1 Kings 12:1-24

Scripture Reading: Matthew 11:28-30

Introduction

I Know Next to Nothing About the Royal Family of England

But One Thing I Do Know is…

Princess Diana was/is Known as the “People’s Princess”

In a 1995 Interview, She Said She Wanted to Be…

A “Queen of People’s Hearts”

She Wanted to Help/Serve People

And She would in Very Un-Princess-Like Ways

She would Walk into Crowds and Interact with People

She was Known to Give People Hugs…

And Bend Down When Talking to Children

She had Friendly Relationships with the Palace Staff

Royals Didn’t Normally Mix or Interact with the Staff…

But Diana would have Conversations with Them…

And Even Eat in the Kitchen with Them

She Also Encouraged Her 2 Sons to Do the Same

She Interacted with and Even Touched AIDS/HIV Patients…

At a Time When Many People Thought You could Get Infected…

By Being Around Them

She Did the Same with Leprosy Patients

She Said:

“It has always been my concern to touch people with leprosy, trying to show in a simple action that they are not reviled, nor are we repulsed.”

She Related to People and was Open and Honest About Her Struggles

She was the People’s Princess Because She Met People at Their Level

She Didn’t Stay in Her Ivory Tower…

Unwilling to Interact with or Relate to the Common People

It Makes Me Think of David’s Son, Absalom

He would Meet People at the Gate of the City…

And Fool People into Thinking He Cared About Their Problems

He Related to the People and Claimed to Want to Help/Serve Them

This Led to Israel Falling in Love with Him

It wasn’t Long Before He Ran His Father, King David, Out of Town…

And Took the Throne

People are Willing to Serve a King Who:

Is Willing to Serve Them

Cares About Their Problems and Wants to Help Alleviate Them

Relates to Them on a Personal Level

Tonight, We’re Going to Read About a King Who Did Not Do Any of Those Things

But We’re Also Going to Talk About a King Who Does All of Those Things…

And Much, Much More

1 Kings 12:1-24

Last Time, We Talked About God Raising Up 3 Adversaries for Solomon

And God Providentially Developed Their Stories…

To Resemble the Stories of Jacob, Joseph, Moses, David, and Israel

And Solomon Resembled Pharaoh, the Canaanites, and Saul

Just as God Raised Up Israel and its Leaders…

To Defeat God’s Wicked Enemies…

God Raised Up Solomon’s Adversaries…

To Go Against the Wicked King Solomon

The Last Adversary Mentioned was Jeroboam

He is Prophesied to Be the Next King of Israel…

Whenever the Kingdom is Divided Under Solomon’s Son’s Reign

Chapter 11 Ended with Solomon’s Death…

And His Son Rehoboam Taking the Throne

That’s Where Our Text Begins

1 Kings 12:1–11 (NASB95)

1 Then Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king. 2 Now when Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard of it, he was living in Egypt (for he was yet in Egypt, where he had fled from the presence of King Solomon). 3 Then they sent and called him, and Jeroboam and all the assembly of Israel came and spoke to Rehoboam, saying, 4 “Your father made our yoke hard; now therefore lighten the hard service of your father and his heavy yoke which he put on us, and we will serve you.”

5 Then he said to them, “Depart for three days, then return to me.” So the people departed. 6 King Rehoboam consulted with the elders who had served his father Solomon while he was still alive, saying, “How do you counsel me to answer this people?” 7 Then they spoke to him, saying, “If you will be a servant to this people today, and will serve them and grant them their petition, and speak good words to them, then they will be your servants forever.”

8 But he forsook the counsel of the elders which they had given him, and consulted with the young men who grew up with him and served him. 9 So he said to them, “What counsel do you give that we may answer this people who have spoken to me, saying, ‘Lighten the yoke which your father put on us’?” 10 The young men who grew up with him spoke to him, saying, “Thus you shall say to this people who spoke to you, saying, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, now you make it lighter for us!’ But you shall speak to them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s loins! 11 ‘Whereas my father loaded you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke; my father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.’ ”

Rehoboam’s Father, Solomon, Treated Israel Like Pharaoh Treated Israel

He Placed Heavy Burdens on Them

Now that Solomon is Gone…

They Want Rehoboam to Lighten Their Burdens

He Takes Counsel From Both the Old Counselors and the Young

The Old Give Him Wise Advice:

Serve the People and They will Serve You

The Young Give Foolish Advice:

Make Their Burdens Even Heavier

Take the Role of Pharoah, Like Your Father

“If You’ve Got Time to Complain…”

“Then I Must Not Be Working You Hard Enough!”

Which Advice Do You Think He Took?

The Foolish Advice

And We Read Something Interesting in 1 Kings 12:15

1 Kings 12:15 (NASB95)

15 So the king did not listen to the people; for it was a turn of events from the Lord, that He might establish His word, which the Lord spoke through Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

The Word “Turn” is Only Found Here in the Entire Bible

When Defining this Word…

Several Hebrew Dictionaries Use the Word “Providence”

The Author is Reminding Us…

That Everything that’s Happening…

Is Under God’s Control

God was Orchestrating All of These Choices and Events…

To Bring About What He Prophesied would Happen

The Kingdom of Israel is Going to Be Divided…

And Jeroboam is Going to Become King of the North

That’s Exactly What the Rest of the Text Details

All the Tribes, Besides Judah and Benjamin, Rebel Against King Rehoboam…

And Make Jeroboam Their New King

Rehoboam Wants to Go to War with Them…

In Order to Restore the Kingdom

But a Prophet From God Warns the King and the People to Not Fight Against Them

So They Don’t Fight

And Now, the Kingdom is Officially Divided

Application

I Want to Focus on the Wise Advice that Rehoboam Refused to Accept

1 Kings 12:7 (NASB95)

7 Then they spoke to him, saying, “If you will be a servant to this people today, and will serve them and grant them their petition, and speak good words to them, then they will be your servants forever.”

The Advice is:

If You Will Serve the People…

The People will Serve You

People are Willing to Serve a King Who:

Is Willing to Serve Them

Cares About Their Problems and Wants to Help Alleviate Them

Relates to Them on a Personal Level

Rehoboam was None of These Things

But We are Blessed Because Our King is All of These Things and More

Matthew 20:25–28 (NASB95)

25 But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. 26 “It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, 27 and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave; 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

Jesus is a Servant Ruler

He Didn’t Come to Be Served, But to Serve

He Didn’t Come to Take Life, But Give His Own

He Didn’t Come to Place Hard Yokes and Heavy Burdens on His People…

But to Place Easy Yokes and Light Burdens Upon Them

Matthew 11:28–30 (NASB95)

28 “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. 29 “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Our King isn’t a Hard-Hearted and Prideful Dictator

He is Gentle and Humble-Hearted

Our King is a King Worth Serving

He Serves His People

He Cares About Our Problems and is Working to Alleviate Them

He Relates to Us on a Personal Level…

And Sympathizes with Our Struggles

Jesus is a King Worth Serving

Give Him Your Allegiance