3 Kingdoms 11:1-12:25
1 King Solomon was a lover of women, and he had seven hundred princesses and three hundred concubines; and he took foreign wives, as well as the daughters of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Syrians and Idumeans, Hittites and Amorites; 2 from the nations of whom the Lord said to the children of Israel, “You shall not go in to them, and they shall not come in to you, lest they turn away your hearts after their idols.” Solomon joined to these in love. 3 For when Solomon was old and his heart was not loyal to the Lord his God, as was the heart of his father David, his foreign wives turned his heart after their gods. 4 Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh, the idol of Moab, and for their king, the idol of the children of Ammon, 5 and for Ashtaroth, the abomination of the Sidonians. 6 He did the same for all his foreign wives, burning incense and sacrificing to their idols. 7 Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord and did not fully follow the Lord, as did his father David.
8 So the Lord became angry with Solomon because his heart turned from the Lord God of Israel, who appeared to him twice, 9 and commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods, but keep absolutely what the Lord had commanded. 10 Therefore the Lord said to Solomon, “Because you did this and did not keep My covenant and the statutes I commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom away from your hand and give it to your servant. 11 Nevertheless, I will not do it in your days for the sake of your father David; but I will tear it out of the hand of your son. 12 However, I will not tear away the whole kingdom; I will give one tribe to your son, which I chose, for the sake of my servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem.”
Solomon’s Adversaries
13 Now the Lord raised up an adversary against Solomon, Hadad the Edomite, and Rezon the son of Eliadah, who dwelt in Ramoth, and Hadadezer, king of Zoba, was his master. The men gathered together to him; and he was head of the conspiracy, and he seized control of Damascus. They were an adversary to Israel all the days of Solomon. Hadad the Edomite was a descendant of the king in Edom. 14 For when David destroyed Edom, and Joab the commander of the army went up to bury the slain, they killed every male in Edom. 15 Joab remained there six months with all Israel, until he killed every male in Edom. 16 Hadad fled, along with all the Edomites who served his father, and they went to Egypt. Hadad was still a little child. 17 Then men arose from the city of Midian and came to Paran, and after joining with other men, they came to Pharaoh king of Egypt. Hadad went to Pharaoh, who gave him a house and apportioned food for him. 18 Thus 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 older sister of Tahpenes. 19 Then the sister of Tahpenes bore him Genubath her son, and Tahpenes weaned him among the sons of Pharaoh; and Genubath was among the sons of Pharaoh.
20 So 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, “Send me away so that I may go to my own country.” 21 Then Pharaoh said to him, “But what did you lack with me, that suddenly you seek to go to your own country?” So he answered, “Send me away.” Hadad then returned unto his land. 22 This is the evil Hadad did; and he was a bitter enemy to Israel and reigned in the land of Edom.
Jeroboam’s Revolt
23 Jeroboam the son of Nebat, Solomon’s servant, was an Ephraimite from Zereda, the son of a woman who was a widow. 24 This was the event bringing him to rebel against Solomon the king: Now Solomon built the citadel. He built a wall of fortification that enclosed the City of David that his father built. 25 Jeroboam the man was very strong, and Solomon, seeing the young man was industrious, put him in charge of those who labored at the house of Joseph. 26 As it happened, Jeroboam went out from Jerusalem, and along the way, the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite, clothed with a new garment, found him and persuaded him to detour from his path. Now the two of them stood alone in a field.
27 Then Ahijah took hold of the new garment he was wearing and tore it into twelve pieces. 28 And he said to Jeroboam, “Take ten pieces for yourself, for thus says the Lord God of Israel, ‘Behold, I will break asunder the kingdom from the hand of Solomon and give ten tribes to you. 29 But to Solomon, he shall have two tribes for the sake of My servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city I chose out of all the tribes of Israel. 30 Because he forsook Me, and sacrificed to Ashtoreth the abomination of the Sidonians, and to Chemosh and the idols of the Moabites, and to their king, the abomination of the children of Ammon, and has not walked in My ways, to do what is right before Me, as did his father David— 31 therefore I will surely set Myself against him all the days of his life; however, for the sake of My servant David, whom I chose, I will not remove the whole kingdom out of his hand. 32 But I will take the kingdom out of the hand of his son and give the ten tribes to you. 33 And to the son of Solomon himself I will pass on these same two tribes, establishing a place for My servant David to be before Me all the days of Jerusalem, the city I chose for Myself as the place to put My name. 34 So I will receive you, and you shall reign over everything your heart desires. You shall be king over Israel. 35 It shall be, if you hear and do everything I command you, and walk in My ways, and do what is right before Me, to keep My statutes and My commandments as My servant David did, then I shall be with you, and build you a house that shall endure, as I did for David.’ ”
36 Thereafter Solomon sought to kill Jeroboam, but Jeroboam arose and fled into Egypt, to Shishak king of Egypt. He remained there in Egypt until Solomon died. 37 Now the rest of the words of Solomon, all that he did and all his wisdom, are they not written in the Book of the Wisdom of Solomon?
The Death of Solomon
38 So the days Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel were forty years. 39 Then Solomon rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David his father. When Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard it, while yet in Egypt at the place to which he had fled from the face of Solomon and remained, he came directly to his city, into the land of Zereda in the Mount of Ephraim. Thus King Solomon slept with his fathers, and his son Rehoboam reigned as king in his place.
A Revolt against Rehoboam
1 Now King Rehoboam traveled to Shechem, for all Israel were coming to Shechem to proclaim him as king. 2 The people of Israel spoke to Rehoboam, saying, 3 “Your father made our yoke a heavy burden; but if you now lighten the harsh servitude and the burdensome yoke under which your father placed us, then we will serve you.” 4 So he said to them, “Go away for three days; then come back to me.” Thus they departed.
5 Then King Rehoboam consulted the elders who stood before his father Solomon while he still lived, and he said, “How do you advise me to answer these people?” 6 They spoke to him, saying, “If you will be a servant to these people today, and serve them, and speak good words to them, then they will be your servants all the days.” 7 But he rejected the advice of the elders, and consulted the young men who had grown up with him and stood in his presence. 8 He said to them, “What advice do you give? How should I answer these people who spoke to me, saying, ‘Lighten the yoke your father put on us’?”
9 Then these same young men said to him, “Here is how you should speak to this people who spoke to you, saying, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but may you make it lighter on us,’ thus respond to them, saying, ‘Being from the loins of my father, my meanness will be more burdensome. 10 Now whereas my father put a heavy yoke on you, I will add to your yoke. Whereas my father chastised you with whips, I will discipline you with scorpions.’ ”
11 So all the people came to King Rehoboam the third day, as the king had directed, saying, “Come back to me on the third day.” 12 Then the king answered the people harshly, for Rehoboam rejected the advice the elders offered to him. 13 Instead, Rehoboam spoke to the people according to the advice of the young men, saying, “My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke. My father chastised you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.” 14 So the king did not hear the appeal of the people, because the change of mind was from the Lord, that He might establish His word which He spoke by the authority of Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.
15 Now all Israel saw the king did not heed their words. So the people answered the king, saying, “What share of the inheritance have we in David? Nor do we have any inheritance in the son of Jesse. Israel, run to your dwelling-places. Now, O David, feed your own house.” Thus Israel departed to their dwelling. 16 In response, King Rehoboam sent for Adoniram, who was in charge of the tribute; but all Israel stoned him with stones, and he died. Then King Rehoboam knew it was time to mount up and flee back to Jerusalem. 17 Even to this day, Israel refuses any request concerning the house of David.
Jeroboam Is the King of Israel
18 Now when all Israel heard Jeroboam was back from Egypt, they sent for him and called him to the assembly. They made him king over Israel, and not one tribe followed the house of David except the tribes of Judah and Benjamin.
Jeroboam Avoids Civil War
19 When Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin. He had one hundred twenty thousand chosen men as warriors to fight against the house of Israel, that he might restore the kingdom to Rehoboam the son of Solomon. 20 But the word of God came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying, 21 “Speak to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, to all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the remnant of the people, saying, 22 ‘Thus says the Lord, “You shall not go up, nor shall you fight against your brethren the sons of Israel. Instead return, each of you, to his house, because this word is from Me.” Hear the word of the Lord.’ ” So according to the word of the Lord, they ended the march.
The Transition of Power
23 King Solomon slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the City of David. Then Rehoboam, his son, reigned in his place in Jerusalem. His son was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned twelve years in Jerusalem. The name of his mother was Naamah, daughter of Hanun, son of Nahash, the king of the sons of Ammon. He did evil before the Lord and did not walk in the way of David, his father.
24 There was a man from Mount Ephraim, a servant of Solomon, whose name was Jeroboam. The name of his mother was Zeruah, a prostitute. Solomon gave him the staff of authority over the male laborers of the house of Joseph, and he built Zereda for Solomon on Mount Ephraim. There were three hundred horse-pulled chariots with him. He also built the citadel with the laborers of the house of Ephraim, and enclosed the city of David. He was lifted up in opposition to the kingdom. 25 Solomon then sought to kill him, and he was afraid and escaped to Shishak, king of Egypt, where he stayed until Solomon died.
Psalm 102:13–22
13 As a father has compassion on his children,
So the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him,
14 For He knows how He formed us;
He remembers we are dust.
15 As for man, his days are like grass,
As a flower of the field, so he flourishes;
16 For the wind passes through it, and it shall not remain;
And it shall no longer know its place.
17 But the mercy of the Lord is from age to age upon those who fear Him,
And His righteousness upon children’s children,
18 To such as keep His covenant
And remember His commandments, to do them.
19 The Lord prepared His throne in heaven,
And His Kingdom rules over all.
20 Bless the Lord, all you His angels,
Mighty in strength, who do His word,
So as to hear the voice of His words.
21 Bless the Lord, all you His hosts,
His ministers who do His will;
22 Bless the Lord, all His works,
In all places of His dominion;
Bless the Lord, O my soul.
Proverbs 22:1–5
1 A good name is to be chosen more than much wealth,
And good grace more than silver and gold.
2 The rich man and the poor man meet with one another,
But the Lord made both.
3 An astute man, seeing an evil man severely punished, is himself instructed,
But those passing by without discernment suffer loss.
4 The fear of the Lord and riches and glory and life
Are the offspring of wisdom.
5 Thorns and snares are in the ways of the crooked,
But he who guards his own soul will keep away from them.
Luke 21:20–38
20 “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near.
21 “Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those who are in the midst of her depart, and let not those who are in the country enter her.
22 “For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.
23 “But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! For there will be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people.
24 “And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
The Coming of the Son of Man
(Matt. 24:29–31; Mark 13:24–27)
25 “And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring;
26 “men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
27 “Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
28 “Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.”
The Parable of the Fig Tree
(Matt. 24:32–35; Mark 13:28–31)
29 Then He spoke to them a parable: “Look at the fig tree, and all the trees.
30 “When they are already budding, you see and know for yourselves that summer is now near.
31 “So you also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near.
32 “Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all things take place.
33 “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.
The Importance of Watching
(Matt. 24:36–44; Mark 13:32–37)
34 “But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly.
35 “For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth.
36 “Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.”
37 And in the daytime He was teaching in the temple, but at night He went out and stayed on the mountain called Olivet.38 Then early in the morning all the people came to Him in the temple to hear Him.