Rehoboam, King of Judah

IIT UBF - University Bible Fellowship at IIT

Rehoboam, King of Judah

Date: Jan. 19, 2019

Passage

1 Kings 14:21-31 (ESV)

21 Now Rehoboam the son of Solomon reigned in Judah. Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city that the LORD had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, to put his name there. His mother’s name was Naamah the Ammonite. 22 And Judah did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, and they provoked him to jealousy with their sins that they committed, more than all that their fathers had done. 23 For they also built for themselves high places and pillars and Asherim on every high hill and under every green tree, 24 and there were also male cult prostitutes in the land. They did according to all the abominations of the nations that the LORD drove out before the people of Israel.

25 In the fifth year of King Rehoboam, Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem. 26 He took away the treasures of the house of the LORD and the treasures of the king’s house. He took away everything. He also took away all the shields of gold that Solomon had made, 27 and King Rehoboam made in their place shields of bronze, and committed them to the hands of the officers of the guard, who kept the door of the king’s house. 28 And as often as the king went into the house of the LORD, the guard carried them and brought them back to the guardroom.

29 Now the rest of the acts of Rehoboam and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 30 And there was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam continually. 31 And Rehoboam slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David. His mother’s name was Naamah the Ammonite. And Abijam his son reigned in his place.

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Daily Bread

Key Verse: 14:27

and King Rehoboam made in their place shields of bronze, and committed them to the hands of the officers of the guard, who kept the door of the king’s house.

1. Judah did evil in the eyes of the Lord (21-24)

Rehoboam came from excellent stock. His father was the wise Solomon and David, a man after God's own heart, was his grandfather. But Rehoboam didn't learn from either of them. He was foolish and rebellious. He sinned greatly against the Lord, and caused all of Judah to participate in that sin. They didn't behave like God's people. They behaved like the nations the Lord drove out before them. The idol worship and male shrine prostitutes brought the Lord to anger.

2. The consequences of Judah's sin (25-31)

The Lord punished Judah through Shishak, king of Egypt. He attacked Jerusalem, broke into the temple and took everything, including all the gold shields that Solomon had made. Rehoboam replaced them with bronze shields, made to look like the original ones, but not worth much. This is an apt metaphor of Judah. Because of Rehoboam's sin, while things may have looked ok, the nation had become worthless to God.

Prayer: Prayer: Lord, keep this nation and its leaders from sin. Help us to know your grace.

One Word: Be a gold shield, not a bronze

Misery of Disobedience

Genesis 34:1-31

Key Verse: 34:30

Today's Question

What does the beginning of the Lord's prayer teach us?

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