The peril of leaving God's pattern

Let's turn in our Bibles to 1st Kings and chapter 12, please. 1st Kings and chapter 12. Nice to see everyone.

Give you a very warm welcome. What I have upon my mind is just a story in the Old Testament, but there's a, I think, a very important principle that we can learn from it. As we know, the entirety of the Word of God is written for our example, and we can learn from mistakes and things that are made.

So we're going to read a verse in 1st Kings chapter 12. I'm going to read a verse, and then we'll fill in the story, the back story. Verse number 15, and there's a little word here that only appears once in our Bible, and it is here, and it's the little word cause in verse number 15, but we'll read the whole verse.

This has to do with Rehoboam and Jeroboam, the dividing of the kingdom after Solomon's death, and we'll fill that in in just a minute. 1st Kings chapter 12 and verse number 15. Wherefore the king, it's a reference to Rehoboam, hearkened not unto the people, and here's the word, for the cause was from the Lord, that he might perform his saying, which the Lord spake by Ahijah the Shulamite unto Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

Now if you have a Newberry Bible, it's interesting the little phrase that he gives for that word cause, its turn of events. A sudden turn of events took place in this man's life, Rehoboam, that he was not expecting, and the reason for that we're going to look at. Let's just turn back to chapter 11 for a minute.

As you know, Saul was the first king in Israel, and of course the end of his reign was division, and then David comes to the throne, and there's division for the first seven years, and then David unites the the ten tribes and the two tribes, the twelve tribes, and David has a very successful reign, and then Solomon comes on to the picture, and that unity continues through the life of Solomon, but as you know, the first half of Solomon's life is very pleasing to the Lord, and the last half is very grieving to the Lord. Solomon loved many strange women and married them, and along with those wives came their gods, their pagan gods, and it's very sad. It's really something that really frightens me.

The wisest man fell into his own trap. That is frightening, so I would ask you to continue to pray for me, and if you're not praying for me, please do pray for me, because we all need prayer, and as a result of the sin of Solomon, there's going to be division, and we're going to find out that it's actually God is going to be the author of that division. So look at verse number 1 of chapter 11.

This is coming to the end of Solomon's life. Verse 1 of chapter 11, 1 Kings 11 and verse 1, but King Solomon loved many strange women, and then there's a list given. Verse number 4, and it came to pass when Solomon was old that his wives turned away his heart after other gods, and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father.

Then verse 9, and the Lord was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the Lord God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice. That's quite an expression. Two different occasions the Lord of Glory appeared to this man, yet he still loved many strange women, and his heart went after these idols.

Now just sort of think about that. That is quite a thing. When you think of Solomon starting out, as we heard last night from our brother Murray, he built that platform, he bowed on his knees, he put his hands to heaven, and the way he prayed before the nation at the beginning of his kingdom, and now we come to the end of his kingdom, and we discover that the Lord is angry with him.

That is very, very solemn. Look at verse number 11. I find this interesting.

Wherefore the Lord said unto Solomon, for as much as this is done of thee, and thou has not kept my covenant and my statues which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, notice, and will give it to thy servant. Now that must have sounded very strange to the king's ears. You know yourself from reading enough of the Bible that a father king had nothing greater than that his son would take over the kingdom.

Now here's the Lord God speaking to this man Solomon. He says, it's not going to go to your son. It's going to go to one of your servants.

Now Solomon had a vast kingdom as you know. He had a lot of servants, and if you just follow the Newberry dates that he has in the margin, this is about nine years before Solomon dies. Now you got to remember the last half of Solomon's life, he's a carnal man.

He's away from the Lord, and he's just been informed by God that your kingdom is going to be taken from you. It's going to be given to a servant. I'm sure his eyes were just looking at every single servant trying to figure out who is it.

Well God isn't going to let him know just yet. Then look at number 14, verse 14. So as a result of this sin, this should be a lesson to us.

We cannot get away. We will come into consequences because of our sin. Verse 14, and the Lord stirred up an adversary unto Solomon, Hadad, the Edomite.

So you know the peace and the rest that the kingdom of Solomon had. Now at the end, things are starting to come apart. God is now going to raise up this number one adversary.

Then you come to verse number 23. We're going to read of a second adversary that God raises up. Verse 23, and God stirred him up another adversary.

Reason, the son of Elad. Excuse me, Eladad. There's number two.

Now come to number verse 26. This is the man we want to focus on. This is the servant.

And Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, an Ephronite of Zerah, Solomon's servant, whose mother's name was Zeruah, a widow woman, even he lifted up his hand against the king. And this was the cause, that he lifted up his hand against the king. Solomon built Milo and repaired the breaches of the city of David his father.

And the man Jeroboam was a mighty man of valor, and Solomon seeing the young man that he was industrious, he made him ruler over all the church of the house of Joseph. The church, that's the forced laborers. In our terminology today, he would be likened to a foreman.

There he is, orchestrating, organizing all of these different workers. Little did Solomon realize that the very man that he was starting to promote, that was the servant that God was going to give ten tribes to. Now Solomon is a smart man.

He's looking at all of his kingdom. He's a carnal man now. And he's surveyed, trying to figure out, he's remembering this.

Now this little event here is now we've gone four years ahead from when God had said, I'm going to give it to a servant. Now we've come four years ahead. Well look what happens, verse number 29.

I'm going to spend a little bit of time on the story. It's a Sunday school story, but I want you to fully get a hold of the details of the story, because it's really what brings weight to the principle that we're going to discover in a minute. Look at verse 29.

And it came to pass at that time when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem that the prophet Ahijah, the Shulamite, found him in the way, and he had clad himself with a new garment, and they too were alone on the field. And Ahijah caught the new garment that was on him and rent or ripped it in twelve pieces. And he said to Jeroboam, take thee ten pieces.

For thus said the Lord, the God of Israel, behold I will rent or rip the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon and will give ten tribes to thee. I mean, this must have been a shocking message to a servant. I mean, you're going to give me ten tribes? Think about it, how this must have fell upon his ears.

But this is what God is going to do because of the sin of Solomon and the disobedience of Solomon. And here's this man, he's now holding on to ten pieces of a garment that has been torn, picturing for us the ten tribes in the north. And only the son of Solomon, Rehoboam, is going to get two.

It might be, this is how I remember, in my mind, who is really one of the sons? Jeroboam starts with J, Rehoboam starts with R, Solomon starts with S. So think of the alphabet, RS. All right, so the legitimate son of Solomon is Rehoboam. He's the one that the entire twelve tribes should be going to.

But now there's this servant, Jeroboam, that God has raised up and allowed to be raised up. And because of the sin, ten tribes are going to go to him. Now look what God does to this man through this prophet.

Verse 35, but I will take the kingdom out of his son's hand, referring to Rehoboam, and will give it unto thee, even ten tribes. And unto his son will I give one tribe. Now in that one tribe, of course, is linked the tribe of Benjamin.

You find that out, but Judah being the primary one in the south. So just keep that in mind. That David, my servant, may have a light always before me in Jerusalem, the city which I've chosen me to put my name there.

And I will take thee, I was referring to Jeroboam, the servant. I will take thee, and thou shalt reign according to all that thy soul desires, and shalt be king over Israel, the ten tribes in the north. And it shall be, if thou will hearken unto all that I command thee.

Now listen to what God is saying to this man. If you listen to all that I command thee, and will walk in my ways, and do that is right in my sight, to keep my statues and my commandments, as David my servant did. Remember what God had to say to Solomon.

Your heart is not perfect, because you're not like your father David. You've left the Word of God. Your heart is no longer perfect.

God now is encouraging this man Jeroboam. If you follow the Word of God, your heart will be perfect. Just get a hold of it.

You should underline that. That I will be with thee, and build thee a sure house, as I built for David, and will give Israel unto thee. Now what man, being promised to be a king, ten tribes would not want to hear that.

I will make your house sure. I will guarantee that you will not lose your people, you'll not lose your land. Here's what you need to do.

Follow my commandments. Follow the Word of God. Therefore your heart will be right, and I will find pleasure in you, as I did in David.

This is falling upon this, the ears now, this man Jeroboam. And he's taken it all in, and God's making it very, very clear. Now look what happens.

Verse number 40. Solomon sought therefore to kill Jeroboam. So Solomon must have found out about this little meeting in the field.

Now remember, this is five years before Solomon dies. Okay. Solomon sought therefore to kill Jeroboam.

And Jeroboam arose and fled into Egypt unto Shisheh king of Egypt, and was in Egypt until the death of Solomon. And then we discover in verse 43, and Solomon slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David his father. And Rehoboam his son reigned in this stead.

Now I don't know whether Rehoboam, who was the biological son of Solomon, I don't know whether Solomon told him, watch out for that man Jeroboam. There's five years where Jeroboam has fled into Egypt, and there he is in hiding. Up here in Israel, Solomon comes to the end of his life.

Now Rehoboam is just ready to step into the kingdom. Twelve tribes. He assumes all is going to be mine.

How do we know that? Look at chapter 12 verse 1. And Rehoboam went to Shechem. Now why Shechem? If you allow your mind to think of the strip of land of Israel over there, right in the middle is the tribe of Ephraim. And right in the middle of Ephraim is Shechem.

It's really the center point of the whole land of Israel. It is where all of the gatherings, a lot of the important gatherings took place. It was a place sort of a bringing the whole nation together to hear a message or to introduce a king.

This is what Rehoboam is going to do. He thinks this is all mine. Verse 1. And Rehoboam went to Shechem for all Israel were come to Shechem to make him king.

Look at verse 2. And it came to pass when Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who was yet in Egypt, heard of it for he was fled from the presence of King Solomon, we read that, and Jeroboam dwelled in Egypt, that they sent and called him. A number of the people connected with the ten tribes in the north, they sent word down to Jeroboam in Egypt, Solomon, he's no longer on the throne, come back up and rule over us. So up comes Jeroboam.

Look at verse number 3. That they sent and called him. And Jeroboam and all the congregation of Israel came and spake unto Rehoboam. Now this is where we're leading up to this verse I read.

Jeroboam is the spokesman for this disgruntled group of people. You might remember Solomon was a carnal man at this point. He was very hard on the people of God.

And you know what this massive group of people did through the mouth of Jeroboam? They asked Rehoboam, we will serve you if lighten the load of your father. You remember what Rehoboam did? He went and he conferred with the older men that served under Solomon. You remember the story now? And the older men said, you know what? They're right.

Your father has been hard on these people. Lighten the load. They will serve you.

Then Rehoboam changes over, turns over to the young men. What do you men think I should do? Don't you listen to that. You come out to those people and you tell them a whip will be the scorpion's tail and I will crush you.

That's what Rehoboam did. So he said, three days. Come back in three days.

And all of the people gathered and they're waiting to hear what is Rehoboam going to do? Little did Rehoboam realize that in listening to those young men, it was going to fulfill what God promised to Jeroboam. Now let's read what happened. As soon as this here word fell upon the ears of the people, no, I will not lighten the load.

Look at verse number 16. So when all Israel of chapter 12, so when all Israel saw that the king hearkened not unto them, the people answered the king saying, what portion have we in David? Neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse. To your tents, O Israel.

Now see to thine own house, David. Referring to Judah and Benjamin. So Israel departed onto their tents.

But as for the children of Israel, which dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them. Then King Rehoboam sent a Doram who was over the tribute. Tribute is another word for the forced laborers.

And all Israel stoned him with stones. You see, at this point, Rehoboam wasn't willing to let go of those ten tribes. And he had this man, a Doram, who was a taskmaster, a tough man.

So he sent him to try to whip these people into shape, the ten tribes. And you know what they did? They stoned him with stones. Rehoboam got afraid and he fled to Jerusalem.

You can read that in verse number 18. Therefore King Rehoboam made speed to get him up to his chariot to flee to Jerusalem. So Israel rebelled against the house of David unto this day.

When Rehoboam got back down to Jerusalem, do you know what he did? He got an army together. He wasn't gonna let go yet. Look what happened in verse number 22.

But the word of God came unto Shemaiah, the man of God, saying, Speak unto Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and unto all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the remnant of the people, saying, Thus saith the Lord, Ye shall not go up, nor fight against your brother and the children of Israel. Return every man to his house, for this thing is from me. How many people assumed or assume that division is always of the devil? Here is a Bible story that clearly states the opposite.

God is purposely dividing the twelve tribes because of sin. Twice over, the cause is from the Lord, this thing is of the Lord. Because of the sin of Solomon, ten tribes are going to be given to Jeroboam, his servant.

Two, I will leave with Rehoboam, his biological son. Remember what God said to Jeroboam through the prophet five years ago. If you follow me, I will keep all those ten tribes with you.

Now I want to ask you a question. This is where we get to the principle. How many places did God have to worship? You say one place.

Where was it? Oh, you say it was in Jerusalem. Yeah. How many feasts of Jehovah did God have? He said he had seven feasts of Jehovah.

Where did all those feasts take place? Down in Jerusalem. Jerusalem is down in the two tribes. The ten tribes are up north.

Where's the temple? Oh, you say that's in Jerusalem. That's right. It's not up here in the in the ten.

This is how Rehoboam started to think. Let's read about it. Look at verse number 25.

Then Jeroboam, now this is the man in the in the north with the ten tribes, built Shechem in Mount Ephraim, and Deuteron and went out from thence and built Penuel. And Jeroboam said in his heart, Now shall the kingdom return to the house of David, if this people go up to do sacrifice in the house of the Lord of Jerusalem. Then shall the heart of this people turn again unto their Lord, even Rehoboam king of Judah, and they shall kill me and go again to Rehoboam king of Judah.

No, no, no, no. Jeroboam, what did God tell you? God said, follow the Word of God, we'll keep your heart perfect, and I will make sure you have a sure house. You will not lose your people, Jeroboam.

You won't lose them. But Jeroboam put that all aside. And he started to think within his heart.

He said, listen, if you're familiar with the seven feasts of Jehovah, there was three of them that every male had to go up to Jerusalem. Three times a year. And you know what Jeroboam thought? As my people in the north start to migrate down to the south three times a year to Jerusalem for these annual feasts, they're gonna see the temple.

Oh, we miss the temple. They're gonna see all that they have down there. And the people are gonna start to think, we shouldn't have turned against Rehoboam.

We shouldn't have made this man Jeroboam king. And Jeroboam is thinking, their heart is going to go from me over to Rehoboam, and they're gonna conspire and kill me. Jeroboam, what did God say? God said, I will look after your kingdom that I'm given to you.

I will look after the ten tribes in the north. Just follow the Word of God. Why am I majoring this? Dear child of God, I don't think we fully realize today how much pressure is on assemblies and individuals to move away from the Word of God.

Patterns that are in the Word of God. Assembly meetings that are clearly stated in the Word of God. If you're one of those people, I want you to listen.

I want you to listen to the life of this man, Jeroboam. He was faced with a decision. Do I obey God and just follow the Word of God, or do I start to devise something new? Let's read what he did.

Look at verse number 28. Wherefore the king, Jeroboam, took counsel and made two calves of gold, and said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.

What? This is a man, Jeroboam, that was spoken to by a prophet, through whom which God spoke and said, Jeroboam, the God of heaven, I'm choosing you, man. You. And I'm going to give you ten tribes.

And I'm encouraging you to follow the Word of God. Wouldn't that speak to many of us and say, wow, okay, Lord, that's what we're going to do. So here he is now, faced with this, this just doesn't make sense.

These people are going to go down south, and they're going to, they're just going to leave me. I've got to come up with something new and improved. I'm going to build two golden calves.

Now mind you, Solomon wasn't a good example to him. He didn't have a lot on the outside to look to and say, well, I'm going to, well, he didn't do it. No, no, he did it.

Solomon brought the nation into a terrible amount of idolatry, all in and around Jerusalem. Can you imagine? You know what, listen, it's hard enough for me to understand this, how this man could come up with this idea. This is going to work.

Two golden calves. I'm amazed that the ten tribes absorbed it. They accepted it.

They took it on board. You're going to find out here in a minute that a very small element turned against it. This man, Jeroboam, at this point was only representing the hearts of the people.

They still wanted their idolatry. Can I encourage every single elder here today? Be careful what you accept. My father has taught me for years.

He said, Scott, never forget this. Christians are like sheep. They will follow.

Dear elder, make sure you're setting a good example. Make sure. This man, Jeroboam, just continued to lead ten tribes into idolatry.

Did it stop there? No. Look, look, look at next. Look at verse 29.

He's, and he set one in Bethel and the other in Bethel. Bethel means the house of God. You talk about blatant disregard for the things of God.

In the house of God, Bethel, he's setting up a golden calf. These be thy gods, O Israel. Can you imagine? Oh, my dear.

Verse 30. And this thing became a sin for the people went to worship before the one even unto Dan. Look at this.

Look at this. And he made a house of high places. Well, Jerusalem has a temple.

We got to try to duplicate that up here. So we're going to start to build these high places to go with these calves. Verse 31.

And made priests of the lowest of the people, which were not the sons of Levi. Jeroboam, what did God state in his word? Only the tribe of Levi were to be priests. No, he says, we're not going to follow that.

I'm going to take all of the tribes. Whoever wants to be a priest, just put your hand up. Come to me as King.

I will ordain you to be a priest. Doesn't matter to me. He see how one step started morphing into more of an assault against the things that God ordained.

Can you see that? It doesn't stop there. Look at verse 32. And Jeroboam ordained a feast in the eighth month on the 15th day of the month like unto the feast that is in Judah.

What? Listen, God clearly marked out seven distinct feasts linked with himself. Jeroboam says, no, he says, we're not. God missed one.

I'm going to come up with a new feast. I'm going to come up with a new way for the people of God to come together and worship God. Oh, yeah.

And what's this? Listen, you know, your seventh feast of Jehovah, the last feast of Jehovah was in the seventh month on the 14th day. This man goes on the eighth month in the 15th day. You see how he's progressing in his assault against what God wanted.

Do we have people today trying to suggest new ways of meeting? Sure we do. I don't know what you're facing in the United States. I can tell you what we're facing in Canada.

There are people now trying to encourage conversational Bible studies where even sisters can take part. Oh, they say, provided one of the elders points out a sister and says, do you have a question, sister? Therefore, she's not usurping authority when that's done that way. Dear child of God is outside the word of God.

It's an assault against God's order, God's power. Oh, it's going to work. Listen, this man, Jeroboam, let me get this right down to where the tire hits the road.

We're going to make everybody priests. Do you know what we're being told in Canada by some? Sisters are gifted to teach publicly. I wonder where that's coming from.

This Bible clearly states that sisters are not gifted to publicly teach. I don't have time to prove that. I've spent a number of hours studying it out.

For those that might find that a little challenging, you just follow the word teach. Look at the different words for teach. Oh, they always throw up Titus chapter two, the older to teach.

Different word, different word. Because the context is different. You're down at the private level.

You're not at the public level. You're dealing with one sister encouraging another sister. Go and look at the word teach linked with men, men teaching, teaching.

You just follow it through. And you'll find the two times that that word is used with women. It's like with Jezebel in Revelation.

You're suffering that woman Jezebel to teach. Very negative context. And the others in first Timothy chapter two, I suffer not a woman to teach.

A whole context in the assembly meeting. So even the way the spirit of God carefully chooses his words and makes a distinction. But here's this man.

No, he says we're going to make everybody priests. We're going to try to make everybody feel part of it. I'm running out of time.

Do you know an expression that appears only once in your Bible? And it's linked with this man, Jeroboam. Here's what I'm surprised at. I'm surprised that God allowed this man to function for 22 years after this.

Twenty two years. And you know how Jeroboam ended his life. Listen to this phrase.

The Lord struck him. The Lord struck him. Dear child of God, you and I cannot attack the word of God and expect life to go easy.

Of all the children that Jeroboam had, there was only one son that God said I could I could find some good in him. And he allowed that boy to die and to be buried properly. Do you know what God said about the rest of his children? Those that die in the city, the dogs will eat.

Those that die in the field, the birds of the air will eat. This is how this man ended. Why? Because he wasn't going to listen to God.

I'm going to devise my own way of holding the people of God together. Can I encourage us all in 2018, the pattern of the New Testament and the word of God is the only thing that will bring true unity. It's the only thing that will hold us together.

So once again, talking to my elders in a very gracious way, don't try to reinvent the wheel. I can prove from the New Testament that the seven distinct assembly meetings that we have practiced for years are not gospel hall tradition. They are based in scripture.

The spirit of God has given us the seven distinct meetings to gather the people of God where teaching is given, where the people of God can be unified. It's just an assault from the devil, I'll have to say to you. Look at this verse 32, 33.

So he offered upon the altar, which he had made in Bethel the 15th day of the eighth month, even in the month, which he had devised of his own heart. Oh, now we're getting down to it. This is where we're getting down to it, Jeroboam.

This is where it's coming from out of your own heart, your own thinking. Oh, may the Lord for service. Turn quickly over to second Chronicles.

Second Chronicles 11. This is a another consequence that I'll leave you with, which is very, very sad. So all of this, just think of all that was changing in those 10 tribes.

Now we're given second Chronicles 11. And look what we read here. We're introduced to Rehoboam and his success down in Jerusalem because he's following the word of God and come to verse number 13.

Now, just before we read verse 13, if you look at a map, where did the tribe of Levite exist in the 10 tribes up north? All right, look at verse 13. And the priests and the Levites that were in all Israel resorted to him, the context is Rehoboam in the south, out of all their coasts for the Levites left their suburbs and their possessions and came to Judah and Jerusalem. For, because Jeroboam and his sons had cast them off from executing the priest's office unto the Lord, and he ordained him priests for the high places and for the devils and for the calves, which he had made.

Oh, Jeroboam, there was more to those physical golden calves than just physical gold. There were devils behind it. Always remember, dear child of God, the devil is always attacking the word of God, always.

Verse 16, and after them, out of all the tribes of Israel, such as set their hearts to seek the Lord God of Israel, came to Jerusalem. You want to know what happened? All of the godly remnant, the Levites, the priests, they all left the north and they came down and they started to live in Jerusalem. You say, okay, what happened as a result of that? Listen to me, just listen, dear child of God, I'm done with this.

How many kings in the north? There was 19 kings in the north until they were carried off into captivity by the Assyrians. Do you know what you will not read? Not one of those 19 kings, it said of them, they feared the Lord. Not one of them is it said they did that which was right in the sight of the Lord.

Do you know why? Because Jeroboam set them on a course that took them away from God. And as a result, the godly element left. What do you read about the kings of the south, the 20 that they had? Many of them, you read this, they did that which was right.

Many of them, they feared the Lord. Do you know what happens when we take a course? I want to think just of an assembly. Do you know what happens when an assembly takes a liberal line? You push out a godly element and they don't come anymore, they don't feel invited.

Do you know what happens to that assembly? It just starts to deteriorate further into liberalism. No fear, they don't do what is right in the sight of the Lord. So may we learn from this little story, our only defense in 2018 is just to follow the word of God.

It's not boring, it doesn't have to be reinvented. God has in his mind understood assembly testimony in the 21st century, the 22nd, whatever it might be. Doctrine works in every culture and in every time zone.

So dear child of God, stick to the Bible. You're not wrong. In spite of who's going the opposite way, just follow what the Bible says.

Thank you.