In part 1, we covered Why Solom lost the kingdom; and 10 tribes were given to Jeroboam.
"Because they have forsaken me ...
1 kings 11:33"
However, God didn't give him all 12 tribes, for David's sake (God's servant), and for Jerusalem's sake, the city which God hath chosen out of all the tribes of Israel.
1 kings 11:32
Before we see why Jeroboam was picked to be king, let's first look at where Solom went wrong. To really understand this, let's go to Deuteronomy: This is a good place th start.
" ¹⁴ When thou art come unto the land
that the LORD thy God giveth thee,
and shalt possess it, and shalt dwell
therein, and shalt say, I will set a king
over me like all the other nations
about me
(We see this in 1 Samuel as Israel demand
a king, as he is old, and his sons walk not
in his ways (1 Samuel 9))
¹⁵ Thou shalt in any wise set him king
over thee, whom The LORD thy God
shall choose: One from among thy
brethren shat thou set over thee:
Thou mayest not set a stranger
over thee, which is not thy brother.
( With Solomon in mind, pay close
attention to v.16 an 17.)
¹⁶ But he shall NOT multiply horse unto
himself, nor cause the people to
return to Egypt, to the end that he
should multiply horses: For the LORD
hath said unto you, Ye shall
henceforth return no more that way.
¹⁷ Neither shall he multiply wives to
himself that his heart turn not away:
Neither shall he multiply unto
himself silver and gold.
Deuteronomy 17:15-17"
From part 1 we see that Solom didn't listen to the instructions layed out in Deuteronomy 17:15-17. This failure to keep the LORD, as a priority it his life, and to obey His statues would the reason Solomons son lost the majority of the kingdom.
But, Lets include the next two verses, which I can tell you that Solomon did not do, as I have read I 1 kings 4 through 9 looking for what we read in these next 3 verses:
" ¹⁸ And it shall be, when he sitteth upon
the throne of his kingdom, that he
shall write him a copy of this law
in a book out of that which is before
the priest and Lenvites.
¹⁹ And it shall be with him, and he shall
read therein all the days of lis life;
that he may learn to fear the LORD
his God, to keep all the words of this
law and these statutes to do them:
²⁰ That his heart be not lifted up against
his brethren, and that he turn not
aside from the commandent, to the
right hand, or to the left: to the end
that he mat prolong his days in his
kingdom, he and his children, in the
midst of Israel.
Deuteronomy 17:18-20"
Do you see the pattern that has emerged actually starting in 1 Samuel when the people wants a king, because Samuel is getting old, and his sons doesn't walk in his ways; that is until the people wants a king to "be like all the other nation." And they get Saul, which starts out pretty good. Until Saul crosses a line, and learns that he has Los the kingdom. Saul know it is Davi that will sit on the thrones. Saul spend the rest of his life trying to protect his crown by killing David, he just never succeeds, and David becomes king.
David inherits a mess, so he is a war time king, aside from a few slip ups, he kept God's comments, and statutes, and did that which is right in the eye's of the LORD, but because David was a king of war, he couldn't build God's house. When his son Solomon sits on the throne, he gets the privilege of building the house.
Like Saul in 1 Samuel, Solomon starts out really good. When God asked him what he wanted; rather than asking for long life, riches, or anything else that would have benefited no one other than Solomon. He asked for wisdom and understanding, so that he could do his job in a way that was pleasing to God.
God granted him that wisdom and understanding, but also gave to him the things he didn't ask for.
Unlike Saul, Solomon did build God's house; but as his wealth, wives, and fame grew: His heart was turned away from the LORD, and began following the gods of the strange women" that was his wives..
God even appeared to Solomon twice. The first appearance came to him in a dream
" ⁵ In Gibeon the LORD appeared to
Solomon in a dream by night: and
God said, Ask what I shall give thee.
1 kings 3:5"
It is in verse 9 that Solomon asks for
" ⁹ Give therefore thy servent an
understanding heart to judge the
people, that I may discern between
good and bad: for who is able to
Judge this thy so great of people?
1 kings 3:9"
And, as already mentioned, Solomon's asks pleased God, and Solomon was blessed with a lot more then he asked for.
Chapter 9 opens with telling us that Solomon has finished building two houses. 1 for the LORD, and the other for his self in v.1
v.2, The LORD appeared to Solomon as he did in Gibeon, in a dream
" ⁴ And if thou wilt walk before me,
as David thy father walked, in
integrity of heart, and in
uprightness, to do all that I have
commanded thee, and wilt keep
my statutes and my judgments:
⁵ Then I will establish the throne of
thy kingdom upon Israel forever,
as I promised to David thy father,
saying, there shall not fail thee a
man upon the throne of Israel.
⁶ But if ye at all turn from following
me, ye or you children, and wilt not
keep my commandents or my
statutes which I have set before
you, but go and serve other gods:
Then I will cut Israel out of the land
which I have given them; and this
house, which I have hallowed for
name, will I cast out of my sight:
and Israel shall be proverb and a
by word among all the people.
1 kings 9:4-7"
Solomon could have prevented the downfall that his son would feel, by reading God's word daily, but he didn't
He could have also heeded the warning from the second appearance, and, he didn't do that either.
Now we're gonna jump back to chapter 11. We've covered all of Solomons wives, and their gods in part 1.
" ⁴ For it came to pass, when Solomon was
old, his wive's turned away his heart
after other gods: and his heart was not
perfect with the LORD his God, as was
the heart of David his father.
1 kings 11:4"
The next verse tells what all Solomon went after. Then we get to a sad commentary:
" ⁶ And Solomon did evil in the sight of
the LORD, and went not fully after
the LORD, as did David his father
1 kings 11:6
Verses 11 through 13, The LORD tell Solomon that his son will keep one kingdom for David's sake,
The LORD stirs up a few adversaries for Solomon, and we are introduced to Jeroboam:
" ²⁶ And Jeroboam the son of Nebat,
an Ephrathite, of Zereda, Solomon's
servant, whose mother's name was
Zeruah, a widow woman, even he
lifted up his hand against the king.
²⁷ And this was the cause he lifted up
his hand against the king:
Solomon built Millo, and repaired
the breaches in the city of David.
1 kings 11:26-27
Solomon makes him a ruler *v.28. Now we are back to what was discussed in paer 1, where Ahijah prophesied to Jeroboam that he will be over 10 tribes.
Leading up to v.37 Ahijah informs Jeroboam as to why he will be getting the kingdom, and then here's the following:
" ³⁷ And I will take thee, and thou shalt
reign according to all that thy soul
desireth, and shalt be king over Israel.
³⁸ And it shall be, if thou will hearken
unto all that I command thee, and
wilt walk in my ways, and do that is
right in my sight, to keep my statutes
and my commandment, as David my
servant did; that I will be with thee, and
build thee a sure house, as I built
for David, and will give Israel unto
thee.
After this Solomon attempt to protect this kingdom by destroying the man whom God picks to get the kingdom. Jeroboam flees into Eygpt and remains there until the death of Solomon.
This was a little presumptuous of me to think I could finish this with only 2 studies; That being said, we will continue this in a future study call Jeroboam,s Reign.
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