Voices Of The Prophets (3)

by G. Prasher, Maidstone | Category: Voices Of The Prophets | May 1966

Earlier we drew attention to voices from the prophets Nathan and Gad, and now we wish to give thought to some words from Ahijah, the Shilonite. Two men were in a field alone, one the prophet Ahijab, the other Jeroboam, the son of Nebat. Jeroboam was an active person whose industry and valour attracted the attention of the king, and Solomon promoted him to have charge of all the labour of the house of Joseph. It was then, as it is now, "A man's gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men" (Proverbs 18.16). Well, when Ahijah met this young man in the field he was clad in a new garment which he rent in twelve pieces, ten of which he gave to Jeroboam, saying, "Take thee ten pieces: for thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel, Behold, I will rend the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and will give ten tribes to thee: (but he shall have one tribe, for My servant David's sake, and for Jerusalem's sake, the city which I have chosen)" (1 Kings 11.28-32).

We have previously noticed that the LORD had loved Solomon from his birth, and even before his birth had determined that he should reign as king. Although he had older brothers, and one at least was the son of a princess, yet when the time arrived Solomon sat upon the throne of David his father. The LORD made him to prosper above all that were before him, or that followed after, for "God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea shore" (1 Kings 4.29). God was faithful in all His promises. Why this dread change in the Lord's attitude to Solomon? What has occurred that the kingdom must be rent from him, or from his son? The story is a sad one, for though the LORD had been faithful, Solomon had failed to obey the commands of his God. Even he found that a full cup was not easily carried. His tenure of favour with the LORD was conditioned by obedience to the LORD.

According to the law of the LORD, the king must not multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away; nor was he to multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt; neither was he to multiply to himself silver and gold. Yet instead of subjecting himself to the will of God, we read, "Now king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites; of the nations concerning which the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go among them neither shall they come among you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love" (1 Kings 11.1,2). He also multiplied his horses, his silver and gold. "When Solomon was old," we are told, "his wives turned away his heart after their gods." He even built an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the mount that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon. And he did so for all his strange wives, who burned incense and sacrificed unto their gods. Long years later, Nehemiah commented on Solomon's actions in these words: "Even him did strange women cause to sin" (13.26).

The LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned away from the LORD... who had appeared unto him twice, and had commanded him concerning this thing. "Forasmuch as this is done of thee," said the LORD, "and thou hast not kept My covenant and My statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant." In His patience, the LORD waited till the death of Solomon before he brought the judgement. Rehoboam, his son, came to the throne. Jeroboam, learning that Solomon was dead, returned from Egypt, whither he had fled from the wrath of Solomon, and he with all the congregation came to Rehoboam with a grievance. They wished the yoke of Solomon made lighter. Taking the advice of the younger men, which was really foolish advice, the king gave answer that he would make the yoke heavier, and he would chastise them with scorpions. The response of the people was, "What portion have we in David? ... to your tents, 0 Israel." Thus the ten tribes revolted, and Rehoboam was left with a small remnant of the nation. There were now two kingdoms, and betimes wars broke out, with their accompanying sorrows and loss. Let us note, in passing, that the results of sin are far-reaching. The folly to which the wisest of men stooped bore grievous fruit during many years that followed. It was the folly of disobeying the clear commands of the LORD.

Let us now think of Ahijah's message to Jeroboam. He was to reign over the ten tribes, and God said, "It shall be, if thou wilt hearken unto all that I command thee, and wilt walk in My ways, and do that which is right in Mine eyes, to keep My statutes and My commandments, as David My servant did; that I will be with thee, and will build thee a house, as I built for David, and will give Israel unto thee" (1 Kings 11.37,38). Here was a grand opportunity for this young man. How would he react! Jerusalem was the place where God ordained that men should worship, because His house was there, and He had placed His Name there. But Jeroboam considered, "If this people go up to offer sacrifices in the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, then shall the heart of this people turn again unto their lord, even unto Rehoboam king of Judah; and they shall kill me" (1 Kings 12.27). 50 he took counsel, and made two calves of gold, placing one in Beth-el and one in Dan, and said to his people, "It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem; Behold thy gods, 0 Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt." "And this thing became a sin: for the people went to worship before each of them, even unto Dan" (I Kings 12.28,30, RVM). Resorting to human reasoning, he acted thus, arranging a spurious worship, with priests not of the sons of Levi, and feasts in imitation of the feasts of the LORD. The promised blessing that Ahijah mentioned could not be his, but stern and awful judgement made known to him through the same prophet Ahijah. Every man child of his would be cut off, and his house utterly swept away, as a man sweepeth away dung, till all be gone. Jeroboam is known as the man who made Israel to sin. When Baasha came to the throne, "he smote all the house of Jeroboam; he left not to Jeroboam any that breathed, until he had destroyed him; according to the saying of the LORD, which He spake by the hand of His servant Ahijah the Shilonite" (1 Kings 14 and 15).

We close our remarks on the prophecy through Ahijah with the words of Proverbs 8.34-36:

"Blessed is the man that heareth me,

Watching daily at my gates,

Waiting at the posts of my doors.

For whoso findeth me findeth life,

And shall obtain favour of the LORD.

But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul:

All they that hate me love death."

G. Prasher, Maidstone | May 1966
Voices Of The Prophets