Joel M Bradshaw

34“ ‘But I [God] 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. 35I will take the kingdom from his son’s hands and give you [Jeroboam] ten tribes. 36I 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. 37However, as for you, I will take you, and you will rule over all that your heart desires; you will be king over Israel. 

38If 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. 39I will humble David’s descendants because of this, but not forever.’ ”

40Solomon tried to kill Jeroboam, but Jeroboam fled to Egypt, to Shishak the king, and stayed there until Solomon’s death.–1 Kings 11

1. God chose to punish the apostasy of Solomon by dividing his kingdom.
2. The upper 10 tribes would go to Jeroboam and a new line of kings would be started.
3. Solomon would remain the king of the tribe of Judah. And frankly, this was more about God’s promise to David than anything else.
4. 10 tribes would from here on out be called Israel, or sometimes Ephraim.
5. The southern kingdom would be called Judah. The 12th tribe, Levi, never figured into the land allotment and therefore didn’t count politically.
6. As the lists of kings and chronicles unfold, after Solomon you see entries for Israel and entries for Judah. This divided kingdom is his political legacy, and it is because Solomon strayed from God.
7. We love in verse 39 that God said He would not humble David’s descendants forever. Hope was on the way in the one who the crowds would call the Son of David. My friends, God punishes sin, but in Jesus we have hope of forgiveness and reconciliation. God’s plan is not hindered by your past.–JMB