A Nation Divided: I Kings 12-13 Lesson # 5
I. Introduction.
As mentioned before, Solomon saw the beginning of the loss of his nation’s wealth and prestige (11:14-25). The revolt of Rezon which eventually centered in Damascus threatened the trade routes and therefore the tariff from the north which brought much wealth into Solomon’s kingdom. In the same manner the resurrection of the kingdom of Edom again in the south threatened the trade routes coming up from Egypt.
With the anointing of Jeroboam by Ahijah the prophet the stage was set for the breaking of the kingdom into two kingdoms. Solomon’s heir would get two tribes as opposed to 10 in the north. Population wise the south contained 30% of the population while the north contained 70%.
Note: What is interesting is that the Pharaoh of Egypt (Solomon started his spiritual decline by marrying the daughter of Pharaoh in I Kings 3:1) harbored both of these southern threats (Jeroboam and Hadad) and kept them safe from Solomon’s retribution.
Note: Have someone open the class in prayer.
II. The Kingdom is Torn: I Kings 12:1-33.
A. Rehoboam’s Folly: 12:1-24
1. Disastrous Diplomacy: 12:1-15. (I have modified the outline of Davis 127)
>>>>Have someone read I Kings 12:1-5.
Q Was Shechem, where Rehoboam was to be officially inaugurated, in the north or the south?
An = It was in the north, the part of country that not until after seven years following Saul’s death came under David’s rule. The northern tribes had fought a civil war against David with Abner leading the north. David, at first, was only king over the southern part of the country for seven years (see II Samuel 2-3). Shechem was the site of “covenant renewal” when Israel first entered the land (Joshua 24:1-27) and where Joseph’s bones were buried (Joshua 24:32, See Provan 104).
Q What did the northern tribes want changed?
An = They wanted changes made in how Solomon had treated them as far as working for his building projects. It seems that Solomon had started treating the Israelites not as the free men they were meant to be after being delivered from Egypt, but had in some form begun to treat them as Canaanites. How bad it was is not made clear.
Note: Jeroboam, who had been in Egypt, was sent for and in a way could have been seen as a “new Moses”. He was delivering Israel from the house of David as Moses had delivered Israel from Egypt (Provan, 104).
TAKE THE QUIZ go briefly though the answers with little comment and have them grade one another’s papers.
2. Consultation with Solomon’s elders and his boyhood friends: I Kings 12:6-15.
>>>>Have someone read I Kings 12:6-15.
BREAK INTO SMALL GROUP Have them discuss the following questions.
1. What does this story teach theologically? List your insights. Look at the story from Rehoboam’s point of view and then from Israel’s point of view.
2. How did God see the story and its key meaning? Does your interpretation of the story’s meaning match verse 15?
COME BACK TOGETHER. (If you want you can have them share their answers)
C. The Results of Rehoboam’s Decision: I Kings 12:16-24.
>>>>Have someone read I Kings 12:16-20.
Q Are some government jobs more dangerous than others? What did the stoning of Adoram mean?
Q What did the sending of Adoram show about the wisdom of Rehoboam?
An = It seems that wisdom is not necessarily inheritable. It seems the folly of Rehoboam was used by God to bring about His sovereignty over human history. He can do the same today (Davis 130-131). Hitler’s almost demonic genius in the end was broken and it was his decisions what brought down the 3rd Reich. Two examples are his opening of the second front with Russia and his delaying the building of the atomic bomb, etc.
>>>>Have someone read I Kings 12:21-24.
Q What stopped Rehoboam from trying to re-take the northern tribes back into his kingdom by force?
An = God’s prophets. Ahijah the prophet had said the kingdom would be “torn” and Shemaiah, another prophet confirmed Jeroboam’s kingdom and ruler ship came from God.
Q Are there times when we should accept the consequences of our actions and not fight it?
An = It seemed Rehoboam did in 12:24. He lost a lot but at least kept his life and parts of his kingdom.
D. Jeroboam’s Response to Receiving Power: I Kings 12:25-33.
>>>>Have someone read I Kings 12:25-27.
Q What did Jeroboam fear?
An = He feared losing power because of the fact that the Temple with the Ark of the Covenant (symbolizing the presence of God) was in Judah. He feared that, perhaps, the people would miss the beauty of those worship services and want to go back to the Davidic reign. He feared losing power through religion. It was God’s will that gave Jeroboam his kingdom, but now, like Solomon, he chose worldly wisdom over obedience and thus faith. It began his doom.
>>>>Have someone read I Kings 12:28-33.
Q Did God know that Jeroboam would be stressed by the Temple’s presence in Judah? What was God after?
An = Remember after seeing all the miracles and plagues in Egypt when the Red Sea stood in Israel’s way of escape, they panicked, did not trust God and accused Moses of bringing them there to die (Exodus 14:10-12). God did come through despite their lack of faith. Then the crisis of water in Exodus 15 happened, the crisis of food in Exodus 16 and then another water crisis again in Exodus 17. In all of these occasions the Israelites panicked and even wanted to go back to slavery in Egypt.
RQ Had God promised that the kingdom would stay with Jeroboam through the Word given by the prophets Abijah and Shemaiah?
Note: Davis says if we will not trust God, then we will try to use religion (Davis 149). Serving God and helping the people walk with God was not in Jeroboam’s heart. His heart was on the preservation of his power.
Note: Everything was invented by Jeroboam’s doing. He made new holy sites (see Dt 12:13), new priests not from the Aaronic line, new symbols (the golden calves) and a new holiday. Like Solomon he helped lead his people into idolatry.
Note: There is another play on a word at the end of chapter 12: the word “made”. Eight times from 12:28-33, Jeroboam “made” things, all these new things were religious and had some ties to Israel’s past, but they were man-made manipulations. They entailed no trusting, nor risky obedience. People are naturally religious. Davis, quoting Calvin, reminds us that “man’s nature, so to speak, is a perpetual factory of idols.” We can control idols or our view of religion, but must submit and take risks to follow true religion. Jeroboam manipulated religion rather than obey which usually entails our taking a risk.
III. Two Prophets: I Kings 13.1-34.
A. God’s Attempt to Convert Jeroboam: I Kings 13:1-10
>>>>Have someone read I Kings 13:1-10.
Q Can you imagine what a disruptive event this would be to witness? Have you seen something like this in your life?
Q What was the proof of the prophecy about the destruction of the high places, their defilement and the arising of Josiah?
An = It was the cracking of the Bethel altar and the spilling of the ashes. Also, Jeroboam’s arm was frozen.
Q Why did God hear the prayer of the prophet from Judah and heal Jeroboam’s arm?
An = The whole thing seemed to be an attempt to convert Jeroboam back to true worship of Yahweh.
B. The Death of the Prophet from Judah. I Kings 13:1-25.
>>>>Have someone read I Kings 13:11-19.
Q Why did the prophet from Judah listen to the prophet from Bethel? Have you seen this before?
>>>>Have someone read I Kings 13:20-25
Q Why was the prophet from Judah killed?
An = He listened to the prophet from Bethel and not the Word of God.
Note: Davis p. 155 that Bethel was only six miles from the border of Judah.
Note: It is very important to note that when biblical narrators tell us a story they often do not tell us a lot of what we wish to know. The key to reading well is to not focus on what the narrator did not tell us, but only to what he record.
>>>>Have someone read I Kings 13:26-32.
BREAK INTO YOUR SAME SMALL GROUPS Discuss the following questions. Discuss 13:1-32.
1. What does the story teach from the stand point of the prophet from Judah? If we put ourselves in the southern prophet’s shoes what is the story teaching?
2. What does the story teach from the stand point of the prophet from Bethel? What do we learn? Do you know people like this or have you been tempted to be like this? Would you be willing to share with us?
3. What is the story teaching from the stand point of Yahweh? What does God want us to learn if we put ourselves in His shoes?
Come back together and share what you discovered in your discussions.
C. The Decision of Jeroboam: I Kings 13:33-34.
>>>>Have someone read I Kings 13:33-34.
Q Did Jeroboam turn back to Yahweh?
An = No, despite the miracle at the altar of Bethel, the judgment he witnessed and the mercy of God with his healing Jeroboam did not return. There is another play on words again and this time it is the word “turn”. It plays off the command not to return or turn from the way commanded by God. The prophet from Judah disobeyed the command about directly “returning” to Judah and Jeroboam decided not “turn back” from idolatry. The same word is employed in both stories.