1 Kings - Lesson 12

• Last week, we witnessed a major turning in the narrative of the life and legacy of Solomon and his reign over Israel.

  • Solomon’s rule began under the guidance, direction and submission to the Lord by way of the wisdom of God.

    • This was something that Solomon had requested of the Lord at Gibeon when the Lord appeared to him.

    • Solomon desired that he have the necessary wisdom and discernment to lead the people of God well.

    • But somewhere along the road, whether fame, riches, or power, these things took ahold of Solomon causing a lapse in judgement.

    • Solomon’s failure to apply wisdom over the course of his latter years as king caused a great downward spiral in his leadership.

  • From Chapters 6-9, we witnessed moments of compromise and change very subtly in Solomon’s decisions.

    • And that observation became a glaring spotlight for us because it helped us to see that if we do not guard our hearts, we too will fall.

    • So because of Solomon’s series of compromises, it led to the rising discipline of the Lord.

  • The Lord in His sovereignty raised up enemies of Israel in whom existed during David’s day and would now become enemies of Solomon.

    • And we were able to see in our previous lesson that the Lord has a way of getting our attention when we are out of line.

    • But what becomes a grace in it all is knowing that the Lord is very near to us and is able and willing to forgive us our sins.

    • We simply must turn from our ways, seek forgiveness, and return to the Lord in humility.

  • Finally, it was towards the end of Chapter 11 that the Lord raised up an internal enemy against Solomon who was close to him.

    • A man by the name Jeroboam. The Lord would use Jeroboam as an instrument of disruption causing the Kingdom to be divided in two.

    • The 10 tribes of Israel in the North and the 2 tribes in the south, in which Benjamin was included with that of Judah.

  • And the Lord uses a prophet by the name, Ahijah who will give Jeroboam this prophecy in which Jeroboam would be given the 10 northern tribes as his own.

    • However, the Lord, in His grace would spare Judah as a promise made in Genesis 49:10:

Genesis 49:10 “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, Until Shiloh comes, And to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.

• That because the chosen seed of the Lord would come from Judah, the Lord preserves this tribe and the city itself for Himself.

  • And as one would imagine, the news of the splitting of a United Kingdom getting to Solomon became an enraging matter.

  • And so Solomon seeks to eliminate any possible threat against the Kingdom in its unified form.

  • So as a way to stay safe, Jeroboam goes into hiding until the death of Solomon.

• What we see from Chapter 11 is that the Lord prepares the stage for His outworking plan of man’s failure to uphold His word.

  • And He sets up particular men who will be used to cause destruction which eventually opens way to Assyria and Babylon wreaking havoc in the land.

    • We are then left with the successor of Solomon’s rule, now over the southern kingdom of Judah and Benjamin – Solomon’s son, Rehoboam.

  • So, as we move into Chapter 12, we are going to begin to see the rise of God’s prophets who will serve as His mouthpiece to both the northern and southern kingdoms.

    • And secondly, we are going to see the rise and fall of kings and their fall in their folly.

    • Although there will be a few kings who will try to remain anchored in the Lord, it won’t be done perfectly.

    • Israel is awaiting their King and the only means of their receiving Him is by them returning to God’s righteous Son, Jesus Christ.

  • With that background in mind, I want to provide us with an outline of what we will see in the text:

    • 1. Rehoboam seeks Counsel (vv.1-5)

    • 2. A Tale of two counsels and the failure to execute wisdom (vv.6-15)

    • 3. The Kingdom divides (vv.16-20)

    • 4. The Word of the Lord given to Rehoboam (vv.21-24)

    • 5. Jeroboam’s slippery slope (vv.25-33)

  • If I were to put a tag on our text tonight, it would simply be: The Issues of Two Kings.

    • With that being said, I invite you to open your bibles and meet me in 1 Kings 12, starting at verses 1-5 for the reading of the word of the Lord.

1 Kings 12:1 Then Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king.
1 Kings 12:2 Now when Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard of it, he was living in Egypt (for he was yet in Egypt, where he had fled from the presence of King Solomon).
1 Kings 12:3 Then they sent and called him, and Jeroboam and all the assembly of Israel came and spoke to Rehoboam, saying,
1 Kings 12:4 “Your father made our yoke hard; now therefore lighten the hard service of your father and his heavy yoke which he put on us, and we will serve you.”
1 Kings 12:5 Then he said to them, “Depart for three days, then return to me.” So the people departed.

• Solomon has died and we are now introduced to a new character in the narrative, a son of Solomon, Rehoboam.

  • We are not given much about the upbringing of Rehoboam or any other of Solomon’s sons for that matter.

    • And perhaps this is the case because the writer, by the leading of the Spirit, is focused on the actions of Rehoboam himself.

    • We are immediately thrust into this coronation moment where he is sent to be crowned king over a still united Israel.

  • The writer tells us that the location of coronation is in a place called Shechem.

    • Scripture doesn’t tells us why the coronation was to be in Shechem, because as one would assume Jerusalem would have been most appropriate as that was where the Temple resided and the King’s palace.

  • Whatever the cause for Shechem being selected, we are told that among those gathering for the upcoming coronation of Rehoboam was Jeroboam.

    • The writer provides the latecomer into the narrative with background as to where Jeroboam has been.

    • Remember, Jeroboam had to flee from the wrath of Solomon being that Jeroboam was the man in whom the Lord chose to remove 10 tribes from a united Israel.

  • However, with such an auspicious occasion, it was recommended, as a fellow countryman, for Jeroboam to participate in the coronation festivities.

    • Especially having served in the previous king’s administration.

    • Perhaps, the sending of Jeroboam went beyond him being a fellow countryman but extended even further.

  • Meaning that, the people sought to leverage Jeroboam’s previous political position to advocate on behalf of them.

    • This is why in verses 4-5 we find the people unanimously speaking up regarding their frustration regarding the heavy burden that Solomon placed upon them.

    • One question that might arise is: What was the heavy yoke that was placed upon the people?

  • In one way, in order for so many of Solomon’s construction projects to occur, it required money. That money could only come from one place – the people.

    • So, the more the country has to put out financially means the more there is a heavier burden on the people to pay.

    • On top of that, there may have also been heavy work restrictions on the people.

  • So with all of these demands being made to the king on the day of coronation, it could seem too confrontational than celebrational.

    • So in order to better have a hold over the situation and assess what could be done, Rehoboam requests from the people 3 days to process.

  • What will be interesting to observe in the next few verses is Rehoboam’s decision-making process through it all.

    • Check out verses 6-11.

1 Kings 12:6 King Rehoboam consulted with the elders who had served his father Solomon while he was still alive, saying, “How do you counsel me to answer this people?”
1 Kings 12:7 Then they spoke to him, saying, “If you will be a servant to this people today, and will serve them and grant them their petition, and speak good words to them, then they will be your servants forever.”
1 Kings 12:8 But he forsook the counsel of the elders which they had given him, and consulted with the young men who grew up with him and served him.
1 Kings 12:9 So he said to them, “What counsel do you give that we may answer this people who have spoken to me, saying, ‘Lighten the yoke which your father put on us’?”
1 Kings 12:10 The young men who grew up with him spoke to him, saying, “Thus you shall say to this people who spoke to you, saying, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, now you make it lighter for us!’ But you shall speak to them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s loins!
1 Kings 12:11 ‘Whereas my father loaded you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke; my father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.’ ”
1 Kings 12:12 Then Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day as the king had directed, saying, “Return to me on the third day.”
1 Kings 12:13 The king answered the people harshly, for he forsook the advice of the elders which they had given him,
1 Kings 12:14 and he spoke to them according to the advice of the young men, saying, “My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke; my father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.”
1 Kings 12:15 So the king did not listen to the people; for it was a turn of events from the Lord, that He might establish His word, which the Lord spoke through Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat

• We come to a section of the text where one must ask the question: Who can I run to, to make the right decision?

  • This section of the text highlights the theme of wisdom and its rightful pursuit.

    • We are told that after the people have made their petition quite vocal that Rehoboam immediately goes to seek counsel – great step!

    • However, if you don’t pay attention to the wording of the text, you will see that his decision was already made up a while ago.

  • Notice that Rehoboam begins by going to consult the elders who served his father, Solomon – great first step!

    • Because they served Solomon during his rule, they would understand the people’s frustration and provide adequate counsel for Rehoboam’s success.

    • They suggest that Rehoboam approach the people with a servant-mindset and not one of a heavy-handed ruler.

    • In other words, it would require the humility of the king to see the needs of the people and to meet that need. (Meekness)

    • “Rehoboam, you respond in humility, and you will win the hearts of the people”

  • Maturity says, let’s walk well with the people so that there may be peace within the Nation, whereas immaturity rejects wisdom and increases the burden.

    • We’re told in verse 8 that the wisdom of the elders is rejected, and Rehoboam now seeks the counsel of his peers.

    • What makes verses 9-11 so disappointing but quite revealing is the wording used by the writer of the king’s heart.

  • Notice, Rehoboam asks his friends, “What counsel do you give that “we” may answer this people…”

    • It becomes quite clear that under this new rule of leadership Rehoboam had made the decision who his counsel would be.

    • Furthermore, there is this sense that Rehoboam had a “get back” spirit.

    • Meaning, he had something he sought to prove, pride was swelling up, and that he wouldn’t be put down by the people’s petition!

  • This reveals so much regarding the very character of Rehoboam as king: His lack of discernment, his unwillingness to follow wise counsel, but most importantly pride.

    • Out of all of these verses, we fail to see the first counsel in which he ought to have sought – the counsel of the Lord.

    • And herein lies a biblical principal: That when we fail to seek the Lord’s counsel, we end up taking matters in our own hands.

  • God’s ways and wisdom are greater than our ways and our rejection of His counsel leads to great disappointment.

    • There is something beautiful about the diversity of age within the body of Christ because it provides a sharpening in discipleship that is unmatched.

    • It’s what I call, cross-generational discipleship. This is what Paul gets at in Titus 2:1-10 where he talks about older men pouring into younger men.

    • Older women pouring into younger women and showing them what it means to be a woman of God in a corrupted culture.

  • There is great benefit in the wisdom of the older generation when we are willing to sit down and listen to their counsel instead of rejecting their words.

    • Job 12:12 says the following:

Job 12:12 “Wisdom is with aged men, With long life is understanding.

• • So instead of Rehoboam seeking wisdom from the elders who walked with wisdom, he chose the heavy thumb of dominance and pride as the means of his rule.

    • However, we know that the Coming King Jesus Christ will rule in a completely different fashion.

    • For it was in Mark 10:45, that Jesus in His first coming made it known that although He was Messiah, His first coming was not to be served but to serve.

    • This friends, becomes the epitome of true servant-leadership a willingness to lead out of love and wisdom, not out of selfishness and ambition.

  • So, after Rehoboam’s request for three days of processing and need to seek counsel, he returns to the people with his verdict.

    • And his verdict does not satisfy the hearts of the people it simply increases the hostility of the people, further establishing the Lord’s word to Jeroboam.

  • Here is where we see God’s sovereignty at play throughout the drama of human history.

    • This stage setting of Israelite agitation from the north had to ensue for the people’s desire to pull away from the King’s rule.

    • And in turn, this allows Jeroboam’s ascension to political leadership and eventual kingship in the north is able to take place.

  • And if you noticed from the beginning of the text, you could already see the writer showing the people getting behind Jeroboam by sending word for him.

    • And through these moments of irritation and aggravation in the hearts of human interaction, it led to the Lord’s word coming about.

    • And as verse 15 reveals, the instrument of cause is none other than the Lord Himself using men and their very nature to bring about His very purposes.

    • For the only way in which Jeroboam would become King is if there was an internal disruption that would cause this political schism within Israel.

  • And what a powerful witness to human history, that God is not detached from the engagements of this world, meaning nothing falls outside of His Sovereign control.

    • There is nothing that escapes the hand of God without His Will or permission.

    • That whether good, bad, ugly, or indifferent, it is all used to bring Him Glory and to make much of His great name.

    • The question becomes, how will you see it?! Even when it means that certain circumstances come knocking at your door.

  • Maybe there are circumstances that the Lord brings about in your life that may take you aback.

    • However, if you believe that He is Sovereign, you will see it not as a hinderance but as an opportunity for the Lord to get the glory out of your life.

    • Because these opportunities, under the Sovereign hand of God, are ways to further conform us to the image of Jesus and for us to set our eyes upon eternal things.

  • So from this point, we now begin to see God’s word move toward being fulfilled.

    • A United Kingdom being divided into 2 kingdoms: 10 Northern tribes against 2 Southern tribes. Check out verses 16-20.

1 Kings 12:16 When all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them, the people answered the king, saying, “What portion do we have in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse; To your tents, O Israel! Now look after your own house, David!” So Israel departed to their tents.
1 Kings 12:17 But as for the sons of Israel who lived in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them.
1 Kings 12:18 Then King Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was over the forced labor, and all Israel stoned him to death. And King Rehoboam made haste to mount his chariot to flee to Jerusalem.
1 Kings 12:19 So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day.
1 Kings 12:20 It came about when all Israel heard that Jeroboam had returned, that they sent and called him to the assembly and made him king over all Israel. None but the tribe of Judah followed the house of David.

• Being that the people saw that there was going to be no relief from King Rehoboam they moved to the next viable option – rebellion.

  • And this rebellion begins in quite a familiar way with that of Sheba’s rebellion in 2 Samuel 20.

    • It seems that the same feeling of separation and alienation began to arise only this time due to the nature of the king's unwise behavior.

    • The Northern tribes revert to old habits where they say, “What portion do we have in David?”

  • The northern tribes had enough and were no longer going to take this sense of unfair treatment, that they perhaps believed the southern tribe were not receiving.

    • Whatever the case, it becomes clear that Judah was staying beside their king while Israel was going to depart home.

    • Now, on one end one could understand the Northern tribe’s frustration, however there is order to God.

    • And being that the North was rebelling against God’s anointed king, regardless of His ways, meant that the North was rebelling against God.

  • The key point in verse 16 is the line that reads, “Now look after your own house David”.

    • The assumption here is that their lack of submission was not just to David’s descendant, but ultimately their rebellion against God!

    • And with that, in due time, the Lord would deal with them accordingly.

  • Now, whether as a means to control the situation or perhaps to find common ground, Rehoboam sends a man named Adoram after Israel.

    • So, imagine, this is one man, perhaps with a message to the people versus an entirety of 10 tribes – this would have been hundreds upon thousands of men.

    • One would hope that the messenger wouldn’t get shot, but in this occasion all bets were off the table because you have an enraged people.

    • And just like that, Israel stoned Adoram, who was over forced labor, to death.

  • Israel’s response to the King’s servant became a clear message to stay clear or be killed and it became clear to Rehoboam to part ways.

    • From there, Rehoboam flees back to Jerusalem and from that point a once United Kingdom of Israel has now officially been divided in two.

    • What a telling tale of how a divided heart moved to a falling away from truth, which further gave way to inflamed perverted power.

  • The principle here becomes that unchecked sin gives way to radical rule of that sin in our lives!

    • And all of this became unhinged because of small departures from absolute truth along the way!

    • Oh that we guard our hearts and are mindful of our ways lest we too become prone to fall.

• So as all of these events are unfolding before our eyes regarding Israel’s history, we find that the stage setting is continuing to unfold.

  • Because it is in verse 20 that we see that when Israel see that Jeroboam returns they, without hesitation, make him King over Israel.

    • Clearly, Israel had their eyes on Jeroboam and knew that he too was a valiant warrior as Solomon did.

    • And who better to lead them in this upcoming rebellion of independence but Jeroboam, himself.

    • And as prophesized to Jeroboam by Ahijah, his rise to the throne manifested before his very eyes.

  • However, as one would imagine having such a great divide such as this would not be likely welcomed by a King.

    • Therefore, Rehoboam is going to prepare for war! Check out verses 21-24.

1 Kings 12:21 Now when Rehoboam had come to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin, 180,000 chosen men who were warriors, to fight against the house of Israel to restore the kingdom to Rehoboam the son of Solomon.
1 Kings 12:22 But the word of God came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying,
1 Kings 12:23 “Speak to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all the house of Judah and Benjamin and to the rest of the people, saying,
1 Kings 12:24 ‘Thus says the Lord, “You must not go up and fight against your relatives the sons of Israel; return every man to his house, for this thing has come from Me.” ’ ” So they listened to the word of the Lord, and returned and went their way according to the word of the Lord.

• A huge turn of events happens here as we had just read that Rehoboam was preparing for a civil war.

  • Issues escalated between the North and the South when an initial attempt to restore the Kingdom under Rehoboam’s rule was rejected.

    • And from that rejection came the further inflammation of his pride which led to war rather than further peace.

    • This further perpetuates Rehoboam’s lack of discernment and wisdom as a leader over the people.

  • However, before things could progress any further, we are told that the word of the Lord came to a prophet named Shemaiah.

    • And the word was for there to be no fighting between the relatives of the sons of Israel (fellow brothers).

    • This was definitely a word from the Lord because to say these words in front of the king and a group of close to 180,000 warriors requires boldness.

  • And what the writer notates next is that the people and the king both respond in obedience to the word of the Lord, by way of Shemaiah.

    • And this reaction, in such a unanimous way, goes to show that despite the opposition of the hearts of men, God will always get His way!

    • Just another way in which scripture demonstrates to the reader of the Sovereignty of God!

  • We now arrive to our last few verses where the scene pivots from a focus on the Southern Kingdom to now a light shining onto the Northern Kingdom.

    • Check out verses 25-33.

1 Kings 12:25 Then Jeroboam built Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and lived there. And he went out from there and built Penuel.
1 Kings 12:26 Jeroboam said in his heart, “Now the kingdom will return to the house of David.
1 Kings 12:27 “If this people go up to offer sacrifices in the house of the Lord at Jerusalem, then the heart of this people will return to their lord, even to Rehoboam king of Judah; and they will kill me and return to Rehoboam king of Judah.”
1 Kings 12:28 So the king consulted, and made two golden calves, and he said to them, “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem; behold your gods, O Israel, that brought you up from the land of Egypt.”
1 Kings 12:29 He set one in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan.
1 Kings 12:30 Now this thing became a sin, for the people went to worship before the one as far as Dan.
1 Kings 12:31 And he made houses on high places, and made priests from among all the people who were not of the sons of Levi.
1 Kings 12:32 Jeroboam instituted a feast in the eighth month on the fifteenth day of the month, like the feast which is in Judah, and he went up to the altar; thus he did in Bethel, sacrificing to the calves which he had made. And he stationed in Bethel the priests of the high places which he had made.
1 Kings 12:33 Then he went up to the altar which he had made in Bethel on the fifteenth day in the eighth month, even in the month which he had devised in his own heart; and he instituted a feast for the sons of Israel and went up to the altar to burn incense.

• At this point in the narrative, the writer picks back up on the storyline for the Northern Kingdom.

  • It was in verse 20 that Israel had assembled together to make Jeroboam King over them.

    • So where the writer picks back up is there along with Jeroboam “settling in” to his new position as king just as the Lord said he would.

  • Perhaps this could have been the beginning of the Northern Kingdom operating in a positive way – obeying the Mosaic covenant.

    • Remember, the prophet Ahijah had informed Jeroboam that there was opportunity for the Lord to build for him an enduring house as well. (1 Kings 11)

    • So the tension of the text is moving in that direction: What path will Jeroboam take?

    • Will it be the way of Solomon or the way of David? However, it wasn’t too long till we get to verse 26.

  • It’s in verse 26 where Jeroboam now begins to experience this “turning of his heart”.

    • And this turning occurs because of rising jealousy of anticipated paranoia which was, “the people may turn from me and go back to the house of David.”

    • In other words, rather than taking God at His word regarding the promise He made to Him, Jeroboam attempts to take matters into his own hands.

    • This goes back to the attempt at altering the Creator/creature distinction!

  • The premise for his paranoia was that there will be a need for the people to go back to Jerusalem to worship the Lord at the Temple.

    • And in their going back to Jerusalem, the people will seek to recommit themselves to the house of David and the promise to the Davidic covenant.

    • Do you see where the failure in trust happened here? Jeroboam did not believe the promise of the Lord!

    • There was more concern about what he would lose than what He would gain in simply trusting in the promises of the Lord.

• And here is yet another biblical principle: The failure in trusting in the Lord only leads to the building of idols of god(s) you want and can control!

  • We live in a culture today where people want to be right and look right and if anyone opposes them they will change the narrative so they can sound right.

    • And instead of engaging the culture with absolute truth, they’ll engage them with lies and half-truths as a form of manipulation and control.

    • This is the reality in which Jeroboam has found himself in: He has exchanged God’s promise for his own personal security.

    • Not realizing that his own security rested in the very promises of God!

    • And this type of deception only leads to further apostasy, and so it did!

  • Notice, verse 28 says that the king consulted and made two golden calves and tells Israel in few short words, “No need for you to travel to Jerusalem”!

    • He in turn, provides mere substitutes for Israel to utilize as idols in which they could worship instead of turning to the one true God of Israel.

    • So, Jeroboam provides these “high places” in two locations, one in Bethel and the other in Dan.

  • The insinuation behind Jeroboam’s gesture is as if to say, “If I can’t have you, no one will!”

    • Yet Jeroboam is failing to realize that he has set out a full-fledged rebellion against the Lord Himself and now has the people believe this is okay!

    • Because the text mentions in verse 30 that the people went to worship these idols, as far as Dan.

• What becomes even more detestable is the fact that Jeroboam begins to establish his own line of priests!

  • He completely disregards the order and ways of Yahweh and establishes his own system of religion establishing his own line of priest outside of the Levitical priesthood.

    • We are talking about dangerous waters being treaded because of the unbelief of Jeroboam due to his pride.

    • And isn’t that the reality of unbelief? That it will have you see things in one way when the truth of the matter is right in front of you.

  • Unbelief exchanges the truth about who God is and His ways for a lie that it wants you to settle for – that is the game plan of the enemy.

    • It’s the oldest trick since the beginning of time and how the enemy seeks to kill, steal, and destroy.

    • He causes curiosity to give way to causation, and causation gives way to doubt and doubt gives way to lack in confidence which therefore moves one to distrust.

  • So in a matter of moments or days, Jeroboam establishes this new religious system in the north to mimic the worship of Yahweh in Judah.

    • Lastly, notice verses 32-33, the writer mentions that Jeroboam institutes a feast in the eight month.

    • However, what becomes the issue with that? There is no Jewish feast in the eight month on the Jewish Calendar.

    • This becomes a feast that Jeroboam starts himself to mimic Judah and their religious feasts, further establishing his evil ways.

  • All this Jeroboam had done because he began to “devise in his own heart”.

    • This “moving away” from the commands and ordinances of the Lord only further pulled men and woman to their own devices.

  • The further away that one moves from truth is the greater the hold that deception will have.

    • Friends, if the truth of scripture is not the guide post for your way of life, be weary of your way.

    • And what a reminder for our non-believing friends: Don’t be fooled by the progression of your lives apart from the absolute truth of the word of God.

    • Because the great delusion of that is, in the end, you still have to face the reality of your decisions apart from the grace of God in the end!

  • For it is only in Christ that there is true freedom!

    • It is only in Christ that we are saved. Our works don’t save us, how good you think you are, isn’t a ticket into the kingdom.

    • It is only through and by the sufficient work of Christ on the cross that we are made righteous before a Holy God!

  • My prayer for all, especially non-believers, is that the eyes of men and women will be opened to the reality of their own deception and false sense of hope.

    • And that they may truly come to rest upon the available promise of the Lord found in the person of Jesus Christ!

    • Let’s Pray.