Bad Counsel Caused Division
Book of 1 Kings Chapter 12
We have a new president, and we hope those he chooses as councilors will help lead him to make our nation great again.
The best advice that any should give him is to return our nation to the Lord our God.
We can be assured that he was chosen to lead the United States of America by God Himself and God has His reasons, and it is His will.
Our lesson today covers one of the most important times in the history of Israel.
The division of the tribes of Israel caused many bad feelings that have not been overcome even in our day.
These were also important times for the Church because as Christians we need to understand the history of Israel to understand the prophets and prophecy.
Israel will divide into a Northern Kingdom and a Southern Kingdom.
We will also see that God loves the Gentiles who the people of Israel considered to be heathen.
These things were not done in secret. God had warned Solomon just as He warns us all today.
Now, God does not cause these things to happen, He allows them to happen.
God has given us free will to choose between right and wrong and He guides us to show us the right way.
God cannot be blamed for the wrong that is done in our world because He will not force us to do right nor will He force us to do wrong. He just tells us the truth!
As King Solomon died at the young age of around sixty the turmoil began with his son Rehoboam.
*****1Ki 12:1 And Rehoboam went to Shechem: for all Israel were come to Shechem to make him king.
We know that King David had ruled as a conqueror.
King Solomon ruled as a man of peace but high taxation.
The people of Israel had no benefits from the rule of King Solomon except they lived in peace.
After King Solomon, the people wanted to modify the character of the next government.
Arrogance is a terrible evil. Arrogance puts people down and then pushes them away, treating them as inferior.
Here in America, we understand this very well.
We have seen this in our last few Democratic governments so we can relate to the people of Israel during the time of King Solomon.
This arrogance was passed down to Solomon's son Rehoboam.
Rehoboam possessed none of the traits of his father other than arrogance.
Rehoboam possessed none of the traits of his grandfather David.
Rehoboam was recognized as heir to the throne of his father.
The coronation of Rehoboam was to take place at Shechem.
It was at Shechem that Abraham built his first altar in the Promised Land and received the promise of Jehovah.
It was at Shechem where Jacob bought a parcel of land from the children Hamor and settled with his household and where he buried the idols of his wives under a tree named "the oak of the sorcerer".
It was at Shechem where Jacob dug a well where the Lord Jesus would meet a Samaritan woman.
It was at Shechem where Joshua gave his parting address and made a covenant with the people.
Jos 24:15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.
Shechem was a special place of the promises of God!
It will be at Shechem where Rehoboam will show his arrogance and cause Israel to become a divided nation.
It was at Shechem where Jeroboam took up his residence for a while.
It is Shechem that is said to be the most beautiful place in all of Palestine.
*****1Ki 12:2 And it came to pass, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who was yet in Egypt, heard of it, (for he was fled from the presence of king Solomon, and Jeroboam dwelt in Egypt;)
1Ki 12:3 That they sent and called him. And Jeroboam and all the congregation of Israel came, and spake unto Rehoboam, saying,
1Ki 12:4 Thy father made our yoke grievous: now therefore make thou the grievous service of thy father, and his heavy yoke which he put upon us, lighter, and we will serve thee.
Jeroboam, who King Solomon had run out of town was now back and was taking the lead voice of the opposition to the kingdom under Solomon.
1Ki 11:40 Solomon sought therefore to kill Jeroboam. And Jeroboam arose, and fled into Egypt, unto Shishak king of Egypt, and was in Egypt until the death of Solomon.
We could ask ourselves why.
1Ki 11:28 And the man Jeroboam was a mighty man of valour: and Solomon seeing the young man that he was industrious, he made him ruler over all the charge of the house of Joseph.
1Ki 11:29 And it came to pass at that time when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, that the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite found him in the way; and he had clad himself with a new garment; and they two were alone in the field:
1Ki 11:30 And Ahijah caught the new garment that was on him, and rent it in twelve pieces:
1Ki 11:31 And he said to Jeroboam, Take thee ten pieces: for thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, Behold, I will rend the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and will give ten tribes to thee:
1Ki 11:32 (But he shall have one tribe for my servant David's sake, and for Jerusalem's sake, the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel:)
1Ki 11:33 Because that they have forsaken me, and have worshipped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Milcom the god of the children of Ammon, and have not walked in my ways, to do that which is right in mine eyes, and to keep my statutes and my judgments, as did David his father.
The name Joseph denotes the two tribes Ephraim and Manasseh and Ephraim denotes the Kingdom of Israel and then the whole covenant people of Israel.
From Ezekiel, we see this thing:
Eze 37:16 Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions:
Eze 37:17 And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand.
Eze 37:18 And when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee, saying, Wilt thou not shew us what thou meanest by these?
Eze 37:19 Say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with him, even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in mine hand.
This is taking place today.
We can now see the other side of the rule of King Solomon.
There were heavy taxes under Solomon.
Tyrants oppressed their subjects with grievous impositions.
This tax and impositions were not only for the people which would have been ok, but for the expenses of Solomon's court.
This tax supported all the wives and concubines of King Solomon and any whim he took part in which did not set well with the people.
This tax-supported all the festivities of Solomon's lavish lifestyle.
We should keep in mind that King Solomon was the richest person to have ever lived, but he kept those riches to himself when he could have paid all the taxes and still been rich.
When Solomon forsakes the Lord and worshipped idols then the people surely had enough of him and were glad to see him go.
To the average Israelite, being under the burden of such high taxes was like a yoke laid upon beasts of burden and seemed more like servant work rather than living in peace.
As long as King Solomon walked with the Lord, he was important as the Holy Spirit guided this author, but as soon as he forsake the Lord God Jehovah he became insignificant, not just to the people but also to Jehovah.
In a sense Solomon destroyed himself and it was not helping his son Rehoboam.
Millo was a new fortification that protected Jerusalem from an attack from the north. It is also called the Citadel.
Solomon also repaired any weak places in the walls of Jerusalem.
Solomon began to fear the loss of his kingdom which was impossible because of God's promise to King David.
All King Solomon had to do was to remain faithful to Jehovah.
Solomon took his eyes off the Lord and fell into the trap of lust.
1Jn_2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
Let us see this history of Israel develop.
*****1Ki 12:5 And he said unto them, Depart yet for three days, then come again to me. And the people departed.
1Ki 12:6 And king Rehoboam consulted with the old men, that stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, and said, How do ye advise that I may answer this people?
1Ki 12:7 And they spake unto him, saying, If thou wilt be a servant unto this people this day, and wilt serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will be thy servants for ever.
Now the Son of Solomon, Rehoboam was facing some angry people, especially those of Ephraim who were being led by an angry Jeroboam.
We already know that Jeroboam was a mighty man of valor.
1Ki 11:28 And the man Jeroboam was a mighty man of valour: and Solomon seeing the young man that he was industrious, he made him ruler over all the charge of the house of Joseph.
Solomon had determined to kill Jeroboam for what God's prophet had said to him.
We all know that we cannot change what God has said will take place!
Rehoboam was at least wise enough to seek counsel before responding to the people of Ephraim.
Shechem was a twelve hour walk from Jerusalem, and it would take some time for the councilors of Rehoboam to reach Shechem and to meet with Rehoboam.
Rehoboam had sent for the councilors of his father Solomon and his friends who he had been raised with.
These were a bunch of rich spoiled kids who had no worries growing up and knew nothing of ruling government.
Solomon had caused every Israelite to serve one month in government service and then two months at home until all his building project had been completed and many more of them were drafted into the military, but not these young men who had rich parents.
Solomon required heavy taxes upon the people and the rich just got richer and the poor got poorer, and the poor were seeking some much-needed relief.
All the building projects were complete and such taxes were certainly no longer needed.
Rehoboam had inherited the riches of his father, and he certainly did not need more riches.
For years the people had been complaining about the harshness of King Solomon, but nothing changed.
Rehoboam first consulted with the elders who had counselled his father, Solomon.
There was wisdom in the council of the elders, good for every government.
A government that serves the people will be a lasting government.
A government that listens to its people and takes action to help them will be a lasting government.
The government that does these things will find people who will willingly serve the government.
This is the principle behind the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
The Lord Jesus came to serve!
Rev 5:9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;
Rev 5:10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.
Jesus taught us that whoever would be great must begin by being a servant.
The proud and lofty in this world are served enough without taking the needs of the poor.
Rehoboam was already forty-one years of age, he should have known better, but his mother was a pagan, and he had witnessed his father worship a pagan god.
1Ki 14:21 And Rehoboam the son of Solomon reigned in Judah. Rehoboam was forty and one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which the LORD did choose out of all the tribes of Israel, to put his name there. And his mother's name was Naamah an Ammonitess.
Rehoboam next turned to his friends who were not so young being his age but certainly younger than those elders.
Rehoboam forsook the council of the elders and turned to his rich friends.
*****1Ki 12:8 But he forsook the counsel of the old men, which they had given him, and consulted with the young men that were grown up with him, and which stood before him:
1Ki 12:9 And he said unto them, What counsel give ye that we may answer this people, who have spoken to me, saying, Make the yoke which thy father did put upon us lighter?
1Ki 12:10 And the young men that were grown up with him spake unto him, saying, Thus shalt thou speak unto this people that spake unto thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou it lighter unto us; thus shalt thou say unto them, My little finger shall be thicker than my father's loins.
1Ki 12:11 And now whereas my father did lade you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke: my father hath chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.
Now we should not think of these young men as in their twenties or their thirties.
Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he succeeded his father on the throne, and we should expect those men that he grew up with to be about his age but they were still spoiled rich kids.
Rehoboam was even more arrogant and prideful than his father Solomon.
He would tax these tribes even more than his father and increase their workload.
He even mentioned scourging.
If we do nothing else in our lifetime we need to guard against arrogance and pride!
These things do not suit the Christian who is following in the ways of our Lord Jesus Christ who gave us the example of humility.
These younger men had grown up living in luxury and wealth and they knew nothing of an honest day’s work.
They knew nothing of responsibility!
These were pampered men with childish ways.
They had no respect for the people of Israel!
Sounds a whole lot like the America we have been living in where our government had no respect for the taxpayer, and we hope these things change with our new government.
We as the children of God are not better than anyone else in this world though we may be better off because our names are written down in the Lamb's Book of Life.
None of us are to be slaves to arrogant governments or anyone else!
In many places, God speaks against these things.
Psa_10:2 The wicked in his pride doth persecute the poor: let them be taken in the devices that they have imagined.
Psa_10:4 The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.
Pro_8:13 The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.
Pro_16:18 Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.
Rehoboam claimed that his power would far exceed that of his Father King Solomon.
Pro 10:14 Wise men lay up knowledge: but the mouth of the foolish is near destruction.
Pro 10:15 The rich man's wealth is his strong city: the destruction of the poor is their poverty.
What happens eventually in such cases? People rebel.
Jeroboam knew exactly how the people of Israel had suffered under King Solomon, and he now had the respect of ten of the tribes of Israel.
Jeroboam now clearly understood what the Prophet Ahijah had told him.
1Ki 11:29 And it came to pass at that time when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, that the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite found him in the way; and he had clad himself with a new garment; and they two were alone in the field:
1Ki 11:30 And Ahijah caught the new garment that was on him, and rent it in twelve pieces:
1Ki 11:31 And he said to Jeroboam, Take thee ten pieces: for thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, Behold, I will rend the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and will give ten tribes to thee:
God keeps His reason for doing this very simple.
1Ki 11:33 Because that they have forsaken me, and have worshipped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Milcom the god of the children of Ammon, and have not walked in my ways, to do that which is right in mine eyes, and to keep my statutes and my judgments, as did David his father.
We talk many times about God keeping His promises and we can be sure He will also keep those promises of forsaking Him.
In the end, Jeroboam was not so much different from Rehoboam, but he would still rule Ephraim which included ten of the tribes of Israel for twenty-two years.
*****1Ki 12:16 So when all Israel saw that the king hearkened not unto them, the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David? neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: to your tents, O Israel: now see to thine own house, David. So Israel departed unto their tents.
1Ki 12:17 But as for the children of Israel which dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them.
The United Kingdom of Israel was dissolved before Rehoboam was crowned as King of Judah.
Rehoboam was a weak and wicked man!
There is an old saying that says "he who would rule others must first rule himself".
We should understand by now that God gives opportunities to individuals and nations even though they will not improve them.
It was the divine plan of God to give Jeroboam control of the ten tribes of Israel even though God knew that Jeroboam would also forsake Him.
We may not understand this, but Jehovah has a much greater plan in motion.
Now this does not mean that Jehovah caused Jeroboam to act the way he did because he was allowed to do good and he failed to do so as he too became arrogant and prideful.
We must also understand that Jehovah is not sitting in Heaven waiting to see what rulers will do and he is not ever caught off guard.
God gives everyone a chance to do good when opportunities are given to them.
It is that sinful nature that gets us in so much trouble.
Rehoboam would rule Judah and Benjamin.
Rehoboam tried one more thing to insert his authority over those who rebelled.
*****1Ki 12:18 Then king Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was over the tribute; and all Israel stoned him with stones, that he died. Therefore king Rehoboam made speed to get him up to his chariot, to flee to Jerusalem.
Adoram (or Adoniram) was the man over the taxes or tribute for King Solomon and now for King Rehoboam to either collect the taxes or make a compromise with the tribes of the north, but he was stoned to death and Rehoboam left for the safety of Jerusalem.
Adoram was the wrong man to send for he was famous for his harsh policies of forced labor.
From this point in the history of Israel, the name Israel referred to the ten Northern Tribes and the name Judah referred to the Southern Tribes of Judah and Benjamin.
*****1Ki 12:19 So Israel rebelled against the house of David unto this day.
1Ki 12:20 And it came to pass, when all Israel heard that Jeroboam was come again, that they sent and called him unto the congregation, and made him king over all Israel: there was none that followed the house of David, but the tribe of Judah only.
Jeroboam becomes the king of the Northern Tribes of Israel.
We should understand that Ephraim had always felt the most important since the time of Joseph, but Jehovah does not see it that way and God made sure promises to the House of David still recognized as Israel's greatest king.
Again, we must understand that Jehovah has guided the nation of Israel with a special purpose, but He guides the history of all the world in the same way.
God gave mankind free will to follow Him or not to follow Him.
We must also understand that nothing in this universe is outside the scope of Jehovah's sovereign rule!
Eph 1:11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
Eph 1:12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.
The will of God is made known in real-time.
It is each believer in the Lord Jesus Christ that is chosen by Jehovah and He made this decision before He created any part of this world.
Eph 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
Eph 1:4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
Eph 1:5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
Eph 1:6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
There is no one alive today, no one who lived in the past or who will live in the future that Jehovah will not offer an opportunity to be adopted into the family of God, and it all centers around the Lord Jesus Christ.
2Ti 1:9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,
2Ti 1:10 But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:
Our purpose is not here on this earth even though we will be given opportunities while we are alive.
Even the death of the Lord Jesus Christ was determined before the foundation of the world was laid.
1Pe 1:20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,
1Pe 1:21 Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.
Our God has this amazing plan for every believer, and we could look at our world as the place God has chosen to separate the believer from those who reject Him.
Rom 11:32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.
Rom 11:33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
Rom 11:34 For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?
Rom 11:35 Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?
Rom 11:36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.
We simply cannot comprehend the wisdom and the knowledge of our Divine Savior.
He does not have to consult with anyone, and no one has advised Him.
It is because God knows all things before, they happen, and He controls and guides all events for His Own Glory and For Our own Good.
Psa 104:24 O LORD, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches.
Pro 3:19 The LORD by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens.
God does not ever have to adjust His plan according to the things that happen here on earth, He simply knows all things!
Amen
