For the week of March 15

Date
March 15, 2021
Author
Mark Lautenschlager
Category
Personal Worship, Study Notes

Welcome to week eleven of Desiring the Kingdom and to 1 Kings chapter 12 in which we see the immediate aftermath of Solomon’s death and the beginning of his son Rehoboam’s reign. We will also encounter Jeroboam once again. We saw Jeroboam briefly at the end of last week’s study notes, where despite being someone who opposed King Solomon, he was put into a position of authority.

Both Rehoboam and Jeroboam make foolish choices, and for the same reason. Both of these men desire power for themselves and neither of them cares about following the Lord. That is always a recipe for disaster.

Prayer Initiative

Beginning on January 13th and continuing for 11 weeks, Rio Women invites you to join them for their latest prayer initiative, based on the classic book “The Christian’s Secret to a Happy Life.” They meet via Zoom call on Wednesdays at noon. If you can’t attend the meeting, get the book, find a partner, and follow along. (If you have questions or need assistance, email Beth Hendrikse, our Prayer Coordinator, at bethh@riovistachurch.com.

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STUDY QUESTIONS

Index to Days 2 through 5

Day 1

Rehoboam’s Learned Nothing From Dad

Observe

Rehoboam goes to Shechem where it says all Israel had come to make him king. This was not the act of a unified nation. They hadn’t come to anoint Rehoboam as king, they’d come to decide if Rehoboam would BE king. (Saul, David, and Solomon had become king when a prophet of the Lord anointed them as such, but not this time.) Shechem is also a long way from his base of power in Jerusalem and the decision of Israel to gather there was a warning shot fired across the bow. Confronted by the people and asked to make a choice about how he would treat them as king, Rehoboam makes a choice that proves he has learned nothing from watching his father.

1 Kings 12:1-11

Rehoboam’s Folly
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 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.

6 Then King Rehoboam took counsel with the old men, who had stood before Solomon his father while he was yet alive, saying, “How do you advise me to answer this people?” 7 And they said to him, “If you will be a servant to this people today and serve them, and speak good words to them when you answer them, then they will be your servants forever.” 8 But he abandoned the counsel that the old men gave him and took counsel with the young men who had grown up with him and stood before him. 9 And he said to them, “What do you advise that we answer this people who have said to me, ‘Lighten the yoke that your father put on us’?” 10 And the young men who had grown up with him said to him, “Thus shall you speak to this people who said to you, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but you lighten it for us,’ thus shall you say to them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s thighs. 11 And now, whereas my father laid on you a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.’”

RELATED SCRIPTURES

Proverbs 4:1-5
A Father’s Wise Instruction
4
Hear, O sons, a father’s instruction,
    and be attentive, that you may gain insight,
2
for I give you good precepts;
    do not forsake my teaching.
3
When I was a son with my father,
    tender, the only one in the sight of my mother,
4
he taught me and said to me,
“Let your heart hold fast my words;
    keep my commandments, and live.
5
Get wisdom; get insight;
    do not forget, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth.

Proverbs 22:6
6
Train up a child in the way he should go;
    even when he is old he will not depart from it.

Proverbs 1:8
The Enticement of Sinners
8
Hear, my son, your father’s instruction,
    and forsake not your mother’s teaching,

Proverbs 23:22
22
Listen to your father who gave you life,
    and do not despise your mother when she is old.

Proverbs 15:5
5
A fool despises his father’s instruction,
    but whoever heeds reproof is prudent.

Proverbs 19:18
18
Discipline your son, for there is hope;
    do not set your heart on putting him to death.

Proverbs 3:11-12
11
My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline
    or be weary of his reproof,
12
for the Lord reproves him whom he loves,
    as a father the son in whom he delights.

Consider

There is a good reason why today’s related scriptures were all from the book of Proverbs: Solomon wrote them. These were his wise sayings, wisdom God gave him. Yet clearly none of this wisdom was followed in Solomon’s house. The people confront Rehoboam about the hard labor Solomon had imposed on them and he asks for three days to give them an answer. Then he consults first the old men, who had stood before Solomon, and the young men, who had come to power along with Rehoboam. Obviously the advice of the old men was the wisest, perhaps because they had been in Solomon’s inner circle and they understood how the people outside that circle were treated. Rehoboam had also occupied a front row seat to the rise and fall of his father Solomon, but he is about to prove he learned nothing from watching it.

Questions for Reflection

What have you learned from watching your parents that has benefited you in some way?
What is the one piece of wisdom you have learned that you would like to see your children follow? (If you have no children of your own, then the children of relatives or friends.)

Heavenly Father, thank you for giving me examples to follow. My parents, teachers, pastors, and friends have all lifted me up at one time or another and given me something to learn. All wisdom comes from you, Lord, even when you don’t get credit, and I know that never stops on this side of heaven. God, I pray for eyes that can see these lessons and ears to hear them. In Jesus’ name, Amen!

Day 2

Wasn’t This God’s Plan?

Observe

Rehoboam makes the wrong choice. Not only does he refuse to lighten up on the people’s hard service, he promises them he will be even worse than his father. This decision will have a predictably horrible outcome, but verse 15 reveals this process (Rehoboam’s decision and its outcome) were brought about by the Lord. Who is to blame for the poor decision, then, Rehoboam or God?

1 Kings 12:12-15

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.

RELATED SCRIPTURES

Deuteronomy 30:19
19 I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live,

John 7:17
17 If anyone’s will is to do God’s will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority.

2 Corinthians 9:7
7 Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

Galatians 6:7-10
7 Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. 8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. 9 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. 10 So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.

James 4:7-8
7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

Consider

God is sovereign over everything and thus the outcome of every decision is according to God’s will. However, this does not negate that the choices we make are real choices and will have consequences either good or bad. (According to Romans 14:12 and Matthew 12:36, we must all give an account of ourselves at the judgment.) So Rehoboam was the source of the foolish decision, not God. But it was God’s will to tear the kingdom away from Rehoboam, and the chess pieces were arranged on the board as the Lord desired. God doesn’t move a pawn as though it were a knight or a bishop, pieces move in accordance with their nature (in a manner of speaking). God did not turn Rehoboam into a robot and take away his choice, but he did arrange matters so the poor choice could be made.

(Week Four of our upcoming Essentials class, “The Importance of Theology and Doctrine,” will address the subject of Sovereignty and Free Will. Essentials will begin on April 11th, the Sunday after Easter. Details can be found on our website.)

Questions for Reflection

Which of the following best describes how you feel about the idea of God being sovereign over everything?
Nervous: What if God doesn’t choose the direction I want?
Frustrated: How can God hold me accountable for a bad decision when he has determined the outcome in advance?
Comforted: How else can I accept it when something bad happens?
Do you believe Rehoboam could have chosen differently?

Sovereign Lord, you created the heavens and the earth out of nothing. Everything that exists, myself included, is clay on your potter’s wheel; you may shape us however you please. I will not presume to tell you what to fashion from your clay. Instead, I will put my full faith and trust in you knowing that the outcome you determine will turn out to be best. In those moments where I can’t see your hand or understand what you’re doing, give me faith to trust your heart and praise you anyway. In Jesus’ name, Amen!

Day 3

God Saves Rehoboam From Himself

Observe

After Rehoboam’s refusal to lighten the burden Israel had been carrying to supply Solomon’s vast appetite for wealth, the ten northern tribes broke away and divided the kingdom. Rehoboam sends a representative to the rebels, who is promptly stoned to death. Rehoboam raises up an army to fight, and God sends word through Shemaiah to warn that if Rehoboam does fight against Israel, God will fight on Israel’s side. Rehoboam’s army decides discretion is the better part of valor and returns to their homes.

1 Kings 12:16-24

The Kingdom Divided
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 Israel went to their tents. 17 But Rehoboam reigned over the people of Israel who lived in the cities of Judah. 18 Then King Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was taskmaster over the forced labor, and all Israel stoned him to death with stones. And King Rehoboam hurried to mount his chariot to flee to Jerusalem. 19 So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day. 20 And when all Israel heard that Jeroboam had returned, they sent and called him to the assembly and made him king over all Israel. There was none that followed the house of David but the tribe of Judah only.

21 When Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin, 180,000 chosen warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, to restore the kingdom to Rehoboam the son of Solomon. 22 But the word of God came to Shemaiah the man of God: 23 “Say to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the rest of the people, 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.

RELATED SCRIPTURES

Psalm 51:10
10
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
    and renew a right spirit within me.

Matthew 5:8
8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

Psalm 51:17
17
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
    a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

1 Peter 3:15
15 but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,

2 Timothy 2:22
22 So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.

Proverbs 18:12
12
Before destruction a man’s heart is haughty,
    but humility comes before honor.

Luke 16:15
15 And he said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God.

Ezekiel 11:19-20
19 And I will give them one heart, and a new spirit I will put within them. I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, 20 that they may walk in my statutes and keep my rules and obey them. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God.

Consider

From the previous chapter, we know God’s decision to leave Rehoboam with a portion of the kingdom was because of the faithfulness of Rehoboam’s grandfather David. It cannot be overstated how much God desires to be in relationship with his people and have their whole-hearted devotion. As we’ve noted before, David was a flawed character, just like Solomon and now Rehoboam. The difference was David’s heart was always for the Lord, and thus he never went after any other gods. Even when we execute clumsily, God still looks at our hearts.

Questions for Reflection

How would you describe someone having a heart for God? What does that mean?
None of us are perfect, we all sin, and we all have hearts that can wander away from God. When that happens, how do you find your way back to him?

Dear Lord, in Ezekiel it says you will take my heart of stone and give me a heart of flesh, so I might be among your people and you might be my God. How wonderful it is that you have done so for me! Lord, I know my heart is prone to wander off and become self-absorbed. I pursue things that give me pleasure in this world and forget about you. Forgive me for these wanderings, and turn my heart back to you. As that great hymn says, take my heart and seal it, Lord, seal it for Thy courts above. Keep my heart until I am finally able to stand before you! In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Day 4

Jeroboam Mixes Politics and Religion

Observe

When it says Jeroboam built Shechem and Penuel, it means he fortified them. Shechem in particular was located toward the south of Israel, just 30 miles from Jerusalem, and would serve as defense against any attack coming up from Judah. It seems Jeroboam also worried the people would feel cut off from the temple of God, which was still in Jerusalem, and choose to return to Rehoboam’s rule. Jeroboam’s plan involved making a pair of golden calves, setting one in Bethel and the other in Dan.

1 Kings 12:25-29

Jeroboam’s Golden Calves
25 Then Jeroboam built Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim and lived there. And he went out from there and built Penuel. 26 And Jeroboam said in his heart, “Now the kingdom will turn back to the house of David. 27 If this people go up to offer sacrifices in the temple of the Lord at Jerusalem, then the heart of this people will turn again to their lord, to Rehoboam king of Judah, and they will kill me and return to Rehoboam king of Judah.” 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.

RELATED SCRIPTURES

Leviticus 19:2
2 “Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them, You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.

Leviticus 20:26
26 You shall be holy to me, for I the Lord am holy and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be mine.

1 Peter 1:13-16
Called to Be Holy
13 Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, 15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

1 Peter 2:9
9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

Consider

When we read that Jeroboam made golden calves, we immediately think of idols, but it’s probably not the case that people worshiped the calves themselves. It was common at the time for Baal worshipers to fashion images of bulls or calves, and Jeroboam was likely presenting these calves as pedestals on whose backs the invisible god would stand, establishing a new place for worship. (Verse 28, “You have gone up to Jerusalem long enough.”) Jeroboam no doubt considered it an excellent political maneuver to try and blend the worship of Baal and Yahweh. It would appeal to both the Canaanites still living in the land and the Israelites who lived with them. But our God does not blend with other gods (the word holy literally means “set apart”), nor is he a tool to be used for political gain.

Questions for Reflection

What does it mean for God to be set apart?
How does that apply to culture and politics?

Most Holy Lord, you are above and beyond everything, there is no one and nothing beside you. How often do we seek to bring you down to our level, to make you understandable and predictable. We want you to endorse our plans, instead of pledging our whole selves to your cause. It’s as though we’ve lost any thought of what your holiness means. No one else could create what you did, only you could speak and make a world exist. No one else can come close to you in knowledge, and only you can be everywhere, and with everyone, at once. You are the infinite God who rules this universe. We will worship and serve you forever! In Jesus’ most holy name we pray, Amen.

Day 5

Breaking Commandments

Observe

In 1 Kings 11:38, God made Jeroboam the same offer he’d made Solomon. If Jeroboam would listen to God’s commands, walk in his ways, do what is right in the Lord’s eyes by keeping his commandments and statutes (as David did), then the Lord would be with Jeroboam (as he was with David), build him a sure house, and give Israel to you. What Jeroboam did, however, was break just about every commandment he could, completely disregarding God’s offer.

1 Kings 12:30-33

30 Then this thing became a sin, for the people went as far as Dan to be before one. 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. And he instituted a feast for the people of Israel and went up to the altar to make offerings.

RELATED SCRIPTURES

Exodus 20:1-6
The Ten Commandments
20 And God spoke all these words, saying,

2 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

3 “You shall have no other gods before me.

4 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 5 You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.

Deuteronomy 18:1-8
Provision for Priests and Levites
18 “The Levitical priests, all the tribe of Levi, shall have no portion or inheritance with Israel. They shall eat the Lord’s food offerings as their inheritance. 2 They shall have no inheritance among their brothers; the Lord is their inheritance, as he promised them. 3 And this shall be the priests’ due from the people, from those offering a sacrifice, whether an ox or a sheep: they shall give to the priest the shoulder and the two cheeks and the stomach. 4 The firstfruits of your grain, of your wine and of your oil, and the first fleece of your sheep, you shall give him. 5 For the Lord your God has chosen him out of all your tribes to stand and minister in the name of the Lord, him and his sons for all time.

6 “And if a Levite comes from any of your towns out of all Israel, where he lives—and he may come when he desires—to the place that the Lord will choose, 7 and ministers in the name of the Lord his God, like all his fellow Levites who stand to minister there before the Lord, 8 then he may have equal portions to eat, besides what he receives from the sale of his patrimony.

Judges 18:29-31
29 And they named the city Dan, after the name of Dan their ancestor, who was born to Israel; but the name of the city was Laish at the first. 30 And the people of Dan set up the carved image for themselves, and Jonathan the son of Gershom, son of Moses, and his sons were priests to the tribe of the Danites until the day of the captivity of the land. 31 So they set up Micah’s carved image that he made, as long as the house of God was at Shiloh.

Consider

Let’s count all the ways in which Jeroboam broke commandments here. First it notes that this thing (worshiping at the golden calves) became a sin because the people went as far as Dan to be before one. Dan was a city known for idolatry, right from its founding in Judges chapter 18. If you were going to Dan, you expected to worship graven images (idols). Then Jeroboam appointed priests who were not Levites, but God had declared that his priests would come from the tribe of Levi (as we see in Deuteronomy chapter 18, they were disconnected from traditional means of wealth in Israel, and were to be supported by everyone as they were God’s chosen priests). Finally, and for good measure, Jeroboam managed to break the First (you shall have no gods before me, which he did by conflating the worship of Yahweh and Baal) and Second (you shall make no carved image or likeness of anything on the earth, such as those golden calves) Commandments. Jeroboam turning his back on God quickly led the people into idolatry, worshiping created things rather than the Creator.

Questions for Reflection

If God made you an offer like the one he made to Jeroboam, would you turn your back on it? Why do you think Jeroboam did that?
We might not worship graven images or idols today, but it sure seems like humanity is eager to put themselves on the throne and worship at the altar of self. Why do you think humanity is so eager to worship created things instead of the Creator?

Almighty God, when Job pressed you for answers, you pointed him to your creation. When Paul writes that we are without excuse in knowing you, he says your invisible attributes can be clearly perceived in the things that have been made. Whenever we become enamored with the wonders of creation and forget the far more wonderful one who created it, we quickly descend into idolatry. Lord, let us never lose the awe and love for this world you have made, let it be forever breathtaking to behold. But let us be reminded that whenever we behold the glory of a mountain, we should also see the greater glory of the God who made it and can move it. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

Watch for other Personal Worship pushes!

Friday you’ll receive Worship Prep guidance and Sunday’s songs. Take time to learn those you don’t know so that you can join in worship in full voice!