1 Kings 14 Death a reward?

WEEK  12                                              1 Kings 14

FRIDAY  Reflections

God had promised Jeroboam a dynasty like David's if he obeyed God (1 Kings 11:38). If you recall, God promised David an everlasting kingdom where there would be a king from David's line on the throne forever. The final fulfillment of this is found in Jesus. Jeroboam could have been part of this lineage. Jeroboam could have been remembered like David, but he didn't trust God. 

We saw in chapter 13 that Jeroboam was afraid of losing his kingdom when people went to Jerusalem to worship. Jeroboam's solution was to set up idols to represent God, much like Arron did at the foot of Mount Sinai. Jeroboam even gave an excuse to the people, it's inconvenient to go all the way to Jerusalem. However, this was all a lack of trust, and it opened the door for all kinds of idol worship in Israel. 

Jeroboam has moved outside of God's protection, and the prophecy against Jeroboam is that his entire family will be wiped out, and only his sick and dying son will be the only one of his children buried. What caught my attention is that the reason for this is that there is something good in the child. How can dying and being buried be a reward? If you consider the terrible ways people can be killed, especially in a rebellion, which is what was to take place, dying peacefully in your bed may be a reward. We see that what we may think of as a bad outcome may, in fact, be a good outcome. It is something to consider, but also remember that not all situations are the same; someone else’s loss may have nothing to do with this. 

1Ki 14:1-31
(1)  At that time Abijah the son of Jeroboam fell sick.
(2)  And Jeroboam said to his wife, Arise, I pray thee, and disguise thyself, that thou be not known to be the wife of Jeroboam; and get thee to Shiloh: behold, there is Ahijah the prophet, which told me that I should be king over this people.
(3)  And take with thee ten loaves, and cracknels, and a cruse of honey, and go to him: he shall tell thee what shall become of the child.
(4)  And Jeroboam's wife did so, and arose, and went to Shiloh, and came to the house of Ahijah. But Ahijah could not see; for his eyes were set by reason of his age.
(5)  And the LORD said unto Ahijah, Behold, the wife of Jeroboam cometh to ask a thing of thee for her son; for he is sick: thus and thus shalt thou say unto her: for it shall be, when she cometh in, that she shall feign herself to be another woman.
(6)  And it was so, when Ahijah heard the sound of her feet, as she came in at the door, that he said, Come in, thou wife of Jeroboam; why feignest thou thyself to be another? for I am sent to thee with heavy tidings.
(7)  Go, tell Jeroboam, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Forasmuch as I exalted thee from among the people, and made thee prince over my people Israel,
(8)  And rent the kingdom away from the house of David, and gave it thee: and yet thou hast not been as my servant David, who kept my commandments, and who followed me with all his heart, to do that only which was right in mine eyes;
(9)  But hast done evil above all that were before thee: for thou hast gone and made thee other gods, and molten images, to provoke me to anger, and hast cast me behind thy back:
(10)  Therefore, behold, I will bring evil upon the house of Jeroboam, and will cut off from Jeroboam him that pisseth against the wall, and him that is shut up and left in Israel, and will take away the remnant of the house of Jeroboam, as a man taketh away dung, till it be all gone.
(11)  Him that dieth of Jeroboam in the city shall the dogs eat; and him that dieth in the field shall the fowls of the air eat: for the LORD hath spoken it.
(12)  Arise thou therefore, get thee to thine own house: and when thy feet enter into the city, the child shall die.
(13)  And all Israel shall mourn for him, and bury him: for he only of Jeroboam shall come to the grave, because in him there is found some good thing toward the LORD God of Israel in the house of Jeroboam.
(14)  Moreover the LORD shall raise him up a king over Israel, who shall cut off the house of Jeroboam that day: but what? even now.
(15)  For the LORD shall smite Israel, as a reed is shaken in the water, and he shall root up Israel out of this good land, which he gave to their fathers, and shall scatter them beyond the river, because they have made their groves, provoking the LORD to anger.
(16)  And he shall give Israel up because of the sins of Jeroboam, who did sin, and who made Israel to sin.
(17)  And Jeroboam's wife arose, and departed, and came to Tirzah: and when she came to the threshold of the door, the child died;
(18)  And they buried him; and all Israel mourned for him, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by the hand of his servant Ahijah the prophet.
(19)  And the rest of the acts of Jeroboam, how he warred, and how he reigned, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.
(20)  And the days which Jeroboam reigned were two and twenty years: and he slept with his fathers, and Nadab his son reigned in his stead.
(21)  And Rehoboam the son of Solomon reigned in Judah. Rehoboam was forty and one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which the LORD did choose out of all the tribes of Israel, to put his name there. And his mother's name was Naamah an Ammonitess.
(22)  And Judah did evil in the sight of the LORD, and they provoked him to jealousy with their sins which they had committed, above all that their fathers had done.
(23)  For they also built them high places, and images, and groves, on every high hill, and under every green tree.
(24)  And there were also sodomites in the land: and they did according to all the abominations of the nations which the LORD cast out before the children of Israel.
(25)  And it came to pass in the fifth year of king Rehoboam, that Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem:
(26)  And he took away the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king's house; he even took away all: and he took away all the shields of gold which Solomon had made.
(27)  And king Rehoboam made in their stead brasen shields, and committed them unto the hands of the chief of the guard, which kept the door of the king's house.
(28)  And it was so, when the king went into the house of the LORD, that the guard bare them, and brought them back into the guard chamber.
(29)  Now the rest of the acts of Rehoboam, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
(30)  And there was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all their days.
(31)  And Rehoboam slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David. And his mother's name was Naamah an Ammonitess. And Abijam his son reigned in his stead.

Matthew 12

WEEK   12                                            Matthew 12

THURSDAY  Reflections

 

In the middle of this chapter, there is an easy to miss section in verse 14 and the beginning of verse 15: “Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him, how they might destroy him. But when Jesus knew it, he withdrew himself from thence...”

 

Jesus left town rather than take his chances with the Pharisees. Some might think this was cowardly, but the truth was it wasn’t Jesus' time to die. If Jesus stayed there, there would have been a confrontation and it would have been the Pharisees who would have lost. This wasn’t God’s plan.

 

I bring this out because we will see this kind of action again in the life of Paul. Sometimes he stands and faces the danger and other times he leaves. There rarely seems to be a reason, except this assumption, it wasn’t God’s will. If a confrontation isn’t God’s plan, then we need to do what Jesus and Paul did and LEAVE. Who cares if we could have won or if we were right? Jesus could have challenged them, but it wasn’t the time for him to die nor was it his job to bring judgment (John 3:17).

 

The lesson to learn when confronting problem people is to ask is: “Does God want me here?” “Does this fulfill his will?” If it doesn’t then walk away. I have to believe there are times when the most spiritual thing we can do is to leave town.

 

Side note:  There is a time for confrontation. Jesus did cleanse the temple. However, Jesus’ cleansing of the temple isn't an excuse to justify running in as they say "with guns blazing."

Mat 12:1-50
(1)  At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat.
(2)  But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day.
(3)  But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him;
(4)  How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests?
(5)  Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless?
(6)  But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple.
(7)  But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless.
(8)  For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day.
(9)  And when he was departed thence, he went into their synagogue:
(10)  And, behold, there was a man which had his hand withered. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days? that they might accuse him.
(11)  And he said unto them, What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out?
(12)  How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days.
(13)  Then saith he to the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it forth; and it was restored whole, like as the other.
(14)  Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him, how they might destroy him.
(15)  But when Jesus knew it, he withdrew himself from thence: and great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all;
(16)  And charged them that they should not make him known:
(17)  That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying,
(18)  Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles.
(19)  He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets.
(20)  A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory.
(21)  And in his name shall the Gentiles trust.
(22)  Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw.
(23)  And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David?
(24)  But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils.
(25)  And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand:
(26)  And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand?
(27)  And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out? therefore they shall be your judges.
(28)  But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.
(29)  Or else how can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house.
(30)  He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.
(31)  Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.
(32)  And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.
(33)  Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit.
(34)  O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.
(35)  A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.
(36)  But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.
(37)  For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.
(38)  Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee.
(39)  But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas:
(40)  For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
(41)  The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.
(42)  The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here.
(43)  When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none.
(44)  Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished.
(45)  Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.
(46)  While he yet talked to the people, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak with him.
(47)  Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee.
(48)  But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren?
(49)  And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!
(50)  For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.

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Ecclesiastes 9

WEEK 12                                      Ecclesiastes 9

WEDNESDAY  Reflections

The last verse of this chapter carries a lot of truth. "Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good." (18 NIV). I talked before from the perspective of life under the sun; wisdom still has great advantages. However, it is the second part that catches my attention, that a sinner destroys much good. From Adam to our time, one person's wrong actions can do great evil. The lone assassin who brings down a great leader. The lazy worker doesn't weld the crash bar on the back of the semi-trailer, which causes it to fall off and lead to an accident. The parent or teacher who crushes the aspirations of the next Mozart or Tolkien. It seems like it’s a hopeless fight.

 

 Ecclesiastes also doesn't fully recognize the good one person can do in the world, nor the one action one person makes that changes everything. The one guard who takes the bullet. The inspector who catches the flaw and gets it fixed. The parent or teacher who says just the right thing changes a child from hopelessness and failure to hope and success. I don't want to forget that, and I don't want you to either.

 

Ecc 9:1-18
(1)  For all this I considered in my heart even to declare all this, that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God: no man knoweth either love or hatred by all that is before them.
(2)  All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the sinner; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath.
(3)  This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead.
(4)  For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion.
(5)  For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.
(6)  Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun.
(7)  Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works.
(8)  Let thy garments be always white; and let thy head lack no ointment.
(9)  Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity: for that is thy portion in this life, and in thy labour which thou takest under the sun.
(10)  Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.
(11)  I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.
(12)  For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them.
(13)  This wisdom have I seen also under the sun, and it seemed great unto me:
(14)  There was a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it:
(15)  Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man.
(16)  Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.
(17)  The words of wise men are heard in quiet more than the cry of him that ruleth among fools.
(18)  Wisdom is better than weapons of war: but one sinner destroyeth much good.

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1 Kings 13

WEEK  12                                             1 Kings 13

TUESDAY  Reflections

The saddest story in this chapter is about the prophet of God allowing himself to be deceived. He had been told by God not to stay in Israel. God made the command very clear but for some reason he allowed himself to believe that God had changed His mind. This choice cost him his life.

 

Today there are people who want to believe that God has changed His mind. They want to say that what God said was sin in the Bible isn't sin anymore. However, this lie or if you prefer, this deception leads only to death. Probably the worst kind of death, spiritual death. There will be people at the end of time who come to God saying we have done great things for you but Jesus will say I never knew you (Matthew 7:21-23). I wonder if some of them will be those who allowed themselves to believe God changes His mind?

1Kings 13:1-34
(1)  And, behold, there came a man of God out of Judah by the word of the LORD unto Bethel: and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense.
(2)  And he cried against the altar in the word of the LORD, and said, O altar, altar, thus saith the LORD; Behold, a child shall be born unto the house of David, Josiah by name; and upon thee shall he offer the priests of the high places that burn incense upon thee, and men's bones shall be burnt upon thee.
(3)  And he gave a sign the same day, saying, This is the sign which the LORD hath spoken; Behold, the altar shall be rent, and the ashes that are upon it shall be poured out.
(4)  And it came to pass, when king Jeroboam heard the saying of the man of God, which had cried against the altar in Bethel, that he put forth his hand from the altar, saying, Lay hold on him. And his hand, which he put forth against him, dried up, so that he could not pull it in again to him.
(5)  The altar also was rent, and the ashes poured out from the altar, according to the sign which the man of God had given by the word of the LORD.
(6)  And the king answered and said unto the man of God, Intreat now the face of the LORD thy God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored me again. And the man of God besought the LORD, and the king's hand was restored him again, and became as it was before.
(7)  And the king said unto the man of God, Come home with me, and refresh thyself, and I will give thee a reward.
(8)  And the man of God said unto the king, If thou wilt give me half thine house, I will not go in with thee, neither will I eat bread nor drink water in this place:
(9)  For so was it charged me by the word of the LORD, saying, Eat no bread, nor drink water, nor turn again by the same way that thou camest.
(10)  So he went another way, and returned not by the way that he came to Bethel.
(11)  Now there dwelt an old prophet in Bethel; and his sons came and told him all the works that the man of God had done that day in Bethel: the words which he had spoken unto the king, them they told also to their father.
(12)  And their father said unto them, What way went he? For his sons had seen what way the man of God went, which came from Judah.
(13)  And he said unto his sons, Saddle me the ass. So they saddled him the ass: and he rode thereon,
(14)  And went after the man of God, and found him sitting under an oak: and he said unto him, Art thou the man of God that camest from Judah? And he said, I am.
(15)  Then he said unto him, Come home with me, and eat bread.
(16)  And he said, I may not return with thee, nor go in with thee: neither will I eat bread nor drink water with thee in this place:
(17)  For it was said to me by the word of the LORD, Thou shalt eat no bread nor drink water there, nor turn again to go by the way that thou camest.
(18)  He said unto him, I am a prophet also as thou art; and an angel spake unto me by the word of the LORD, saying, Bring him back with thee into thine house, that he may eat bread and drink water. But he lied unto him.
(19)  So he went back with him, and did eat bread in his house, and drank water.
(20)  And it came to pass, as they sat at the table, that the word of the LORD came unto the prophet that brought him back:
(21)  And he cried unto the man of God that came from Judah, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Forasmuch as thou hast disobeyed the mouth of the LORD, and hast not kept the commandment which the LORD thy God commanded thee,
(22)  But camest back, and hast eaten bread and drunk water in the place, of the which the LORD did say to thee, Eat no bread, and drink no water; thy carcase shall not come unto the sepulchre of thy fathers.
(23)  And it came to pass, after he had eaten bread, and after he had drunk, that he saddled for him the ass, to wit, for the prophet whom he had brought back.
(24)  And when he was gone, a lion met him by the way, and slew him: and his carcase was cast in the way, and the ass stood by it, the lion also stood by the carcase.
(25)  And, behold, men passed by, and saw the carcase cast in the way, and the lion standing by the carcase: and they came and told it in the city where the old prophet dwelt.
(26)  And when the prophet that brought him back from the way heard thereof, he said, It is the man of God, who was disobedient unto the word of the LORD: therefore the LORD hath delivered him unto the lion, which hath torn him, and slain him, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake unto him.
(27)  And he spake to his sons, saying, Saddle me the ass. And they saddled him.
(28)  And he went and found his carcase cast in the way, and the ass and the lion standing by the carcase: the lion had not eaten the carcase, nor torn the ass.
(29)  And the prophet took up the carcase of the man of God, and laid it upon the ass, and brought it back: and the old prophet came to the city, to mourn and to bury him.
(30)  And he laid his carcase in his own grave; and they mourned over him, saying, Alas, my brother!
(31)  And it came to pass, after he had buried him, that he spake to his sons, saying, When I am dead, then bury me in the sepulchre wherein the man of God is buried; lay my bones beside his bones:
(32)  For the saying which he cried by the word of the LORD against the altar in Bethel, and against all the houses of the high places which are in the cities of Samaria, shall surely come to pass.
(33)  After this thing Jeroboam returned not from his evil way, but made again of the lowest of the people priests of the high places: whosoever would, he consecrated him, and he became one of the priests of the high places.
(34)  And this thing became sin unto the house of Jeroboam, even to cut it off, and to destroy it from off the face of the earth.

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1 Kings 12

WEEK   12                                           1 Kings 12

MONDAY  Reflections

How often do people go to people to get the advice they want to hear? Too often, and this is what Rehoboam did. He got the right advice from Solomon's advisors but Rehoboam didn't like it. Rehoboam then talked to his friends which I assume were of the same mind.

 

Some might think this was predestined by God, and though it was prophesied, it didn't remove Rehoboam's responsibility in it. God knew the pride and arrogance which Solomon's heir would have. God knew Rehoboam would anger Israel (the 10 northern tribes) and they would rebel.

 

What causes Rehoboam to be this way? I can't help but think it was Solomon's influence. Yes, a child can choose a different path from their parents but it takes a great deal of will. Like Solomon, Rehoboam trusted his own plans. This split Israel into two kingdoms, the northern tribes often referred to as Israel and the southern tribes often called Judah. 

1Kings 12:1-33
(1)  And Rehoboam went to Shechem: for all Israel were come to Shechem to make him king.
(2)  And it came to pass, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who was yet in Egypt, heard of it, (for he was fled from the presence of king Solomon, and Jeroboam dwelt in Egypt;)
(3)  That they sent and called him. And Jeroboam and all the congregation of Israel came, and spake unto Rehoboam, saying,
(4)  Thy father made our yoke grievous: now therefore make thou the grievous service of thy father, and his heavy yoke which he put upon us, lighter, and we will serve thee.
(5)  And he said unto them, Depart yet for three days, then come again to me. And the people departed.
(6)  And king Rehoboam consulted with the old men, that stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, and said, How do ye advise that I may answer this people?
(7)  And they spake unto him, saying, If thou wilt be a servant unto this people this day, and wilt serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will be thy servants for ever.
(8)  But he forsook the counsel of the old men, which they had given him, and consulted with the young men that were grown up with him, and which stood before him:
(9)  And he said unto them, What counsel give ye that we may answer this people, who have spoken to me, saying, Make the yoke which thy father did put upon us lighter?
(10)  And the young men that were grown up with him spake unto him, saying, Thus shalt thou speak unto this people that spake unto thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou it lighter unto us; thus shalt thou say unto them, My little finger shall be thicker than my father's loins.
(11)  And now whereas my father did lade you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke: my father hath chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.
(12)  So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king had appointed, saying, Come to me again the third day.
(13)  And the king answered the people roughly, and forsook the old men's counsel that they gave him;
(14)  And spake to them after the counsel of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, and I will add to your yoke: my father also chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.
(15)  Wherefore the king hearkened not unto the people; for the cause was from the LORD, that he might perform his saying, which the LORD spake by Ahijah the Shilonite unto Jeroboam the son of Nebat.
(16)  So when all Israel saw that the king hearkened not unto them, the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David? neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: to your tents, O Israel: now see to thine own house, David. So Israel departed unto their tents.
(17)  But as for the children of Israel which dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them.
(18)  Then king Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was over the tribute; and all Israel stoned him with stones, that he died. Therefore king Rehoboam made speed to get him up to his chariot, to flee to Jerusalem.
(19)  So Israel rebelled against the house of David unto this day.
(20)  And it came to pass, when all Israel heard that Jeroboam was come again, that they sent and called him unto the congregation, and made him king over all Israel: there was none that followed the house of David, but the tribe of Judah only.
(21)  And when Rehoboam was come to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah, with the tribe of Benjamin, an hundred and fourscore thousand chosen men, which were warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, to bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam the son of Solomon.
(22)  But the word of God came unto Shemaiah the man of God, saying,
(23)  Speak unto Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and unto all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the remnant of the people, saying,
(24)  Thus saith the LORD, Ye shall not go up, nor fight against your brethren the children of Israel: return every man to his house; for this thing is from me. They hearkened therefore to the word of the LORD, and returned to depart, according to the word of the LORD.
(25)  Then Jeroboam built Shechem in mount Ephraim, and dwelt therein; and went out from thence, and built Penuel.
(26)  And Jeroboam said in his heart, Now shall the kingdom return to the house of David:
(27)  If this people go up to do sacrifice in the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, then shall the heart of this people turn again unto their lord, even unto Rehoboam king of Judah, and they shall kill me, and go again to Rehoboam king of Judah.
(28)  Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold, and said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
(29)  And he set the one in Bethel, and the other put he in Dan.
(30)  And this thing became a sin: for the people went to worship before the one, even unto Dan.
(31)  And he made an house of high places, and made priests of the lowest of the people, which were not of the sons of Levi.
(32)  And Jeroboam ordained a feast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like unto the feast that is in Judah, and he offered upon the altar. So did he in Bethel, sacrificing unto the calves that he had made: and he placed in Bethel the priests of the high places which he had made.
(33)  So he offered upon the altar which he had made in Bethel the fifteenth day of the eighth month, even in the month which he had devised of his own heart; and ordained a feast unto the children of Israel: and he offered upon the altar, and burnt incense.

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