The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 1 Kings 12:26-28,
"Jeroboam thought to himself, 'The kingdom will now likely revert to the house of David. If these people go up to offer sacrifices at the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem, they will again give their allegiance to their lord, Rehoboam king of Judah. They will kill me and return to King Rehoboam.' After seeking advice, the king made two golden calves. He said to the people, 'It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.'"
King Solomon had drifted into idol worship later in life because of the many wives he had taken for himself (something the Lord had said not to do). We are told it was these wives and concubines that introduced Solomon to various idols. Because of this, the Lord decided to disrupt Solomon's dynasty. "So the Lord said to Solomon, 'Since this is your attitude [the idol worship] and you have not kept my covenant and my decrees, which I commanded you, I will most certainly tear the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your subordinates. Nevertheless, for the sake of David your father, I will not do it during your lifetime. I will tear it out of the hand of your son. Yet I will not tear the whole kingdom from him, but will give him one tribe for the sake of David my servant and for the sake of Jerusalem, which I have chosen.'"
Following the passing of Solomon, his son, Rehoboam ascended the throne. However, The prophet Ahijah had told Jeroboam, one of Solomon's officials, that the Lord was going to give him the kingdom of Israel, save for the tribe of Judah. The Lord told Jeroboam through Ahijah, that it was Solomon's sin of idolatry that he was going to do this. We read of it in 1 Kings 11:29-39.
As astonishing as it is, Jeroboam (who had set up his throne in Shechem), having secured the northern ten tribes of Israel, now feared that the people of Israel would return to Rehoboam when they went up to Jerusalem to worship. Rather than placing his trust in the Lord that the Lord would maintain Jeroboam's kingdom that he not only promised, but had already delivered, Jeroboam resorted to his own craftiness. He led the northern kingdom of Israel into idolatry in an effort to keep them from worshiping the Lord in Jerusalem - all an effort to protect his throne. This, the very sin of Solomon that brought Jeroboam the throne in the first place!
This particular action of Jeroboam is referred to throughout the accounts of the eighteen kings that would follow Jeroboam on the throne of northern Israel. Each and every king that ruled over the northern ten tribes of Israel were bad kings in the eyes of the Lord with reference often made to this sin of Jeroboam.
It is simply astonishing how the sin of failing to place faith in the Lord as a guiding life principle can be devastating.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
"Jeroboam thought to himself, 'The kingdom will now likely revert to the house of David. If these people go up to offer sacrifices at the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem, they will again give their allegiance to their lord, Rehoboam king of Judah. They will kill me and return to King Rehoboam.' After seeking advice, the king made two golden calves. He said to the people, 'It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.'"
King Solomon had drifted into idol worship later in life because of the many wives he had taken for himself (something the Lord had said not to do). We are told it was these wives and concubines that introduced Solomon to various idols. Because of this, the Lord decided to disrupt Solomon's dynasty. "So the Lord said to Solomon, 'Since this is your attitude [the idol worship] and you have not kept my covenant and my decrees, which I commanded you, I will most certainly tear the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your subordinates. Nevertheless, for the sake of David your father, I will not do it during your lifetime. I will tear it out of the hand of your son. Yet I will not tear the whole kingdom from him, but will give him one tribe for the sake of David my servant and for the sake of Jerusalem, which I have chosen.'"
Following the passing of Solomon, his son, Rehoboam ascended the throne. However, The prophet Ahijah had told Jeroboam, one of Solomon's officials, that the Lord was going to give him the kingdom of Israel, save for the tribe of Judah. The Lord told Jeroboam through Ahijah, that it was Solomon's sin of idolatry that he was going to do this. We read of it in 1 Kings 11:29-39.
As astonishing as it is, Jeroboam (who had set up his throne in Shechem), having secured the northern ten tribes of Israel, now feared that the people of Israel would return to Rehoboam when they went up to Jerusalem to worship. Rather than placing his trust in the Lord that the Lord would maintain Jeroboam's kingdom that he not only promised, but had already delivered, Jeroboam resorted to his own craftiness. He led the northern kingdom of Israel into idolatry in an effort to keep them from worshiping the Lord in Jerusalem - all an effort to protect his throne. This, the very sin of Solomon that brought Jeroboam the throne in the first place!
This particular action of Jeroboam is referred to throughout the accounts of the eighteen kings that would follow Jeroboam on the throne of northern Israel. Each and every king that ruled over the northern ten tribes of Israel were bad kings in the eyes of the Lord with reference often made to this sin of Jeroboam.
It is simply astonishing how the sin of failing to place faith in the Lord as a guiding life principle can be devastating.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
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