2 Chronicles 8

“Solomon brought Pharaoh’s daughter up from the city of David to the house that he had built for her, for he said, ‘My wife shall not live in the house of David king of Israel, for the places to which the ark of the LORD has come are holy.’” (2 Chronicles 8:11, ESV)

Whereas David subdued nations by going to war, Solomon made treaties with nations by marrying princesses. Solomon’s marriage to Pharaoh’s daughter was the first such union. He built a special house for her because he didn’t want her living in David’s house where the Ark of the Covenant had been. This was a holy place, and she was a heathen. But was this a good policy?

In the New Testament, the apostle Paul warns us:

“Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?” (2 Corinthians 6:14, NKJV)

One of life’s greatest blessings is a marriage where both husband and wife love the LORD. But in many marriages one spouse is a believer, and the other is an unbeliever. In other marriages both spouses profess to be believers, but one is stronger spiritually than the other. Such marriages may survive, but they fall short of God’s ideal. Now Paul also said that if you are in such a marriage, do all that you can to stay married, for the unbeliever is sanctified by the believer (1 Corinthians 7:12-16). But how much better is it if you can be of one heart and mind in the LORD?

Obviously, Solomon’s conscience troubled him about bringing Pharaoh’s daughter into holy places. Later, a Gentile could only go as far as the outer court of the temple but no further. And we cannot take our unbelieving spouses or other associates into holy places where only we can go.

One would have hoped that Solomon learned from this mixed marriage, but he didn’t. Pharaoh’s daughter was only the first of many foreign women whom Solomon would marry for political reasons. But these marriages damaged Solomon’s morals.

“Do not be misled: Bad company corrupts good character.” (1 Corinthians 15:33, NIV)

There is only one way for unbelievers to enter holy places, and that is through the cross. They must believe in Jesus Christ and turn from their heathen ways. They must be born again. We were once among them—dead in our trespasses and sins and objects of God’s wrath. But we have been washed by the blood of Jesus, forgiven and accepted by the Father, and sanctified by the Spirit. This has happened because of the Gospel. Therefore, we must not build a special place for the heathen where they are allowed to dwell without repentance. But we must continually preach the Gospel in hope that they will be converted and pass from death to life, from unholiness to holiness. May God help us to do this with humility, gentleness and respect.