One In Jesus

Rehoboam made plans to go to war to establish his authority over the entire nation, but through a prophet, God warned him not to do so. Amazingly enough, Rehoboam honored God’s word and allow the northern tribes to secede.

Jeroboam feared that allowing the northern tribes to go to Jerusalem to worship would eventually cause him to lose their loyalty.

After all, in those days, each nation had its own “god” and national loyalty and loyalty to the nation’s god were very closely tied. If YHWH were perceived to be God of those tribes ruled by Rehoboam, the people would not want to be separated from the worship of their God. Continue reading →

This is an illustration from Boys Life magazine, from many years ago. It tells the story pretty well.

Jeroboam and the Egyptians

Solomon successfully carried on many major building projects, but he used forced labor to do it. The technical term is corvée (\ˈkȯr-ˌvā \) labor, although translations vary quite a lot.

This was not slavery but a form of taxation in which citizens were required to contribute so many days of labor per year for the king’s building projects. It’s usually found in societies where the common man does not have enough cash to be taxed. Continue reading →

Solomon’s failure

(1Ki 11:4-6 ESV)  ⁴ For when Solomon was old his wives turned away his heart after other gods, and his heart was not wholly true to the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father.  ⁵ For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.  ⁶ So Solomon did what was evil in the sight of the LORD and did not wholly follow the LORD, as David his father had done.

Solomon’s sin was not polygamy but idolatry, as a result of temptation by his foreign wives.

My guess is that Solomon was too much of a politician. The wives were not just bedroom companions — they also serve as ambassadors for their fathers. As a result, they did not convert to Judaism. They continued to worship the gods of their homelands. Continue reading →

Saul and David completed the conquest of the Promised Land, allowing David’s son Solomon to rule in a time of peace and prosperity.

Israel controlled the land routes to Egypt from Mesopotamia (modern day Iraq) and Asia Minor (modern day Turkey), which is the pathway to Europe. That is, trade from Europe and Asia had to go through Israel to get to Egypt, and vice versa.

Israel developed a substantial agricultural economy of its own, with olives, wine, wool, cheese, and pottery being produced for trade. In short, once the Promised Land was conquered, its borders secured, its cities walled, and the strong central government put in place with a standing military, Israel enjoyed a time of great prosperity. Continue reading →

Not that long ago, my church’s Sunday school classes covered the life of David. The goal is, in one lesson, to address the earthly consequences of David’s sin — the loss of three of his sons, the loss of his throne, and the loss of his honor.

These stories make up a significant portion of 2 Samuel — and make for a great read. It can be amazing how well these ancient stories hold up as literature, not just history.

For background, the teacher may want to read these posts that cover much of this material. I’ve added a few posts that were written later that should add some additional light on the materials —

Continue reading →