When Solomon first began his reign, his primary goal was to lead the Israelites in the way they should go, and he acknowledged the fact that he was completely incapable of doing this (a sign of humility). This humility, this contentment to be nothing except a vessel for Yahweh, did not last long. Much in the manner of high schoolers doing foolish things to gain popularity, Solomon rejected the command of the LORD, and began marrying foreign women (a thing which was explicitly warned against in the Law). In the days of Moses, Balaam (the infamous “man of God”) informed Balak (a king of Moab) that the most efficient way to make the Israelites stumble was to seduce them with foreign women. Thus, when tempted with the lust of the eyes, the men of Israel fell into sin and corruption. When the Israelites became intimately involved with the Moabite women, those women taught them of their god, the Baal of Peor. Before long, the People of God were sacrificing to the false gods of Moab, descendants from the sinful daughter of Lot. Because of their sin, a plague from God broke out among the people. 24,000 people died from sleeping with foreign women. Solomon was not unaware of this. He knew that God hated it when his people were unequally yoked, and Solomon knew why this was the case; because one cannot serve two masters. When one attempts both to serve God and to associate with pagan women, something must give way. Even so, even after understanding all of this, Solomon (disregarding God’s counsel) came to the conclusion that he was an exception to this rule. He decided that, even though his people mustn't marry inter-racially, it was entirely acceptable if he did. And so the scandal of decades began; gossip so heinous that the tabloids (had they existed in those days) would have blown up; a rumor so disproportionate by comparison that it would make Bill Clinton look like a saint. Solomon did not stop with a foreign wife. He married many foreign women, and in all likelihood worshiped all of their false gods: their baneful Baals.
Solomon had a child with one of his many wives; a child named Rehoboam (literally, he who enlarges the people). Rehoboam, the prohibited child of Solomon and an Ammonite. When Solomon died, Rehoboam became the king of Israel. Upon his coronation, his people approached him and informed him that they would serve him only if he would be a merciful king, as his father had become slightly despotic in his later days. In particular, they asked him to lower the taxes. Rehoboam asked them to give him three days to think about it, something a wise man would do. The people give their assent, and Rehoboam approaches his late father’s advisers; aged men with much experience in such matters. They tell him that if he serves the people and speaks good to them, that they will be his servants forever. However, something in their advice must have agitated Rehoboam; perhaps the idea of he, the king, being a servant to the people. Regardless, Rehoboam ignored their wisdom and sought the counsel of his peers, of the young men who had grown up with them. They informed him that he should not only keep the taxes at the same rate, but instead that he should raise them. His friends advised him to tell the people that he would be even more despotic than his father was, and that while his father had used whips, he would beat the people with scourges. And thus Rehoboam did; he followed the advice of his friends, the advice that he wanted to hear. Predictably, the people did not serve him. They rebelled. Ten of the twelve tribes seceded, following after Jeroboam, while only two tribes (Judah and Benjamin) remained under submission to Rehoboam. The king of Israel found his own counselors to assuage his itching ears, and so divided the Children of Jacob. From that point until the Captivity, the Northern Kingdom (Israel) and the Southern Kingdom (Judah) were always at war; stark enemies who would seemingly never reconcile. Because of Rehoboam’s pig-headed attitude of listening to what he wanted to hear, a schism was made between Israel and Judah which could not be ignored. Many lives were lost in the wars of the Northern and Southern Kingdoms. Much hatred was conceived. The fact is that unilateral decisions do not have to be made by only one person; they may be made by many people. However, unilateral decisions (unless made by a supreme being) will inevitably end up in conflict.
No comments:
Post a Comment