“Because of this, I am going to bring disaster on the house of Jeroboam. I will cut off from Jeroboam every last male in Israel—slave and free. I will burn up the house of Jeroboam as one burns dung, until it is gone.”
– 1 Kings 14:10
Hi James and Ellen,
Do you think that you are privileged? Do you think that you have all the answers? Do you think that you are leaders? Rehoboam was privileged. Rehoboam’s dad was Solomon. Rehoboam was a year old when his dad became the third positioned king over the Israelite people group guys and gals. Even though Rehoboam’s dad had ultimate acumen, Rehoboam’s parental life conditioning was seeing his dad use a repressive, authoritarian leadership style to put wealth accumulation, land acquisition and personal accomplishments before the aspiration of the guys and gals in his own people group of not having to live in constant angst. At some point during Rehoboam’s dad’s tenure of forty years being king over the Israelite people group guys and gals, a young, arrogant, ambitious Ephriam tribal clan guy became Rehoboam’s dad’s public works overseer. The young guy’s name was Jeroboam. When word got to Rehoboam’s dad that Jeroboam’s name was being tossed around as the next king over the Israelite people group guys and gals when . . . Rehoboam’s dad was not a happy camper. When Jeroboam found out that Rehoboam’s dad was wanting to permanently purge him from planet Earth, Jeroboam headed to the country of Egypt to hunker down until . . . the condensed life stories of Jeroboam and Rehoboam are found in 1 Kings 14.
Your grandpaa years ago gave a devotional at a family reunion of family members from his mother’s side of his family that incorporated the life stories of Jeroboam and Rehoboam as examples of what may happen when an extended family begins to trend towards temporal pursuits and carnal lifestyles instead of faithfully following the spiritual track towards eternity that had been modeled by patriarchs on your grandpaa’s mother’s side of his family. If you were to ask your grandpaa now how he thought that the devotional went over with his family, uncles, aunts and cousins who heard your grandpaa try to expound on a perceived concern that he had that some of the guys, gals and kids who were there at the reunion were on a slippery slope that would lead them away from enjoying the same hope and peace that his grandparents on his mother’s side of his family had, your grandpaa would tell you that from his perspective that what he said did not fly – and that he even today is still mauling over why in the world he chose the life stories of these two guys to . . . even though your grandpaa really felt that what he said as a devotional at a family reunion did not resonate on his mother’s side of his family, your grandpaa is grateful that God continually reminds him that He – before He molded and orbited planet Earth, completely programmed everything that has been already said, that is being said and that will be said on planet Earth. Your grandpaa has internalized a belief that Christ-follower guys, gals and kids should be constantly aware that Satan never stops sending minion spirits – such as the spirit of pride, the spirit of embarrassment, the spirit of inadequacy, the spirit of . . . to try to influence in a demeaning, discouraging and demoralizing way the changes that God – as God the Spirit, has made, is making and will make in the ‘new person’ life of a Christ-follower. Your grandpaa has also internalized another belief that has him knowing that what he does on planet Earth – such as going to a church, has absolutely zero pertinence to God; your grandpaa’s internalized belief now is knowing that what is really relevant in his relationship with God is that he is to give God the glory as He – as God the Spirit, attunes your grandpaa’s heart to be compassionate, kind, humble, gentle and patient which becomes your grandpaa’s internal guides as to how he acts and responds to guys, gals and kids who God brings into or crosses through your grandpaa’s unique, fascinating world on planet Earth.
Rehoboam and Jeroboam – 2941 years ago, had their life goals realized when they were positioned as kings. In order for both Rehoboam and Jeroboam to be kings at the same time, something had to take place in the land that God gave to His specially chosen guys and gals – the Israelite people group guys and gals, to always to have to live in as their very own land if . . . which would have the twelve tribal clans have to choose between two self-centered, wannabe kings. Because Jeroboam was an Ephraim tribal clan guy, Jeroboam succeeded in having his tribal clan and nine other tribal clans split off to become the northern kingdom of Israel – or Israel, with these ten tribal clans of guys and gals making Jeroboam their king. Even though Rehoboam was a king’s kid, Rehoboam ended up being the king over just two tribal clans of guys and gals which became the southern kingdom of Israel – or Judah. Jeroboam’s leadership mindset had him mandate making inanimate gods out of metal while Rehoboam’s leadership mindset had him order high places be set up, an Asherah pole put on every hill and under every tree and certain stones be made sacred. The aberrant, abhorrent, Satan driven desires and actions of Rehoboam and Jeroboam would lead God to proactively demonstrate what He will do to any guy or gal who has been led to think or believe that he or she is smarter and more capable than what He is. Verse 10 has God telling Jeroboam’s wife – through Ahijah – a blind, aging prophet, to inform her husband that “‘“Because of this, I am going to bring disaster on the house of Jeroboam. I will cut off from Jeroboam every last male in Israel—slave and free. I will burn up the house of Jeroboam as one burns dung, until it is gone.” If the mortifying endings of the degenerate lives of Rehoboam and Jeroboam don’t . . .
1 Kings 14 (1180)