Chapter 14: Reflection

Guest post by Dave Allen, a "The Story" reader! 

Most of us have heard the saying about some wealthy parent’s child being born with the silver spoon in his mouth, but in Solomon’s son’s case, Rehoboam was born with a GOLDEN spoon, because silver was considered of little or no value in Solomon’s day (p 190). 

Nevertheless, the narrative surrounding Rehoboam’s reign before he had even risen to the throne (cf. 1 Kings 11: 19-13) was not so golden. 

Within the first few days of his kingship, ten tribes ceded from his rule and formed the Northern Kingdom of Israel, leaving Rehoboam to preside over what was left of a great nation – the southern Kingdom of Judah.

On the other hand, Jeroboam (whom God had the prophet Ahijah anoint as king over the larger Northern Kingdom of Israel) brought about disaster upon himself. 

All of his woes were of his own making, to the extent that he will be forever known as “the man who caused all of Israel to sin.” (2 Kings 10: 29). 

Sadly, it didn’t have to be.  God had promised to make him “king over Israel, to reign according to all that he desired, if he would obey God’s commands and walk in his ways – “I will be with thee, and build for you a sure house, as I did for David, and will give Israel to you” (1 Kings 11:38).

In one narrative we have a son, born of wealth and prestige, who seems to have failed as a direct result of the failures of his father (or rather the judgment) leveled because of his father’s sins. 

In the other, a non-nobility, having been given the opportunity of a lifetime, failing of his own doings. 

In both instances disobedience of God’s commands has led to destruction.

A CLOSING THOUGHT

How many blessings and opportunities have we missed through our own disobedience?

Does it seem fair to you that the sins of the father can be visited upon the sons? Or do you disagree that Rehoboam’s reign failed as a result of the judgment for Solomon’s sins?

Chapter 14: Questions

A Kingdom Torn in Two 

As always, feel free to answer questions in the comments (especially the "Digging Deeper" ones) and share any thoughts you might have about the "Personal Action." Or, let us know if YOU have a question!


CHECKING YOUR COMPREHENSION
1. What caused the kingdom of Israel to be divided? 

2. How did Rehoboam AND Jeroboam both make mistakes?

3. After reading this chapter, what does it say about God and what is important to Him?

3. In what ways has God been kind to you even when you didn't deserve it?

DIGGING DEEPER
1. "A house divided against itself cannot stand." The church has had its share of "civil wars" and divisions through the years. How can you help to contribute peace in your local church?

2. When Israel was devoted to God, they were strong and prospered; when they strayed in their devotion, their loyalty become weakened. How do you/have you seen this happen in your own life?

PERSONAL ACTION
This week, ponder one of these three questions: (Or all of them, if you want!)

1. Am I a peacemaker or a source of conflict in my relationships? How can I seek to build bridges and heal broken relationships in my life?

2. When I am placed in situations where I am called to be an influencer and leader, am I a humble servant?

3. Are there any idols in my life? even little ones? If so, what can I do to cast them out?

This is a safe place to be able to share questions and fears and doubts. You can post using your name or not, whichever you prefer. And if you choose to respond to someone's comment, please be gentle with your words. 

Reflection: Chapter 13

Guest post by Dave Allen, a "The Story" reader! 

Wisdom, wealth, and longevity. 

Solomon had it all. 

So much so that the famed Queen of Sheba was overwhelmed when she had visited the palace he had built. The food that was on his table, the seating of his officials, the attending servants in their robes, his cup bearers and the burnt offerings he made at temple--they all compelled her to exclaim “Praise be to your God, who has delighted in you and placed you on the throne of Israel” (pg. 178). 

He spoke “three thousand proverbs and his songs numbered a thousand and five. He spoke about plant life, animals and birds, reptiles and fish and he built the great cities of Israel” (pg. 178). 

So, what went wrong? 

How could the man of whom it is said, “He was wiser anyone else, including Ethan the Ezrahite” (pg. 178), have been so foolish that he caused the division of the greatest kingdom of the era?

The answer is simple – SIN. 

In particular, King Solomon's love for (LUST for!) women. 

King Solomon, the wise builder of the Lord’s temple, loved women ... more than he loved God.

“Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians and Hittites…from nations about which the Lord had told the Israelites 'You must not intermarry with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods.'" (pg. 191)

God's desire for right worship and relationship with Him demands that we walk away from the negative (sinful) influences in our lives. In Solomon's case, it should have meant walked away from wives and concubines who believed differently than him. 

But like father, like son .... and Solomon followed in his father's steps along the path into sin,. which began with sexual lust and worshiping women rather than God. 

“He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines, and his wives led him astray” (pg. 192). As Lucado penned, “the irresistible draw of sweet perfume led him to relaxing his guard…it was the beginning of the end” (pg. 191)

A CLOSING THOUGHT

Helen of Troy is said to have had a face that launched a thousand ships, but it was the love of a thousand women--rather than a love of God--that brought Solomon to his doom. 

Chapter 13: Questions

The King Who Had It All

As always, feel free to answer questions in the comments (especially the "Digging Deeper" ones) and share any thoughts you might have about the "Personal Action." Or, let us know if YOU have a question!


CHECKING YOUR COMPREHENSION
1. If God promised to give you one thing, what would you ask for? Why was Solomon's request for wisdom and discernment so pleasing to God?

2. How is wisdom different from knowledge and intellect?

3. How does one become wise?

4. Pride and lust were ultimately Solomon's downfall--how can you guard yourself against these sins? 

DIGGING DEEPER
1. As the temple is dedicated, Solomon prayed and spoke to the people of Israel (pp 186-188). What do his words teach us about God? What does he ask for himself and for he people, and how can his prayer teach us about speaking with God?

2. At the end of his life, King Solomon did some very foolish things (pp 191-192). What did he do and what were the consequences? How can we avoid ending foolishly? Instead, how can we finish strong? 

PERSONAL ACTION
The book of Ecclesiastes in the Bible is a book of reflections Solomon wrote at the end of his life. This week, take a few moments and read through his wisdom. How easy is it to focus on the wrong things? Ask God to show you what matters most to Him ... and what should matter most to you.

This is a safe place to be able to share questions and fears and doubts. You can post using your name or not, whichever you prefer. And if you choose to respond to someone's comment, please be gentle with your words. 

Chapter 12: Reflection

Guest post by Dave Allen, a "The Story" reader! 

“In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war…” (p.161). 

There is a lesson to be gleaned from this line: had David been occupying himself within God’s purpose, fulfilling his kingly duties, he would not have been wandering about on the palace roof in Jerusalem and would never have seen Bathsheba bathing in the first place!

“Adultery.” Many believers these days do not like to think about it, but God commands the same sentence for adultery as he does for murder. 

I oft wonder why when so many of my fellow believers cheer and chant surrounding a murderer’s execution but I have never heard any of them calling for an adulterer to be put to death. Do they believe God’s Law has changed simply because adultery is accepted by secular society? Or perhaps it is because this sin hit a little too close to home for them?

At any rate, David’s adultery led to the murder of Uriah, Bathsheba’s husband. We in the church do not like to talk about it, so we down play it as “David’s Sin” or even try to romanticize it as “The Story of David and Bathsheba,” but in all actuality it was a crime. 

David, the beloved King of Israel; the apple of God’s eye, was a criminal. He committed pre-meditated capital murder in his attempted cover-up of adultery. He had committed two capital crimes, each calling for the death penalty, and thought he had gotten away with them, until the prophet Nathan showed up at his door:

This is what the Lord says: “Out of your own household I am going to bring calamity on you….You did this in secret, but I will do this thing in broad daylight before all Israel” (pg. 163).

Justice called for David’s death, but filled with remorse, David asked God to forgive him, and “God said yes” (pg. 165). It is my sincerest prayer that we, the Church, having been forgiven by God of our own sins, will strive to remember the mercy and grace God has shown upon us, before we determine to cast an unforgiving judgment upon others. 

As Charles Williams has said of the Lord’s Prayer, “No word in English carries a possibility of terror than that little word “as” in that one clause” – “as we forgive those who trespass against us.”

A CLOSING THOUGHT

Should criminals still be executed if they, like David, have asked for and received God’s forgiveness?