Title: The Kings after David Divide Israel A. Solomon: a Wise King Acts Foolishly
B. Rehoboam: a Privileged Son Repeats a Father’s Mistakes
Theme: (Producer develops theme(s) from the following resource notes) Bible Verses: 1 Kings 11:26–14:31 (see also 2 Chronicles 10-12)
Step 1: Study 1 Kings 11:26–14:31 carefully. Compare it with 2 Chronicles 10-12 if you want a more complete view. We recommend the CEV English translation as the basic text. The translation itself will explain many details that may be confusing or misunderstood. Compare translations and decide carefully what you will read to your audience. These are powerful stories.
This following outline will help you see the main features in these chapters:
1. While Solomon was still king, God promised to make Jeroboam a king over ten tribes (1 Kings 11:26-40). King Solomon disobeyed God in many ways. So God announced through a prophet (a special messenger who speaks for God) that Jeroboam would be a new king over ten of Israel’s twelve tribes (family groups). Jeroboam was a man in charge of Solomon’s workforce. Jeroboam was afraid of Solomon because he knew that Solomon would be angry about the prophet’s announcement. So Jeroboam fled to Egypt to hide.
2. Solomon’s son Rehoboam becomes king. But his unwise leadership caused the people to rebel against him. The ten northern tribes made Jeroboam their king (1 Kings
11:41–12:20; 2 Chronicles 10). God’s promise came true: Jeroboam became the king of the ten northern tribes (Israel, the northern kingdom), and Rehoboam remained king over the two southern tribes (Judah, the southern kingdom). The priests and Levites supported Rehoboam. Those living in the north moved to Jerusalem, the capital of the southern kingdom.
3. God tells Rehoboam not to fight Jeroboam and the northern tribes (1 Kings 12:21-24; 2 Chronicles 11:1-4).
11 Kings 13:7-32 is a separate story about a prophet who did not follow God’s instructions carefully. You may wish to prepare a message on this story, but we will not discuss the story here.
4. Jeroboam sets up golden idols and religious shrines and God warns Jeroboam (1 Kings 12:25–13:6; 13:33-34).1 Jeroboam was afraid that the people would keep worshiping at the temple in Jerusalem. So he made two large golden idols (images) of calves and set up many religious shrines across the northern kingdom. God warned him to stop, but
Jeroboam refused. God punished him by causing his son to die.
5. God punishes Jeroboam (1 Kings 14:1-20).
6. A summary of King Rehoboam’s life (1 Kings 14:21-31; 2 Chronicles 11-12).
As you study the passage ask yourself these questions:
• What actions made God angry with Solomon, Rehoboam and Jeroboam?
• Did they exercise wise leadership?
• How much do our wrong actions and attitudes harm others, especially if we are leaders?
Step 2: Write down your thoughts and questions as you read the passage.
Step 3: Where you may find answers to your questions. Consult commentaries and the information we have provided in the Bible Interpretation Notes at the end of these resource notes.
Be sure to read the notes in the Learning Bible and the NIV Study Bible.
Step 4: Determine the main points (theme) of this passage and make outline(s) of the stories that seem important and useful for your messages.
A. How this passage fits into the whole Bible
Israel was the nation God formed out of the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. God brought the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt and led them to the land of Canaan around 1250 B.C.E. In 1030 Israel became a monarchy (a nation ruled by one king). Solomon was the third king of the united kingdom of Israel. The passages you are reading for these messages tell how Israel split into two nations in the year 931. Solomon’s son Rehoboam became the king of Judah (the two southern tribes of Israel) and Jeroboam became the king of Israel (the ten northern tribes). All of the kings of the north were evil. God sent the nation of Assyria to destroy Israel in 722. The kingdom of Judah lasted longer. It was not destroyed until 587 by the Babylonians. Solomon and Rehoboam were ancestors of Jesus, Matthew 1:7.
B. Key ideas: Here is a list of key points we see in these chapters. You may see others.
A. Wisdom does us good only if we follow it. Solomon did not.
B. Remain loyal throughout life to lessons you learn from God in your youth.
C. Brilliant, powerful leaders do great good but they can also make huge, hurtful mistakes.
D. Parents have a powerful influence over their children.
E. When we marry people who are loyal to false religion, they cause us to compromise and to fail God.
F. Huge building projects and ambitious schemes do not justify the abuse of laborers.
G. We can expect God’s judgment when we disobey and offend him.
C. Suggestions for Messages:
We suggest you consider using the references listed to make two messages.
Message # 1: Solomon: A Wise King Acts Foolishly 1 Kings 10:23-25; 11:1,2, 4-6, 9-13 CEV
(these are verses you can actually read as a story. We have cut out verses 3, 7, 8 since you may not want to tell your listeners about the 700 wives and 300 concubines of Solomon. That could be a problem! You decide. They are in the Bible but in one message we cannot explain every- thing.) Notice how the points in the message come out of the selected verses.
1. Solomon’s wealth and wisdom were exceptional. 10:23: “He (Solomon) was the richest and wisest king in the world.” You can read other verses from chapter 10 about his wealth. The Queen of Sheba visited Solomon and brought him lavish gifts (10:4). “The Queen was amazed at Solomon’s wisdom.” Explain the great splendor of Solomon’s kingdom. Did it endure? Why not?
2. David obeyed the Lord with all his heart. Solomon did not. 11:6: Solomon married many women. He married the daughters of unbelieving kings in order to form political alliances with those kings. His many foreign, unbelieving wives influenced him to worship false and disgusting gods and goddesses. Solomon built shrines for them and worshiped there. He brought great shame on the Kingdom of Israel and his father David.
What wrong use of wealth and personal influence do you see in your country?
3. God warned Solomon of his Foolish Actions. 11:9: “The Lord God appeared to
Solomon two times and warned him not to worship foreign gods. But Solomon disobeyed and did it anyway. This made the Lord very angry.” Even though Solomon was very wise, he contradicted himself! He did not follow his own best thoughts. Isn’t that what we often do? Our desires overtake our emotions and threaten to destroy us. We ignore God. That is never a smart thing to do. Solomon was deceived by his own power. He failed to acknowledge the awful seriousness of his mistakes. What a sad turn in the life of a man who began with so much!
4. God punished Solomon. 11:11-13 Think of the beautiful kingdom that Solomon could have developed where only the true God would be worshiped in the magnificent temple
2(See also 1 Kings 4:21,22,26-28; 5:13-18 CEV for details about Solomon’s big schemes and the hard labor required).
he built for him. In English we say of a person like Solomon, “His power went to his head.” He allowed Satan to divide his heart. So God punished Solomon by dividing the Kingdom of Israel. Solomon’s son ruled only the smaller southern part around Jerusalem, and Jeroboam, a rebel leader, took over control of the north.
The smartest men often make the biggest mistakes. They hurt themselves and others.
Even worse, they offend God and bring judgment upon themselves. God designed a glorious future for the Kingdom of Israel. God wanted Israel to be a light of truth,
salvation, holiness, justice and true worship for all the peoples of the world. But Solomon led Israel astray. His people followed him in his error. Many leaders make the same mistake today.
Conclusion: Listeners, what is God saying to you today? Are you giving in to the temptation and power of wealth? Are you worshiping false gods because people want you to do that? Have you lost your single purpose to love God with your whole heart as David? Is God judging your people, trying to get your attention so that you will turn to him alone for blessing and guidance?
Leaders, what about you? Are you being foolish or wise?
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Message # 2: Rehoboam: A Privileged Son Repeats His Father’s Mistakes.
1 Kings 11:41–12:20 CEV (We suggest you read this story to your audience at some point in your message.)
Today we continue the sad story of the big mistakes of the sons of David. We all can learn from the mistakes of other people. But do we? Many people don’t. They copy their mistakes instead!
1. A father’s example can be wrong, even if he is wise and rich. 12:4. Rehoboam had a wonderful grandfather, David, and a wise and rich father, King Solomon. The peole recognized the mistakes Solomon made in his ambitious building schemes. He also lived lavishly. His luxurious life was only possible because many common people worked very hard every day for him. Will Rehoboam listen to the pleas of the tired laborers? In I Samuel 8:10-18 God warned Israel that the kings would mistreat the people this way.2 The Bible warns leaders to be kind and fair. But rich and powerful rulers throughout all the years (history) have made the same mistake as Solomon.
2. Rehoboam took the wrong advice. 12:6-14. The young king rejected the good advice of the senior officials (verse 6) and followed the advice of the younger men (verse 8). What was the result? The young king got big headed (proud) and said to the people, “My father
3 The NIV calls these whips “scorpions.” See note in the margin of the Learning Bible for 12:11. Also see the picture on page 2150 of a whip with metal tips. This kind of whip is still used today in some countries. I have seen them.
made you work hard, but I’ll make you work even harder. He punished you with whips but I’ll use whips with pieces of sharp metal.3 Rehoboam made two big mistakes:
A. He took advice from the wrong people. It is usually wise to listen to older people!
B. He felt super powerful. Young men do this especially if their fathers are great.
Because of his pride, he probably didn’t pray to God for guidance. He went his own way. Are you going your own way today, listening to the wrong voices?
3. Wrong, head-strong (rash, impulsive) decisions lead to long term disasters. 12:15-19
CEV. The 10 tribes from the north deserted the young son of Solomon. The Kingdom of Israel split in two and never reunited. Rehoboam ruled only in Judah, the region around Jerusalem. Then Jeroboam took over in the north and led the people away from God. All the kings that followed him were disobedient to God.
God tries to protect us from mistakes like this but he does not force us. David was a good example for Solomon and Rehoboam, but they did not follow him. What heartache people experience when children go against the godly ways of their parents! What lessons can you draw from this story of Rehoboam for your people today?
Conclusion: make a decision—“Lord, help me to seek the best advice, to always put you first in my heart, and to be humble when you bless me. Amen.”
Step 5: Decide on illustrations.
Step 6: Write your message and edit it.
Helpful Resources:
• See the Learning Bible, page 641, for “Helpful Questions About 1 Kings 1:1–11:43.”
• Also look at the Learning Bible, pages 910-912 for information about Solomon and the division of the kingdom of Israel.
