Insight for Living

Bill Meyer: There comes a time when pretending costs more than it’s worth. When the energy required to maintain the facade exceeds our ability to keep up appearances. When we realize that living two lives—one public and one private—is slowly destroying us from the inside out. Today on Insight for Living, Chuck Swindoll doesn’t just diagnose the problem of hypocrisy; he issues an urgent call to action. By the end of today’s program, you’ll be challenged to cultivate authenticity and root out hypocrisy. Chuck titled today’s message "Rehoboam: The Reckless Phony."

Pastor Chuck Swindoll: 1 Kings 11 is not the story of Rehoboam; it’s the story of his father’s fall. His father’s name is familiar to all of us. His name was Solomon. Israel under Solomon became heavily taxed. Because of his spiritual compromise, there were those who left him, who deserted. One man’s name was Jeroboam. Jeroboam disagreed with the policy that Solomon had developed, so he went to Egypt to live there.

Now turn the page and look at the last verse of this chapter. Solomon slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of his father David, and his son Rehoboam reigned in his place. Jeroboam, who has departed, comes back down to the city of Shechem, and he visits with the king-elect. Verse four: "Your father made our yoke hard; therefore lighten the hard service of your father and his heavy yoke which he put on us, and we will serve you." Then he said to them, "Depart for three days, then return to me." So the people departed.

Now verse 12, three days have passed. Jeroboam comes back for his answer. Verse 13: the king answered the people harshly, for he forsook the advice of the elders which they had given him, and he spoke to them according to the advice of the young men. 2 Chronicles 10:15: so the king—that’s Rehoboam—did not listen to the people. At this junction, Jeroboam with 10 of the 12 tribes moves north. He establishes his own kingdom, and with the 10 tribes surrounding him, he establishes what is called the kingdom of Israel or Ephraim.

Rehoboam is in the south. He made plans to fight against Israel, that is the northern kingdom. But verse two: God said, "Don't fight." But notice Rehoboam behind the scenes. Did he go home and relax and trust God? Not on your life. He instantly made plans for war. Now back to 1 Kings 14, and you'll see the real Rehoboam. He stands up now. 1 Kings 14:21. He appeared to seek counsel, but he didn't. He never listened. He appeared to rest in the Lord, but he didn't. He established defense in the cities.

Now 1 Kings 14:21, look at the third phase of this phony hypocrite. Now Rehoboam the son of Solomon reigned in Judah. Rehoboam was 41 years old when he became king, and he reigned 17 years in Jerusalem. Notice: the city which the Lord had chosen from all the tribes of Israel to put His name there. And his mother's name was Naamah the Ammonitess. The close arrangement of sentences attracts my attention. He lived in a city that was the City of Peace, Yerushalayim, the City of Peace. It was a city where God wanted His name, Jehovah. But whose name was prominent? His mother's name.

Look at the last verse of this chapter. Rehoboam slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David, and his mother's name was Naamah the Ammonitess. You've already told us that. I know, but I want to repeat it so you won't miss the thrust of it. Very unusual for a genealogy to be given at the beginning and ending of the reign. Not in Rehoboam's case. Why? Because he lived in a city he wanted to look like the city of Jehovah, but underneath it was the city of Naamah the Ammonitess.

Now I asked you at the beginning of the sermon to remember two things from 1 Kings 11. I asked you to remember, first of all, the Ammonites. And second, I asked you to remember the false god of Molech and Milcom. The name Naamah means sweetness, pleasantness. Does that tell you anything? I have a feeling that her name describes her character. On the surface, she appeared to be sweet and pleasant. But this passage says in verse 21, as does verse 31, that she was *the* Ammonitess. Isn't it unusual that she wouldn't be called Naamah, an Ammonite? Every word in the original text of scripture is important, even the "the's."

She was a prominent Ammonite woman. Since he's 41 years old when he becomes king, and since Solomon reigned only 40 years, he was born to Solomon before Solomon ever became the king. And he was reared in the home of the Ammonitess a year before the kingdom began and all through it. So for 41 years, he has been nurtured at the feet of Naamah the Ammonitess, the worshiper of a false god. What was Milcom and what was Molech like? Well, let me say this: the Ammonites themselves were descendants of Lot's youngest daughter. Lot lived with his daughters where? In Sodom.

And all the sensual cults of illicit sex have their roots in Canaan before Israel invaded. No matter how far back you may trace, you will wind up in those terrible annals of history of those cults. You will find them all rooting back at Sodom and similar cities. This Ammonite woman had her roots in Sodom. And so the god Milcom and Molech, the same. These were the gods that demanded the lives of children. Infants were dropped or forced into the fire that burned upon Milcom and Molech.

One archaeologist writes this: "Molech was a detestable Semitic deity, honored by the sacrifice of children, in which they were forced to pass through or into fire. Palestinian excavations have uncovered evidence of infant skeletons in burial places around these heathen shrines. Ammonites revered Molech as a protecting father. No form of ancient idolatry was more abhorrent than Molech worship." Now Naamah reared her son in it, and Solomon enhanced it. He even built temples in honor of Molech.

It doesn't fit a mixed audience, especially one with little ones, so I'll pass quickly over what we read in 22 through 24. Judah did evil in the sight of the Lord; they provoked him to jealousy more than all their fathers. They built for themselves high places and sacred pillars—sacred in quotes—Asherim on every hill and beneath every luxuriant tree. You can read verse 24 for yourself; there were even houses built to hold those godless men who engaged in that practice. On the camera side, it looked solid gold, but behind the scenes, it was a godless mishmash of sensuality and the worship of Molech.

Now I think it takes the cake one more time for us to go back to 2 Chronicles chapter 12. Rehoboam looked so genuine, but he had a veneer of sweetness and pleasantness like Naamah, with wickedness underneath. 2 Chronicles 12:1: it took place when the kingdom of Rehoboam was established and strong, that he and all Israel with him forsook the law of the Lord. Never fails. It came about in King Rehoboam's fifth year—now he reigned 17—but he had only been reigning five years that because they had been unfaithful to the Lord, Shishak, King of Egypt, came up against Jerusalem.

And notice what happened with 1,200 chariots, 60,000 horsemen, and the people who came with him from Egypt were without number: the Lubim, the Sukkiim, and the Ethiopians. And he captured the fortified cities of Judah and came as far as Jerusalem. Now notice what he does. Verse nine: "So Shishak, King of Egypt, came up against Jerusalem and took the treasures from the house of the Lord and the treasures of the king's palace. He took everything. He even took the golden shields which Solomon had made."

I wish we had time to read about them. Part of the development of the Lebanon Palace, where the shields were kept, was the making of 500 golden shields. One person has analyzed their worth and has come up with the fact that 200 of them were worth $7,600 each. 300 of them were worth half that. I figured it up and discovered that it was over two and a half million dollars tucked away in 500 golden shields. And they were kept in the palace, solid gold, for the public to see on display as the splendor of God was revealed in the temple of Solomon. One of the things the Queen of Sheba saw, and she says, "The half wasn't told me, Solomon, of all that's in your kingdom." Well, the King of Egypt had heard that, and he just took them with him when he left.

Look at what Rehoboam does. It’s just like him. Look at this phony. Then King Rehoboam made shields of bronze in their place. Not gold; he doesn't have any gold. Gold is gone. He's bankrupt. But he makes shields of bronze in their place. Does he put them on public display? Not on your life; somebody will discover they're not gold. He commits them to the care of the commanders of the runners. Literally, it says he committed them to the hands of the runners who guarded the door of the king's house. Don't let the public see that they're not gold. Keep them hidden.

Did he ever bring them out? You bet. Verse 11: happened as often as the king entered the house of the Lord. Isn't that just like him? When he came to worship, the guards came and carried them and then brought them back into the guards' room, kept them away. Isn't that something? Golden shields worth over two and a half million dollars sucked away by the King of Egypt. And Rehoboam goes to work behind the scenes and he provides a cheap substitute, an imitation, a front for the camera to see. But he carefully hides them in secret so nobody will know that they're worthless bronze.

Four areas of hypocrisy in the life of Rehoboam. He said he sought counsel, but he never really listened to the people. He said he would not fight, but all the while Israel was resting, he was defending and preparing that city or those cities for battle. He lived in a city that was to have the name of Jehovah, but it really had the name of his mother, Naamah, a godless Milcom worshiper. And here a little sidelight: the making of the bronze shields tells us that he was all the while lacking in integrity and solid gold character.

You know, it's a shame, but even though verse 16 says Rehoboam slept with his fathers and was buried and Abijah became king in his place, it's a shame we couldn't say all the phonies died then. But they didn't. There are phonies today just like then. Without trying to be too severe in this ending, I want to say it's very, very probable there are phonies here tonight sitting in some of the pews. Individuals who want to look the part, but you know down inside you're not. I was commenting recently with an individual in our church about a relative. We were discussing the spiritual needs. She says, "Oh, you only know him on Sunday. You should see him at home."

How many tonight fall in the camp of Rehoboam? It isn't the mask for the camera that God honors and that God will judge; it's what's really there. It isn't the shining bronze that we replace those golden shields with that impresses God; it’s the genuine item. How many of us are willing to say that, actually, we have a Sunday facade? It comes out beautifully when we’re before the public, but behind the scenes, if anyone could see how I really felt about those personal areas of my life, how embarrassing it would be. If anyone could see that.

Some of our youth can play the part, look just like solid gold, but in the quietness and the secrecy of your life behind the scenes where nobody looks, there's garbage. It's quite possible that that fits some here tonight. Someone has said true character is what we are when nobody's looking. In the secret chambers of the heart. How many have learned the language of the Christian so that when necessary you can bring it out like Rehoboam paraded those bronze shields? If you get a quick glance, it looks just like gold. But tuck it away so nobody will ever probe. So we'll keep our distance. Stay distant lest somebody discovers it's really not the real thing.

You see how relevant that life is? I close with the reading of a very unusual passage of scripture, Ezekiel 33, the last four verses. Turn finally to that, please. Ezekiel 33, verse 30. It's really worth your turning. Look at 33:30 now in Ezekiel. "But as for you, son of man, your fellow citizens who talk about you by the walls and in the doorways of the houses, speak to one another, each to his brother, saying, 'Come now and hear what the message is which comes forth from the Lord.' And they come to you, Ezekiel, as people come, and they sit before you as my people"—that's an important "as"—"and they hear your words, but they do not do them."

"But they do the lustful desires expressed by their mouth. In their heart it goes after their gain. And behold, you are to them like a sensual song by one who has a beautiful voice and plays well on an instrument, for they hear your words, but they do not practice them. So when it comes to pass, as surely it will, then they will know that a prophet has been in their midst." Eloquent words. They'll come, they'll go, they'll live as they please. But when you are phased out, they'll realize a prophet has been in their midst.

I think some decisions need to be made tonight. I honestly do. I think some that are a little bit older in the Lord feel like, "Oh, what’s the use, preacher? I've heard messages like this. I've been convicted over the bronze in my soul and the gold on my face. I'm aware of the thin veneer of my character. But what do I do?" Friend, you will never change without making a decision. Drive a stake in a point of time, namely this evening before God. You don't have to share it with another soul, maybe those closest to you, but you don't need to tell another person. You need to make it right before God. You need to repent. Turn around.

Ask God to rip off the veneer, to tear away the mask that looks so Naamah-ish, so pleasant and sweet, and to give you character. To begin in the quietness of your living room and bedroom and den. To begin in the way you take that pencil and figure your income tax. To begin with the details of how you fill out that expense account. To take over such personal things as whether you keep your own eyes on your own paper when you take an exam. To deal with those dark areas in your date life that right now you know are questionable. To touch base with you in areas that are obviously spiritual compromises. So that a person when he walks up and pulls open the file drawer of your life finds gold, nothing else.

Let's bow our heads together, please. I plead with you tonight to put the decision off no longer. And I speak to one who wants to look like a Christian but isn't. You trust Jesus Christ tonight. You just delay no longer. You refuse to let the devil give you this bit, "No one else will know," because you have no guarantee. What is your life? It’s a vapor; it could be gone tomorrow. And then whose will all these things be? You that have cultivated the habit of cheating, whether as a teenager or adult. You that look like a success on the surface but down underneath you're phony. Tonight's the night. Now is the time.

Lord, you've told us that if we cover our sins, we will not prosper. But if we confess and forsake them, you will have mercy. As we understand this, Lord, that if there's no forsaking, then there cannot be mercy. So the confession alone does fall on deaf ears if there isn't the accompanying plan to forsake. To burn the filthy books that occupy our eyes. To remove forever by your power the desire that leads me to cheat, to destroy, and to hurt and to bring ruin to relationships. Those things that fracture a home because they are so illicit.

At this moment, our Father, it is my desire as a pastor and shepherd that there be pruning so that our lives match what our lips say. And that our lips convey what our hearts truly reveal. Be to us, our Father, not only father, but mother and brother and friend and reprover, so that your word will not return void. And thank you in advance for those who, because of the message today, have come to know your son as savior, the Lord Jesus, who still changes lives. I pray in his great name, Amen.

Bill Meyer: This is Insight for Living, and we're near the conclusion of a biographical teaching series from Chuck Swindoll. Today's message was called "Rehoboam: The Reckless Phony." Rehoboam is just one of the characters we're getting to know in this popular collection of Bible stories. It's called "Fascinating Stories of Forgotten Lives." In this hallmark study, Chuck examines the often overlooked characters of scripture. These were ordinary people, all of them flawed, some of them foolish, but many of them were courageous and willing to follow God's prescription for a fulfilling life. The stories in this collection of biographical sketches from Chuck speak to every believer, whether you've walked with Christ for decades or have just begun your journey.

To explore these men and women more fully, visit insight.org/offer. There you'll discover a range of resources designed to help you dig deeper. And while you're at our website, you'll see the Bible study workbook from our searching the scriptures studies. It's a spiral-bound workbook which allows you to take notes and record your personal observations as you follow along with Chuck. There's also a full-length book that Chuck's written for this series called "Fascinating Stories of Forgotten Lives." At insight.org, there's a lot to check out. In fact, one of our listeners shared how his pastor mentioned Chuck in a sermon and cited Chuck as a strong influence on his life. This man said, "I've been glued to the insight app and website ever since. You have so many great resources." Again, to purchase the Bible study workbook for this series called "Fascinating Stories of Forgotten Lives," call us at 800-772-8888 or go online to insight.org/offer. It's possible that you'll find your walk with God aligns with many of these characters. Naturally, we'd love to hear your story too. To write a letter to Chuck and the team, address it to Insight for Living, Post Office Box 5000, Frisco, Texas 75034. That's Post Office Box 5000, Frisco, Texas 75034. I’m Bill Meyer. Chuck Swindoll tells the fascinating story about Jabez, the unknown who became well-known, tomorrow on Insight for Living.

Guest (Male): The preceding message, "Rehoboam: The Reckless Phony," was copyrighted in 1973, 1982, 1986, 1991, 2004, 2006, 2012, and 2024, and the sound recording was copyrighted in 2024 by Charles R. Swindoll, Incorporated. All rights are reserved worldwide. Duplication of copyrighted material for commercial use is strictly prohibited.