I'll begin reading in verse 1. But King Solomon loved many foreign women, as well as the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites, from the nations of whom the Lord had said to the children of Israel, you shall not intermarry with them, nor they with you. Surely, they will turn away your hearts after their gods. Solomon clung to these in love.

And he had 700 wives, princesses, and 300 concubines. And his wives turned away his heart. For it was so, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not loyal to the Lord his God, as was the heart of his father David. For Solomon went after Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom, the abomination of the Ammonites.

Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord, and did not fully follow the Lord, as did his father David. And Solomon built a high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, on the hill that is east of Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the people of Ammon. And he did likewise for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods. So the Lord became angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned from the Lord God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice, and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods.

But he did not keep what the Lord had commanded. Therefore, the Lord said to Solomon, because you have done this and have not kept my covenant and my statutes which I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom away from you and give it to your servant. Nevertheless, I will not do it in your days for the sake of your father David. I will tear it out of the hand of your son.

However, I will not tear away the whole kingdom. I will give one tribe to your son for the sake of my servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, which I have chosen. The Lord raised up an adversary against Solomon, Hadad the Edomite. He was a descendant of the king in Edom.

For it happened when David was in Edom and Joab the commander of the army had gone up to bury the slain after he had killed every male in Edom, because for six months Joab remained there with all Israel until he had cut down every male in Edom. But Hadad fled to go to Egypt. He and certain Edomites of his father's servants with him. Hadad was still a little child.

Then they arose from Midian and came to Paran. And they took men with them from Paran and came to Egypt, to Pharaoh king of Egypt, who gave him a house, apportioned food for him, and gave him land. And Hadad found great favor in the sight of Pharaoh, so that he gave him as wife the sister of his own wife, that is, the sister of Queen Tapanes. Then the sister of Tapanes bore him, Genubath, his son, whom Tapanes weaned in Pharaoh's house.

And Genubath was in Pharaoh's household among the sons of Pharaoh. So when Hadad heard in Egypt that David rested with his fathers and that Joab, the commander of the army, was dead, Hadad said to Pharaoh, let me depart that I may go to my own country. And Pharaoh said to him, but what have you lacked with me that suddenly you seek to go to your own country? So he answered, nothing, but do let me go anyway.

God raised up another adversary against him, Razan, the son of Eliadah, who had fled from his lord, Hadadezer, king of Zobah. So he gathered men to him and became captain over a band of raiders. When David killed those of Zobah, And they went to Damascus and dwelt there, and reigned in Damascus. He was an adversary of Israel all the days of Solomon, besides the trouble that Hadad caused.

And he abhorred Israel and reigned over Syria. Then Solomon's servant, Jeroboam the son of Nebat, an Ephraimite from Zerudah, whose mother's name was Zeruah, a widow, also rebelled against the king. And this is what caused him to rebel against the king. Solomon had built the Milo and repaired the damages to the city of David his father.

The man Jeroboam was a mighty man of valor, and Solomon, seeing that the young man was industrious, made him the officer over all the labor force of the house of Joseph. Now it happened at that time, when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, that the prophet Ahijah, the Shilonite, met him on the way. And he had clothed himself with a new garment, and the two were alone in the field. Then Ahijah took hold of the new garment that was on him, and tore it into twelve pieces.

And he said to Jeroboam, Take for yourself ten pieces, for thus says the Lord, the God of Israel. Behold, I will tear the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and will give ten tribes to you. But he shall have one tribe for the sake of my servant David, and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel. Because they have forsaken me, and worshipped Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh, the god of the Moabites, and Milcom, the god of the people of Ammon. and have not walked in my ways to do what is right in my eyes and keep my statutes and my judgments as did his father David.

However, I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand, because I have made him ruler all the days of his life for the sake of my servant David, whom I chose because he kept my commandments and my statutes. But I will take the kingdom out of his son's hand and give it to you, ten tribes. And to his son I will give one tribe, that my servant David may always have a lamp before me in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen for myself to put my name there. So I will take you, and you shall reign over all your heart desires, and you shall be king over Israel.

Then it shall be, if you heed all that I command you, walk in my ways and do what is right in my sight to keep my statutes and my commandments as my servant David did, then I will be with you and build for you an enduring house as I built for David and will give Israel to you. And I will afflict the descendants of David because of this, but not forever. Solomon therefore sought to kill Jeroboam. But Jeroboam arose and fled to Egypt, to Shishak, king of Egypt, and was in Egypt until the death of Solomon.

Now the rest of the Acts of Solomon, all that he did, and his wisdom, are they not written in the book of the Acts of Solomon? and the period that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel was 40 years. Then Solomon rested with his fathers and was buried in the city of David his father, and Rehoboam his son reigned in his place." Amen.

Introduction and Review

Well, last week we saw the first part of this particular chapter, verses 1 to 13, that specifically records Solomon's downfall, his slide into idolatry. And that comes as a result of verse 1. It says, King Solomon loved many foreign women as well as the daughter of Pharaoh. And then it indicates the various places from which these women came, and then cites the precedent that forbids such a practice One in Israel, and then as well with reference to the King of Israel.

Verse 2 says, from the nations of whom the Lord had said to the children of Israel, you shall not intermarry with them, nor they with you. Surely they will turn away your hearts after their God. So the Lord knew this temptation or tendency that was in his people. And so in Deuteronomy chapter 7, in verses 3 and 4 specifically, he commands the children of Israel when they go into Canaan, when they engage in holy war, they're not to make any sort of social covenant or political covenant or religious covenant with the people of the land, because God knows that once they do that, their hearts will be led astray.

And we see that is precisely the case with Solomon. These women led his heart away from the Lord God. Notice in verse 4. For it was so, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not loyal to the Lord his God, as was the heart of his father David." So the Lord then becomes angry with him, verses 9 and 10.

And then the Lord reveals to him in verses 11 to 13 his plan in terms of the kingdom of Israel. As a result of Solomon's sin, bad things would come upon the nation as a whole. And that leads us to verses 14 to 43. So

Rebellions Against Solomon

we see in the first place the rebellions against Solomon in verses 14 to 28. Secondly, there is a prophecy concerning the kingdom in verses 29 to 40. And then, of course, the death of Solomon in verses 41 to 43. So let's look at these rebellions against Solomon.

Literally, God raised up Satans against Solomon. Satan is the Hebrew word for adversary, and certainly it applies to the devil himself, but it can also refer to men who present themselves as troublemakers or as adversaries to someone else. But the interesting thing is that this comes from God Most High.

Hadad the Edomite

Notice the rebellion of Hadad in verses 14 to 22. We are told specifically, now the Lord raised up an adversary against Solomon, Hadad the Edomite. The same thing is stipulated in verse 23, and God raised up another adversary against him, Razan, the son of Eliadah, who had fled from his Lord. Now it doesn't say that specifically concerning Jeroboam, But the fact that God's already revealed in verses 11 to 13 what his plan for the kingdom is, and then in the extended prophecy of Ahijah, the Shilonite, that explains God's plan for the kingdom, we see that the Lord did in fact raise up Jeroboam as well.

So this is the divine response to Solomon's sin of idolatry. But as we read through the narrative, we'll notice that Solomon did not act alone. Solomon's example then caused the nation of Israel to engage in that same sort of idolatry. Notice specifically in verse 33.

It says, "...because they have forsaken me and worshipped Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh, the god of the Moabites, and Milcom, the god of the people of Ammon." and have not walked in my ways to do what is right in my eyes and keep my statutes and my judgments." So you see, the sins of the leaders affect the people. When the people see the leader engaged in that sort of wickedness and ungodliness, then oftentimes the people follow. The Lord Jesus speaks to this in Matthew 15. If a blind man leads a blind...

If the blind lead the blind, then both shall fall into a ditch. It is the case that when we have blind men leading us, unfortunately, there will be those who happily follow along. And God holds responsible not only the leaders, but also the followers. Even if the leaders engage in that sort of activity, if they engage in idolatry, We're supposed to resist that tendency.

We're supposed to stay the course and remain faithful. But Israel did not do that very specifically as indicated here. But we see that this adversity that comes upon Solomon is a result of God's sovereignty. So the divine word is given in verses 9 to 13.

Judgment is now highlighted. The sovereignty of God is behind Hadad, Rezon, and Jeroboam. And I think this is very encouraging in the sense that, wow, we're greatly blessed in the reality that God is sending these adversaries against Solomon. But it's encouraging to see that the Bible gives us the true story.

Ralph Davis makes the observation. You don't get from the local news or you don't get from cable news what you get in Scripture. Scripture gives you the real deal. You will never hear a theological interpretation placed on something in a news source outside of Scripture.

See, God tells us what He is doing. God leads us by the hand and shows us that whatever is happening here in this calamitous event, it's all under the sovereign control of our great God. It's a very encouraging thing in the sense that whatever may happen, we need to realize that God does not relinquish control. God doesn't say, well, Solomon, you've messed up, so I'm just going to let you all go and, you know, sort of simmer in your problems there, and I'll come back in a generation and then try to clean things up.

No, the Lord is guiding history. The Lord is sovereign in His providence. The Lord causes all things to work together for good to those who love Him and to those who are the called according to His purpose. Now, in that passage in Romans 8, he must not only mean God causes all good things to work for good, but he causes all things, and that includes bad things, like raising up Adam, raising up Razan, raising up Jeroboam, as adversaries of a man who plunged the nation into idolatry.

A people that were to be faithful worshippers of Yahweh of Israel are worshipping Moloch, or they're worshipping Chemosh, or they're worshipping Ashtoreth. We see the divine response in terms of God's judgment, God's holiness, God's righteousness, but we ought not to miss the reality that God is sovereign in His providence and everything that takes place happens according to His plan. We see in this as well the consequences of sin. John Gill says, though he did not take his kingdom from him for his sin, he chastised him with the rod of men, as he said he would, suffering one and then another to rise up and disturb his peace in his old age.

Again, the divine response to Solomon's sin is to disturb his peace in his old age. Go back to chapter 5. Note Solomon's statement earlier on in his reign. In 1 Kings chapter 5, specifically verse 3, you know how my father David could not build a house for the name of the Lord his God because of the wars which were fought against him on every side, until the Lord put his foes under the soles of his feet.

But now the Lord my God has given me rest on every side. There is neither adversary nor evil occurrence. So you see, at that particular juncture in Solomon's reign or career, he had peace. But when Solomon goes a-whoring from God into the arms of these false gods, then God delivers him over to judgment, to chastisement, to the blows of men.

And as I said, this is going to affect the entirety of the nation. What we find prophesied here in 1 Kings 11 and what we'll see enacted in 1 Kings 12 is massive, the tearing of a kingdom into two parts. Imagine the prime minister getting word from a prophet saying, half of Canada is no longer going to be connected to the other half of Canada. Now, some of us might say, hey, that's not a bad idea, but it's the rupture of a particular kingdom.

And this was God's kingdom on earth. This was God's people on earth. This was a massive shift in terms of the cohesiveness of this particular kingdom. It is the alternate of Proverbs 16, 7.

In Proverbs 16, 7, Solomon writes, when a man's ways please the Lord, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him. Now Solomon experienced that early on in his career, but Solomon had forfeited that now. And I think the converse of this is true. When a man's ways please the Lord, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.

When a man's ways displease the Lord, he certainly makes his enemies to be adversarial towards him. This is divine judgment. This is the response of God to the sin of idolatry. So while the Lord exercises mercy in not completely taking the tribes away from Solomon.

Nevertheless, we need to appreciate this was serious, heavy, and severe chastisement. And certainly for the remainder of Solomon's reign, it was not a peaceful reign. This man of peace is no longer enjoying peace. because God, rather, has become his adversary. So we see Hadad, we see Razan, and we see Jeroboam, and it's told us that they are the adversaries of Solomon.

But who's the true adversary here? It's God. He's got an axe to grind against Solomon in this particular instance. A holy axe to grind, if you will.

But notice specifically the rebellion of this man, Hadad. The historical background is given in verses 14b to 20. It says, he was a descendant of the king in Edom. For it happened when David was in Edom, and Joab the commander of the army had gone up to bury the slain after he had killed every male in Edom, because for six months Joab remained there with all Israel until he had cut down every male in Egypt, that Hadad fled to go to Egypt.

He and certain Edomites of his father's servants with him. Hadad was still a little child. Turn back to 2 Samuel chapter 8. 2 Samuel chapter 8 sketches the background for us for this particular section in terms of Hadad and Razon. But specifically in 2 Samuel 8, verses 13 and 14, notice.

And David made himself a name when he returned from killing 18,000. Now, the New King James has Syrians in the text, but it's Edom in the margin, and that's the correct reading, in the Valley of Salt. He also put garrisons in Edom. Throughout all Edom, he put garrisons.

And all the Edomites became David's servants, and the Lord preserved David wherever he went." So you see, in this particular attack upon Edom, when David is victorious because Yahweh preserves him and Joab is burying bodies, this young boy, Hadad, is able to escape. He finds safe haven in Pharaoh. Robert Alter said, the Pharaoh in David's time, unlike the successor who gave his daughter to Solomon, was hostile to Israel. His providing refuge to this Edomite refugee from David's onslaught is politically motivated with the calculation that at some future point, Hadad might prove useful in the conflict with David.

So then we go back and we see in verses 21 to 22 that essentially Hadad does return. He hears that David rested with his fathers, verse 21, and that Joab the commander of the army was dead. Hadad said to Pharaoh, let me depart that I may go to my own country. So he goes back to the country.

And as we read in verse 25, he's an adversary of Israel all the days of Solomon. Now, some see that and they see something of an inconsistency or a discrepancy. They see all the days of Solomon. But didn't we just read or didn't we just study that in chapters 3 to 10 he had great prosperity?

Probably it means all the remaining days of Solomon. Or it could mean that Hadad and Razan hated Solomon even prior to this particular phase in his life, but they never had the opportunity to act. They could have been harboring this secret enmity, but it didn't disrupt Solomon because they didn't act upon it. But the text now indicates that these adversaries, raised up by God, are now acting upon it to make life difficult for the king of Israel, this divine chastisement for Solomon's sin of idolatry.

So the return of Hadad is occasioned by the death of David and Joab, but ultimately occasioned by the sovereignty of God.

Rezon of Syria

Notice the rebellion of this fellow, Rezan. It says, God raised up another adversary against him, Razan, the son of Eliadah, who had fled from his lord, Hadadezer, king of Zobah. Now, we need to understand a little bit of our geography here. Edom is south, and Syria is north.

You see, what it's suggesting to us is that Solomon's got problems all around. In other words, it's not just one breach in the southern wall that they've got to deal with. They've got problems in the south represented by this Haydad. They've got problems in the north represented by this Razon.

And so what the text is telling us is that God's chastisement coming upon Solomon via these adversaries that the Lord has raised up. is comprehensive in nature and it does affect Solomon's reign. It does affect the particular situation. Again, the background for this fellow is back in 2 Samuel chapter 8. Same sort of a situation, 2 Samuel chapter 8 verses 3 to 9.

David also defeated Hadadezer, the son of Rahab, king of Zobah, as he went to recover his territory at the river Euphrates. David took from him 1,000 chariots, 700 horsemen, and 20,000 foot soldiers. Also David hamstrung all the chariot horses, except that he spared enough of them for 100 chariots. Now, you can see why these two men harbored a peculiar grudge against Solomon, right?

Or against the nation of Israel. I mean, David did damage to their country. David wiped out Edomites and David wiped out Syrians. So we can see why in this particular section in 1 Kings 11, these two men have an axe to grind against Solomon and against Israel.

So verse 5 says, the Syrians of Damascus came to help Hadadizr, king of Zobah. David killed 22,000 of the Syrians. Then David put garrisons in Syria of Damascus, and the Syrians became David's servants and brought tribute. So the Lord preserved David wherever he went.

Notice those parallel statements. After the first summary in terms of Edom, and after that summary in terms of Syria, the Lord preserved David wherever he went. The absolute contrast to what we find at the end of 1 Kings 11. Because David was faithful, because his heart fully followed the Lord, because David was a man who obeyed the commandments and followed the statutes, God preserved David wherever he went.

But Solomon turns away from God. Solomon's heart is divided. Solomon goes and bows down before these idols. Not only bows down to them, but the man who built the temple for Yahweh now builds these altars of sacrifice for these pagan deities.

He's built them, and he's bowing before them. Now it is the case that God raises up adversaries against him. No longer do we find that blessed record that the Lord preserved David wherever he went. Now, God raised up an adversary against Solomon.

Again, I think this underscores or should highlight for us the seriousness of idolatry. Not that all the other sins are okay. It's not that God's going to wink at you if you commit adultery or you you know, commit perjury, or if you're a thief, or a murderer, or a liar. I'm not suggesting that, you know, commandments 3 to 10 really aren't that important.

But commandments 3 to 10 are founded upon commandments 1 and 2. Idolatry is a sin singled out by God in so many instances in Scripture.

Idolatry Condemned in Romans 1

Turn to Romans chapter 1, for instance. Romans chapter 1, the particular sin that is condemned in Romans chapter 1 is the sin of idolatry. We focus on all the symptoms, we focus on all the application and on all the fruit. but the primary problem that Paul is condemning deals with ungodliness. Notice in Romans 118, for the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men.

Ungodliness precedes unrighteousness. In other words, the thoughts we have about God affect the way that we live in terms of or in light of God. And that's the specific order, ungodliness and unrighteousness of men. Now notice, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them.

You see, here's your scriptural warrant for the reality that there's no such thing as a genuine atheist. I mean, men profess there is no God, men may try to dupe themselves into thinking there is no God, but God the Lord testifies by the Holy Spirit in Paul's writing to the Romans that men know God exists, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world, His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even as eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse." Now notice, because although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. You see, we come to Romans 1 and we say, wow, homosexuality is a great big problem, and it is.

I'm not suggesting otherwise. We come to Romans 1 and we say, wow, covetousness, maliciousness, murder, strife, deceit, all those are horrific things, and they are. But it's also a horrific thing, verse 21, although they knew God, they didn't glorify Him as God, nor were thankful. That's man's primary problem.

He knows God. But He doesn't glorify Him as God, nor is His heart thankful. He lives as if there is no God. And as a result, His actions follow suit.

And that's the flow in Romans 1. Verse 21, it says, They became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man, and birds, and four-footed animals, and creeping things." So you see, this is ungodliness described, and now comes the act of unrighteousness, homosexuality, and then that catalog or that list of vices beginning in verses 28 and following. You see, idolatry is a terrible thing.

Notice in 1 John chapter 5, It's an amazing thing that John, the beloved disciple, who writes the first epistle encouraging, professing people of God to engage in love, to pursue the truth, the walk in righteousness, ends on a most sober note. First John 5.21, little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen. Now, that's written to believers, right?

Those are the little children involved here. We need to guard our hearts when it comes to this issue of idolatry. And if Solomon can do anything for us, hopefully he can point out to us the necessity of faithfulness in this particular regard. Little children, keep yourselves from idols.

Do not follow the pathway of Solomon. Don't engage in any sort of a particular relationship that may open the door to your tolerating a particular practice and then end up embracing that particular practice. So Solomon is reaping the consequences for his sin. So back to 1 Kings chapter 11, we see this particular man, almost sounds French.

It's actually Rizon. So we see his reign in verse 25. He is an adversary of Israel all the days of Solomon, besides the trouble that Hadad caused, and he abhorred Israel. and reigned over Syria. So we've got Hadad, Rezon, and then we've got Jeroboam.

Jeroboam's Rise

Notice in verses 26 to 28. He is the servant of Solomon. Now, Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, becomes sort of a benchmark from this point on. Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, is a notoriously wretched human being.

I mean, he becomes, you know, if the standard for godly kings is David, the standard for ungodly kings is Jeroboam, the son of Nebat. I mean, we couldn't say enough bad things about this wretch. But at this particular point, notice who he's serving. Then Solomon's servant, Jeroboam the son of Nebat, an Ephraimite from Zerada, whose mother's name was Zeruah, a widow, also rebelled against the king.

So you see Solomon's got it coming from all corners. He's got it in the north twice, and then he's got it in the south. It says, and this is what caused him to rebel against the king. Now, this is ambiguous.

I'm not sure what it means. I'm not sure that the commentators know what it means, but certainly Jeroboam knew what it meant, and he knew why it was that he wanted to rebel against Solomon. He had built the Milo and repaired the damages to the city of David, his father. Now, Jeroboam led the northern Israelite labor force, and probably whatever verse 28 refers to, or verse 27 refers to, probably meant that the northern Israelite laborers were not getting their due. whether it be pay, whether it be whatever.

Perhaps it was mistreatment, perhaps they weren't getting the same sort of treatment as the Judahite laborers, whatever the case. Gill makes this comment. In the oversight of which it is supposed by the Jews, he employed this man, who reproached him for doing these works, building a house in Melo for Pharaoh's daughter and stopping up the passage to the city of David and the people's access to there upon occasion." So basically, Gill suggests that by David's building projects, Northerners couldn't come into Jerusalem. Again, it's a bit of an ambiguous verse.

Better men than me can mess with that. But suffice it to say, Jeroboam had an axe to grind with Solomon. But note verse 28. I don't know that this is all chronological.

I think it's just providing for us. this picture of Jeroboam. The man Jeroboam was a mighty man of valor and Solomon seeing that the young man was industrious made him the officer over all the labor force of the house of Joseph. So he is functioning as one of Solomon's servants or officers over this labor force tasked with reporting ultimately to Solomon and doing these particular deeds. So he was a young man of valor, he had distinguished himself, he was very industrious, all those sorts of things.

But it is ironic, isn't it? Very ironic that Solomon takes under his charge the man that would ultimately take the northern tribes. I mean, you got to see in all of this just the wisdom, not of Solomon as it used to be, but the wisdom of the writer of 1 Kings 11. It's truly brilliant the way that it's woven together.

House says, ironically, Solomon chooses, promotes, and gives a power base to the man who will end the Davidic dynasties rule over northern Israel. So that's the opposition or the rebellions against Solomon.

Prophecy Concerning the Kingdom

Let's look at the prophecy concerning the kingdom in verses 29 to 40. The first place we ought to observe this prophet Ahijah in verses 29 and 30. Now, it happened at that time when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem that the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite met him on the way and he had clothed himself with a new garment and the two were alone in the field. Now, the only prophet mentioned up to this point in Samuel and Kings is Nathan.

But from this point forward, there's a lot of prophetic activity in Israel. And this is a mercy from God. This is a kindness in his provision for Israel in terms of a religious and her political life. The prophets are going to function as God's servants to not only indict and upgrade and reprove and rebuke these particular kings, but they'll also come to tell them certain things that they need to know concerning political situations and wars and whatnot.

So the prophetic ministry from this time forth is very prevalent in Israel.

Ahijah the Shilonite Appears

Now, notice the lack of information. Ahijah the Shilonite, all we're told is that he had a new garment, and that the two of them were alone in the field. I'm going to quote Davis here because I think Davis makes a good observation. He says, we're told he's from Shiloh, but he just appears.

I don't think it means he just materialized in terms of, you know, he just right there with Jeroboam. He appears on the page of scripture. You'll see that with Elijah the Tishbite as well. He just shows up.

And Davis makes this observation. We've never heard of him before. We know nothing about him. Wife?

Hobbies? Nothing. Because it doesn't matter. The Lord's Word, not the prophet's biography, is crucial.

And the reason I state this is because I think we see this pattern among the prophets of God. We know very little about most of the prophets. I mean, we know Micah was from Moreshath. We know certain tidbits along the way.

Amos was a sheep breeder and, you know, these little bits and pieces of their autobiography. But for the most part, the prophets of God in Israel were not well known in terms of who they are, wife, hobbies, friends, associates, relatives, what they like to do on their day off. We just don't know. Because it's the word of the Lord that's prevalent.

It's the word of the Lord that's important. And Davis elsewhere makes the contrast between the culture in our day. If we're hearing more about the man, then we're hearing about Christ. And this is why I always loathe to use autobiography in terms of illustration.

But at some point, it's kind of all you know about. If it makes the point, it's hopefully good to do. But it shouldn't be the case that we're learning more about our favorite pastor or preacher than about Jesus, you see? I saw on Twitter recently a particular pastor that I followed made a comment about another pastor, and he said, you know, this guy's website says it's all about Jesus, and interestingly enough, I learned more about him than I learned about Jesus whatsoever.

Now, all that to say these prophets were God's mouthpieces, and so it's God that is conspicuous that we need to focus our attention on when it comes to the rest of the prophets as we move through this particular book. So the reference to the new garment, it's not telling us that he was sporting some flashy new duds that he just picked up at, not Walmart, wherever the equivalent of you know, Walmart in Israel at that time. The new garment is essential for the acted parable that's gonna come to play. He's gonna tear that garment up into 12 pieces and he's gonna hand 10 of those pieces to Jeroboam because it symbolizes the division of the kingdom that's about to take place.

So what we're told in terms of this particular clothing himself with a new garment and the two were alone in the field, we understand why this would be something of a clandestine meeting, wouldn't we? I mean, you don't just go announce in the middle of the public square, hey, Jeroboam, you're going to be the guy that rips the kingdom apart and takes 10 northern tribes. That wouldn't go over well any more than sedition or revolution in our own particular era would have gone over well. In fact, later, specifically in verse 40, we see that Solomon wants to kill Jeroboam.

So somebody leaked, or maybe Jeroboam didn't want to wait until he was supposed to get the throne and tried to make a position for it or play for it earlier. So Solomon learns of that, and Solomon wants to liquidate him. I mean, Solomon ascended the throne in such a way in 1 Kings 2. This is the way Solomon will try to protect the throne here in verse 40.

So you see, it was a clandestine meeting designed to tell Jeroboam what God's plan was concerning the kingdom.

The Torn Garment and Ten Tribes

Now notice the prophecy of Ahijah. In verse 31, he said to Jeroboam, take for yourself 10 pieces, for thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, behold, I will tear the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon and will give 10 tribes to you. This was already stipulated in the preceding section by God to Solomon. Now, God didn't flesh out or sketch the details for Solomon.

Now it comes for us, the reader. We get to hear, we get to see, we get to understand what's going to happen in 1 Kings chapter 12. So Jeroboam is to take ten pieces. Notice the reason in verse 31b, the Lord will tear the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon and will give ten tribes to you.

Now he explains himself in verses 32 to 39. There will be one tribe preserved. Now, I mentioned last week that there's 12 tribes at play here and yet it says 11 and 1. Judah is assumed and Benjamin is referred to.

Judah is assumed and Benjamin is referred to. Notice in verse 32. But he shall have one tribe for the sake of my servant David, and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel. The tribe that's not mentioned is Judah.

Judah is assumed. Judah is certainly going to retain Judah. But notice in 1221, this identifies that Benjamin is that other tribe. And when Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah with the tribe of Benjamin, 180,000 chosen men who were warriors.

So those are the two southern tribes. Judah and Benjamin. Now notice, the reason for the judgment, we've already pointed out in verse 33, it wasn't just confined to Solomon. It wasn't just a Solomon idolatry problem.

As the leader goes, so goes the people. We need to appreciate that particular lesson, not only in terms of kingly office or in terms of church leadership, but we need to understand this with reference to households. Yes, we need to be good examples. We need to be faithful examples.

It's hypocritical for us to command our children to do one thing and for us to do another thing. Now, we're always going to be hypocritical to some degree or other, but we need to confess our sins, we need to ask for mercy, and when we are inconsistent, when we demonstrate that sort of wickedness, we need to take them by the hand, we need to ask them to forgive us, and we need to pray to God to forgive us. Brethren, it is absolutely crucial that we set good examples, so it's not the case that our children end up doing the same sorts of things we're doing and say, well, you know, you taught me this. By your example, by your practice, by your conduct, what do you expect when you set that forth to me as a consistent pattern?

That lesson is prevalent throughout the entirety of Holy Scripture, and we need to appropriate it, we need to get it in our heads.

The Davidic Covenant Preserved

Notice, however, verse 33, God specifies or God indicates, I'm sorry, in verse 34, God specifies that he is indeed going to preserve. However, I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand because I have made him ruler all the days of his life. for the sake of my servant David, whom I chose because he kept my commandments and my statutes." So the southern kingdom would be preserved due to God's faithfulness. Second Samuel 7, the Davidic covenant. As well, the entire kingdom would be fractured because of Solomon's and the people's sin.

He explains this in verses 34 to 36, specifically via the Davidic covenant. In fact, go back there for just a moment. I mentioned last week how it's fulfilled. perfectly in this section. Notice in 2 Samuel 7, 12, when your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seat after you who will come from your body and I will establish his kingdom.

He shall build a house for my name and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his father and he shall be my son. If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men. That's what's happening in the fracture of the kingdom.

That's what's happening as a result of Solomon's sin. That's the divine response to Solomon's rebellion with reference to idolatry. But notice in verse 15, but my mercy shall not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from before you. And your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you.

Your throne shall be established forever. So you see, the Davidic covenant runs on two levels. There are conditional elements. And by conditional elements, I mean simply this.

Do this, and you get this. A conditional element is if you are faithful, then you will be blessed. Well, Solomon was unfaithful, so conditional element involved, he is cursed. The unconditional element is God's promise to David that from David's loins, from David's line, there will rise up one to be a king who sits upon his throne forever.

Of course, that's Jesus Christ. So you see that at play here specifically in Ahijah's prophecy. God is chastening Solomon and the kingdom with the blows of men, but God is preserving Judah in order to fulfill the covenant made to David concerning his greater son. And then notice, very specifically, commands given to Jeroboam, verses 37 to 38.

So I will take you, and you shall reign over all your heart desires, and you shall be king over Israel. Then it shall be, if you heed all that I command you, walk in my ways, and do what is right in my sight, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as my servant David did, then I will be with you, and build for you an enduring house, as I built for David, and will give Israel to you." So there's that conditional statement given to Jeroboam, just like God had spoken to Solomon. do what you're supposed to do in light of what your father David did, and everything will go well for you. Jeroboam, you're going to be the king over the northern tribes. If you tow the line and do what you're supposed to do, everything will be fine.

But if you sin against me, as Jeroboam most certainly will, then everything won't be fine. Okay, so that's the specifics concerning the prophecy. But notice before we conclude this particular section, verse 39. This is further evidence of God's love for Judah.

And I will afflict the descendants of David because of this, but not forever. I will afflict the descendants of David because of this, but not forever. Doesn't that, in a sense, prophesy the fall of the Northern Kingdom? I mean, as soon as God says it, he's telling him, but it's not going to be forever.

So that doesn't mean God's promise to Jeroboam is illegitimate. The promise is legit. Jeroboam, do what you're supposed to do, and everything will go well. But God knows the hearts of men, and God knows the course of history.

So God says, and I will afflict the descendants of David because of this, but not forever. What does that speak to? It speaks to the reunification of the kingdom. It speaks to the time when it's no longer north and south, but it's one Davidic kingdom.

It's foreshadowing the reality that the northern tribes are in fact going to fall. Southern tribes are going to fall as well, but they will be reunified under the Lord Jesus Christ. It's a blessed thing, really. The statement indicates God's goodness to Judah, even in the midst of affliction.

Notice verse 39, I will afflict the descendants of David because of this, but not forever. This is a heavy prophecy spoken by Ahijah the Shilohite in terms of the rupture of the kingdom in a way that they had not seen previously. It's spoken to a man that's going to be the standard for wickedness in all of Israel. And nevertheless, in the midst of this, we see God's mercy, God's kindness, God's goodness, and God's grace.

It says, I will afflict the descendants of David because of this, but not forever. That's a word of promise, not forever. I'm going to show mercy. Not forever.

This is not always going to be the way it is now. Davis makes this comment, and it's a lengthy one, but I think he nails it. Yahweh's judgment does not involve cancellation of God's promise. You see, this is what you might be inclined to think if you were an observer on Ahijah and Jeroboam.

They steal away into the field. But if you happen to be hiding behind a rock and you heard this whole thing, what might you surmise? God's promise to David is going to collapse. God's promise to David is done and over.

God's promise is going to go away. Well, he's already explained that he's going to preserve Benjamin. He's going to preserve Judah for the sake of David. And then in this one encapsulating thought, he says, I will afflict the descendants of David because of this, but not forever.

He goes on to say, when God announced His judgment to Solomon, He placed two restrictions on it. Not now, verse 12, and not all. Isn't that what He said? It's not going to be now.

It'll happen in the time of your son. And it's not going to be all because you get to keep Benjamin and Judah. You see, in the midst of judgment, God's still speaking mercy and grace. This is a pattern.

You should see this throughout Scripture. You ought to appreciate this pattern throughout Scripture. God, in His statements of judgment, at times speaks great merciful things. That prophecy in Ezekiel 16 about how God finds Israel, they're squirming in their blood, and God says, live, live.

God raises them up and God decks them out. I mean, he adorns them, he puts nose rings in them, he makes them beautiful as a bride, and nevertheless, they depart from God. He says he's gonna bring judgment, he's gonna bring chastisement, he's going to bring the curse of the covenant to bear upon them. Nevertheless, he says, and it points them to this new covenant era.

You see, this God who brings this judgment and chastisement never ceases to be the God of the covenant. He never stops being the God of mercy and grace. He never stops being the God of goodness. Davis goes on, Ahijah underscored these same qualifications to Jeroboam.

The judgment will be delayed in time, in the days of Solomon's son, and restricted in extent. Solomon's son gets one tribe. And why these restrictions? Because God has made previous commitments, previous choices.

God has an elect person, David, and an elect place, Jerusalem. Covenant king and covenant worship are non-negotiables. They cannot be completely obliterated. Jeroboam's rule must take place within these confines.

Verse 39 implicitly suggests the restoration of David's line to full strength. So I will afflict the seed of David because of this, but not all the days. God's promise then, I love this, may be eclipsed, but not eliminated. This is the point.

This is what you ought to get. God's promise can be eclipsed. You know, the moon might pass over the sun and we don't see the full blaze of the rays, but it cannot be eliminated. He says, verse 39 states the principle in a nutshell, affliction, but not abandonment.

The rays of hope flicker from behind the clouds of judgment. to say, oh, you know, Davis is waxing poetic on a pretty historical piece of narrative. This is prophecy. This is programmatic for everything that follows. You know, when you continue on, God willing, you're all here as we continue on.

We're going to see this fleshed out every step of the way until it culminates in 2nd Kings 17 with the collapse of the Northern Kingdom. I mean, that's actually recorded for us. This isn't, you know, Ahijah making things up that had no taproot in history. The rest of Kings indicate that what Ahijah speaks here to Jeroboam, what God said to Solomon in verses 11 to 13, is precisely the order the book is going to take.

And of course, the southern kingdom is going to fall in chapter 25, but it's going to come back because of God's promise in 2 Samuel 7. There is the conditional element that will bring judgment and chastisement to bear. It will be the blows of men that will come upon these kings, but that unconditional element is realized ultimately in Jesus Christ. And the reunion, the reunification in new covenant terms is the church.

The house of Judah and house of Israel in the prophet Jeremiah in chapter 31, as he's speaking about reunification, as we see this reunification in the book of Ezekiel, Israel and Judah, it's pointing us to the church. This is what Paul tells us in Hebrews 8 and 10. In many respects, brethren, we owe our lives, our existence as a church, to 1 Kings 11. And this promise by God in verse 39, I will afflict the descendants of David because of this, but not forever.

Not typically a passage, you would think, concerning the planting of a local church. But it's because of verse 39 that local churches exist. So Solomon, as I suggested earlier, hears of this plan, verse 40, Solomon therefore sought to kill Jeroboam. You understand that logic?

That's not difficult, is it? Doesn't need a lot of exposition there. Of course he wants to kill Jeroboam, because Jeroboam's making a play for the kingdom. That's not tolerable in a regime that is run by a lawful king.

That's just ungodliness. But notice, so he runs to Egypt, And even though he has departed, things are not good as we end this chapter. House says, the Davidic lineage is in trouble. Jeroboam has a constituency in Israel, a significant foreign ally, and God's promise to place him in power.

Without question, then, he will soon be a major force in Israelite politics. And that happens. We'll see it, the Lord willing. next Wednesday night, and it's an amazing thing the way it all happens according to God's plan.

Death of Solomon

His solemn death is recorded in verses 41 to 43. I don't know what the book of the Acts of Solomon are. There are probably some court annals, some records that were kept at the royal house the period that he reigned. Overall, Israel was 40 years.

He rested with his father, was buried in the city of David, his father, and Rehoboam, his son, reigned in his place. We know something at this point that Rehoboam doesn't know yet, though. Do we? Or does he?

He doesn't know what's going to happen, unless Solomon said, hey, guess what, or before he died. We know something about 1 Kings 12 that Rehoboam, at this particular point, has no clue about. Israel's glory days are over. And Rehoboam is walking into a firestorm that he did not see coming.

Now, he's not the brightest bulb in the chandelier, to be sure. So it's not the case that bad things are happening to such a good guy. But what do we learn?

Application and Conclusions

Finally, quickly, we'll move to the end. The effect, the merciful effect of prophets upon Israel's religious and political life. As I said, Ahijah is a bit of a down payment. The books are going to take a decisive turn in favor of the prophet, the prophet of God, the mouthpiece of God, the word of God, comes conspicuously to the kings in Israel, to the people of Israel, and it's a means that God used.

And not to say there weren't prophets before Ahijah, but they become even more conspicuous, especially with Elijah and Elisha. The narrative at some points are just centered on them, not the kings necessarily. So it shows you the prophetic movement in Israel was most significant for their religious and political life. Secondly, I hope that we learn the miserable consequences of Solomon's sin.

The sin of the king leads to sin on the part of the people. We've already banged that nail, we don't need to continue. The sin of the king leads to the judgment of God. I mean, these are the consequences of sin.

It's so unfortunate that we don't stop and ponder before we sin. It's typically not the way, OK, I'm about to commit this sin. When I do this, what are going to be the ripple effects to everybody that I know and love? Now, hopefully, we do that, and we're training ourselves to do that.

But for the most part, we just wander willy-nilly in without ever thinking, and then have to deal with the consequences after the fact. It's better for us to consider the consequences prior to actually engaging in sin. I mean, David on the rooftop looking at Bathsheba, we all want to scream at him, don't do that, don't call for her. That would have been a great time for him to ponder the ripple effect of that particular sin.

Solomon, as he's on wife 894, this would have been a great time for him to ponder the reality that this is going to have a major impact not only upon me and my family, but upon the kingdom itself. We need to understand that the sin of the king leads to the judgment of God, and the sin of the people leads to the judgment of God. No good thing ever comes from sin. The sin of the king as well leads to national turmoil.

Solomon elsewhere writes, righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people. So if we see the miserable consequences of Solomon's sin, we see the wonderful consequences of God's faithfulness. The Davidic Covenant certainly overshadows the entirety of this chapter. The Davidic Covenant promised that God would chasten him with the rod of man and with the blows of the sons of men.

This is seen in the rupture of the nation, the splitting apart of these two kingdoms. and the Davidic covenant promised that God's mercy shall not depart from him seen in the preservation of Judah. So you see both the miserable effects of sin, the wonderful consequences of God's faithfulness, and then finally the lasting influence of Solomon's reign. His claim to fame, even more so than his wisdom, and certainly more so than his fall. I mean, when we think Solomon, we ought not to only think chapter 11.

I mean, I think that's sort of typical, isn't it? A man has proven himself for 60, 70 years, and then he doesn't finish too well, and it's almost like the past 60, 70 years didn't matter. Now, I'm suggesting that a strong finish gives further confirmation of those 60 or 70 years, but we ought not to denigrate the fact that he built the temple for God. I mean, that was his chief and crowning thing.

He was a son of God who built a temple for God. And in that, he was typical of our Lord Jesus Christ. Matthew 16, who do men say that I, the son of man, am? And Peter says, you are the Christ, the son of the living God.

And then Jesus says, I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. So you have Solomon as a son of God building a house for God in the Old Covenant. You've got Jesus as a son of God building a house for God in the New Covenant. You can't miss that.

And that opens up a whole bunch of typology. Even in Jesus' teaching, He's similar to Solomon. Well, Solomon was typical of Jesus. Jesus was kind of like Solomon in the sense that Solomon had an interest in animals and in plants and in botany.

That kind of flavors how Jesus teaches, doesn't he? Look at the lilies of the field. Look at the birds of the air. Jesus is that sort of a wise man.

So Solomon's wisdom there even typifies the Lord Jesus Christ. And intriguingly, he invokes Solomon as a particular example there in Matthew chapter six. You know, these lilies have more glory than Solomon, or they're clothed more beautifully than Solomon in all his glory. In the passage of Do Not Worry and Do Not Be Carnally Anxious, one commentator suggests that Solomon is invoked there as a very specific example by Jesus, not necessarily as a worrier, but as a man who had a problem with too much stuff.

His wasn't the case that he was, you know, worrying about what he was going to have. He was just amassing more and more along the way. There might be some legitimacy to seeing that that's not just some random play by Jesus invoking Solomon, but Solomon actually fits the context as well in terms of Solomon's life history. So he was a temple building son of God.

He was a type of Jesus Christ. And he certainly is a warning to the people of God. We got to not Neglect chapters 3 to 10, but we certainly need to make sure we remember chapter 11. And I would submit he was a sinner saved by grace who did well, and he also did not so well.

Isn't he just like us? I mean, I hope that we're all able to say, you know, or that we don't have to go through that sort of thing, but it's easy to Monday morning quarterback. How could he do that? Now, certainly the epic nature of his sin, I hope none of us multiply wives, you know, a thousand fold, or husbands a thousand fold, but the reality is, brethren, is that it's not always the case that God's people finish as strongly as they ought.

And so we ought not to be too critical of him. I mean, certainly critical of the fact that he was a gross idolater there. But I'll close with Gill. I read this last week.

Though nothing is said of Solomon's repentance, there is no doubt but that he was a good man, repented of his sins and was saved. as may be concluded from the commendations of him after his death, from the promise of God that he made, that his mercy should not depart from him, though he chastised him, from his being an inspired writer, who are all holy men, and especially from his writing the book of Ecclesiastes after his fall, which contains a full acknowledgement of all his evils, a recantation of them, and repentance for them." Well, let's close in a word of prayer.

Closing Prayer

Father, we thank you for your Word, and we thank you for this particular chapter. God, cause us to see the reality that sin never brings good things. It always has miserable consequences. And may we think through this, may we consider this, may we ponder the effects our sin has upon others. and may He cause us to walk in holiness and in righteousness, enabled by the power of the Holy Spirit.

We thank you for your mercy so clearly displayed in this passage, the reality that Judah would not be fully destroyed. What a blessed thought that this is, that Christ came, that Christ is the one in whom all these promises are, yea and amen. Give us grace to love Him, to glorify Him in all that we do, and we pray through Jesus our Lord. Amen.

Scripture References

• 1 Kings 5:3; 11:2; 11:4; 11:9-10; 11:11-13; 11:14-28; 11:21-22; 11:25; 11:26-28; 11:29-40; 11:31; 11:32; 11:33; 11:34; 11:37-38; 11:39; 11:40; 11:41-43; 12:21
• 2 Kings 17; 25
• Proverbs 16:7
• Jeremiah 31
• Ezekiel 16
• 2 Samuel 7:12-15; 8:3-9; 8:13-14
• Deuteronomy 7:3-4
• Matthew 6:28-29; 15:14; 16:13-18
• Romans 1:18; 1:21; 1:28
• Hebrews 8; 10
• 1 John 5:21