Rehoboam Fell for Jeroboam’s Scheme

Let us turn to 1 Kings chapter 12. The theme is this: God made Rehoboam foolish, while Jeroboam chose foolishness for himself.

Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had gone there to make him king. Jeroboam son of Nebat had fled from King Solomon and gone to Egypt, where he had been living. When he heard about this... (1 Kings 12:1–2)

Now he had returned. It was the Israelites who invited Jeroboam back. After returning, he gave them an idea: get Rehoboam to come to Shechem, and tell him, “We want to make you king.” It sounds rather like a palace intrigue. The purpose was to make the people willingly follow him. Jeroboam was clever. He dug a pit and waited for Rehoboam to jump in.

So they sent for Jeroboam, and he and the whole assembly of Israel went to Rehoboam and said to him, “Your father put a heavy yoke on us, but now lighten the harsh labor and the heavy yoke he put on us, and we will serve you.” (1 Kings 12:3–4)

They kicked the ball to Rehoboam. Rehoboam said, “Give me three days.” But everyone knew what Rehoboam was made of. They wondered what clever plan his brain could possibly produce. Rehoboam went back and first consulted the elders, asking them for advice on how to answer the people. The elders understood Jeroboam. They knew what he was up to. So they told Rehoboam, “Do not jump into the pit.”

If the king would serve these people as a servant, and answer them with gracious words, they would be his servants forever. The logic is powerful. If a man does not understand that water can carry a boat, but can also overturn it, he will become arrogant. God’s will is not that we should sit high above others. Whoever wishes to be great must become the servant of all. This principle will never change. As long as I have breath, I will choose to be a servant and serve people. This is not boasting, nor is it empty rhetoric. It is wisdom.

Solomon’s wisdom was to begin one project and make one group of people work very hard; then begin another project and make even more people live under hardship. He appointed officials to oversee those who labored. During Solomon’s reign, how much hard labor and how many laborers were made to serve him? But then again, if you worked, he paid you. Did he not? Nobody worked for nothing.

When Solomon’s son Rehoboam succeeded him as king, he inherited none of Solomon’s wisdom. Instead, he was rather foolish. Did he not know that he became a second-generation rich man and a second-generation official only because his father Solomon had built the kingdom for him? Yet he did not know his place. He thought himself remarkable. From the time I first went out to start a business, to the time I first established a church, I encountered many people and many things. They taught me that there is always a higher heaven, a higher mountain, and a better man.

Rehoboam did not understand this. Neither did he use the advice the elders gave him. In effect, he said, “You old fellows want me to become their servant? Have you lost your minds? You ancient lamps and old lamps, go and wait by the side.” Then he turned to a group of young men who had grown up with him. They too were somewhat foolish, and they gave him their advice.

But Rehoboam rejected the advice the elders had given him and consulted the young men who had grown up with him and were serving him. He asked them, “What is your advice? How should we answer these people who say to me, ‘Lighten the yoke your father put on us’?” The young men who had grown up with him replied, “These people have said to you, ‘Your father put a heavy yoke on us, but make our yoke lighter.’ Now tell them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist. My father laid on you a heavy yoke; I will make it even heavier. My father scourged you with whips; I will scourge you with scorpions!’” (1 Kings 12:8–11)

In fact, Jeroboam had already sized Rehoboam up completely. He could calculate exactly what Rehoboam would do. Why? Because when Jeroboam was a capable and intelligent officer under Solomon, Rehoboam was still running around naked, playing with mud dolls. Jeroboam saw him once and knew: “This fellow will amount to nothing.” Do you understand? How could such a man possibly amount to anything?

You must understand this clearly. Do not get it twisted. Never think that keeping your head down is weakness. It is wisdom. Rehoboam did not understand. His father Solomon was a man without equal before or after him—intelligent and wise. Who was Rehoboam, really? How was God’s temple built? How was the palace he lived in built? He knew nothing. He understood nothing. He gathered a group of young men who spent their days either playing mahjong, talking nonsense, driving sports cars, or riding fast horses. Beyond that, they were good for nothing.

Remember this: if wealth was not earned through your own struggle, do not assume that because you possess it, it truly belongs to you. It does not belong to you.

I hated all the things I had toiled for under the sun, because I must leave them to the one who comes after me. And who knows whether that person will be wise or foolish? Yet they will have control over all the fruit of my toil into which I have poured my effort and skill under the sun. This too is meaningless. (Ecclesiastes 2:18–19)

When Solomon looked at Rehoboam, and then looked through his other sons, he found that not one of them was wise. He had no choice. He had to choose the tallest among the short ones, and so he chose this rather poor specimen, Rehoboam. Then he comforted himself: “Never mind. I have already written Ecclesiastes. I have seen through life. Everything is meaningless, utterly meaningless. Let him play as he pleases.”

Although Rehoboam fell for Jeroboam’s scheme, something remarkable happened: Jeroboam himself also began to swell with pride. When he saw Rehoboam jump into the pit, he said to the Israelites, “Do you see? This brat knows only how to play.” Rehoboam indeed spoke those words to them. When Jeroboam and all the people heard it, they said, “What do we owe you? When your father Solomon made us suffer, we wanted to rebel long ago. It was not easy earning a little hard-earned money under him. Do you know how many people died on those construction sites, moving those huge stones and great logs? And they whipped us too. Your father used whips, and you want to use scorpions? What do we owe you?”

What Rehoboam feared most was having a man like Jeroboam among the Israelites. Once such a man appeared, it was over. Why? Because Rehoboam could not play Jeroboam’s game. Jeroboam knew the political game too well. Then what happened?

So the king did not listen to the people, for this turn of events was from the LORD, to fulfill the word the LORD had spoken to Jeroboam son of Nebat through Ahijah the Shilonite. (1 Kings 12:15)

It was God who made Rehoboam foolish, was it not? Perhaps even Solomon had not expected it: “How could my son be this stupid?” Let me tell you: once a man becomes arrogant, God will certainly make him foolish. Think carefully about it. What did Rehoboam have to be arrogant about? Did he not know what Solomon had written in Ecclesiastes and Proverbs? Those books explain it clearly: arrogance means God is about to deal with you. Once a man becomes arrogant, he is bound to come to ruin.

So the Israelites followed Jeroboam, and he quietly became king. At last, he could stand tall. The people supported him. When the Israelites saw what Rehoboam was like, they concluded that he truly was no good. The same name, Rehoboam, but put “Jero” in front of it and it became different. Jeroboam had at least one more “Jero” than Rehoboam. That “Jero” sounded at least like the “Jehovah” in their household. I say this jokingly, but you must understand the mood among the Israelites at that time. If such a sentiment spread throughout Israel, how could Rehoboam possibly reverse the situation? Could he?

Let me tell you, the people throughout the ages have been formidable. Was not the Qing dynasty brought down by Sun Yat-sen and his group because that was where public sentiment was heading? You must understand this logic. We who are pastors are merely servants. No matter what, remember this: our position is not about who is greater. It is about who bears more responsibility. You must shepherd with the heart of a father and mother. Why? Because this is God’s will. Therefore, brothers and sisters, be very careful. Do not imitate Rehoboam’s foolishness. I have seen some pastors work and work until they shut their own churches down.

How could your church not collapse if you do things that way? Whom have you served? What problems have you solved for people? How exactly have you served? Do you think you are impressive because you sit high above others, wear a grand pastor’s robe, and carry a large staff like Moses? Will that work? No. Rehoboam did not get the message either. After returning home, he launched a project and summoned these Israelites.

Rehoboam Still Thought the Kingdom Was His

Rehoboam was feeling pleased with himself: “I am the king who was appointed. I am the king!” But if people do not regard you as king, then you are merely the man next door. How foolish must one be to think this way?

When all Israel saw that the king refused to listen to them, they answered the king: “What share do we have in David, what part in Jesse’s son? To your tents, Israel! Look after your own house, David!” So the Israelites went home. (1 Kings 12:16)

The Israelites said to Rehoboam, “You go ahead and play by yourselves. We had no real connection with you in the first place. Why should we follow you?” But Rehoboam did not understand. He sent Adoniram, who was in charge of the forced labor, to the Israelites. The Israelites stoned him to death. Adoniram too had no sense. At such a time, what were you going there for? Did you think that because you held a whip in your hand, people would obey you? You did not realize that Jeroboam’s whip was even bigger than yours.

Rehoboam sent Adoniram, and they stoned him to death before his very eyes. When Rehoboam saw this, he fled in his chariot. This whole series of absurd moves by Rehoboam was truly astonishing. But then again, this was all from God. Let me tell you, once a person becomes foolish, not even several oxen can pull him back. Remember this well: if a person loves money, loves the world, indulges his flesh, follows his flesh, and refuses to obey God’s word, God will make him foolish. This is certain.

Whether a man becomes wise or foolish lies in God’s hand. Even if you are a king, a provincial lord, the richest man, a national-level official, a vice-national-level official, a provincial-level official, or a vice-provincial-level official, it makes no difference. Once a man becomes foolish, his mind is as if it has been filled with filth. Sometimes I say that someone has soybean pudding in his head—that is already a compliment. Once God makes a man foolish, his thoughts become very strange indeed.

Rehoboam went to Jerusalem and mustered all Judah and the tribe of Benjamin, a hundred and eighty thousand able young men, to go to war against Israel and to regain the kingdom for Rehoboam son of Solomon. But the word of God came to Shemaiah the man of God: “Say to Rehoboam son of Solomon king of Judah, to all Judah and Benjamin, and to the rest of the people, ‘This is what the LORD says: Do not go up to fight against your brothers, the Israelites. Go home, every one of you, for this thing is from me.’” So they obeyed the word of the LORD and went home again, as the LORD had ordered. (1 Kings 12:21–24)

Rehoboam’s words no longer carried weight. Do you understand? If God makes a man foolish, all Israel will refuse to listen to him. Even Judah and Benjamin will refuse to listen to Rehoboam. When the people heard Shemaiah say that this matter was from the LORD, they said, “Then let us all go home.” Rehoboam had beaten the war drums and everyone had gathered. Then Shemaiah came forward and said, “This matter is from the LORD. Everyone, go home.” Was that not a wasted trip? The king was left dumbfounded. Can you imagine that scene? It was awkward. One hundred and eighty thousand men had assembled for nothing. It was like a singer holding a concert for one hundred and eighty thousand people, only for everyone to leave before it began, demanding refunds.

With this, Rehoboam became the joke of his generation. Overnight, he became famous throughout the land. Did you not think you were so capable, so impressive? How did you end up in such a state? How could he still go out and face people afterward? Never mind being king of Judah—even if you were merely a singer, if your venue was smashed up like this, it would be hard to continue. Where could Rehoboam hide his face? He would have wanted to put his head between his legs. Unfortunately, he had not done enough yoga and was not flexible enough. His back was stiff, and his neck was stiff too. Even putting his head between his legs was difficult. How foolish can a man become? But when God intends to make a man foolish, there is nothing you can do about it.

This Matter Was from God

Let me tell you: not knowing God’s will is foolishness. How could Rehoboam possibly not know what God had said to Solomon? Then why did he make such a spectacle of himself? Let me tell you, once a man wants to step onto the stage and show off, once he thinks he is somebody, he is finished. Whatever I do in this life, I will keep my head down, because I know exactly what I am worth. I also know that we are but a particle of dust on the earth. I know very clearly that before God, I am no more than a lump of dung. If you call me a dog, I would think you were praising me. I mean this from my heart.

Why? Perhaps if God sees that I am this humble, I may receive grace before Him, and live all my days looking to His grace. Who am I, that I should be chosen by God to serve Him? I am unworthy. What credit can I claim for even one cent? None. Not the slightest bit belongs to my credit. We are speaking about Rehoboam—how did we get to speaking about me? What I mean is this: I never want to become Rehoboam.

I must understand that receiving grace means nothing more than bearing the responsibility of serving. Do not become inflated. I have always thought that life in itself has little great meaning, has it not? So how is it that suddenly you think so highly of yourself? You do a little something, and you begin to think you are remarkable. Do you know why I do not become inflated? Because the moment I do, Old Horse will come and sit on my neck and defecate there. That would be trouble.

Let me warn you: if you think you are great, something will happen. God will make you foolish, and everything you do will go wrong. That is the strange part. Why does it happen? Because when you think you are a talented person, God turns you into dung. But when you think you are a lump of dung, God makes you into an honorable person. This logic is powerful, is it not?

Have you noticed this? A person thinks he is very capable. Then he gets something done. At once, his tail goes up. It rises so high it nearly overturns the throne of God. God says, “My, whose tail is this? Why is it so long?” God looks and says, “Ah, it is that rascal’s tail. Next time, I must not let him succeed again. Do you understand?”

Do you know what will happen next? Satan comes before God and says, “God, shall I go and deal with him?” God says, “I was just thinking of sending someone to straighten him out. Go ahead. Deal with him.” So this matter is from God.

Can we stop raising our tails? Can we stop establishing our own righteousness? Be a wise person. In everything we do, look to Jehovah God and rely on Him alone. That is wisdom. Forget about becoming a celebrity pastor, travelling around for speaking engagements, and making money. What is so good about these things? Is it not far better to be chosen by God and to please Him? And because of what little ability I have, this too is from God. God wants to make us wise, and He wants to make Rehoboam foolish.

Jeroboam’s Concerns

You can certainly see yourself in this. Think it through slowly. Are you a Jeroboam?

Jeroboam built Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim and lived there. From there he went out and built Penuel. Jeroboam said to himself, “The kingdom may now revert to the house of David. If these people go up to offer sacrifices at the temple of the LORD in Jerusalem, they will again give their allegiance to their lord, Rehoboam king of Judah. They will kill me and return to King Rehoboam.” (1 Kings 12:25–27)

Do you see this line of reasoning? Why did Jeroboam not have such concerns before he became king? People are very interesting. Jeroboam had always wanted to become great and powerful. Then, suddenly, he got ten tribes. He thought, “How did these ten tribes come under me, Jeroboam? Look at how good my scheme was. I trapped Rehoboam. He has fallen into my pocket. Look how clever I am. Look how capable I am.”

Then he thought again, “God has given these ten tribes to me. But if the people go back to Jerusalem to worship God, that does not seem right. They make money here, then go back to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices and bring offerings. How can that be allowed?”

Let me tell you: no matter how he thought about it, he was torn inside. Is that not so? But I tell you, there are indeed some brothers and sisters among us whom I simply cannot understand. Before, they had not a cent, and they had no worries. Now they have a little money, and suddenly they are worried. Do not think this is strange. It is not strange at all.

Sometimes I think, fortunately, I do not have that much money. I am the kind of person Jack Ma described: having a few million makes me very happy. Jack Ma said that when he had a few million, he was very happy. Later, when he had tens of billions or hundreds of billions, he was no longer happy.

Later, I began to wonder: what if God suddenly gave me one hundred million one day? Would I not have to start investing and managing wealth? But investment and wealth management are highly uncertain, are they not? What if I managed it downwards? From one hundred million to ninety million; from ninety million to fifty million; then from fifty million to ten million. How troubled would I be? How did one hundred million become ten million? In the end, the ten million becomes one million. When I had one million in my hands, I was quite happy. But if I had fallen from one hundred million to one million, I would feel terrible.

I often see such things happen. Frankly speaking, I really cannot manage one hundred million. I cannot manage tens of millions either. I do not know how to spend that much money. I would only manage it downwards. Once there is too much money, I cannot manage it. I do not know how, and I certainly do not know how to invest. Is that not so? If you ask me to trade stocks, I cannot judge the price of gold, and I cannot judge share prices either. I simply cannot manage these things. Thank God He has not given me one hundred million. This is good enough.

Jeroboam had never governed a nation. Suddenly, he had ten tribes. He was caught unprepared. What was he to do with so many people? He decided first to settle the matter of offerings. The profits should not go to outsiders. The offerings of so many people must come to him. The logic was perfect. He thought this was entirely right.

Some brothers and sisters among us are fortunate to work for a salary. It is stable, and that is good. But if one day they suddenly had money, with that little mind of theirs, I doubt they could invest and manage wealth any better than I could. Imagine how distressing that would be. Later, I realised that it was very difficult for Jeroboam to overcome this test of money. Very difficult indeed. If you have not sat in that position, you do not know how difficult it is. Every day, he thought and thought, not knowing what to do.

Let us put it this way. Suppose God’s altar were in Taiwan, and the people of China were the Israelites. They had to bring seventeen per cent of their offerings to the temple in Taiwan. Tell me, how would you govern that country? I truly sympathise with Jeroboam. I do not have an answer either. But when you hear it, the accounts do not add up.

So why did Jeroboam leave Egypt? Was it not good to stay there? He had food and drink, and he lived in a grand mansion. Was that not good enough? But now that he ruled ten tribes, he was filled with worries.

Jeroboam’s Folly

After seeking advice, King Jeroboam made two golden calves. He said to the people, “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.” One he set up in Bethel, and the other in Dan. This thing became a sin; the people came to worship the one at Dan. Jeroboam also built shrines on high places and appointed priests from all sorts of people, even though they were not Levites.

Jeroboam ordained a festival on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, like the festival held in Judah, and he offered sacrifices on the altar. This he did in Bethel, sacrificing to the calves he had made. At Bethel he also installed priests at the high places he had made. On the fifteenth day of the eighth month, a month of his own choosing, he offered sacrifices on the altar at Bethel and instituted a festival for the Israelites. He went up to the altar to burn incense. (1 Kings 12:28–33)

I want to tell you this: the wisdom of man is foolishness in the eyes of God. From a human point of view, I think Jeroboam made a very intelligent decision. If you do not understand the spiritual world, you will think this is very clever. But if you understand the spiritual world, you will not know what answer to give. Man’s wisdom is foolishness in the eyes of God, and God’s wisdom is foolishness in the eyes of men.

Think about it. What if Jeroboam had said, “I trust God. I hand the nation over to God. Since God has given this kingdom to me, I will serve Him faithfully”? Could he have lived well? I tell you, absolutely. Even today, I tell you that Chinese Mingding Doctrine rests on this one principle: we will never bow down to idols, but will walk firmly in God’s will. Even if I make a mistake unintentionally, God can still pull me back. Why am I not stubborn? Because I know clearly that all human wisdom is foolishness in the eyes of God.

I do not want to be Rehoboam. Neither do I want to be Jeroboam. Some say to me, “Pastor, you must become great and strong.” I say, “Forget it.” They ask, “Why forget it? Is it not good to become great and strong?” I say, “If you become great and strong, you may end up in prison.” See how wise that is? I do not have such a large operation, and I cannot manage ten tribes. Even if I were asked to manage them, the temptation would be too great. Perhaps I too would make a golden calf, because I cannot be sure I could hold myself steady. I cannot handle that.

Some pastors like to build huge churches. They invest hundreds of millions. There are tens of thousands of seats, and on Sundays the congregation fills every seat. It looks glorious, but do they not end up in prison in the end? I do not want to do that. I just want something small. I will do as much as I can do. I have made up my mind to do one thing: until I die, as long as I have one breath left, I will serve. I will serve those in need, those who are weak, and those who come before God hoping to receive grace from Him. Is that not good?

If God is willing to have mercy on me, may He fulfil this humble desire of mine. I have a great dream: that all our brothers and sisters may become God’s mighty soldiers; that they may overcome the powers of darkness; that they may become people who overcome the Old Horse.

Last night, one sister among us overcame the oppression of the Old Horse. This Old Horse came every night. When she was half asleep and half awake, it began making noises, and she could hardly sleep. I told her, “Either make up your mind not to sleep at all, and drive it out; or control yourself and do not make noises.” She said, “Teacher, I choose to drive it out.” After about an hour of driving it out, the Old Horse could not hold on any longer. It began manifesting, speaking, and surrendering.

Brothers and sisters, can we cast off Jeroboam’s folly and receive God’s wisdom? Remember this well: man’s words are the words of demons, and man’s intentions are the intentions of demons. Therefore, we can only be mindful of God’s will. We must not be mindful of man’s will.

From the perspective of politics and economics, what Jeroboam did was right. But in God’s eyes, it was certainly wrong. We must cast off this human wisdom and these lies. They may look pleasing in the eyes of men, but they are of little use. If I were still trying to please men today, I could not be a servant of Jesus Christ. But if I please God alone in this world and serve God alone, I tell you, you will surely prosper in all things. We must not fall again into Jeroboam’s folly.

What exactly happened behind this? Jeroboam lay awake at night. Then the Old Horse came, and he made a golden calf. Did Jeroboam not know that when the Israelites came out of Egypt, Aaron led them in making a golden calf, which provoked God’s anger? He knew. The account of their making the golden calf is recorded in the Bible. Yet he forgot it completely. He forgot that making a golden calf provokes God’s anger.

If God could make Rehoboam foolish, could He not also make Jeroboam foolish? Would that not be the easiest thing in the world? Do you know how many pastors spend their entire lives wanting to become famous pastors? Yet they do not know that this is folly.

I do not want that. I think it is better to proclaim God’s name. I hope to remain unknown. As they say, “Only Jesus is seen; no man is seen.” What am I? I am merely a servant. We must not fall into Jeroboam’s folly.

Let me remind you again. You may become foolish because you have a little money. You may also become foolish because you have a great deal of money. Know this: man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.

Living is actually very simple. Do not make it complicated. If you please God, everything becomes simple, because our heavenly Father is exceedingly rich. I do not want one day to become a fool because I chose Jeroboam’s path. I also hope that our brothers and sisters will choose neither Rehoboam’s path nor Jeroboam’s path. Engrave God’s word upon your heart, and everything will become very simple.

God Makes Some People Foolish, and Some Make Themselves Foolish

One sister said that she has recently been studying the Gospel of Matthew, and it greatly shook her. Why was she shaken? Because it is written so well.

“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Mammon.” (“Mammon” means wealth.) (Matthew 6:24)

A man either serves Mammon or serves God. He cannot serve both God and Mammon. Do you know that in the spiritual world, Mammon is among the smallest and most contemptible things? It is exceedingly lowly. Our God is the greatest. He is great and awesome, mighty and majestic, and supremely honourable. I tell you, in the spiritual world, do not get this wrong. Even demons despise the god of wealth. Do you understand?

So here is the problem: why does the spiritual world seem so different from what we see in this world? Let me tell you. Many people in this world have stumbled because of money. In our time, there is the story of HNA, the story of Evergrande, and the story of Wanda. It is all because of money. It is because the logic system within people has gone wrong.

When you read the Gospel of Matthew, you will find that there are two systems of logic, two sets of values, and two kingdoms in this world. Either you are in God’s kingdom and within God’s principles, and then you will receive benefits from God and become a wise person. Even the demons of this world, even the dark powers in the air, will bow down before you.

I am honoured to tell you that the Old Horse is defeated under my hand. In the past, I often grieved. What did I grieve over? I saw that few people in the church could overcome the Old Horse. But now I am full of confidence. This time, our brothers and sisters will all be raised up to become people who overcome the Old Horse; overcome Mammon; overcome this world; overcome the evil desires and passions of the flesh; subdue the sin within us; and become victorious people, wise people.

If you listen to my sermons regularly, you will sense that there is a longing within me. I long for all brothers and sisters to become wise and intelligent people. I have found the answer: trust God and live by His grace.

If you are facing many problems now, do not be afraid. Trust God alone. Return to God, and many problems will be resolved with ease.

Whether you have conflicts in business with your company boss, business partners, suppliers, or customers, none of these things can stop us from trusting God. God will make you wise and give you understanding, because our God is the God who gives you wisdom.

There are countless people whose love of money has brought them many disasters. The people among us are no exception. We must learn a deep lesson from Rehoboam and Jeroboam. The calf may be made of gold, but it is useless. It is folly. Nothing should draw us away from the way of God. Amen.

May God bless you all!

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