This turn of events was from the Lord, to fulfill the word He had spoken (1 Kings 12:15,24).

Do you ever struggle to see God’s faithfulness? You know He’s faithful; you’ve witnessed it in the past; but sometimes you wonder if He’ll be faithful since you’ve messed up again. The Old Testament shows us Israel’s repeated failures and disobedience. It might have taken repeated cries of repentance, it might have taken longer than they wished for, but God was faithful to keep His promises to bless and restore His people. 

But those same Old Testament chapters also show God’s faithfulness may not meet our timelines or expectations. However, God is always faithful to Himself and to His purposes. We prefer God’s faithfulness to reveal itself in positive, beneficial-to-us terms. What we don’t expect is for faithfulness to involve consequences. 

This week in Age to Age: The Big Story of God’s Faithfulness, we focus on civil strife in Israel when Rehoboam ascends his father Solomon’s throne. God had promised to establish Solomon’s throne forever if he walked in integrity and righteousness (1 Kings 9:4-5). But Solomon’s later years ended awash in idolatry, and God’s faithfulness included consequences. He split the kingdom after Solomon’s death, leaving only two tribes to his descendants.

That’s not the kind of faithfulness we want from God, is it? It doesn’t match our expectations. As the new king, Rehoboam expected to rule over all twelve tribes, since God had promised David’s royal line would continue. Rehoboam doesn’t consult God, ignores his elders’ wise counsel, takes his teenaged friends’ guidance, increases the tax burden on his people, and promptly sees ten tribes revolt and follow Jeroboam, one of his father’s officials (12:6-11,16). A kingdom split couldn’t have been what Rehoboam expected, but it is what God has promised. 

God’s faithfulness didn’t match Jeroboam’s expectations either. Yes, as God promised, he’s become king over the ten tribes. Expecting the “enduring” reign God promised, he ignored the bit about doing “what was right in God’s eyes” (11:38-39). Jeroboam sets up his own capital in the north with his own priests leading the people to worship golden calves (12:26-33). God isn’t pleased; expect consequences.

Both Rehoboam and Jeroboam view God’s faithfulness as a means to their own selfish ends, choosing their own agendas over God’s. God promised me a kingdom!! What do I expect that to look like? Rather than seeking God, they listen to others’ counsel. The result: ten tribes rebel; golden calf idolatry is legitimized; neither man gets the promise of God fulfilled as he expected. 

Maybe you’re wondering if God is being faithful to act in your current circumstance. Maybe your situation isn’t changing. Nothing is wrong, but maybe you’re expecting something else, something better. May I suggest seeking counsel from a pastor, elder, or seasoned Christian friend? Jeroboam and Rehoboam bypassed godly counsel, assuming their situations were evidence of God’s faithfulness. That didn’t end well.