1 Kings 12 - 14 (23rd June) - Stephanie

1 Kings 12

The elders of Israel offered Rehoboam the throne of Israel as this was a logical continuation after David and Solomon. Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, however, heard through a prophet earlier that he would rule over a portion of a divided Israel and he became interested in becoming Solomon’s successor.

Solomon was a great king in his time, but he took a lot from his people. The people of Israel wanted relief from the heavy taxation and forced service of Solomon’s reign and they offered allegiance to Rehoboam if he were to agree to lighten their yoke.

Rehoboam was wise to consult the elders who were with his father, Solomon when he was still alive. The elders told him to show kindness and a servant’s heart to his people so that they would love him and serve him forever. Their good advice, however, fell on deaf ears. (.. Bu ting lao ren yen, Chi kui zai yan qian…)

Silly Rehoboam eventually took the advice of his peers instead.

Frankly, this seems like a common phenomenon in today’s time, isn’t it? What we would usually call selective listening. The idea is to keep asking others for advice till we find someone who will tell us exactly what we want to hear and hope to do. Pause for a moment and consider this: “Have you recently ignored what your parents, spiritual leaders or trusted counselors have to say just because those were the words you don’t really wish to hear? Think again, have you truly considered if those words may be the very advice that is the most beneficial to you and your current situation at hand?”

Anyway, shortly after giving his silly answer to the people, his people decided to plan a rebel.

It was interesting to know that God had managed this whole series of events even when He did not make Rehoboam take this unwise and sinful action but He simply left Rehoboam to make the critical errors his sinful heart wanted to.

Rehoboam was then rejected as king over the ten northern tribes and in actual fact, his folly has made Israel reject not only him but the entire dynasty of David, the descendents of Israel’s greatest king. Rehoboam did not take the rebellions seriously and sent Adoram (some chap famous for being harsh with forced labor) in hope to make good his promise to punish those who opposed him. Unfortunately for Adoram, he kena and was stoned to death. Rehoboam’s tough guy policy apparently didn’t work out well.

A long-standing tension between the ten northern tribes and Judah/Benjamin then continued.

Jeroboam, on the other hand, built Shechem, dwelt there and move on to build Penuel. He needed a capital city because Jerusalem was in the territory of Judah and Benjamin. But Jeroboam held a fear in his heart that his people will turn back to Rehoboam to acknowledge him as king. He seemed to have forgotten the promise God made to him through the prophet Ahijah (1 Kings 11) and started to shape religion for his own purpose. When his people started to worship the golden calves he made, it became a terrible sin of idolatry.

1 Kings 13

A man of God went from Judah to Bethel by the word of the Lord when Jeroboam was standing by the altar burning incense. He made a remarkable prophecy that would be precisely fulfilled 340 years later. Later in 2 Kings 23:15, we can see the fulfillment of this prophecy in the days of Josiah, King of Judah.

Jeroboam’s immediate reaction was to silence the prophet rather than to respond to his message. The prophecy was like a coming judgment for Jeroboam, an implicit invitation to repentance and Jeroboam obviously did not accept this invitation. His hand, which he stretched out toward the man of God, withered and he could not pull it back to himself – 1 Kings 13:4. Jeroboam then pleaded with the man of God to entreat the favor of God upon him, to pray for him so that his hand may be restored and the man of God did so.

This chapter’s focus is on Jeroboam being an example of sinful failure. He failed despite great blessing and favour from God, for the sake of mere political advantage. He failed by leading an entire nation into idolatry. He failed despite specific warnings to repent, judgment and deliverance from that judgment. He failed despite a clear message and example of integrity.

“Even after this, Jeroboam did not change his evil ways…. This was the sin of the house of Jeroboam that led to its downfall and to its destruction from the face of the earth.” – 1 Kings 13:33-34

1 Kings 14

This chapter marks the end of both Jeroboam and Rehoboam.

The end of Jeroboam, King of Israel (Verses 1 to 20)

When Abijah, the son of Jeroboam became sick, his wife disguised herself and tried to seek counsel from the true God and men of God. Jeroboam knew that idols could not help him in any true crisis. He because he also knew that he had rejected God and his prophets, he told his wife to wear a disguise before meeting Ahijah.

When the wife met Ahijah, the prophet, there was actually no reason for her disguise because Ahijah could not even see. He was blind. His blindness however, did not really matter because God had told him the truth of the whole matter. Jeroboam’s wife learned of two things. First that the news was bad and second, that though she was sent to Ahijah by her husband, in truth Ahijah was sent by God with a message to her and Jeroboam.

Ahijah declares God’s judgment on the house of Jeroboam.

Jeroboam reigned only for twenty-two years before he died and was buried with his fathers.

The end of Rehoboam, King of Judah (Verses 21 to 29)

Judah did evil in the sight of the Lord, and they provoked Him to jealously with their sins. These sins provoked the Lord because they were essentially sins of idolatry. Israel turned their back on the God who loved and redeemed them, and like an unfaithful spouse, they pursued spiritual adultery with idols. They were also perverted persons in the land. This specifically describes prostitutes associated with the worship of idols.

When Rehoboam died, he was buried with his fathers in the City of David.