Scripture Reading: 1 Kings 12:12-20
At the end of his life Solomon became idolatrous, having been influenced by his many foreign wives. God was angry with him and the penalty was that Solomon's son, Rehoboam, would not be able to rule over all of Israel.
The nation would, in fact, be divided into two kingdoms. Rehoboam would be given only one tribe of the 12 Jewish tribes, namely the tribe of Judah. The tribe of Benjamin would eventually join Judah in the formation of a southern Jewish kingdom.
The summary of Rehoboam's life is as follows: "When the rule of Rehoboam was established and he was strong, he abandoned the law of the Lord, and all Israel with him. . . . And he did evil, for he did not set his heart to seek the LORD" (2 Chr 12:1,14).
Though Rehoboam's heart did not seek God, there were times when Rehoboam obeyed God (1 Kgs 12:21-24) and times when he humbled himself before God (2 Chr 12:6,12). Rehoboam's life was characterized by a fundamental rejection of God, while appealing to God in times of need. It is a common response of an unbelieving heart, but Christians still have the same tendency. How easy it is to be passionate about God when we suffer, but careless and half-hearted when we feel strong. May God help us to pursue Him bothin times of pleasure and pain.
