WEBVTT - Jack Graham - Oct 19 - 9:30 pm

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<v Speaker 1>Howbeit I will not take the whole kingdom out of

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<v Speaker 1>his hand, but I will make him prince all the

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<v Speaker 1>days of his life for David my servant's sake, whom

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<v Speaker 1>I chose, because he kept my commandments and my statutes.

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<v Speaker 1>1 Kings 11.34 Lord, through the life of Solomon and

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<v Speaker 1>the listening of 1 Kings and 2 Chronicles, I now

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<v Speaker 1>know the value of wise and honest counsel. Therefore, I

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<v Speaker 1>pray that there is never a moment in my life

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<v Speaker 1>that I am ever without wise and God-fearing counsel. When

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<v Speaker 1>others around me seek to give advice that is contrary

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<v Speaker 1>to your wisdom and your ways, place people like Jeroboam

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<v Speaker 1>in my life to remind me to honor what you've

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<v Speaker 1>entrusted me with and to deal kindly with everyone I

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<v Speaker 1>come in contact with. From this truth, I know your

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<v Speaker 1>hand will stay upon me and guide me as you

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<v Speaker 1>continue to expand and enlarge the tent pegs of my

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<v Speaker 1>life and ministry. In Jesus' name, amen. Thank you for

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<v Speaker 1>praying with us today. Continue your time with God by

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<v Speaker 1>listening to today's Bible story, brought to you by BibleInAYear.com.

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<v Speaker 2>The Kingdom of Israel Splits In our last story, we

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<v Speaker 2>beheld the vast wisdom of the philosopher King Solomon. Kings

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<v Speaker 2>and queens of old would seek him out and travel

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<v Speaker 2>long distances to glean from his wisdom. Solomon led with

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<v Speaker 2>great kindness and pursued peace with other nations. However, Solomon

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<v Speaker 2>had a weakness for women. He amassed a harem of

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<v Speaker 2>hundreds of wives and concubines from other nations. He immersed

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<v Speaker 2>himself in lewd cultures and sexual deviance. Eventually, he began

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<v Speaker 2>to worship foreign gods. Therefore, his kingdom was promised by

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<v Speaker 2>God to be split. Solomon died and left his kingdom

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<v Speaker 2>to his son, Rehoboam. Now we peer more into the

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<v Speaker 2>inner workings of rebellion during Solomon's reign and witness the

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<v Speaker 2>heart of Rehoboam. His pride and unwillingness to heed the

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<v Speaker 2>advice of his elders may end up being his downfall.

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<v Speaker 2>inspired by the book of 1 Kings.

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<v Speaker 3>We're so glad you joined us on the Bible in

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<v Speaker 3>a Year podcast today. The Bible in a Year podcast

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<v Speaker 3>is an outreach of PowerPoint Ministries and can only come

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<v Speaker 3>to you each week through the support of listeners just

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<v Speaker 3>like you. Your support today is so important that we

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<v Speaker 3>want to thank you for your gift by giving you

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<v Speaker 3>a copy of my book called The Jesus Book. It

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<v Speaker 3>is a powerful guide that shows how every book of

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<v Speaker 3>the Bible points to Jesus and and how his living word,

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<v Speaker 3>the truth of God's word, will transform your life. So

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<v Speaker 3>to get a copy of the Jesus book, simply go

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<v Speaker 3>to jackgraham.org slash Jesus. That's jackgraham.org slash Jesus. And thank

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<v Speaker 3>you for your support. In yesterday's episode, we heard about

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<v Speaker 3>Solomon's fall from God. Though he was wise and wealthy,

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<v Speaker 3>his heart sought his own desires. He disobeyed God and

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<v Speaker 3>married foreign women, hundreds of them. And with each new wife,

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<v Speaker 3>he would give a bit of his heart to a

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<v Speaker 3>false god. His life, though filled with such promise, ended

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<v Speaker 3>up in strife and sorrow. But God's grace was with him,

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<v Speaker 3>and in the end, he turned back to the Lord

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<v Speaker 3>and praised the God of his father, the one true God. Today,

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<v Speaker 3>we'll hear how dissension was already brewing before Solomon's death,

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<v Speaker 3>and how his son, Rehoboam, his successor, would face the

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<v Speaker 3>consequences of Solomon's sins and his own prideful spirit. Let's

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<v Speaker 3>listen now to today's scripture.

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<v Speaker 2>The trees shifted slightly from the breeze. Crickets chirped and

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<v Speaker 2>the subtle sound of babbling brooks could be heard among

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<v Speaker 2>the forest. In the darkness, a faint chanting could be

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<v Speaker 2>heard from the distance. Deep among the trees, Solomon stood

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<v Speaker 2>in the Mount of Olives, where his father would once

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<v Speaker 2>go to pray and sing before the Lord. His face

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<v Speaker 2>was illuminated by candles and incense. There, in the coolness

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<v Speaker 2>of evening, Solomon worshipped the Moabite god Shemosh. Shemosh was

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<v Speaker 2>known as the Destroyer. He was said to be a

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<v Speaker 2>god that craved blood. The Moabites would often make human

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<v Speaker 2>sacrifices to Shemosh to appease him. There, bowing before a

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<v Speaker 2>massive black stone altar, Solomon worshipped the Destroyer. His kind

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<v Speaker 2>heart was being tainted by the evil that lurked behind

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<v Speaker 2>the altar. He sat among a darkness that would not

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<v Speaker 2>relent in its desire to destroy Solomon's soul. Solomon's idolatry

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<v Speaker 2>was well known by his officials. They watched as he

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<v Speaker 2>left in the middle of the night. They witnessed his

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<v Speaker 2>lust for foreign women. They saw his insatiable hunger for

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<v Speaker 2>exotic sex and idol worship. Jeroboam, son of Nebat. watched

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<v Speaker 2>as Solomon came to and fro from the black stone altar.

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<v Speaker 2>His bones shook at the thought of Israel's king worshipping

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<v Speaker 2>a god that required human blood. Jeroboam was the son

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<v Speaker 2>of a widow and knew the hardships some had experienced

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<v Speaker 2>in Israel. It pained him to watch the king shirk

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<v Speaker 2>his faithfulness for the sake of simple pleasures and dark arts.

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<v Speaker 2>One day Solomon was overseeing a rebuilding project of Israel's walls.

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<v Speaker 2>He took many of his men to aid in the repairs.

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<v Speaker 2>Together in the hot sun, Solomon and his men began

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<v Speaker 2>to reinforce the walls, building better beams and support systems

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<v Speaker 2>to keep it upright. Solomon saw Rehoboam work. He was

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<v Speaker 2>a capable young man, strong and a good leader among

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<v Speaker 2>the rest of his men. Solomon decided to put him

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<v Speaker 2>in charge of the labor force from the tribes of

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<v Speaker 2>Ephraim and Manasseh. Jeroboam accepted the task reluctantly, still leery

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<v Speaker 2>of the king. Jeroboam departed from Jerusalem to begin his work.

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<v Speaker 2>He passed some of the farmlands on the outskirts of

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<v Speaker 2>the city. The fields were lush and ripe for harvesting,

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<v Speaker 2>and the air smelled of wheat and barley. Along the way,

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<v Speaker 2>the prophet Ahijah stopped him in the middle of the field.

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<v Speaker 2>Ahijah was wearing a brand new cloak that waved gracefully

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<v Speaker 2>in the breeze. Jeroboam watched as Ahijah removed his new

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<v Speaker 2>cloak and tore it into ten pieces. He watched curiously

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<v Speaker 2>as the prophet ripped the robe. He handed the ten

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<v Speaker 2>pieces to Jeroboam and said, Take these pieces of my cloak,

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<v Speaker 2>for the Lord is about to tear the kingdom apart

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<v Speaker 2>because of Solomon's idolatry. Ten tribes of Israel will be

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<v Speaker 2>given to you, Jeroboam. However, he will leave one tribe

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<v Speaker 2>to Solomon and his descendants because of his loyalty to

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<v Speaker 2>King David. You shall rule over all that your heart desires.

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<v Speaker 2>Listen to the ways of the Lord, and your dynasty

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<v Speaker 2>will be established. Jeroboam held the torn pieces in his hands,

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<v Speaker 2>and from that day forward, he began the secret workings

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<v Speaker 2>of a rebellion. When Solomon caught wind of Jeroboam's favor,

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<v Speaker 2>he sent men to kill him. However, Jeroboam fled to

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<v Speaker 2>King Shishak of Egypt and stayed there for a long while.

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<v Speaker 2>The days of Solomon came to a close, and it

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<v Speaker 2>was time for his son Rehoboam to take the throne.

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<v Speaker 2>All of Israel gathered to make him king. He was

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<v Speaker 2>ushered in with parades and dancing. The news of Solomon's

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<v Speaker 2>passing spread across the land, for Solomon was beloved among

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<v Speaker 2>every surrounding nation. The news came to Jeroboam, who had

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<v Speaker 2>found refuge in the land of Egypt for a few years.

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<v Speaker 2>He had amassed wealth and influence in Egypt, yet left

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<v Speaker 2>it to return to his people. He walked the city streets.

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<v Speaker 2>While many kings would have seen a thriving and flourishing culture,

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<v Speaker 2>Jeroboam saw laborers who were worked hard and taxed too much.

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<v Speaker 2>His days living in Jerusalem with his widowed mother had

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<v Speaker 2>made him compassionate towards the suffering and poor in Israel. Together,

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<v Speaker 2>with a few of the elders in Israel, Jeroboam approached

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<v Speaker 2>the new king. He stood before him and said, Your

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<v Speaker 2>father was a hard master at times. If you lightened

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<v Speaker 2>the load of labor and decreased taxes— The people will

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<v Speaker 2>love you and thank you. They will be your loyal servants.

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<v Speaker 2>Rehoboam stroked his young beard. A certain air of arrogance

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<v Speaker 2>came off of him. It vexed Jeroboam. Rehoboam deepened his

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<v Speaker 2>voice and waved his hand like a child pretending to

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<v Speaker 2>be king. He held out his hands and said, Give

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<v Speaker 2>me three days to think this over and come back

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<v Speaker 2>for my answer. So Jeroboam and the elders left. Rehoboam

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<v Speaker 2>gathered his father's advisors and asked for their advice.' How

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<v Speaker 2>shall I respond to their requests?' he asked. The eldest

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<v Speaker 2>counselor of the group looked among the men. They all

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<v Speaker 2>seemed to be in agreement that Rehoboam should lighten the

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<v Speaker 2>load for the people. He bowed before the king and said,'

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<v Speaker 2>If you would become a servant to these people, they

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<v Speaker 2>will serve you with loyalty and honor.' Rehoboam did not

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<v Speaker 2>like this answer. He had waited his whole life to

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<v Speaker 2>become king. He enjoyed the lavish lifestyle of his father's riches.

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<v Speaker 2>He enjoyed the fine wines, the gardens, the women, and

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<v Speaker 2>the expensive robes. The last thing Rehoboam wanted was to

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<v Speaker 2>serve anybody. Instead of heeding their advice, Rehoboam gathered his

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<v Speaker 2>young friends together. They drank, reveled, and pretended to speak

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<v Speaker 2>of the kingdom's greatest needs.' What is your advice?' he

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<v Speaker 2>asked them.' How shall I answer these elders and servants?'

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<v Speaker 2>The young men were filled with the same self as

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<v Speaker 2>their king. They responded just as expected. Here is how

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<v Speaker 2>you handle the complainers of Israel. Say this to them.

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<v Speaker 2>I have more power in my finger than my father

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<v Speaker 2>did in his whole body. He lashed you with whips,

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<v Speaker 2>but I shall lash you with scorpions. Jeroboam laughed. The

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<v Speaker 2>cackles of his friends filled the halls. Three days later,

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<v Speaker 2>Jeroboam entered into the palace halls with the elders behind him.

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<v Speaker 2>Jeroboam was tall, strong, and held his posture in a

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<v Speaker 2>commanding demeanor. King Rehoboam took notice of this and was

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<v Speaker 2>slightly threatened. Rehoboam shifted upright on his throne to seem taller.

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<v Speaker 2>He raised his staff in the air and said, I

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<v Speaker 2>have my answer. The whole crowd was silent. My father

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<v Speaker 2>gave you heavy burdens, but I will make them even heavier.

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<v Speaker 2>Jeroboam's fists clenched at the sound of his words. The

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<v Speaker 2>king smiled and said, My father lashed you with whips,

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<v Speaker 2>but I shall lash you with scorpions. His friends laughed

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<v Speaker 2>behind him. Yet the elders and Jeroboam were unamused. Saying nothing,

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<v Speaker 2>they left the halls. So the king was brutal to

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<v Speaker 2>his people. His cruelty and taxation increased, and his heavy

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<v Speaker 2>hands stirred up the people of Israel. An uproar began

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<v Speaker 2>to ignite among the people. They shouted in the city streets,

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<v Speaker 2>down with the legacy of David. They refused to work

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<v Speaker 2>any longer and returned to their homes in protest. Rehoboam

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<v Speaker 2>was livid at their disobedience. He sent his enforcer, Adoniram,

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<v Speaker 2>to restore order in the city streets. However, he was

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<v Speaker 2>stoned to death as a message to the king. When

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<v Speaker 2>Rehoboam heard of this, he hopped on his chariot and

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<v Speaker 2>hid in the palace of Jerusalem. From that day forward,

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<v Speaker 2>the northern tribes of Israel refused to be ruled by

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<v Speaker 2>the descendants of David. The ten northern tribes of Israel

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<v Speaker 2>gathered together in rejection of their king. They talked among

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<v Speaker 2>themselves and decided that Jeroboam should be their new king.

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<v Speaker 2>Jeroboam accepted their offer and ruled over every tribe except

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<v Speaker 2>for Judah. When Rehoboam heard of this, he amassed a

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<v Speaker 2>great army of 180,000 troops, He was ready to destroy

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<v Speaker 2>all of Israel in vengeance. However, the Lord spoke to

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<v Speaker 2>him sternly, saying, Do not attack your brothers, for this

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<v Speaker 2>is my doing. So Rehoboam cowered in his palace and

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<v Speaker 2>ruled over the vast nation of Judah. Once again, Israel

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<v Speaker 2>was a split kingdom. There were no perfect kings. The

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<v Speaker 2>entirety of Israel pointed to the faithfulness of God to

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<v Speaker 2>work in imperfect people. Solomon, for all his wisdom intact

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<v Speaker 2>as a king, fell prey to the grips of sin.

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<v Speaker 2>His sins trickled down into the heart of his son.

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<v Speaker 2>God would not excuse this, nor would he abandon Israel altogether. Instead,

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<v Speaker 2>God would weave Israel's goodness and evil into one tapestry

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<v Speaker 2>ultimately pointing to his grace.

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<v Speaker 3>Today we begin with Solomon who is still alive. He

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<v Speaker 3>has given himself over to his foreign wives and their

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<v Speaker 3>false gods, and his wisdom and kindness seems a distant

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<v Speaker 3>memory to many in the kingdom of Israel. We also

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<v Speaker 3>meet a young Israelite leader by the name of Jeroboam.

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<v Speaker 3>He was a dedicated and hard worker, but even as

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<v Speaker 3>he served the king, Jeroboam witnessed the conflict in Israel

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<v Speaker 3>and Solomon's harshness with Jewish workers. Solomon was impressed by Jeroboam.

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<v Speaker 3>and tasked him with overseeing laborers from the northern tribes

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<v Speaker 3>of Ephraim and Manasseh. Little did Solomon know that this

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<v Speaker 3>began to set the stage for a divided kingdom. One

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<v Speaker 3>day as he was working, Jeroboam encountered the prophet Ahijah,

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<v Speaker 3>who delivered a dramatic message to Jeroboam. He tore his

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<v Speaker 3>robe into 12 pieces to symbolize the 12 tribes of

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<v Speaker 3>Israel and told Jeroboam that God was going to take

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<v Speaker 3>10 of the tribes away from Solomon's successor and give

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<v Speaker 3>them to Jeroboam. With this promise came a warning. He

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<v Speaker 3>was being given charge over a vast number of God's people,

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<v Speaker 3>so he must follow the Lord and listen always to

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<v Speaker 3>his counsel. I can only imagine the weight of all

0:14:24.500 --> 0:14:28.660
<v Speaker 3>this news on Jeroboam. Surely he was both excited and

0:14:29.610 --> 0:14:34.500
<v Speaker 3>fearful at the same time. Shortly after he received the news, however,

0:14:34.600 --> 0:14:37.280
<v Speaker 3>Solomon got wind of this threat to his kingdom and

0:14:37.320 --> 0:14:39.830
<v Speaker 3>tried to kill Jeroboam, who had no choice but to

0:14:39.900 --> 0:14:45.450
<v Speaker 3>flee to Egypt and hide. After Solomon's death, when Rehoboam

0:14:45.470 --> 0:14:48.910
<v Speaker 3>was king, Jeroboam felt it was safe to return, and

0:14:48.950 --> 0:14:50.950
<v Speaker 3>for the sake of his people, that's what he did.

0:14:51.710 --> 0:14:54.250
<v Speaker 3>His first order of business was to approach the new

0:14:54.310 --> 0:14:58.390
<v Speaker 3>king and appeal to him for the people. They were

0:14:58.430 --> 0:15:02.730
<v Speaker 3>being worked too hard and taxed too much. So Jeroboam

0:15:02.870 --> 0:15:07.450
<v Speaker 3>asked the king to ease their burden. Rehoboam's initial response

0:15:07.530 --> 0:15:12.410
<v Speaker 3>seems reasonable. He doesn't immediately deny the request or concede.

0:15:12.930 --> 0:15:15.710
<v Speaker 3>He asks for time to consider it. Then he seeks

0:15:15.770 --> 0:15:18.850
<v Speaker 3>counsel from the elders, and their response was a wise one.

0:15:19.730 --> 0:15:22.410
<v Speaker 3>If he will serve the people, then they will reward

0:15:22.430 --> 0:15:25.130
<v Speaker 3>him with service and loyalty of their own. It's the

0:15:25.170 --> 0:15:27.940
<v Speaker 3>kind of response Solomon himself would have given in his

0:15:28.000 --> 0:15:32.880
<v Speaker 3>younger years when he walked with the Lord. Tragically, Rehoboam

0:15:32.950 --> 0:15:36.570
<v Speaker 3>wasn't seeking wise counsel. What he wanted was an answer

0:15:36.610 --> 0:15:40.190
<v Speaker 3>he liked, one that stroked his ego. So in 1

0:15:40.190 --> 0:15:43.950
<v Speaker 3>Kings 12 verse 8 we read this, But he abandoned

0:15:44.010 --> 0:15:46.450
<v Speaker 3>the counsel that the old men gave him and took

0:15:46.550 --> 0:15:49.230
<v Speaker 3>counsel with the young men who had grown up with

0:15:49.270 --> 0:15:53.170
<v Speaker 3>him and stood before him. So he asked his friends,

0:15:53.230 --> 0:15:56.190
<v Speaker 3>his yes-men, and they gave him the response he wanted.

0:15:56.630 --> 0:16:00.490
<v Speaker 3>Show your power and don't back down, they said. In fact,

0:16:01.000 --> 0:16:04.820
<v Speaker 3>Turn the heat up. It's a response reminiscent of Pharaoh's

0:16:04.940 --> 0:16:07.830
<v Speaker 3>answer to Moses, not of a gentle king who loves

0:16:07.870 --> 0:16:11.390
<v Speaker 3>his people. But that's the answer he gave Jeroboam and

0:16:11.410 --> 0:16:14.890
<v Speaker 3>the people when they returned. Rather than lighten their load,

0:16:15.570 --> 0:16:19.770
<v Speaker 3>he would pile on more. His plan to gain power

0:16:19.810 --> 0:16:23.830
<v Speaker 3>and respect by force backfired immediately. When the people saw

0:16:23.890 --> 0:16:26.830
<v Speaker 3>that he didn't care for them, they dropped their tools

0:16:26.890 --> 0:16:30.990
<v Speaker 3>and abandoned their work. Rehoboam, rather than acknowledge his mistake,

0:16:31.030 --> 0:16:34.170
<v Speaker 3>tried once again to force the people to submit. He

0:16:34.230 --> 0:16:37.350
<v Speaker 3>sent an enforcer to put the people back to work,

0:16:37.390 --> 0:16:40.070
<v Speaker 3>but the Israelites stoned him to death in the streets.

0:16:41.090 --> 0:16:43.730
<v Speaker 3>At the end of the day, Rehoboam was left with

0:16:43.790 --> 0:16:46.650
<v Speaker 3>only two tribes to rule, while the ten tribes of

0:16:46.690 --> 0:16:51.510
<v Speaker 3>the north made Jeroboam king. And so, just as God

0:16:51.550 --> 0:16:54.920
<v Speaker 3>had told Solomon it would happen, the kingdom of Israel

0:16:54.980 --> 0:16:59.609
<v Speaker 3>was split in two. Jeroboam would now have to remember Ahijah,

0:16:59.670 --> 0:17:03.260
<v Speaker 3>the prophet's warning, to follow God's commandments and to seek him.

0:17:04.380 --> 0:17:07.700
<v Speaker 3>How would he fare? We'll find out in tomorrow's reading.

0:17:09.040 --> 0:17:12.040
<v Speaker 3>Dear God, we thank you always for your word, for

0:17:12.260 --> 0:17:15.010
<v Speaker 3>it is light and life to us. Thank you for

0:17:15.050 --> 0:17:17.709
<v Speaker 3>the lesson that we learned today that it is always

0:17:17.830 --> 0:17:22.390
<v Speaker 3>right and best to seek wise counsel rather than foolish counsel.

0:17:22.970 --> 0:17:25.710
<v Speaker 3>Help us always to listen to those who give us

0:17:25.790 --> 0:17:29.609
<v Speaker 3>godly counsel. wise men and women who seek you and

0:17:29.650 --> 0:17:33.669
<v Speaker 3>your ways. For we pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.

0:17:34.970 --> 0:17:37.990
<v Speaker 3>Thank you for listening to today's Bible in a Year podcast.

0:17:38.450 --> 0:17:40.690
<v Speaker 3>And before we go, I wanted to let you know

0:17:40.750 --> 0:17:43.350
<v Speaker 3>that the Bible in a Year podcast is an outreach

0:17:43.390 --> 0:17:46.970
<v Speaker 3>of PowerPoint Ministries and can only come to you each

0:17:47.060 --> 0:17:51.679
<v Speaker 3>week through the support of listeners like you. Your support

0:17:51.700 --> 0:17:54.300
<v Speaker 3>today is so important that we want to thank you

0:17:54.320 --> 0:17:56.420
<v Speaker 3>for your gift by giving you a copy of my

0:17:56.480 --> 0:18:00.430
<v Speaker 3>book called The Jesus Book. This book is a powerful

0:18:00.510 --> 0:18:03.270
<v Speaker 3>guide that shows how every book in the Bible points

0:18:03.290 --> 0:18:06.030
<v Speaker 3>to Christ and how you can better read and understand

0:18:06.070 --> 0:18:10.350
<v Speaker 3>the Bible and how God's Word transforms our lives. So

0:18:10.369 --> 0:18:13.250
<v Speaker 3>to get your copy of The Jesus Book, simply go

0:18:13.310 --> 0:18:20.140
<v Speaker 3>to jackgram.org slash Jesus. That's jackgram.org slash Jesus. And thank

0:18:20.160 --> 0:18:21.060
<v Speaker 3>you for your support.