Monday, September 26, 2022

Kingdom Divided Lesson 2 – 1 Kings 11 – 14; 2 Chronicles 10-12

 


1 Kings 11 – Ignoring God

God had gifted King Solomon with wisdom and wealth, but he was slowly turning away from God.  In chapter 11 we see his failure described.  He married many wives: 700 royal wives and 300 concubines.  God clearly stated in Deuteronomy 17:17 that this was against what God wanted for Israel’s kings.  “He must not take many wives, or his heart will be led astray.”

It seemed Solomon desired many wives because of his lust, but it was also for power and prestige.  Maybe Solomon had become drunk with his fame throughout the world, because in those days a large harem was a status symbol.  He was never really satisfied.  The more he had, the more he wanted.

Solomon’s wives worshipped foreign gods and to keep them happy Solomon built places of worship for them and with time he joined them in worship.  Age didn’t make him any wiser.  He didn’t lose his faith entirely, but just added sinful things to his life.  He compromised.  His heart was not fully devoted to the Lord as the heart of David his father had been.  For the wisest man on earth, he was very foolish.  If this was the case with the wisest man who ever live, then what hope do we have apart from dependence upon Jesus?  I hope Solomon’s example drives us all to greater dependence on Jesus.

“So Solomon did evil in the eyes of the Lord; he did not follow the Lord completely, as David his father had done.” 1 Kings 11:6

In what areas of your life do you compromise?


Is your heart fully devoted to God?
What is keeping you from being satisfied?
What idols/false gods are in your life?  Some idols today are:  famous people, possessions,  jobs, TV, video games, power, and even our kids can be idols.  Anything or anyone you put before God is an idol.

The Lord spoke to Solomon three times warning him of the dangers of disobedience.  On the third time the Lord became angry, because Solomon’s heart had turned away from Him.  Now that Solomon had disobeyed again, the Lord said, “Since this is your attitude and you have not kept my covenant and my decrees, which I commanded you, I will most certainly tear the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your subordinates.” 1 Kings 11:11  For David’s sake, this wouldn’t be done in Solomon’s lifetime.  Instead it would be torn out of the hand of Solomon’s son. 

How are you ignoring God?

How many times has God warned you about a sin in your life?
What is keeping you from listening and obeying?

Principle:  Ignoring God brings judgment.

God raised up adversaries who opposed Solomon – Hadad the Edomite, Rezon son of Eliada, and Jeroboam son of Nebat, who would eventually rule over the 10 northern tribes called Israel.  God left one tribe to the House of David.  The small tribe of Benjamin was absorbed into the tribe of Judah.

The Lord was very patient with Solomon, because his sin didn’t happen all at once.  It happened over time.  That’s the way sin works.  You start out with a little sin and all of a sudden it turns into more sin and bigger sins.  Solomon disobeyed almost every rule that God had said kings should follow.  He increased his number of horses and chariots; he gathered great riches to himself; he married many women, even foreign women.  Worst of all, he worshiped false gods.  He knew his disobedience would bring judgment.

I think Solomon realized what was important and that all his power and possessions were useless when he wrote the book of Ecclesiastes.  He summed up his life in Ecclesiastes 13:8“Everything is meaningless”. 

Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel for 40 years.  Then he rested with his fathers and was buried.  We don’t know if he is heaven or not; however 2 Chronicles 11:17 may be a clue.  But we do know that God can forgive any sin and maybe Solomon came to his senses at the end.  His son Rehoboam succeeded him as king.

Solomon’s life began with great purpose.  It began with his heart following God and obeying His ways, but somewhere along the way he stopped guarding his heart and was led astray.  Jesus warns us in Mark 8:36-37“What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?  Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?”

Solomon’s life is a warning for our lives.  Solomon had it all and fell.  Watch out if you think you are doing well.  This is an opportunity for Satan to steal your heart from God.  Guard your heart against compromise.  Guard your heart against what seems to be small choices that show love for someone or something other than the Lord your God.  “Now these things happened to them as an example and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come.  So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!”1 Cor. 10:11-12

We can learn a lot from Solomon.  His disobedience to God also reveals our sins to us.  He worshipped both God and false gods.  We too have placed the things of this world in front of God.   He suffered because of his sins, but others did also.  The same is true for all people.  Sin affects everyone.  A proper response to this lesson is to be devoted to complete obedience to God.  We should completely surrender to His will, but unfortunately all Christians fall short; however it’s something that we should all continually strive for.

How are you like Solomon?

What do you put before God?
Are you completely obedient to God?
What is keeping you from fully surrendering to God?

Jeroboam was one of Solomon’s officials and was put in charge of the whole labor force.  God told Jeroboam through the prophet Ahijah that we would rule over a portion of a divided Israel. 

David waited on the Lord to make the throne clear and God blessed his reign.  Jeroboam didn’t wait on the Lord, but made his own way to the throne and God didn’t bless his reign.  Jeroboam fled to Egypt because Solomon was trying to kill him.  He stayed there until Solomon’s death. 

Principle:  God lovingly uses consequences to turn us back to Him.

1 Kings 12-14 – Rehoboam and Jeroboam (The Divided Kingdom)

Jeroboam’s Reign in Israel

After Solomon’s death his son, Rehoboam became Judah’s King.  His leadership was not the best.  He exercised poor discernment and leadership by not listening to the people; he was rejected as king over the ten northern tribes.  He didn’t seek God nor did he pray.  He sought advice of his peers.  His pride and foolishness cost him greatly.  His kingdom did however gain strength as he established military defenses.  Rehoboam turned away from God and God’s law and led the people astray.  They rebelled and made Jeroboam their king.  Only the tribe of Judah remained loyal to Rehoboam. 

God’s plan was at work.  This division is significant in Israel’s history and God’s redemptive plan because God would send His Son Jesus to redeem the world.  We see this prophesied in Genesis 49:10 and in the birth of Jesus in Matthew 1:2-16.

Jeroboam, now Israel’s king, became fearful that the people would go back to their old allegiance so he led the people into idolatry and built shrines and appointed priests desecrating the purity of worship that God intended for His people.  Rehoboam, Judah’s king, didn’t listen to the people and ignored the prophets.  Neither fully surrendered to God.

When has someone older and wiser offered you advice and you rejected it?

Did you seek God’s will?
When has God used your poor choices for your good?
What fears do you have in your life?

In 1 Kings 13 God persistently called Jeroboam to Himself.  God warned Jeroboam that he was doing wrong so He sent a prophet who prophesied what would happen in the future.  Jeroboam tried to arrest the prophet, but Jeroboam’s arm became shriveled up and the altar split apart into ashes.  God was showing everyone that Jeroboam had no power over the prophet.  The prophet had authority from God and no king had authority greater than God.  Jeroboam asked for God to cure him, which He did.  Then to reward the prophet, Jeroboam invited the prophet to a meal and offered him gifts.  The prophet refused.  He didn’t want rewards, but for Jeroboam to change his heart.  God doesn’t forgive us because of the things we do or the gifts we bring, but He wants us to have a change of heart and trust in Jesus.

In 1 Kings 14 Jeroboam’s son became sick so he told his wife to disguise herself and take gifts to the prophet Ahijah to find out if his son would recover.  He prophesied the son would not live, because he had pleased God and his death would save him from the awful coming judgment against Jeroboam’s family.  Everyone else in the family would die because of sin.  The son’s death proved the prophecy was correct, but Jeroboam didn’t turn back to God.  He continued to rule by strength and worship false gods.  Jeroboam served 22 years before he died.  His other son Nadab succeeded him as king.  His reign wasted many opportunities and led his nation to reject God. 

Do you pretend to be someone else before God?  We live our lives the way we want but think we can fool God.  We think by going to church we have somehow tricked God.  This problem goes all the way back to the very beginning to Adam and Eve.  They attempted to hide themselves from the Lord, but no one can hide their true selves from God.  He knows our actions and He knows our hearts.

We may not rule an entire nation, but the decisions we make affect the people round us.  We need to be sure of the decisions we make.  It’s important to listen and consider the advice of others whose experience is similar, but ultimately we should turn to God for direction.  Their advice may have good intentions, but it should match God’s will for your life.  Seeking God’s will isn’t always easy.  It requires much Bible study and much prayer.

Sin corrupts people’s hearts and appetites.  It makes them choose destructive paths and ignore God’s calls to repentance and restoration.  Rejecting God and choosing sin brings consequences.  God blesses those who live obedient and faithful lives while others rebel and live with tragic consequences.

Principle:  We can’t hide from God; he knows our actions and our hearts.

Rehoboam’s Reign in Judah

In Rehoboam’s reign as king, he abandoned the ways of God and his people tolerated idolatry.  Rehoboam was a weak leader and he rejected God and chose sin which brought consequences.  Because he had been unfaithful, God allowed Egypt’s king, Shishak to attack Jerusalem and carry off the treasures of the temple.  In 2 Chronicles 12 we learn the prophet Shemaiah came to Rehoboam and told him he had abandoned the Lord so the Lord would now abandon him to Shishak.  Rehoboam knew that God was a just God so he and the people humbled themselves before God.  Because of this God decided He wouldn’t destroy them.  Rehoboam experienced conflicts with the northern kingdom throughout his reign.  He died and his son Abijah succeeded him.

All the kings had opportunities to serve God and lead the people to submit to Him just as we have choices to stand with God.  There was a minority that faithfully trusted God, but the majority rejected Him.  Sounds like today.

Principle:  God will not let sin go unpunished.

How do you measure your devotion to God?

What is keeping you from standing up for what is right?

In this week’s study we learn more about God.  We learn his attribute is He is Sovereign.

Next time we will continue our study of Kingdom Divided with 1 Kings 15.  Hope to see you here.  -- I encourage you to trust in Jesus.

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Monday, September 19, 2022

Kingdom Divided Lesson 1 – Genesis to Malachi


The purpose of the Bible is to show God’s love and mercy for His people Israel and to the world.  God’s Word tells us He created Adam and Eve in His image and created a beautiful garden for them to enjoy.  They fell into sin which had devastating effects on all mankind, but God provided a plan of redemption through His Son Jesus.

We can summarize the Bible by saying, it’s a redemption story of God’s love for humanity, and the sacrifice He was willing to make for all of mankind.  Most of all, it’s the unshakeable and infallible Word of God.  Or you could be more concise and say, It’s God speaking us you.  You could also say, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17.

The OT is very important to us.  Jesus quoted the OT many, many times.  If it was important to Jesus, it is should be important to us.  The OT gave us prophecies that were fulfilled in the NT (Luke 24:13-49) and is being fulfilled today.

Romans 15:4 tells us the importance of studying the OT.  “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”

Isaiah 5:1-7 describes God’s relationship with Israel.  He had richly blessed His chosen people Israel.  He gave them everything they needed, but instead they rebelled and had to be punished just as wild grapes have to be radically pruned.

Isaiah 41:8-9 – Israel is reminded they are God’s servants, chosen by Him.  They were His friends because of their family relationship to Abraham and because of this relationship Abraham’s descendants also had a special place before God.

In Acts 7 Stephen recalled the history of the nation of Israel from the beginning. He told the people why they refused to believe.  He called them a stiff-necked people.  He was trying to wake them up and stop rebelling and be thankful for God and all He had done for them.  They even killed the Son of God.

In Corinthians 10:1-13 Paul told us that we should learn from Israel’s story of successes and failures.  Their examples should keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did.  Instead we are just like Israel and do the same things.  We worship idols, commit sexual immorality, we test the Lord, we grumble and are never satisfied.

In this study we see Israel’s story at the end of the reign of King Solomon.  Solomon ignored God’s warnings so God brought judgment upon his kingdom.  After Solomon’s death, Israel divided into 2 kingdoms, the north kingdom called Israel and the southern kingdom called Judah.  This is the period we will be focusing on this year.

God’s nation of Israel was a United Kingdom under her first three kings – Saul, David and Solomon, but the kingdom never really had good kings.  God sent many prophets to steer them back to Him, but  they still rejected him.  Eventually God punished them by allowing them to be taken away into captivity. 

We begin with 1 Kings 11.  We see in 1 Kings 11:29-39 prophecy is revealed – Israel will be torn out of King Solomon’s hands and 10 tribes will be given to Jeroboam.  But for the sake of David, God will leave one tribe.  He will do this because they had forsaken Him, worshipped foreign gods, did not walk in His ways, nor done what was right or kept His statues and laws.

We should learn many lessons from Israel’s history.  Solomon was wise and very wealthy.  He enjoyed God’s favor, but as time went on he relied on his fortune, his military might and his political alliances instead of God who gave him all those blessings.  He focused on the gifts not the Giver.  Both Solomon and Israel had God’s blessings, but they turned from Him and went their own way worshipping false gods.  We are like that today.  We focus on the same things, ignoring God’s commands.  We reject God and worship false gods.  This should be a warning to us.  God won’t stand for our actions much longer.  There will be judgment to come.

How are you ignoring God?

What is keeping you from focusing on Him?
What false gods do you worship?
God is sending prophets to speak to you; are you listening?

Principle:  Israel’s history exposes an unfaithful people, but always reveals a faithful God.

This week’s attribute of God is He is Faithful.

Next time we will continue our study of Kingdom Divided starting with 1 Kings 11.  Hope to see you here. -- I encourage you to trust in Jesus.

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Monday, September 12, 2022

Kingdom Divided – Introduction

 



It’s time to begin our next Bible study.  This year is part 2 of People of the Promised Land – Kingdom Divided.  I won’t be the first to say that this study is hard and at times very confusing.  There are so many kings and prophets that it’s hard to keep them all straight.  I will try to do my best, but please don’t be too hard on me if I get some things discombobulated.

Why study the Bible?

The Bible is God-breathed.  When we read it, God is speaking to us.  It is reliable because God is perfect and always speaks the truth.  He is incapable of telling a lie.  Through the Bible God instructs us how to live and helps us know how to walk with Him in this life.

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17.

God is our Sovereign Creator.  He is holy.  He is faithful and true.  He knows everything, understands everything, and works flawlessly to accomplish His perfect plan.  He is the supreme authority with the right to say what is right and wrong, what is truth, and what are lies.  As we study the Scriptures, we see the sovereign hand of God.

The Bible is broken down into 2 sections – the Old Testament and the New Testament.  The OT covers God’s creation and the beginnings of the world.  God set up the nation of Israel to carry His message to the world.  The OT points to the coming of the God’s son, Messiah Jesus our Redeemer.  The NT fulfills the promises found in the OT.  It gives details of Jesus’ birth, life, death, and resurrection.  All through the Bible we see that God provided a way for sinful people to be redeemed and mend their relationship with Him.  The OT helps us understand God and His ways as it offers hope.  

The Bible is a collection of 66 books that is composed by more than 40 authors both Jewish and Gentile.  These authors were inspired by the Holy Spirit.  The Bible is God’s-breathed. 

This year we will study several books in the OT. 

1 Kings
2 Kings
2 Chronicles
Jonah
Amos
Obadiah
Joel
Hosea
Isaiah
Micah
Jeremiah
Lamentations
Nahum
Zephaniah
Habakkuk

We will study about a time of division, hostility, idolatry, and hope.  Israel rejected God, but He longs to restore what sin has destroyed.  There is value in studying the OT.  “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” Romans 15:4.

While studying these lessons, listen for God to speak to you.  Studying all these different kings can be confusing, but hang in there and we will get through it and you may learn something.  While we don’t have all the answers, we can listen as He speaks to us.  He knows you more than you know yourself.  He knows what you think and what you need.

Do you expect God to speak to you through His Word?

Will you trust God as you learn more about Him?

Principle:  The Bible is God-breathed; it instructs us how to live and walk with God in this life.

Next week we will start our first study of Kingdom Divided.  Hope to see you here. -- I encourage you to trust in Jesus.

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As you know I always follow along the BSF (Bible Schedule Fellowship) schedule.  You can find weekly lessons to be printed on mybsf.org.  You can also find a BSF class near you by going to www.bsfinternational.org.  The same lessons are studied around the world, so classes start at different times.  In my area we start mid-September, follow the school calendar, and end in mid-May.

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