But the word of God came to Shemaiah the man of God: But the word of GodThis phrase signifies divine communication, a common theme throughout the Bible where God directly intervenes in human affairs. The Hebrew term for "word" is "dabar," which implies not just a spoken word but an active, dynamic force that accomplishes God's will. In the context of 1 Kings, this divine word serves as a guiding principle, emphasizing that God's plans and purposes transcend human understanding and political maneuvering. It reminds believers of the power and authority of God's word, which is living and active, as echoed in Hebrews 4:12. came to
The phrase "came to" indicates the delivery of a divine message. In Hebrew, the verb "bo" is used, which means to enter or come. This suggests that the word of God actively seeks out its recipient, in this case, Shemaiah. It underscores the idea that God initiates communication with His chosen messengers, ensuring that His will is made known to them. This divine initiative is a testament to God's sovereignty and His desire to guide His people through His appointed prophets. Shemaiah
Shemaiah is identified as a "man of God," a title that denotes a prophet or a person who is in close communion with God. The name Shemaiah means "heard by Yahweh" or "Yahweh has heard," which is fitting for a prophet who receives and delivers God's messages. Historically, prophets like Shemaiah played crucial roles in guiding the kings and people of Israel, often calling them back to faithfulness and obedience to God's covenant. Shemaiah's role in this narrative highlights the importance of listening to God's voice amidst political and social turmoil. the man of God
This title, "the man of God," is used throughout the Old Testament to describe individuals who are set apart for God's service, such as Moses, Elijah, and Elisha. It signifies a person who is not only a messenger but also a representative of God's presence and authority. In the context of 1 Kings 12, Shemaiah's designation as a "man of God" underscores his credibility and the divine origin of his message. It serves as a reminder to believers of the importance of heeding the words of those who are truly called and anointed by God to speak on His behalf. Persons / Places / Events 1. ShemaiahA prophet referred to as "the man of God." He plays a crucial role in delivering God's message to Rehoboam, the king of Judah. His name means "heard by God" in Hebrew, indicating his role as a divine messenger. 2. RehoboamThe son of Solomon and king of Judah. His reign is marked by the division of the united kingdom of Israel into two separate kingdoms: Israel in the north and Judah in the south. 3. The Word of GodRepresents the divine message or command that is delivered through the prophet Shemaiah. It signifies God's direct intervention and guidance in the affairs of His people. 4. JudahThe southern kingdom, consisting of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, over which Rehoboam ruled after the division of the united kingdom. 5. The Division of the KingdomA significant event in Israel's history where the united kingdom under Solomon was divided into two: the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah. This division was a result of Rehoboam's harsh policies and the people's rebellion. Teaching Points The Role of ProphetsProphets are God's messengers, chosen to deliver His word to His people. They remind us of the importance of listening to God's guidance in our lives. God's SovereigntyThe division of the kingdom, though a result of human actions, was ultimately under God's control. This teaches us to trust in God's sovereignty even in times of turmoil. Obedience to God's WordRehoboam's response to Shemaiah's message highlights the importance of obedience to God's word, even when it contradicts our own plans. Consequences of Leadership DecisionsRehoboam's harsh policies led to the division of the kingdom, illustrating the impact of leadership decisions on a community or nation. Seeking God's GuidanceIn times of decision-making, seeking God's guidance through prayer and His word is crucial for making wise choices. Bible Study Questions 1. How does the role of Shemaiah as a prophet in 1 Kings 12:22 compare to other prophets in the Bible, and what can we learn from their examples? 2. In what ways does the division of the kingdom in 1 Kings 12 reflect the consequences of ignoring wise counsel, and how can we apply this lesson in our own decision-making? 3. How does the concept of God's sovereignty in the events of 1 Kings 12:22 provide comfort and assurance in our personal lives today? 4. What are some practical ways we can ensure we are obedient to God's word, as demonstrated by Rehoboam's response to Shemaiah's message? 5. How can we seek and discern God's guidance in our lives, especially when faced with difficult decisions, as seen in the events surrounding 1 Kings 12:22? Connections to Other Scriptures 2 Chronicles 11:2-4This passage parallels 1 Kings 12:22, providing additional context to Shemaiah's message and the events surrounding the division of the kingdom. 1 Kings 11:29-31The prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam about the division of the kingdom, which sets the stage for the events in 1 Kings 12. Deuteronomy 18:18-22Discusses the role of prophets and how God communicates His will through them, relevant to understanding Shemaiah's role. People Adoniram, Adoram, Ahijah, Benjamin, Dan, David, Israelites, Jeroboam, Jesse, Levi, Levites, Nebat, Penuel, Rehoboam, Shemaiah, SolomonPlaces Bethel, Dan, Egypt, Jerusalem, Penuel, ShechemTopics Saying, Shemaiah, Shemai'ahDictionary of Bible Themes 1 Kings 12:1-24 5366 king
7245 Judah, kingdom of 1 Kings 12:21-24 7756 preaching, content Library How to Split a Kingdom
And Rehoboam went to Shechem: for all Israel were come to Shechem to make him king. 2. And it came to pass, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who was yet in Egypt, heard of it (for he was fled from the presence of king Solomon, and Jeroboam dwelt in Egypt); 3. That they sent and called him. And Jeroboam and all the congregation of Israel came, and spake unto Rehoboam, saying, 4. Thy father made our yoke grievous: now therefore make thou the grievous service of thy father, and his heavy yoke which he …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy ScripturePolitical Religion
'Then Jeroboam built Shechera in mount Ephraim, and dwelt therein; and went out from thence, and built Penuel. 26. And Jeroboam said in his heart, Now shall the kingdom return to the house of David: 27. If this people go up to do sacrifice 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, and go again to Rehoboam king of Judah. 28. Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture "This Thing is from Me"
"Thus saith the Lord, Ye shall not go up, nor fight against your brethren the children of Israel: return every man to his house; for this thing is from me."--1 Kings 12:24. IT IS VERY DELIGHTFUL to read a history in which God is made prominent. How sadly deficient we are of such histories of our own English nation! Yet surely there is no story that is more full of God than the record of the doings of our British race. Cowper, in one of his poems, shows the parallel between us and the house of Israel, …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 42: 1896 The Hebrews and the Philistines --Damascus
THE ISRAELITES IN THE LAND OF CANAAN: THE JUDGES--THE PHILISTINES AND THE HEBREW KINGDOM--SAUL, DAVID, SOLOMON, THE DEFECTION OF THE TEN TRIBES--THE XXIst EGYPTIAN DYNASTY--SHESHONQ OR SHISHAK DAMASCUS. The Hebrews in the desert: their families, clans, and tribes--The Amorites and the Hebrews on the left bank of the Jordan--The conquest of Canaan and the native reaction against the Hebrews--The judges, Ehud, Deborah, Jerubbaal or Gideon and the Manassite supremacy; Abimelech, Jephihdh. The Philistines, …
G. Maspero—History Of Egypt, Chaldaea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, V 6 How God Works in the Hearts of Men.
1. Connection of this chapter with the preceding. Augustine's similitude of a good and bad rider. Question answered in respect to the devil. 2. Question answered in respect to God and man. Example from the history of Job. The works of God distinguished from the works of Satan and wicked men. 1. By the design or end of acting. How Satan acts in the reprobate. 2. How God acts in them. 3. Old Objection, that the agency of God in such cases is referable to prescience or permission, not actual operation. …
John Calvin—The Institutes of the Christian Religion Use to be Made of the Doctrine of Providence.
Sections. 1. Summary of the doctrine of Divine Providence. 1. It embraces the future and the past. 2. It works by means, without means, and against means. 3. Mankind, and particularly the Church, the object of special care. 4. The mode of administration usually secret, but always just. This last point more fully considered. 2. The profane denial that the world is governed by the secret counsel of God, refuted by passages of Scripture. Salutary counsel. 3. This doctrine, as to the secret counsel of …
John Calvin—The Institutes of the Christian Religion The Upbringing of Jewish Children
The tenderness of the bond which united Jewish parents to their children appears even in the multiplicity and pictorialness of the expressions by which the various stages of child-life are designated in the Hebrew. Besides such general words as "ben" and "bath"--"son" and "daughter"--we find no fewer than nine different terms, each depicting a fresh stage of life. The first of these simply designates the babe as the newly--"born"--the "jeled," or, in the feminine, "jaldah"--as in Exodus 2:3, 6, 8. …
Alfred Edersheim—Sketches of Jewish Social Life The Instrumentality of the Wicked Employed by God, While He Continues Free from Every Taint.
1. The carnal mind the source of the objections which are raised against the Providence of God. A primary objection, making a distinction between the permission and the will of God, refuted. Angels and men, good and bad, do nought but what has been decreed by God. This proved by examples. 2. All hidden movements directed to their end by the unseen but righteous instigation of God. Examples, with answers to objections. 3. These objections originate in a spirit of pride and blasphemy. Objection, that …
John Calvin—The Institutes of the Christian Religion The Twelve Minor Prophets.
1. By the Jewish arrangement, which places together the twelve minor prophets in a single volume, the chronological order of the prophets as a whole is broken up. The three greater prophets, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, stand in the true order of time. Daniel began to prophesy before Ezekiel, but continued, many years after him. The Jewish arrangement of the twelve minor prophets is in a sense chronological; that is, they put the earlier prophets at the beginning, and the later at the end of the …
E. P. Barrows—Companion to the Bible Of Civil Government.
OF CIVIL GOVERNMENT. This chapter consists of two principal heads,--I. General discourse on the necessity, dignity, and use of Civil Government, in opposition to the frantic proceedings of the Anabaptists, sec. 1-3. II. A special exposition of the three leading parts of which Civil Government consists, sec. 4-32. The first part treats of the function of Magistrates, whose authority and calling is proved, sec. 4-7. Next, the three Forms of civil government are added, sec. 8. Thirdly, Consideration …
John Calvin—The Institutes of the Christian Religion Travelling in Palestine --Roads, Inns, Hospitality, Custom-House Officers, Taxation, Publicans
It was the very busiest road in Palestine, on which the publican Levi Matthew sat at the receipt of "custom," when our Lord called him to the fellowship of the Gospel, and he then made that great feast to which he invited his fellow-publicans, that they also might see and hear Him in Whom he had found life and peace (Luke 5:29). For, it was the only truly international road of all those which passed through Palestine; indeed, it formed one of the great highways of the world's commerce. At the time …
Alfred Edersheim—Sketches of Jewish Social Life The Figurative Language of Scripture.
1. When the psalmist says: "The Lord God is a sun and shield" (Psa. 84:11), he means that God is to all his creatures the source of life and blessedness, and their almighty protector; but this meaning he conveys under the figure of a sun and a shield. When, again, the apostle James says that Moses is read in the synagogues every Sabbath-day (Acts 15:21), he signifies the writings of Moses under the figure of his name. In these examples the figure lies in particular words. But it may be embodied …
E. P. Barrows—Companion to the Bible Kings
The book[1] of Kings is strikingly unlike any modern historical narrative. Its comparative brevity, its curious perspective, and-with some brilliant exceptions--its relative monotony, are obvious to the most cursory perusal, and to understand these things is, in large measure, to understand the book. It covers a period of no less than four centuries. Beginning with the death of David and the accession of Solomon (1 Kings i., ii.) it traverses his reign with considerable fulness (1 Kings iii.-xi.), …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links 1 Kings 12:22 NIV1 Kings 12:22 NLT1 Kings 12:22 ESV1 Kings 12:22 NASB1 Kings 12:22 KJV
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