What is Going On? 1Kings 15:1-24

INTRODUCTION:

I will put hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.  — Genesis 3:15 (CSB)

·       This promise of God was made a long time ago.

·       It must have felt like a distant hope for the citizens of Israel and Judah in the time of 1Kings.

·       Our world today is little different.  Leaders come and go with little to no change. 

·       Often the reality is even opposite, things continually get worse. 

·       Even when a hopeful leader steps into power, they are flawed and fail to do all promised or hope for.

·       Where is God in all of this?  Where are His promises and when will they come true?

·       This is the story of the next two chapters in 1 Kings.  Disappointing leaders. 

·       Chapters 1-14 of 1Kings has been devoted to 40 years of King Solomon and 26 years of the newly divided Kingdom of Israel and Judah. 

·       The next two chapters will cover 60 years of history, two southern kings and six northern kings.

·       This week we will focus on the two southern kings of Israel.

·       Let’s remind ourselves how the southern kingdom started.

“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 barbed whips.”

The king did not listen to the people, because this turn of events came from the Lord to carry out his word, which the Lord had spoken through Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam son of Nebat. When all Israel saw that the king had not listened to them, the people answered him:

What portion do we have in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse. Israel, return to your tents; David, now look after your own house!

So Israel went to their tents, but Rehoboam reigned over the Israelites living in the cities of Judah. Then King Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was in charge of forced labor, but all Israel stoned him to death. King Rehoboam managed to get into the chariot and flee to Jerusalem. Israel is still in rebellion against the house of David today. — 1 Kings 12:14-19 (CSB)

·       King Rehoboam reigned for 17 years.  His kingdom was not pleasing the LORD.

Judah did what was evil in the Lord’s sight. They provoked him to jealous anger more than all that their ancestors had done with the sins they committed. They also built for themselves high places, sacred pillars, and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every green tree; there were even male cult prostitutes in the land. They imitated all the detestable practices of the nations the Lord had dispossessed before the Israelites.  — 1 Kings 14:22-24 (CSB)

·       This week we will see how King Rehoboam’s son and grandson will do in his succession. 

SCENE 1: The King. (1-8)

1.     Who he was.

o   King David’s great grandson. 

o   Abishalom is a variant of Absalom.  Most likely his granddaughter and the daughter of Tamar. 

2.     What he did.

o   He followed his father, not his great grandfather. 

3.     What he received.

o   “a lamp in Jerusalem”

o   Light in the darkness, hope in the midst of hopelessness. 

o   God’s grace was not extended because of what Abijam did, but because of the promise God made to David. 

Your house and kingdom will endure before me forever, and your throne will be established forever.’ ” — 2 Samuel 7:16 (CSB)

4.     How he was evaluated.

o   Moving forward in 1 and 2 Kings all kings will be compared to King David.

o   “except in the matter of Uriah the Hethite”

BIBLICAL PRINCIPLE: Do not let your past failures define your destiny. 

After some time had passed, Paul said to Barnabas, “Let’s go back and visit the brothers and sisters in every town where we have preached the word of the Lord and see how they’re doing.” Barnabas wanted to take along John who was called Mark. But Paul insisted that they should not take along this man who had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not gone on with them to the work. They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company, and Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed off to Cyprus. But Paul chose Silas and departed, after being commended by the brothers and sisters to the grace of the Lord. He traveled through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches. — Acts 15:36-41 (CSB)

Make every effort to come to me soon, because Demas has deserted me, since he loved this present world, and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me. Bring Mark with you, for he is useful to me in the ministry. — 2 Timothy 4:9-11 (CSB)

5.     What he experienced.

o   War

While he was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples approached him privately and said, “Tell us, when will these things happen? And what is the sign of your coming and of the end of the age? ”

Jesus replied to them,“Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and they will deceive many. You are going to hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, because these things must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these events are the beginning of labor pains.

“Then they will hand you over to be persecuted, and they will kill you. You will be hated by all nations because of my name. Then many will fall away, betray one another, and hate one another. Many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. Because lawlessness will multiply, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. This good news of the kingdom will be proclaimed in all the world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. — Matthew 24:3-14 (CSB)

BIBLICAL PRINCIPLE:  Man will be at war with man and God until the end of the age.  We too are at war, but the enemy is different.

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens. — Ephesians 6:12 (CSB)

SCENE 2: The King

1.     Who he was.

o   Next in David’s line.  His grandmother is listed and we will see why shortly.

2.     What he did. 

o   Radical reforms.

o   Removed male prostitutes and idols(Romans 1: 18-32)

o   Removed unfit leaders.

I know your works ​— ​your love, faithfulness, service, and endurance. I know that your last works are greater than the first. But I have this against you: You tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and teaches and deceives my servants to commit sexual immorality and to eat meat sacrificed to idols.  I gave her time to repent, but she does not want to repent of her sexual immorality.  Look, I will throw her into a sickbed and those who commit adultery with her into great affliction. Unless they repent of her works, I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am the one who examines minds and hearts, and I will give to each of you according to your works.  — Revelation 2:19-23 (CSB)

3.     Where he failed.

o   High places were not taken down. 

4.     What he experienced.

o   War

o   Uses bribery.

o   Goes to a pagan nation for help.

5.     How he was evaluated.

o   He was like David and was “wholeheartedly devoted to the LORD his entire life”.

o   He was described “with all his might”.

o   He struggled to stop the sacrifices at the high places.

o   He was not able to deal with the politics and war with Israel.

o   He was described as having clay feet.

Now we have this treasure in clay jars, so that this extraordinary power may be from God and not from us. We are afflicted in every way but not crushed; we are perplexed but not in despair; we are persecuted but not abandoned; we are struck down but not destroyed. We always carry the death of Jesus in our body, so that the life of Jesus may also be displayed in our body. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’s sake, so that Jesus’s life may also be displayed in our mortal flesh. So then, death is at work in us, but life in you — 2 Corinthians 4:7-12 (CSB)

EMERALD CITY:

1.     For David’s sake, God honored his promise and kept a “lamp” in Jerusalem despite King Abijam’s behavior.  God has lit another lamp.

“You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, but rather on a lampstand, and it gives light for all who are in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven. — Matthew 5:14-16 (CSB)