It scares me to know that God tore his kingdom from King Solomon and gave it to another man who couldn’t sustain it either. But one thing is sure, God was honoring a dead man in all this, at least, during the time he was tearing away the kingdom from King Solomon.
He said in 1 Kings 11:12 that for the sake of David, he will not tear the kingdom from Solomon during his lifetime and in verse 13 of that same chapter, he added that he will not tear the whole kingdom from Solomon because of David.
It’s interesting how God continues to honor David even as a dead man. But what’s more interesting is how Jeroboam failed God in 1 Kings 12:25-33.
His failure makes me wonder why we fail God right after we are doing what he has called us to do.
Jeroboam had just taken up the leadership of 11 tribes in Israel and not long he was making a decision that would potentially lead to his destruction.
Indeed it led him to destruction as the Bible said in 1 Kings 13:34.
When you think back to what caused his downfall, you will realize that he was scared of losing what God had given him. And here’s where I want to make my point: If God gives you something, no one, except you, can take it from you.
Jeroboam could have consulted God about his people going to worship in Jerusalem, but he chose to do what he feels was right.
Fear.
Even when a man of God told him what would happen to those altars he built, he wanted to seize him.
1 Kings 13:33 says something very interesting. It says ‘even after the man of God told him what would happen, Jeroboam did not change his evil ways, but once more appointed priests for the high places from all sorts of people.’
It just seems like Jeroboam wasn’t ready to change because this verse made it sound like the message from the man of God was an opportunity for him to go to God in prayer and ask for forgiveness of sins. But he didn’t see it that way.
What opportunity has God given us to change from our evil ways? In 1 Kings 13:33, we see that a message from God is an opportunity for change.
How are we reacting to the messages we hear from God daily? Are we working on changing our attitudes, or we are still living in sin?
Also, God seems to honor those who in their lifetime honored him and lived according to his word. God continued to remember David even after his death. I want that after I’m gone, God will remember me.
