samuel were showing that this was becoming a more serious sin.
Solomon's wives began influencing him to neglect the Lord and to honor the gods of the Sidonians, Amorites, Moabites, and Molek (see Leviticus 20:2-5). The very thing the Lord warned about and commanded that no Jewish person do, Solomon was doing. He was even building high places for some of the false gods. Something relatively small sins, at first, were now totally out of proportion.
As a young man, even though my parents forbade it, I took up smoking. Although there is no biblical reference to smoking, my parents grew up in very fundamental churches that forbade everything fun just about. How was it a sin if it is not in the bible? Honor your mother and your father comes to mind. I didn't do that and, although I was a church kid (not a Christian), I knew it was against my parents beliefs, so small as it was, it was a sin. It wasn't long before alcohol became a part of my teenage years (again, my parent's beliefs forbade alcohol). There were other things, but I think you get the point.
If something is wrong in your heart, no matter whether you can put a chapter and verse on it, it is a sin. Perhaps a small one (if there are gradients of sin), but a sin all the same. This could be not respecting the speed limit, taking that second glance at a beautiful women or a handsome man, or not declaring some part of your income on the income tax form. From my experience, our sins do not separate God from us, but us from God. And, one or two "little" sins can make us callous toward doing more things we know are wrong.
Do you have undeclared sin in your lives. Declare it them God and ask for forgiveness. Remember God's Word where in 1 John 1:9 it states, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." After you do this, your two-way closeness to God is restored. And, if you were to say to God, "Remember that time I sped?" God would say, "No, I don't" Thanks be to God!
PRAYER
God, thank you for our covenant with you that we can be made right of all our sins by simply confessing them to you. You are an amazing God! Amen.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
DAVE THOMPSON
I am the administrator of the Daily Worship Blog. My wife, Carla, and I have been attending UALC for seven years at the 9 o'clock service at Mill Run. We have two children, Catherine and Aaron. I have been a Christian for 53 years and am thankful that my Savior has given me two spiritual gifts that have carried me both spiritually and vocationally all my life: they are teaching and administration. I look forward to spending many years here at UALC to serve my Lord and Savior.
Hello Dave..so cool to put a face to the name. God bless and hope to see you at the 9am service. Peace