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Post by alon on Feb 3, 2016 17:38:34 GMT -8
1 Kings 12:1-17
1 Kings 12:1-5 (ESV) Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king. 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. And they sent and called him, and Jeroboam and all the assembly of Israel came and said to Rehoboam, “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.” He said to them, “Go away for three days, then come again to me.” So the people went away.
Those anointed to rule in Israel still had to appear before the people they would rule and be proclaimed as king (1 Sam 11:14-15; 2 Sam 2:4,7; 1 Kings 1:39-40). This is why Rehoboam was at Sechem, a major town on the Northern route out of Jerusalem which lay near the borders of the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh. These were the two largest and most powerful tribes in Israel. This, unfortunately, is also why Jeroboam was there. He wanted to challenge his brother; to draw him into a negotiation he knew the new king would botch. Jeroboam had been warned what would happen if he did this, however he foolishly took the warning from God as a prophecy of opportunity for himself!
1 Kings 11:29 (ESV) And at that time, when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite found him on the road. Now Ahijah had dressed himself in a new garment, and the two of them were alone in the open country.
Jeroboam was already fomenting revolt when Ahijah found him. Therefore it was not the prophet who was the instigator; rather he was just a messenger. The division of the kingdom was already prophesied as punishment for the sin of Solomon.
1 Kings 11:11-13 (ESV) Therefore the Lord said to Solomon, “Since this has been your practice and you have not kept my covenant and my statutes that I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom from you and will give it to your servant. Yet for the sake of David your father I will not do it in your days, but I will tear it out of the hand of your son. However, I will not tear away all the kingdom, but I will give one tribe to your son, for the sake of David my servant and for the sake of Jerusalem that I have chosen.”
Actually the movement Jeroboam hijacked was long in the making, and could have been foretold by any knowledgeable observer of the time. Jeroboam was certainly astute enough to orchestrate the meeting with his brother to effect the split. The foolishness of Jeraboam and Rehoboam is really only understood as entitled men, spoiled and hungry for power. Rehoboam should have known better than to allow himself to be played as he was by Jeroboam. He (Rehoboam) was 41 yrs old:
2 Chronicles 12:13a (ESV) So King Rehoboam grew strong in Jerusalem and reigned. Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he began to reign,
Who was he to speak so arrogantly to the people? This is not how a leader speaks to a proud, hardworking and independent people who serve El Shaddai, the Lord God Almighty!
1 Kings 12:12-14 (ESV) So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king said, “Come to me again the third day.” And the king answered the people harshly, and forsaking the counsel that the old men had given him, 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.”
Only the weak boasts of things he can never do! And only the foolish elevates himself at the expense of his father. The malice and hatred of an unregenerate heart flowed with every word he spoke; and the comparison of himself being far worse a taskmaster to the people than his father must have been remembered bitterly when he lost Israel. Curses uttered with wrong motives tend to come back on the one who uttered them.
The comparison to his father is even more stark and divergent if we compare the actions of both jeroboam and Rehoboam to their grandfather David! he never sought power; never took it while Saul was alive (even though he could). These two arrogant brats sought the throne and all it could do for them at the cost of their kingdoms!
Twice we are told this thing was brought about by God:
1 Kings 12:15 (ESV) 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.
1 Kings 12:24 (ESV) ‘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.
God does not cause us to sin. Sin comes because we abuse our freewill. However in all our political intrigues, and in all the changes in power, there is the divine purpose taking form. God controls events such that our schemes only further His will. The split was prophesied as punishment to Solomon, and so it would happen. But how, if it did not occur in his lifetime was it a punishment for Solomon?
Consider the state of the kingdom and the state of mind of Solomon at his death. He knew the prophecy would be fulfilled, otherwise he wouldn’t have made the attempt to have his own son (Jeroboam) killed. There is no loving scene recorded of his death, as there was with his father David. So apparently it was a cold, loveless death chamber that was to be his lot. There was rebellion in his own kingdom, Egypt was massing to the South, Edom and Syria making ready for war- and to lead Israel through these perils was only a son such as Rehoboam. How bitter a pill to judge your own son as inadequate to lead the nation anywhere besides into the kind of slavery from which God had earlier delivered them.
All this was fulfilment of God’s word when He told Solomon (1 Kings 11:11) and when He sent Ahijah to Jeroboam (1 Kings 11:31-36). And this moment was what jeroboam had waited for; had engineered. Having backed his prideful brother into a corner and obtained the desired reaction, he now took advantage of the peoples resentment and led them in the rallying cry of another who had (unsuccessfully) sought to divide the kingdom:
2 Samuel 20:1 (ESV) Now there happened to be there a worthless man, whose name was Sheba, the son of Bichri, a Benjaminite. And he blew the trumpet and said, “We have no portion in David, and we have no inheritance in the son of Jesse; every man to his tents, O Israel!”
1 Kings 12:16 (ESV) 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.
However, as promised, Rehoboam kept control of one clan and of Jerusalem:
1 Kings 12:17 (ESV) But Rehoboam reigned over the people of Israel who lived in the cities of Judah.
This refers to the cities in the Kingdom of Judah, not to the tribe which in fact did dominate the new kingdom. However the new kingdom also included the smaller tribe of Simeon to the South, as well as some of the Benjamite clans closer to Jerusalem. Those farther North became part of the new Kingdom of Israel.
We might however wonder at how history would have been different had Jeroboam heeded the warnings of Ahijah, had he not challenged his brother. Would Rehoboam have been more amenable to the advice of the elders? And what if he had listened to their advice anyhow?
1 Kings 12:6-7 (ESV) 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?” 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.”
Had a penitent Rehoboam listened to God instead of the bad counsel of his younger (and probably more sycophantic) advisors, what might God have done to show these as evil and foolish men whose counsel was death?
1 Kings 12:8,10b-11 (ESV) 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. … “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. 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.’”
We do know the result of these men’s hunger for power and control; the nation split, the Northern Kingdom immediately led into idolatry and abandoning Jerusalem, and eventually- both nations being idolatrous- conquered and exiled for their sins.
Dan C
Sources: JPS Study TNK, Meyer, Wiersby, Edersheim, Unger, my father and others.
edit: see correction further down- Jeroboam was not Solomon's son. My bad.
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Post by Elizabeth on Feb 4, 2016 6:45:09 GMT -8
It's hard to distinguish between mankind's natural tendencies playing out very predictably and prophecies sometimes, which struck me after reading through this the way you laid it out. G-d told us what would happen, and hindsight's 20/20, but this cycle of ending up right back where you started only worse off seems to be the general theme of what happens when we turn from G-d as a people or as individuals. He tells us what will happen, and there's this mystical intrigue of ooohhhh prophecy, but it isn't always as mysterious as it at first seems. It often seems to be just a very predictable consequence of our choices and G-d giving us a warning in advance of them.
It just struck me how wise and blameless G-d is, and how blind we can be. He warns us, He ensures the lessons learned are wrote down, He gives us instruction and guidance, and He gives us a life to experience choices and consequences. Prophecy seems to often be just a warning of the natural and predictable consequences of our own selfish decision making, which He has provided instruction and warning about in countless different ways already. It's amazing how he pulls that off I think.
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Post by jimmie on Feb 4, 2016 9:28:13 GMT -8
Jeroboam ("provoker of the people") was the son of Nebat ("sight" or "aspect"), a member of the Tribe of Ephraim ("double fruit"). His mothers named was Zeruah ("lepros") and was a widow.
Are you saying Jeroboam was adopted by Solomon ("peace"), thus the brother of Reboboam ("rider of the people")?
That is something I have not thought of, but makes since.
Good study.
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Post by alon on Feb 4, 2016 11:15:57 GMT -8
No, actually I made a mistake there. They were brothers in the sense they were kindred spirits, but somehow I got that turned around while writing this up. Good catch.
1 Kings 11:26 (ESV) Jeroboam the son of Nebat, an Ephraimite of Zeredah, a servant of Solomon, whose mother's name was Zeruah, a widow, also lifted up his hand against the king.
1 Kings 11:11 (ESV) Therefore the Lord said to Solomon, “Since this has been your practice and you have not kept my covenant and my statutes that I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom from you and will give it to your servant.
They were part of the king's household only in the sense that Jeroboam was a servant of the king. Still spoiled, entitled, ambitious, and I don't think Jeroboam cared any more for the people that Rehoboam did. He was just able to sense their mood better and turn this to his advantage. He also knew well the character of Rehoboam, and thus was able to orchestrate events pretty predictably.
But to try and have him killed, flying in the face of what God said would happen still speaks to Solomon's state of mind. Just in a slightly different manner.
Thanks for the correction.
Dan C
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Post by alon on Feb 4, 2016 11:47:39 GMT -8
It's hard to distinguish between mankind's natural tendencies playing out very predictably and prophecies sometimes, which struck me after reading through this the way you laid it out. G-d told us what would happen, and hindsight's 20/20, but this cycle of ending up right back where you started only worse off seems to be the general theme of what happens when we turn from G-d as a people or as individuals. He tells us what will happen, and there's this mystical intrigue of ooohhhh prophecy, but it isn't always as mysterious as it at first seems. It often seems to be just a very predictable consequence of our choices and G-d giving us a warning in advance of them. It just struck me how wise and blameless G-d is, and how blind we can be. He warns us, He ensures the lessons learned are wrote down, He gives us instruction and guidance, and He gives us a life to experience choices and consequences. Prophecy seems to often be just a warning of the natural and predictable consequences of our own selfish decision making, which He has provided instruction and warning about in countless different ways already. It's amazing how he pulls that off I think. That is pretty insightful, really. This haftara does seem to contrast prophecy and predictability, all working together to serve God's purposes. The predictability of the mood of the people, and of Rehoboam's reaction to being challenged vs. God's seeing exactly what the results would be and His punishment of Solomon coming to pass. Also God's using our sinful natures to accomplish His purposes as a foil against the causes of sin; and His foreknowledge of exactly what the results will be. Knowing the mood of the people is one thing, but still Jeroboam took a huge chance doing what he did. I can imagine his relief when it was all done and he was still alive! Even then he wasn't that secure, as he next made idols and set up two alternate sites for the people to worship so their hearts would not turn back to Jerusalem. And you are correct- God has warned us many times how our sins will effect us and others. His sins doomed thousands of God's people. It's another, deeper layer to the Word; another study, or moral of the story (so to speak) on which we can meditate.
I love the infinite nature of the Word of God. The prophetic meanings of the names as jimmie pointed out; the insights you gave. And studying what others said, it is always difficult to pare down my own notes so I don't end up with something so long no one will read! Then there are the insights, the connections that study always gives vs. things God shows me, yet His hand guiding both! Truly a contrast that applies even as we read the Word and study the contrast!
Dan C
edit: another thought was expressed by one of the sources I used (Edersheim) was that Jeroboam probably grew to hate Solomon, Jerusalem and even the people while serving in the kings court. He saw the abuses of power, the intrigues and in the beginning even was probably sympathetic to the plight of the people. But hatred is as all consuming as blind ambition. How often when men try to help the people, but they do not rise up and help themselves do we see compassion turn to disgust, then revulsion and finally a disdain which marks them as tools and targets ? Many times throughout history we have seen revolutions started by men who hate injustice, only to witness their greater injustices when they come to power. So jeroboam was, at least to some extent, an enemy forged by Solomon himself. We do tend to be the architects of our own destruction; a contrast of intent and the results of self will vs. obedience.
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Post by garrett on Feb 6, 2016 8:45:32 GMT -8
Wait a minute, I'm confused...isn't the Haftorah for Mishpatim in Jeremiah?
garrett
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Post by alon on Feb 6, 2016 9:36:15 GMT -8
Wait a minute, I'm confused...isn't the Haftorah for Mishpatim in Jeremiah? garrett Depends. The par'shot are pretty much universally followed. The parent synagogue here used to be on a three year reading cycle, if I recall correctly. However most of us follow the traditional readings. The haftarot, on the other hand, seem to be a bit more variable. Again, I follow the more common listing. But the list you have may easily be different. I've put up haftara studies from other lists as well here, but not very often at all as it is a lot of work, and I still want to do the regular reading first.
Dan C
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Post by garrett on Feb 6, 2016 16:05:30 GMT -8
Oh, it's no problem. I have a Pentateuch, from England (2nd edition, 1978) and a very recent transliterated Chumash. The first has the haftorah following each parsha and the Chumash has all the haftorot after all the readings. If there are differences as to which one is read, I suppose that's why I was scratching my head.. Hope you're doing well. Thanks for the recent threads/posts. I'm still reading/learning from them even if I don't have a lot of time to research and respond. garrett
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Post by Elizabeth on Feb 12, 2016 6:29:14 GMT -8
Regarding the interplay of prophecy and men's natural tendencies, it came to my mind how Peter denied Yeshua three times even after being told by Yeshua that he would deny Him and was given a specific time to watch and pray about. That amazes me, but at the same time, it is so consistent with human nature that it's isn't amazing at all. As difficult as it must have been, I am glad for Peter that he went on to be such a witness for Yeshua. I wonder how much this moment came to his mind and impacted his life. Anyway, this is Peter, the rock of the "church" so who isn't susceptible to denying Yeshua? I am incorporating the prayer Yeshua gave Peter into our family prayers because this passage hit me on a whole new level this week. I also think it's something we can point out to Christians who may speak proudly against Israel. I have heard more than once Christians going on about how could Israel doubt G-d or rebel against Him when ... That is just another example of how out of touch people can be, and if this is where believers are, I think we must be as susceptible as Peter was.
Anyway, this passage is incredibly humbling if we consider it honestly I think. It has been on my heart as an example of how much G-d does to teach and warn us, but we just don't listen or see. What more can He do for us? It's just been in my heart lately. Yeshua came here to heal the deaf, mute, and blind. That's us, which brings us right back to a blameless G-d who leaves us with no excuses I suppose. Scary and so hopeful at the same time.
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