1Kings 12-14
Overview of chapter 12
After Solomon died his son Rehoboam became king. On the day he was inaugurated his people asked him to be less harsh then his father. After consulting with the elders (who told him to lighten up) and his friends (who told him he was twice the man his father was so he should be even harsher then his father) he decided to increase the burdens of his people. He sent his taskmaster to them, but the people killed him.
With the exception of Judah and Benjamin, all of Israel decided they didn’t want Rehoboam as king, but they instead established Jeroboam to be their king (as had been prophesied). Rehoboam assembled an army from the people of Judah and Benjamin, but the Lord spoke to the people through a prophet and told them that this was all His will.
Jeroboam wasn’t too happy that the only place his people could offer sacrifices to God was Jerusalem, which was under Rehoboam’s rule. To counter this Jeroboam made up some false gods (golden calves) and placed them in two of his cities. He even told the people that these were the gods who had brought them up from Egypt, and he celebrated feasts to these false gods on the days that the people were supposed to be celebrating a feast to the real God.
Overview of chapter 13
God was not too excited about what Jeroboam was doing so he sent a prophet from Judah to tell him so. The prophet first spoke to the altar telling it that a kid named Josiah would sacrifice all the false priests on it. Then to prove what he was saying was a sign from God he told them the altar would split in half and the ashes would fall off it. Jeroboam was not to happy with this prophecy and reached his hand out to silence the prophet, but instead he was silenced when God caused his hand to shrivel up. The prophet asked God to heal the hand, but was unwilling to join the king for dinner (as God had instructed him).
Word of this prophecy got out and an old prophet chased the prophet from Judah and asked him to dinner. Once again the prophet from Judah refused and explained that God had told him not to. The old prophet lied and said an angel told him to invite him to dinner. The prophet from Judah accepted this man’s word over the word of God and went to dinner.
Because of this sin, the prophet from Judah was killed by a lion, and buried in the old prophet’s grave.
Overview of chapter 14
Jeroboam’s son got sick so the king sent his wife to find the prophet who told him he would be king. He told her to go in a disguise so that she would not be noticed, but it didn’t matter because God told the prophet who she was. The prophet told her more information then she asked, not only will her son die, but calamity will be brought to the whole house of Jeroboam and everyone who pees standing will be taken from him. In addition Israel will be scattered beyond the Euphrates river and God will give them up.
The rest of Jeroboam’s 22 year reign was plagued with war, then he died and another of his sons reigned in his place.
Reflection
Do you find yourself following the advice of your friends more then you do experts? Do you feel you have to exceed the things your parents did when they were your age? Do you speak up when people are misrepresenting God? Do you try to hide or disguise your sin from God? Does it seem that you are spending your whole life battling someone or something? If so, could it be because you are not wholly devoted to God?
For Further Study
Prophets: Deuteronomy 13:1-5, Deuteronomy 18:20-22, Psalm 105:15, Romans 12:6, 1Corinthians 12:28, 1Corinthians 13:2 & 8, 1Corinthians 14:22, 2Peter 1:20-21
After Solomon died his son Rehoboam became king. On the day he was inaugurated his people asked him to be less harsh then his father. After consulting with the elders (who told him to lighten up) and his friends (who told him he was twice the man his father was so he should be even harsher then his father) he decided to increase the burdens of his people. He sent his taskmaster to them, but the people killed him.
With the exception of Judah and Benjamin, all of Israel decided they didn’t want Rehoboam as king, but they instead established Jeroboam to be their king (as had been prophesied). Rehoboam assembled an army from the people of Judah and Benjamin, but the Lord spoke to the people through a prophet and told them that this was all His will.
Jeroboam wasn’t too happy that the only place his people could offer sacrifices to God was Jerusalem, which was under Rehoboam’s rule. To counter this Jeroboam made up some false gods (golden calves) and placed them in two of his cities. He even told the people that these were the gods who had brought them up from Egypt, and he celebrated feasts to these false gods on the days that the people were supposed to be celebrating a feast to the real God.
Overview of chapter 13
God was not too excited about what Jeroboam was doing so he sent a prophet from Judah to tell him so. The prophet first spoke to the altar telling it that a kid named Josiah would sacrifice all the false priests on it. Then to prove what he was saying was a sign from God he told them the altar would split in half and the ashes would fall off it. Jeroboam was not to happy with this prophecy and reached his hand out to silence the prophet, but instead he was silenced when God caused his hand to shrivel up. The prophet asked God to heal the hand, but was unwilling to join the king for dinner (as God had instructed him).
Word of this prophecy got out and an old prophet chased the prophet from Judah and asked him to dinner. Once again the prophet from Judah refused and explained that God had told him not to. The old prophet lied and said an angel told him to invite him to dinner. The prophet from Judah accepted this man’s word over the word of God and went to dinner.
Because of this sin, the prophet from Judah was killed by a lion, and buried in the old prophet’s grave.
Overview of chapter 14
Jeroboam’s son got sick so the king sent his wife to find the prophet who told him he would be king. He told her to go in a disguise so that she would not be noticed, but it didn’t matter because God told the prophet who she was. The prophet told her more information then she asked, not only will her son die, but calamity will be brought to the whole house of Jeroboam and everyone who pees standing will be taken from him. In addition Israel will be scattered beyond the Euphrates river and God will give them up.
The rest of Jeroboam’s 22 year reign was plagued with war, then he died and another of his sons reigned in his place.
Reflection
Do you find yourself following the advice of your friends more then you do experts? Do you feel you have to exceed the things your parents did when they were your age? Do you speak up when people are misrepresenting God? Do you try to hide or disguise your sin from God? Does it seem that you are spending your whole life battling someone or something? If so, could it be because you are not wholly devoted to God?
For Further Study
Prophets: Deuteronomy 13:1-5, Deuteronomy 18:20-22, Psalm 105:15, Romans 12:6, 1Corinthians 12:28, 1Corinthians 13:2 & 8, 1Corinthians 14:22, 2Peter 1:20-21
posted by Shaun Sells | 3:18 PM
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