Week 17 Day 7
God deals with people in the present tense
The past and the future do not seem to cloud the present
The all-knowing God knew
both Solomon and Jeroboam
would lose faith and fall away
Yet in their early years God treated them
as though they were "true gold"
God does not withhold present blessings
on account of past or future sins.
When God took the kingship from Solomon upon his death
Solomon's house retained rule over one tribe
because of God's eternal love
and promise to David
God remembers, even after their deaths
those who loved and served him--
granting their children mercy and grace.
GOD'S JUDGMENT
A new coat torn into twelve pieces.
I Kings 11
14Now the Lord raised up adversaries against Solomon.
26Solomon's servant, Jeroboam an Ephraimite, whose
mother was a widow, rebelled against the king. 27Solomon
had built the Millo and repaired the damages to the City of
David. 28The man Jeroboam was a mighty man of valor;
and Solomon, seeing that the young man was industrious,
made him the officer over all the labor force of the house
of Joseph.
29Now it happened at that time, when Jeroboam went
out of Jerusalem, that the prophet Ahijah met him on the
way. He had clothed himself with a new garment, and the
two were alone in the field. 30Ahijah took hold of the
new garment that was on him, and tore it into twelve pieces.
31He said to Jeroboam, "Take for yourself ten pieces, for
thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: 'Behold, I will tear
the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon and will give
ten tribes to you, 33because they have forsaken Me, and
worshiped Ashtoreth, Chemosh, and Milcom, and have
not walked in My ways to do what is right in My eyes and
keep My statutes as did his father David.
34"However I will not take the whole kingdom out of his
hand, 36to his son I will give one tribe, that My servant
David may always have a lamp before Me in Jerusalem.
(32He shall have one tribe for the sake of My servant David,
and for the sake of Jerusalem.)
37"I will take you, and you shall reign over all your heart
desires, and you shall be king over Israel. 38Then it shall
be, if you heed all that I command you, to 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."
40Solomon therefore sought to kill Jeroboam. But
Jeroboam fled to Egypt until the death of Solomon.
41Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, all that he did,
and his wisdom, are they not written in the book of the
acts of Solomon? 42The period that Solomon reigned
over all Israel was forty years. 43Then Solomon rested
with his fathers, and was buried in the City of David.
And Rehoboam his son reigned in his place.
This Bible passage was condensed from the NKJV
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