Review 1 and 2 Samuel
We have learned about the first 3 kings of Israel: King Saul, King David, and King Solomon. They all made mistakes but each handled those mistakes differently.
What happened when these three kings sinned?
- King Saul: made excuses
- King David: repented, asked God for forgiveness
- King Solomon: acted like nothing was wrong, like it didn’t even matter
King David’s posture and response to God is how the LORD wants his people to be.
Like King David, we can ask God to forgive us and to give us the strength not to do the same thing again and again. (Phil Vischer)
Sin brings consequences. Saul had consequences. David had consequences. What about Solomon’s consequences?
The Consequences of King Solomon’s Sin
1 and 2 Samuel had two kings (Saul and David) in them. The books of Samuel covers from around 1050 BC to 971 BC. 1 and 2 Kings has 39 kings in them and covers around 385 years from 971 BC to 586 BC.
King Solomon’s consequence for worshiping idols and collecting horses was a divided country.
A man named Jeroboam helped King Solomon construct a lot of his building projects. A prophet (someone who delivers God’s messages) spoke to Jeroboam and told him that Solomon’s crown would pass from him to Jeroboam. Solomon wanted to have Jeroboam killed, but he fled and hid in Egypt until Solomon died.
Disobeying God has consequences and for Solomon those consequences were finally coming home. (Phil Vischer)
When King Solomon died, his son, Rehoboam, became king.
The Israelites wanted a reprieve from all the hard labor his father had required of them, so they relayed their request to King Rehoboam. The young king went and consulted his own advisors who said: “You are the king! Show them who’s boss!!” King Rehoboam went to his father’s old advisors and consulted them. They replied: “Lay off. Listen to the people and give them a break.”
King Rehoboam decided to listen to his own advisors. He told the people of Israel: “You think my dad worked you hard? Wait till you see how hard I’m going to make you work!”
The Israelites didn’t appreciate their new king’s response, so they made Jeroboam their king—just like the prophet had said.
What about God’s promise that one of David’s sons will rule forever (the Davidic Covenant)?
To honor David, God gave King Rehoboam one tribe to rule: Judah (and Benjamin, too).
King Jeroboam ruled over the 10 tribes in the north, called Israel. King Rehoboam ruled over the 2 tribes in the south, called Judah. God’s kingdom was broken in two, all because of sin.
Did Jeroboam help the northern tribes follow God?
He could have, but he didn’t.
Like many kings, once they got their own crown they mostly thought about how to keep it. (Sunday school lady)
Jeroboam didn’t want the 10 northern tribes to have to go to Jerusalem to worship God in the Temple, which was in Rehoboam’s kingdom, for fear they would follow Rehoboam. So Jeroboam did something bad, something so bad that it would lead to the end of Israel. Jeroboam build his own places of worship. He had two golden calves made so all of Israel (the 10 northern tribes) could worship them instead of the presence of God in the Temple in Jerusalem.
Israel walks away from God once again. (Sunday school lady)
Big picture question:
Why did God choose Israel, again?
So he could show himself to the whole world—his holiness, his love, and his justice. (Chuckwagon)
So the whole world would be blessed thru Israel. (Pastor Louie)
“If Israel didn’t take God seriously, no one else would either.” (Phil Vischer)
source What’s in the Bible? Curriculum Unit 6 Week 1
