Pt. 14, The Biblical Story - A Divided Kingdom

 
A Divided Kingdom Pt. 14, The Biblical Story By Pastor Dan Kennedy © June 1, 2014 www.pastorkennedy.com Today we are continuing in a basic “through the Bible” series on “the Biblical Story”. We have come to a crucial time in Israel’s history. Solomon, one of the greatest kings in all of history has just finished his golden reign, but he had left the Chosen People of God in a considerably awkward and spiritually corrupt position. Under King Solomon the Israelites had just experienced a kingdom like none other. The Queen of Sheba was astonished at Solomon’s kingdom of grandeur, majesty and richness, but there was one critical issue as Solomon’s reign came to a close. King Solomon’s heart systematically (one pagan queen at a time), had been corrupted by his growing infatuation with his wives and the worship of their gods…even building them places – in Israel, around Jerusalem, to worship their detestable demonic idols/gods. His brilliant mind, blessed with wisdom from God, became more and more distracted and defiled by the worldly allurements that brought with them gross carnality throughout Israel. If King Solomon went with his wives to worship these gods and entered into their hedonistic seductive pleasures, shouldn’t all Israel enjoy these pleasures as well? It was the beginning of the end. It was the beginning of a divided kingdom...and eventually kingdoms that were destroyed until 1948. 1 Kings 11:1–13 (ESV) Solomon Turns from the Lord 11 Now King Solomon loved many foreign women, along with the daughter of Pharaoh: Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite women, 2 from the nations concerning which the Lord had said to the people of Israel, “You shall not enter into marriage with them, neither shall they with you, for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods.” Solomon clung to these in love. 3 He had 700 wives, who were princesses, and 300 concubines. And his wives turned away his heart. 4 For when Solomon was old his wives turned away his heart after other gods, and his heart was not wholly true to the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father. 5 For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. 6 So Solomon did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and did not wholly follow the Lord, as David his father had done. 7 Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, and for Molech the abomination of the Ammonites, on the mountain east of Jerusalem. 8 And so he did for all his foreign wives, who made offerings and sacrificed to their gods. The Lord’s Anger Divides Solomon’s Golden Kingdom 9 And the Lord was angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice 10 and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods. But he did not keep what the Lord commanded. 11 Therefore the Lord said to Solomon, “Since this has been your practice and you have not kept my covenant and my statutes that I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom from you and will give it to your servant. 12 Yet for the sake of David your father I will not do it in your days, but I will tear it out of the hand of your son. 13 However, I will not tear away all the kingdom, but I will give one tribe to your son, for the sake of David my servant and for the sake of Jerusalem that I have chosen.” As we review the divided kingdoms of Israel and Judah that followed, we might say to ourselves, “What do the divided kingdoms found in 1st and 2nd Kings ever have to do with me? Why should we spend time looking at these ancient Jewish kingdoms in conflict in the Middle East?” What are two real and personal areas of “Division” that could be in our 21st Century lives? Throughout 1st and 2nd Kings there is one of two phrases that summarizes the impact of each kingdom in Israel, or Judah: 1. The king did what was right in the sight of the Lord. 2. The king did evil in the sight of the Lord. These two summary statements reveal the condition of a king heart (and often those in his kingdom) – not the other things that were accomplished; because, if the heart is not right with God, “the accomplishments” become corrupted as well! Kings in United Israel before the Division: • Saul, 1050 BC – who did not turn out to be a good king. David – who was a man after God’s own heart who was a wonderful king (except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite). • Solomon – a great king, but a man whose heart was defiled at the end of his reign, because of the influence of his pagan wives and their worship of pagan gods. KINGS OF Divided ISRAEL: Jeroboam I, bad, 930—909 BC Nadab, bad, 909—908 BC Baasha, bad, 908—886 BC Elah, bad, 886—885 BC Zimri, bad, 885 BC Tibni, bad, 885—880 BC Omri, extra bad, 885—874 BC Ahab, the worst, 874—853 BC Ahaziah, bad, 853—852 BC Joram/Jehoram, bad mostly, 852—841 BC Jehu, not good but better than the rest, 841—814 BC Jehoahaz, bad, 814—798 BC Joash, bad, 798—782 BC Jeroboam II, bad, 793—753 BC Zechariah, bad, 753 BC Shallum, bad, 752 BC Menahem, bad, 752—742 BC Pekahiah, bad, 742—740 BC Pekah, bad, 752—732 BC Hoshea, bad, 732—722 BC - http://www.gotquestions.org/kings-Israel-Judah.html Then Israel went to Exile... “The captivities began in approximately 740 BC. The Northern Kingdom of Israel was conquered by the Neo-Assyrian monarchs, Tiglath-Pileser III (Pul) and Shalmaneser V. The later Assyrian rulers Sargon II and his son and successor, Sennacherib, were responsible for finishing the twenty-year demise of Israel's northern ten-tribe kingdom, although they did not overtake the Southern Kingdom yet. The tribes exiled by Assyria later became known as the Ten Lost Tribes.” (see 1 Chronicles 5:26; 2 Kings 17-18) - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assyrian_captivity_of_Israel KINGS OF Divided JUDAH: Rehoboam, bad mostly, 933-916 BC Abijah, bad mostly, 915—913 BC Asa, GOOD, 912—872 BC Jehoshaphat, GOOD, 874-850 BC Jehoram/Joram, bad, 850—843 BC Ahaziah, bad, 843 BC Athaliah (queen), devilish, 843—837 BC Joash/Jehoash, good mostly, 843-803 BC Amaziah, good mostly, 803—775 BC Uzziah/Azariah, GOOD mostly, 787—735 BC Jotham, GOOD, 749-734 BC Ahaz, wicked, 741—726 BC Hezekiah, THE BEST, 726—697 BC Manasseh, the worst, 697—642 BC Amon, the worst, 641—640 BC Josiah, THE BEST, 639—608 BC Jehoahaz, bad, 608 BC Jehoiakim, wicked, 608—597 BC Jehoiachin, bad, 597 BC Zedekiah, bad, 597—586 BC - http://www.gotquestions.org/kings-Israel-Judah.html Then Judah went into exile... “Zedekiah and others were exiled in Nebuchadnezzar's eighteenth year; a later deportation occurred in Nebuchadnezzar's twenty-third year. These deportations are dated to 597 BC, 587 BC, and 582 BC, respectively.” - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babylonian_captivity Solomon’s kingdom has never been duplicated in its splendor, but the carnal aspects of why God divided Solomon’s unparalleled kingdom is carried over kingdom after kingdom following him, with few exceptions. A Heart for God Only 10 of the 43 kings of Israel and Judah were considered to have hearts that followed the Lord, at least some time during their reign. The other kings were listed as those who did “evil in the sight of God”. Did those kings who did evil in the sight of the Lord try to emulate the visible glory of Solomon’s kingdom, all the while forgetting the “heart” of what made David’s kingdom great? This is the great division: becoming what we see to be great, lures us to follow visual glory and passion, instead of becoming one whose heart is what God sees to be great. Certain Catastrophe From one generation to another, the carnality of the kings finally led to the nation’s catastrophic downfall and dispersion – twice, only to be destroyed and dispersed for a final time before two thousand years elapsed until May 14, 1948…in our generation! Catastrophe eventually comes for those on the other side of the “divide”, just as surely as blessing comes to those whose heart is toward the Lord. How does this record of the good and bad kings give us an example? What are two real and personal areas of “Division” that could be paralleled in our 21st Century lives? • The 21st Century North American Church; • The heart issues of our Personal Life…which will also determine how we affect the generations to follow. Look closely at the 21st Century Church and ask, “Can we become distracted and even deluded in our modern-day ‘worship’ at ‘Church’, and become divided in our ‘formulas and styles of worship’…doing all the ‘right things’ and ‘looking good’ instead of being what God actually intended those in the Church to be?” Can the “church” actually become a place where we get so involved in the activities of what we do, what we have, and what we would like to have, that we become divided from what we should be spiritually? That is what happened to most of Israel’s kings. The “Division” When we are talking about “division” in the Church we are not talking about schisms or personalities or “divisions” over issues regarding the color of carpet in the church building. Some of these issues may arise as a result of the true division, but the division we are paralleling today is the division of: • Being who we should be before God – having a heart for God like David. • Instead we often want to look good and put up a good front of what we think a Christian and Churchgoer should look like…while living with a carnal heart toward God…like Solomon and a whole bunch of kings ended up being. This is the truest “Divided Kingdom” spoken of in the books of the Kings of Israel – a division, which brought the Judgment of God. Have we, as the 21st Century North American Church, fallen into a comfortable rhythm of “churchy-ness,” looking at what “successful churches” become through their size, programs, and facilities, etc., etc. The kingdoms following Solomon’s success sought to pattern their kingdom after his, when in actuality they missed the heart for God that was evident in David’s kingdom – the original foundation of Solomon’s success. Has the 21st Century Church missed the Heart that God considers success, in our clamor to look like a successful North American church, or to be carnally involved while looking Christian? On which side of the divide are we? What is Church? • Is Church a place where people come to find out about God, seek to build a growing relationship with Him, and learn from His Word, the Bible? • Is Church a place where people of like mind toward God, come to share their joys and sorrows together…to bear one another’s burdens and to pray for one another? • Is Church a place where we can bring our friends and relatives who may be searching for God? Who have to work through difficult or tragic issues in life? And a place to build spiritual friendships that are positive, deep and sustaining? A Potential North American Attitude about the Church • Can Church, instead, become a place where we comfortably settle into our own worship “rituals” with our special friendships, our favorite Bible stories, focusing soundly and “spiritually” on our specific doctrines – and in all these things, become somewhat exclusive and ineffective in our communities? • When we think of “building the Church” do we think primarily of something that we do to make the attendance of our Local Church Group larger, with possibly more attractive facilities, and better programs for everyone – in an outward, physical display of growth? We in the North American Church may have become like King Rehoboam, regarding Solomon, his father’s, golden shields and massive wealth. 1 Kings 10:16–17 (NLT) 16 King Solomon made 200 large shields of hammered gold, each weighing more than fifteen pounds (60+ M approx. current worth). 17 He also made 300 smaller shields of hammered gold, each weighing nearly four pounds (24+ M). The king placed these shields in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon. It only took five years following Solomon’s death for all of Solomon’s wealth (gleaned over 40 years), to be ravaged. 1 Kings 14:21–28 (ESV) 21 Now Rehoboam the son of Solomon reigned in Judah. Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city that the Lord had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, to put his name there. His mother’s name was Naamah the Ammonite. 22 And Judah did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and they provoked him to jealousy with their sins that they committed, more than all that their fathers had done. 23 For they also built for themselves high places and pillars and Asherim on every high hill and under every green tree, 24 and there were also male cult prostitutes in the land. They did according to all the abominations of the nations that the Lord drove out before the people of Israel. 25 In the fifth year of King Rehoboam, Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem. 26 He took away the treasures of the house of the Lord and the treasures of the king’s house. He took away everything. He also took away all the shields of gold that Solomon had made, 27 and King Rehoboam made in their place shields of bronze, and committed them to the hands of the officers of the guard, who kept the door of the king’s house. 28 And as often as the king went into the house of the Lord, the guard carried them and brought them back to the guardroom. King Rehoboam wanted to look as if he still had the treasured shields of gold…so he made a façade of shiny brass shields to keep up the pretense of a lost golden reality and had them paraded before the Israelites when he went to the Temple. Do we as North American Christians replace the spiritual “shields of gold” in our relationship with God, with replicas of a “spiritual façade”, so we will at least look like God’s Church, or good Christians in everyone else’s eyes? Building the Church – from God’s Standpoint Isn’t “building the Church” foundationally, from God’s standpoint, about our relationship to God and ministry to others? (Remember the 1st & 2nd Commandments that Jesus gave us? Deut. 6:5; Matt. 22:37-40) • Where the Spiritual (and eternal) Body of Christ is built up and strengthened? • The Word of God is revered and faithfully taught, • Those in real need of a relationship with God are being drawn to Him, • Those in need of practical help are encouraged, blessed, and helped! • The Church becomes an avenue to reach out to friends and acquaintances in the community, so that those needing help, searching for and needing God will… • Find Jesus Christ precious, as their Redeemer and Savior, • Find forgiveness of their sins, with the needs of their heart, soul and spirit being met through… • Have genuine fellowship with God, • Fellowshipping together with those of like precious faith in the Local Church assembly, • Using the gifts God has entrusted to us for His Glory, • Being led by the Spirit of God to accomplish His purposes through us in this world! After considering the dynamic of the Church let’s look at how a Godly life or a carnal life may affect present and future generations, in the light of Israel’s kings. The Kings of Israel give us a Multi-Generational View of Life It isn’t often we can have glimpses of outcomes of life so clearly as we do when reading and meditating on 1 and 2 Kings. If we are looking closely we are given a multi-generational view of healthy and destructive lifestyles affecting generations to come. How does a Godly Life affect present and future generations? • A life honorable to God is not immune to problems and wars…on the contrary, it is often the battles that reveal the reality of a Godly person and their response to adversity. Remaining steadfast to God under trial examples to all around the Grace of God and when one has stood the test, God rewards them with the Crown of Life, promised to those who love Him! (James 1:12) God’s steadfast love is passed on to “thousands” from those who love God and keep His Commandments! (Exodus 20:5-6) How does a Carnal Lifestyle affect present and future generations? • Every perceptive adult understands that carnality actively corrodes and corrupts a person and the lives of those who are being influenced. • The “iniquity of the fathers” is passed on to the third and fourth generations. (Exodus 20:5-6) Conclusion A Brief Overview of the Lives of Forty-Three Kings of Israel for 464 years (1 Samuel 10 - 2 Kings) In looking through the history of Israel and observing the lives of those who followed God with their whole heart, compared to those who indulged in their own selfish actions, power and passions, fulfilling their own will, we are given vital history lessons for our own life. The end result is always the same…in the long run. From one generation to another, the carnality of the kings finally led to the nation’s catastrophic downfall and destruction! Catastrophe eventually comes for those on the other side of the “divide”, just as surely as blessing comes to those whose heart is toward the Lord. Those kings who did evil in the sight of the Lord tried to emulate the visible glory of Solomon’s kingdom, all the while forgetting the “heart” of what made David’s kingdom great. This is the great division: becoming what we see to be great lures us to follow visual glory and passion, instead of becoming one whose heart is what God sees to be great. It is a choice. A continuing choice. • It is a either a choice for ourselves empowered by the carnality of our own flesh, the world around us, and God’s enemy; • Or, it is a heart choice to honor and serve God, empowered by His Holy Spirit. Our choice will affect many generations to come. “You shall not bow down to them (other gods) or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.” Exodus 20:5–6 http://www.pastorkennedy.comhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/740s_BChttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Israel_(Samaria)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Israel_(Samaria)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neo-Assyrianhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiglath-Pileser_IIIhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shalmaneser_Vhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sargon_IIhttp://en.wikipediahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Kingdomhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ten_Lost_Tribeshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zedekiahshapeimage_1_link_0shapeimage_1_link_1shapeimage_1_link_2shapeimage_1_link_3shapeimage_1_link_4shapeimage_1_link_5shapeimage_1_link_6shapeimage_1_link_7shapeimage_1_link_8shapeimage_1_link_9shapeimage_1_link_10shapeimage_1_link_11