Not On My Gift Registry

I'm fascinated by the life of Solomon (the current topic of my 'Bible in a Year' plan). He pulled out all the stops to build a magnificent temple for God and a grand palace for himself. There is one parenthetical passage that just floored me, though:

16 (Pharaoh king of Egypt had attacked and captured Gezer. He had set it on fire. He killed its Canaanite inhabitants and then gave it as a wedding gift to his daughter, Solomon's wife. 17 And Solomon rebuilt Gezer.) (NIV, 1 Kings 9:16-17)

Now I don't know about you, but I don't think I'd be really happy to receive a town from my father for a wedding present -- especially if I knew that all the inhabitants had been killed and then the whole town had been burned down! I am glad Solomon rebuilt the town for his bride, but I would still feel horribly guilty every time I walked in the place if I were her.

As I continued reading the text for today (1 Kings 9-11), it told of the vast riches Solomon received...absolutely amazing. I had to laugh, though, when I read that:

3 He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines, and his wives led him astray.(NIV, 1 Kings 11:3)

Well of course they led him astray, what WAS he thinking????

I hope you enjoyed your Bible reading for the day...let me know what you read and what you learned!