Day 106

Division of the Kingdom

Read: 1 Kings 12-13

It is God’s will that his people should be united, but sin causes division. Solomon is dead. Now, as God had warned, the kingdom is divided. Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, seeks advice as to what his policy should be in response to the request of the people. They want him to remove the heavy yoke of taxation Solomon had laid upon them. The old men tell Rehoboam to “be a servant to this people” (12:7). It is God’s will that leaders should assume the servant role. But the young men urge Rehoboam to assume a hard stance. When he does the latter, the 10 northern tribes rebel and make Jeroboam their king, leaving Rehoboam with only Judah and Benjamin.

But Jeroboam also acts unwisely. He realizes if his people travel to Jerusalem to worship they might again fall under the influence of Rehoboam. So he establishes two alternate places of worship, one conveniently located in the southern part of his territory and the other in the north. There he places golden calves, claiming they are the gods who had brought the people out of Egypt. Sad to say, the people accept the plan. A man of God, who himself perishes as a result of disobedience, warns Jeroboam of the tragic consequences of his policy. But Jeroboam persists and suffers the consequences.

PRAYER
Father, help us to learn from the examples of disobedience that you have placed in the Bible. In Christ. Amen.