Step By Step: Old Testament 2Lesson 5: The Divided Kingdom

Rev. Christopher J. RespassAntioch Bible Institute

Spring 2013

The Divided Kingdom

I. Why did the Davidic Kingdom split?A. God was explicit on his stance concerning his holiness, his expectation of monotheistic worship with YHWH as the object, and his absolute condemnation of idolatry. (Exod. 20:1-7).

B. An “idol” is anything you worship other than the one, true God. All idols are really demons that lure you in with falsity and false teaching (1 Cor. 10:14-22; 1 Tim 4:1-2).

The Divided Kingdom

C. God’s conditional promise to Solomon was

“…if you will walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and my commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days. (1 Kings 3:14).

The Divided Kingdom

D. Before his death, King David told Solomon:

Be strong, and show yourself a man, 3 and keep the charge of the LORD your God, walking in his ways and keeping his statutes, his commandments, his rules, and his testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn, 4 that the LORD may establish his word that he spoke concerning me. . . . (I Kings 2:1-4)

The Divided Kingdom

E. Solomon loved God, but he began to worship others gods (idolatry)(1 Kings 3:3).

1. His pagan wives lured him away (1 Kings 11:3-8).

2. He worshipped in the “high places”

3. God punished Solomon by tearing away the kingdom except the tribe of Judah.

The actual “tearing” would be realized by Solomon’s son, Rehoboam.

The Divided Kingdom

II. How did the split occur?A. Remember that David unified all the tribes under his monarchy. He was anointed king of Judah (2 Sam. 2:1-7) and then king of Israel (2 Sam. 5:1-5)

The Divided Kingdom

B. Rehoboam was asked by Jeroboam and the assembly of Israel to lighten the burden placed upon them by King Solomon (1 Kings 12:1-4).

1. Jeroboam was promised favor by God as he was chosen as the new king of

Israel. But God gave him the same conditional promise as he gave Solomon (see, 1 Kings 11:37-38).

The Divided Kingdom

C. Rehoboam shunned the wise counsel of the older advisers who served with his father and listened to the advice of those whom he grew up with (1 Kings 12:6-11). (note: Rehoboam wasn’t a “kid.” He was 41 when he became king (1 Kings 14:21).

The Divided Kingdom

D. Israel decided to secede from the Kingdom of David and go to their own place. With that, the Unified Kingdom was divided into the Northern Kingdom and the Southern Kingdom. The Northern Kingdom was Israel (10 tribes) and the Southern Kingdom was Judah (2 tribes).

The Divided Kingdom

III.Jeroboam’s Sin & Israel’s Prelude to DestructionA. Jeroboam feared that his new constituents would return to Jerusalem to worship at the temple. So, he created places of worship in Israel.

B. Jeroboam made 2 golden calves for the people to worship—1 in Dan and 1 in Bethel (1 Kings 12:25-30).

The Divided Kingdom

Questions

1. What were the golden calves?

2. Were these calves the gods that brought the people out of Egypt?

3. How did god feel about the gold calf in the wilderness?

4. How do you think God feels about these in Dan and Bethel?

The Divided Kingdom

C. Jeroboam made temples on the “high places.”

D. He appointed priests who were not of the tribe of Levi.

After this thing Jeroboam did not turn from his evil way, but made priests for the high places again from among all the people. Any who would, he ordained to be priests of the high places. And this thing became sin to the house of Jeroboam, so as to cut it off and to destroy it from the face of the earth. (1 Kings 13:33-34).

The Divided Kingdom

IV.Solomon’s Continued Sin & Judah’s Prelude to Destruction.

A. Solomon’s Idolatry continued in Judah (1 Kings 14:22).

B. Beginning with Rehoboam, Judah took its idolatry to new lows! (1 Kings 14:23-24).

The Divided Kingdom

V. The Effects of Bad Theology on the Family and the NationsA. Judah

1. Abijam (1 Kings 15:3)

2. Asa (1 Kings 15:11, 14)

3. Jehoram (2 Kings 8:16-19)

The Divided Kingdom

B. Israel

1. Nadab (1 Kings 15:25-26)

2. Baasha (1 Kings 15:33-34)

3. Zimri (1 Kings 16:18-19)

4. Omri (1 Kings 16:25-26)

5. Ahab (1 Kings 16:29-33)

The Divided Kingdom

Questions

1. What have we learned about God from this section?

2. What have we learned about sin?

3. What have we learned about ourselves?