Page 27 of Her Cowboy Blind Date

“I can’t change your mind…”

“No.” She shook her head. “I’m not interested in researching Solomon.”

“May I ask why?”

Oh boy. This wasn’t going to end well. “You really want to know?”

“I’m curious, so yes.”

She tapped her foot. “We can walk and talk. I’m meeting Cindy at the cafeteria in a few minutes.”

“Sure.” He fell back into step beside her.

Where to start? “How many wives and concubines did Solomon have?”

“Let me think. Seven hundred wives and three hundred concubines.”

“That’s right.” Corey was a walking Bible encyclopedia. During class discussions he was one of those people who contributed all the right answers. “I find those numbers disconcerting.”

“They’re facts.” A determined tone filled his voice.

She frowned and lengthened her stride. “I’m not disputing Bible facts.” If she wasn’t hungry and meeting Cindy, she’d go power walking in the opposite direction to Corey. “I don’t want to write an essay on a man like Solomon.”

“The women were from foreign treaty deals.”

“That’s what I don’t like.” The cafeteria entrance was up ahead. Where was Cindy? “We’re talking about a powerful man. A king who treated women like property.” A king who potentially had intimate relationships with a thousand women. Blech.

“The women aren’t the focus of the essay question. Life was different in the ancient world. King Solomon’s marriages were strategic political alliances.”

“I’m aware of that.” She couldn’t shrug this off as an inconsequential detail. “We’re talking about a thousand women, Corey. Hundreds of wives. Can you imagine anyone in twenty-first century Christian circles thinking that was okay?”

“Obviously not, but Solomon was renowned for his wisdom.”

“True, but from my perspective the man had a lust problem.”

“I don’t follow. Why’s that relevant?” He sounded genuinely puzzled.

“I get that Solomon gained wealth and power from the marriages. But it’s a far cry from our modern-day Biblical interpretation of marriage.”

“You’re comparing apples with oranges, Becky. It was a different culture. A different world.”

“Maybe. But I struggle to understand how a man gifted with wisdom from God could think a palace harem was a good idea.” No one was perfect. Everyone struggled with temptation in different areas of their lives. She didn’t want to research Solomon and have to reconcile his wisdom with his hedonistic lifestyle choices.

“If we’re talking about morals, then his father wasn’t a poster boy for good behavior. David had half a dozen wives and he committed adultery.”

“That’s fair. David wasn’t a saint. But there were consequences from his actions with Bathsheba.”

Corey nodded. “They paid a big price.”

“They sure did.” The Bathsheba situation would fall outside the scope of the essay question. David and Bathsheba had been punished by God. Their baby died. Becky couldn’t imagine how painful it would have been to walk in their shoes. Despite his wisdom, Solomon made his share of mistakes. His foreign wives led him astray and encouraged him to worship their gods.

“Becky.” Cindy waved and met them at the cafeteria entrance. “Let’s join the line before it gets too long.”

Corey cleared his throat. “Can I join you for lunch?”

“Sure.” She followed Cindy and Corey indoors and they stood in line.

“How was class?” Cindy asked.

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