2 Chronicles 10:1-151And Rehoboam went to Shechem: for to Shechem were all Israel come to make him king. 2And it came to pass, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who was in Egypt, whither he had fled from the presence of Solomon the king, heard it, that Jeroboam returned out of Egypt. 3And they sent and called him. So Jeroboam and all Israel came and spake to Rehoboam, saying, 4Thy father made our yoke grievous: now therefore ease thou somewhat the grievous servitude of thy father, and his heavy yoke that he put upon us, and we will serve thee. 5And he said unto them, Come again unto me after three days. And the people departed. 6And king Rehoboam took counsel with the old men that had stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, saying, What counsel give ye me to return answer to this people? 7And they spake unto him, saying, If thou be kind to this people, and please them, and speak good words to them, they will be thy servants for ever. 8But he forsook the counsel which the old men gave him, and took counsel with the young men that were brought up with him, that stood before him. 9And he said unto them, What advice give ye that we may return answer to this people, which have spoken to me, saying, Ease somewhat the yoke that thy father did put upon us? 10And the young men that were brought up with him spake unto him, saying, Thus shalt thou answer the people that spake unto thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou it somewhat lighter for us; thus shalt thou say unto them, My little finger shall be thicker than my father's loins. 11For whereas my father put a heavy yoke upon you, I will put more to your yoke: my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions. 12So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day, as the king bade, saying, Come again to me on the third day. 13And the king answered them roughly; and king Rehoboam forsook the counsel of the old men, 14And answered them after the advice of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add thereto: my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions. 15So the king hearkened not unto the people: for the cause was of God, that the Lord might perform his word, which he spake by the hand of Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat. (2 Chronicles 10:1‑15).
THE passing of King Solomon reminds us that all the earthly glory which men are able to build up passes away. But we, as children of God who by faith have trusted the Lord Jesus Christ as our Saviour, have been promised a kingdom which cannot be moved. "Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire." Heb. 12:28, 2928Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: 29For our God is a consuming fire. (Hebrews 12:28‑29).
We read in the book of Daniel, chapter 2:44: "And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever." No doubt our readers have read of the coming of the Lord who shall call forth from their graves those who have died in faith, and catch up with them the living ones to meet Him in the air, and they shall live and reign with Him in His kingdom. So a much more glorious time awaits them than the glorious days of Solomon's wonderful reign. It is our privilege to follow Him now in this time of His rejection, and to suffer something of the reproach of Christ on account of having received into our hearts the gospel of His grace to a lost and perishing world.
From verse nine of our chapter we learn that in the last days of king Solomon all was not as it should have been. We read in 1 Kings 11:33And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart. (1 Kings 11:3)1 That God had told Ahijah the prophet to tell Jeroboam, "Behold, I will rend the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and will give ten tribes to thee." 1 Kings 11:3131And he said to Jeroboam, Take thee ten pieces: for thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel, Behold, I will rend the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and will give ten tribes to thee: (1 Kings 11:31). Solomon had resisted this word of the Lord and sought to kill Jeroboam; therefore Jeroboam had fled and gone down to Egypt.
After the death of Solomon, Rehoboam went to Shechem and all Israel went there to make him king. When Jeroboam heard that Solomon was dead, he returned out of Egypt. The people called Jeroboam to be their leader to go to Rehoboam and seek relief from some of the heavy burdens that his father Solomon had placed upon them. Rehoboam told them to come back after three days, and so the people departed.
Rehoboam consulted with the old men who had been in his father's counsel, and they advised him to be kind to the people and speak good words to them; then they would be his servants forever. But Rehoboam forsook the counsel of the old men, and turned to the young men which had been brought up with him. These young men gave him very poor advice. They advised him to tell the people that instead of making their yoke lighter, he would really make it heavier; also his father had chastised them with whips, but he would use scorpions. The king took the counsel of the young men and answered the people roughly. He heartened not unto them, "for the cause was of God, that the LORD might perform His word, which He spake by the hand of Ahijah . . . to Jeroboam."
Well had it been for Rehoboam if, like his father Solomon when he came to the throne, he had prayed: "O LORD my God, . . . I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in. . . . Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge Thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this Thy so great a people?" 1 Kings 3:7, 97And now, O Lord my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in. (1 Kings 3:7)
9Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people? (1 Kings 3:9).
Messages of the Love of God 6/29/1958