Israel's divided kingdom is a sad chapter in her history. Jeroboam takes 10 tribes away from Judah and Benjamin and Solomon's son rules in the south. After 50 years of war, the prophet Shemaiah intervenes to bring the conflict to an end. After that, Jeroboam expells the priest and Levites from the north in favor of their own worship system. The groundwork for the Northern kingdom's apostasy is laid and the outcast priest and Levites only have one place to go - Judah.
Notice how they are described:
2 Chronicles 11:16–17 (ESV) And those who had set their hearts to seek the LORD God of Israel came after them from all the tribes of Israel to Jerusalem to sacrifice to the LORD, the God of their fathers. 17 They strengthened the kingdom of Judah, and for three years they made Rehoboam the son of Solomon secure, for they walked for three years in the way of David and Solomon.
The influence of these men was immediate at Rehoboam goes about installing the right leaders throughout the country.
2 Chronicles 11:22–23 (ESV) And Rehoboam appointed Abijah the son of Maacah as chief prince among his brothers, for he intended to make him king. 23 And he dealt wisely and distributed some of his sons through all the districts of Judah and Benjamin, in all the fortified cities, and he gave them abundant provisions and procured wives for them.
There is a clear benefit to having the right people around you. In 2 Chronicles 11, Rehoboam benefits from these specific relationships. First, he benefits from Semiaiah, the prophet who brings peace to a war-torn nation. Secondly, he benefits from the Levites and priests who found refuge from Jeroboam's expulsion. We should note the description again in verse 17:
They strengthened the kingdom of Judah, and for three years they made Rehoboam the son of Solomon secure, for they walked for three years in the way of David and Solomon.
The narrative of the Northern and Southern kingdoms of Israel diverge from this point on. In the north, one evil king will follow another while the south will be stronger and far more consistently in line with God's Word and regularly reformed by God's chosen kings.
The root of this discrepancy is seen here in the relationships rejected by one and embraced by the other.
Your relationship structure has a lot to do with what you become. Yet so many of us do not take into account the structures we have put around us. Godly relationships have untold and enduring benefits to our lives. Rehoboam turns from a man ready to war into a strategic commander and policy shaper that establishes his kingdom for the long haul. Jeroboam on the other hand will exemplify the man/woman who disregards the right people.
We need people around us who will "walk" in the way of David. We need people who will secure us in the faith once delivered. I think of Paul who considered an open door not worth it because his brother Titus was not present.
2 Corinthians 2:12–13 (NLT) When I came to the city of Troas to preach the Good News of Christ, the Lord opened a door of opportunity for me. 13 But I had no peace of mind because my dear brother Titus hadn’t yet arrived with a report from you. So I said good-bye and went on to Macedonia to find him.
I think of Jesus when He's about to face the cross. He seeks out His friends to come and pray with Him.
Matthew 26:37–38 (NIV) He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38 Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”
What relationships are you embracing? What ones are you escaping? Your future depends on the present structure of those areas. In Christ, we have one who sticks closer than a brother and never leaves us. But our fullest experience of such a blessing comes in the presence of our brothers/sisters in Christ. Guard those relationships well and be blessed.
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