Chapter Fourteen                                 the week of April 22

A Kingdom Torn in Two

Solomon was about to die. God had told him that if he followed God in obedience his lineage would be on the throne of Israel. He chose not to follow God. So Jeroboam, whom God had designated to be king, had fled to Egypt. When Solomon died, Jeroboam returned. Rehoboam, one of Solomon’s sons was crowned king. It became the beginning of a divided kingdom.

Pp 193-95  Solomon had put a heavy tax burden on the people of Israel and had becoming wealthy as a result. Jeroboam represented most of Israel in asking for relief from this heavy taxation from King Rehoboam. Solomon’s former advisors counseled him to relieve the burden and gain the trust of the people. The king rejected that advice and listened to his younger friends, giving an even greater burden to authenticate that he was in control. The eleven tribes returned to the North and made Jeroboam their king. Rehoboam had only the tribe of Judah to rule.

In the change of an administration there is only one chance to set a tone. Wanting to make an impression, why do leaders tend to make the harshest choice?

Pp 195-7  Now Israel of the North and Judah to the South were at war. Rehoboam was warned by a man of God to not go to battle, and this time he listened. Meanwhile, Jeroboam realized that his people would be going to festivals in Jerusalem and that they would be tempted to give allegiance to the other king. So he set up a golden calf in Bethel and Dan to worship. He set up opposing festivals, shrines and priests. The people obliged by committing apostasy against the living God. A prophesy was made concerning Rehoboam’s downfall at the hand of Josiah.

 Sometimes self-protection becomes the rationale for creating a false religion. In our world, how have false cults and pop religion provided security for the originators and spiritual slavery to the people?

Pp 197-8  The son of Jeroboam of the North was gravely ill. Jeroboam sent his wife to learn from a prophet of his son’s future. It was told that this son, the only good one, would die and the kingdom would be taken from Jeroboam, leaving no surviving sons. Sometimes God intervenes; sometimes he allows us to reap what we sow.

Pp 198-9  In Judah of the South the situation was just as bad. They followed the nations and built pagan high places with practices formerly removed from the land. The treasures of the temple and palace were confiscated by a rival king. And warfare became ongoing between Judah and Israel. Rehoboam, then his son Abijah died as spiritual and political failures. The two kingdoms were rivals at how much they could disobey God.

Pp 199-202  Asa, King of Judah, became a bright spot in this marred picture. He set to reverse the plague of paganism, tearing down heathen shrines and even deposing his pagan grandmother. His righteous behavior lasted two decades.

By and large evil kings dominated the landscape of both kingdoms, each seeming to outdo each other in blaspheming God in their words and actions. It is truly remarkable how patient God was.

Now think about David and Solomon. All was in their hands to perpetuate good for generations to Israel. They could have been the city on the hill. But the slippery slope happened when they did not completely follow God, till their descendents were completely not following God.

How do we break this descent with our descendents? God is shown as kind and holy in this chapter. Why are we attracted to the first attribute and we ignore the second? What is at-risk in our imbalance?