Two weeks ago we talked about the reign of King Solomon

•    It was a picture of God’s Kingdom

o    Every area of life

* Science
* Arts
* Business
* Religious

•    Yet, Solomon made mistakes

o    700 wives and 300 concubines
o    These ladies turned his heart against God
o    Solomon build temples to false gods throughout the land

•    Warning from God right after he build the temple

o    1 Kings 9:3-9
o    If Solomon followed God, God would make sure his family would continue to rule the land on God’s behalf
o    If not, than God would take them out

This is exactly what happened as Solomon did not listen or take this warning to heart.

Divided Kingdom

•    Jeroboam was a Ephraimite and one of Solomon’s officials

o    In charge of Solomon’s work forces

•    Met Ahijah, the prophet of Shiloh

o    Ahijah took a new cloak and ripped it into 12 pieces
o    Told Jeroboam to take 10 pieces

Then he said to Jeroboam, “Take ten pieces for yourself, for this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘See, I am going to tear the kingdom out of Solomon’s hand and give you ten tribes.  But for the sake of my servant David and the city of Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, he will have one tribe.  I will do this because they have forsaken me and worshiped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Molek the god of the Ammonites, and have not walked in obedience to me, nor done what is right in my eyes, nor kept my decrees and laws as David, Solomon’s father, did. – 1 Kings 11:31-33

•    Solomon tries to kill Jeroboam

o    Sounds similar to Saul and David…
o    Jeroboam flees to Egypt

•    Solomon dies

o    Jeroboam returns
o    Goes with the elders of Israel to Rehoboam, Solomon’s son
o    Asked for relief as Solomon’s taxes and work projects had worn down the people
o    Advisors

* Older ones said to be a servant of the people
* Young ones said to increase the people’s work load

o    Rehoboam listened to the younger ones and split the kingdom

•    War

o    Shemaiah the prophet told Rehobam not to fight Jerobam as it was God’s plan
o    1 Kings 12:22-24

Northern Kingdom

•    Jeroboam’s sin

o    Sadly Jeroboam failed to listen to God’s words

* God promised him that he would rule over the 10 northern tribes if only he would follow Him

Jeroboam thought to himself, “The kingdom will now likely revert to the house of David.  If these people go up to offer sacrifices at the temple of the LORD in Jerusalem, they will again give their allegiance to their lord, Rehoboam king of Judah. They will kill me and return to King Rehoboam.” -1 Kings 12:26-27

o    Build two temples to God in the north – each with a golden calf
o     Also started installing priests not of the line of Levi

•    Jeroboam’s son Nadab ruled after him for two years

o    Killed along with all of Jeroboam’s family according to a prophecy given by Ahijah, the same prophet who told Jeroboam that he would become a king

Southern Kingdom

•    Sadly Rehobaom, Solomon’s son, didn’t do much better

Judah did evil in the eyes of the LORD. By the sins they committed they stirred up his jealous anger more than those who were before them had done. They also set up for themselves high places, sacred stones and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every spreading tree.  There were even male shrine prostitutes in the land; the people engaged in all the detestable practices of the nations the LORD had driven out before the Israelites. –Kings 14:2-24

•    The king of Egypt attacked Jerusalem and carried off the treasures

o    Temple
o    Royal palace

•    Yet, God allowed David’s descendants to continue to rule became of His promise to David

Main Points

•    Each one of us must walk close to Jesus

o    We cannot ride on the coat tails our of forefathers
o    Yes, some of the blessings we have are due to their commitment to God….
o    But we have a responsible to listen and follow as well

* Sometimes this means changing our traditions when they don’t line up with God’s instructions.

•    Hold fast to what God says

o    Don’t forget it and try to do things on your own
o    If Jeroboam would have held fast to what God told him originally he would have never has built the golden calves

Questions?

Sermon Part 2

Introduction

We talked about the beginnings of the divided kingdom, now let us trace their path throughout the rest of history.

•    Kings versus Chronicles

o    Kings

* 1 Kings and 2 Kings were originally one book in Hebrew
*  Tradition holds that Jeremiah, the prophet, wrote the books around the time that Jerusalem was destroyed in the 6th century BC

o     Chronicles

* The last book in the Hebrew Bible
* More favorable towards the kings of Judah than the kings of Israel
* Leaves out some of the sins of the sons of David

•    Both books follow the same basic outline

o    Each king is rated not on the money or the land they ruled which varied over the years
o    Rated on whether or not they obeyed God and followed the ways of David

* David is the person to whom all other kings are rated
* Why?

•    Because despite his failures, David tried his best to listen to God
•    He brought the people closer to God
•    Worshiped God with his whole heart

o    Dancing when the Ark was brought into Jerusalem
o    Honest in his songs of worship

•    See below list of kings

Main Points

•    Follow God regardless of the political climate

o    Shift away from following God towards a political agenda
o    Lack of information about the high priest and what was going on j
o    Prophets tried to call the people and kings back to worship the True God

* We will be talking about them next week

o    The king was able to direct people to or away from God

•    Each one of us must walk close to Jesus

o    We cannot ride on the coat tails our of forefathers
o    Yes, some of the blessings we have are due to their commitment to God….
o    But we have a responsible to listen and follow as well

* Sometimes this means changing our traditions when they don’t line up with God’s instructions.