1 Kings 12



1 Kings 12                                                            Book of Kings   Book of Psalms
After Solomon dead = The twelve tribe are splitting into two tribes
 
1 Kings 12:1 And Rehoboam went to Shechem: for all Israel were come to Shechem to make him king.
  • Rehoboam = Son of Solomon by the Ammonite princess Naamah
  • Shechem was soon restored, that all Israel assembled at Shechem, and Rehoboam, Solomon's successor, went thither to be inaugurated as king. here, at this same place, the ten tribes renounced the house of David, and transferred their allegiance to Jeroboam,
  • 1 Kings 12:16, under whom Shechem became for a time the capital of his kingdom.
  • From the time of the origin of the Samaritans, the history of Shechem blends itself with that of this people and of their sacred mount.
  • Joshua 24:1 And Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and called for the elders of Israel, and for their heads, and for their judges, and for their officers; and they presented themselves before God.
  • Shechem = A national sanctuary
  • The site of Abraham's first altar.
  • Jacob's first home.
  • Here the tribes met.
  • Here Joseph was buried.
  • All this before Jebus became Jerusalem.
  • Hence the envy of Ephraim for Judah
  • Isaiah 11:13 The envy also of Ephraim shall depart, and the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off: Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim.
  • Isaiah 28:1 Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim, whose glorious beauty is a fading flower, which are on the head of the fat valleys of them that are overcome with wine!
    2 Behold, the Lord hath a mighty and strong one, which as a tempest of hail and a destroying storm, as a flood of mighty waters overflowing, shall cast down to the earth with the hand.
    3 The crown of pride, the drunkards of Ephraim, shall be trodden under feet:
    4 And the glorious beauty, which is on the head of the fat valley, shall be a fading flower, and as the hasty fruit before the summer; which when he that looketh upon it seeth, while it is yet in his hand he eateth it up.
    5 In that day shall the Lord of hosts be for a crown of glory, and for a diadem of beauty, unto the residue of his people,
    6 And for a spirit of judgment to him that sitteth in judgment, and for strength to them that turn the battle to the gate.
    7 But they also have erred through wine, and through strong drink are out of the way; the priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink, they are swallowed up of wine, they are out of the way through strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment.
2 And it came to pass, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who was yet in Egypt, heard of it, (for he was fled from the presence of king Solomon, and Jeroboam dwelt in Egypt;)

3 That they sent and called him. And Jeroboam and all the congregation of Israel came, and spake unto Rehoboam, saying,

4 Thy father made our yoke grievous: now therefore make thou the grievous service of thy father, and his heavy yoke which he put upon us, lighter, and we will serve thee.
  • Matthew 11:27 All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.
    28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
    29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
    30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
5 And he said unto them, Depart yet for three days, then come again to me. And the people departed.

6 And king Rehoboam consulted with the old men, that stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, and said, How do ye advise that I may answer this people?

7 And they spake unto him, saying, If thou wilt be a servant unto this people this day, and wilt serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will be thy servants for ever.

8 But he forsook the counsel of the old men, which they had given him, and consulted with the young men that were grown up with him, and which stood before him:
 
9 And he said unto them, What counsel give ye that we may answer this people, who have spoken to me, saying, Make the yoke which thy father did put upon us lighter?
 
10 And the young men that were grown up with him spake unto him, saying, Thus shalt thou speak unto this people that spake unto thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou it lighter unto us; thus shalt thou say unto them, My little finger shall be thicker than my father's loins.
 
11 And now whereas my father did lade you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke: my father hath chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.
 
12 So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king had appointed, saying, Come to me again the third day.
 
13 And the king answered the people roughly, and forsook the old men's counsel that they gave him;
  • He seek council of old men and young men, but did he seek council to God?
  • No
14 And spake to them after the counsel of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, and I will add to your yoke: my father also chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.

15 Wherefore the king hearkened not unto the people; for the cause was from the Lord, that he might perform his saying, which the Lord spake by Ahijah the Shilonite unto Jeroboam the son of Nebat.
 
16 So when all Israel saw that the king hearkened not unto them, the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David? neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: to your tents, O Israel: now see to thine own house, David. So Israel departed unto their tents.
  • Israel depart = the tribes spilt into two tribes
  • They will not join back together until Christ returns (Ezekiel 37) (Revelation 11)
  • Israel became two tribes = the 10 tribes and Judah and Benjamin
  • Judah and  Benjamin
  • Samuel.8:7-22 David tribe of Judah to be King over all Israel.
  • 2 Samuel.7:11-17 and Psalm 89:3-4. The Divided Kingdom
  • The Northern Kingdom  "Israel", 933-721 B.C.
  • The Southern kingdom, "Judah" 933-606 B.C.
17 But as for the children of Israel which dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them.
  • The children of Israel which dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them.
18 Then king Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was over the tribute; and all Israel stoned him with stones, that he died. Therefore king Rehoboam made speed to get him up to his chariot, to flee to Jerusalem.
  •  king Rehoboam sent Adoram and all Israel stoned him with stones, that he died.
19 So Israel rebelled against the house of David unto this day.
  • Israel rebelled against the house of David = Judah
20 And it came to pass, when all Israel heard that Jeroboam was come again, that they sent and called him unto the congregation, and made him king over all Israel: there was none that followed the house of David, but the tribe of Judah only.
  • There was none that followed the house of David, but the tribe of Judah only.
21 And when Rehoboam was come to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah, with the tribe of Benjamin, an hundred and fourscore thousand chosen men, which were warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, to bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam the son of Solomon.
  • Rehoboam was come to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah
  • To fight against the house of Israel
  • Rehoboam wanting to go against 10 tribes
  • He going against God's plan
22 But the word of God came unto Shemaiah the man of God, saying,

23 Speak unto Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and unto all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the remnant of the people, saying,
  • Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, king of Judah
  • Jeroboam Solomon servant , king of the ten tribes 1 Kings 11:31
24 Thus saith the Lord, Ye shall not go up, nor fight against your brethren the children of Israel: return every man to his house; for this thing is from me. They hearkened therefore to the word of the Lord, and returned to depart, according to the word of the Lord.
  • What did God said?
  • God told him to returned every man to his house
25 Then Jeroboam built Shechem in mount Ephraim, and dwelt therein; and went out from thence, and built Penuel.
  • Jeroboam built Shechem in mount Ephraim, and dwelt therein
  • Shechem is on the West side of Jordan
26 And Jeroboam said in his heart, Now shall the kingdom return to the house of David:

27 If this people go up to do sacrifice in the house of the Lord at Jerusalem, then shall the heart of this people turn again unto their lord, even unto Rehoboam king of Judah, and they shall kill me, and go again to Rehoboam king of Judah.
  • He doesn't believe God
  • Rehoboam king of Judah, and they shall kill me, and go again to Rehoboam king of Judah.
28 Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold, and said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
  • Jeroboam made two calves of gold
  • He was saying you need to go down to Jerusalem to worship God, just worship these calves
  • Just as today, the Most Holy Day of the year and the people bring Easter eggs into the house of God
  • No where in God's word tells you to bring eggs into the house of God
29 And he set the one in Bethel, and the other put he in Dan.

30 And this thing became a sin: for the people went to worship before the one, even unto Dan.
  • This is idolatry
31 And he made an house of high places, and made priests of the lowest of the people, which were not of the sons of Levi.
  • God anoints priests over the tribe of Levi
  • Jeroboam made priests of the lowest of the people which were not of sons of Levi
  • The Levi went back to Jerusalem
32 And Jeroboam ordained a feast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like unto the feast that is in Judah, and he offered upon the altar. So did he in Bethel, sacrificing unto the calves that he had made: and he placed in Bethel the priests of the high places which he had made.
  • Jeroboam is making up his own religion, his two calves and his priests not of the priests of Levi
  • Today the world wants = New Religion
33 So he offered upon the altar which he had made in Bethel the fifteenth day of the eighth month, even in the month which he had devised of his own heart; and ordained a feast unto the children of Israel: and he offered upon the altar, and burnt incense.
 
• Exactly 2520 years from the exile of Benjamin, Iceland became an independent nation.
 
•  The first tribe to be conquered by the Assyrians was Manasseh, in 745 B.C. Exactly 2520 years later America became a nation on July 4, 1776.

(Leviticus. 26: 28-46) God warned Israel that if they persisted in continually breaking His Laws, not only would curses come upon them.

He would punish them for seven times, (a time being 360 years, seven times would be 2520 years) and would banish them from the land of Palestine and scatter them among the heathens (like lost sheep)

• Study the book: Abrahamic Covenant, (A study outline of the identity of God's people) By E. Raymond Capt - page 25
 
                                                                 1 Kings 12
 10 tribes of