Message for uploading 1
If you do whatever I command you
1 Kings 11:14-43
Key Verse 11:38
“ If you do whatever I command you and walk in obedience to me and do what is right in my eyes by obeying my decrees and commands, as David my servant did, I will be with you. I will build you a dynasty as enduring as the one I built for David and will give Israel to you."
The Lord said to Jeroboam, “If you do whatever I command you.” We have a “doing” problem. We have a problem of “doing” whatever the Lord commands us. Apostle also had the same “doing” problem. The Lord commanded him, “Do not covet”. But he could not stop coveting. So he cried out in Romans chapter 7, something along the line, “I do not understand what I am doing. I do not do what I want to do which is good. But I do what I hate to do which is evil. This I kept on doing.” I have a desire to do what is good but I cannot carry it out. If I do what I hate to do and if I do not do what I want to do, then it is not I who does it but sin living in me who does it. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? His cries end up thanking God. “But thanks be to God who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord.” So, Apostle Paul found the solution for his “doing” problem.
Solomon had a “doing” problem. Throughout Solomon’s lifetime, the Lord’s message for him was consistent. “Do what I command”. The same message came from his father David. The same message was given to him when the Lord appeared to him the first time. At that time Solomon asked the wisdom. The Lord appeared to him a second time after he offered dedication prayer at the temple. And he gave him the same message, “do whatever I command you.” The Lord also told Solomon last Sunday. All of these messages have the same point. “If you do whatever I command you.”
The Lord gave the exact same message to Jeroboam. “If you do whatever I command you.” So today we want to think about solving our “doing” problem. We all want to become people who “do whatever I command us.”
My message has two parts.
Part I. The Lord raise up against Solomon an adversary (v.1-25)
Part II. This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says (v.26-43)
Part I. The Lord raise up against Solomon an adversary (v.1-25)
Verses 14-18
“14 Then the Lord raised up against Solomon an adversary, Hadad the Edomite, from the royal line of Edom. 15 Earlier when David was fighting with Edom, Joab the commander of the army, who had gone up to bury the dead, had struck down all the men in Edom. 16 Joab and all the Israelites stayed there for six months, until they had destroyed all the men in Edom. 17 But Hadad, still only a boy, fled to Egypt with some Edomite officials who had served his father. 18 They set out from Midian and went to Paran. Then taking people from Paran with them, they went to Egypt, to Pharaoh king of Egypt, who gave Hadad a house and land and provided him with food.
Verse 14 is a shocking statement. Then the Lord raised up against Solomon an adversary, Hadad the Edomite, from the royal line of Edom.
Solomon’s rebellion against God finally reached the point where the Lord began to raise up against Solomon, a visible human adversary. The Lord took an action to bring a person who could oppose Solomon. Solomon’s rebellion against God made him God’s enemy.
The first adversary the Lord raised up against Solomon is Hadad the Edomite. He was from the royal line of Edom. Earlier when David was fighting in Edom, Joab, the commander of the army went up to bury the dead. The dead probably refers to dead soldiers. But when Joab went up there in Edom he did not just bury the dead. He had struck down all the men in Edom. He and the Israelite soldiers stayed there for six months until they had destroyed all the men in Edom.
At that time, Hadad was still a young boy. He fled to Egypt together with some Edomite officials who served his father. They set out from Midian and went to Paran. Then taking people from Paran with them they went to Egypt, to Pharaoh king of Egypt who gave Hadad a house and land and provided him with food.
Verses 19-22
“19 Pharaoh was so pleased with Hadad that he gave him a sister of his own wife, Queen Tahpenes, in marriage. 20 The sister of Tahpenes bore him a son named Genubath, whom Tahpenes brought up in the royal palace. There Genubath lived with Pharaoh’s own children.
21 While he was in Egypt, Hadad heard that David rested with his ancestors and that Joab the commander of the army was also dead. Then Hadad said to Pharaoh, “Let me go, that I may return to my own country.”
22 “What have you lacked here that you want to go back to your own country?” Pharaoh asked.
“Nothing,” Hadad replied, “but do let me go!”
Pharaoh was so pleased with Hadad that he made Hadad his brother-in-law. Hadad’s son Genubath lived with Pharaoh’s own children. But when he heard the death of David and Joab he wanted to go back. Why? So Pharaoh asked him, ““What have you lacked here that you want to go back to your own country?” He replied “Nothing. But do let me go!” Why does he want to go back to his own country when he did not lack anything in Egypt? In Egypt he was living like Pharaoh's own family.
There is no reasonable answer. So Hadad replied, “nothing”. But he said, “But do let me go.” His answer shows there is one reason why he wanted to go back. This was what the Lord was doing. He raised up against Solomon his adversary Hadad the Edomite.
Verses 23-25
“23 And God raised up against Solomon another adversary, Rezon son of Eliada, who had fled from his master, Hadadezer king of Zobah. 24 When David destroyed Zobah’s army, Rezon gathered a band of men around him and became their leader; they went to Damascus, where they settled and took control. 25 Rezon was Israel’s adversary as long as Solomon lived, adding to the trouble caused by Hadad. So Rezon ruled in Aram and was hostile toward Israel.”
The Lord has raised up another adversary against Solomon. Rezon had fled from his master Hadadezer king of Zobah when David destroyed Jobah’s army. Instead of fighting against David for his master Hadadezer king of Zobah he had fled from him. In a way he deserted him and he took advantage of the situation for his own benefit. He gathered a band of men around him and became their leader. Then they went to Damascus where they settled and took control.
The expression, “Rezon was Israel’s adversary as long as Solomon lived” shows what was going on. The Lord raised him against Solomon. When Solomon died, Rezon might not be working as Israel’s adversary. Rezon’s trouble was added to the trouble caused by Hadad. Israel people under Solomon suffered because of Solomon’s disobedience.
The expression “Rezon was Israel’s adversary” and “Rezon ruled in Aram and was hostile toward Israel” shows the suffering of Israel because of Solomon’s disobedience. Israel suffered from Hadad in the South and from Rezon in the North.
Part II. This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says (v.26-43)
The Lord raised up the final and the most powerful adversary against Solomon from Solomon’s own officials.
Verses 26-28
“26 Also, Jeroboam son of Nebat rebelled against the king. He was one of Solomon’s officials, an Ephraimite from Zeredah, and his mother was a widow named Zeruah.
27 Here is the account of how he rebelled against the king: Solomon had built the terraces and had filled in the gap in the wall of the city of David his father. 28 Now Jeroboam was a man of standing, and when Solomon saw how well the young man did his work, he put him in charge of the whole labor force of the tribes of Joseph.”
Jeroboam was the son of Nebet and one of Solomon’s officials. He was an Ephraimite from Zeredah, and his mother was a widow named Zeruah.
There is a story about how Jeroboam rebelled against the king Solomon. Solomon Solomon had built the terraces and had filled in the gap in the wall of the city of David his father. 28 Now Jeroboam was a man of standing, and when Solomon saw how well the young man did his work, he put him in charge of the whole labor force of the tribes of Joseph.
Solomon himself gave the high position to Jeroboam. What Solomon did was the right thing because Jeroboam was a man of standing and did his work so well. But even the right thing Solomon did now worked against him when he rebelled against God.
The Lord highly exalted Solomon and Solomon rebelled against God. Solomon highly exalted Jeroboam and Jeroboam rebelled against Solomon. The bible says “God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.” “With the measure you use it will be measured to you.” (Mark 4:24)
Verses 29-31
“29 About that time Jeroboam was going out of Jerusalem, and Ahijah the prophet of Shiloh met him on the way, wearing a new cloak. The two of them were alone out in the country, 30 and Ahijah took hold of the new cloak he was wearing and tore it into twelve pieces. 31 Then he said to Jeroboam, “Take ten pieces for yourself, for this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘See, I am going to tear the kingdom out of Solomon’s hand and give you ten tribes.”
The Lord directly commanded Jeroboam to rebel against Solomon. He appointed him to be king of Israel of ten tribes through the prophet Ahijah. So now fighting against Jeroboam was like fighting against the Lord himself.
Verses 32-36
“32 But for the sake of my servant David and the city of Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, he will have one tribe. 33 I will do this because they have forsaken me and worshiped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Molek the god of the Ammonites, and have not walked in obedience to me, nor done what is right in my eyes, nor kept my decrees and laws as David, Solomon’s father, did.
34 “‘But I will not take the whole kingdom out of Solomon’s hand; I have made him ruler all the days of his life for the sake of David my servant, whom I chose and who obeyed my commands and decrees. 35 I will take the kingdom from his son’s hands and give you ten tribes. 36 I will give one tribe to his son so that David my servant may always have a lamp before me in Jerusalem, the city where I chose to put my Name.
But the Lord wanted to save one tribe for the sons of David for the sake of David, his servant and the city of Jerusalem which he has chosen out of all the tribes of israel.
The Lord will tear the kingdom from Solomon’s hand to Jeroboam because of their spiritual adultery. They have forsaken the Lord and worshipped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Molek the god of the Ammonites, and have not walked in obedience to me, nor done what is right in my eyes, nor kept my decrees and laws as David, Solomon’s father, did.
If you are a husband or wife, you will know how painful it is when your spouse committed adultery when you are faithful to him or her. That was the pain the Lord felt from Solomon. The Lord only blessed Solomon with wisdom, wealth and honor beyond human understanding. But now he forsook the Lord and worshipped the detestable Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Molek the god of the Ammonites. Behind those idols demons were there. Solomon ended up worshiping demons.
Solomon and his people led by Solomon did not walk in obedience to the Lord nor done what is right in his eyes, nor kept his decrees and laws as David, Solomon’s father, did.
There is a great contrast between David and Solomon. That is obedience and disobedience to the Lord’s decrees and laws.
But the Lord would not take the whole kingdom from Solomon’s hand. The Lord has made Solomon ruler all the days of his life for the sake of David, his servant whom he chose and who obeyed his commands and decrees. The Lord will take his sons’ hands and give Jeroboam ten tribes. But the Lord will give one tribe to his son so that David, his servant, may always have a lamp before him in Jerusalem where he chose to put his name.
From what the Lord said about David, we can see the heart of the Lord who wanted to honor David so much because David obeyed the commands of the Lord wholeheartedly. We see almost the Lord misses David so much.
This teaches us that our children will be richly blessed by the Lord when we obey the commands of God. Our physical children and our spiritual children will be favored by the Lord even when they make mistakes because of us who walk in obedience to him.
Verses 37-39
“37 However, as for you, I will take you, and you will rule over all that your heart desires; you will be king over Israel. 38 If you do whatever I command you and walk in obedience to me and do what is right in my eyes by obeying my decrees and commands, as David my servant did, I will be with you. I will build you a dynasty as enduring as the one I built for David and will give Israel to you. 39 I will humble David’s descendants because of this, but not forever.’”
I believe these verses are the main part of today’s message, and it is very heart moving to see the Lord’s justice. The Lord said to Jeroboam,“37 However, as for you, I will take you, and you will rule over all that your heart desires; you will be king over Israel. 38 If you do whatever I command you and walk in obedience to me and do what is right in my eyes by obeying my decrees and commands, as David my servant did, I will be with you. I will build you a dynasty as enduring as the one I built for David and will give Israel to you. 39 I will humble David’s descendants because of this, but not forever.’”
The Lord promised Jeroboam to be with him and give Israel to him and build him a dynasty as enduring as the one he built for David with one condition. That is 38 If you do whatever I command you and walk in obedience to me and do what is right in my eyes by obeying my decrees and commands, as David my servant did.
Jeroboam was just an ordinary Ephramite without special royal blood. However, the Lord treated him equally as equal to David as long as he kept his one condition from the Lord. The Lord promised him with the same blessings that he gave to David as long as he obeyed his decrees and commands.
These words of God are so moving. If we apply it in our own situation, it is something like this. Our Father will say to us, “If you truly believe my one and only Son Jesus as your Savior and Lord from the bottom of your heart, you become my own children. You will share all my glory, power, authority together with my Son Jesus. You will be co-heirs with my Son Jesus.”
God gave Solomon the same message to obey his laws through his entire life.
This is what David, his father, told him in chapter 2 when the time drew near for him to die.
1 Kings 2:2-3
“2 “I am about to go the way of all the earth,” he said. “So be strong, act like a man, 3 and observe what the Lord your God requires: Walk in obedience to him, and keep his decrees and commands, his laws and regulations, as written in the Law of Moses. Do this so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go”
Then, in chapter 3, this is what the Lord said to Solomon when he appeared to Solomon the first time. It was when Solomon asked for wisdom.
1 Kings 3:13-14
13 Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for—both wealth and honor—so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings. 14 And if you walk in obedience to me and keep my decrees and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life.”
Then in chapter 9, the Lord appeared to Solomon the second time, and this is what he told Solomon.
1 kings 9:3-5a
“3 The Lord said to him: “I have heard the prayer and plea you have made before me; I have consecrated this temple, which you have built, by putting my Name there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there. 4 “As for you, if you walk before me faithfully with integrity of heart and uprightness, as David your father did, and do all I command and observe my decrees and laws,5 I will establish your royal throne over Israel forever”
Then in chapter 11, this is what the Lord told Solomon.
1 Kings 11:10-11
10 Although he had forbidden Solomon to follow other gods, Solomon did not keep the Lord’s command. 11 So the Lord said to Solomon, “Since this is your attitude and you have not kept my covenant and my decrees, which I commanded you, I will most certainly tear the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your subordinates.
The reason the Lord raised up three adversaries was to help Solomon. It was the expression of the Lord’s love for him. The Lord wanted him to think about the cause of his trouble and come back to him, and do whatever the Lord commands him.
But Solomon acted as if he had never heard of it. There is not even one bible sentence that shows that Solomon regarded the commands of God even a little bit. What happened to him?
Matthew 13:13-14 explains what happened to Solomon.
“13 This is why I speak to them in parables:
“Though seeing, they do not see;
though hearing, they do not hear or understand.
14 In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:
“‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding;
you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
Don’t you think a very interesting thing is happening here? Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.
Ever seeing but never perceiving; ever hearing but never understanding.
Solomon ever saw the commands of God but he never saw them. He ever heard the laws of God but he never heard them.
I will show you one example from me. I have fungus on my feet, the problem of athlete feet. I wanted to be healed. Maria told me many times, “You need to change your shocks every day.” I never heard it. I brushed it off because I did not want to do. Most of all, I did not listen because I did not believe it would help. Finally one day the Lord reminded me of the truth based on the word of Matthew, I woke up and began to change my socks every day.
As Jesus said, why do people ever hear the commands of God but never hear? Why do they ever see but never see? What do you think is the reason?
Unbelieving!
Solomon did not believe the decrees of God. He did not believe it would work. So he ever saw the commands of God but never saw. He ever heard but never heard.
Verses 40-43
“40 Solomon tried to kill Jeroboam, but Jeroboam fled to Egypt, to Shishak the king, and stayed there until Solomon’s death.
41 As for the other events of Solomon’s reign—all he did and the wisdom he displayed—are they not written in the book of the annals of Solomon? 42 Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years. 43 Then he rested with his ancestors and was buried in the city of David his father. And Rehoboam his son succeeded him as king.
Solomon tried to kill Jeroboam who obeyed the Lord. Solomon became the devil's instrument. “40 Solomon tried to kill Jeroboam, but Jeroboam fled to Egypt, to Shishak the king, and stayed there until Solomon’s death.
What Jeroboam did remind us of what Joseph, Jesus’ father, did when Jesus was born. King Herod wanted to kill Jesus who was born as a king of the Jews. So Joseph had to flee to Egypt and stayed there until the death of the king Herod.
Only by God’s grace and mercy and because of his father David’s obedience Solomon maintained his kingship until he died. And he was buried in the city of his father David. And his son Rehoboam succeeded him as king.
Now let us think about the reason why obeying God’s command is so important? Can anyone try to answer? Why is it so important to obey the commands of God?
The answer is by obeying the commands of God, we submit ourselves under the authority of God. It makes perfect sense. If we obey God’s laws, we declare we are under him and he is above us. In this way we submit ourselves under his authority. When we submit ourselves under his authority, no other powers can harm us. He will protect us and provide us.
In the same way when we sin, we submit ourselves to the devil who has been sinning from the beginning because sin is to break God’s commands and laws.
When Solomon disobeyed the commands of God, he ended up worshipping idols which have demons behind them. Eventually Solomon became God’s enemy. It is because Solomon offered himself to his enemy and the enemy of the Lord when he disobeyed the Lord’s decrees.
There is another important reason why we need to obey God’s laws. That is healing, our inner healing. When we obey the commands of God, there is healing from the Lord. The Lord heals us as we keep his decrees. Sin is breaking the law. Through sin our enemy causes wounds and scars in our emotions and mind. As we keep God's laws it brings healing. It protects us from condemnation from ourselves and condemnation from others. In our healing we should not condemn us and we should reject condemnation of others. When do we condemn us? We ourselves condemn us when we pass judgment on others. Romans 2:1 reveals the truth. We do not allow others to condemn us by their words and actions that do not come from the Lord. Jesus Christ and we are united. Whatever does not come from the Lord in words and action from us or others should be rejected because they come from our enemies. Whatever the bible does not encourage us to think or act should be rejected from us and others. We reject others’ unhealthy words and behavior. But be very careful. We should never judge others. The minute we judge others we condemn ourselves. Therefore without passing judgment on others, we simply reject their words and actions that do not come from the Lord. Then we are hurt by others and we can love them and bear their weaknesses in the healthier way.
Now, how can we obey God’s commands? What is the solution for our “doing” problem. In order to do whatever the Lord commands, we need to overcome the power of sin working inside of us. Apostle Paul found the solution to the “doing” problem for him. It is also the solution for all of us. He said in Romans 7:25a, “But thanks be to God who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!
How did Jesus Christ our Lord deliver apostle Paul from sinning? Through his authority. Jesus Christ our Lord has all authority in heaven and on earth.
Matthew 28:18 “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”
And his authority is INFINITELY GREATER than all authority and powers including the power of sin and death. His power cannot be compared to the power of sin and death because it is INFINITELY GREATER than those powers.
So Jesus Christ our Lord delivered apostle Paul from the power of sin of coveting through his authority and power.
Now he has given us his authority to us because we are united with him in his death and resurrection. Jesus Christ became our Lord and Savior. He became our Savior because he bore our sins in his own body on the cross and died for our sin. He became our Lord when he was raised from the dead on the third day according to the Scriptures.
As our Lord and Savior, he has received all authority in heaven and on earth from the Father. Now in the same way, all Christians, you and me, received all authority in heaven and on earth from Jesus Christ our Lord.
His authority delivers us from the power of sin. By believing his power and authority which is infinitely greater than the power of sin and death working in our sinful nature, we can overcome those powers and live as more than conquerors. In the past we might have lived as more than losers. But we do not need to because God delivers us from the power of sin and death through Jesus Christ our Lord!
BUT remember, sin wants to deceive us. The deception is ‘No, that is not true. Don’t you experience every day? Don’t you remember how many times you are defeated by my temptation? Don’t ever think it will work! What the devil’s whispering is like my thought about Maria’s suggestion. I did not think it would work. So I brushed off. It is okay to brush off the voices of humans. But it is not okay not to believe the word of God.
Apostle Paul clearly says, “But thanks be to God who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Maybe we need to grow more and become stronger to experience the victory from the Lord fully. But it is completely true God delivers us from the power of sin and death through Jesus Christ our Lord! So we should not become Solomon who ever heard the word of God but acted as if he had never heard of it. So do not be deceived by our enemy the devil. When we sin, the devil is right there because the devil has been sinning from the beginning.
Another thing we need to know about ‘doing’ is our ‘doing’ is so important. Why is it important? Doing is directly related to believing. What we do reveals what we really believe.
In conclusion, we learned Solomon became God’s enemy fighting against God when he did not obey the commands of God. To obey God’s laws is so important because it is our way of submitting ourselves under God’s authority which is greater than any authority. When we are under God’s authority we live under his protection and his provision. By breaking God’s law we sin because sin is lawlessness. By obeying the decrees of God, we bring God’s healing in us. We experience inner healing.
How can we obey his commands practically? By believing that Jesus has all authority in heaven and on earth and he has given it to us. With his authority which is infinitely greater than any power or authority, we can overcome the power of sin in our sinful nature and temptation and death. By faith in his power and love, we can live as more than conquerors. Do not be deceived. Sin wants to deceive us. Sin wants us to believe faith in Jesus Christ our Lord cannot deliver us from it. But the word of God says so. Let the word of God be true, and the voice of our sin and the devil be untrue!
One word: Obeying my decrees and commands
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