The Temple of God
Today’s Focus: Local Church vs. City Church: Jeroboam and Rehoboam
Scripture: 1 Kings 12
Greetings Kingdom Citizens
Let us continue. Jeroboam comes back to Israel and they are all gathered before Rehoboam who is the king of Israel. Jeroboam comes to Rehoboam and asks him if he will be lenient with them because his father Solomon put heavy burdens on the people (1 Kings 12:4). Rehoboam tells him and the people to leave and in three days come back and he will give his answer. Now Rehoboam consults two types of people about this issue of the burdens placed upon the people. Let me show you the two responses and who gave it.
1 Kings 12:6-11: 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? And they spake unto him saying, if thou wilt be a servant unto his people this day, and will serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will be thy servants for ever. But HE FORSOOK THE COUNSEL OF THE OLD MEN, which they had given him, and consulted with the YOUNG MEN THAT HAD GROWN UP WITH HIM, and which stood before him: 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? And the young men that were grown up with him spkae 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. 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.
Now as you read this we see that Rehoboam consults the old men and the young men that grew up with him. One of the things the Lord showed me here was we need to be careful of who we listen to and yield ourselves to. The old men had the privilege to serve under Solomon and see the results of obedience to the Lord but when that answer did not satisfy him, he consulted people who did not understand how to rule and hence their vision of rule was by force and oppression. They did not see rule as being a servant first unto all. So Rehoboam dealt harshly with the people according to the instructions from the young men he grew up with. The children of Israel were not happy with this and when they hear that Jeroboam has come back, they called him and made him king over all Israel. There was none that followed the house of David, but the tribe of Judah only (1 Kings 12:20). So here we have the prophecy come to past that Jeroboam would rule over 10 tribes and Rehoboam would rule over one tribe. This division formed a Northern Kingdom of Israel ruled by Jeroboam and the Southern Kingdom of Israel formed ruled by Rehoboam. Now the temple was located in the Southern Kingdom of Israel. This would present a dilemma at the time of the feasts.
In the next message we will look specifically at the sin of Jeroboam and how it began to reveal the conflict between the local church versus the city church.
Peace, Love and Grace from the Father,
Calvin Calhoun, Jr.
