1 Kings 12 (WK) - Bible Truth Library

the cause.The cause of all this confusion and anarchy was Rehoboam's folly, cruelty, and despotic tyranny, and this was certainly not "from the Lord," nor does the original text speak this doctrine.

See an elucidation of a similar passage at 2 Sa 24:1.

It says, {sibbah,} (from {savav,} to turn, change,) "the change or Revolution was from the Lord;" which is consistent with all the preceding declarations.

God stirred up the people to revolt from a man who had neither skill nor humanity to govern them.

God serves his own wise and righteous purpose by the imprudences and iniquities of men, and snares sinners in the work of their own hands.

"He maketh the wrath of man to praise him."

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1 Kings 22:23• ²³{i}And now, behold, Jehovah has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and Jehovah has spoken evil concerning thee.{/i} (1 Kings 22:23)

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Deut. 2:30• ³⁰But Sihon, king of Heshbon, would not let us pass by him: for Jehovah thy God hardened his spirit, and made his heart obstinate, that he might deliver him into thy hand, as appeareth this day. (Deut. 2:30)

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2 Chron. 10:15• ¹⁵{i}So the king hearkened not to the people; for it was brought about by God, that Jehovah might give effect to his word, which he spoke through Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.{/i} (2 Chron. 10:15)

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2 Chron. 25:16,20• ¹⁶{i}And it came to pass as he talked with him, that Amaziah said to him, Hast thou been made the king's counsellor? Forbear; why shouldest thou be smitten? Then the prophet forbore, and said, I know that God has determined to destroy thee, because thou hast done this, and hast not hearkened to my counsel.{/i}
²⁰{i}But Amaziah would not hear; for it was of God, that he might deliver them into the enemy's hand, because they had sought after the gods of Edom.{/i} (2 Chron. 25:16,20)

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Psa. 5:10• ¹⁰Treat them as guilty, O God;{HR}They shall fall from their counsels;{HR}In the multitude of their transgressions cast them down;{HR}For they have rebelled against thee. (Psa. 5:10)

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Amos 3:6• ⁶Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? shall there be evil in a city, and Jehovah hath not done it? (Amos 3:6)

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Acts 2:23• ²³(him, given up by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye by hand of lawless [men] did crucify and slay; (Acts 2:23)

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Acts 4:28• ²⁸to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel foreordained to come to pass. (Acts 4:28)

that he might.

1 Kings 11:11,29‑38• ¹¹{i}And Jehovah said to Solomon, Forasmuch as this is done by thee, and thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes which I commanded thee, I will certainly rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant:{/i}
²⁹And it came to pass at that time when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, that the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite found him in the way; and he had clad himself with a new garment; and they two were alone in the field;
³⁰And Ahijah caught the new garment that was on him, and rent it in twelve pieces;
³¹and he said to Jeroboam, Take thee ten pieces: for thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel, Behold I will rend the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and will give ten tribes to thee.
³²But he shall have one tribe, for my servant David's sake, and for Jerusalem's sake, the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel;
³³because that they have forsaken me, and have worshipped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Milcom the god of the children of Ammon, and have not walked in my ways, to do that which is right in mine eyes, and to keep my statutes and my judgments, as did David his father.
³⁴Howbeit I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand; but I will make him prince all the days of his life for David my servant's sake, whom I chose, because he kept my commandments and my statutes.
³⁵But I will take the kingdom out of his son's hand, and will give it unto thee, even ten tribes.
³⁶And unto his son will I give one tribe, that David my servant may have a light alway before me in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen me to put my name there.
³⁷{i}And I will take thee, that thou mayest reign over all that thy soul desireth, and thou shalt be king over Israel.{/i}
³⁸{i}And it shall be, if thou wilt hearken unto all that I command thee, and wilt walk in my ways, and do that which is right in my sight, in keeping my statutes and my commandments, as David my servant did, that I will be with thee, and build thee a lasting house, as I built for David, and will give Israel unto thee.{/i} (1 Kings 11:11,29‑38)

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1 Sam. 15:29• ²⁹And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for he is not a man, that he should repent. (1 Sam. 15:29)

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2 Sam. 17:14• ¹⁴{i}And Absalom and all the men of Israel said, The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel. And Jehovah had appointed to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, in order that Jehovah might bring evil upon Absalom.{/i} (2 Sam. 17:14)

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2 Kings 9:36• ³⁶{i}And they came back and told him. And he said{/i}, This is the word of Jehovah which he spake by his servant Elijah the Tishbite, saying, In the portion of Jezreel shall dogs eat the flesh of Jezebel; (2 Kings 9:36)

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2 Kings 10:10• ¹⁰Know now that there shall fall unto the earth nothing of the word of Jehovah which Jehovah spake concerning the house of Ahab; for Jehovah hath done that which he spake by his servant Elijah. (2 Kings 10:10)

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Isa. 14:13‑17• ¹³And thou saidst in thine heart, I will ascend into the heavens, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; and I will sit upon the mount of assembly, in the recesses of the north;
¹⁴I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most High.
¹⁵Yet thou shalt be brought down to Sheol, to the recesses of the pit.
¹⁶They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, they shall consider thee, [saying,] [Is] this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms;
¹⁷[that] made the world as a wilderness, and overthrew the cities thereof; [that] let not loose his prisoners to their home? (Isa. 14:13‑17)

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Isa. 46:10‑11• ¹⁰declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times [the things] that are not done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure,
¹¹calling a bird of prey from the east, the man that executeth my counsel from a far country. Yea, I have spoken, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed [it], I will also do it. (Isa. 46:10‑11)

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Dan. 4:35• ³⁵And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou? (Dan. 4:35)

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John 19:23‑24,28‑29,32‑37• ²³The soldiers therefore, when they crucified Jesus, took his garments and made four parts, to each soldier a part, and the vest; but the vest was seamless from the top woven through the whole.
²⁴They said therefore unto one another, Let us not rend it, but let us draw lots for it whose it shall be; that the scripture might be fulfilled that saith, They parted my garments for themselves, and for my vesture they cast lots. The soldiers therefore did these things.
²⁸After this Jesus, knowing that all things were now finished, that the scripture might be accomplished, saith, I thirst.
²⁹A vessel [therefore] was standing there full of vinegar; and they, having filled a sponge with vinegar and put hyssop round [it], put [it] up to his mouth.
³²The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first and of the other that was crucified with him;
³³but coming to Jesus, when they saw that he was already dead, they broke not his legs,
³⁴but one of the soldiers with a spear thrust his side, and there came out immediately blood and water.
³⁵And he that hath seen hath borne witness, and his witness is true, and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye also may believe.
³⁶For these things came to pass that the scripture might be fulfilled, Not a bone of him shall be crushed;
³⁷and again another scripture saith, They shall look on him whom they pierced. (John 19:23‑24,28‑29,32‑37)

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Acts 3:17• ¹⁷And now, brethren, I know that ye acted in ignorance, as also your rulers; (Acts 3:17)

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Acts 13:27‑29• ²⁷For the dwellers in Jerusalem and their rulers, having ignored him and the voices of the prophets that are read on every Sabbath, fulfilled [them] by judging [him].
²⁸And though they found no cause of death, they besought Pilate that he might be slain.
²⁹And when they fulfilled all things written about him, they took [him] down from the tree and put [him] into a tomb; (Acts 13:27‑29)

J. N. Darby Translation

So the king hearkened not to the people; for it was brought about by Jehovah, that he might give effect to his word, which Jehovah spoke through Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

W. Kelly Translation

Wherefore the king hearkened not unto the people; for the cause was from Jehovah, that he might perform his saying, which Jehovah spake by Ahijah the Shilonite unto Jeroboam the son of Nebat.