Read: 1
Kings 12
Another king has died. When David’s reign neared
its end there was trouble concerning his successor. So too there will be
trouble concerning Solomon’s successor. Whenever there is a seat of power
available, the wicked hearts of humans will seek after it. Solomon’s son, Rehoboam,
was the designated successor. After his father’s death, Rehoboam went to
Shechem to be crowned king over Israel. Meanwhile, Jeroboam was returning from
Egypt. He intended to fulfill the prophecy given to him by Ahijah (1 Kings
11:30-39). Along with the assembly of Israel, Jeroboam offered a truce to
Rehoboam. If Rehoboam would lessen the hard yoke given by Solomon, the kingdom
could remain peaceful. First, Rehoboam consulted the elders of his father, who
counselled Rehoboam to oblige to Jeroboam’s request. Then, Rehoboam consulted
his peers, who said to reject Jeroboam’s requests and increase the yoke on the
people. Rehoboam foolishly accepted the advice of his peers. This event was
orchestrated by God, to allow the nation of Israel to split according to
Solomon’s curse (v 15). Those who live in the cities of Judah continue to
follow Rehoboam. The rest of the nation splits off and crowns Jeroboam as their
king. We now see the clear division of the nation: the Northern Kingdom (called
Israel) is led by Jeroboam and the Southern Kingdom (called Judah) is led by
Rehoboam. Such was the division that God had to speak through a prophet to
prevent the two kingdoms from going to war (v 21-24).
Now we see the first of the truly wicked kings.
David, Solomon, and even Saul are all remembered with a mix of positive and
negative descriptions. In David’s case, he repented and moved from a negative
legacy to a positive one. In Saul and Solomon’s cases, they turned to sin
repeatedly and ended their reigns with a bad legacy. We are told nothing
positive of Jeroboam’s character. He led the Northern Kingdom to idolatry. His
heart was so greedy for power that he was afraid to allow his subjects to
worship at the temple in Jerusalem, lest their hearts be turned to Rehoboam. He
built two golden calves, one at Bethel and one at Dan, and commanded his
subjects to worship there. He instituted his own feasts to compete with those
ordained by God. As king, Jeroboam set the tone for his nation. From the
beginning, the Northern Kingdom is known for their sinful ways.
Prayer and
Journaling
1. When we read about the Northern and Southern Kingdoms,
it can be easy to get confused. The Holy Spirit decided to go back and forth
between kingdoms when He wrote the Bible so we could understand how the kings
affected, related to and contrasted each other. Set up a system to keep
yourself organized and understanding as you study this passage of Scripture.
For example, you could underline a king’s name in your Bible in one colour if
he led Israel and another colour if he led Judah. You could also mark whether
they are remembered as evil or good in the margins. Doing this for all of the
kings will give you a visual cue to remember which kingdom you are reading
about. Or you could also make a chart in your journal with “Northern Kingdom”
as the title of one column and “Southern Kingdom” as the title of the other,
and in each column include the kings’ names, length of reign, and any other
details you would like. You could also draw a diagram or set up a completely
different system that works for how God made your brain!
2. The source of our advice can have serious
consequences. In Rehoboam’s case, listening to one group over another changed
the course of an entire nation. Who do you go to for advice? Ask God if you are
seeking wise counsel. If not, ask Him to show you specific people you can turn
to for godly counsel.
3. Pray for Israel today. As we study the nation’s
history, we must also look to its present and future. Pray that God would
strengthen the churches in Israel. Pray that He would give believers the
spiritual gifts and tools they need to make disciples. Pray that God would
protect Israel, as it is surrounded by enemies. Pray that, just as in biblical
times, God’s name would be exalted through the nation of Israel.
