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Rehoboam and Jeroboam - Service and Sacrifice
First Kings 12-14
Israel’s fourth king is doomed to division and decline as depravity takes over the throne. Through the reigns of Saul, David and Solomon there has been mostly a unified monarchy; but everything changes with Rehoboam, the son of Solomon. As a judgment against Solomon’s apostasy, ten of the twelve tribes are torn away from the house of David and given to an exiled rebel from the North, a man called Jeroboam. Abraham Lincoln quoted Jesus when he said, “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” The same goes for a kingdom. Division was followed by depravity and decline; as one kingdom becomes two, both begin a downward spiral into destruction as they turn away from God. Only Judah will have an occasional good king.
From this point on there will be two kingdoms whose histories are recorded for us concurrently throughout the books of Kings and Chronicles, with Chronicles focusing on the Southern kingdom of Judah because it was the line of David, to whom God had made everlasting promises. You will see throughout the inspired Biblical record that the dates for each king is compared to the reign of the kings in the other kingdom. For example, “In the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Asa became king over Judah.” (1Kings15:9) From now on there will be two kingdoms: Israel is the northern ten tribes and Judah is the southern two tribes of Judah and Benjamin (all of Judah and most of Benjamin).
Solomon turned from God in a big way. It appears that after Solomon’s blatant turn away from God in his later years he realized his error, repented and wrote the book of Ecclesiastes. He had learned his lesson. However, it did not take the consequences of his apostasy away. Even while Solomon lived God promised ten of the tribes to an industrious young man of valor named Jeroboam (11:26-40). Solomon heard of it and like King Saul before him sought to kill God’s appointed king; but Jeroboam fled to Egypt until Solomon died.
At Rehoboam’s inauguration Jeroboam and his northern people asked Rehoboam to ease the workload and taxes that Solomon had imposed on them. In a display of arrogance, he listened to his cronies and threatened to increase both. Listen to the words of the wise elders to him, “If you will be a servant to these people today, and serve them, speak good words to them, then they will be your servants forever.” (12:7) That was Rehoboam’s problem – he didn’t want to serve anybody; he wanted others to serve him. Therefore they left him and under Jeroboam’s leadership set up their own kingdom in the north. They would never again be one... to read more click on the following link:
http://www.gracehouseclinton.com/2020/03/rehoboam-and-jeroboam-service-and-sacrifice
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