Rehoboam – Is, Was and Will Be – The Unknown Character of Christ and His Word https://www.iswasandwillbe.com Revelation 1:8 "I am the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty Fri, 13 Feb 2026 02:21:54 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://www.iswasandwillbe.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/cropped-headerlogo-32x32.png Rehoboam – Is, Was and Will Be – The Unknown Character of Christ and His Word https://www.iswasandwillbe.com 32 32 Proverbs 26 “To know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge” – Part 1 – Pro 26:1-2 https://www.iswasandwillbe.com/proverbs-26-to-know-the-love-of-christ-which-passeth-knowledge-part-1-pro-261-2/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=proverbs-26-to-know-the-love-of-christ-which-passeth-knowledge-part-1-pro-261-2 Thu, 12 Feb 2026 05:39:26 +0000 https://www.iswasandwillbe.com/?p=35438 Audio Download

Proverbs 26 “To know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge”

Part 1 – Pro 26:1-2

[Study Aired February 12, 2026]

Pro 26:1  As snow in summer, and as rain in harvest, so honour is not seemly for a fool.
Pro 26:2  As the bird by wandering, as the swallow by flying, so the curse causeless shall not come.

Our journey to coming to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, must be accompanied with an evil experience to humble us thereby, bringing us to see the wretchedness of flesh and the one event that is common to all men, that being God’s judgement, which begins at the house of God (Ecc 1:13, Ecc 9:2, 1Pe 4:17).

The truth will set us free if we’re blessed to continue in it stedfastly, enduring the judgement that is preparing us to rule under Christ. The following are just a few verses that explain how we are to approach this spiritual battle which we are continually in (Luk 18:1, Heb 3:14-15, Heb 6:18-19, 1Pe 5:7-9, Php 3:8, Php 1:29).

Luk 18:1  And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;

Heb 3:14  For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end; (Heb 10:35, Heb 11:25-26)
Heb 3:15  While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.

Heb 6:18  That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:(Col 1:27)
Heb 6:19  Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;[Christ our hope of glory who has entered into the veil (Heb 10:20, Eph 5:30), our flesh, as our hope of glory (Rom 8:9)]

1Pe 5:7  Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
1Pe 5:8  Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

Php 3:8  Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,

Php 1:29  For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;

The general theme of these proverbs is admonishing us against the destructive power of foolishness, laziness, deceit, and strife, and teach of the discernment needed in how to respond to people whose words and actions spread harm. We can ask God to put a bridle on our lips (Psa 39:1) and with His strength people will marvel at our ability to not say anything (Mat 27:14), as we overcome the wicked one by simply agreeing with him quickly, “Agree with thine adversary quickly”, as his accusations continue to unfold “day and night” against the bride of Christ (Rev 12:10, 2Co 10:3-5, Mat 5:25).

Psa 39:1  To the chief Musician, even to Jeduthun, A Psalm of David. I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue: I will keep my mouth with a bridle, while the wicked is before me.

Rev 12:10  And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.

2Co 10:3  For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:
2Co 10:4  (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)
2Co 10:5  Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; [“for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night”]

Mat 5:25  Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.
Mat 5:26  Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.

Pro 26:1  As snow in summer, and as rain in harvest, so honour is not seemly for a fool.

The basic comparison of snow in the summer and rain in the harvest, which are both untimely and counterproductive, is being used to juxtapose the idea that honour is not seemly for a fool.

Here are three examples in God’s word when honour was given where it was not merited, and the clear destructive nature of such decisions. All of these negative examples show us what naturally happens with the first man Adam within us when he is not judged, and thereby not learning obedience by the things we suffer in this life (Heb 5:8). It also explains why the basest of men end up ruling on this earth (Dan 4:17), another witness to God’s elect that he can take the weak and foolish of the world and make His strength perfect through them (2Co 12:9, 1Co 1:25-26, Rom 11:25, Rom 11:22, Rom 2:4).

2Co 12:9  And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Rom 11:25  For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.

Rom 11:22  Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.

Rom 2:4  Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

1. King Saul (1Sa 9:1-31) – Saul was honored with kingship, but he repeatedly disobeyed God, acted impulsively, and refused correction.

-His honor didn’t refine him—it magnified his flaws
-His authority led to jealousy, violence, and national instability

“Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being  king.”(1Sa 15:23)

Saul is a textbook example of honor given to someone lacking wisdom, resulting in damage to himself and others. Saul of course represents our old man, the first man Adam that must be destroyed by the brightness of Christ’s coming into our heavens (2Th 2:5-8).

2. Nabal (1Sa 25:1-43) – Nabal was wealthy and influential, but foolish, arrogant, and abusive.

-His status didn’t make him noble
-His lack of discernment nearly brought bloodshed on his household

“As his name is, so is he; Nabal is his name, and folly is with him.” (1Sa 25:25)

His story shows that social standing doesn’t equal wisdom, and fools in positions of honor bring danger. God gives positions of honour to the weak of the world, so that in time the world will come to see and understand that flesh has nothing to do with what God has determined will be done, and no flesh will glory in His sight (1Co 1:26-29).

1Co 1:26  For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:
1Co 1:27  But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;
1Co 1:28  And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:
1Co 1:29  That no flesh should glory in his presence.

3.Rehoboam (1 Kings 12) – Solomon’s son rejected wise counsel and listened to foolish advice.

-His foolish leadership caused the kingdom to split
-Honour without wisdom led to national division

“The king rejected the counsel of the old men… and answered them roughly.” (1Ki 12:13)

Pro 26:2  As the bird by wandering, as the swallow by flying, so the curse causeless shall not come.

Balak wanting to curse Israel by way of Balaam is a case study of this proverb. The proverb reassures the innocent and warns the complacent.

1. The “curse causeless”

In Numbers 22–24, Balak hires Balaam to curse Israel. But Israel hasn’t wronged Moab, and—more importantly—God at this stage in the story had no intention of cursing Israel via the prophet Balaam. From the proverb’s perspective, the curse Balak wants is causeless.

Balaam himself eventually recognizes this reality:

“How can I curse whom God has not cursed?
How can I denounce whom the LORD has not denounced?” (Num 23:8)

That line is basically (Pro 26:2) said out loud.

2. The wandering bird imagery

Balak keeps moving Balaam from place to place—high place to high place—hoping the curse will finally “take”. That physical wandering mirrors the proverb’s imagery: the curse keeps trying to land but can’t. Like the bird or swallow, it stays in motion, never settling. Each attempt produces not a curse, but a blessing. The curse has no resting place. The giants in our land will be bread for us, and the accuser of the brethren is used of God to strengthen us and learn that we are more than conquerors through Jesus Christ (Num 14:9, Rev 12:10, Isa 54:17).

Num 14:9  Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the LORD is with us: fear them not.

Rev 12:10  And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.(2Co 10:4-6)

Isa 54:17  No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.

3. God’s sovereignty prevails regardless of what men think

The curse cannot come because it is not what God intended to have happen.

That fits the proverb’s deeper claim: words alone don’t carry power; alignment with God’s will is what will happen (Joh 19:10-11).

Joh 19:10  Then saith Pilate unto him, Speakest thou not unto me? knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee?
Joh 19:11  Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin.

This story of the vagabond Jews who were “exorcists” reveals this reality as well, and it represents our time in Babylon when we were not going from glory to glory but rather from bondage to bondage, because there was no spiritual healing power in Babylon, no stay of bread or water (Isa 3:1) to quicken us via the Son of God (Act 19:14-16, Isa 3:1, Joh 8:34-36).

Act 19:13  Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth.
Act 19:14  Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this, [Babylon’s complete 7 power to bind us in darkness]
Act 19:15  when an evil spirit said to them, “I know Jesus! And I have heard about Paul. But who are you?”
Act 19:16  Then the man with the evil spirit jumped on them and beat them up. They ran out of the house, naked and bruised.

Joh 8:34  Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.
Joh 8:35  And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever.
Joh 8:36  If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

The lesson for God’s children as I mentioned earlier is that despite ourselves, those without cause who come up against God’s people, even with ‘potent speech’ will not prevail against them (Mat 24:24, Rev 20:7-10).

Mat 24:24  For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.

Rev 20:7  And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,
Rev 20:8  And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.
Rev 20:9  And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.
Rev 20:10  And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

4. The curse fails, but harm still comes later

Although Balaam cannot directly curse Israel, (Num 31:16, Rev 2:14) Moab did in time seduce Israel into idolatry and immorality.

Num 31:16  Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against the LORD in the matter of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the LORD.

Rev 2:14  But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.

The curse never “flies in” from outside; the damage comes from within (Mat 15:11).

Mat 15:11  Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.

[The doctrine of Balaam is like the leaven of the Pharisees that Christ warned His disciples about, and we need to always be on guard regarding how we handle the word of God. If the Lord will grant us to try the spirits, and not think above what is written (1Co 4:6), the doctrine of Balaam, will never be able to take root in our heavens.]

In short Balaam’s story dramatizes the ineffectiveness of Satan’s influence on the church, because the Lord has prayed for us and is keeping us from the wicked one (Luk 22:32, 1Jn 5:4).

Luk 22:32  But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.

1Jn 5:4  For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

God’s blessing is unstoppable, which was also demonstrated in this story with Balaam, and ultimately Israel’s curse comes about at the time appointed by God, teaching us that His Sovereign Hand is over all the affairs of our life, the light and the darkness, the peace and the evil (Isa 45:7), all which unfolds according to the counsel of His own will (Eph 1:11, Gen 50:20, Luk 2:35).

Isa 45:7  I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.

Gen 50:20  But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.

Luk 2:35  (Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.

We pray the Lord will continue to deeply impress this truth upon the body of Christ found in (Rom 11:25), and with that humble foundation we can “know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge”, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God (Eph 3:19-21).

Rom 11:25  For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.

Eph 3:19  And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.
Eph 3:20  Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
Eph 3:21  Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

Next week Lord willing we will look at these next three proverbs as we continue to work our way through this 26th chapter.

Pro 26:3  A whip for the horse, a bridle for the ass, and a rod for the fool’s back.
Pro 26:4  Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him.
Pro 26:5  Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit.

 

]]> Study of the Book of Kings – 1Ki 14:1-31 “…He revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets” (Amo 3:7) https://www.iswasandwillbe.com/study-of-the-book-of-kings-1ki-141-31-he-revealeth-his-secret-unto-his-servants-the-prophets-amo-37/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=study-of-the-book-of-kings-1ki-141-31-he-revealeth-his-secret-unto-his-servants-the-prophets-amo-37 Thu, 14 Apr 2022 20:17:31 +0000 https://www.iswasandwillbe.com/?p=25594

1Ki 14:1-31 “…He revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets” (Amo 3:7)

[Study Aired April 14, 2022]

1Ki 14:1  At that time Abijah the son of Jeroboam fell sick. 
1Ki 14:2  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. 
1Ki 14:3  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. 
1Ki 14:4  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. 
1Ki 14:5  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. 
1Ki 14:6  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. 
1Ki 14:7  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, 
1Ki 14:8  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; 
1Ki 14:9  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: 
1Ki 14:10  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. 
1Ki 14:11  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. 
1Ki 14:12  Arise thou therefore, get thee to thine own house: and when thy feet enter into the city, the child shall die. 
1Ki 14:13  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. 
1Ki 14:14  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. 
1Ki 14:15  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. 
1Ki 14:16  And he shall give Israel up because of the sins of Jeroboam, who did sin, and who made Israel to sin. 
1Ki 14:17  And Jeroboam’s wife arose, and departed, and came to Tirzah: and when she came to the threshold of the door, the child died; 
1Ki 14:18  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. 
1Ki 14:19  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. 
1Ki 14:20  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. 
1Ki 14:21  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. 
1Ki 14:22  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. 
1Ki 14:23  For they also built them high places, and images, and groves, on every high hill, and under every green tree. 
1Ki 14:24  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. 
1Ki 14:25  And it came to pass in the fifth year of king Rehoboam, that Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem: 
1Ki 14:26  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. 
1Ki 14:27  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. 
1Ki 14:28  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. 
1Ki 14:29  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? 
1Ki 14:30  And there was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all their days. 
1Ki 14:31  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. 

What God reveals to the prophets of old (Amo 3:7) is typical of what He reveals to the body of Christ today, and what is being revealed to God’s elect is that a trumpet, which represents God’s judgments, must be blown in the heavens of those who are being sanctified through judgment in this age (1Pe 4:17, 1Pe 4:12).

Amo 3:7  Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.

1Pe 4:17  For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? 

1Pe 4:12  Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:

That trumpet spoken of in the book of Amos represents the day of the Lord, and these verses (Amo 3:6-8, Amo 3:14-15) parallel very well with the events that are going to unfold now in the life of Jeroboam who represents the judgments and wrath of God which are being poured out upon our old man of sin who must be destroyed by the brightness of Christ’s coming into our heavens (2Th 2:8).

Amo 3:6  Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? shall there be evil in a city, and the LORD hath not done it? 
Amo 3:7  Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets. 
Amo 3:8  The lion hath roared, who will not fear? the Lord GOD hath spoken, who can but prophesy? 

Amo 3:14  That in the day that I shall visit the transgressions of Israel upon him I will also visit the altars of Bethel: and the horns of the altar shall be cut off, and fall to the ground. 
Amo 3:15  And I will smite the winter house with the summer house; and the houses of ivory shall perish, and the great houses shall have an end, saith the LORD. 

It all just sounds so dire, and it is for the old man within us, but God encourages the body to exhort one another daily “lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin” (Heb 3:12-13) as we die daily and overcome sin through Christ who gives us the power to endure His judgments and make sense of the fiery trials and much tribulation we are promised through this life (Act 14:22).

This time of great trial upon Jeroboam and his family and the nation of Israel symbolizes the fiery trials of our life in this age of judgment that is upon God’s elect (1Pe 4:17), and yet there is always hope being shown in the midst of these tragic events that were befalling Israel, expressed through the life of king David who typifies Christ “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“. So we look to Christ today (Heb 12:1-2) with the confidence that He is the one who is raising these storms in our lives, or blowing the trumpet in the city, that brings us to see the evil in our city which causes us to fear God. This fear is a good thing because then we will cry out and are heard as a result of that Godly fear which God is working within His workmanship that we are (Heb 5:7, Eph 5:30, Eph 2:10). God is showing us through this story of Israel and Judah’s division what great division and sickness there is when Christ is not on the throne of our hearts ruling and reigning as He ought (Isa 1:5-6).

Heb 12:1  Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
Heb 12:2  Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. 

Heb 5:7  Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared; 

Eph 5:30  For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. 

Eph 2:10  For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Below are some inspired examples of how the word exhort is used in God’s word.  All of these profitable words (2Ti 3:16) have been given to the body of Christ today so that we don’t lose heart and start to despise prophecy, and this is truly an ongoing work in the lives of those who are being saved through Christ. It is tragic what befalls mankind throughout history, and perilous times are going to come to a crescendo for this world which we are told to understand (2Ti 3:1). We must remember that and not despise prophecy which can shine for us as a light in a dark place (2Pe 1:19). This happens within us when we are blessed to see how all these prophecies that involve lying and betrayal and murder and covetousness are all for our sakes and reveal to us how God can cause circumstances in our lives that require His judgment which will bring about the peaceable fruit of righteousness in the end (Job 2:10, Ecc 7:8, Mat 28:20, Jer 29:11).

Job 2:10  But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips. 

Ecc 7:8  Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.

Mat 28:20  Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen. 

Jer 29:11  For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

How we can help each other reach that expected end:

Heb 3:12  Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.
Heb 3:13  But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. 

Act 2:38  Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 
Act 2:39  For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. 
Act 2:40  And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.

1Th 5:14  Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men.

Act 14:22  Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God. 

1Ti 2:1  I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men.

2Ti 4:2  Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. 

Tit 2:6  Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded.

Jud 1:3  Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. 

2Pe 1:19  We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: 

Isa 45:19  I have not spoken in secret, in a dark place of the earth: [Amo 3:7] I said not unto the seed of Jacob, Seek ye me in vain [1Co 15:58]: I the LORD speak righteousness, I declare things that are right [Jer 29:11].

All prophecy that is being revealed to the body of Christ today is given to us via the one true Prophet of Israel who all these other prophets only typify. That prophet of course is Christ who edifies, exhorts and comforts us (1Co 14:3) through God’s spirit which is working in the body of Christ “to the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, according to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:” (Eph 3:10-11, Rom 8:28).

Rom 8:28  And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

Christ in us, our hope of glory within (Col 1:27), inspired these words John uttered as a messenger or angel of God which we all are to each other: “I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” (Rev 19:10)

1Ki 14:1  At that time Abijah the son of Jeroboam fell sick. 
1Ki 14:2  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. 
1Ki 14:3  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. 
1Ki 14:4  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.

Nothing is hidden from God and nothing is hidden from God’s elect that needs to be revealed from our Father (Heb 4:13), and this is especially true regarding judgment as God knows how to search our reins and try us to see what is within us (Psa 26:2, Psa 139:23-24).

Heb 4:13  Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.

Psa 26:2  Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; try my reins and my heart. 

Psa 139:23  Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: 
Psa 139:24  And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. 

This sickness of Jeroboam’s son was used by the Lord to bring Jeroboam into judgment for all the evil that he had done in his life. When we first go into Babylon we think that our many wonderful works can cover our transgressions and unchanged hearts. That is what this veiled disguise of Jeroboam’s wife represents who is wearing her own clothes and eating her own food even while she seeks out the counsel of God via the prophet at her husband’s bequest (Isa 4:1). Her own food is represented by the fleshly number ten so it is “ten loaves, and cracknels, and a cruse of honey” that are sent to find out the truth of the matter in regard to what is going to happen to her son who represents the false doctrines that are in the house of Jeroboam (Psa 144:11, Eph 4:14). Going to Shiloh represents going into Babylon where we do encounter kings and prophets who desire to see what we see but they cannot (Luk 10:24). Ahijah is just such a prophet who has been correct in past prophecies (1Ki 11:29-39), and so Jeroboam believes that whatever this prophet says is going to come to pass (Deu 18:22). Another witness that Ahijah was able to prophesy truthfully is given to us in the statement: “But Ahijah could not see; for his eyes were set by reason of his age.” It is with age, or by reason of use (Heb 5:14) we could say, that we gain the ability to see truth which happens as a result of our confession to God that we are blind and in continual need of His healing typified by Ahijah (Joh 9:41, Mar 2:17).

Heb 5:14  But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. 

Joh 9:41  Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth. 

Mar 2:17  When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

1Ki 14:5  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.
1Ki 14:6  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.

This is the confirmation given to us that nothing is hidden from God who reveals to the prophet via the holy spirit what is coming, and the prophet wastes no time in addressing this lying spirit by asking, “Why feignest thou thyself to be another? for I am sent to thee with heavy tidings.” This situation is reminiscent of Ananias and Sapphira who had this lying spirit that resulted in death that created fear in the church as a result of what God caused to be manifest in the lives of Ananias and Sapphira for our sake (Act 5:11).

Act 5:11  And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things. 

2Co 4:15  For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God. 

1Ki 14:7  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,
1Ki 14:8  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; 
1Ki 14:9  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: 

Keeping in remembrance that Israel represents Aholah and Judah Aholibah (Eze 23:4), when we read these verses we can see that God is showing us, through Jeroboam and his reign, what we do when we become independent of our Head, represented by Judah. It’s not that Judah is better than Israel. To the contrary, as we will see they are both wicked and ruled by wicked idolatrous kings, which shows us that when we initially come out  of ‘Babylon’ or ‘Jerusalem below’, God does not give us the ability to properly rule and reign over our heavens, and that is reflected in our earth, our bodies. As a result of that we reflect a spirit of ‘greasy grace’ which is what Jeroboam’s reign typifies. He was going to do what he wanted with the rulership that was given to him, just like Solomon and just like Rehoboam. The only difference now with Jeroboam and Rehoboam as opposed to Solomon is that these two kings have become two-fold more the child of hell that Solomon was (Mat 23:14-16), and show us the natural state of affairs for our old man who must wax worse and worse before being destroyed.

This separation of Israel and the judgment that must come upon both nations is typical of how God is going to ultimately reconcile all the world making the body and the head one, but only after it has been divided. The old man-head is Judah and the old man-body is Israel in other words, and the new man-Head is Christ the lion of the tribe of Judah, and the new Body is the Israel of God, the elect of God (Rev 5:5, Gal 6:16).

Rev 5:5  And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.

Gal 6:16  And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God. 

1Ki 14:10  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.

1Ki 14:11  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.
1Ki 14:12  Arise thou therefore, get thee to thine own house: and when thy feet enter into the city, the child shall die. 

This is a prophecy of what will happen to us when our old man enters into the city, Shiloh, which represents in the positive sense coming before Christ. It’s not a pretty picture God paints, as nothing is hidden from Him who drags us to Christ (Joh 6:44), and this is done for the express purpose of bringing “evil upon the house of Jeroboam“. This is what must happen to our old man as described in these graphic details that just tell us flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God and how God has very little regard for flesh: “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.” What we are shown is that nothing will be left of our old man, nothing in our heavens and nothing in our earth, “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.” This is what is required in order for all things to become new in Christ, and so we are told, “Arise thou therefore, get thee to thine own house: and when thy feet enter into the city, the child shall die.” It is only when we are raised in heavenly places that this destruction can begin of our old man, symbolized by the child that shall die (2Sa 12:13-14, Eph 2:6).

2Sa 12:13  And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die.
2Sa 12:14  Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die.

Eph 2:6  And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

1Ki 14:13  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.
1Ki 14:14  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. 
1Ki 14:15  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. 
1Ki 14:16  And he shall give Israel up because of the sins of Jeroboam, who did sin, and who made Israel to sin. 

All the world in time, Israel in type, will lament the death of the old man symbolized by this child of Jeroboam, and God will provide the means for us to endure that death and put it behind us via the “king over Israel” who represents Christ who is the righteous reed (Rev 21:15-16) who knows how to execute judgment in the earth stated this way: “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.“

What a telling statement for us! God will “give Israel up because of the sins of Jeroboam, who did sin, and who made Israel to sin.” God is showing us through this example of disobedience in the life of Jeroboam that his sins affected the whole nation of Israel. All the world, in other words, can be affected by the sins of any other person, and this is very clear for the body of Christ as a little leaven can leaven the whole lump (Gal 5:9). We are being admonished through this story to examine ourselves and to understand that our actions have consequences not just for ourselves but for the entire body of Christ. When we sin, it is against God, against His workmanship which we are (Gal 6:7-8, Gen 39:9, Heb 12:15).

Gal 6:7  Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. 
Gal 6:8  For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. 

Gen 39:9  There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God? 

Heb 12:15  Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;

1Ki 14:17  And Jeroboam’s wife arose, and departed, and came to Tirzah: and when she came to the threshold of the door, the child died;
1Ki 14:18  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.

It is at “the threshold of the door” that God’s chastening grace puts to death our false doctrines represented by the death of the child (Eze 43:8, Zep 1:8-17), and the threshing floor is analogous to an area where God’s saving grace unfolds in the life of those who are being crushed in this life under the great millstone, Jesus Christ (Mat 21:44). He is working all these events as a great stone from heaven who is destroying the image of the beast that we all naturally start off as (Dan 2:34, Ecc 3:18).

Eze 43:8  In their setting of their threshold by my thresholds, and their post by my posts, and the wall between me and them, they have even defiled my holy name by their abominations that they have committed: wherefore I have consumed them in mine anger. 

Zep 1:8  And it shall come to pass in the day of the LORD’S sacrifice, that I will punish the princes, and the king’s children, and all such as are clothed with strange apparel. 
Zep 1:9  In the same day also will I punish all those that leap on the threshold, which fill their masters’ houses with violence and deceit. 

Zep 1:16  A day of the trumpet and alarm against the fenced cities, and against the high towers. 
Zep 1:17  And I will bring distress upon men, that they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the LORD: and their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as the dung. 

Mat 21:42  Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes? 
Mat 21:43  Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.
Mat 21:44  And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.

What this story of Jeroboam’s son dying tells us is that this child within us must die as a seed in order for life to come out of that experience of death: “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.” (Joh 12:24)

Joh 12:24  Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.
Joh 12:25  He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.

“All Israel” within us will initially mourn the loss of “houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake” that we have forsaken in order to hold onto the words of eternal life (Joh 6:68), and if God will give us the strength through Christ to endure those losses (Php 4:13) and put them in perspective as nothing (Php 3:8) compared to the glory that will be revealed to us (Rom 8:18), it will be because God has ordained that in our lives to His glory to be overcomers through Christ (Mat 19:26-30)).

Rom 8:18  For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

Mat 19:26  But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible. 
Mat 19:27  Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore? 
Mat 19:28  And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 
Mat 19:29  And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life. 
Mat 19:30  But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first.

1Ki 14:19  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.
1Ki 14:20  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. 

This verse 19 could read: ‘the rest of the acts of our old man, how we warred against God’s spirit, and how our flesh had dominion over us are all documented as a witness against the unconverted kings of Israel within us.’ One day that is what Jeroboam and his wife will intimately come to know of their lives representing our Adamic struggles that can only be conquered through Christ (Rom 8:37). Jeroboam’s reign is a witness of our old man who must die and sleep with our fathers, and so we read: “And the days which Jeroboam reigned were two and twenty years.” The cycle of sin just continues on in our life until the son of God sets us free, which is an ongoing dying daily process (Joh 8:36), and so we see his son NadabH5070 who would now reign “in his stead” have a name that represents the unchanged spirit of Jeroboam’s lineage that is going to continue to use their liberties in rulership as an occasion for their own flesh (Gal 5:13), which is what we do until we don’t, through Christ.

Gal 5:13  For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.

1Ki 14:21  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. 
1Ki 14:22  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.
1Ki 14:23  For they also built them high places, and images, and groves, on every high hill, and under every green tree. 
1Ki 14:24  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. 

Both Jeroboam and Rehoboam do not figuratively inherit the kingdom as they represent our old man in his most depraved state, and so we read first of Jeroboam: “But hast done evil above all that were before thee” (1Ki 14:9), and then of Rehoboam who was the king of Judah: “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.” How can they both be “above all“? Who is the worst here? What we are being shown is that we are all the chief of sinners (1Ti 1:15), and there is no contradiction being made. Both the head is sick (Judah), and the body, from the foot to the head, is sick as well. In other words, “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief” applies to us all.

Isa 1:5  Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. 
Isa 1:6  From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment. 

The Lord is the one who sought the occasion against Rehoboam’sH7346 flesh, and we only need look at the names and their definitions mentioned in 1 Kings 14:21 to understand why it was inevitable that they would “built them high places, and images, and groves, on every high hill, and under every green tree.” The outward manifestation of this idolatrous controlling spirit, which God will burn out of all mankind in time, has fruits that are demonstrated in (1Ki 14:24) which reads: “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.“

Mat 23:5  But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments,
Mat 23:6  And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues,
Mat 23:7  And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi.
Mat 23:8  But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren.

It was purposed of the Lord to have Rehoboam reign “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.” This choosing of the Lord was for our sakes to remind us that we all start off as Rehoboam, wanting to control everything, which is all that the man of sin within us knows. The ‘forty one’ represents not just tribulation but tribulation-plus-one seeing this corrupt king who represents the man of sin in us is going to be rooted out and exposed by the day of the Lord, which the ‘one’ added to ‘forty’ represents. ‘Seventeen’ years shows the same principle, seven being the complete judgment upon our flesh by way of the day of the Lord which is what must happen in order for the new man to be formed (1+7=8).

Rehoboam’s mother’s name was “NaamahH5279 an AmmonitessH5984” telling us that Rehoboam was born of the pleasures of sin for a season, shapen in iniquity in other words as we all our (Heb 11:25, Psa 51:5) and revealing to us that we all must be in bondage to sin until we are dragged to Christ. We then spend the rest of our time in this life fulfilling these words by the grace through faith process we’ve been called to “Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.”

Heb 11:25  Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.
Heb 11:26  Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward. 

1Ki 14:25  And it came to pass in the fifth year of king Rehoboam, that Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem: 
1Ki 14:26  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. 
1Ki 14:27  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. 
1Ki 14:28  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. 

It is the faith of Christ that is represented by the “shields of gold“, and when it is taken away from us as it was with Rehoboam, the truth is replaced with the lies of the devil “in their stead brasen shields”, showing what happens to us when we trust in our flesh and not in God, who is our buckler and shield (Psa 35:2-3). Satan is the one God causes to take away even that which we thought we had and gives it to another (Mat 25:29). This is part of the chastening grace of God we experience in this life typified by Shishak, a type of Satan that buffets us exactly to the degree God knows our old man needs: “And it came to pass in the fifth year of king Rehoboam, that Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem.” (1Co 5:5, 2Co 12:7)

Mat 25:29  For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.

1Co 5:5  To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

2Co 12:7  And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. 

Psa 35:2  Take hold of shield and buckler, and stand up for mine help. 
Psa 35:3  Draw out also the spear, and stop the way against them that persecute me: say unto my soul, I am thy salvation.

Rehoboam did not just experience the gold shields taken away that represent the faith of Christ, figuratively Shishak took away the whole stay of bread and the whole stay of water: “he took away the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king’s house; he even took away all.” (Isa 3:1)

Isa 3:1  For, behold, the Lord, the LORD of hosts, doth take away from Jerusalem and from Judah the stay and the staff, the whole stay of bread, and the whole stay of water, 

In their stead, Rehoboam replaced the shields of gold with brasen shields and “committed them unto the hands of the chief of the guard, which kept the door of the king’s house“, showing us that in type and shadow his faith stood in the wisdom of men and not in the power of God (1Co 2:5). These orders and actions of Rehoboam, “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” is another way of saying the Lord was not building this house or guarding it, seeing it was the arm of man that was protecting it and not the living God (Psa 127:1).

1Co 2:5  That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. 

Psa 127:1  A Song of degrees for Solomon. Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.

1Ki 14:29  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? 
1Ki 14:30  And there was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all their days.
1Ki 14:31  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.

The chapter ends by revealing that “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?“, and in Jeroboam’s case we read: “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.” The “chronicles of the kings of Judah” are part of the oracles of God as opposed to Jeroboam of whose death and burial we are told, “and he slept with his fathers.” We’re not comparing Rehoboam and Jeroboam whose flesh cannot inherit the kingdom of God, and so it reads of Rehoboam the same way as it did with Jeroboam: “Rehoboam slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David.” There is one important detail to notice however, and that is that Rehoboam’s lineage is connected to Christ as he was buried in “the city of David“, and Jeroboam has no claim to this Jewish lineage as a reminder to us that salvation is typically of the Jews (Rom 3:1-2, Rom 2:29). Again Rehoboam and Jeroboam were both carnal kings with carnal predecessors, “And there was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all their days” symbolizing for us that the spirit is against the flesh and the flesh is against the spirit (Gal 5:17).

Rehoboam’s mother’s name was Naamah, who was an Ammonitess, and 1 Kings 14:30 in the PNBkjv shows the typical origins of Rehoboam’s flesh and blood that reveals to us how God sees us before we ‘come out of her my people’, as being seduced by the pleasures of this world, being spiritually blind inbreds who are of our father the devil who is the god of this world who rules over the sea of humanity negatively.

1Ki 14:31  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. 

1Ki 14:31 and (the people grow) slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of (beloved). And his mother’s name was (pleasantness) an (inbred). And (my father’s sea) his son reigned in his stead. [PNBkjv]

We started our study today by considering the title “Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets” (Amo 3:7), and the way God does this is by giving us His spirit that opens our blinded eyes, giving us the ability to compare spiritual with spiritual using the physical (1Co 2:13).

]]> Study of the Book of Kings – 1Ki 12:1-33  “Let not mercy and truth forsake thee… https://www.iswasandwillbe.com/study-of-the-book-of-kings-1ki-121-33-let-not-mercy-and-truth-forsake-thee/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=study-of-the-book-of-kings-1ki-121-33-let-not-mercy-and-truth-forsake-thee Fri, 01 Apr 2022 03:21:11 +0000 https://www.iswasandwillbe.com/?p=25501 https://www.dropbox.com/s/savg7xtalj8nkws/20220331-Study_TonyC-BindMercyTruth.m4a?raw=1

1Ki 12:1-33  “Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart” – (Pro 3:3)

[Study Aired March 31, 2022]

1Ki 12:1 And Rehoboam went to Shechem: for all Israel were come to Shechem to make him king. 
1Ki 12:2  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;) 
1Ki 12:3  That they sent and called him. And Jeroboam and all the congregation of Israel came, and spake unto Rehoboam, saying, 
1Ki 12:4  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. 
1Ki 12:5  And he said unto them, Depart yet for three days, then come again to me. And the people departed. 
1Ki 12:6  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?
1Ki 12:7  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. 
1Ki 12:8  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: 
1Ki 12:9  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? 
1Ki 12:10  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. 
1Ki 12:11  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. 
1Ki 12:12  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. 
1Ki 12:13  And the king answered the people roughly, and forsook the old men’s counsel that they gave him; 
1Ki 12:14  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. 
1Ki 12:15  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. 
1Ki 12:16  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. 
1Ki 12:17  But as for the children of Israel which dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them. 
1Ki 12:18  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. 
1Ki 12:19  So Israel rebelled against the house of David unto this day. 
1Ki 12:20  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. 
1Ki 12:21  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. 
1Ki 12:22  But the word of God came unto Shemaiah the man of God, saying, 
1Ki 12:23  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, 
1Ki 12:24  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. 
1Ki 12:25  Then Jeroboam built Shechem in mount Ephraim, and dwelt therein; and went out from thence, and built Penuel. 
1Ki 12:26  And Jeroboam said in his heart, Now shall the kingdom return to the house of David: 
1Ki 12:27  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. 
1Ki 12:28  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. 
1Ki 12:29  And he set the one in Bethel, and the other put he in Dan. 
1Ki 12:30  And this thing became a sin: for the people went to worship before the one, even unto Dan. 
1Ki 12:31  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. 
1Ki 12:32  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. 
1Ki 12:33  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.

In our last study the groundwork was laid to show why God was going to tear the nation of Israel apart, as was prophesied by Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the next two chapters the specifics of how this will happen are going to unfold. Rehoboam’s inability to hear the people, “Wherefore the king hearkened not unto the people; for the cause was from the LORD” was caused by the Lord just as Jeroboam’s actions were “devised of his own heart” (1Ki 12:33), whose heart as all men’s hearts are in the Lord’s hand to accomplish His purpose for humanity (Pro 21:1, Eph 1:11).

Pro 21:1  The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will. 

Eph 1:11  In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

1Ki 12:1-33  “Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: Both Jeroboam and Rehoboam are being used by the Lord to bring about this division of the nation of Israel as the sins of their fathers, Solomon in this case. As a father of the nation of Israel, the sins were visited on the generations that would follow him (Num 14:18, Exo 20:5-6).

Num 14:18  The LORD is longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation.

Exo 20:5  Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; 
Exo 20:6  And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments. 

Jeroboam demonstrates the same spirit as Rehoboam, and Rehoboam shows the same spirit as Jeroboam, telling us that both these carnal kings are all about the power grab and are manipulating the masses to that end as demonstrated in these verses (1Ki 12:31, 13).

Speaking of Jeroboam:

1Ki 12:31  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:

Speaking of Rehoboam:

1Ki 12:13  And the king answered the people roughly, and forsook the old men’s counsel that they gave him;

The lesson has to be taken inwardly if it is going to be of any value to us today. What we can learn from these two kings is that when Christ is not on the throne of our hearts ruling and reigning as typified by king David (1Ki 11:4), then the body will be divided and brought into captivity (2Ki 17:23, Zec 14:2). When we are blessed to be abased and take the lower seat through Christ, God will be glorified in our life (Mat 23:12, Luk 14:10).

1Ki 11:4  For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father. 

2Ki 17:23  Until the LORD removed Israel out of his sight, as he had said by all his servants the prophets. So was Israel carried away out of their own land to Assyria unto this day. 

Zec 14:2  For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city. 

Mat 23:12  And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.

Luk 14:10  But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee.

All of this destruction and manipulation in both kings’ lives represent the powers and principalities we war against in our heavens and fail to overcome until we are chastened and scourged of the Lord and brought back to him with a spirit of obedience (Heb 12:6, Tit 2:11-12). It is only a small little flock on this earth today who understand this concept of God’s grace and how all these stories we are reading about are written for the elect’s sake to demonstrate how we all lose our first love, separating Christ from his body as typified by Judah and Israel being divided and brought into captivity. Our goal then as the body of Christ is to “press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” Who is not divided (Php 3:14, 1Co 1:13) and has called us to go through a process of overcoming so our hearts can be changed through that process to ultimately bring us to the point where we continue in this life to “Let not mercy and truth forsake thee” as we continue to “bind them about thy neck” and  “write them upon the table of thine heart” (Rev 1:3).

Heb 12:6  For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. 

Tit 2:11  For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, 
Tit 2:12  Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; 

Rev 1:3  Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand. 

1Ki 12:1 And Rehoboam went to Shechem: for all Israel were come to Shechem to make him king. 
1Ki 12:2  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;) 
1Ki 12:3  That they sent and called him. And Jeroboam and all the congregation of Israel came, and spake unto Rehoboam, saying, 
1Ki 12:4  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. 
1Ki 12:5  And he said unto them, Depart yet for three days, then come again to me. And the people departed. 
1Ki 12:6  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?
1Ki 12:7  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. 

What God requires of us is stated this way in Micah 6:8 in order to be kings and priests: “He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?”. This essentially is the counsel that was given to Rehoboam of the “old men” when they spoke these words: “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” (Gal 6:2, Mat 23:12, Joh 13:34-35). When we obey the commandments found in Micah 6:8, we can then mortify the deeds of the flesh through our service toward all men, especially unto the household of faith (Gal 6:10), and in so doing overcome the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life so we can then recognize God’s will and fulfill it and abide forever (1Jn 2:16-17).

1Jn 2:16  For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 
1Jn 2:17  And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

God calls all men to come and learn to bind about our necks mercy and truth expressed in being doers of the word and not just hearers. Then “shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man” (Pro 3:4). Rehoboam did not humbly receive the instructions of those who were old (1Ki 12:13) who represent the safety that is found in the multitude of counselors (Pro 11:14, Pro 20:18).

1Ki 12:13  And the king answered the people roughly, and forsook the old men’s counsel that they gave him; 

Pro 11:14  Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety. 

Pro 20:18  Every purpose is established by counsel: and with good advice make war. 

Rehoboam went to a place called Shechem which means ‘shoulder’ or ‘ridge’, and all Israel came to Shechem to make him king. Rehoboam, at this point, expected smooth sailing and that nothing could prevent him from becoming king, but God had other plans by way of Jeroboam who, when he heard of this coronation that was going to take place, presented some terms and conditions stated this way: “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.“

This ‘ridge’ would turn out to be more of a ‘cold shoulder’ that was given to Rehoboam than a warm acceptance, and this all transpired as a result of God having Jeroboam ask the right questions at the right time. The intention of how Rehoboam was going to treat the nation did not manifest immediately. “And he said unto them, Depart yet for three days, then come again to me. And the people departed“, showing that negative process of judgment in play in this wicked king’s heart who was going to make the yoke many times heavier than Solomon. This verse: “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?” reminds us of Ecclesiastes 9:13-18 where the foolish king does not recognize how this wisdom that was with these elders was the way to preserve the kingdom.

Ecc 9:13  This wisdom have I seen also under the sun, and it seemed great unto me: 
Ecc 9:14  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: 
Ecc 9:15  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. 
Ecc 9:16  Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard. 
Ecc 9:17  The words of wise men are heard in quiet more than the cry of him that ruleth among fools. 
Ecc 9:18  Wisdom is better than weapons of war: but one sinner destroyeth much good. 

1Ki 12:8  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: 
1Ki 12:9  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? 
1Ki 12:10  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. 
1Ki 12:11  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.

Rehoboam was going to go where he could get the answer his flesh wanted to hear and “forsook the counsel of the old men.” In type and shadow what was being asked was that the law for the lawless, demonstrated by Solomon’s rule the “heavy yoke“, could be lightened to reflect the joyful burden that we have in the yoke Christ gives us (Mat 11:28-30).

Mat 11:28  Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Mat 11:29  Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
Mat 11:30  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

There was a big draw in Rehoboam’s heart to go to “the young men that were grown up with him, and which stood before him” seeing they would readily agree with him and no doubt be profited by this unholy alliance. What was promised was that Rehoboam would chastise the nation of Israel with scorpions which symbolizes false doctrines that would be coming from the false prophets who are likened unto scorpions in God’s word (Isa 9:14-15). Inwardly these scorpions and the rule that Rehoboam has over us at an appointed time is all of the Lord and for the destruction of our old man, as was being typified with these events with the nation of Israel.

Isa 9:14  Therefore the LORD will cut off from Israel head and tail, branch and rush, in one day. 
Isa 9:15  The ancient and honourable, he is the head; and the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail.

Eze 2:6  And thou, son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns be with thee, and thou dost dwell among scorpions: be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house. 

Rev 9:4  And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads. 
Rev 9:5  And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man.  

Rev 9:10  And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months. 

His friends, which were really a group of foolish companions, were soon going to be destroyed (Pro 13:20) and did exactly what was expected of them: “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.” ‘Loins’ in the positive represent where God blesses us to “Be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins.” So we are being told that the possibility of Rehoboam speaking “good words to them” (1Ki 12:7) which would make for a fruitful nation that was going to multiply was not going to happen. That was because he was leaning unto his own understanding and not honoring “the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase” (Pro 3:9).

1Ki 12:12  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. 
1Ki 12:13  And the king answered the people roughly, and forsook the old men’s counsel that they gave him; 
1Ki 12:14  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. 

Rehoboam is now emboldened, and the three days that have passed have given him time to establish his perverted judgment he is going to pronounce over the nation of Israel. He “answered the people roughly, and forsook the old men’s counsel that they gave him“, and he made it very clear he was going to rule without mercy and truth bound about his neck (Pro 3:3-4). Rehoboam was trusting in his own flesh and this example teaches us that when we lean to our own understanding we will always reap what we sow. That is all we ever can do unless the Lord builds the house within us through much affliction, persecution and tribulation in this life through which He sees us every time, and that makes us stronger in his service (Pro 3:5-8, 2Co 12:8-10).

Pro 3:3  Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart: 
Pro 3:4  So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man. 
Pro 3:5  Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 
Pro 3:6  In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. 
Pro 3:7  Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil. 
Pro 3:8  It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones. 

2Co 12:8  For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. 
2Co 12:9  And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 
2Co 12:10  Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong. 

1Ki 12:15  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. 
1Ki 12:16  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. 
1Ki 12:17  But as for the children of Israel which dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them. 

The prophesied end of the matter was that the king would not hearken to 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“. All Israel saw that the “king hearkened not unto them” and their concern was expressed this way: “The people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David? neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse.” This inheritance, which typifies our inheritance in the saints (Eph 1:18), was extremely important to the nation of Israel, and God put that level of importance in their hearts for our sake. The only viable solution to this wicked king with his unreasonable edicts was to say, “To your tents, O Israel: now see to thine own house, David. So Israel departed unto their tents.” That is just another way of saying what is written in Judges 21:25, at least for the time being, until Jeroboam would come along and fill this vacuum as the new king of the northern tribes of Israel which would break off from “the children of Israel which dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them.” We can also say that both Rehoboam ruling over these cities of Judah and Jeroboam soon to be ruling over the nations of Israel was caused by the Lord “for the cause was from the LORD“, and happened for our sakes as types of our losing our first love and being divided both in our head and in our body, represented by Judah and Israel (Isa 1:3-6).

Eph 1:18  The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, 

Jdg 21:25  In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes. 

Isa 1:3  The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master’s crib: but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider. 
Isa 1:4  Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward. 
Isa 1:5  Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. 
Isa 1:6  From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment. 

1Ki 12:18  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. 
1Ki 12:19  So Israel rebelled against the house of David unto this day. 
1Ki 12:20  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. 

Solomon taxed the people of his time (1Ki 10:14-15) and after Rehoboam’s less than inspiring speech to the nation of Israel regarding how much harder he was going to be on everyone, he then sends for Adoram who is “over the tribute“, He then sees Adoram walk into this ugly mob who will stone him and cause Rehoboam to flee to Jerusalem. This was not a one-time rebellion, but as it says: “Israel rebelled against the house of David unto this day“, telling us how our flesh is always against the spirit of God and the spirit against the flesh that only Christ in us can rule over (Gal 5:17).

The tribute seems unfair to our old man, and in fact at this stage in our walk, it is a great burden we don’t yet know how to deal with, as God chastens us for our infidelity via Rehoboam who represents those seven worse spirits that possess our temple after Solomon dies (Mat 12:45). Only Christ, who is the strong man, can come and bind these powers and principalities and liberate us with His spirit (Mar 3:27), which happens only after we experience His wrath poured out upon our old man, symbolized by these events that are going to unfold in the nation of Israel which all typify the Israel of God, the church today that is being judged (1Pe 4:17).

1Ki 12:21  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. 
1Ki 12:22  But the word of God came unto Shemaiah the man of God, saying, 
1Ki 12:23  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, 
1Ki 12:24  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. 

Throughout the passages we are reading, we are being reminded that all that was unfolding was “according to the word of the LORD” and that “this thing is from me.” The question for God’s elect is what is this thing God is doing, because we know for certain that it is for our sake (2Co 4:15). God has created this alliance now with the northern ten tribes of Israel that represent our flesh, and the southern tribes of Judah and Benjamin that represent our religious man of sin, and these  are against each other. So we read of this prophecy (Rev 17:16) which reveals this same point: “And the ten horns [Israel] which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore [Judah and Benjamin which represent the harlot], and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.” Thinking spiritually and not physically, Israel is going to try to kill the worship in Judah by establishing false idols: “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“. This action of Jeroboam is typical of the beast hating the whore!

Regardless of what was in the heart of Rehoboam who wanted to “fight against the house of Israel, to bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam the son of Solomon“, the word of the Lord, the counsel of God, was going to stand which said, “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, 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.“

1Ki 12:25  Then Jeroboam built Shechem in mount Ephraim, and dwelt therein; and went out from thence, and built Penuel. 
1Ki 12:26  And Jeroboam said in his heart, Now shall the kingdom return to the house of David: 
1Ki 12:27  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. 
1Ki 12:28  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. 

On one side we have Rehoboam who, like Peter, wants to take up a sword and take the kingdom through violence (Mat 11:12, Mat 26:52), and on the other side we have the defiled flesh of man, represented by Israel, that just wants to go back to any kind of false worship as long as it can attract the masses to its gates and rule over the laity (Rev 2:14-16).

Mat 11:12  And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.

Mat 26:52  Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.

Rev 2:14  But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication. 
Rev 2:15  So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.
Rev 2:16  Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.

A tree is known by its fruit, and the actions of Jeroboam are not going to bless the nation, but in time will put Israel further into an idolatrous state that will eventually lead to their being taken into captivity. God is showing us through these two kings how we operate in our flesh before we are dragged out of Babylon and come to understand that God is sovereign over all the affairs of mankind. There is nothing we can do to change the plans He has determined will unfold for each one of us, not picking up a sword as Rehoboam wanted to do, and not by any other measure, including the false worship that initially trips up all flesh. Our former conversation in this world (Eph 2:1-3) is the same as the king taking counsel that leads to our idolatrous ways being exposed: “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.“

Eph 2:1  And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; 
Eph 2:2  Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: 
Eph 2:3  Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

1Ki 12:29  And he set the one in Bethel, and the other put he in Dan. 
1Ki 12:30  And this thing became a sin: for the people went to worship before the one, even unto Dan. 
1Ki 12:31  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. 

Jeroboam set up these two calves which were witnesses to his idolatrous heart, and one was put in BethelH1008 and the other in DanH1835 , whose names when put together mean ‘striving against the house of God’. It “became a sin: for the people went to worship before the one, even unto Dan“. It was already a sin for Jeroboam to set up these idols, and these evil actions represent the leaven that was going to leaven the whole nation (1Co 15:33, Gal 5:9).

1Co 15:33  Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners. 

Gal 5:9  A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump. 

Contending with the house of God is all we can do at first until He burns these idols out of our lives. Both kings were self-righteously going about their ways that were bringing the nations further and further away from God. There was nothing but a spirit of wanting to control and rule over the people no matter what the human toll or corrupt means by which this would be obtained, and so we read “he made an house of high places, and made priests of the lowest of the people, which were not of the sons of Levi“.

1Ki 12:32  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. 
1Ki 12:33  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.

Here is the full-blown counterfeit ways of mankind on display that are “like unto the feast that is in Judah“, or like “another Jesus” (2Co 11:4) accompanied with offerings and sacrifices that he had made, and priests who were placed in the high places that he had made. All idolatrous works “in the month which he had devised of his own heart” demonstrated the disobedient spirit that had Jeroboam in the same bondage we read of king Saul being in 1 Samuel 15:22.

2Co 11:4  For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.

1Sa 15:22  And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.

It was Jeroboam who “ordained a feast unto the children of Israel: and he offered upon the altar, and burnt incense” and although he may have seen these acts as merciful and benevolent in their nature, they were nothing of the sort to God. They bear witness to the truth that neither Jeroboam or Rehoboam, nor any of us in our appointed time, can properly serve God at an altar that glorifies Him, until Christ makes a way for this to happen. The way we can truly  be obedient and pleasing to God is only through our Lord who gives us the power to “Let not mercy and truth forsake thee” as He gives us the strength to “bind them about thy neck” and  “write them upon the table of thine heart” so that we can “find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man”. Christ must judge these wayward kings in our hearts if we are His elect bride, and through that judgment make Judah and Israel one which is the ultimate goal for all of His creation (Eph 2:14, Mar 10:8). Not letting mercy and truth forsake us and having them written upon the table of our heart is what is happening to those who are bound to the altar through the hands of a fit man, Jesus Christ (Psa 118:27, Lev 16:21).

Eph 2:14  For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;

Mar 10:8  And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh. 
Mar 10:9  What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. 

Rev 19:7  Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. 

Psa 118:27  God is the LORD, which hath shewed us light: bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar. 

Lev 16:21  And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness: 

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