Ch 12: So, by the time Solomon died Israel had been split in two: The 10 Northern Tribes were lead by Jeroboam and 1 tribe was under the control of Solomon. Solomon did try to kill Jeroboam but he fled to Egypt. Now, Solomon having passed on, Jeroboam came back, but Solomon's son Rehoboam had been made the next king of Israel.
The people came to Rehoboam and spoke to him telling him to please lighten the heavy yoke of hard labor that his father Solomon had put upon them. He thought about it for 3 days and spoke to the elders, which advised him to be gracious and lighten the hard labor, but he also consulted with the young men who he had grown up with and served him. They told him to make the yoke even harder so that they would respect the him. Rehoboam took his young friends' advice, unfortunately, and the people rebelled! The Kingdom became officially divided and Jeroboam ruled in Israel, but Rehoboam remained the king of the cities of Judah including Benjamin.
Unfortunately again, king Jeroboam doubted God's promise to keep him as king of Israel and decided to make two gold calves for the people to worship so that they would not go to Jerusalem to worship the Lord, because king Rehoboam ruled there and he was afraid the people would turn to him eventually. So, idol worship was established in Israel.
Ch 13-15: An unnamed man of God warned Jeroboam to change his idolatry ways immediately or he would be doomed. Even after given several signs, Jeroboam did not change. Meanwhile in what was called Judah, the other part of the split Israel under Rehoboam's control, they also were also committing idolatry for he had allowed the building of Asherah poles in the high places where they worshipped the goddess Asherah.
In the 18th year of King Jeroboam's reign of Israel, Abijam became king of Judah in place of Rehoboam. He also worshipped in the high places and continued to lead Judah astray in idolatry. But for David's sake the Lord continued to love and protect Israel and Judah.
Asa succeeded Abijam just two years later as king of Judah and he reigned 41 years. This time the king walked in the ways of the Lord and he removed all the Asherah poles and most of everything else associated with idols and their worship. But he didn't remove the high places for some reason, but Scripture tells us in verse 14 of chapter 15 that his heart was totally devoted to the Lord.
Jehoshaphat (Asa's son) succeeded king Asa when he passed on.
In the second year that king Asa was ruling Judah, Nadab came into power and ruled over Israel and he was Jeroboam's son as well. He continued to do evil in the sight of the Lord too. Not long after king Nadab came into power though, Baasha the son of Ahijah of the tribe of Issachar struck and killed Nadab and killed all of the household of Jeroboam, not one was left alive. But he also did evil in the sight of the Lord as well.
The saga continues....
The people came to Rehoboam and spoke to him telling him to please lighten the heavy yoke of hard labor that his father Solomon had put upon them. He thought about it for 3 days and spoke to the elders, which advised him to be gracious and lighten the hard labor, but he also consulted with the young men who he had grown up with and served him. They told him to make the yoke even harder so that they would respect the him. Rehoboam took his young friends' advice, unfortunately, and the people rebelled! The Kingdom became officially divided and Jeroboam ruled in Israel, but Rehoboam remained the king of the cities of Judah including Benjamin.
Unfortunately again, king Jeroboam doubted God's promise to keep him as king of Israel and decided to make two gold calves for the people to worship so that they would not go to Jerusalem to worship the Lord, because king Rehoboam ruled there and he was afraid the people would turn to him eventually. So, idol worship was established in Israel.
Ch 13-15: An unnamed man of God warned Jeroboam to change his idolatry ways immediately or he would be doomed. Even after given several signs, Jeroboam did not change. Meanwhile in what was called Judah, the other part of the split Israel under Rehoboam's control, they also were also committing idolatry for he had allowed the building of Asherah poles in the high places where they worshipped the goddess Asherah.
In the 18th year of King Jeroboam's reign of Israel, Abijam became king of Judah in place of Rehoboam. He also worshipped in the high places and continued to lead Judah astray in idolatry. But for David's sake the Lord continued to love and protect Israel and Judah.
Asa succeeded Abijam just two years later as king of Judah and he reigned 41 years. This time the king walked in the ways of the Lord and he removed all the Asherah poles and most of everything else associated with idols and their worship. But he didn't remove the high places for some reason, but Scripture tells us in verse 14 of chapter 15 that his heart was totally devoted to the Lord.
Jehoshaphat (Asa's son) succeeded king Asa when he passed on.
In the second year that king Asa was ruling Judah, Nadab came into power and ruled over Israel and he was Jeroboam's son as well. He continued to do evil in the sight of the Lord too. Not long after king Nadab came into power though, Baasha the son of Ahijah of the tribe of Issachar struck and killed Nadab and killed all of the household of Jeroboam, not one was left alive. But he also did evil in the sight of the Lord as well.
The saga continues....