An official of Solomon, Jeroboam, rebelled against him. While working for Solomon, a prophet named Ahijah, tore his coat into 12 pieces and prophesied to Jeroboam that God was about to take away Solomon's kingdom from him - except for 1 tribe - and give 10 tribes to Jeroboam. This was because Solomon and his followers had forsaken God. Then he said that God would punish the descendants of David, but not forever. Whatever Solomon did was written in his book. He died after 40 years of rule. His son Rehoboam became king.
Not everyone was happy with Solomon's son Rehoboam becomming king and the rebelled. They had been forced into hard labor and wanted to stop. Rehoboam told them that he would have an answer for them in 3 days. During that time he asked for advice from 2 different groups. The first group was formerly his fathers advisors who told him to give them what they wanted. The second group was from the younger crowd and they told him to scare them. So, 3 days later Rehoboam took the advice of the younger group and scared the workers with threats. They responded with an attempt to stone him and he went home. Then Rehoboam tried to take Israel by force. God sent a prophet to tell them not to do this and they listened and went home. Jeroboam became afraid that the people of Israel would love David's family more than him, so he gave them what they wanted and made them 2 golden calves. Jeroboam made up his own religion based on his idea of what the people wanted.
Then one of God's prophets showed up. He had a message for Jeroboam about a child named Josiah born into David's family, that he would sacrifice on the altar he had made to other gods and that human bones would be burned on it, and that the altar would split in half and fall to the ground. Jeroboam ordered his soldiers to grab the man. Immediately his hand became stiff, the altar split in half and things happened just as the prophet had foretold. The Jeroboam begged the prophet to pray that his hand be healed. So the prophet prayed and his hand was healed. Jeroboam insisted the prophet come home with him so he could give him a gift to repay him for what he had done. But the prophet said he was told by the Lord not to eat or drink anything and that he couldn't return home the way he came. Then he started down a different road from the one he came in on.
An old prophet heard the story and went to find the prophet. He found him sitting under an oak tree. He told him that an angel of the Lord had told him to have the prophet come to his house and eat with him. Unfortunately, he was lying. He went home with the old prophet and ate with him. During the meal the old prophet got a message from the Lord about the prophet that he had disobeyed the Lord and that when he died he would not be buried in his father's tomb. He left the old prophet and on the way home he was killed by a lion. He had been riding a donkey, and the donkey and the lion sat there beside his dead body, right there on the road. When the old prophet heard about it, he had his sons saddle his donkey and he went and found the prophet's body on the road. The lion and the donkey were still there, so he took the body and put it on his donkey and buried it in his own family tomb.
Meanwhile, Jeroboam continued his wicked ways and did evil things. He made anyone who wanted to be a priest, a priest. Eventually this was his undoing.
Tomorrow read 1Kings 14-17
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