Study Desk

Praise the Lord your God, who delights in you and has placed you on the throne of Israel. Because of the Lord 's eternal love for Israel, he has made you king so you can rule with justice and righteousness."

Then she gave the king a gift of 9,000 pounds of gold, great quantities of spices, and precious jewels. Never again were so many spices brought in as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.

King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba whatever she asked for, besides all the customary gifts he had so generously given. Then she and all her attendants returned to their own land.

So King Solomon became richer and wiser than any other king on earth.

So now the Lord said to him, "Since you have not kept my covenant and have disobeyed my decrees, I will surely tear the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your servants.

And even so, I will not take away the entire kingdom; I will let him be king of one tribe, for the sake of my servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, my chosen city."

"Why?" Pharaoh asked him. "What do you lack here that makes you want to go home?" "Nothing," he replied. "But even so, please let me return home."

His son will have one tribe so that the descendants of David my servant will continue to reign, shining like a lamp in Jerusalem, the city I have chosen to be the place for my name.

Rehoboam replied, "Give me three days to think this over. Then come back for my answer." So the people went away.

So the king paid no attention to the people. This turn of events was the will of the Lord , for it fulfilled the Lord 's message to Jeroboam son of Nebat through the prophet Ahijah from Shiloh.

When all Israel realized that the king had refused to listen to them, they responded, "Down with the dynasty of David! We have no interest in the son of Jesse. Back to your homes, O Israel! Look out for your own house, O David!" So the people of Israel returned home.

When the people of Israel learned of Jeroboam's return from Egypt, they called an assembly and made him king over all Israel. So only the tribe of Judah remained loyal to the family of David.

‘This is what the Lord says: Do not fight against your relatives, the Israelites. Go back home, for what has happened is my doing!'" So they obeyed the message of the Lord and went home, as the Lord had commanded.

So on the advice of his counselors, the king made two gold calves. He said to the people, "It is too much trouble for you to worship in Jerusalem. Look, Israel, these are the gods who brought you out of Egypt!"

So on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, a day that he himself had designated, Jeroboam offered sacrifices on the altar at Bethel. He instituted a religious festival for Israel, and he went up to the altar to burn incense.

The king cried out to the man of God, "Please ask the Lord your God to restore my hand again!" So the man of God prayed to the Lord , and the king's hand was restored and he could move it again.

So he left Bethel and went home another way.

The old prophet asked them, "Which way did he go?" So they showed their father which road the man of God had taken.

"Quick, saddle the donkey," the old man said. So they saddled the donkey for him, and he mounted it.

But the old prophet answered, "I am a prophet, too, just as you are. And an angel gave me this command from the Lord : ‘Bring him home with you so he can have something to eat and drink.'" But the old man was lying to him.