1 Kings - Lesson 14

• Last week we dealt with a timely prophecy, a disobedient prophet, and a word given to Jeroboam by a no-named prophet from the south.

  • This prophecy dealt with the ways of Jeroboam and how he had caused Israel to defect from Torah and given towards idolatry.

    • Reluctant to hear the words about himself, Jeroboam sought to cut off the word of the Lord by trying to kill the prophet.

    • As a result, the Lord instantaneously caused Jeroboam’s arm to be withered up for a time.

    • To which Jeroboam sought to request of the Lord that his hand might be restored.

  • The scene then switches to a disobedient prophet from the North who adopted the ways of Jeroboam who seeks to be dishonest with the prophet from the south.

    • This ultimately resulted in the prophet from the south being killed which was prophesied by the old prophet.

    • And having been guilt stricken by the lies of his lips sought to restore honor to the young prophet by burying him in his own grave.

  • And what became an interesting point in the text was the juxtaposition between that of Jeroboam and the Old Prophet.

    • That where they both once walked in “the ways of Jeroboam” doing evil in the sight of the Lord, only one showed change by responding to truth.

    • And that person was none other than the old prophet himself.

  • He went from spewing lies about the Lord to now, under the very command of God, being used to proclaim truth about the word of the Lord.

    • And that became the point in it all – the Lord takes His word seriously and you will either respond to truth or not.

    • And as we witnessed with Jeroboam, there was no willingness to change – he simply remained in his ways.

  • Well, as we know, once the mercy of the Lord is extended and one continues in disobedience, the gavel must come down as a way of justice being administered.

    • It’s in this chapter, Chapter 14, that we will witness a series of events that result in the ways of Jeroboam as a means of judgement from God.

  • If I were to outline our time in the text tonight, we will see the following:

    • 1. Prophecy against Jeroboam (vv.1-16)

    • 2. Prophecy of the Lord fulfilled (vv.17-20)

    • 3. Rehoboam’s end (vv.21-31)

  • If I were to put a tag on our text tonight, it would simply be: The Domino Effect: One thing Leads to Another.

    • With that being said, I invite you to meet me in 1 Kings 14 beginning in verses 1-16.

1 Kings 14:1 At that time Abijah the son of Jeroboam became sick.
1 Kings 14:2 Jeroboam said to his wife, “Arise now, and disguise yourself so that they will not know that you are the wife of Jeroboam, and go to Shiloh; behold, Ahijah the prophet is there, who spoke concerning me that I would be king over this people.
1 Kings 14:3 “Take ten loaves with you, some cakes and a jar of honey, and go to him. He will tell you what will happen to the boy.”
1 Kings 14:4 Jeroboam’s wife did so, and arose and went to Shiloh, and came to the house of Ahijah. Now Ahijah could not see, for his eyes were dim because of his age.
1 Kings 14:5 Now the Lord had said to Ahijah, “Behold, the wife of Jeroboam is coming to inquire of you concerning her son, for he is sick. You shall say thus and thus to her, for it will be when she arrives that she will pretend to be another woman.”
1 Kings 14:6 When Ahijah heard the sound of her feet coming in the doorway, he said, “Come in, wife of Jeroboam, why do you pretend to be another woman? For I am sent to you with a harsh message.
1 Kings 14:7 “Go, say to Jeroboam, ‘Thus says the Lord God of Israel, “Because I exalted you from among the people and made you leader over My people Israel,
1 Kings 14:8 and tore the kingdom away from the house of David and gave it to you—yet you have not been like My servant David, who kept My commandments and who followed Me with all his heart, to do only that which was right in My sight;
1 Kings 14:9 you also have done more evil than all who were before you, and have gone and made for yourself other gods and molten images to provoke Me to anger, and have cast Me behind your back—
1 Kings 14:10 therefore behold, I am bringing calamity on the house of Jeroboam, and will cut off from Jeroboam every male person, both bond and free in Israel, and I will make a clean sweep of the house of Jeroboam, as one sweeps away dung until it is all gone.
1 Kings 14:11 “Anyone belonging to Jeroboam who dies in the city the dogs will eat. And he who dies in the field the birds of the heavens will eat; for the Lord has spoken it.” ’
1 Kings 14:12 “Now you, arise, go to your house. When your feet enter the city the child will die.
1 Kings 14:13 “All Israel shall mourn for him and bury him, for he alone of Jeroboam’s family will come to the grave, because in him something good was found toward the Lord God of Israel in the house of Jeroboam.
1 Kings 14:14 “Moreover, the Lord will raise up for Himself a king over Israel who will cut off the house of Jeroboam this day and from now on.
1 Kings 14:15 “For the Lord will strike Israel, as a reed is shaken in the water; and He will uproot Israel from this good land which He gave to their fathers, and will scatter them beyond the Euphrates River, because they have made their Asherim, provoking the Lord to anger.
1 Kings 14:16 “He will give up Israel on account of the sins of Jeroboam, which he committed and with which he made Israel to sin.”

• The writer of Kings continues in the narrative following the previous events recorded in Chapter 13.

  • We are able to surmise this because he begins verse 1 by saying, “At that time”, meaning these events took place not too long after the previous chapter.

    • This becomes a subtle hint for the reader, you and I, as we make our way through this chapter.

    • And what this begins to allude to is the observation of Jeroboam’s continued habits in doing evil in the sight of the Lord.

  • We are told that Jeroboam’s young son fell ill and like any parent, Jeroboam sought help to aid his child back to health.

    • However, in doing so, Jeroboam’s method of choice becomes quite questionable because of his chosen approach.

  • He has his wife disguise herself in a way that will not give way to her identity as Jeroboam’s wife.

    • And she is to go to Shiloh to the prophet Ahijah for his son to be healed.

  • What I found most interesting in the text at this point was Jeroboam knew who to go to.

    • He did not run to go to the prophets which he hired for his false religious system.

    • He did not go to the golden calves in which he established as “high places”

    • No, he goes to the man of God who gave him the very word of the Lord by which established him as king over Israel (Northern tribes).

  • How quickly we run to our source of help and strength, some fail to fully acknowledge His truth, glory, and majesty.

    • Jeroboam then has his wife take 10 loaves, some cakes, and a jar of honey to the prophet as if to win a favorable “turn of events”.

    • This is the equivalent to an unbeliever thinking that their giving somehow puts them into right standing with God.

    • God cannot be bought, nor can he be fooled by the ways of men!

  • The reality was, this was the methodology for the idol worship that Jeroboam had established himself.

    • That to appease his “god of choice” he had to present certain things or preform in a certain way to get his attention.

    • However, as we will see, Yahweh does not work that way. God is to be approached in the way He has established for men to approach Him.

  • Jeroboam sought to somehow turn his current unfavorable odds into an opportunity of favor.

    • However, how can one expect the Lord to bless them in any way if there is failure in obedience to His truth.

    • God is not a genie in a bottle where we can rub the magic lamp and make our wishes and be served!

    • This clearly shows us that not only was Jeroboam’s theology thrown off, but His submission to the God that established him was lacking greatly!

  • So, in response to her husband’s request, Jeroboam’s wife goes to Shiloh to meet with Ahijah.

    • It’s in verse 4 that we’re told that as Jeroboam’s wife is being sent to him, that the Lord is preparing his prophet to send back a response.

    • We find that Ahijah is now in old age and at the point that he is not able to see.

    • However, despite the lack of physical vision, Ahijah is given the spiritual insight to know the scheme that Jeroboam has cooked up.

  • This really serves as a great reminder of God’s sovereignty at work in the lives of his people.

    • That even in our greatest means of disadvantage, the Lord is able to still use us and work through us.

    • Ahijah although blind, is still able to see, in a way, the foolish ways of men because of the help of the Lord.

    • And as a way of application: Don’t ever allow your frailties dictate your faith in the Living God. Even with a limp, the Lord can still use you!

• Verse 5 tells us that the Lord is divinely downloading information to Ahijah to prepare him for the arrival of Jeroboam’s wife.

  • And the Lord gives him the very words that he is to speak regarding the inquiry of their son and his condition.

    • The Lord even lets the prophet know that Jeroboam’s wife will disguise herself as someone else.

    • So it’s not a surprise that by verse 6 when Ahijah hears footsteps at his door, he says with firm confidence, “Come in, wife of Jeroboam”.

    • And if that wasn’t rattling enough, he continues by saying, “Why do you pretend to be another woman.”

    • This had to be quite shocking given the fact that Jeroboam had not prepared her for Ahijah knowing what was discussed in secret.

  • This simply goes to show how there is nothing that is hidden from the Lord. He is all-knowing.

    • Furthermore, although Jeroboam’s wife was sent with a message, she was not prepared for the message that the prophet had for her.

    • And the message that the Lord has for Jeroboam is one that would be harsh or “difficult”.

  • The message begins with acknowledging the fact that Jeroboam was king because Yahweh had established it as such – God made him leader over the people.

    • However, because of Jeroboam’s failure to remain faithful to Torah the Lord was going to “cut off Jeroboam”.

  • And the way in which the “cutting off” would occur was through Jeroboam’s dynasty.

    • The text says that “calamity” or destruction would befall Jeroboam’s house and this would be done through the removal of every male descendant.

    • In that, not only would the male seeds be destroyed, but anyone belonging to Jeroboam who died would be eaten by dogs in the city or birds in the field.

  • What this means in plain language is that there would be no proper/honorable burial for Jeroboam’s descendants.

    • You might recall how Eli, the prophet who trained up Samuel, had his children experience a similarly devastating end.

    • And if that was not enough to handle, he concludes with a personal note.

    • He states that when she leaves Shiloh and her feet enter their city, the child in whom she came to inquire about will die.

    • I’m sure at this point the bread, cakes, and the like are on the floor or completely forgotten about as she wrestles with this reality.

  • What becomes a profound aspect of this text is that in verse 13, the prophet mentions that with this child that will soon die, he will be mourned for and buried.

    • And the reason for that is because, “…in him something good was found toward the Lord God of Israel in the house of Jeroboam.”

    • What a profound statement! I say this because remember every other descendent will be killed and not given a burial.

    • Yet this child who is to die will be given a proper burial and the Lord found good in him.

• Herein lies a mystery in which many wrestle with theologically: If the child was good why did he have to die?

  • Why not have all of Jeroboam’s descendants die except this child?!

    • So many questions can run through our minds regarding these matters, yet we come to a point of solace in the text.

    • And that point is that God is Sovereign and He alone is in control!

  • We often do not have the answers as to why the Lord allows certain things to happen and why He chooses not to withhold other things.

    • Furthermore, the writer does not establish any leads as to the reason in which the Lord made that decision.

  • Perhaps this child’s death was a blessing in disguise knowing the mess his father had made.

    • Or perhaps being that good was found in him, who knows what he would have had to face as a leader amidst a secularist culture.

    • We can speculate all day on this matter, but what becomes certain is that God knows, and we can trust that it was for the good of the child. (Romans 8:28)

  • Following this prophecy, we see in verse 12 that the death of the child would serve as confirmation of what was coming to Jeroboam’s house.

    • This prophecy continues with some confirming yet prophetic pronouncements.

  • It’s in verse 14 that the Lord mentions “how” Jeroboam’s house would be cut off.

    • Ahijah mentions that the cut-off would occur by the Lord raising up for Himself another king who would bring about this destruction.

    • And this king goes by the name Baasha, we learn in 1 Kings 15:27-29.

    • Check out with me really quickly verse 25-30 of Chapter 15.

1 Kings 15:25 Now Nadab the son of Jeroboam became king over Israel in the second year of Asa king of Judah, and he reigned over Israel two years.

1 Kings 15:26 He did evil in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the way of his father and in his sin which he made Israel sin.

1 Kings 15:27 Then Baasha the son of Ahijah of the house of Issachar conspired against him, and Baasha struck him down at Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines, while Nadab and all Israel were laying siege to Gibbethon.

1 Kings 15:28 So Baasha killed him in the third year of Asa king of Judah and reigned in his place.

1 Kings 15:29 It came about as soon as he was king, he struck down all the household of Jeroboam. He did not leave to Jeroboam any persons alive, until he had destroyed them, according to the word of the Lord, which He spoke by His servant Ahijah the Shilonite,

1 Kings 15:30 and because of the sins of Jeroboam which he sinned, and which he made Israel sin, because of his provocation with which he provoked the Lord God of Israel to anger.

• • So what we see is that there would be a fulfillment of the word of the Lord spoken by the prophet Ahijah.

    • Once again, the Lord takes His word seriously and He does not lie.

    • And what a great reminder of the faithfulness of God regarding His fidelity to the very scriptures.

    • We can know that these 66 books that we read are inspired by the Holy Spirit so that we may grow in our trust in His word, timing, and for our good (maturity).

  • After the mentioning of Baasha being raised as king to “cut-off” the lineage of Jeroboam, the prophetic word continues regarding the Lord coming against Israel.

    • Ahijah states that the Lord was going to “strike” Israel in verse 15.

    • The word “strike” in Hebrew means to affect or afflict and in some cases with the use of a divine agent.

  • In other words, the Lord was going to use someone(s) to afflict the northern kingdom.

    • The text mentions that this will be done as a “reed is shaken in the water”

  • A reed is a very tall and hollow stem that grows in marshes.

    • It easily sways in the wind and can oftentimes seem very unstable in its stature.

  • So, what the Lord is illustrating here in the text is how the northern kingdom is experiencing instability like a shaky reed in water.

    • If Jeroboam says jump, they jump, if Jeroboam says crawl they crawl. The nation was suffering greatly at the ways of Jeroboam.

  • So as a consequence of the disobedience of Israel, the Lord would execute discipline upon them by “uprooting them from the land”.

    • This is significant because this does not mean that God’s dealing with His people was done, but this was a consequence of their disobedience.

    • And according to Deuteronomy, (the blessings and the cursing), when this type of action is committed, the people must be taken out of the land for a time.

  • The text mentions that from the uprooting that there would proceed a scattering of the people beyond the Euphrates.

    • And as we know through our bible reading, this scattering for the North did take place as a result of Israel’s judgement in 722 B.C.

    • And the instrument in which God used to accomplish this scattering was the Assyrians.

  • So again, notice the reason for this removal from the land, it is because the people had made “Asherim” (plural form)

    • This means that the establishment of idolatry throughout the land along with these high places was numerous and a direct assault against the Lord.

  • Lastly, we get here to verse 16, where the text mentions that the Lord would “give up Israel”.

    • Now on the onset, some will look at this and say “Here’s proof that Israel is no longer God’s focus, it’s the church now”.

    • These types of passages, if not understood in the grand scheme of the biblical narrative, can be very confusing.

  • Let’s understand what the text IS NOT saying. It is not implying that the Lord gave up Israel as His chosen children.

    • Or for that matter that the Lord gave up on his covenantal promises regarding Israel.

    • If that were the case, the Lord’s word becomes void and He ceases to be the promise-keeper the word shows Him to be.

    • So what is the text actually telling us?

  • The word “give up” in Hebrew in this context means to surrender something over.

    • In other words, the Lord will allow a temporary “handing over” of Israel to face their judgement, because of the sins of Jeroboam.

    • So the idea that the Lord “gave up” or forsook Israel is only in a temporary conditional sense.

  • So this prophecy is given with great detail as to “how” this would be accomplished.

    • Again, this information had to have shaken Jeroboam’s wife to the core because now she has to relay this information to her husband.

    • Check out verses 17-20.

1 Kings 14:17 Then Jeroboam’s wife arose and departed and came to Tirzah. As she was entering the threshold of the house, the child died.

1 Kings 14:18 All Israel buried him and mourned for him, according to the word of the Lord which He spoke through His servant Ahijah the prophet.

1 Kings 14:19 Now the rest of the acts of Jeroboam, how he made war and how he reigned, behold, they are written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel.

1 Kings 14:20 The time that Jeroboam reigned was twenty-two years; and he slept with his fathers, and Nadab his son reigned in his place.

• Within an approximate 15-mile journey, one could only imagine the grief and immense sadness that Jeroboam’s wife was carrying.

  • The text tells us in verse 17 that as she left Shiloh and entered Tizrah that upon entering, her child died just as the prophet had stated.

    • At this point, the writer concludes his mentioning of Jeroboam and his actions, directly.

  • We are told in verse 19 that the remaining acts of Jeroboam’s total 22-year reign is documented in “The book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel”.

    • These documents are historical in nature and were kept as royal archives of the kings and their activities.

  • What we should understand from the writer not including all of Jeroboam’s acts and rule is that he is wanting us to see something regarding Jeroboam.

    • The Holy Spirit, inspiring this writer, is shining a light on the very ways of Jeroboam which can be reflective of his entire rule.

    • Here is where we are able to see that what scripture highlights and details is for the benefit of our knowledge and growth in the Lord. (2 Timothy 3:16)

  • We are told that Jeroboam, after his 22 year reign, dies and in his place rises his son named Nadab.

    • And as we read earlier, Nadab’s reign is short lived, because not too long during that time, he will be killed by Baasha.

  • The writer now pivots from a focus on the king of the north and shines a light on the king of the south, Solomon’s son, Rehoboam. Check out verses 21-31.

1 Kings 14:21 Now Rehoboam the son of Solomon reigned in Judah. Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which the Lord had chosen from all the tribes of Israel to put His name there. And his mother’s name was Naamah the Ammonitess.

1 Kings 14:22 Judah did evil in the sight of the Lord, and they provoked Him to jealousy more than all that their fathers had done, with the sins which they committed.

1 Kings 14:23 For they also built for themselves high places and sacred pillars and Asherim on every high hill and beneath every luxuriant tree.

1 Kings 14:24 There were also male cult prostitutes in the land. They did according to all the abominations of the nations which the Lord dispossessed before the sons of Israel.

1 Kings 14:25 Now it happened in the fifth year of King Rehoboam, that Shishak the king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem.

1 Kings 14:26 He took away the treasures of the house of the Lord and the treasures of the king’s house, and he took everything, even taking all the shields of gold which Solomon had made.

1 Kings 14:27 So King Rehoboam made shields of bronze in their place, and committed them to the care of the commanders of the guard who guarded the doorway of the king’s house.

1 Kings 14:28 Then it happened as often as the king entered the house of the Lord, that the guards would carry them and would bring them back into the guards’ room.

1 Kings 14:29 Now the rest of the acts of Rehoboam and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah?

1 Kings 14:30 There was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam continually.

1 Kings 14:31 And Rehoboam slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David; and his mother’s name was Naamah the Ammonitess. And Abijam his son became king in his place.

• Right when you think that things would be different for the Southern Kingdom…think again.

  • The only difference between the North and the South is that the city in which was the capital of the Southern Kingdom remained was God’s chosen place where His name would dwell as well as His chosen seed would come from.

    • And the writer sees fit to make the distinction accordingly.

    • For the only thing upholding Judah was what the Lord would bring forth out of them in years to come – Jesus Christ the son of David.

    • And this was so because of the promise that the Lord made to David in 2 Samuel 7 regarding the Davidic Covenant.

  • We are given some historical information regarding Rehoboam such as his time of rule and age in which he began as king of Judah.

    • He became king at 41 years of age and that his reign lasted 17 years (from 931-913 BC).

    • What should stand out to us in this text is how the writer includes a detail regarding Rehoboam’s mother.

    • Notice how he describes Rehoboam’s mother – she is an Ammonite and Ammonites were Canannite worshipers of the idol god, Molech.

    • Secondly, Torah forbade the kings to intermarry with nations in which the Lord deemed deplorable or were pushed out from the land itself.

  • What this shows is that Rehoboam was no better than that of Jeroboam. Both committed covenant violations.

    • And if that wasn’t proof enough, the text mentions in verses 22-24 that the ways of the Ammonites were carried out throughout Judah as well.

    • Perhaps influenced by his mother, Rehoboam permits the establishment of idol worship in Judah and establishes high places on the high hills.

  • So, where David had thwarted out all of these idolatrous conditions in the past, his grandson now reinstates these idols in the land.

    • The conditions from the North are now transpiring in the south and it is all due to the failure of submission to Torah.

    • And as we witnessed with Jeroboam, all covenantal unfaithfulness results in judgement and discipline from the Lord.

  • And indeed discipline did ensue because as verse 25 records, in Rehoboam’s 5th year as King, Shishak, King of Egypt “came up against Jerusalem”.

    • If you remember, Jeroboam had fled to Egypt, escaping the threat of death from Solomon and found permission of refuge from Shishak.

  • So as a means of judgement, Egyptians began to strip Judah of their strength and wealth.

    • Judah’s strength being the Temple and her wealth being stored in the King’s palace.

    • The very glory of Israel’s temple and strength was beginning to be defaced all due to the covenantal unfaithfulness of Rehoboam.

    • We know that this is the case because of what 2 Chronicles 12:1-7 tells us. Check out the text:

2 Chronicles 12:1 When the kingdom of Rehoboam was established and strong, he and all Israel with him forsook the law of the Lord.

2 Chronicles 12:2 And it came about in King Rehoboam’s fifth year, because they had been unfaithful to the Lord, that Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem

2 Chronicles 12:3 with 1,200 chariots and 60,000 horsemen. And the people who came with him from Egypt were without number: the Lubim, the Sukkiim and the Ethiopians.

2 Chronicles 12:4 He captured the fortified cities of Judah and came as far as Jerusalem.

2 Chronicles 12:5 Then Shemaiah the prophet came to Rehoboam and the princes of Judah who had gathered at Jerusalem because of Shishak, and he said to them, “Thus says the Lord, ‘You have forsaken Me, so I also have forsaken you to Shishak.’ ”

2 Chronicles 12:6 So the princes of Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, “The Lord is righteous.”

2 Chronicles 12:7 When the Lord saw that they humbled themselves, the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah, saying, “They have humbled themselves so I will not destroy them, but I will grant them some measure of deliverance, and My wrath shall not be poured out on Jerusalem by means of Shishak.

• Notice that 2 Chronicles documents a different reaction in the south versus that of the North.

  • That where the King sees that the Lord is not pleased, both he and the people of Israel (Southern assemblies) repent and turn their hearts towards the Lord.

    • This turning of the heart leads to a relenting of destruction and allows time for mercy.

  • What an amazing principle to see here that the Lord’s mercy is ever so available when we respond accordingly. What a grace that is!

    • So the Lord in His kindness relents the destruction for a time, check out what he says in verse 7 of 2 Chronicles 12:

    • “and My Wrath shall not be poured out on Jerusalem by means of Shishak”.

  • In other words, because of Judah’s repentance the Lord would withhold war and provide peace.

    • And in return, with all that was lost in the war, as verses 26-28 state, Rehoboam replaced the stolen expensive items with bronze replacements.

    • In other words, the damage that was done couldn’t be replaced and perhaps served as a reminder to the King and the people of Judah.

• What a lesson that must have been. Consider this, the halls that were once walked through and admired by those near and far was now ransacked.

  • And not only that but the things that were on display are no longer available to see and are replaced by mere substitutes of lower quality.

    • Perhaps this served as a reminder to the people of Judah of what sin can do if not cut out – it causes great loss.

  • Relationships that are broken due to sin, often are not able to be fully restored as though they once were because of how sin mars.

    • Sin that we commit against our own bodies causing physical ailments that can warrant life-time repercussions.

    • Yet, the Lord allows these things as reminders to us that although damage has been done, He is still merciful.

    • He still preserved our lives and our hearts are still intact.

  • There can be no indulging in sin without great loss in the end to some extent. At the end of the day friends, sin is costly.

    • The level of attack that Judah experienced was the first of its kind since Saul’s reign as King.

    • And this simply goes to show that when a Nation begins to pull away from truth, it only descends and suffers.

• Finally, in verses 29-31 the writer concludes similarly to how he summarized the remainder of Jeroboam’s life.

  • He mentions that the remaining acts of Rehoboam’s life is recorded in the “book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah”.

    • Again, there seems to have been a historical record of royal documentation regarding the reign of both the kings of the North and South.

  • One can assume that these historical documents contained much more information than what the writer of Kings provides.

    • And the writer’s point becomes evident in what he chooses to omit regarding Rehoboam’s reign.

    • In other words, what the Holy Spirit intended for us to know is that the ways of Rehoboam were in defect to the Laws of Moses.

    • And this independence from Torah gave way to further internal conflict between the Northern and Southern Kingdoms.

  • Verse 30 mentions that there was war continually between Rehoboam and Jeroboam.

    • Some suggest that this civil war was the result of border disputes, however the text does not disclose this matter.

    • Simply put, the writer’s point is for the reader to see the ways of the Kings and in turn the result of the Nation and their consequences.

  • Lastly in verse 31 the writer concludes in a summarized fashion the conclusion of Rehoboam’s life.

    • And in his death, he is buried with his father in the city of David.

  • What I find quite telling is the writer’s repetitive nature of mentioning Rehoboam’s mother, as if a prominent player in his life.

    • To mention her suggests that she has had some type of role in the ways in which the Southern Kingdom has defected.

  • Through it all, the Davidic lineage continues through Rehoboam’s son named Abijam.

    • And what will be quite revealing, as we approach Chapter 15, is the ways of the father don’t depart the ways of the son.

    • For as long as the kings remain independent of Torah, the further into destruction they find themselves in.

    • Let’s Pray.