The Kingdom Divides
I. The BACKSTORY is always IMPORTANT. (1 Kings 11:26-40)
A. A REBELLION inspired by GOD. (11:26-39)
B. A future KING is forced to RUN. (11:40)
Every story is the continuation of a bigger story and often if we only look at the smaller piece we miss the bigger message. The Bible is always like this and we need to grasp the smaller stories in light of the bigger one.
- Kid’s Question: Have you ever felt like God told you something? If so, what was that like? If not, would you like that to happen?
- Have you ever had a time of chaos interrupt your life? Is it possible that God was doing something that you needed in that?
II. The PATH to a bad DECISION. (1 Kings 12:1-25)
A. A REQUEST that seems REASONABLE. (12:1-4)
B. A choice to SERVE or to INTIMIDATE. (12:5-15)
C. The RESULT is a DIVIDED kingdom. (12:16-25)
D. A MULTIPLICATION of bad DECISIONS. (12:26-33)
For all the amazing things that have happened to and through Solomon, the writing has been on the wall for some time. His failure to remain faithful to God and to resist his own desires has taken it’s toll. And while Solomon is now dead and his son is king, the ripples of Solomon’s decisions are still making an impact.
- Who are the “advisors” that you trust in your life? When have you been given bad advice?
- How are the actions and motivations of Rehoboam and Jeroboam different from those of Solomon at the beginning of his reign? (1 Kings 3) What do see about your own reactionsand motivations in the “kingdom” over which you preside also known as your life?
III. Some WORDS that ECHO the past.. (Dt. 17:16)
A. Egypt as a METAPHOR of CAPTIVITY. (12:1-4; Dt. 24:18)
B. The king OPPRESSING like a PHARAOH. (12:4-5,11,18; Ex. 5:9)
C. The PEOPLE turn to IDOLS. (12:28-30,32; Ex. 32:4-5)
D. The NATION has come full CIRCLE. (12:28; I Kings 14:25-26)
Here’s where we need to read with the bigger picture in mind. All throughout these chapters in 1 Kings that tell the story of Solomon we keep getting hints that point back toward Egypt. And the Egypt story points us to the deeper human story. There is something about us that keeps spiralling downward despite our desire to be free.
5. Have you ever wanted to react one way and found yourself doing the opposite? If so, why do you think that was?6. Idols seem like a strange concept in our world today. What would you say are the “idols” that the North American church turns to the most?
IV. Resisting our TENDENCY toward SLAVERY. (Gal. 5:1)
A. A DISTORTED view of POWER. (12:14-16; Mt. 20:25-28)
B. The ADDICTIVE nature of “SUCCESS”. (10:23; Deut. 8:12-14; ITim. 6:6-11)
C. The DANGER of continual DISOBEDIENCE. (11:1-7; Gal. 6:7-8)
D. The key BATTLE is INTERNAL. (12:26-27; Rom. 7:21-25)
E. True FREEDOM requires loving CONSTRAINT. (11:33; Rom. 1:1)
So what does this “Return to Egypt” mentality say about us as human beings? How can we follow Jesus and actually begin to live in the “promised land” when deeply engrained within us is a tendency to toward slavery. It makes no sense but when we look at the world around us and within us it is hard to deny our patterns.
7. What do you see in your own life that might be external signs of the internal battle?
8. What does it mean for you to be “free”? How does the idea of true freedom requiring some constraint hit you? Are their “constraints” that you see you might need to be truly free?