Monday, February 08, 2010

Pray
Teach me how to live, O Lord, so that I will not be ashamed on that day I stand before You in heaven.

Read
1 Kings 11:26-43

[26] Also, Jeroboam son of Nebat rebelled against the king. He was one of Solomon's officials, an Ephraimite from Zeredah, and his mother was a widow named Zeruah. [27] Here is the account of how he rebelled against the king: Solomon had built the supporting terraces and had filled in the gap in the wall of the city of David his father. [28] Now Jeroboam was a man of standing, and when Solomon saw how well the young man did his work, he put him in charge of the whole labor force of the house of Joseph. [29] About that time Jeroboam was going out of Jerusalem, and Ahijah the prophet of Shiloh met him on the way, wearing a new cloak. The two of them were alone out in the country, [30] and Ahijah took hold of the new cloak he was wearing and tore it into twelve pieces. [31] Then he said to Jeroboam, "Take ten pieces for yourself, for this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'See, I am going to tear the kingdom out of Solomon's hand and give you ten tribes. [32] But for the sake of my servant David and the city of Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, he will have one tribe. [33] I will do this because they have forsaken me and worshiped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Molech the god of the Ammonites, and have not walked in my ways, nor done what is right in my eyes, nor kept my statutes and laws as David, Solomon's father, did. [34] " 'But I will not take the whole kingdom out of Solomon's hand; I have made him ruler all the days of his life for the sake of David my servant, whom I chose and who observed my commands and statutes. [35] I will take the kingdom from his son's hands and give you ten tribes. [36] I will give one tribe to his son so that David my servant may always have a lamp before me in Jerusalem, the city where I chose to put my Name. [37] However, as for you, I will take you, and you will rule over all that your heart desires; you will be king over Israel. [38] If you do whatever I command you and walk in my ways and do what is right in my eyes by keeping my statutes and commands, as David my servant did, I will be with you. I will build you a dynasty as enduring as the one I built for David and will give Israel to you. [39] I will humble David's descendants because of this, but not forever.' " [40] Solomon tried to kill Jeroboam, but Jeroboam fled to Egypt, to Shishak the king, and stayed there until Solomon's death. [41] As for the other events of Solomon's reign-all he did and the wisdom he displayed-are they not written in the book of the annals of Solomon? [42] Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years. [43] Then he rested with his fathers and was buried in the city of David his father. And Rehoboam his son succeeded him as king.

NIV

Meditate
“Those who honor me I will honor, but those who despise me will be disdained” (1 Sam. 2:30c).

Today’s reading relates how the oracle of judgment against Solomon in vs. 11-13 was fulfilled by three adversaries who became agents for the dissolution of the kingdom. Hadad (14-22), Rezon (23-25) and Jeroboam (26-40) had very different motives for hating Solomon, however, and they operated quite independently.

Hadad’s opposition probably took the form of launching guerrilla attacks on Solomon’s caravans traveling to and from the Red Sea port of Ezion-geber. Solomon’s success in finding asylum in the Egyptian court indicates that his treaty with Pharaoh was not as politically solid as he had hoped. Rezon (perhaps a title rather than a name) was a former vassal of the Aramean ruler Hadadezer (23), who early in Solomon’s reign succeeded in establishing himself as ruler of Damascus and creating the kingdom of Aram that would eventually take over from Israel as the most influential state in Syro-Palestine.

Jeroboam was a “man of great energy” (28, NEB), who had charge of the workers engaged in a royal building project in Jerusalem. This public works manager was suddenly called through Ahijah to be ruler of the ten northern tribes. The prophet’s words were dramatically reinforced by tearing his new cloak into twelve pieces and giving ten to Jeroboam. Such an action must have astonished Jeroboam. Solomon’s paranoid reaction necessitated Jeroboam seeking asylum in Egypt.

Solomon’s epitaph (41-43), unlike those of his successors (e.g. 15:11,34), contains no explicit verdict on his reign. For all his compromising, Solomon never totally renounced the faith of his youth which had inspired the building of the temple. This is probably why his epitaph reads as a whimper rather than a bang.

Apply
Take a moment to identify the modern idols you find most attractive. Then, determine how you will resist them.

Pray
“I am weak, but Thou art strong; Jesus, keep me from all wrong,” I pray. You alone can give me the strength I need to face life’s temptations.

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^{Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. All rights reserved throughout the world. Used by permission of International Bible Society.}