Overview of:1 Kings
Today's Reading:
1Kgs. 11:28 – 12:24
"Solomon's End and Israel's Division"
Focus Verses: 1 Kings 11:31-33
31 Then he said to Jeroboam, "Take ten pieces for yourself, for this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'See, I am going to tear the kingdom out of Solomon's hand and give you ten tribes. 32 But for the sake of my servant David and the city of Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, he will have one tribe. 33 I will do this because they have forsaken me and worshiped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Molech the god of the Ammonites, and have not walked in my ways, nor done what is right in my eyes, nor kept my statutes and laws as David, Solomon's father, did.
Insight:
Solomon's glorious reign as King over a united and prosperous Israel collapsed into unfaithfulness and division. Israel struggled as a divided nation until eventually, at the hands of neighboring kingdoms, the northern ten tribes were scattered, and the southern two tribes were exiled into captivity.
Unfaithfulness to God leads to ruin. Pride and the delusion of self-sufficiency are always self-destructive. God withdraws his blessing and provision from those who do not walk in his ways and do what is right.
Solomon's great success, wisdom, and splendor were not matched by a great faithfulness to God. His distinction as King was not matched by his devotion to God.
Response and Action:
I do not want success, comfort, education, or prosperity to diminish my faithfulness to God. Everyday, I will remind myself to seek God above all else. I will humble myself before God in prayer and in the study of Scripture. I will value and nurture my personal relationships with others who desire to love and obey God. I will give thought to my steps, and try to be sensitive to the conviction and guidance of the Holy Spirit.
O God, help me to live for you and through you this day in thought, word, and deed. Help me to turn away from what is wrong and do what is right. Help me to love you with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. Guide me by your Word and your Spirit. Save me from any blessing or success that would turn me away from you. Deliver me from any temptation or burden that is too great for me to bear. Give me a devoted heart that seeks you and draws near to you in every circumstance of life. I pray. Amen.
Proverb for Today: Prov. 18:3
'When wickedness comes, so does contempt, and with shame comes disgrace."
New Testament for Today: Luke 12:48b
48b From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.
In Context: Luke 12:13-53
Recommended Reading:
A Long Obedience in the Same Direction
by Eugene Peterson
