1 Kings 12: God's Sovereignty Over All

"So the king did not listen to the people, for it was a turn of affairs brought about by the LORD that he might fulfill his word, which the LORD spoke by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat." 1 Kings 12:15

Today we examing the division of the kingdom of Israel. For those of you who do not know, the kingdom of Israel in the Old Testament was divided into 12 tribes. However, in 1 Kings 12, the 12 tribes split. The 10 northern tribes followed under the reign of Jeroboam, and the 2 southern tribes followed the reign of Rehoboam. This all came about in 930 AD, and although it was certainly a horrible day at the time, God was sovereign over it all.

Although God's sovereignty over Israel's split is most likely not the main point of 1 Kings 12, it certainly is a point that I would like to point out today. Very explicitly, the author of 1 Kings points out that God was sovereignly over Israel's split. In other words, God had a plan for the dividing of his nation, even though this went against all that would seem normal and right. However, through Israel's split, God was enacting his righteous judgment on those who refused to follow him as well as was securing a remnant out of those who were truly devoted to him.

From this general observation, I would like to point out that the Lord is sovereign over all of our lives. So often, we think that the world is going to end. We find our kingdoms splitting and our people raging, yet God is over the entire process. Although we often don't see his hand, he is working all things together for the good of those who love him (Romans 8:28). Though evil men often strive for evil, God uses this for good (Genesis 50:20). Over everything and anything, God is sovereign.

So, if God is sovereign over the split of an entire nation, can you trust that he is sovereign over your life today? If he can handle creating the earth and maintaining it, do you think he can handle your problems? I surely hope that you trust that he would. Take courage today over the fact that God is sovereign, even over the evil in this world.