Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1889-12-20
THE CLOSE OF THE REIGN.
LESSON XII, FOURTH QUARTER, IN
TERNATlONAL SERIES, DEC. 22.

Commit Verses az. 43-GoIden Text,
ID. NJ. stearns.
Compiled from Lesson Helper Quarterly by per
mission Of II S Hoffman. publisher. Phiadel
phia.
26 "Jeroboam the son of Nebat." Over
twenty times is this man, whom we now meet
for the first time, thus mentioned in the two
books of Kings, and in most places it is as
"Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, who made Is
rael to sim" He became the first king of the
ten tribes and set up the two golden calves
at Dan and Bethel for Israel to worship
Chap. xii, 26-30l His name, according to
Young, signifies "Enlarger," and he was GER
tainly an expert in the way of enlarging the
sins of Israel
Even he lifted up his hand against the
king" At the beginning of Solomons reign
it was written that the Lord his God had
given him rest on every side, and that there
was neither adversary nor evil occurrent
CHAP v, ~, but now all is changed
81, 2S And this was the cause that he
lifted up his hand against the king" The
most of our lesson today is an opening up of
this sentence, shelving that Jeroboam's rebel
lion was of Jehovah. We are first told that
as Solomon built and repaired various works
he observed that Jeroboam was an industri-
Gus young man, and he therefore promoted
him to be ruler over all the charge of the
house of Joseph.
29-3l. THE Prophet Ahijah, the Shilonite,
found him in the way" Here is another man
whom we now meet for the first time; but
what a contrast to Jeroboam, for Ahijah
is twice called by that exalted name, "Serv
= IT.. -. ON
and he bears the word of jehovah As to
Jeroboam, he is found in the way, no doubt
in the way of industrious service in the posi-
ton in which Solomon had exalted him,
little thinking that he was also in the way to
a kingdom. Literally he was in the way out
of Jerusalem, and probably on the way to
oversee the work appointed to him He is
clad in new garment, and as the prophet
meets him he seizes the garment, rends it in
twelve pieces and hands ten of the pieces to
Jeroboam, by this rather startling but very
significant act assuring him that the Lord
God of Israel will rend ten of the tribes from
Solomon and give them to him
80, Because that they have forsaken me,
and have not walked in my ways" "
Passing over, for the present, the verses re-
ferring to what God will do for David's and
Jeroboam, and here is the reason why ten
twelfths of the kingdom is to pass from Solo.
mon to him. Wisdom and her WAYS give
peace, prosperity and true happiness but if
we forSake wisdom and give ourselves to
folly we must expect to reap as we sow We
wonder how solomon, who had been so ex-
ceeding abundantly blessed by the Living and
True God, could turn from Him to the abom-
nations of the worship of idols, but we have
already been told that it was because he
loved many strange women Woman is
Gods best earthly gift to man, but Gods
gifts abused become curses instead of bless
ings
3D. 81 will take the kingdom out of his sons
hand and will give it unto thee even ten
tribes" AS | notice the ten or more 81
wills of God in this lesson and wonder why
God should select Jeroboam, | can only
think of the words of the Spirit in Dan iv
81, So: 1.-The Most High ruleth in the king
dom of men and giveth it to whomsoever He
will He doeth according to His will in the
army of Heaven and among the inhabitants
of earth. and none can stay His hand or say
unto Him, What doest Thou" 1t is nc
power of Jeroboam that is to wrest the king
dom from Solomou's son; it is all the Lord :,
doing from first to last
81 And | will take thee, and thou shalt
reign according to all that thy soul desireth
and shalt he king over Israel" Here is a Sc
cret of the heart laid open by the great
searcher of hearts, who is often pleased tC
give us what our hearts desire that thus He
may prove us to see whether we will walk in
His ways or not. We read that Solomon
gave the queen of Sheba all her desire but
here is a greater than Solomon granting tc
Jeroboam his souls desire; and the same LORD
is saying to us: "Whatsoever We shall ask in
My Name that will do, that the Father may
be gloriiied in the Son."
3S "lf thou wilt hearken, will
be with thee" Not only is the kingdom
promised to Jeroboam, but God offers tc
make it permanent if he will only be ODE
dent The Lord Himself is the true King
and He will establish any one who will trul,
represent Him by obeying His commands
walking in His ways, and doing right in Hi,
sight.
81, 81 SO. For my servant Davids sake
We return now to the reason why the whole
kingdom was not to be rent from Solomon
and we find this as the first reason. -Four
times in this lesson Jehovah speaks of him as
David my servant, and twice we find the
expression For my servant Davids sake,
and it is also said, because he kept my COM
mandments and my statutes" This was the
manner of David's life, taken as a whole, and
his love for the statutes and commandments
of the Lord is fully told forth in Psalm cxix
And for Jerusalems sake, the city which
have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel
See also verses ID, SO; Israel was a chosen
people, Jerusalem a chosen city, David a
chosen servant, and all to magnify the Name
of Jehovah, when they failed to do this He
delivered them to their enemies to be chas-
tened.
80 81 will for this afflict the seed of David
but not forever" David and his obedience
brought blessing, Solomon and his sins
brought affliction, but inasmuch as Gods
covenant with David is forever I'll Sam. vii,
l2-l6), therefore there will be restoration
and the Kingdom shall be established in the
True David in due time lisa. tx. 8, z; Luke /,
80, 33).
40. Solomon sought therefore to kill
Jeroboam." Thus did Saul to David, but
not thus did David to Saul, not even to
Sinner when he cursed and threw stones.
Al. "The Book of the Acts of Solomon. "
In II Chron. tx, 20, three books are men,
toned as containing a record of his acts; but
these with his OO5 songs III Ki iv .SD ara