Sunday, January 19th, 2020 - PM - Rehoboam, Lacking Initiative to Do Right (2 Chron 10-12)

All right invite you to turn in your Bibles to 2nd Chronicles chapter 10. 2nd Chronicles chapter 10 finishing the second parts of the first two kings studies that I plan to do. I had originally planned to do them together. And if you're wondering why the titles look similar that's part of the reason why the other part of it was it just kind of accidentally happen that way so pardon me for that, but I think it's really sums up the life of the king that we're going to look at very well.

We've already looked a little bit at the life of real bone just by studying jeroboam his counterpart of the northern kingdom. And so we know a part of the account that we're going to look at today already with his life. Thank yourself. Is there a decision in life that you had to go back and change it you would go back and change that in a heartbeat and maybe a piece of advice that you didn't follow from somebody that has you look back weeks months years later you wish you would listen to what those people had said. You'll maybe it was some kind of a financial opportunity. Maybe it was a spiritual decision. Maybe it was a relationship and it was their advice at some point that you wish you had taken, but you didn't.

So we're going to be again looking at a man who went through that exact thing that perhaps later in life. Maybe he did regret not listening to wiser counsels.

Yeah, and part of of how we should be in. This is another kind of a self-analysis question. You know, we we really ought to be heading off situations rather than reacting to them when they happen to be proactive rather than reactive and I think that's another aspect of what we're going to look at today in the wife of rehoboam an situation came. He wasn't ready for it. And so he ended up reacting instead of being prepared in advance that situation. There's a verse that we're going to look at it at the very end which got the Bible itself summarizes as his life testimony. He prepared not his heart to seek the Lord and it would be a tragedy for any of us. that as we go through our Christian lives in particular, you know, hopefully those of us were here today already know the Lord are already saved but as we live those lives Are we prepared to do what's right for the sake of God are we prepared to make those hard decisions when they come about?

Let's look at this man real bone today as we explore some of these questions. I have you in 2nd Chronicles chapter 10 and actually like to start reading a couple verses before that in chapter 9 verse number 30

and Solomon rained in Jerusalem over all Israel 40 years and Solomon slept with his father's and he was buried in the city of David is Father Andrea Bowen his son Rand in his said Chapter 10 Andrea Bowen went to shechem for the shutdown. We're all Israel. Come to make him King and it came to pass when jeroboam the son of nebat who was in Egypt with her he had fled from the presence of Solomon the king heard it that jeroboam returned out of Egypt. And they sent and called him so jeroboam in all Israel came and speak to real bow. I'm saying my father made our yoke Grievous now therefore he's valve somewhat the Grievous server to device father and just heavy yoke that you put upon us and we will serve thee and he said unto them come again into me after three days in the people Departed. And the King rehoboam took counsel with the old man that it stood before Solomon his father while he yet lives saying what counsel give you me to return answer to this people and they spake unto him saying if they'll be kind to this people and please them and speak good words to them. They will be thy servants forever. But he forsook the council which the old man gave him and took counsel with the young men that were brought up with him that stood before him and he said unto them what advice give you that we may return answer to this people with their spoken to me saying he's somewhat the yolk that they father did put upon us and the young men that were brought up with him spake unto him saying dust shalt thou answer the people that spake unto these sane by father made our yoke heavy but make that somewhat lighter for us does shout-out stay under them. My little finger shall be thicker than my father's loins for whereas my father put a heavy yoke upon you I will put more to your yoke my father chastise do with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions. Lord I pray that you would direct our study today is we look at the life of this man. Jeroboam. And while there are lessons that he indeed while he was in those situations had to learn personally and had to experience and looking back at some of those decisions maybe could have wished that he would have made a different decision. We lord have the opportunity to look at his life and not make some of the same mistakes that he did and I pray Lord that through the the teaching in the preaching of your word today. You would help me especially Lord, but also your people here who listen that and so reading these things and it's so understanding them and applying what we can from this passage to our lives. We would become more like your son Jesus Christ in the way that we live and behave and act towards this world and be better servants for you. Lord we ask this on your son Jesus name. Amen.

So again a man who I believe had some decisions to make made a bad decision and either as we may be kind of follow along and narrative. Sometimes we could only wish that people would make the right decisions. But again, these things are here for our learning and so we're here to learn from them today. So looking first of all, We're going to see how he was forsaking his father and by that. I mean his Earthly father Solomon. We that's part of why I read those other two verses though. They're just to get us to introduce to that the family line and Solomon his father real, boehm. And again looking at verse number one there. We see that real bone went to shechem. And then last time we looked at the significance of shechem and how going all the way back to the days of Abraham. This is a very important place in history of the nation of Israel and then had people like Jacob dwelling there and then you can also had a Joshua when they came into the promised land and they re committed themselves to serve the Lord shechem was a place where they did that so check them is a very important place where now it says that for to shechem. We're all Israel. Come to make him King. This is supposed to be real bones coronation ceremony. And so we see in verses two through four there that they have a little bit of a council may be that they've gotten together. They've as I said last time they recognize the leadership of this man jeroboam at this one who was afflicted by Solomon and felt some grievances against Solomon. They raised him up as their spokesman. And in those verses there. They have that request that several times in the passage that we read. We encountered that talking about easing the yolk lightning the burden that was upon them during the days of Solomon and in 1st Kings chapters 4 and 5. We looked at some of that burden that they had to bear under the reign of Solomon. And so you have a people that the very tired and very weary. They've been working hard they've accomplished a lot but now in their minds is time to rest it's time for us to rest from our labors. And so they send jeroboam their spokesman to go and speak their cause before the man who was to be king of Judah. rehoboam here

So first of all, let's look at his decision deferred here. You actually see that inverse number 5 after what I've already discussed here. It says they said to them come again and see me after 3 days in the people departed. So he evidently needed some time to think about this and maybe there are some decisions in life, which you can make very quickly. You don't have any problem answering someone right away because you're prepared in your heart and your you know what the situation is and you know exactly what you want to be able to say But I almost sent a little bit of conflict here in the heart of real bone the fact that he had to think about this. I mean real the son of Solomon who knew about the laborers that his father put upon the people. I don't know if maybe he was thinking well, you know that these things are so great. We know why don't we just we could make let's let's make Israel even greater less make more structures. Let's make let's collect more taxes. Let's put more of you to work and do perhaps a greater thing for the nation of Israel. I don't know exactly what he had in his mind. But this was something that he had to think about and so he does what I think any wise person would have done in this situation or should have done is he he did encounter the the elders that were in the presence of Solomon his father and ask their advice. So we're going to get to that in a little bit. But as I think about that the fact that he deferred this decision and and the upbringing of Rhea bomb. There's some things that we can explore concerning this know. What did Solomon do when he had to make some of these hard decisions. You book go back to 1st Kings chapter 3 and perhaps the key incidents which led to the greatness of Solomon the fact that he cried out to God. You're not for riches not for great wealth not for a great Kingdom. He just wanted the wisdom to be able to be the key and in 1st Kings chapter 3 you see him crying out to God for that and I've already mentioned that the verse that we're going to look at concerning the the legacy of the life of rehoboam that he did not prepare his heart to seek the Lord his father did that in 1st Kings chapter 3 and I believe that led to his ability to be able to handle some of these hard decisions. You see there at the end of that chapter after he spent time crying out to God. He's approached by those ladies who are fighting over the it is kind of a custody battle as it were for this child. And so Solomon in his wisdom and this this wasn't something that when they came to him he had to say, you know, what let me think about this, you know, what could have happened in that situation if Solomon had waited at you know, they might have handled the other party might have done something to that child and then you wouldn't have the rest of that account. But you have Solomon who whose heart was prepared in that moment to be able to render a decision and made a decision that made the entire nation of Israel wonder and awe at what he had done. How know what wisdom has been given this King that he was able to to discern between you know, these two women whose child this actually was So Solomon was able in his preparation of his wisdom able to make that hard decision. Reborn himself looking at him. Dean Solomon, son And I think about the timetable light another reason. I read some of those verses in the previous chapter. He look at verse 30 and you see how long Solomon rained and it says he arranged for 40 years and as it normally happen, you have an immediate succession, which is What's Happening Here in chapter 10, so I don't want to get too far ahead of myself, but you look in chapter 12 and you find that really was 41 years old when he became king. So if you do the math, that means real bowling was born even before Solomon was King rehoboam while he may not have recollected everything very well. I mean how many things do you remember from when you are one-year-old? I probably not much of anything at all. I mean the earliest thinking I can go back to maybe when I was three or four what it is. It's a very fragmented memories that I have the things that happened, but even then you'll buy a large Rhea volume was able to experience the entire kingship of his father Solomon. He got to see everything that his father had done and then of course also, we have an entire book of the Bible named Proverbs. We're 22 different times. He makes an appeal to my son and I believe it's in those instances where it's a direct appeal to real bone. The one that he anticipated and beans the next king of Israel trying to get him to understand until learn. This is the kind. person that you need to be thinking about that is even kind of tragic to realize that the wife that we're going to look at today as a wife that largely ignored a lot of that advice there. There are bits and pieces. I think we see some bright moments in the life of reborn but it's another one of those head-scratching moments where you yearn for that the characters of your story to do the right thing to make the right decision to live a life. That's right and yet to see them making decisions that the only all you can do is shake your head because you can't change the story and that's kind of how I feel about real bone things could have been so much better. There was such potential he had a great legacy no with David and Solomon And then reable and it was his turn to be on the throne. looking at a few verses in Proverbs there and maybe you might want to keep a finger there for the meantime looking at some of these verses as we consider some of the wisdom that Solomon tried to give his son consider Proverbs chapter 15 verse 28 considering the decision that he is now having to make so in Proverbs 15:28. It says the heart of the righteous study as to answer but the mouth of the wicked pour without evil things. So I believe in this case when he's seeking out the Council of these people he's doing a good thing. He is studying to answer. Have you ever had someone ask you a question and you just don't know the answer right away if you want to be able to give an answer, but he is just not in your brain to be able to do it at that moment. And so you might tell them won't let me think about that. Let me let me do some research and I'll get back to you on that. That's that's more or less the summary of Proverbs 15:28. You're trying to study how to answer that person. So I believe we have a good thing that we can look at for real bone is that he is at least doing due diligence to study how to answer this request. So you have that also not too far from their chapter 16 verse number one. It says the preparations of the heart in man in the answer of the tongue is from the Lord again take note of that word preparations there. I've already mentioned the verse that is his legacy. But I believe when we look back at the life of rehoboam after I study today. This is maybe and a proverb that might come to mind when you think about what led reborn to go on the path that he did does the preparations of the heart in man. Your heart is prepared. The answer of the tongue is good to think before you speak. I would generally say that's universally a good thing think about what you're actually saying and so again that goes along with what we looked at the other proverb there. consider one another verse hear Proverbs chapter 18 verse number 13 He that answereth a matter before he heareth it. It is folly and shame unto him. Well now I realize he's kind of heard of the argument at this point, but maybe there's some things that he needs to bounce around and that's why he's going to some of these councils. Maybe there's more to the matter than what appears on the surface as far as what they're saying. And so he's not going to answer them until he understands the matter completely to the point where he feels like he can get a reasonable answer by the way, all of these things. These are things that we can take the heart when we're in our process of decision-making. This is just good practical advice for life right here and these things

So this was real bombs instruction here concerning this deferred decision. Let's continue as we look at this decision debated here in verse number 6 back in our Passage. And King rehoboam verse number six took counsel with the old man that it stood before Solomon his father while he yet lives saying what counsel give you me to return answer to this people and see the words that they gave him. It says if they'll be kind to this people and please them and speak good words to them. They will be thy servants forever. If you look in the parallel passage over and 1st Kings chapter 12, it says if you will hearken to them if you will listen to them if you will observe what they say. And so we have the two combined understanding of those two passages. They're so put all of that together here and you have what their advice was to riobamba in this situation? And at the with the general wisdom was hey, these people have been working hard what it would do you well to be a demonstration of one who is a servant that also appears in the First Kings fall pasta to be a servant to them. They've been busy being your your father's servants now serve them and that example Inspire them to continue wanting to serve you was King. So that's kind of my summary. Oh and my understanding of the council that they were giving to riobamba in this situation here.

But tragically inverse number eight. We see that he forsook the council which the old man gave him. For whatever reason he decided that's wasn't going to be what he was going to do. You know, what what advice might have been given that could have helped him in that situation as he is now ignoring this advice. Go back to Proverbs chapter 1 verse number 5 in the very beginning of that book. It says a wise man will hear and will increase learning and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels now, he has done that to attain to two headed to seek out. He's going to have to seek out this Council. And with the understanding that you're also going to take what they say. Seriously consider also Proverbs chapter 12 and verse number 15.

Says the way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but he that hearkeneth unto council is wives and I would have thought you know as someone casually observing this account is happening here. You got real bone the answers right in front of you. All you have to do is just do what these people are telling you. I think this is good advice. You should follow this good advice. Yoshi the Harkin is on the council is wise CEO, of course there there's little caveat there in the disclaimer just have to be wise counsel. I'm going to actually say a verse here in a moment, which is going to express that but you have thickened the opposite of that the beginning of the verse and with the way of a fool is right in his own eyes. This is another thing you're going to see eventually in the life of reborn you act kind of like in some ways and being self-willed and doing things his own way trying to solve his own problems without the help of council or even God So you have that. How about Proverbs 19 verse number 20?

Were there it says here Council and receive instruction that thou mayest be wise and I let her end. No real bone could have learned something from this if he had just listened and I'd only listened in but it says there in that verse receive instruction. These wiser. People are trying to help you to be the kind of thing that you ought to be. I think you would do you well real going to listen to what they're saying receive it or take it to heart and then put it into practice and it says that thou mayest be wise and I letter N, do you know the entire kingship of Reba long would have probably look a whole lot different if you'd just listen to this advice right here in this situation and don't we find or hear people that no one one critical decision or one piece of advice. They could have taken a wife to to go a certain direction. They ignore that advice and then continue on a path which ultimately or hopefully does not lead to their destruction, but Causes of nasty consequences later on so we want to make sure that we're learning from the instruction that we receive. So I told you there was a little caveat to him seeking out the wise counsel of these older gentleman Proverbs 16 verse 31 The hoary head is a Crown of Glory talking about the gray headed to the older folks. The hoary head is a Crown of Glory if it be found in the way of righteousness just make sure that the council that they're giving you lines up with what God's word says and you'll be just fine and I believe in this situation those men that had walked with Solomon. We're giving him Sound Advice.

So this decision debated he his ear ignoring wise counsel as we've looked at here. Let's look now at his embracing of oppressive practices going back door passage in Chronicles the end of that verse that says he took counsel with the young men that were brought up with him that stood before him. So now he's asking for their advice and their answer was what you find at the end of verse number 10 says my little finger shall be thicker than my father's loins. If I were to paraphrase that it said I would say, you know Solomon made you work hard, but you ain't seen nothing yet. This is you've only seen the beginning of what we're about to do in this Kingdom. So that was the answer in the advice that they were giving to him. So embracing a Presa practices and causing them to work harder now and to be more in in bondage as some of them might perceive it to be in that sense and give us give us rest from our labors. So, you know, what about the children of Israel and go back in the days of the Exodus and their cry out to God and their desire to want to be out from under that labor it and you're going to you're going to cause this to have to endure some of that same kind of servitude again. Now, I may not have been as rigorous perhaps has at least in this case you had an Israeli King who was trying to propose this as opposed to an Egyptian pharaoh, but none the less requiring of them this what I consider to be oppressive practice. And what about some verses that maybe he could have applied to this knowledge? I don't think it's necessarily bad that he asked this advice from his peers. Sometimes there are things you can learn know you think about the book of Jobe where he had his three friends that were giving him all kinds of advice and then he had Ellie who speaking up chapter 32 of Jobe and saying I waited for all the elders to speak first. And now I'm going to get my peace, you know, sometimes there is there's with them. But again, you know just as much as it applies to those that are older adults who applies to those are younger you need to test that will you need to make sure that what they say lines up with what the Bible says. So how does the bible compared to what his peers gave him for advice? Well, let's look at Proverbs chapter 3 verse number 31

Where it says nvivo not the oppressor and choose none of his ways and I've already given my opinion that what he is planning to do now based on his peers advice is oppressive practices putting more of a burden on the people. Don't envy what the oppressor can do and don't choose to be the way that the oppressor would be and I believe that in this case he would be choosing the way of the oppressor. How about Proverbs chapter 28 verse number 16

proverbs 28:16

it says they're the prince that wants his understanding is also a great oppressor. But he that hateth covetousness shall prolong his days and that's part of why I think maybe he was being a little bit ingredion this decision in his I would call it a fraction of the people this verse year in Proverbs 28. The word want it there has to do with a lack. He don't have this did this is a prince that does not have understanding. It says that that same person who doesn't have that understanding is also a great oppressor and I believe this is the direction now that real bone is headed based on the advice that he's been given. So they've debated the decision. It's now time to render that decision back in 2nd Chronicles 10 verse number 12.

So jeroboam and all the people came to real balm on the third day as the king bade saying come to me again on the third date and the King answered them roughly and King rehoboam for sick the counsel of the old man and answered them after the advice of the young men, which is what we already talked about making their yoke heavier chastising them with whips and scorpions and looking at that. Maybe it would have been better to have been back in Egypt and enjoy that and have to put up with this.

I'm so in verse 15 the king Harkins not unto the people. So considering his rough answer here. I'm reminded of another proverb Proverbs 15 verse number one. And I can almost quote this verse from memory a soft answer turneth away Wrath. But Grievous words stir up anger and what's going through the minds of these people now it says there he answered them roughly but it was soft answer turneth away wrath. Isn't this something that your dad real bone tried to teach you? Did your dad not try to tell you that you give people a soft answer? No, you don't want to scare them up. You don't want to make them angry. And in fact, you're going to see them get very angry here with the way that they behave towards one of his one of his cabinet members here, but this could have been avoided that did not stir up Strife. I mean, they're probably going to be upset but you know, I think his heart was set and being set in this decision that the natural reaction was to answer them in this way. Maybe he had something to gain from treating them this way in and showing how much he was going to be a Boston and I'm going to show you that I'm going to be a leader and I'm going to and I'm going to step all over you and whatever his mindset might have been. So Not only was it roughly answered it was all so roughly received Lucy and verses 16 through 19 when all is real saw that the king would not hearken unto them know he wouldn't listen to and I'm thinking maybe thinking to myself now that they're kind of in a bewildered at what he said did he did he really just say that do we listen to some of the things that are elected leaders they sometimes and did they really just say that sometimes they come out of their mouths but none the less that I think these people are are just kind of in shock at receiving this instruction you think he'd be a man of understanding he like his father David perhaps in and it don't have that that little bit of a soft relining Solomon while he made them work harder he wasn't a vicious dictator either this was something I suppose in some ways they were willing to put up with but you know there comes a time when some of that labor you don't you don't need it anymore and if there's times to make reforms and this is a time that we have bone could have made a reform in the kingdom and I've even heard some say that that the fact that he's proposed this now effectively amounts to a tax increase on that you're going back to 1st Samuel 8 and talking about this is the kind of team that you're going to have. How many of you like tax increases? No work harder for your money. No, that's what I thought and I don't think these people thought that either so it we see that we actually have in verse 16, which I mentioned before is a similar battle cries. What was in 2nd Samuel chapter 20 And so you have is real disassociating themself from the House of David and ultimately from the kingdom. So then what happens you have real bone continuing to Reign Over Judah verse 17 and then invert 18 part of their reaction here. That King rehoboam sent the door on that was over the tribute and some people believe that this was maybe an act to try to reconcile the situation it kind of an arbitrator at any rate. Whatever his role was the children of Israel Stone him with stones that he died. I know how would you like to be at a pep rally somewhere where some elected official or someone on the campaign Trail make some kind of a something comes out of his mouth that you don't really like and then he's there to try to pacify the crowd and then some when he sends out into the crowd ends up getting mob beating or something like that and ends of perishing through that that's more or less what happened in a situation here. And now you see what real bomb has to do the end of August 18th at Rio bowling made speed to get him up to his Chariot to flee to Jerusalem. He doesn't want to be the next person to die. And so he's going to get out of there. And as I mentioned with jeroboam, this is supposed to be a happy time for his role. This is supposed to be his coronation there supposed to be installing a new king air is supposed to be fireworks and parades in in Pompton. This all kinds of wonderful things. Let's have a nice big party and enjoy this time but no he's having to flee the whole situation just so that there's not more Bloodshed. So we see how his decision cause things to turn in this direction. So then you have the counter 19 verse 19 that is real rebelled against the House of David under this day go up to the time of the writing of these Chronicles. This was still true of the situation. We know of course that the kingdom was forever split from that point. How would you like to have that as your legacy? Hey, I split an entire Kingdom into

and I didn't again I don't know what kind of remorse might have been going through his mind if any at all cuz I I do see that there is there's at least it a piece of reborn part that still has some good in it and we're going to see some of that in a little bit here. No, practically speaking, you know, especially the children your parents try to help you your parents. Try to give you advice there. They're trying to I hope give you a Godly wisdom that's going to help you help you make right decisions and they think about what we said about Trail life this morning discipleship trying to get young men to be discipled to learn how to serve God at the El wonderful thing that that we as leaders are trying to impart to those that are younger to try to help them along in this life and to be better stewards of God's creation to be better Servants of God over all in a wooden it be tragic. If you decided not to heed the advice that's given you and I or you have maybe a spiritual Mentor that you have that you look up to and I can look at times in my life when I've tried to kick people out of my life because I didn't want to listen to what they had to say and I decided I was going to do things my way or either the thing that they said upset me. And so I'm going to decide I'm just going to not do what they say and I'm going to who cares I'm going to go off and do my own thing and I regret some of the relationships that I have tarnished because of some of those decisions and and people that today I'm no longer in contact with because I decided I was going to make that decision. There's there's heartbreak and there's there's a hurt that comes from not listening to those who are trying to help you. You know, we as humans were not always right, but those who are Godly are trying to help you with Godly wisdom the best that we know how and trying to help you make the right decision. So it would do you well to listen to that and understand that a heart that is coming from and so before I say too much more let's continue on with our message here cuz I do have a bit more to stay here about the life of rehoboam. So forsaking his father. Now we see that he is fortifying his kingdom. So now that things have gone this way. Every Obama saying to take some action verse 1 of chapter 11 are real bones come to Jerusalem. He gathered the house of Judah and Benjamin and a hundred and fourscore thousand shows in men which were warriors to fight against Israel that he might bring the kingdom against Oreo ball. So in real bombs mine, and I don't I suppose given what's already happened in not knowing everything that was supposed to happen cuz you look back at previous chapter and verse 15 God knew about this and God had a plan in place and God had told jeroboam that he would receive the other 10 kingdoms. The real bomb doesn't know that and so I believe he's acting based on what he knows here. But again, I think acting perhaps out of a lack of discernment in the lack of understanding doing things his way. This is how he's going to restore the kingdom. No, it's not like that when David was in a situation where he needed help. He sought the Lord as to what he should do in that situation. Should I go and pursue this group of people and the Lord answered him yes or no based on the situation. But we don't see that with rehoboam here. He's just taking matters into his own hands to some extent I believe and basically getting ready to start a Civil War and so God has to pull in the reins a little bit and restrain him and keep him from doing this. So he sends the prophet shamaya verses 2 through 4 where he has to be told this is of God and you better listen to what he says about this and to his credit. You see at the end of verse number for that. They obeyed the words of the Lord and return from going against your bong. So that's why I say there's still a little bit of good. I believe you. Can you find in Rio go and maybe you know again part of that conflict and rehoboam is mind having that example of Solomon which by the way was an imperfect human example and definitely had his faults and there's some things that he's going to try to emulate later from the life of Solomon. But again that little bit of a maybe a glimmer of hope in the life of jeroboam that there's there's something that can be redeemed from his life. A good example that we can learn. So at least in this situation he decides to obey the words of the Lord, but I'll probably repeat this again later. I think his obedient sometimes is a little too little too late. Eventually will come around and want to do the right thing, but that's off after he's already completely messed up an entire situation and then this case the kingdom. So we have the first one. Would I call the main call for restoration here coercion by force again reacting to a situation is as I believe. This is the case here looking at this situation and you have the command to accept reality. Hey, you need to you need to Just understand what's going on here. This is how things are sorry real bone, but you're not going to be able to have the entire Kingdom. Well, and so what does he do after that? So we see next season building. He's building in battled strongholds. So he's now going to build up his defenses. Well, if he can go out and fight he's going to stay at home and at least build himself up from there and so in verses 5 through 10, you see a list of different places that that they're going to set up for defense and when it says, they're verses 5 and 6 where it says that he built them eat you look at some of the names of the Cities there, especially look at the first in the last year of Bethlehem nef hebron's like the city's already exists. How could we build them while it's the same as what we looked at last time we talkin about shechem when jeroboam built shotgun, it's not that he built it from the ground up but it's built being built up for the purpose of what it says here in verse 5 cities for defense in Judo. So he's taking an existing City and he's putting fortifications around it. So all those cities that's what's happening. Some commentators said that part of this was due to his Now new threat that he's going to have from the northern kingdom jeroboam and you're going to find out from chapter 12 that they they would eventually have wars continually throughout the reign of those two things together not in this instance thankfully but it would come so he has that threat from the north, but you remember where jeroboam flag when a flight from Solomon he went down to Egypt and so made for have some kind of an alliance with Egypt down there and chapter 12, you're going to see that he is going to have some trouble with Egypt as well. So of an ally for have some gerbil who has to worry about to why he's having to build up his defenses so versus 1112 E is for Define the strongholds and he put Captain's Inn members 11 at the store and stores it'll end of oil and wine and every several City. He put Shields and Spears and made them exceeding Strong having Judah and Benjamin. My side you're trying to put a lot of effort into trying to build up the cities now and especially someone in reebonz case were Yvonne from having Twelve Tribes to to you probably feel kind of vulnerable. And so you need to do everything you can to make sure that you're protected from your enemies.

So looking at that now we see perhaps one of the brighter points in his reign as king here. The third point I'll bring up about this heading here is welcoming temporary Revival. So you see in verses 13 through 17 and the priest and the levite stop wearing all his real resorting to him out of all their coats for the Levites left their suburbs and their possessions and came to Judah and Jerusalem. Why did they do that for jeroboam in his son's head cast them off from executing. The priests is our priests office on to the Lord and the reasons for that are given in verses 15 and 16 know basically Jared while he was trying to disassociate himself from the work the the worship that would take place in Jerusalem. He didn't want the Levites to be the ones feeling those rolls. And so now the Levites perhaps feeling threatened by jeroboam Anderson deciding to leave and you have what I described last time. It's kind of a spiritual divide which is taking place now, not only do you have northern kingdom and Southern Kingdom, but you have the decaf cold worshippers versus those who really want to serve the Lord which he seen verses 16 and 17 here.

Hope there's my slide. That's what I was looking for. So first of all Haven for the Levites and second of all these verses you have those who have a heart for the Lord and so just as they saw the Levites leaving Europe in the northern kingdom and you have your Levi brothers who wants serve the Lord and a 1/2 participated in Temple worship there now leaving in the people seen them. We've said, you know what I want to worship God to so I'm going to follow them and make sure that I can still be able to participate in that worship to so anyone who decided they wanted to follow the lord and worship him were following along in this I almost Envision as a caravan but innovia people scattered from all those are the northern kingdom now descending upon the region of Judah and Jerusalem here. I'm so you see in verse 17 what was the result of that? So they strengthened the kingdom of Judah and made reaubeau on the son of Solomon strong 3 years for 3 years. They walked in the way of David and Solomon. What does a good group of bible-believing Christians do for any society? You know it helps to make that Society stronger, you know, you have those that are wanting to serve the Lord that they're obeying what Proverbs says. They're they're following that wisdom. They're also doing what's the rest of the Bible says and doing what he calls us to do and be as Christians. Did the natural result of that in Heroes wear salt and light in this world and that we helped to make this world a better place to do to maybe sound maybe a little bit cuz Shay but a tweet that that really is true of God's people when God's people are being who they're supposed to be you're going to have a society which as verse 17 says here that is strengthened or the United States is stronger than it could be thanks to the fact that you have Christians in this nation standing up for what's right, and that's a call for us to make sure that we as Christians are doing what God has asked us to do and we can make Colorado stronger we can make the United States stronger we can make Broomfield stronger. So that was the effect that they had as they had a heart for the Lord and wanted to serve him so forth lie here looking at 4 to find his kingdom. We see that he's forming familial relationships verses 18 through 23. And noticed some of the names a real bomb took him off the daughter of germ off the son of David to wife and Abigail the daughter of Aaliyah. Would you recognize that name? The son of Jesse? Ella liable was the firstborn of Jesse which bear him children. I'll go to verse 20 and after he took mayaca the daughter of Absalom you recognize that name and what do they all have in common? They're all from David's lineage. So I believe here he is respecting the the line of David in forming some of these relationships that he has now, of course, he noticed that he's following the pattern of his grandfather David and his father Solomon before him. Who took to themselves many wives now is especially the fault of Solomon and we know how that ended with Solomon that it eventually LED his hardest Ray. So looking at verses 21 through 23, there's one in particular that he's going to like who's actually going to end up being the next king. Does real boy unloved miaka, the daughter of Absalom above all his wives and his concubines know what what kind of Bible History do we know where someone has made that kind of a decision and then knowing the decision that they made how did that turn out near the prime example that comes to my mind is Jacob and Jacob had Leah and Jacob had Rachel and the one he loved in the other key. You didn't love so much and that's putting it kindly but we know that the turmoil and strife that happened in the family because of that and the real bone may be falling into this desire and it says in the end of verse 23 that he desired many wives did this was a desire of his flesh that he just couldn't say no to And so evidently he didn't learn from the examples of past history even his own family didn't did he not see what happened to Solomon and the relationships that he has there. In fact when you look at chapter 12 here, you're going to see who's what relationship real boham came from and maybe understand why he's making some of these decisions based on the wife that Solomon had that led to his being born. So we have these family relationships and then a notice also verse 23, maybe another brightpoint here says he dealt wisely and disbursed all of his children throughout all the countries of Judah and Benjamin onto every fence City. So, you know what he does have one favorites. He is trying to take care of everyone so I'll give him some credit there. Because think about it from a king's perspective old even find this throughout the life of some of these Kings or they have these ku's that'll happen and then we'll decide they want to wipe out the entire Royal Family. Well, at least this way, we'll make it a little bit harder to stamp out all of his family because they're all scattered. Not only they just scattered in general. He says he put them in 10 cities gave them for vision. So he's taking care of them. So I believe he is looking out for the future to some extent here. But again with the the tarnish of the fact that he does have these many wipes does leave your heart astray. So going on to my third and final section here. Forsaking his God and it was it's one thing to dishonor your heavenly father. A lot of guys. I meant to say this the other way your Earthly father. Think about it. Let us reverse that. So think about dishonoring your Earthly father versus dishonoring your heavenly father. And we see now to what extent this is come in chapter number 12. First of all, we see punishment for a transgression verses 1 through 4. It says and it came to pass when riobamba had established the kingdom and had strengthened himself. He forsook the law of the Lord and all Israel with him. We see you at least for three years things were good. You had a nation that was following the Lord. But then got kind of comfortable and decided you know, what now that I'm King. I can maybe make things how I really want them to be. Or maybe he just got lazy and it doesn't happen with us. Sometimes we we get to some spiritual Plateau where we realized, you know, I made it to this point and we kind of let ourselves go a little bit and whatever the case may be for real bomb. He is as it says here forsaking the law of the Lord notice the effect that has two. See the example that we have spread out too many other people and other people are watching us the world is watching us our fellow Christians are watching us and the lives that we live and we need to make sure we're setting a good example that people can follow and then when you have someone in that kind of a leadership position or position of influence that decides he wants to go a different direction and what kind of trickle effect does that have on those other people that are looking to you and wanting to follow, you know, Paul said follow me as I follow Christ and it should be the example that we said that we see real going going the opposite direction here and as he's forsaking the wall the Lord the nation is also going with it. Now are the consequence is always immediate and as with many things in life, it's not and we see in verses 2 through 4. That it came to pass in the 50 or King rehoboam that Shack king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem notice. It says they're very specifically because they had transgressed against the Lord. This was direct punishment due to the fact that they had left their God and so he's bringing Egypt now to chastise them but you noticed there it was in the fifth year. They had three good years and they had another year were things were okay and then Then he had Shack showing up at your doorstep and you see in verse 3 all the food he brought with him a notice verse for here. Remember back in chapter 11. He's building. All those fortification is no offense cities are putting all the effort into it and and all of it is for nothing because what happens in verse for is that she Shack took the fence studies which pertain to Judah and came to Jerusalem, so In all all of what he has Ed worked for and established and and just like that because he decided to leave the Lord God took that away from him through chishack.