1 Kings 11.41-12:20 Evensong 10.8.08
1 Kings 11:41 As for the other events of Solomon's reign--all he did and the wisdom he displayed--are they not written in the book of the annals of Solomon? 42 Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years. 43 Then he rested with his fathers and was buried in the city of David his father. And Rehoboam his son succeeded him as king.
12:1 Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all the Israelites had gone there to make him king. 2 When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard this (he was still in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon), he returned from Egypt. 3 So they sent for Jeroboam, and he and the whole assembly of Israel went to Rehoboam and said to him: 4 "Your father put a heavy yoke on us, but now lighten the harsh labor and the heavy yoke he put on us, and we will serve you." 5 Rehoboam answered, "Go away for three days and then come back to me." So the people went away. 6 Then King Rehoboam consulted the elders who had served his father Solomon during his lifetime. "How would you advise me to answer these people?" he asked. 7 They replied, "If today you will be a servant to these people and serve them and give them a favorable answer, they will always be your servants." 8 But Rehoboam rejected the advice the elders gave him and consulted the young men who had grown up with him and were serving him. 9 He asked them, "What is your advice? How should we answer these people who say to me, `Lighten the yoke your father put on us'?" 10 The young men who had grown up with him replied, "Tell these people who have said to you, `Your father put a heavy yoke on us, but make our yoke lighter'--tell them, `My little finger is thicker than my father's waist. 11 My father laid on you a heavy yoke; I will make it even heavier. My father scourged you with whips; I will scourge you with scorpions.' " 12 Three days later Jeroboam and all the people returned to Rehoboam, as the king had said, "Come back to me in three days." 13 The king answered the people harshly. Rejecting the advice given him by the elders, 14 he followed the advice of the young men and said, "My father made your yoke heavy; I will make it even heavier. My father scourged you with whips; I will scourge you with scorpions." 15 So the king did not listen to the people, for this turn of events was from the LORD, to fulfill the word the LORD had spoken to Jeroboam son of Nebat through Ahijah the Shilonite. 16 When all Israel saw that the king refused to listen to them, they answered the king: "What share do we have in David, what part in Jesse's son? To your tents, O Israel! Look after your own house, O David!" So the Israelites went home. 17 But as for the Israelites who were living in the towns of Judah, Rehoboam still ruled over them. 18 King Rehoboam sent out Adoniram, who was in charge of forced labor, but all Israel stoned him to death. King Rehoboam, however, managed to get into his chariot and escape to Jerusalem. 19 So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day. 20 When all the Israelites heard that Jeroboam had returned, they sent and called him to the assembly and made him king over all Israel. Only the tribe of Judah remained loyal to the house of David
Solomon was the third and last king of a united Israel. He built the kingdom to its greatest geographical size and material prosperity. Though famed for his wisdom, in his later years Solomon lost his spiritual discernment and for the sake of political advantage and extravagant living allowed the worship of false gods.
The luxuries of his palace and the expenses of his diplomatic corps and building program resulted in heavy taxation and forced labour. His policies of oppression and luxury brought the kingdom to the verge of collapse.
Women were a serious weakness of Solomon, and he made many political alliances through marriage (1 Kings 11:1-4). God had warned that such marriages would lead to worshipping of pagan gods. The harem of Solomon held a collection of some 700 wives and 300 concubines. He built places of worship for false gods to please his heathen wives.
The Lord was angered at Solomon's failure to keep his commands and announced to him the split in the kingdom that was to take place in the reign of his son.
When Solomon's son Rehoboam came to the throne the actual division of the kingdom occurred.
Rehoboam was born about 975 B.C. and was 41 when he began to reign. The northern tribes of Israel turned for leadership to Jeroboam, to whom God had revealed that he was to rule ten of the tribes (11:26-40).
Rehoboam, following the advice of young men, refused to lower taxes, with the result that Israel rebelled against him. When Adoram was sent to collect the tribute, he was killed, and Rehoboam fled to Jerusalem to rule the Southern kingdom (12:16-19). Jeroboam was then made king of the ten tribes of Israel.
Rehoboam raised an army from Judah and Benjamin, but was forbidden by God to attack his countrymen (12:20-24).
Rehoboam gathered a substantial harem and reared a large family (11:18-23). He had 18 wives and 60 concubines.
He set up pagan high places and shrines throughout the land with male shrine prostitutes (1 Kings 14:22-24).
What can we take from this, and, indeed many other parts of the history of God's people?
1] Time and time again the same mistakes are made. God's people mix with foreigners of pagan religions and this lead to the worship of false gods and a weakening of the faith of God's people.
It reminds us that trust in God should not be diluted by anything. Whilst this could include pagan religions it can also, like Solomon, include the pursuit of sex, wealth, popularity and power.
2] Through all this God is sovereign. For example, God disclosed the split of Solomon's kingdom with Jeroboam becoming the King of the Northern Kingdom of Israel (11:26-40).
3] God is a God of love and judgement. Time and time again He called His people back to trust and obedience. Again and again they turned away from Him, rejecting those who spoke in His name.
When His people did not repent God finally judged them because He is just, and as a means of bringing them back to himself.
I believe some sections of the church today have turned away from God's ways and are pursuing their own, influenced by the standards of the world we live in. In North America many who hold to a conservative view are being persecuted by those who want to force them to agree to acknowledge the gay Bishop Gene Robinson and to allow the blessing of same sex unions. Clergy and congregations are being forced out of jobs, churches and threatened with court action.
Please pray for our church world wide. That we may repent, turn back to God and escape judgement.