The Reigns of Jeroboam & Rheoboam

Transcript

GRS 2-94
1/13/2008
The Reigns of Jeroboam and Rheoboam
1 Kings 13-14
Gil Rugh

First Kings Chapter 13 in your Bibles, First Kings and the 13th Chapter; a significant change has occurred in Israel’s history with the establishing of the kingdom under Saul. And then it's transferred to David, and its permanent residence in the line of David, the kingly line with the Davidic Covenant in First Samuel 7. And then Solomon’s role in the kingdom after the death of his father Saul. Then we came to a major change, a fork in the road if you will, because the kingdom split under Solomon’s son and this was a direct result of the sin of Solomon in his later years when his heart turned away from the Lord to worship other gods.

His son Rehoboam acts in such a foolish way that brings about the split of the kingdom, but it was really the sovereign hand of God bringing it about. In Chapter 12 verse 15, we were told, the king did not listen to the people for it was a turn of events from the Lord that he might accomplish his word, which the Lord spoke through Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and God had sent word through the prophet to Jeroboam, telling him that he was going to give him 10 of the tribes. He was going to tear it out of the hands of Rehoboam, Solomon’s son, and give it into the hands of Jeroboam. And there would be great blessings for Jeroboam if he would be faithful. Jeroboam becomes king over the northern 10 tribes, but he is not faithful.

Now when you come into a time of Israel’s history that it becomes more confusing to track it, it was easy when you could say Saul is king, David is king, Solomon is king. But now we are going to have two kings in Israel, the king of the northern 10 tribes which are referred to as Israel and then the king of the southern two tribes Judah and Benjamin, and he will be referred to as the king of Judah. Interestingly, there will be 20 kings for each of the divisions. The northern kingdom will have 20 kings and then go into captivity under the Assyrians and the southern kingdom will have 20 kings.

Now there is longer duration in those 20 kings for the southern kingdom existed 136 years longer than the northern kingdom. But the total of kings is 20 for the north and 20 for the south, but it will get confusing and we’ll go back and forth and you have to remind yourself; now I am talking about this king, he is king of the northern divisions. This king is king in Judah. 350 years from 931 to 586 is the length of this divided kingdom. It comes to an end with the Babylonian captivity in 586. The northern 10 tribes have gone into captivity 136 years earlier in 722 BC under the Assyrians, but from 931 when the kingdom split to the end of that divided kingdom with the capture of the southern kingdom under the Babylonians in 586, then you have the end of the kingdom.

Well, we are talking about Rehoboam and Jeroboam, the first two kings under the divided kingdom. Rehoboam Solomon’s son is left with two tribes basically, Judah and then the smaller, much smaller tribe of Benjamin. Jeroboam, now he is not in the line of David remember, so the provisions of the Davidic Covenant and so on will run through the Judah line, because the ruler has to come through the tribe of Judah and has to be in the line of David. And as we noted there will be no godly kings in the northern kingdom. In those 20 kings none of them are godly. There will be godly kings sprinkled in the southern kingdom, but by no means are all the kings in the southern kingdom godly. We will see that as we move along.

You remember to keep the kingdom solidified under his rule Jeroboam has established a new worship system. He created a totally new worship system for the northern 10 tribes, instead of Jerusalem being the center, the glorious temple constructed under Solomon, he established a worship center at Bethel, which is just north of Jerusalem, but would be in his territory. And then a secondary, a second worship system or a center in Dan, which is in the extreme north up north of the Sea of Galilee. His point being, he didn’t want his people going back to Jerusalem to worship, because if they did they might be drawn back to the throne of David and he would lose his authority.

God had promised him blessings, promised that he would give him successors in his line and so on, if he would be faithful. He could never take the place of the line of David, but he could have experienced great blessing for a number of years, because the northern kingdom is going to be existence from 931 to 722 before it goes into captivity.

Alright we come to Chapter 13, we are continuing in this line; and Chapter 13 is going to focus on Jeroboam and his false worship system that he has established. And only has the two worship centers, but now it has a calf at each of these centers, the center at Bethel and the center at Dan, he’s developed his own set of priest the Levitical priest are out in the northern kingdom. So we noted most of those Levitical priests then journeyed south to Jerusalem where their position as priest would still be recognized and they could still serve the Lord. This false worship system that Jeroboam started will permeate the northern kingdom during its entire existence or ultimately culminate in the end of the northern kingdom.

God sends the prophet to Jeroboam and that’s what Chapter 13 is about; now behold there came a man of God from Judah to Bethel by the word of the Lord, while Jeroboam was standing by the altar to burn incense. God sends a prophet from Judah, a godly prophet, his prophet to Bethel and he asked him come to Bethel when Jeroboam is there, a king offering and offering incense. And as you it's sometimes have in your mind these Old Testament prophets have come and thunder forth the word of the Lord.

And here this prophet comes and now he is in enemy territory if you will, and he has a message of judgment that becomes the theme really of the kings, First and Second Kings, an emphasis on Israel’s unfaithfulness and God’s judgment for unfaithfulness. He cried against the altar by the word of the Lord and said, O altar, altar thus says the Lord, behold a son shall be born to the house of David, Josiah by name and on you he shall sacrifice the priests of the high places, who burn incense on you and human bones shall be burned on you, remarkable prophecy.

He declares speaking to the altar. So the altar could hear him. But in God’s plan he will respond to the word, but he gives a prophecy. There is going to be descendant of David, who will sit on the throne of the southern kingdom, the throne of David in the future time and he going to be an instrument of judgment, and these false priest that have been appointed by Jeroboam they will be scarified on this altar, they burn human bones on it, desecrating it, remarkable. Josiah will not come on the scene; he assumes the throne in 640 BC.

So we are 300 years away from Josiah. It just not a general prophecy, is the specific prophecy of what is going to happen and he names the king by name. But this won’t take place for 300 years. You see the sovereign authority of God. And when he comes on the scene he will do as exactly as the prophet said. Turnover to Second Kings Chapter 23, that’s a nice thing about studying history. You can read the history and then you can jump ahead to find out what happens. So we will jump ahead 300 years and Chapter 22 of Second Kings records Josiah’s coming to the throne.

Chapter 23 of Kings, and Josiah is a godly king in Judah the southern kingdom. Second Kings 23, verse 15; furthermore the altar that was at Bethel and the high place which Jeroboam the son of Nebat who made Israel sin had made even that altar and the high place he broke down, he demolished it's stones, ground them to dust and burned the Asherah. He saw the grace over there on the mountain he set and took the bones from the graves and burn them on the altars and defiled it according to the word of the Lord, which the man of God proclaims, who proclaim these things, which we just read about that it has been proclaimed 300 years earlier.

Look down to verse 20, all the priest of the high places who were there, he slaughtered on the altars and burned human bones on them then he returned to Jerusalem. Now you note he hasn’t become king of the northern kingdom, but he has infiltrated and Bethel is not very far, north of Jerusalem, and 300 years later just as God had said, by the man that he named by name. Now you understand when Josiah was born they didn’t know he would be the wonderful fill that prophecy they didn’t say, we will name him Josiah and that way he can fulfill a prophecy was given 300 years, but they did name him Josiah. And when he grows up to be king, he sits on the throne of David and its Josiah by name, and he does exactly what God says, he would do.

We have a God, who is in sovereign control, write down in the name. Who cares whether his name was Josiah or Benjamin, God cares, it's Josiah by name, and that’s what he will do. Back to First Kings Chapter 13, verse 3, this prophet now and an awesome situation, the prophet stands here, not with an army, not with soldiers just as God’s spokesman. He declares his coming judgment on the altar that king Jeroboam has established and he is here going through the worship that he has established. And now the prophet says that you are going to get a sign right now, because you won’t be here in 300 years. But I am going to give you a sign. God is going to give you a sign. So you’ll know what I say is going to happen.

Verse 3, then he gave a sign the same day saying this is the sign which the Lord has spoken, behold the altar shall be split apart and the ashes which are on it shall be poured out. So you are going to see this altar split into, and the ash is on it as a result of its splitting to they are going to spill out all over the ground. Well, Jeroboam is king, you just don’t let some ragtag prophet come marching in here and declare a judgment and get away with it.

So verse 4, when the king heard the saying of the man of God which he cried against the altar in Bethel Jeroboam stretched out his hand from the altar where he has been standing offering incense remember, he says cease him. But there is a problem. He stretches out his hand, tells his soldier, cease him. But the arm withers up and it won’t come back, you know little hard to be spent the rest of your life walking around. How do you sleep at night, a little bit in a fix, he could not draw it back, it dried up in that spot.

The altar also was split apart, the ashes were poured out from the altar according to the sign, which the man of God had given by the word of God, isn’t that an awesome scene. He not only has had an announcement of coming judgment in 300 years on this altar, and it’s not the descants of Jeroboam, because they will be long gone. But it's on the altar and that worship system in God’s judgment. But there is an immediate sign of judgment, and then an immediate judgment experienced in the body of the king.

Now here is a godless man who had a prophet of God come to him earlier, a different prophet, and offer him the kingdom and tell him he would get 10 tribes remember, and promise him the blessings of God if he would be faithful to God and he has ignored that. Now here he has another prophet come speak and he experiences these miracles. Attitude is a little different now, the altar split he is standing here, watching it with his hands still stretched out or withered up in that position, nothing he can do with it. And the king said to the man of God, please entreat the Lord your God, and pray for me that my hand may be restored to me.

I wouldn’t, and I couldn’t have been a prophet, because I’d have said, pull it back yourself, the old sin bag. But the prophet response to his entreaty, and the man of God entreated the Lord and God is such a gracious God. You know we get frustrated with sinners around us, don’t we. We think I can put up with the many longer; the God is Lord is so gracious. He restores Jeroboam’s arm and hand. The kings hand was restored to it became as before, what a gracious God we have.

The king said to the man of God come home with me and refresh yourself and I will give you a reward. Come on home with me, I will you know you’ve had a journey up here. This has not been easy, I will you know treat you to a feast. I will reward you, and when the king is going to reward you that would be a handsome reward. The prophet refuses the invitation and this is very important and very clear.

Verse 8, the man of God said to the king, if you were to give me half your house, I would not go with you, nor would I eat bread or drink water in this place. For so it was commanded me by the word of the Lord, saying, you shall eat no bread, nor drink water, nor return by the way which you came. You don’t go up there and have any fellowship. You don’t drink any water. You don’t eat any food and you don’t even go back the way you came.

Now that’s clear. So he went another way and did not return by the way which he came to Bethel. Why God wanted to go in a different way, we don’t know, maybe he didn’t want people following him, checking up as he returned and distracting him, whatever the instructions of the Lord is clear. And the man of God stands firm. The king of the northern 10 tribes cannot entice him to take a little refreshment, cannot entice him with the rewards that he could give him. He does what the Lord says.

Now we are introduced to another prophet. Now, an old prophet was living in Bethel. And the way the context goes, which seem that this is a man who had been used by God in previous days as a prophet. Evidently he is not a man that God would use for the task that just had been accomplished by this other prophet, even though he is at Bethel indicates perhaps something of the situation he is in. His sons came and told him all the deeds which the man of God had done that day in Bethel; the words which he had spoken to the king, these they also related to their father.

So these sons of this old prophet come home and tell him what happened at the worship center in Bethel. And but that prophet their father said, which way did he go; his sons had seen the way which he went to return to back to Judah. So he said saddle the donkey for me and he goes on his donkey to find the man of God. He found him sitting under an oak. Verse 14, he said to him are you the man of God who came from Judah, he said I am. He said, come home with me and eat bread.

And now we have another temptation coming. First one came from the king. This comes from an old geezer of a prophet. The guy’s already been successful in his prophecy up there. He successfully stood and resisted the temptation of the king to disobey God and stay and have refreshment and accept reward. No indication the old prophet has any rewards to give him, but he says come on back home and eat with me, so one prophet to another. He said, I cannot return with you, nor go with you, nor will I eat bread or drink water with you in this place. For a command came to me by the word of the Lord, You shall eat no bread, nor drink water there; do not return by going the way which you came. So the old prophet says to him, I also am a prophet like you, and an angel spoke to me by the word of the Lord, saying, bring him back with you to your house, that he may eat bread and drink water. But he lied to him.

And you think the prophet might say, no the word of the Lord is clear to me unless the word Lord speaks to me, I am on my way home. But he immediately gives in. He immediately response to the lie, so he went back with him ate bread at his house and drank water. And then I read this then I may say, didn’t he miss something here. He get turned down the offer of the king and this old prophet who couldn’t feed him near as well as the king could have and couldn’t reward him and does an offer to reward him as the king would have.

But all he has to do is tell the right kind of lie and the prophet disobeys the word of the Lord. So it came about while they were sitting down at the table that the word of the Lord came to the prophet who had brought him back, isn’t that interesting. The word of the Lord came to the prophet who have lied to him and deceit him. And he cry to the man of God who came from Judah saying, thus says the Lord.

Now it's almost like reverse situation, not too long before this the prophet from Judah had stood at the altar at Bethel, and declared thus says the Lord, and pronounce judgment. Now he sits in the house of this old prophet and here is that old prophet, declare thus says the Lord, because you have disobeyed the command of the Lord. You have rebelled against the word of the Lord. You have not observed the commandment which the Lord your God commanded you, but you have returned and eaten bread and drunken water in the place of which he said to you, eat no bread, and drink no water; your body shall not come to the grave of your fathers.

The pronouncement of judgment is that of all of the Old Testament people, was to have a burial in the family burial place. But your bones aren’t coming to the bones of your fathers. You disobey the Lord, isn’t amazing. The prophet who lied to him and he responded to that lie now becomes the mouth piece to pronounce judgment on him. Bible doesn’t go into any of the details, why would Lord do this, what was the character of this old prophet, was he doing, living in Bethel anyway.

We are going to retire from the prophecy; you ought to be retiring at the center of pagan worship. But he is evidently an old prophet of God, being used of not now he becomes God’s mouthpiece to pronounce the judgment upon the prophet of God, just because, you know the prophet of God when Judah was used to pronounce judgment on Jeroboam, judgment on the worship system that was established at Bethel does not mean he was above the word of God himself, and when he become disobedient he comes under the judgment of God.

So verse 23, it came about after he had eaten bread and after he had drunk, he saddled the donkey for him, for the prophet whom he had brought back. When he had gone, a lion met him on the way and killed him, his body was thrown on the road, with the donkey standing beside it; the lion was standing beside the body. You have other supernatural events going on here. Now a lion comes and kills him, but the lion doesn’t devour his body. The donkey stands there, but the lion doesn’t attack the donkey.

So we are sort of frozen in time here now, and now you have a dead prophet laying on the road beside the donkey was riding in a lion, who just kill the prophet just standing there, behold men passed by saw the body thrown on the road, the lion standing beside the body; they came and told it in the city where the old prophet lived. When the prophet who brought him back from the way heard it, he said, it is the man of God, who disobeyed the command of the Lord.

It doesn’t matter that he told the lie; the prophet from Judah had clear instructions from the Lord, doesn’t it. There were no reasons for him to be deceived. He could tell Jeroboam what God had told him, here what God has said, doesn’t matter with that an old prophet lied to him, you know someone else sin never is an excuse for my sin. So the old prophet lied, how can you hold the prophet from Judah accountable, because the word of the Lord was clear, he is accountable to do what the word of the Lord said.

I don’t think he is fully to blame, he is completely to blame. Now how the Lord deals with the old prophet for lying, I don’t know that’s between the Lord and the old prophet, but the Lord deals with the rebellious prophet here. Even the old prophet who lies can say, it's the one and this is man who disobeyed, who rebelled against the commandment of the Lord, therefore the Lord has given him to the lion, which has torn and killed him, according to the word of the Lord which he spoke to him. Then he spoke to his sons and said, Saddle the donkey for me, they saddled it. He went found his body thrown on the road with the donkey and the lion standing beside the body; the lion had not eaten the body, nor torn the donkey.

The Lord sovereign in control of animals as well as people, so the prophet took up the body of the man of God, laid it on the donkey brought it back. What about the lion, what did they do with the lion, so they could get in take the body and the donkey, didn’t have to do anything, I guess. The lion just here protecting the donkey and the body till the old prophet gets here to take it away. God’s in control.

So the prophet took up the body of the man of God, laid it on the donkey, brought it back he came to the city of the old prophet to mourn and to bury him. He laid his body in his own grave; they mourned over him saying Alas my brother. And he is after he buried him he spoke to his son saying, when I die bury me in the grave in which the man of God is buried, lay my bones beside his bones. For the thing shall surely come to pass which he cried by the word of the Lord against the altar in Bethel, against all of the houses of the high places which are in the cities of Samaria.

This man is evidently truly a true prophet of God. The fact that he told the lie, puzzles us but it shouldn’t been a problem, because all the prophets knew they are to do what the Lord tells them. So the old prophet in the position the fact that he was an instrument to put this prophet to the test to see if he would truly obey the word of the Lord that’s just part of being a prophet, but you know that prophet from Judah wasn’t going to be buried in the tomb of his fathers. Remember that have been the prophecy; he’s buried up in Bethel. The family tomb of the old prophet were the old prophet wants to be buried, but he acknowledges, he was a true prophet of God, he disobeyed for that he had to pay the price of his life. But what he said will come true in his prophecies against this place.

What about Jeroboam, how impressed is he; now he had another prophet and another encounter with the prophet, he’s observed the miracle of the altar splitting and the ashes pouring out. He has experienced at his own body the power of God that withered that hand that stretched out against the prophet of God he has experienced the power of God in restoring the hand.

Verse 33, after this event Jeroboam did not return from his evil way, but again he made priests of the high places from among all the people; any who would, he ordained, to be priests of the high places. This event became a sin to the house of Jeroboam, even to blot it out and destroy it from off the face of the earth that will be the resultant judgment for Jeroboam’s house. But to see he is not moved by miracles, he is not moved by the events that have taken place. He goes on his sinful path continue to appoint priest, restore the altars, there continue to be worship centers, until Josiah comes to destroy the altar at Bethel, unmoved, unchanged we talk about hardened hearts of sinners. That’s their condition.

Chapter 14, we continue with Jeroboam and Rehoboam. Remember Jeroboam’s in the north, Rehoboam’s king of the south. That time Abijam the son of Jeroboam became sick. Jeroboam said to his wife, arise now and disguise yourself, so they will not know that you are the wife of Jeroboam, go to Shiloh. Behold Ahijah the prophet is there who spoke concerning me that I would be king over this people. Ahijah was the prophet that originally came to Jeroboam and said the God was going to give him the 10 tribes.

Promise God would bless him if he would, isn’t it interesting. Jeroboam knows where he has to go if he wants to know, what the Lord the God of Israel has to say. Go to a true prophet, go to Ahijah, the one who prophecies that I would be king. He hasn’t forgotten these things; he has forgotten the word of the Lord, he just chooses to reject it. But now his son is sick, so he tells his wife get all disguised, so no one knows you are my wife and you go and find out from Ahijah, what’s going to happen. Take ten loaves with you, some cakes, a jar of honey, and go to him. He will tell you what will happen to the boy. You always have to take a gift to the prophet, acknowledging him as a prophet of God and worthy of your support and so on.

Interesting how sinful man is and how he thinks he can act; Ahijah is truly a prophet of God. But he thinks he can pull the will over his eyes, because if the prophet of God knows that this is his wife he might give a different verdict. I mean the superstition that comes to a person, Jeroboam’s wife did so arose went to Shiloh, came to the house of Ahijah. Now Ahijah could not see, for his eyes were dim because of his age. So she’s disguised no one so no one can tell Ahijah, and then Ahijah can't see anyway, he is old. Remember those days’ cataracts and things like that just brought about the eventual blindness to people at this point, Ahijah is unable to see. We are not told how old he is, but the process of age brought him to the point he really can't see. For all intents and purposes he is blind at this point.

Now the Lord had said to Ahijah, behold, the wife of Jeroboam is coming to inquire of you concerning your son, for he is sick, you shall say, thus and thus to her for it will be when she arrive, she will be pretend to be another woman. And so when Jeroboam’s wife arise, I love the way it is verse 6, when Ahijah heard the sound of her feet coming in the door way, he said come in wife of Jeroboam, why do you pretend to be another woman.

Think about this woman, I mean no one knows who she is and he can't see her, and all he does has to do is hear the footsteps and says, come on in wife of Jeroboam. Why are you dressed up like another woman, I mean how does she know, the Lord has told him, he can't see her, but he knows; and I love the way it's put at the end. For I am send to you with a harsh message, isn’t it interesting. She comes to his house to his room, but he says I am send to you.

The real reason you are here is I have a message for you, and it's a harsh message. Go say to Jeroboam thus says the Lord of God of Israel, because I exulted you from among the people, made you leader over the people of Israel, tore the kingdom away from the house of David, gave it to you, yet you have not been like my servant David, who kept my commandments, who followed me with all his heart, to do only that which was right in my sight. You also have done more evil than all who were before you, you have gone and made for yourself other God’s, molten images to provoke me to anger, have cast me behind your back.

I mean could there be any other way that to express and your total disregard for the God of Israel, you have cast me behind your back. You totally ignored me and regard me as nothing. Therefore behold, I am bringing calamity on the house of Jeroboam will cut off from Jeroboam every male person with both bond and free in Israel, I will make a clean sweep of the house of Jeroboam as one sweeps away dung until it’s gone. Now, pretty # into the point analogy, just like you sweep up the dung from the floor. That’s what it's going to be like getting rid of the reminiscence of the house of Jeroboam. Anyone belonging to Jeroboam would dies and the city the dogs will eat, he dies in the field, and the birds of the heavens will eat him. The Lord has spoken it.

Now you came to find out about your child, let me tell you about your child, he is going to die, as soon as your footsteps your feet arrive back in the city, the child will die. That’s only the beginning; there is no future for the house of Jeroboam. And the death of this son is a blessing from the Lord. He is going to die, because I find something good in him. Evidently he has a heart for the God of Israel. So God’s going to bring about his premature death to spare him of what could come and what will come. When your feet enter the city the child will die, 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, isn’t it interesting.

God’s graceful be manifest toward this child by taking him and what would be viewed humanly speaking as a premature death, it's a blessing from God to spare him, what is to come. 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. There come a king in Israel and this will go on in Israel’s history. But for the house of Jeroboam this man will take it upon himself to totally annihilate, the house of Jeroboam and that will unfold as we move on in Israel’s history.

Verse 15, interesting verse; it's the first indication of the deportation of the northern kingdom. Here we are with the first king of the northern kingdom and you get some idea of the character of the kings of the northern kingdom with Jeroboam and the worship system that he starts will permeate as I say the northern kingdoms history.

Verse 15, for the Lord will strike Israel as a reed is shaken in the water. Now remember Israel is we are talking about now we are talking about the northern 10 tribes, because that’s 10 of the 12 tribes there called Israel contrast to Judah and itself. The Lord will strike Israel as a reed is shaken in the water he will up root Israel from this good land which he gave to their fathers, will scatter them beyond the Euphrates River, because they have made their Asherim, provoking the Lord to anger. He will give up Israel on account of the sins of Jeroboam, which he commits and with which he mad Israel to sin. The result of Jeroboam’s sin, the result of Israel following Jeroboam and his sins they will be removed from the land, deported and carried away, beyond the Euphrates. And that will by the Assyrians.

Deuteronomy 29, verse 28, before Israel came into the land God warned them. If you turn from me and worship other God’s I will tear you off the land and scatter you among the nations. So here you have the first indication now for the northern kingdom that they are going to be deported ultimately. Now this is not going to happen for 100s of years, but it's going to happen, Jeroboam’s wife gets up goes home and of course the child dies. And then we have the rest here, Jeroboam’s wife arose departed and she was entering the threshold of the house, the child died all his room buried him, mourned him according to the word of the Lord which he spoke through as Ahijah the prophet.

Always that reminder it's according to the word of the Lord. The word of the Lord is always fulfilled. The word of the Lord is always fulfilled, the word of the Lord, the word of the Lord. We can never take it lightly. We have had an example of that with the prophets. It's a big thing he turned down Jeroboams offers, it's a big thing to go to a prophet, it sounds a big thing, and the word of the Lord supersedes everything. The rest of the acts of Jeroboam, how he made war, how he reigned, behold they are written in the book of the “Chronicles the Kings of Israel.” The time to Jeroboam reigned was 22 years. He slept with his fathers. Nadab his son reigned in his place.

Now verse 21, we have to swing to the southern kingdom. And this is where sometimes as we move along further we move along the more confusing, because now we have Nadab being king. But he is king in the north. Now we are going to jump to the south. Now Rehoboam the son of Solomon reigned in Judah. Rehoboam was 41 years old when he became king. He reigned 17 years in Jerusalem, the city which the Lord had chosen from all the tribes of Israel to put his name there, his mother’s name and on we go. So we have the reign of Rehoboam, closing out this chapter.

Chronicles gives a fuller account of the reign, kings is concerned about emphasizing the sin of Israel and its consequences, Israel and Judah. Chronicles will be more concern to show God’s faithfulness to his covenantal promises. There will be more attention given in Chronicles to the good kings of Judah, for example, and being remind the God has being faithful to his covenantal promises. So while they parallel histories, the emphasis in the accounting kings is more on the sin and its consequences, whereas while Chronicles mentions the sin it gives more emphasis to God honoring his covenantal promises to his people.

You might turn over to Second Chronicles. Rehoboam starts out okay, you know it's not enough to start well you must finish well. Go overall of it finish well, Rehoboam started out well. For three years he did well. The problem as he is going to reign for 17 years. So three years of doing well wont’ be well enough. So in Second Chronicles Chapter 11, verse 17, we will pick up with -- and we talk about the Levites the context here, since Jeroboam was appointing his own priests, he rejects the Levitical priesthood, because they are associated with the worship system at Jerusalem. So these Levites remember, leave the territories of the northern kingdom, and come down to Judah.

And so verse 16, those from all the tribes of Israel set their hearts on seeking Lord God of Israel followed them to Jerusalem, so the Levites are leaving and believers in the northern kingdom are leaving as well. They strengthen the kingdom of Judah and supported Rehoboam, the son of Solomon for three years; for they walked in the way of David and Solomon for three years. So there is an impact here for the first three years of his reign.

And during the time verse 23, Rehoboam acted wisely, and tells what he did. But Chapter 12 verse 1, you know prosperity is a trap for us, you know often when we are struggling, when we are poor, when things are difficult, we think, if I only had this, if this only and I was free from these work, then I could really be free to serve the Lord, how often is that happened when those good times come, somehow we have got lost in the good times. You can look back and say, you know that we are lot more faithful when they report; they were a lot more faithful when they were sick, they were a lot more faithful when times were hard.

Chapter 12 verse 1, when the king of Rehoboam was established and strong. Now an initial threat that he felt with Jeroboam taking 10 of the tribes, where is this going to end up and so on; he and all Israel with him forsook the law of the Lord. During the time now the kingdom solidified. Now we have so much to praise the Lord and thank the Lord for and devote ourselves to serve him, but now the kingdom is established and strong; he and all Israel with him forsook the law of the Lord; tragic account.

What this will do is bring judgment. So Shishak, pharaoh of Egypt invades Judah and we have trouble. It came about in Rehoboam’s fifth year. So he was faithful for three years, two years now let’s having establishing the pattern of unfaithfulness, came about and it came Rehoboam’s fifth year, because they had been unfaithful to the Lord. There Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem with 1200 chariots, 60,000 horsemen and he also has allies, they capture the 45 cities of Jerusalem.

They come as far as Jerusalem. And then Shemaiah the prophet came to Rehoboam, the princess of Judah and the princess of Judah who had gathered at Jerusalem, and he gives the word thus says the Lord, because you have forsaken me I have forsaken you to Shishak, a little while he is here. It's to handle the Lord. You see the Lord is in control in all the events of the world. Pagan rulers are under his control, nothing is out of control that’s why we as God’s people live in tranquility even in turmoil, the peace of God shall stand guard at your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, because my God rules, in the affairs of men to their credit.

Verse 6, the princess of Israel, the king humble themselves and said the Lord is gracious, the Lord is righteous, when the Lord saw they humble themselves, the word of Lord came to Shemaiah saying they have humbled themselves, I will not destroy them, but I will grant them some measure of deliverance, my wrath shall not be poured out on Jerusalem by means of Shishak. But they will become his slaves that they may learn the difference between my service and the service of the kingdoms of the country. You think it's too difficult to serve me; you are going to learn a lesson. You have to find out what it's like to be the servants or slaves of an earthly master, too much trouble to obey the word of the Lord.

Verse 1, they forsook the law of the Lord. Well you become his slaves, you will find out service. So he is going to spare them in that Shishak won’t come in and destroy Jerusalem and guard them off, but he will subjugate them. He will carry the way away the wealth and they will be, less to get tribute to him. So Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem took the treasures of the house of the Lord, the treasures of the kings palace, he took everything even took the God shields with Solomon have made. So Rehoboam left to replace the gold shield with bronze shield and so on.

Come back now to Kings, we have filled in some gaps. The kings doesn’t fill in king just gives you the basic highlights. It doesn’t talk about the repentance or anything. Chapter 14, my place here in Kings down in verse 21, we have read he reigned 17 years summarizing. Verse 22, Judah did evil in the sight of the Lord, they provoked him to jealousy more than all that their fathers had done, they built the high places Asherah himself, what they have done, there were also male cult prostitutes in the land. They did according to all the abominations of the nation, which the Lord disposes before the sons of Israel.

I mean we won’t go back and read what brought judgment on the Canaanites. But now its Israel cult prostitutes, male cult prostitutes. They are doing everything. I mean how did they once you start in that line of disobedience, you don’t know where the bottom is. For the first three years they did well, and the experience is God’s blessing. Five years into the reign, they have taken a terrible turn, where is the bottom. If you have told Rehoboam at the beginning, you know you are going to end up with building false worship centers promoting male cult prostitutes doing all # never me, don’t underestimate sin, it's power. And we yield the sin, it begins the rapid tentacles around us, more around us and we are dragged down, we are dragged down.

And I have shared with you before, I used to go to the missions in Philadelphia Downtown Philadelphia, you know we meet and talk with people there. And men there so many men you know they tell these heart wrenching stories of how they lost their business and their family and, you know because I never thought I would end up in this, whoever does, whoever sins, thinking just think in five years I will be totally destroyed, now he ever enters into sin thinking that, this is where Israel is.

So now it happen in the fifth year of king Rehoboam verse 25, Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem. So you can see the parallel, but he took away the treasures of the house of the Lord, the treasures of the king house, he took away the shield. Chronicles filled in some of the details about the prophet’s message and the repentance here and why Shishak doesn’t complete his destruction in conquer Jerusalem and leaves because God’s intervened and king Rehoboam made shields of bronze.

Verse 29, the rest of the acts of the Rehoboam all that he did are they not written in the book of the Chronicles or the kings of Judah. There was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam continually. Rehoboam slept with his father’s was buried with his father’s in the city of David. Abijam his son became king in his place. Now the names get a little harder to remember.

Now we have Nadab in the north and Abijam in the south. And of course the dates of their reigns won’t run, because they don’t come and go together, because we have two separate kingdoms. So it becomes a little more confusing and we have charts available in the book store that will lay out the charts if you want to see it in the chart fashion, so you can see who is reigning when and what overlap there is and what not and it almost becomes essentially to have something like that to help you keep track of these people. So I’d encourage you maybe to avail yourself of those things.

Alright let’s just summarize some of the things out of these two chapters as we conclude. First thing to be reminded of corrupt worship does bring contaminations. That’s how we started out in Chapter 13. The prophet from Judah comes to speak God’s judgment against the false worship system. God is we could say deadly serious about this. Ultimately all false worship will bring his devastating judgment; it will result in contamination and death. And that includes the second death, which is eternity in hell and we are reminded that’s where Jeroboam will spend eternity.

As we talk he’s joined the rich man from Luke 16, I am tormented in this flame. That’s the destiny that’s the combination God serious, when his people are allow false worship to infiltrate it brings his judgment. You cannot abandon the truth, and not experience the consequences. So first lesson we are to learn from Israel’s history. God is serious about worship and worship must be done his way. We have all these improvements in our day, all these idea men will come up with his great plans and they can draw huge crowds and we think that’s success, obedience is success. I mean pleasing God that is called success is it not, if Israel had trouble with that what issues that we have we have Israel’s history to remind us to learn from, be obedient, do what God says that’s what he requires.

Secondly godliness requires obedience in the face of great temptation. And to the prophet from Judah credit he was obedient, when Jeroboam enticed him with kingly refreshment and kingly reward, he says I wouldn’t take half your kingdom, because God spoken. That supersedes riches that supersedes honor, so he goes back to the way he came a lonely prophet, may be hungry, maybe thirsty, maybe poor it doesn’t matter and what matters is, being obedience.

A third point that I have noted is we must beware of follow up temptation. That’s in verses 11 to 19, you know in verse 14, it seems like the prophets made it. You know he is sitting here under the tree. Well, I went there I declare the word of the Lord what remarkable things he did. I rejected the temptation of Jeroboam. I am on my way home. I am away from that godless place at Bethel. It feels so good to be able to relax now under the tree. He was on-guard against the king but he wasn’t on-guard the fellow prophet. And if basically the same temptation, don’t be obedient. It just coming from a much less significant source, an old prophet who must be somewhat retired, then he comes with the fellow prophet and says, that’s alright the Lord told me come get you and give you something to eat and drink.

Well this is not nearly so obvious, because I can see the king, you know and, yeah I don’t want to be Lord be riches, I don’t want to be Lord by wealthy and powerful people. But an old prophet, go and have something to eat with him. Well the issue is not who you are eating with, the issue is the word of the Lord, right. God said, don’t do it. He didn’t just say, don’t do it with the king, don’t you eat anything of there and don’t drink anything. You know I have to be careful sometimes, you know we become vulnerable after we have had called a victory. We sort of take that deep breath like the prophet relax under the tree, sort of feel the relief and the let down that comes, pressures off. The pressure is never off our adversary the devil prowls about the roaring lion seeking someone to devour.

Understand that I cannot let down my guard, obedience still required, pride myself let’s stand for the word or stand for the truth or be obedient, you know when it come through a time where I have been and you know I can thank the Lord for his grace and breathe easy again, I have to be careful, where the next temptation may come from, it will come and it does come and for this prophet it is devastating. So we have to be careful to be consistent in our obedience.

Verse 21, this old prophet reminds him, you have disobeyed the command of the Lord. You have not observed the commandment which the Lord your God commanded you. It becomes identified in verse 26, is the man of God who disobeyed the command of the Lord, what a terrible grave marker. The man of God who disobey; the man of God was used so mightily. The king couldn’t stretch out his hand against this man when he did it withered up and couldn’t be brought back. And now his epitaph is the man of God who disobeyed the command of the Lord.

A fifth point what else can you say. You know what that to be your epitaph, I don’t wanted to be my epitaph either you want to finish well. Obedience not for the first five years in my life, not for the first ten years, not for the first 20 years or however I am pretty long I am privileged to walk with the Lord when I come to know him, but to the very end that’s what we desire. You see something of the awful power of sin in our hearts and lives.

When you see in verse 33, Jeroboam did not returned from his evil way, sinners are unmoved by the word of God, they are unmoved by the power of God displayed before them. You remember I mentioned that account in Luke Chapter 16, and the rich man in Hades then says the Abraham send somebody back from the grave, then my family will believe. And you remember what Abraham said, if they don’t believe Moses and the prophets, they won’t believe the one he is raised from the dead. What happened when Christ was raised from the dead, the Jewish leadership paid the guards to tell a lie, his disciples came and stole his body when we were asleep. Do they believe in the face of the greatest miracles, no because that’s it's not lack of evidence that is the problem. It is the sinful rejection of God and his word of the human heart, that’s the problem.

Jeroboam is unchanged. In spite of the fact he’s had direct messages from God brought to him by prophets. He’s observed miracles and experienced miracles in his own body, he is unmoved. We must not under estimate the hardness of a sinful human heart. We present the word of God, but I don’t want to think I can soften that heart by my workings, my doings; I am simply an instrument I come and proclaim the word of God. God does with his word what he will do. God will judge sin, be not deceived God is not mocked whatever a man source that he will also reap.

So in Chapter 14 verses 10 and 11, calamities going to come upon the house of Jeroboam, and we must be careful. Down in verses 23 and 24, the people of God must not become like the people of the world. We don’t reach the people of the world by becoming like them. We want to create worship services that will appeal to the ungodly as though we could win them over. We are going to create a setting where unbelievers will want to come; why would the unbeliever ever want to come into the presence of the living God; why would the unbeliever ever want to hear the word of the God that they hate and reject.

We present the word of God and God works. And in fact that any of us are saved is a declaration of the greatness of his grace. And that’s our desire that he might be gracious and uses word to accomplish his purposes. But heaven forbid that, we think by becoming part of the world that involved with the world and allow ourselves to be drawn into the world. We have to come out from among them and be separate says the Lord, not to be conform to the world, but be transformed. May God grant that we will be faithful in our service to him until the end, whether it is that his return or at our death.

Let’s pray together. Thank you, Lord for your grace, the testimony of your faithfulness that Israel exists today. You are a covenant keeping God, you honor your word; but your wrath is devastating. Your wrath is fierce; judgment on unbelief goes beyond imagination, the destruction of hell. And Lord the discipline that you bring upon your people can be terribly severe and harsh. Thank you that your purpose and plans for Israel. For their good and their redemption will ultimately be realized that they pay a terrible price for their unbelief. Lord may we as your church today learn from the history of your people Israel. May we individually take to heart these messages, may we be faithful, may we take seriously every word of your word, because you take it seriously; uses today, uses of the day in the days of the week before us to be lights in the midst of darkness. We pray in Christ’s name, amen.