I also want to talk about King Solomon, and I want to show you how their lives are tied together.
All these names seem a little strange. Speaking of names reminds me about a pregnant woman.
Illus: A pregnant woman from Washington, DC got into a car accident and falls into a deep coma. Asleep for nearly 6 months, when she finally wakes up she sees that she is no longer pregnant and frantically asks the doctor about her baby.
* The doctor replies, "Ma'am you had twins, a boy and a girl. Your brother from Maryland came in and named them."
* The woman thinks to herself, "No, not my brother... he's an idiot!" She asks the doctor, "Well, what's the girl's name?"
* "Denise."
* "Wow, that's not a bad name, I like it! What's the boy's name?"
* "Denephew.”
Abijah did not come out much better with the name he received. His name does not sound like something we would name our child, but actually he had a good name.
Illus: C.H. Spurgeon said, “His name was a suitable one. A good name may belong to a very bad man...Jehovah was his father. Oh, you who bear good Bible names, see that you do not dishonor them!”
Let’s look a little closer at his life. We first need to look at-
I. THE MAN
Look at 1 Kings 15:1-3, we read, “Now in the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam the son of Nebat reigned Abijam over Judah. Three years reigned he in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Maachah, the daughter of Abishalom. And he walked in all the sins of his father, which he had done before him: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father.”
These three verses tell us a great deal about this man called Abijah. Notice, the Bible says this about him:
• King Abijah only reigned 3 years as king of Judah.
• Abijah had a total of fourteen wives, twenty-two sons, and sixteen daughters. As you can see, he did not have any time to watch television.
• He was the son of Rehoboam.
• His mother was Maacah. Who is she? Look at 2 Chronicles 11:20, we read, "And after her he took Maacah the daughter of Absalom, and she bore him Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith." Absalom was the rebellious son of King David and His daughter was the mother of Abijah.
• He was not one of the good kings. Look at 1 Kings 15:3, we read, “And he walked in all the sins of his father, which he had done before him: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father.”
Though Abijah sounded like a true man of God at times, generally he only called upon God during a time of need.
Illus: He was what I like to call an “Umbrella Christian”. The only time these people turn to the Lord is when they need something from God.
These are selfish people and they only think of themselves.
Illus: The local United Way office realized that it had never received a donation from one of the town's richest citizens, a very successful lawyer. A local volunteer was sent to solicit his donation. The volunteer approached the lawyer, commenting, "Our research shows that even though your annual income is over a million dollars, you have never helped support our organization. Wouldn't it make you feel good to give back to your community through The United Way?"
???The lawyer paused for a moment, then sternly stated, "Did your research show that my mother is dying after a long, painful illness and has huge medical bills far beyond her ability to pay?"
???Surprised, the United Way volunteer mumbled, "Uh, no."
???"Well then, did your research show that my brother is a disabled veteran? That he is blind? That he is confined to a wheelchair and is unable to support his wife and six children?"
???The United Way representative tried to express sympathy, but the lawyer cut him off.
???"Did your research tell you that my sister's husband died in a dreadful traffic accident?" The lawyer's voice was loud and indignant. "Did it tell you that her husband's death left her penniless, with a mortgage and three small children who she can't afford to care for?"
???The United Way representative felt embarrassed to have assumed that the man was selfish, and stammered apologetically, "I had no idea."
???The lawyer sternly concluded, "And they are my family. My flesh and blood. If I don't give any money to any of them, why in the world should I give any to you?"
Abijah occasionally appeared to be a religious man, but the fact is he was a very selfish individual and the only time he turned to God was when he wanted God to help him through a tight spot.
We have looked at THE MAN, but now let’s look at-
II. THE KING
Look at 1 Kings 15:1-8, we read, “Now in the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam the son of Nebat reigned Abijam over Judah. Three years reigned he in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Maachah, the daughter of Abishalom. And he walked in all the sins of his father, which he had done before him: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father. Nevertheless for David's sake did the LORD his God give him a lamp in Jerusalem, to set up his son after him, and to establish Jerusalem: Because David did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD, and turned not aside from any thing that he commanded him all the days of his life, save only in the matter of Uriah the Hittite. And there was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all the days of his life. Now the rest of the acts of Abijam, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? And there was war between Abijam and Jeroboam. And Abijam slept with his fathers; and they buried him in the city of David: and Asa his son reigned in his stead.”
Most of the time he was king, he was in battle with Jeroboam.
HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?
Solomon was Abijah’s grandfather. We need to remember that when Solomon was king, he allowed his wives to turn his heart from God into serving many idols.
Look at 1 Kings 11:1-8 we read, “But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites; Of the nations concerning which the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love. And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart. 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. For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. And Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD, and went not fully after the LORD, as did David his father. Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon. And likewise did he for all his strange wives, which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods.”
God was very displeased with Solomon and told him he would be punished.
Look at 1 Kings 11:9-13, we read, “And the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the LORD God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice, And had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods: but he kept not that which the LORD commanded. Wherefore the LORD said unto Solomon, Forasmuch as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant. Notwithstanding in thy days I will not do it for David thy father's sake: but I will rend it out of the hand of thy son. Howbeit I will not rend away all the kingdom; but will give one tribe to thy son for David my servant's sake, and for Jerusalem's sake which I have chosen.”
After Solomon died, his son Rehoboam became king.
The people came to him asked him to lower their taxes. As Solomon undertook more and more grandiose building projects — all those temples for pagan gods —the taxation and forced-labor system grew more and more burdensome to the people of Israel.
Rehoboam's kingdom took it’s name from it’s leading tribe, Judah: The Kingdom of Judah. Because it lay south of most of the other tribes, historians often refer to it as the SOUTHERN KINGDOM.
Far smaller in size and population than Solomon's consolidated kingdom, it consisted of only three tribes:
• Judah: Rehoboam retained control, as God said he would (1 Kings 11:13), over his own tribe in order that His prophecy through Jacob would stand: "The scepter shall not depart from Judah" (Genesis 49:10).
• Benjamin: The tribe of Benjamin, situated geographically near Judah's inheritance, voluntarily allied itself with Rehoboam.
• Levi: Forced to vacate their priestly positions under Jeroboam (1 Kings 12:31), the Levites drifted south to Judah. Since Rehoboam's capital remained Jerusalem, they naturally attached themselves to the temple service there.
Jeroboam's kingdom, properly called the Kingdom of Israel, consisted of the remaining tribes, of which there were ten. Because it lay to the north of Judah, historians often speak of the Kingdom of Israel as the NORTHERN KINGDOM.
When the people came to his son Rehoboam and asked him to lower their taxes, it seemed as if he was going to listen to them. However, he wanted to give it some time and think about it.
During that time he consulted with;
• His older advisors and they told him that he should lower their taxes and the people would serve him well.
• His younger advisors and they advised him to raise their taxes even more.
He was a foolish king and listen to the younger advisors.
Look at 1 Kings 12:4-11, we read, “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. And he said unto them, Depart yet for three days, then come again to me. And the people departed. And king Rehoboam consulted with the old men, that stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, and said, How do ye advise that I may answer this people? And they spake unto him, saying, If thou wilt be a servant unto 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. 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: And he said unto them, What counsel give ye that we may answer this people, who have spoken to me, saying, Make the yoke which thy father did put upon us lighter? And the young men that were grown up with him 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. 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.”
The people of Judah were very upset with him and anticipated he would do such a thing.
WHAT DID THEY DO?
When Solomon was king, he had a servant by the name of Jeroboam. WHO IS JEROBOAM?
He was an Ephraimite and the son of Nebat, Jeroboam was of humble origin. Under King Solomon he served as a forced-laborer in constructing fortifications around Jerusalem, Solomon's capital city, as well as numerous buildings on Mt. Zion, the most important and magnificent of which was the Holy Temple.
The northern tribes suffered under the yoke of oppressive taxes and compulsory labor imposed by King Solomon.
Led by Jeroboam, they plotted a revolt against the King. When it failed, Jeroboam fled to Egypt, where he was given asylum by Shishak, the reigning pharaoh, who saw in the revolt an opportunity to weaken a strong neighbor.
After King Solomon had died and now his son Rehoboam was king and refused to lower their taxes, they sent word for him to leave Egypt and come back home, and they made him king of the ten tribes.
Look at 1 Kings 12:20, we read, “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.”
Jeroboam returned from Egypt anticipating that Rehoboam would do this, and they told him that they were going to elect Jeroboam to be their king. And this is exactly what they did!
• REHOBOAM HAD THE TWO TRIBES OF JUDAH
• JEROBOAM HAD THE TEN TRIBES OF ISRAEL
For the next eighteen years, the Kingdom of Israel is divided. Abijah became king, and he wanted to have the tribes of Israel reunited. For the next three years of his life, he tried and was in constant battle with Jeroboam who did not want this to take place.
Illus: It was like any major town: you have these small towns that surround the major town. They could save the tax payers tons of tax money if they all merged into one city, but these little mayors and councilmen would never allow that to happen because they would lose their jobs.
Jeroboam certainly did not want that to happen.
Frequent clashes occurred between Judah and Israel during the reign of Rehoboam, who could not accept the loss of the larger part of his father's kingdom; though the prophet Ahijah had announced that the division was divinely decreed.
Jeroboam, on his part, fortified his capital, Schechem, against the king of Judah. At one time, the pharaoh Shishak aided the kingdom of Israel to prevent its conquest by Rehoboam and a consequent reunion of the two kingdoms. Shishak, of course, was concerned not with defending Israel, but with keeping it apart from Judah.
To divert his subjects from the Temple of Jerusalem, Jeroboam established two central shrines in the northern kingdom, Bethel, near the boundary between the two kingdoms, and Dan in the north. At each site Jeroboam set up a heathen cult centered on a gilded calf, reminiscent of the golden calf the Israelites had worshiped on their way from Egypt. In appointing the priests for these shrines, he disregarded the time-honored rights of the tribe of Levi to the priesthood. These and other acts alienated the prophets of Yahweh from Jeroboam, and they denounced him. The Bible, in fact, describes Jeroboam not only as a sinner but also as one who caused others to sin.
Conclusion:
From the ten tribes of Israel, we do not have one good godly king.
Abijah was in constant battle with Jeroboam, desiring to get divided Israel back together again. God allowed Abijah to defeat Jeroboam for King David’s sake.
We see . . .
I. THE MAN
II. THE KING
