The Nation Divided
In 1K 11:11-12 The LORD told Solomon that He would surely rend the kingdom his son, and will give it to thy servant.
V13 One tribe would remain with Solomon’s son
1Kings 11
V29-31 Ahijah the prophet told Jeroboam, Solomon’s servant, the LORD would give ten tribes to him.
· V28 a mighty man of valor, Solomon made him ruler over the house of Joseph
Ø Tribes of Manasseh and Ephraim and also (Gen 48:6) the descendents of the other sons of Joseph that were born after them.
· V26; 2Chr 13:6 Jeroboam rebelled against Solomon
· V40 Jeroboam fled from Solomon to Egypt
1k 11:413; 2Chr 9:31 Solomon died and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead (a united kingdom)
1Kings 12
V1 Rehoboam went to Shechem expecting to be made king over all Israel.
V2-3a the men of Israel called Jeroboam from Egypt
V3b- 4a Jeroboam and congregation of Israel beseeched Rehoboam to lighten the yoke (burden) David placed upon them.
V4b Their pledge: they would serve him if he lightened their yoke.
· Note they called Jeroboam from Egypt before they made this request. So, were they truthful or looking for an excuse to break from the house of David?
· Remember the 10 tribes given to Jeroboam chose Saul’s son Ishbosheth over David.
V14 Rehoboam’s answer: “I will add to your yoke: my father also chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.”
V19-20a Israel (10 Northern tribes) rebelled against the house of David and made Jeroboam king
V20b there was none that followed the house of David, but the tribe of Judah only.
· At this time Judah had all but swallowed up the tribe of Benjamin. Judah was the protector of Jerusalem which was in the land allotted to Benjamin. The tribe of Levi was centered in Jerusalem and never considered for war.
V21 Rehoboam assembled an army made up of men from Judah and Benjamin. V22-24 God stopped Rehoboam from fighting his brethren, the children of Israel. God said, “for this thing is from me.” The divided kingdom was the providence of God.
The Northern Kingdom of Israel: Jeroboam, the son of Nabat from the tribe of Ephraim (1K 11:26)
1. To break away from the house of David [actually set a king on the throne in Jerusalem not of David’s house [Isa 7:6]
2. Worship gods they did not have to fear [Deu 32:17]
· 1K12:25-28 Jeroboam had two golden calves made. He doubled down on te sin of those who came through the Red Sea and died in the wilderness.
· The blasphemy of Jereboam: V28 “behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.”
3. Remove the Levites as the tribe of the priests
· 1Ki 12:31; 1K 13:33; 2Chr 11:1,14-16 Jeroboam made an house of high places, ordained him priests of the lowest of the people for them, not Levites. Jeroboam allowed anyone to become a priest of the high places even himself. He had cast out the Levite priests and anyone who wanted to worship the LORD in Jerusalem
· God said, Levites only; Jeroboam said, any one.
· All Israel was to Worship the LORD through the dispensation of the law in the land of promise.
· Today the world says you can worship God anyway you want; but today God says the only worship He will except is through Jesus Christ.
Ø Dispensation God’s gospel of grace
The prophesy of the man of God 1K13
· V1 Jeroboam as a priest was going to burn incense.
· V2 The end of the high places
· V34 And this thing became sin unto the house of Jeroboam, even to cut it off, and to destroy it from off the face of the earth.
The Southern Kingdom of Judah: Under Rehoboam
· Judah, Benjamin and Levi followed the house of David
· 2Chr 11:16-17 for 3 years Rehoboam led Judah in the way of David and Solomon and his kingdom was strengthened.
· 2Chr 12:1 Once Rehoboam had established the kingdom, and had strengthened himself, he forsook the law of the LORD, and all Israel; even the Kingdom of Israel, the 10 tribes taken from him, was influenced to turn from the LORD through his sin.