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Reading: 1Kings
11:26-12:20; Psalm 50:1-3; Proverbs 12:27
Then Solomon's servant, Jeroboam the son of Nebat, an Ephraimite
from Zereda, whose mother's name was Zeruah, a widow, also
rebelled against the king.
And this is what caused him to rebel against the king: Solomon
had built the Millo and repaired the damages to the City of
David his father. The man Jeroboam was a mighty man of valor;
and Solomon, seeing that the young man was industrious, made him
the officer over all the labor force of the house of Joseph.
Now it happened at that time, when Jeroboam went out of
Jerusalem, that the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite met him on the
way; and he had clothed himself with a new garment, and the two
were alone in the field. Then Ahijah took hold of the new
garment that was on him, and tore it into twelve pieces. And he
said to Jeroboam, "Take for yourself ten pieces, for thus
says the LORD, the God of Israel: 'Behold, I will tear the
kingdom out of the hand of Solomon and will give ten tribes to
you (but he shall have one tribe for the sake of My servant
David, and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city which I have
chosen out of all the tribes of Israel), because they have
forsaken Me, and worshiped Ashtoreth the goddess of the
Sidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Milcom the god
of the people of Ammon, and have not walked in My ways to do
what is right in My eyes and keep My statutes and My judgments,
as did his father David.
However I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand,
because I have made him ruler all the days of his life for the
sake of My servant David, whom I chose because he kept My
commandments and My statutes. But I will take the kingdom out of
his son's hand and give it to you-ten tribes. And to his son I
will give one tribe, that My servant David may always have a
lamp before Me in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen for
Myself, to put My name there. So I will take you, and you shall
reign over all your heart desires, and you shall be king over
Israel. Then it shall be, if you heed all that I command you,
walk in My ways, and do what is right in My sight, to keep My
statutes and My commandments, as My servant David did, then I
will be with you and build for you an enduring house, as I built
for David, and will give Israel to you. And I will afflict the
descendants of David because of this, but not forever.'"
Solomon therefore sought to kill Jeroboam. But Jeroboam arose
and fled to Egypt, to Shishak king of Egypt, and was in Egypt
until the death of Solomon.
Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, all that he did, and his
wisdom, are they not written in the book of the acts of Solomon?
And the period that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel
was forty years. Then Solomon rested with his fathers, and was
buried in the City of David his father. And Rehoboam his son
reigned in his place.
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.
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."
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. 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!'" 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.
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.
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. (1Ki.11:26-12:20)
WORSHIP:
The Mighty
One, God the LORD has spoken and called the earth from the
rising of the sun to its going down. Out of Zion, the
perfection of beauty, God will shine forth. Our
God shall come, and shall not keep silent; A fire shall devour
before Him, and it shall be very tempestuous all around Him.
(Ps.50:1-3)
WISDOM:
The lazy man
does not roast what he took in hunting,
But diligence is man's precious possession. (Prov.12:27)
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