1 Kings 14:21-31 (CLICK HERE FOR BIBLE VERSES)
Hi GAMErs,
Today’s passage is 1 Kings 14:21-31. As usual, I encourage you to open your Bible and read the passage yourself first. See what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help. Then read the GAME sharing below. Let’s go!
1 Kings 14:21-31 (NIV)
21 Rehoboam son of Solomon was king in Judah. He was forty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city the LORD had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel in which to put his Name. His mother’s name was Naamah; she was an Ammonite.
22 Judah did evil in the eyes of the LORD. By the sins they committed they stirred up his jealous anger more than their fathers had done.
23 They also set up for themselves high places, sacred stones and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every spreading tree.
24 There were even male shrine prostitutes in the land; the people engaged in all the detestable practices of the nations the LORD had driven out before the Israelites.
25 In the fifth year of King Rehoboam, Shishak king of Egypt attacked Jerusalem.
26 He carried off the treasures of the temple of the LORD and the treasures of the royal palace. He took everything, including all the gold shields Solomon had made.
27 So King Rehoboam made bronze shields to replace them and assigned these to the commanders of the guard on duty at the entrance to the royal palace.
28 Whenever the king went to the LORD’s temple, the guards bore the shields, and afterward they returned them to the guardroom.
29 As for the other events of Rehoboam’s reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah?
30 There was continual warfare between Rehoboam and Jeroboam.
31 And Rehoboam rested with his fathers and was buried with them in the City of David. His mother’s name was Naamah; she was an Ammonite. And Abijah his son succeeded him as king.
On verses 21-31: These verses summarize the 17 year reign of Rehoboam, David’s grandson and Solomon’s son, over the tribe of Judah. Judah (together with Benjamin) was the one tribe out of the tribes of Israel that the Lord did not tear away from the house of David. While Rehoboam ruled over Judah, Judah did evil in the eyes of the Lord by worshiping idols (v22). There was rampant idolatry in the land of Judah (v22-24). Right after this we read of how Shishak King of Egypt attacks King Rehoboam’s city of Jerusalem.
Why did Shishak launch this attack against Jerusalem? Two reasons:
– In the previous generation, Rehoboam’s dad Solomon was on good terms with Egypt, even marrying the princess of Egypt. However, when Shishak took over Egypt, those peaceful relations between the house of David and Egypt did not last. Eager to re-establish Egyptian domination over all of Palestine and the rest of Asia, Shishak king of Egypt allied himself with Jeroboam (see 1 Kings 11:40) instead of Rehoboam and attacked Jerusalem.
– 2 Chronicles 12:1-12 describes this attack in more detail. There we read that this attack was a consequence of Judah abandoning the LORD and following idols instead (see 2 Chronicles 12:1-5). In response to the attack, King Rehoboam actually humbles himself before God and in so doing saves the city from complete destruction. Still Shishak’s attack does great damage to the city of Jerusalem, as Shishak carries off all the gold items from the royal palace and the temple, including Solomon’s 500 gold shields (v26; see 1 Kings 10:16-17). Rehoboam replaces the gold shields with bronze shields (v27).
What can we learn from this? When we forsake God and worship idols, we become vulnerable to Satan’s attacks and allow our enemy to take away the gold in our lives, that is, what is most precious to us. Whenever we worship an idol, our lives become impoverished and the things that we really hold dear in life will suffer.
Are you worshiping an idol today? How do you know if you are worshiping an idol? Click HERE to learn 4 clues that you may be worshiping an idol and what you can do to get rid of idol worship in your life. Don’t give the enemy room to attack and impoverish your life by worshiping an idol.
Father, may I not worship anything or anyone other than You, lest I expose myself to the enemy. Thank You that when I seek Your kingdom and Your righteousness first, everything I need will be added. In Jesus’ name, AMEN!
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