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"A
Tale Of Two Kings" • 2.19.17 • Calvary Christian
Fellowship, Sunday Morning Service
Intro.
- We closed our study last week focused on the
final days of King Solomon. If there has ever been a man that should have left
an enduring legacy to his nation, it should have been him.
- Instead, the curtain closes on Solomon's
reign and the lasting impression is of a man given over to idolatry and the
kind of jealous insanity that Saul, the first King of Israel displayed.
- Upon his passing, the people of God move quickly
to annoint Solomon's only son Rehoboam as their new King and do so in the hopes
of seeking labor and tax relief.
- What happens instead is the dissolution of
the United Kingdom and the long goodbye to a blessed nation. Let's pick it up
in verse 1.
Text
• I Kings
12:1-5 : "And Rehoboam went to
Shechem, for all Israel had gone to Shechem to make him king.
So it happened, when Jeroboam the son
of Nebat heard it (he was still in Egypt, for he had fled from the presence of
King Solomon and had been dwelling in Egypt), that
they sent and called him. Then Jeroboam and the whole assembly of Israel came
and spoke to Rehoboam, saying, 'Your father made our
yoke heavy; now therefore, lighten the burdensome service of your father, and
his heavy yoke which he put on us, and we will serve you.' So he said to them, 'Depart for
three days, then come back to me.' And the people departed." : Rehoboam, whose name means "He who enlarges the people,"
found himself in Shechem. This is an intriquing situation which invites all
sorts of speculation.
- God had promised through Ahijah the prophet
to tear the Kingdom from Rehoboam in order to give the majority to Jeroboam.
- Solomon sought to kill Jeroboam for that
reason and Jeroboam had fled to Egypt to escape his clutches. Did they know or
care of the prophecy or are they acting in ignorance?
- In either case, they are gathered to make
Rehoboam their King, but they are also intent upon Jeroboam's attendance, so
the men of Israel sent to Egypt to bring him there!
- After several years in exile, Jeroboam is
right back in the picture, standing to represent the people of Israel in their
complaint against Solomon's labor policies.
- It's unfortunate that Israel is not coming to
Rehoboam and asking for spiritual reform. They are simply interested in
financial relief and fair labor practices. These are important, but not
primary.
- Usually, a leader concerned with the Lord
first will naturally amend unfair practices.
- Solomon hadn't been that man and the responsibility
that fell upon the people and the workers had become oppressive. It was akin to
the grievous bondage of slavery!
- Rehoboam has the chance to lighten the load
and truly enlarge the people. He asks for three days to make his decision and
seeks counsel in spite of what seems to be the obvious political move.
- Keeping them burdened will lead to a revolt.
Lessening their burden, even by a small degree will ensure their loyalty. Verse
6.
•
I Kings 12:6,7 : "Then King Rehoboam consulted the
elders who stood before his father Solomon while he still lived, and he said, 'How
do you advise me to answer these people?' And they spoke to him, saying, 'If you will be a servant to
these people today, and serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to
them, then they will be your servants forever.'" : These particular elders had advised Solomon during his life.
-
You may or may not assign some blame to them for their role in Solomon's
apostasy, either by their approval or abstinence. That being the case, they
have the most experience to offer.
-
Their counsel is straightforward and in line with the heart of God. Be a
servant to these people and truly serve their interests.
-
The elders told him to speak words of encouragement and the people would be his
servants forever! That's what they want. That's what's been missing in the
equation.
-
Rehoboam's response didn't take long to formulate. Verse 8.
•
I Kings 12:8 : "But he rejected the advice which
the elders had given him, and consulted the young men who had grown up with
him, who stood before him."
Rehoboam rejected the advice of the
elders without serious consideration.
-
If their advice had been what he wanted to hear, he would have gladly accepted.
Instead, he seeks out other counselors that might affirm his position. Are you that type of person?
-
Are you willing to listen to people so long as they present you with what you
want to hear? This is a foolish way to live. How much more foolish is it in
government?
-
If Rehoboam would have begun with an inquiry into the heart of the Lord, and
then sought to confirm his word through trusted, godly counsel, he might have
had a chance to succeed.
-
Instead, he rejected godly advice and went looking for sympathetic voices, who
would be extensions of himself. Where would he find that? His own
contemporaries.
-
What credentials did these young men have? These men had grown up with him! When
you have a labor union issue, your cabinet should probably include a few labor
officials.
-
But there isn't a blue collar credential among them! If you needed a gold spoon,
these guys could have helped! But their view of power and people is woefully
askew.
-
The young men had grown up alongside of Rehoboam and stood before him, meaning
that they had advised him at other times. They know him and they know what he
wants to hear. Verse 9.
•
I Kings 12:9-11 : "And he said to them, 'What advice
do you give? How should we answer this people who have spoken to me, saying,
‘Lighten the yoke which your father put on us’?' Then the young men who had grown up
with him spoke to him, saying, 'Thus you should speak to this people who have
spoken to you, saying, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but you make it
lighter on us’—thus you shall say to them: ‘My little finger shall be thicker
than my father’s waist! And now, whereas my father put a heavy yoke on you, I will add
to your yoke; my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with
scourges!’" : Listen to Rehoboam: "How
should we answer this people!" These men are a part of his entourage.
-
Their advice is tainted by virtue of the fact that they will benefit from
Rehoboam taking it!
-
Their counsel is laced with the arrogance typical of spoiled royalty. You tell
the people that they haven't seen anything yet! "You won't just beat them
with whips. You'll beat them with chains!"
-
If Solomon had been oppressive, Rehoboam, you'll out perform him!" Isn't
that the heart of the world? Sometimes, God sends good advice from young people
and we'd be wise to listen to it.
-
This advice is not from the Lord! If it sounds like intimidation and leads to
greater oppression, be sure that it isn't the Lord! Godly advice will always
lead to a solution that is godly!
-
These are the men that lived under Solomon's reign. Here is the ungodly fruit
that is born from that man's Kingdom! For Rehoboam's part, he can hardly wait
for his meeting. Verse 12.
•
I Kings 12:12-15 : "So Jeroboam and all the people came
to Rehoboam the third day, as the king had directed, saying, 'Come back to me
the third day.' Then the king answered the people roughly, and rejected the
advice which the elders had given him; 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 chastised you with whips, but I will chastise
you with scourges!' So the king did not listen to the people; for the turn of events
was from the Lord, that He might fulfill His word,
which the Lord had spoken by Ahijah the Shilonite
to Jeroboam the son of Nebat." : The
people of God come back to hear from their King and the King speaks to them
roughly, with cruelty! Who does this man think he is?
-
When you wonder whether or not you have received Godly advice, I might ask you
to truly weigh out the fruit of what that advice produces in your life! Are you
more humble, more apt to serve?
-
Are you grateful and more patient? Is there anything that resembles godliness
emanating from you? What we see here is the arrogant vitriol of a man who
doesn't know his place!
-
God never intended His King, His regent, to exert dominance over His people! He
was to serve them and be their champion. All Rehoboam cares for is the power to
dominate!
-
Even here, you can see that God is using this. God had made a promise to
transfer the majority of the Kingdom to Jeroboam. How was He going to do this?
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The dilemma between God's sovereignty and man's responsiblity is not a new one
and rest assured that you are not the only one to have wrestled with it.
-
Rehoboam's actions are entirely his own. He is responsible for his foolish
actions. God simply allows the
natural course of events to take their place.
-
The climate was perfect to bring about His Word! God used Rehoboam's
stubborness to effect His own will! Look at what his foolish speech produced.
Verse 16.
•
I Kings 12:16-19 : "Now when all Israel saw that the
king did not listen to them, the people answered the king, saying: 'What share
have we in David? We
have no inheritance in the son of Jesse. To
your tents, O Israel! Now, see to your own
house, O David!' So Israel departed to their tents. But Rehoboam reigned over the children of Israel who dwelt
in the cities of Judah. Then King Rehoboam
sent Adoram, who was in charge of the revenue; but all Israel stoned him with
stones, and he died. Therefore King Rehoboam mounted his chariot in haste to
flee to Jerusalem. So Israel has been in
rebellion against the house of David to this day." : Israel understood that Rehoboam was unwilling to understand
their plight. He was doggedly rigid in his position and all hope of negotiation
was lost.
-
Of course, a monarchy has no need to listen to it's constituents but Rehoboam's
claim to the throne is not nearly as strong as was Solomon's.
-
Rehoboam's position was weak and his opening speech buried him completely! The
people didn't need three days of deliberation.
-
The NKJV doesn't quite capture the sentiment of the people. Listen to verse 16b in the NLT.
•
I Kings 12:16b (NLT) : "Down with the dynasty of David! We
have no interest in the son of Jesse. Back to your homes, O Israel! Look out
for your own house, O David!'" : They were through with
David's house, though Rehoboam doesn't believe it.
-
"They'll come to their senses!" A little time after this, the King
went out with Adoram out to collect taxes from the area of the north. Adoram
was stoned and Rehoboam barely escaped!
-
We have seen that it's best to seek out God's Word instead of man's advice. If
we seek out advice, we must insist on it being godly advice from spiritually trustworthy
sources.
-
When we have received godly advice, people should see a godly character and the
people around us will respond peaceably.
-
I'd recommend that you read James
3:13-18 and see that Godly wisdom brings a peaceable outcome to all
involved. That is not what happened here!
-
Instead of bringing a peaceful resolution, Rehoboam's actions brought about the
terrible split that God said would occur. Verse 20.
•
I Kings 12:20-24 : " Now it came to pass when all Israel heard that Jeroboam had come
back, they sent for him and called him to the congregation, and made him king
over all Israel. There was none who followed the house of David, but the tribe
of Judah only. And
when Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah with the
tribe of Benjamin, one hundred and eighty thousand chosen men who were
warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, that he might restore the
kingdom to Rehoboam the son of Solomon. But
the word of God came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying, 'Speak to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, to
all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the rest of the people, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord: 'You shall not go up
nor fight against your brethren the children of Israel. Let every man return to
his house, for this thing is from Me.' Therefore they obeyed the word of the Lord, and turned back,
according to the word of the Lord." : God's word was fulfilled.
Jeroboam was the King of Israel's northern 10 tribes and Rehoboam ruled over
Judah and Benjamin.
-
For all that he has pulled, you would think that Rehoboam would be glad to have
Judah! But he wants it all! He amasses his troops and is moving full speed
ahead until he meets with Shemaiah.
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Consider this for a moment: Rehoboam has up until this moment, followed his own
stupidity.
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He is on the brink of civil war! And yet, God in His abundant mercy, stops him
in his tracks!
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He would have destroyed himself trying to fight what God had decreed, but the
Almighty would not allow it! God sends His Word, through His man at just the
right moment!
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Shemaiah boldly says, "This thing is from me!" But how can this be
from God? It's negative, it's painful, it's humiliating! If it has happened, it
has happened by His hand for your good!
-
When Rehoboam came to terms with this, he obeyed the Lord's Word and turned
back from his plan, avoiding a horrific struggle.
-
To some degree, this is a perfect microcosm of how God deals with the Kings of
the South, who most of the time, remain responsive to God. That was not to be
the case in the North. Verse 25.
•
I Kings 12:25-27 : "Then Jeroboam built Shechem in the
mountains of Ephraim, and dwelt there. Also he went out from there and built
Penuel. And
Jeroboam said in his heart, 'Now the kingdom may return to the house of David: If these people go up to offer
sacrifices in the house of the Lord at Jerusalem, then the heart of this people will turn back to
their lord, Rehoboam king of Judah, and they will kill me and go back to
Rehoboam king of Judah.'" : Jeroboam began in Central
Israel, but eventually fortified his position at Penuel which is further north
along the Jordan river.
-
He soon realizes that the religious calendar that all of Israel observed was
problematic.
-
Three times a year, the people were commanded to assemble in Jerusalem. This
produced fear in his heart of losing both his Kingdom and his life!
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Has Jeroboam forgotten God's promise to him? He would rule and God would build
him a house if he walked in His ways! How could such a man be fearful?
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What he decides to do will be conceived in fear for himself. His motive will
begin with self-preservation. He has no thought or concern with what God has
called the people to do.
-
Do you think that there are people like this today? Let's see where this leads.
Verse 28.
•
I Kings 12:28-31 : "Therefore the king asked advice,
made two calves of gold, and said to the people, 'It is too much for you to go
up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, O Israel, which brought you up from the
land of Egypt!' And he set up one in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan. Now this thing became a sin, for the
people went to worship before the one as far as Dan. He made shrines on the
high places, and made priests from every class of people, who were not of the
sons of Levi." : The sense is that Jeroboam
deliberated over and over again with his counselors.
-
He kept searching until he found what best served his own security. Incredibly,
it issued in the production of two golden calves!
-
Before you cry "Foul!" understand that there may have been a
misguided attempt on Jeroboam's part to bring people back to their roots.
-
Canaanite religion used calves as a representation of the God who was invisibly
enthroned above them. This is much like the monument made to the "Unknown
God" in Athens.
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That may have been one part of it. It is rare that false concepts of religion
begin with such a drastic turn. But keep in mind that Solomon had opened the
door for all kinds of vile idolatry!
-
The people had been softened to this and when he presents the golden calves,
they don't seem to bat an eye though II
Chronicles 11:15,16 does say that the Levites left at this event.
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Even if he intended there to be a connection to God, look at how he sells this.
"It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem!" Folks, we've made
these changes with you in mind!
-
"Why make the 50 mile trip to Jerusalem? You can worship just the same
over here!" Jeroboam's worship was conceived in fear and based upon the
needs of men!
-
He establishes two satelite campuses, one in Bethel for the southerners and one
in Dan at the northern border!
-
For those who contend that this was Yahweh centered, Bethel was considered a
"pre-monarchy" holy place. Dan is a bit of a mystery.
-
But even if Bethel was a holy place of the past, Jeroboam conveniently ignores
that Jerusalem was where God chose to place His very Name! That was present
revelation.
-
This thing became a sin. It was a sin for Jeroboam to even think it. But the
people could have rejected this. Instead it became a sin for them as well. Dan was
a place for shrines and high places.
-
Jeroboam's worship was built on convenience, flash and inclusivity. Having
cited the passage in II Chronicles 11,
you know that he was desperate to fill those Levitical positions.
-
Instead of seeing the Levites departure as a condemnation of his self-imposed
religion, Jeroboam simply turns it into an opportunity for all of God's people
to serve as priests!
-
Certainly, all of God's people are capable of serving Him. But God designated
the Levites alone for priestly service. Jeroboam has no regard for God's Word.
•
I Kings 12:32,33 : "Jeroboam ordained a feast on the
fifteenth day of the eighth month, like the feast that was in Judah, and
offered sacrifices on the altar. So he did at Bethel, sacrificing to the calves
that he had made. And at Bethel he installed the priests of the high places
which he had made. So he made offerings on the altar which he had made at Bethel on
the fifteenth day of the eighth month, in the month which he had devised in his
own heart. And he ordained a feast for the children of Israel, and offered
sacrifices on the altar and burned incense." : For those familiar with Israel's religious calendar, the Feast
of Tabernacles was scheduled for the 15th day of the seventh month.
-
Jeroboam decided to offer one that was like it, only a month later. He likely
justified this based upon God's concession to those that had defiled themselves
with a dead body in Numbers 9.
-
In that chapter, God permitted men under such conditions to celebrate the feast
in the following month. If he had used this reasoning, he would at least have
some "biblical" backing.
-
But the Bible tells us here clearly that he devised this in his own heart. God
had not ordained or endorsed this false attempt to worship.
-
Everything that he did was a cheap imitation, a knockoff of what God had
presented to the people for the sake of drawing close to Himself.
-
For a time, I'm sure that there were those that barely knew the difference. We
have the blessing of hindsight, for Israel, the 10 Tribes, are now on a road to
rampant idolatry.
-
In just a few hundred years, the fruit of this labor, this false religion, will
lead to bondage and chains and generations of Israeli lives will have been lost.
Conclusion
- When you
reconsider this chapter and look deeply into the failings of these Kings, I
hope that you see the need for godly counsel and character.
- There is a
path that leads to life and one that leads to death. If we examined our
counselors today, those which yield the greatest influence, where would their
counsel lead us?
- For these
Kings, it lead to strife, division and in the case of Jeroboam, it lead to a
godless foundation for the northern tribes!
- Our King,
Jesus Christ, didn't merely offer relief for our yoke. He took our yoke of
unrighteousness and offered us His easy yoke of faithfulness to God.
- He didn't
simply say He would be our servant. He became One and took the scourges that
our sin required.
- His faithful
enduring righteousness will stand for all eternity, leading all who believe to
a share in the legacy that He deserves. May we be found in Him!
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