Lecture Five: The Divided Kingdom

Israel Rebels Against Rehoboam (12:1-24)

All Israel gathered at Shechem for Rehoboam’s coronation.

When Jeroboam heard that Solomon was dead, he returned from Egypt to talk to Rehoboam.

“Your father put a heavy yoke on us, but now lighten the harsh labor and the heavy yoke he put on us, and we will serve you.”

Rehoboam first consulted the elders from Solomon’s reign.

“Give them a favorable answer and they’ll serve you forever.”

Later he consulted his own buddies and went with their advice.

“My father made your yoke heavy; I will make it even heavier. My father scourged you with whips; I will scourge you with scorpions.”

The people rebelled when they heard this, stoned their taskmaster, and declared Jeroboam their new king.

Rehoboam managed to escape in his chariot back to Jerusalem.

He called up Judah and Benjamin’s troops to go to war, but the prophet Shemaiah warned him not to, and this time Rehoboam listened to wisdom.

Golden Calves at Bethel and Dan (12:25-33)

Jeroboam realized that if the people went up to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices at the Temple, they might decide to follow Rehoboam again.

He set up two golden calves at Bethel and Dan.

He said, “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.”

Very similar to Aaron’s calf in Exodus.

Jeroboam also built shrines on high places and appointed his own festivals for the people to offer sacrifices to the calves.
He made himself and a bunch of random people priests of his new religion.

Very similar to Micah and the Danites in Judges.

The Man of God From Judah (13:1-34)

“A man of God” from Judah approached Jeroboam while he was offering sacrifices at Bethel.

“One day a king named Josiah will arise from the house of David and kill all the false priests on this very spot.”

Jeroboam reached out to order his men to seize the man of God, but his hand immediately shriveled up and he could not move it.

Also, the altar split apart and the ashes fell out.

Jeroboam asked the man of God to pray for him.

He prayed and Jeroboam’s hand was healed.

Jeroboam invited him back to his house in order to give him a gift.

The man of God said that God had told him not to eat or drink anything at Bethel, and he left.

As he was on his way out of town, an old prophet caught up with him.

“God told me to stop you and invite you over for dinner.”

The man of God turned back and ate with the old prophet and his family.

While they were eating, the old prophet began to prophesy against the man of God, saying that he had despised the word of the LORD by not obeying.

The man of God got on his donkey and went on his way.

Outside of town, a lion attacked and killed him, but did not eat him or touch the donkey.

The old prophet went to go retrieve the body of the man of God and saw the donkey and lion standing beside the road doing nothing.

The man of God was buried in a tomb, and the old prophet told his sons that when the time came for him to die, they should bury him in the tomb of the man of God.

Ahijah’s Prophecy Against Jeroboam (14:1-20)

Jeroboam’s son became very sick.

He disguised his wife and sent her to Shiloh to find out the future from Ahijah.

Ahijah was getting old and had gone blind, but God warned him about Jeroboam’s wife.

Ahijah’s message:

“The boy will die when you return home.”
“His death is to spare him the disasters that will fall on his sinful family.”
“Just as God tore the kingdom from Rehoboam, so too with Jeroboam.”

Israel’s Kings (15:25–16:34)

The kings of the northern tribes of Israel according to puppets…

Nadab King of Israel
Baasha King of Israel
Elah King of Israel
Zimri King of Israel
Omri King of Israel
Ahab becomes king of Israel
Ahab married a Phoenician princess named Jezebel

The Baal cults of Ahab and Jezebel

Watch 09:00 – 17:00

The Prophet Elijah (17:1-24)

God sent Elijah the Tishbite to King Ahab to say it would not rain in Israel for the next few years.

After this, God sent Elijah away to go live by the brook in the Kirith Ravine east of the Jordan River.

God sent ravens to Elijah with meat and bread for him to eat.

Later, after the brook dried up, God told Elijah to go to Zarephath in the region of Sidon and stay at a widow’s house.

The widow wanted to help Elijah when he arrived, but they were almost completely out of food.

Elijah reassured her that God would not allow her flour and oil to run out until the rains returned.

Later, the widow’s son became sick and died.

The widow was upset and blamed Elijah for her son’s death.


Elijah took him in his arms, carried him to the upper room of the house, and laid him on the bed.

Elijah stretched himself out on the boy three times and cried out to the LORD, “LORD my God, let this boy’s life return to him!”

The boy came back to life, and Elijah gave him back to his mother.

The widow said, “Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the LORD from your mouth is the truth.”

“Elijah” means “Yahweh is God.”


Elijah and Obadiah (18:1-15)

After three years of drought, God told Elijah to go to King Ahab and tell him that it would rain again.

On the way to Ahab’s palace in Samaria, he bumped into Ahab’s servant Obadiah.

Obadiah was a secret believer in Yahweh, and he had hidden 100 prophets in two different caves from Jezebel when she was going around killing all of God’s prophets.

Elijah said, “Go tell your master, ‘Elijah is here.’”

Obadiah made Elijah promise not to pull another disappearing trick.

Obadiah delivered the message to King Ahab.

When Elijah arrived, Ahab said, “Is that you, you troubler of Israel?”

Elijah told Ahab to have the prophets of Baal and all the people of Israel meet him on Mount Carmel.

Elijah on Mount Carmel (18:16–19:3)

Elijah said to the people, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.”

Elijah proposed a test to see which God was the true God.

The prophets of Baal killed a bull, put it on their altar, and called on Baal to send fire down from heaven to consume the sacrifice.

The prophets of Baal called on Baal all day long to no avail.

They wailed, beat themselves up, and cut themselves with swords to try and get Baal to respond.

Elijah started making fun of them.

Maybe Baal’s in deep thought…
Maybe Baal’s on a long journey…
Maybe Baal’s asleep…
Maybe Baal’s in the bathroom…

Then the people went over to watch Elijah.

Elijah built an altar of 12 stones, representing the 12 tribes of Israel
Elijah killed a bull and put it on the altar
He then completely drenched the altar and the sacrifice with water three times

Elijah prayed:

“LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. Answer me, LORD, answer me, so these people will know that you, LORD, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.”

“Then the fire of the LORD fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench.”

The people proclaimed, “Yahweh is God!”

Elijah commanded the people to kill all the prophets of Baal.

Elijah and his servant climbed to the top of the mountain to watch for rain.

After looking out to sea seven times they spotted a tiny cloud.

They descended and warned Ahab to get in his chariot and go back to Jezreel before the rains came.

Elijah watched as Ahab tried to drive through the storm.

Elijah ran down the mountain, caught up to Ahab’s chariot, and ran ahead of him, guiding him through the storm all the way back to Jezreel.

When Ahab arrived, he told Jezebel the news.

Jezebel tried to kill Elijah.

Elijah escaped and ran away to the desert, leaving his servant in Beersheba.

Elijah Flees to Horeb (19:4–9)

Elijah sat under a broom bush and prayed that God would kill him.

“I’ve had enough!”

Elijah fell asleep, but an angel suddenly appeared, woke him up, and gave him baked bread and water.

Elijah ate, drank, and went back to sleep.

The angel returned, woke him up again, and urged him to eat, saying, “the journey is too much for you.”

Elijah was strengthened by the food, and he traveled through the wilderness for forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God.

The Lord Appears to Elijah (19:9-18)

Elijah spent the night in a cave on Mount Horeb.

God spoke to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
Elijah says, “I’m the only prophet left, and they’re trying to kill me!”

The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.”

“Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind.”
“After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake.”
“After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire.”
“And after the fire came a gentle whisper.” (or “a still small voice”)

Elijah covered his face with his cloak and stood before God.

Again God says, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
Elijah again says, “I’m the only prophet left, and they’re trying to kill me!”

The LORD told Elijah to go back the way he came and go to the desert of Damascus, saying:

“...anoint Hazael king over Aram
“…anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel…”
“…anoint Elisha son of Shaphat... to succeed you as prophet.”

“Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.”

The Call of Elisha (19:19-21)

Elijah returns from the mountain and finds Elisha

He is plowing in a field behind 12 pairs of oxen.

Anointed by Elijah, receives Elijah’s cloak.

He asks Elijah to wait for him so he can kiss his parents good-bye.

He kills his oxen, chops up his plow, uses the wood to cook the meat and feeds the other farmers.

Feeds Elijah, follows Elijah

Ben-Hadad of Aram Attacks Samaria (20:1-12)

He marched out his army and demanded gold and women from Ahab.

Ahab agreed to the terms, but Ben-Hadad was looking for a fight.

Ahab Defeats Ben-Hadad (20:13-34)

A prophet promised Ahab that the LORD will give him victory.

Ahab gathered 7,000 men and defeated the Arameans.

Ben-Hadad escaped, and the prophet warned Ahab that he would attack again next spring. 

Ben-Hadad attacked from the plains, thinking Israel’s God was limited to the mountains.

Israel killed 100,000 soldiers and captured Ben-Hadad as he fled.

Later, Ben-Hadad made a deal with Ahab and Ahab let him go.

A Prophet Condemns Ahab (20:35-43)

1st Prophet: Punch me in the face!
2nd Prophet: No way!
1st Prophet: You will be eaten by a lion for your disobedience!

1st Prophet: Punch me in the face!
3rd Prophet: Okay.

The first prophet waited on the side of the road for Ahab to pass by and pretended he was someone who had been in a battle.

1st Prophet: I captured a prisoner in battle, and I had another man guard him under penalty of death, but he let him escape. What should I do?
Ahab: That’s your problem. You figure it out.
1st Prophet: I am God’s prophet! And you have released a man that God determined should die! It will now be your own life for his! And Israel’s for Aram’s!

Ahab went home “sullen and angry.”

Naboth’s Vineyard (21:1-29)

Ahab wanted Naboth’s vineyard, but Naboth wouldn’t sell.

Ahab pouted for a long time until Jezebel helped him come up with a scheme.

They hired some thugs to go into a crowd and accuse Naboth of cursing God and the king.

The crowd dragged Naboth outside the city and stoned him.

Ahab then acquired the dead man’s land.

Elijah arrived with a message from God:

“Have you not murdered a man and seized his property?”
“In the place where dogs licked up Naboth’s blood, dogs will lick up your blood—yes, yours!”
“I have found you because you have sold yourself to do evil in the eyes of the Lord.”
“I will cut off from Ahab’s descendants all who piss against the wall in Israel—slave or free.”
“Dogs will devour Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.”

Ahab changed his attitude after this and mourned and wore sackcloth.

God decided to wait until after Ahab’s death to destroy his house.

Micaiah Prophesies Against Ahab (22:1-28)

Alliance between Ahab and Jehoshaphat.

Attempt to take back territory of Gilead.

Jehoshaphat wants to inquire of the LORD first.

Ahab’s prophets back his battle plan, but Jehoshaphat doesn’t buy it.

Micaiah, the prophet of Yahweh

Jehoshaphat wants to hear Micaiah’s word

Ahab hates him because of his negative messages about him

Pressure to agree with Ahab’s prophets, but refusal to give in

Micaiah is sarcastic, and Ahab makes him swear an oath of truth

Message:

“Israel is scattered like sheep without a shepherd”
“God sits on His throne plotting Ahab’s death with the angels”
“An angel volunteers to be a ‘lying spirit’ among Ahab’s prophets”

Random prophet slaps Micaiah, demanding more details

Micaiah says, “You’ll get your answers on the day you flee from battle.”

Ahab locks Micaiah in prison to deal with him after the battle

Micaiah's final message:

“If you ever return safely, the Lord has not spoken through me. Mark my words, all you people!”

Ahab Killed at Ramoth Gilead (22:29-40)

Ahab and Jehoshaphat fought the Arameans.

Ahab disguises himself and uses Jehoshaphat as a decoy.

The Arameans chase Jehoshaphat, but soon realize their mistake.

Someone shot an arrow at random and it struck Ahab.

The battle raged all day long and Ahab bled to death in his chariot.

The battle was a disaster and everyone fled back to their hometowns.

Ahab’s body was brought back to Samaria and dogs licked the blood off his chariot.

Ahaziah King of Israel (22:51-53)

Ahaziah replaced Ahab as king of Israel when Ahab died.

He was evil, too.

The LORD’s Judgment on Ahaziah (2nd Kgs. 1:1-18)

Ahaziah falls through his roof and injures himself.

He sends messengers to consult “Baal-Zebub” to see if he will recover.

Elijah intercepts them…

“Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going up to consult Baal-Zebub…?”
“Ahaziah will die in his bed.”

They return with the message from the “man with the leather belt.”

Ahaziah realizes it was Elijah and sends 50 soldiers to arrest him.

They find him sitting on a hill, and say, “Man of God! The king says, ‘Come down!’”

Elijah responds, “If I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men!”

Fire consumes them, along with the next 50 soldiers sent.

The third detachment begs Elijah to spare them.

God tells Elijah to go with them back to Ahaziah

He repeats his message, and the king dies on his bed.

Ahaziah’s brother Joram takes over the throne.