Wow! So much stuff in these chapters. In chapter 12, Rehoboam takes the wrong counsel. His father, Solomon had taken a lot from his people in terms of forced labor and taxes. The people were appealing to Rehoboam to ease the load...sadly, Rehoboam decides to be even harsher. The people become upset and it is time for the words that the Lord spoke to Jeroboam to be fulfilled (1 King 11:29)....Jeroboam gets 10 tribes, the Northern ones which will be referred to as Isreal, and Rehoboam gets the combined Judah/Ben. The Kingdom is now divided.
Jeroboam doesn't want to go worship at the three ordained festivals in case of attack, so he builds his own places of worship....Here come some golden calves. You just know that the Lord has an aversion to golden calves based on that little incident with Moses and the 10 commandments.
OK, I really had to research Chapter 13 because the man of God gets punished because of a lie and I didn't get that....
so... a man of God (he is never named), is sent by God from Judah to rebuke Jeroboam. In about 350 years, Josiah (from Judah) will take over and get rid of all the anti-God worship practices. Because this is a future prophecy, it is confirmed by two signs...King Jeroboam hands withers....instead of listening to the messenger, the King tried to silence him. Then the altar split and the ashes were poured out. King Jeroboamn doesn't repent.
Now there is an old prophet in Bethel (this means that not every godly person had left for Judah) and he lies to the man of God. He tells him he is a prophet and that an angel said he could eat with him, so the man of God does.....as I understand it, the man of God had a hard test and he failed it. God never contradicts himself in His dealings with His servants. The man of God was killed; however the lion didn't eat the body and just stood by it. Apparently, this signifies divine judgement. The man of God is not buried with his fathers, but the older prophet buries him in his own grave.
Chapter 14 is the prophet Ahijah's prophecy against Jeroboam. Jeroboams son is sick and dies...he is the only one of Jeroboams son's that will be buried because he is the only one in the family that the Lord found anything good.
Rehoboam is no better..Abijah will succeed Rehoboam as king and Nadab will succeed Jeroboam as king.
Look what comes up from the depths of the sea.
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is Rehoboam and Jeroboam the same person....son of Solomon and new King?...And why is he so hard headed and want to be so harsh and difficult?
ReplyDeleteMan....I bet that was freaky when his arm withered....can you imagine seeing something like that?
By Bible says that 13:33....Jeroboam had regret for unpleasant consequences, but but repentance for the sin......not the same thing.
kinda gross in 14:11 ... "The dogs shall eat whoever belongs to jeroboam and dies in the city, and the birds of the air shall eat whoever dies in the field; for the Lord has spoken!"
And can you imagine...hearing someone tell you "when your feet enter the city, the child shall die"
Just got confused.....I thought I had a misprint in my Bible....who is Rehoboam and Jeroboam.....are they brothers?
Nope...not brothers, though the names are quite similar. Jeroboam is called "son of Nebat" IN 1 Kings 11:26...he was one of Solomon's officials. Then the prophet Ahijah took his cloak and tore it into 12 pieces....the Lord selected Jeroboam. A son of David's only gets to stay on the throne if he follows God's ways....look at 1 Kings 12: 33....God was punishing the house of David for worshipping pagan idols. Those wives of Solomon brought their pagan ways to the kingdom. Solomon tries to killb Jeroboam, but he flees to Egypt till Solomon dies (here is the old Pharaoh Shishak that will later invade)
ReplyDeleteRehoboam was hard headed because he was immature and wanted to make his own way. Though he was the son of Solomon, he chose not to listen to his father's advisors and listen to his young punk friends...
Sometimes, the older I get, I think my hand looks withered. Sun damage you know....LOL