Study Desk

Rehoboam answered, "Come back to me in three days, and I will answer you." So the people left.

There were some older men who had helped Solomon make decisions when he was alive. So King Rehoboam asked these men what he should do. He said, "How do you think I should answer the people?"

Then the young men who grew up with him answered, "Those people came to you and said, ‘Your father forced us to work very hard. Now make our work easier.' So you should tell them, ‘My little finger is stronger than my father's whole body.

So the king did not do what the people wanted. The Lord caused this to happen. He did this in order to keep the promise he made to Jeroboam son of Nebat when he sent the prophet Ahijah from Shiloh to speak to him.

The Israelites saw that the new king refused to listen to them, so they said to him, "We are not part of David's family are we? We don't get any of Jesse's land, do we? So, people of Israel, let's go home and let David's son rule his own people!" So the Israelites went home.

So Israel rebelled against the family of David, and this is how things are even today.

Say to them, ‘The Lord says that you must not go to war against your brothers. Everyone, go home! I made all this happen.'" So all the men in Rehoboam's army obeyed the Lord . They went home, just as the Lord had commanded.

So the king asked his advisors what to do. They gave him their advice, and King Jeroboam made two golden calves. He said to the people, "You don't have to go to Jerusalem to worship anymore. Israel, these are the gods that brought you out of Egypt."

So King Jeroboam chose his own time for a festival for the Israelites, the 15th day of the eighth month. And during that time he offered sacrifices and burned incense on the altar he had built at Bethel.

The Lord had commanded the man of God to speak against the altar. He said, "Altar, the Lord says to you: ‘David's family will have a son. His name will be Josiah. The priests of the high places are now burning incense on you, but Josiah will offer the priests on you and burn human bones on you, so you can never be used again!'"

Then King Jeroboam said to the man of God, "Please pray to the Lord your God for me. Ask him to heal my arm." So the man of God prayed to the Lord , and the king's arm was healed, as it was before.

So he took a different road home. He did not go back the same way he came to Bethel.

The old prophet said, "Which way did he go when he left?" So the sons showed their father which road the man of God from Judah had taken.

So the old prophet said, "Please come home and eat with me."

So the man of God went to the old prophet's house and ate and drank with him.

He told you not to eat or drink anything in this place, but you came back here and ate and drank. So your body will not be buried in your family grave."

The old prophet heard the story and said, "This is the man of God who did not obey the Lord 's command, so the Lord sent a lion to attack him. The lion has killed him, just as the Lord said would happen."

Then the prophet told his sons to saddle his donkey, and they did so.

So the old prophet buried the body. Then he said to his sons, "When I die, bury me in this same grave. Put my bones next to his.

Jeroboam said to his wife, "Go to Shiloh and see the prophet Ahijah. He is the one who said that I would become king of Israel. Dress yourself so that people will not know that you are my wife.