May 22 / I Kings 14:21-16:20; II Chronicles 10-11

I Kings 14:21-16:20; II Chronicles 10-11

We now have a divided kingdom. As I mentioned yesterday, Chronicles focuses on the southern kingdom of Judah and mostly ignores the northern kingdom of Israel. But Chronicles cannot ignore Israel entirely because what happens there often affects Judah, too. We see that today in II Chronicles 11:13-17, where we learn that Jeroboam not only allows non-Levites to be (false) priests (I Kings 12:31), but he actively casts out the Levites from being priests. As a result, all the Levites leave their cities scattered across the territory of Israel and move to Judah. Furthermore, those from all the other tribes who desire to remain faithful to the LORD likewise come to Jerusalem to sacrifice. (Whether they permanently relocate or simply visit Jerusalem to sacrifice is unclear to me, but I lean toward permanent relocation.) All those faithful people help Rehoboam go the right direction for a few years. (II Chr. 11:17)

Unfortunately, that is not enough, and Rehoboam falls away from the LORD, as we see in our reading in Kings. Like his father Solomon (and like Jeroboam), Rehoboam turns to idolatry, building high places and pillars and Asherim on every high hill and under every green tree, practicing cult prostitution, and acting according to all the abominations of the nations that the LORD drove out before the people of Israel. (I Kings 14:23-24) In short order, Rehoboam loses the wealth that Solomon had amassed and is forced to substitute bronze for gold. (I Kings 14:25-27) His son, Abijam (or Abijah), continues in sin, but Abijam’s son, Asa, turns things around. We’ll see more of Asa tomorrow.

Meanwhile, back in Israel, Jeroboam reigns for 22 years and is followed by his son, Nadab, who reigns for only 2 years. Then, Baasha rises up and kills Nadab and the rest of Jeroboam’s descendants in accordance with the LORD’s judgment against Jeroboam. (I Kings 15:27-30) One would hope that Baasha might then point Israel back to the LORD, but he does not; he continues Jeroboam’s idolatry. So the LORD pronounces the same judgment against Baasha that He spoke against Jeroboam. (I Kings 16:1-4) After Baasha reigns 24 years, followed by his son, Elah, for 2 years, Zimri fulfills the LORD’s judgment against Baasha, striking down his entire house. (I Kings 16:8-13) But he reigns for only seven days and is replaced by Omri. Will he do better? Well, let’s just say that we should get used to this pattern.

Are we paying attention? Do we remember that the LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness? (Ex. 34:6) Do we see that the LORD is giving Israel plenty of time and opportunity to repent? Do we see the horrendous natural consequences of turning away from Him? Do we see that bronze might be a bit shiny, but it is no real substitute for gold?

Let’s learn from the history of Judah and Israel. Let’s not follow the world. Let’s humble ourselves, bow down before the LORD, and follow the One True King.

May 21 / I Kings 12-14:20

I Kings 12-14:20

Yesterday we read that the LORD declared that He would tear ten tribes away from Solomon’s son and give them to Jeroboam. Today, we see the fulfillment of that declaration.

Solomon is dead, and his son ascends to the throne, but before Rehoboam can establish himself, Jeroboam (the LORD’s chosen man, whom we met yesterday) leads a labor dispute, demanding better treatment. Rehoboam foolishly ignores the counsel of older men and takes the advice of his arrogant young friends, vowing to make the labor conditions even more harsh. And so, most of the nation follows Jeroboam into rebellion against Rehoboam and the House of David.

We should note that in tearing the kingdom away from Rehoboam, the LORD apparently does not actively do much of anything Himself. He simply leaves Rehoboam to his own devices, his own foolishness, and his own sin. The kingdom thus quite “naturally” falls away from him into Jeroboam’s waiting arms. Yet it is all nevertheless a turn of affairs brought about by the LORD. (I Kings 12:15) Once again we see the sovereignty of God being worked out via human actors who are responsible for their own (often bad) decisions.

In I Kings 12:21, we see that the tribes of Judah and Benjamin stick with Rehoboam: Judah because that is Rehoboam’s own tribe; and Benjamin presumably because Jerusalem, the capital, is in its territory. (We never really get an explicit explanation.) The LORD hands the other ten tribes to Jeroboam. Having received this free gift from the LORD, along with a promise to establish his kingdom, how does Jeroboam respond? He immediately turns from the LORD, trusting his own human political instincts, rather than God:

And Jeroboam said in his heart, “Now the kingdom will turn back to the house of David. If this people go up to offer sacrifices in the temple of the LORD at Jerusalem, then the heart of this people will turn again to their lord, to Rehoboam king of Judah, and they will kill me and return to Rehoboam king of Judah.” So the king took counsel and made two calves of gold. And he said to the people, “You have gone up to Jerusalem long enough. Behold your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.” And he set one in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan. Then this thing became a sin, for the people went as far as Dan to be before one. He also made temples on high places and appointed priests from among all the people, who were not of the Levites.

I Kings 12:26-28

Fool! How quickly Jeroboam squanders the blessing of the LORD!

Recall that the LORD’s promise to establish a dynasty for Jeroboam was conditioned on Jeroboam’s obedience. With Jeroboam in such obvious disobedience, the LORD’s promise is thus null and void, and He instead declares that He will cut off the house of Jeroboam.

Maybe we should pay attention, both as individuals and as a nation.

A few more things…

The nation is now divided into two kingdoms, never to be reunited (at least, not yet). The tribes of Judah and Benjamin form the southern kingdom, henceforth known as Judah, ruled by the House of David. The other ten tribes form the northern kingdom, henceforth generally known as Israel but sometimes called Ephraim, since that is the strongest tribe of the ten.

The books of I & II Kings present the history of both kingdoms, Judah and Israel, bouncing back and forth between the two in an almost leap-frog fashion, pegging the time frames of the reigns of the kings in one kingdom to those of the other kingdom. II Chronicles, on the other hand, focuses only on Judah and generally ignores the northern kingdom of Israel. As a result, we’ll get the history of Israel once in Kings, but we’ll get a double dose of the history of Judah, with II Chronicles often repeating what we read in Kings.

Spoiler alert! All the kings of Israel continue in Jeroboam’s sin of idolatry. Some of the kings of Judah manage to follow in the ways of David; some (like Rehoboam) do not.

Stay tuned…

May 20 / I Kings 11; II Chronicles 9:29-31

I Kings 11; II Chronicles 9:29-31

Fool!

How else should we describe Solomon in the end? Here he is, endowed with more wisdom than anyone else, yet he chooses to ignore its first principle that he himself stated: The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight. (Pr. 9:10) Accommodating his many foreign wives, Solomon turns away from the fear of the LORD and bows himself down before idols. Instead of tearing down centers of idol worship, he builds them.

Is this a man unfamiliar with the ways of the LORD? Not at all! Solomon’s father is King David, the man after God’s own heart, so he is well instructed and has an excellent example to follow. He has at least two visions in which the LORD communicates with him clearly and directly. He enjoys the LORD’s blessings, with national prosperity, peace on every side, enormous personal wealth, success in everything he touches, wisdom beyond everyone else, honor, glory, power — everything he could possibly want. He builds the LORD’s Temple and worships the LORD faithfully for years. He is not ignorant of the LORD. He is not ignorant of Torah. He is not ignorant of the ramifications of idolatry. He is not ignorant of the fact that his kingdom is fully dependent on the LORD. Yet he disregards what he knows to be true and turns aside to false gods.

Fool!

Therefore the LORD said to Solomon, “Since this has been your practice and you have not kept my covenant and my statutes that I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom from you and will give it to your servant. Yet for the sake of David your father I will not do it in your days, but I will tear it out of the hand of your son. However, I will not tear away all the kingdom, but I will give one tribe to your son, for the sake of David my servant and for the sake of Jerusalem that I have chosen.”

I Kings 11:11-13

We should note here that Solomon’s sin is not a momentary “slip up”, a bad decision made in the heat of the moment. No, it is his practice — something clearly ongoing for a number of years. He has plenty of opportunity to repent and turn back to the LORD, but he does not. So the LORD declares that He will tear the kingdom from him, using language reminiscent of what Samuel told Saul in I Samuel 15:28. The LORD begins the process by raising up neighboring adversaries, breaking the peace that Solomon and the nation have enjoyed. Then the LORD calls Jeroboam, designating him as the new (future) ruler of ten tribes of Israel.

How does Solomon react? Does he fall on his face and repent before the LORD, as David did when confronted with his sin with Bathsheba? No. Instead he follows the example of Saul and seeks to kill Jeroboam as a rival, just as Saul sought to kill David. The wisest of men seems to have forgotten that no wisdom, no understanding, no counsel can avail against the LORD. (Pr. 21:30)

Fool!

Of course it is easy to see Solomon’s folly when it is laid out before us. And it is tempting to shake our heads, point the finger, and laugh at him. But not so fast. What about us? How many of God’s good blessings do we take for granted? How often have we declared that we will follow Jesus to the death, yet denied him before the next dawn? How many idols do we continue to accommodate in our lives?

Fools!

May 19 / Song of Songs

Song of Songs 1-8

If you thought we raced through Ecclesiastes, well, we’re picking up the pace today, running through the entirety of Song of Songs in a single day. We are again pulling from last year, but note that Carol jumped in then to lead the commentary.

See:

May 15 / I Kings 9:10-10:29; II Chronicles 8-9:28

I Kings 9:10-10:29; II Chronicles 8-9:28

Do you get the feeling that things are going really well for Solomon and Israel? You should. Today’s readings describe a kingdom of Israel enjoying extended peace and prosperity — all as blessing from the hand of the LORD, Who is present in His Temple. With all the gold flowing into the country, we could quite literally describe this period as “Israel’s Golden Age”. Indeed it is. As we shall see, Israel is here at its apex as a nation.

With everything going so well, how is it that anything could go wrong? Well, we shall see… In the meantime, we’re going to switch gears for a few days and jump into a most interesting book. Please read through our Introduction to Ecclesiastes from last year, then hold on to your hat — again!

May 14 / II Chronicles 6-7; I Kings 9:1-9

II Chronicles 6-7; I Kings 9:1-9

If My people who are called by My name humble themselves, and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

II Chronicles 7:14

I suspect that at least a few of us may be somewhat familiar with this verse, as it is quoted now and again to spur us to repentance on behalf of our nation. Perhaps you’ve even memorized it somewhere along the line. But with all its familiarity, I also suspect that most of us are (or have been) generally unaware of the context of this verse. Well, no more — now you know that this verse is part of God’s response to Solomon’s prayer of dedication for the Temple. Here God effectively echoes back to Solomon what Solomon had asked, that if anyone were to orient themselves toward God, body and soul, then God would hear from heaven and answer. (See yesterday’s post.)

Now that we see the context, let’s clarify a couple of things that may stand in contrast with how this verse seems to be quoted these days. First, “My people” does not refer to Americans, and second, “their land” does not refer to that portion of North America between Mexico and Canada. That may come as a shock to some, but that’s the truth. (And, by the way, let’s not disregard the previous verse, II Ch. 7:13, in which God clearly claims responsibility for natural disasters. That may also come as a shock to some, but that’s the truth.) All of that goes to say that we should not take this verse as a promise that if some (or even all) Christians in this country repent, then God will bless our otherwise degenerate nation. God spoke this to Israel, not the United States.

Yet we should still heed the message of this verse, that God is inclined to bless those who truly seek Him. We should readily see that God’s posture toward us has quite a lot to do with our posture toward God. We should recognize that it is incumbent upon us Christians to be the first to repent and seek God’s face. All of that should be evident in our lives — in our personal relationships, in our business dealings, in our politics, in our words, and in our actions. Are we going to be part of the problem or part of the solution? Are we going to thumb our noses at God and go our own way? Or are we going to humble ourselves, pray, seek the LORD’s face, and turn from our wicked ways? Which will it be?

May 13 / I Kings 8; II Chronicles 5

I Kings 8; II Chronicles 5

Remember how David brought the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem with great fanfare? (See the April 7 post and I Chronicles 16.) Solomon now takes the next step and brings the Ark out of the tent that David had pitched for it and into the newly built Temple, which acts as a permanent replacement for the Tabernacle that Moses made. He apparently even brings the Tabernacle itself and presumably stores it safely away in one of the Temple’s side chambers. (I Kings 8:4; II Ch. 5:5) The priests place the Ark into the new Most Holy Place under the large cherubim. As with the consecration of the Tabernacle before it (Ex. 40:34; see the January 29 post), the LORD fills the Temple with a cloud of His glory (I Kings 8:10; II Ch. 5:11-14), thereby affirming His presence and His approval of the Temple.

In dedicating the Temple, Solomon prays thus:

But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain You; how much less this house that I have built! Yet have regard to the prayer of Your servant and to his plea, O LORD my God, listening to the cry and to the prayer that Your servant prays before You this day, that Your eyes may be open night and day toward this house, the place of which You have said, “My name shall be there,” that You may listen to the prayer that Your servant offers toward this place. And listen to the plea of Your servant and of Your people Israel, when they pray toward this place. And listen in heaven Your dwelling place, and when You hear, forgive.

I Kings 8:27-30

Solomon acknowledges that although the Temple is seen as God’s dwelling place on earth, it is impossible for this building to contain Him. Yet he asks that the LORD would nonetheless stoop down and give heed to the prayers offered in (or even toward) the Temple. And listen in heaven Your dwelling place, and when You hear, forgive. Solomon goes on to repeat this pattern seven times: If (or when) [anyone turns toward the Temple], then hear in heaven and [answer their prayer]. (I Kings 8:32,34,36,39,43,45,49) Yet in each case it is not merely the orientation of one’s body in relation to the physical Temple that matters, but the orientation of one’s heart, whether there is repentance and a seeking of the LORD.

As we have mentioned before, the ultimate Temple is not this structure built by Solomon but the body of our Lord Jesus Christ. May we all thus turn toward that True Temple in full repentance, seeking the LORD where He surely dwells, in Christ our Lord.