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1Ki14-2021N.docx

BECAUSE OF JEROBOAM’S SINS

1 Kings 14:1-31

Key verse 16

“And he will give Israel up because of the sins Jeroboam has committed and has caused Israel to commit.”

Introduction

Jeroboam was warned from the man of God in chapter 13. But he did not repent of his sins of idol worship, which led all Israel go astray. Today’s passage shows that his son was sick and he was helpless in this regard. He tried to get help from the prophet Ahijah in secret. But it did not work. His son died and he received bad news. God will scatter his nation in the future because of his terrible sins. God is living and fulfills His promise for sure. It is a matter of time according to God’s Sovereignty. May the Lord help us to heed the word of God in this uncertain time so that we may walk in obedience in the prescribed way. Amen.

Read verses 1-11. What did Jeroboam do when his son Abijah became ill? (1-4) What did God instruct Ahijah in advance? (5) What was God’s message given to her? (6-11)

1-1, Read verses 1-11.

At that time Abijah son of Jeroboam became ill, 2 and Jeroboam said to his wife, “Go, disguise yourself, so you won’t be recognized as the wife of Jeroboam. Then go to Shiloh. Ahijah the prophet is there—the one who told me I would be king over this people. 3 Take ten loaves of bread with you, some cakes and a jar of honey, and go to him. He will tell you what will happen to the boy.” 4 So Jeroboam’s wife did what he said and went to Ahijah’s house in Shiloh. Now Ahijah could not see; his sight was gone because of his age. 5 But the Lord had told Ahijah, “Jeroboam’s wife is coming to ask you about her son, for he is ill, and you are to give her such and such an answer. When she arrives, she will pretend to be someone else.” 6 So when Ahijah heard the sound of her footsteps at the door, he said, “Come in, wife of Jeroboam. Why this pretense? I have been sent to you with bad news. 7 Go, tell Jeroboam that this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘I raised you up from among the people and appointed you ruler over my people Israel. 8 I tore the kingdom away from the house of David and gave it to you, but you have not been like my servant David, who kept my commands and followed me with all his heart, doing only what was right in my eyes. 9 You have done more evil than all who lived before you. You have made for yourself other gods, idols made of metal; you have aroused my anger and turned your back on me. 10 “‘Because of this, I am going to bring disaster on the house of Jeroboam. I will cut off from Jeroboam every last male in Israel—slave or free.[a] I will burn up the house of Jeroboam as one burns dung, until it is all gone. 11 Dogs will eat those belonging to Jeroboam who die in the city, and the birds will feed on those who die in the country. The Lord has spoken!’

1-2, What did Jeroboam do when his son Abijah became ill? (1-4)

Although Jeroboam was a king, he was powerless when his son was sick. Prophets were commonly consulted on health matters. So he sought help from Ahijah.
He already knew well that his counterfeit gods could not help him in any true crisis. He also knew that he had rejected God and His servants(prophets).
So he told his wife to disguise herself to get help from the prophet, Ahijah, for he was physically blind due to senile change. Because Ahijah was blind, she did not need to disguise.
“He will tell you what will happen to the boy” Jeroboam did not tell her to pray for their son, nor ask the prophet to pray. He wanted to use Ahijah as a fortune teller more than seeking God and obeying him by respecting Him as a man of God.
Those who are not ready to repent of their sins follow Jeroboam’s footsteps always. They want to use God to solve their difficult problems instead of humbling themselves, praying before God, and obeying His servant.

1-3, What did God instruct Ahijah in advance? (5)

But the Lord had told Ahijah, “Jeroboam’s wife is coming to ask you about her son, for he is ill, and you are to give her such and such an answer. When she arrives, she will pretend to be someone else.”

Ahijah’s blindness or her dramatic pretense did not matter because the Almighty God told Ahijah about who would visit him.
God also commanded Ahijah about what to say and how to say in advance. Already he must have prepared all things before she arrived according to God’s words. She could deceive others but God was not mocked.

1-4, What was God’s message given to her? (6-11)

So when Ahijah heard the sound of her footsteps at the door, he said, “Come in, wife of Jeroboam. Why this pretense? I have been sent to you with bad news. 7 Go, tell Jeroboam that this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘I raised you up from among the people and appointed you ruler over my people Israel. 8 I tore the kingdom away from the house of David and gave it to you, but you have not been like my servant David, who kept my commands and followed me with all his heart, doing only what was right in my eyes. 9 You have done more evil than all who lived before you. You have made for yourself other gods, idols made of metal; you have aroused my anger and turned your back on me. 10 “‘Because of this, I am going to bring disaster on the house of Jeroboam. I will cut off from Jeroboam every last male in Israel—slave or free. I will burn up the house of Jeroboam as one burns dung, until it is all gone. 11 Dogs will eat those belonging to Jeroboam who die in the city, and the birds will feed on those who die in the country. The Lord has spoken!’

First the message was about how God raised Jeroboam as His servant king in Israel. God expected him to be like David.
God compared Jeroboam with David. David obeyed God with all his heart. But Jeroboam did more evil than anyone so far in terms of making idols out of metal.
Then God elaborated all disasters that would pour out on him and his family. “I will bring disaster on the house of Jeroboam, and will cut off from Jeroboam every male.”
Jeroboam could have had a lasting dynasty, but he wasted the promise of God with his fear, unbelief, idolatry, and rejection of God.

Read verses 12-20. What would happen to her sick son? (12-13) What was God’s plan in regard to the next king over Israel? (14) What would God do with the northern nation, Israel, and why? (15-16) What happened as an immediate fulfillment of God’s words? (17-20)

2-1, Read verses 12-20.

12 “As for you, go back home. When you set foot in your city, the boy will die. 13 All Israel will mourn for him and bury him. He is the only one belonging to Jeroboam who will be buried, because he is the only one in the house of Jeroboam in whom the Lord, the God of Israel, has found anything good. 14 “The Lord will raise up for himself a king over Israel who will cut off the family of Jeroboam. Even now this is beginning to happen.[b] 15 And the Lord will strike Israel, so that it will be like a reed swaying in the water. He will uproot Israel from this good land that he gave to their ancestors and scatter them beyond the Euphrates River, because they arousedthe Lord’s anger by making Asherah poles.[c] 16 And he will give Israel up because of the sins Jeroboam has committed and has caused Israel to commit.” 17 Then Jeroboam’s wife got up and left and went to Tirzah. As soon as she stepped over the threshold of the house, the boy died. 18 They buried him, and all Israel mourned for him, as the Lord had said through his servant the prophet Ahijah. 19 The other events of Jeroboam’s reign, his wars and how he ruled, are written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel. 20 He reigned for twenty-two years and then rested with his ancestors. And Nadab his son succeeded him as king.

2-2, What would happen to her sick son? (12-13)

Jeroboam sent his wife to know what would happen to his son. The bad news was that the child would die.

2-3, What was God’s plan in regard to the next king over Israel? (14)

“The Lord will raise up for himself a king over Israel who will cut off the family of Jeroboam. Even now this is beginning to happen.

2-4, What would God do with the northern nation, Israel, and why? (15-16)

And the Lord will strike Israel, so that it will be like a reed swaying in the water. He will uproot Israel from this good land that he gave to their ancestors and scatter them beyond the Euphrates River, because they aroused the Lord’s anger by making Asherah poles. 16 And he will give Israel up because of the sins Jeroboam has committed and has caused Israel to commit.”

He will uproot Israel from this good land which He gave to their fathers, and will scatter them beyond the River.
This would be fulfilled about 3 centuries later. God knew that the root of Jeroboam's idol worship would eventually result in exile.

2-5, What happened as an immediate fulfillment of God’s words? (17-20)

Then Jeroboam’s wife got up and left and went to Tirzah. As soon as she stepped over the threshold of the house, the boy died. 18 They buried him, and all Israel mourned for him, as the Lord had said through his servant the prophet Ahijah. 19 The other events of Jeroboam’s reign, his wars and how he ruled, are written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel. 20 He reigned for twenty-two years and then rested with his ancestors. And Nadab his son succeeded him as king.

The prophecy about Israel's national exile would not be fulfilled until later, about in 300 years. However it was demonstrated as true because the immediate prophecy of the death of Jeroboam's son was exactly fulfilled as God said.
So we put trust in the word of promise in the Bible and prepare ourselves humbly for the day to come when Jesus comes again instead of worshipping idols.
According to 2 Chronicles 13, Jeroboam lost his war against the son of Rehoboam.

Read verses 21-31. Describe the spiritual condition of the southern kingdom, Judah. (21-24) What happened in the fifth year of king Rehoboam? (25-28) Describe how he ended his time and who succeeded him? (29-31)

3-1, Read verses 21-31.

21 Rehoboam son of Solomon was king in Judah. He was forty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city the Lord had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel in which to put his Name. His mother’s name was Naamah; she was an Ammonite. 22 Judah did evil in the eyes of the Lord. By the sins they committed they stirred up his jealous anger more than those who were before them had done. 23 They also set up for themselves high places, sacred stones and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every spreading tree. 24 There were even male shrine prostitutes in the land; the people engaged in all the detestable practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites. 25 In the fifth year of King Rehoboam, Shishak king of Egypt attacked Jerusalem. 26 He carried off the treasures of the temple of the Lord and the treasures of the royal palace. He took everything, including all the gold shields Solomon had made. 27 So King Rehoboam made bronze shields to replace them and assigned these to the commanders of the guard on duty at the entrance to the royal palace. 28 Whenever the king went to the Lord’s temple, the guards bore the shields, and afterward they returned them to the guardroom. 29 As for the other events of Rehoboam’s reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? 30 There was continual warfare between Rehoboam and Jeroboam. 31 And Rehoboam rested with his ancestors and was buried with them in the City of David. His mother’s name was Naamah; she was an Ammonite. And Abijah[d] his son succeeded him as king.

3-2, Describe the spiritual condition of the southern kingdom, Judah. (21-24)

Rehoboam was the son of Solomon and Naaman, an Ammonite. He must have been influenced by her just as Solomon had been.
They worshipped idols by making high places, sacred stones and Asherah po;es on every high hill and under every spreading tree.
These sins provoked the LORD to jealousy. Israel turned their back on the God who loved and redeemed them, and like an unfaithful spouse, they pursued spiritual adultery with idols.
“the people engaged in all the detestable practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites.” This teaches us that we must put to death all old sinful elements and set our hearts newly in the teachings of Jesus Christ.

3-3, What happened in the fifth year of king Rehoboam? (25-28)

25 In the fifth year of King Rehoboam, Shishak king of Egypt attacked Jerusalem. 26 He carried off the treasures of the temple of the Lord and the treasures of the royal palace. He took everything, including all the gold shields Solomon had made. 27 So King Rehoboam made bronze shields to replace them and assigned these to the commanders of the guard on duty at the entrance to the royal palace. 28 Whenever the king went to the Lord’s temple, the guards bore the shields, and afterward they returned them to the guardroom.

During the time of both David and Solomon, no fereign enemies ever invaded God's people. Solomon used his wisdom to have the daughter of Egypt to have a peaceful relationship with the Pharaoh.
Now, Shishak, king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem. It seems that 2 Chronicles 12 is a clue and detailed narration about why this happened to him.

After Rehoboam’s position as king was established and he had become strong, he and all Israel[a] with him abandoned the law of the Lord. 2 Because they had been unfaithful to the Lord, Shishak king of Egypt attacked Jerusalem in the fifth year of King Rehoboam.3 With twelve hundred chariots and sixty thousand horsemen and the innumerable troops of Libyans, Sukkites and Cushites[b] that came with him from Egypt, 4 he captured the fortified cities of Judah and came as far as Jerusalem. 5 Then the prophet Shemaiah came to Rehoboam and to the leaders of Judah who had assembled in Jerusalem for fear of Shishak, and he said to them, “This is what the Lordsays, ‘You have abandoned me; therefore, I now abandon you to Shishak.’” 6 The leaders of Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, “The Lord is just.”7 When the Lord saw that they humbled themselves, this word of the Lord came to Shemaiah: “Since they have humbled themselves, I will not destroy them but will soon give them deliverance. My wrath will not be poured out on Jerusalem through Shishak. 8 They will, however, become subject to him, so that they may learn the difference between serving me and serving the kings of other lands.”9 When Shishak king of Egypt attacked Jerusalem, he carried off the treasures of the temple of the Lord and the treasures of the royal palace. He took everything, including the gold shields Solomon had made. 10 So King Rehoboam made bronze shields to replace them and assigned these to the commanders of the guard on duty at the entrance to the royal palace. 11 Whenever the king went to the Lord’s temple, the guards went with him, bearing the shields, and afterward they returned them to the guardroom.12 Because Rehoboam humbled himself, the Lord’s anger turned from him, and he was not totally destroyed. Indeed, there was some good in Judah.13 King Rehoboam established himself firmly in Jerusalem and continued as king. He was forty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city the Lord had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel in which to put his Name. His mother’s name was Naamah; she was an Ammonite. 14 He did evil because he had not set his heart on seeking the Lord.

Wow, it is an amazing thing to know that God is just and we can not mock His name. All justice will be met at God’s sight. It really humbles us no matter what.
Nothing is more important than being God’s servants in this transient world rather than being deceived by so many things. Have mercy on us to always be humble and be faithful to the Lord all our earthly lives! Amen!
This turn of events stem from God who is the Almighty God. Egyptian king wants to flex his muscle to secure the trade route again in history.
Solomon passed all the riches and splendor to his son, Rehoboam. But it was ruined in a short period of time by Egyptian king. So it is far better to pass on how to be humble and faithful to the Lord to our next generation!
When he replaced golden things with bronze things, it indicates that everything was downgraded drastically. Also guards should take care of them out of fear.

3-4, Describe how he ended his time and who succeeded him? (29-31)

29 As for the other events of Rehoboam’s reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? 30 There was continual warfare between Rehoboam and Jeroboam. 31 And Rehoboam rested with his ancestors and was buried with them in the City of David. His mother’s name was Naamah; she was an Ammonite. And Abijah[d] his son succeeded him as king.

Rehoboam was born of an idol worshipping ammonite mother and corrupted father. The account ends with the remark again that Rehoboam's mother was Naamah, an Ammonite.
This is the writer's way of reminding us that it was Solomon's wrong marriage and value system that led to national decline in the first place.
There was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all their days: These two were very different. Abijah his son succeeded him as king.

Conclusion

Jeroboam governed as a populist, started with great promise but ended terribly. Rehoboam governed as a tyrant, started bad and humbled himself to God towards the end of his life. But Solomon’s clever marriage still impacted his descendants. May the Lord help us to truly humble ourselves to exalt God’s name only, by serving God faithfully to the end. It is the one and only hope for any individual, any society and nation. May the Lord help us to set our mindset on Jesus Christ daily so that we may grow like Him. Amen. One word: Our faithful King, Jesus!