Day 307 – Rebellion

1 Kings 11:1 However, King Solomon loved many foreign women, as well as the daughter of Pharaoh: women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites— 2 from the nations of whom JEHOVAH had said to the children of Israel, “You will not intermarry with them, nor they with you. Surely, they will turn away your hearts after their elohiym.” Solomon clung to these in love.

 3 He had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines; and his wives turned away his heart.

 4 For it happened, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned his heart after other elohiym; and his heart was not loyal to JEHOVAH his Elohiym, as was the heart of his father David. 5 For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. 6 Solomon did evil in the sight of JEHOVAH, and did not fully follow JEHOVAH, as did his father David. 7 Then 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. 8 He did likewise for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and sacrificed to their elohiym. 9 Thus, JEHOVAH became angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned from JEHOVAH Elohiym of Israel, who had appeared to him twice, 10 and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other elohiym; but he did not keep what JEHOVAH had commanded.

 11 Therefore, JEHOVAH said to Solomon, “Because you did this, and did not keep My covenant and My statutes, which I commanded you, I will tear the kingdom away from you and give it to your servant. 12 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. 13 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.”

 14 Now JEHOVAH raised up an adversary against Solomon, Hadad the Edomite; he was a descendant of the king in Edom. 15 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 16 (because for six months Joab remained there with Israel, until he had cut down every male in Edom), 17 that Hadad fled to go to Egypt, he and certain Edomites of his father’s servants with him. Hadad was still a little child. 18 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. 19 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 Tahpenes. 20 Then the sister of Tahpenes bore him Genubath his son, whom Tahpenes weaned in Pharaoh’s house. And Genubath was in Pharaoh’s household among the sons of Pharaoh. 21 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.”

 22 Then Pharaoh said to him, “What have you lacked with me, that suddenly you seek to go to your own country?”

 He answered, “Nothing, but do let me go anyway.”

 23 Then Elohiym raised up another adversary against him, Rezon the son of Eliadah, who had fled from his lord, Hadadezer king of Zobah. 24 He gathered men to him and became captain over a band of raiders, when David killed those of Zobah. They went to Damascus and dwelt there and reigned in Damascus. 25 He was an adversary of Israel during the days of Solomon (besides the trouble that Hadad caused); and he abhorred Israel and reigned over Syria.

 26 Then Solomon’s servant, Jeroboam the son of Nebat, an Ephraimite from Zereda, whose mother’s name was Zeruah, a widow, also rebelled against the king.

 27 This is what caused him to rebel against the king: Solomon had built the Millo and repaired the damage to the City of David his father. 28 The man Jeroboam was a mighty man of valor; and Solomon, seeing that the young man was industrious, made him the officer over the labor force of the house of Joseph.

 29 Now it happened, 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. 30 Then Ahijah took hold of the new garment that was on him and tore it into twelve pieces. 31 He said to Jeroboam, “Take for yourself ten pieces, for thus says JEHOVAH, the Elohiym of Israel: ‘Behold, I will tear the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon and will give ten tribes to you 32 (however, he will have one tribe for the sake of My servant David, and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city which I chose out of the tribes of Israel), 33 because they have forsaken Me, and worshiped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh the elohiym of the Moabites, and Milcom the elohiym 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. 34 However, I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand, because I 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. 35 However, I will take the kingdom out of his son’s hand and give it to you—ten tribes. 36 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 chose for Myself, to put My name there. 37 Then I will take you, and you will reign over everything your heart desires, and you will be king over Israel. 38 Then it will happen, if you heed everything 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. 39 I will afflict the descendants of David because of this, but not forever.’”

 40 Solomon, therefore, sought to kill Jeroboam. However, Jeroboam arose and fled to Egypt, to Shishak king of Egypt, and was in Egypt until the death of Solomon.

 41 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, everything he did, and his wisdom, are they not written in the book of the acts of Solomon?

 42 Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over Israel for forty years.

 43 Then Solomon rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David his father. Then Rehoboam, his son reigned in his place.

God’s names:

JEHOVAH – Self-existent, Eternal

Elohiym – Supreme God

Yeshuwa – Jesus

Iesous – Jesus

Kurios – Supreme Authority, Lord

Christos – Anointed One, Messiah

Theos – Supreme Divinity

Bara – Creator

God’s character:

Sovereign

Creator

What do you do when you have everything you ever wanted, and it’s stripped away from you? Do you try to make excuses for why you went from a place of plenty and prosperity to poverty?

Solomon was the wisest and wealthiest man in Israel and the world. Everyone came from far and near to see him and hear his wisdom. Yet, Solomon failed in JEHOVAH’S eyes. He married the women of the nation’s Elohiym told Israel not to marry. Then he built altars to their elohiym and worshiped them. In response, JEHOVAH tore the kingdom from Solomon and gave the kingdom to another then turned men against him. However, not during his lifetime, keeping the promise, He made to David, his father.

When you accepted Yeshuwa as Savior and Lord, you committed your life to Him. With zeal you embraced your faith and did everything Yeshuwa asked of you. Yet for many Christians, the zeal wore off and the gospel no longer held the same appeal it did when they first accepted Yeshuwa as Savior and Lord. How do you get back to the same zeal you had when you accepted Yeshuwa as Savior and Lord?

For parents who see their children wander from Yeshuwa, it becomes a matter of daily prayer for their return to Yeshuwa. When they see friends and colleagues who once had the joy of the Lord over everything they did fall away and turn to earthly pleasures, they fall on their knees in prayer. They cling to the promises in JEHOVAH’S Word, promising their loved ones will return to the Lord.

You have powerful verses from Scripture you can stand on for your loved ones. One Solomon wrote.

Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

Then you have the powerful witness of Paul and Silas in prison.

Acts 16:25 However, at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to Theos, and the prisoners listened to them.

 26 Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s chains were loosed.

 27 The keeper of the prison, awaking from sleep and seeing the prison doors open, supposing the prisoners had fled, drew his sword and was about to kill himself.

 28 However, Paul called with a loud voice, saying, “Do yourself no harm, for we are all here.”

 29 Then he called for a light, ran in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas.

 30 He brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

 31 So they said, “Believe on the Kurios Iesous Christos, and you will be saved, you and your household.”

You also have Paul’s statement of what it takes to accept Yeshuwa as Savior and Lord.

Romans 10:9 If you confess with your mouth the Kurios Iesous and believe in your heart that Theos has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

 11 For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.”

When you stand on JEHOVAH’S promises, Satan must flee. Prayer stops him in his tracks. He loses his foothold over your family members, friends, and colleagues. Pray today and watch Yeshuwa work in the lives of your family members and rejoice when they return to Yeshuwa.

It looks like Solomon was lost to all hope with his deviance with foreign elohiym. Yet, in the end of his life he returned to Elohiym.

Ecclesiastes 12:1 Remember now your Bara in the days of your youth, before the difficult days come, and the years draw near when you say, “I have no pleasure in them”.

 12:13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear Elohiym and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all.

 14 For Elohiym will bring every work to judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil.

You alone cannot change the people you pray for to return to Yeshuwa. Only He can change peoples’ hearts and cause them to return to Him. Your job is to pray for them.

Let’s pray: Father, keep me close to You. Help me discern when Satan tempts me with worldly pleasure so that I stray from You and Your promises for my life. Give me discernment to pray for those who need to return to You so that the end of their life will be as good as the beginning when they accepted Your Son as Savior and Lord. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Copyright © 21 November 2024 by Valerie Routhieaux