1 - 25 - Secession of Israel
Rehoboam goes to Shechem Israel splits.
My notes: Even in David's time the northern tribes seemed ready to withdraw from Judah. The unreasonable attitude of Rehoboam toward them intensified the discontent caused by the oppression of Solomon and thus precipitated the establishment of a rival monarchy.
26 - 31 - Religious Rebellion
Jeroboam feared reunification of the divided kingdom through worship in the single temple in Jerusalem. To prevent this he encouraged shrines on the high places, and appointed false priests to supplement those of levitical descent. The golden bullocks he installed in two of his sanctuaries, though probably intended as bearers of the invisible Divine Majesty, quickly became occasions for idolatry. Thus Jeroboam caused Israel to sin, and sealed his doom and that of his royal house.
33
"Jeroboam ascended the altar he built in Bethel on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, the month in which he arbitrarily chose to establish a feast for the Israelites; he was going to offer sacrifice."
Monday, October 13, 2008
Monday, October 06, 2008
1 Kings 11
11: 1 - 43 The Sins of Solomon
King Solomon loved many foreign women from nations with which the Lord forbidden the Israelites to marry (Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites) because "they will turn your hearts to their gods" But with 700 wives and 300 concubines, his wives turned his heart to the strange gods. The Lord states that he will take away Solomon's kingdom (but not during Solomon's lifetime).
My notes: "The glorious rise of Solomon, his piety and wisdom, administrative skill and wealth, the extension of his kingdom, his prestige among neighboring rulers, his reign of peace, above all his friendship with God-these are now eclipsed by his sins of intermarriage with great numbers of pagan wives and the consequent forbidden worship of their gods. His construction of temples in their honor merited the punishment of loss of a united kingdom to his posterity, and the opposition of adversaries to himself. Hadad the Edomite rebelled against Solomon at the beginning of his reign. Rezon of Syria established a new kingdom in Damascus; Jeroboam of Israel constituted the greatest threat because of his revolt from within. This threefold threat culminated in the breakup of Solomon's kingdom."
King Solomon loved many foreign women from nations with which the Lord forbidden the Israelites to marry (Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites) because "they will turn your hearts to their gods" But with 700 wives and 300 concubines, his wives turned his heart to the strange gods. The Lord states that he will take away Solomon's kingdom (but not during Solomon's lifetime).
My notes: "The glorious rise of Solomon, his piety and wisdom, administrative skill and wealth, the extension of his kingdom, his prestige among neighboring rulers, his reign of peace, above all his friendship with God-these are now eclipsed by his sins of intermarriage with great numbers of pagan wives and the consequent forbidden worship of their gods. His construction of temples in their honor merited the punishment of loss of a united kingdom to his posterity, and the opposition of adversaries to himself. Hadad the Edomite rebelled against Solomon at the beginning of his reign. Rezon of Syria established a new kingdom in Damascus; Jeroboam of Israel constituted the greatest threat because of his revolt from within. This threefold threat culminated in the breakup of Solomon's kingdom."
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