I Kings 12:16-30

The sins and mistakes of the father are often passed onto their children.  Solomon  enjoyed a peaceful reign over all Israel, but at the end of his life he gave into the idolatry of his wives  He started well, but did not finish well.  Despite all his wisdom, his foolish decisions had consequences.

Now Solomon’s son Rehoboam was faced with a division: a split which resulted in the Kingdom of Judah (south) and the kingdom of Israel (north).  He made plans to war against his own brethren to try to unite the two kingdoms, but was stopped by a prophet with the phrase: “…this thing is from me.” (verse 24)  God had spoken through the prophet Shemaiah for him to “Stop!”  When God says no, we don’t go any further.  I am sure we wonder about God’s ways but even when things seem to go wrong we must obey.  The good news is Rehoboam listened to the words of the prophet and obeyed.

So now because of the disobedience of Solomon, what was once a peaceful kingdom becomes two kingdoms never to come together until the reign of the rightful king, Jesus Christ.  Next we are introduced to Jeroboam.  He is the Northern Kingdom’s king but he is paranoid that his people will defect and return to Jerusalem and king Rehoboam if they go to Jerusalem to worship God.  So he invents a “convenient” religion consisting of two golden calves.  He sets one on the southern border of the Northern Kingdom and the other on its northern border.  This compromise is influenced by his fear of rejection and the influence of the pagan gods around him.  It is a religion of convenience.

  I wonder how much of this kind of thing has reached the shores of America.  Sometimes the TRUTH is too much trouble, so people invent something easier.  Jesus stated, “The Truth shall set you free.”  I want the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, even when there is work involved!

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