Our walk with God cannot be kept with a scorecard. We cannot assume that because we are doing nine things that are pleasing to God, we can live with one habit that dishonors Him. It doesn’t work that way. Whenever we say, “except that” or “but,” we are in trouble!
Solomon did many things the same way his revered father David had. “Except that, he offered sacrifices and burned incense” on the high places. The pagan Canaanites had used these worship sites during the time before Joshua and his forces defeated them. However, the idolatrous centers remained, littering the land, and enticing God’s people. From the City of David, one can see the hills lining the city, where the high places would have prominently overlooked Jerusalem.
It was not that Solomon was necessarily worshiping idols at this time, but he was trying to worship the true God in a pagan setting. And, in such a venue, it was only too easy to begin to mix false worship practices with the true faith. That was why God instructed His people to worship Him at the tabernacle, and later the temple, where the sanctity of worship could be preserved. However, the moment we take control of our walk with God, we run the risk of contaminating it. If our walk with God is going to be pleasing to Him, it must be done His way.