History reveals a time when King Solomon lost focus of the truth he knew too well; God is the Victory. His kingdom flourished until his heart turned to adore and desire the gifts more than the giver of all gifts. He blinked and nearly lost it all. Yet, God’s grace provided a way of escape and Solomon returned to God. Yet, the deeds of Godly men ultimately do affect the whole world. That has been true since the beginning of time and remains true today. We blink for a moment. Lose sight. Then awaken only after the bad choice has been made. The consequences are already set into action. Then, we must choose either to bow humbly in repentance before the throne of God or march on in our rebellion. We see this play out in the story of the two kings who followed King Solomon. As we search through their stories, let us ask ourselves which will we be?
And more importantly, as we read about their stories, never forget that God will accomplish all that He has planned. God is the Victory. Jesus Christ paid the price; therefore, the victory is won already for all who accept Him as Lord and Saviour.
Knowing the end instills hope, strength, and endurance to deal with all the trials we face. Jesus is why we refocus through humble repentance, each time we stumble. We can be certain our failures never take God by surprise. He knew every sin I would commit before I was born. Miraculously, He saved me all the same. Furthermore, Jesus bore on His shoulders all my sins. He saw each one and said, “Strike me again. I must pay that one and the other one too” What Grace! Such Love! I owe Him all of me, forever.
God Is in Control Even of Our Trials
Even before this story unfolds, we knew the end. God had given us a clue.
1 King 11: (ESV) 9 And the Lord was angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice 10 and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods. But he did not keep what the Lord commanded. 11 Therefore the Lord said to Solomon, “Since this has been your practice and you have not kept my covenant and my statutes that I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom from you and will give it to your servant. 12 Yet for the sake of David your father I will not do it in your days, but I will tear it out of the hand of your son. 13 However, I will not tear away all the kingdom, but I will give one tribe to your son, for the sake of David my servant and for the sake of Jerusalem that I have chosen.”
1 King 11: (ESV) 26 Jeroboam the son of Nebat, an Ephraimite of Zeredah, a servant of Solomon, whose mother’s name was Zeruah, a widow, also lifted up his hand against the king. 27 And this was the reason why he lifted up his hand against the king. Solomon built the Millo, and closed up the breach of the city of David his father. 28 The man Jeroboam was very able, and when Solomon saw that the young man was industrious he gave him charge over all the forced labor of the house of Joseph.
Notice who was in charge of the labor force used by Solomon to build his kingdom. Jeroboam was a servant of Solomon. Also he was of the tribe of Ephraim as had been King Saul.
Also, Jeroboam knew: God is the Victory
29 And at that time, when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite found him on the road. Now Ahijah had dressed himself in a new garment, and the two of them were alone in the open country. 30 Then Ahijah laid hold of the new garment that was on him, and tore it into twelve pieces.
31 And he said to Jeroboam, “Take for yourself ten pieces, for thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Behold, I am about to tear the kingdom from the hand of Solomon and will give you ten tribes 32 (but he shall have one tribe, for the sake of my servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city that I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel), 33 because they have[a] forsaken me and worshiped (other Gods).
A Promise to Jeroboam
34 Nevertheless, I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand, but I will make him ruler all the days of his life, for the sake of David my servant whom I chose, who kept my commandments and my statutes. 35 But I will take the kingdom out of his son’s hand and will give it to you, ten tribes. 36 Yet to his son I will give one tribe, that David my servant may always have a lamp before me in Jerusalem, the city where I have chosen to put my name.
37 And I will take you, and you shall reign over all that your soul desires, and you shall be king over Israel. 38 And if you will listen to all that I command you, and will walk in my ways, and do what is right in my eyes by keeping my statutes and my commandments, as David my servant did, I will be with you and will build you a sure house, as I built for David, and I will give Israel to you. 39 And I will afflict the offspring of David because of this, but not forever.’” 40 Solomon sought therefore to kill Jeroboam. But Jeroboam arose and fled into Egypt, to Shishak king of Egypt, and was in Egypt until the death of Solomon.
Therefore, the Stage is Set
12 Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king. 2 And as soon as Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard of it (for he was still in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon), then Jeroboam returned from[a] Egypt. 3 And they sent and called him, and Jeroboam and all the assembly of Israel came and said to Rehoboam, 4 “Your father made our yoke heavy. Now therefore lighten the hard service of your father and his heavy yoke on us, and we will serve you.” 5 He said to them, “Go away for three days, then come again to me.” So the people went away.
Note: Rehoboam does not have a clue; but he is being tested. Will he seek counsel from God or merely men? God already knows what he will do but will use it as a lesson. Also, knowing in advance what he was going to do, God’s prophetic word is also completed just as spoken to Solomon. The just judgement against Solomon was carried out. But Rehoboam faces this because of his own sin in the course of things. His pride overrode his decision. He went to the wise men who suggested he offer himself as a servant king to the people. Then he asks those of his own generation who told him to declare he would be harsher than even his father.
Making a Poor Choice, yet God is the Victory
12 So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king said, “Come to me again the third day.” 13 And the king answered the people harshly, and forsaking the counsel that the old men had given him, 14 he spoke to them according to the counsel of the young men, saying, “My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.” 15 So the king did not listen to the people, for it was a turn of affairs brought about by the Lord that he might fulfill his word, which the Lord spoke by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.
The Kingdom Divided
I Kings 12 16 And when all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them, the people answered the king, “What portion do we have in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse. To your tents, O Israel! Look now to your own house, David
So, essentially, they told him to go away and stay with the tribe of Judah. He then sent the task master to them, and they killed the task master. Then placed Jeroboam as King over the 10 tribes of Israel. The tribe of Benjamin joined with Judah and were going to go to battle to take back the land; however, God said no, and Rehoboam listened. In fact, this was God’s answer.
I Kings 12 24 ‘Thus says the Lord, “You shall not go up or fight against your relatives the people of Israel. Every man return to his home, for this thing is from me.’” So, they listened to the word of the Lord and went home again, according to the word of the Lord.
What About King Jeroboam?
God had promised Jeroboam that He would be with Him.
And if you will listen to all that I command you, and will walk in my ways, and do what is right in my eyes by keeping my statutes and my commandments, as David my servant did, I will be with you and will build you a sure house, as I built for David, and I will give Israel to you. I Kings 11: 38
But alas, even knowing all this, King Jeroboam built Golden calf altars and lead the Kingdom of Israel into idolatrous worship. He even dismissed all the priests of Levi and set up other priests to offer sacrifices to the Golden Calves like the people had done when they sinned against God in the wilderness. He even said the same words as did Aaron that day.
Let us never worship what we have devised in our own heart
I King 13:
28 So the king took counsel and made two calves of gold. And he said to the people, “You have gone up to Jerusalem long enough. Behold your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.” 29 And he set one in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan. 30 Then this thing became a sin, for the people went as far as Dan to be before one.[b]
31 He also made temples on high places and appointed priests from among all the people, who were not of the Levites. 32 And Jeroboam appointed a feast on the fifteenth day of the eighth month like the feast that was in Judah, and he offered sacrifices on the altar. So he did in Bethel, sacrificing to the calves that he made. And he placed in Bethel the priests of the high places that he had made. 33 He went up to the altar that he had made in Bethel on the fifteenth day in the eighth month, in the month that he had devised from his own heart.
So When Trials Come, will You Remember God is the Victory?
See King Rehoboam sinned, but he humbled himself before God.
King Jeroboam did not, although given the same chance.
Concluding Thoughts
Yet, through all of it, God accomplished all that He planned, despite the failures of men. Still note all the sorrow, grief and loss caused by each man’s sin in these stories. God’s focus remained on the final victory. He had promised Adam, that a Savior would come. Furthermore, He told Jacob that the Savior would be the lion from the tribe of Judah.
Genesis 49 (AMP
“Judah, you are the one whom your brothers shall praise;
Your hand will be on the neck of your enemies;
Your father’s sons shall bow down to you.
9
“Judah, a lion’s cub;
With the prey, my son, you have gone high up [the mountain].
He stooped down, he crouched like a lion,
And like a lion—who dares rouse him?
10
“The scepter [of royalty] shall not depart from Judah,
Nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet,
Until Shiloh [the Messiah, the Peaceful One] comes,
And to Him shall be the obedience of the peoples.
11
“Tying [a]his foal to the [strong] vine
And his donkey’s colt to the choice vine,
He washes his clothing in wine [because the grapevine produces abundantly],
And his robes in the blood of grapes.
12
“His eyes are darker and sparkle more than wine,
And his teeth whiter than milk.
God is the Victory! He makes straight paths out of the crooked. Completing all that He plans, despite all the detours of rebellious men. Therefore, I can face any trial, because I know the end of the story. I know that God is the Victory for my life. Jesus Christ is the ONLY Way, the Truth, and the Life. My future is secure in Him alone. Thank God, it does not depend on me; but that He will perform through me all He has planned. I merely place my trust in Him.
DO YOU KNOW CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR AND LORD? He is our only Hope in Life and Death! Our Joy is found in Him.
Therefore if you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord: I urge you today. Go to my page titled How to Be Saved by clicking on this link. There is nothing more important than this; because He is the way, the truth and the life. Therefore, I urge you to seek Him today.
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DISCLOSURES
©Effie Darlene Barba, 2021
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. Furthermore, I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned except for my own books. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.
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New King James Version (NKJV)
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