Abandoned the Law

(1 Kings 14:22-24; 2 Chron. 12:1, 14)

With Solomon gone, God keeps His promise and divides the kingdom. Solomon's son Rehoboam rules over Judah and Benjamin, while Jeroboam rules over the other 10 tribes. This begins a very dark time in the history of Israel, the divided kingdom. Under Solomon, they had reached the pinnacle as a nation and then just as quickly, they fell to new depths. They were divided and defeated and they had abandoned the LORD who had given them all the blessings.
Warning after warning had been given to the children of Israel and God had made it clear that if they turned from Him, His blessings would be withdrawn. God had delivered them from captivity in Egypt, defeated the people in the promised land and established them as a great nation, yet they abandoned Him.

"After Rehoboam’s position as king was established and he had become strong, he and all Israel with him abandoned the law of the LORD. He did evil because he had not set his heart on seeking the LORD." (2 Chron. 12:1, 14)

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. They also set up for themselves high places, sacred stones and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every spreading tree. 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. (1 Kings 14: 22-24)

"Rehoboam's position as king is established and he had become strong." He feels his power!  He is in charge and is self-reliant. Nothing good comes from pride and Rehoboam is wallowing in his own strength. God tells us that "after" this, after he is "established" and "strong", Rehoboam and all Israel "abandoned the law of the LORD". They no longer needed God. He had provided everything they had, everything they needed, yet they turned from Him and began to worship idols. A nation, blessed by God, given great power and influence in the world, abandons the God of their fathers to become like the nations around them. (sounds familiar)
God doesn't waste ink, so there are lessons to be learned in the recording of these events. First, God keeps His promises. He told Solomon that the kingdom would be taken away from his son and He fulfills His promise through Jeroboam. Solomon's unfaithfulness results in problems for his children! Parents should pay special attention to this lesson. Each generation has an impact on the next. If I am faithful and my children see that I love the LORD, they will likely want to have that same faith. If I abandon my faith or if they detect that it is phony, they will not have interest in joining me on my faith journey.
 "Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— “that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.” Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord." (Eph 6: 1-4)
Secondly, when I am strong and powerful, the temptation is to think it is me. I am smart, I am wise and I am wealthy....I, I, I. It becomes about me and I stop depending on God and forget that He is the source of my blessings. We are called to live a life of gratitude for the blessings that God sends our way. Whatever they are, whether great or small, God is the source of every good thing in our lives.  "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." (James 1:17)
And lastly, people are going to worship something. When the king and all Israel abandoned God, they turned to other "gods". God created us with a need to worship something or someone. The correct use of that need is of course directed at the God of the universe. Just like every other need or desire that we have, there is a proper outlet for that want; but God gives us the choice to fulfill it properly or improperly. People today worship many things: jobs, homes, spouses, money, boats, boyfriends, girlfriends, leaders, athletes and on and on. When we remove God from the throne of our lives, something or someone else will most assuredly take His place. Israel replaced God with the "gods" that those around them worshipped. Just like them, we are constantly being pulled to conform to those around us, but God calls us to be transformed. (Romans 12: 2)
May we determine to be humble, realizing that God is the source of everything. He, alone is worthy of our worship. Praise Him!