My notes for teaching the Old Testament, by Mama Brenda.
Leader’s notes: Lesson 13 - The Divided Kingdom
1 Kings 16:29-33; 17:1-19:18; and 1 Kings 21:1-22:53; 2 Kings 1:1-25:30;
2 Chronicles10:1-36:21
We pick up at 1 Kings 11:28-39 which is where we finished the section on Solomon’s disobedience last time. See if anyone can tell you what the prophet Ahijah had said to whom!
Teach through the next two paragraphs - eliciting the information from the ladies as they look up the references.
Let the ladies find that some were good kings and some were bad kings in these references. Encourage them to find on the chart here and on page 46, all the king’s names and check the * stars for the good ones, or crosses X for the bad ones.
Student's worksheet: Lesson 13 - The Divided Kingdom 1 Kings 16:29-33; 17:1-19:18;
and 1 Kings 21:1-22:53; 2 Kings 1:1-25:30; 2 Chronicles 10:1-36:21.
1 Kings 11:28-39 this is before the death of King Solomon. The kingdom will be divided because of Solomon’s disobedience.
1 Kings 11:41-43 Solomon died.
1 Kings 12:1-15 Rehoboam, Solomon’s son refused to ease the slave-labour load on his people.
12:16-17, 20-24 The ten tribes formed their own kingdom under Jeroboam and a very annoyed Rehoboam was told by God not to fight to regain his now divided kingdom.
12:26-33 To safeguard his kingdom Jeroboam set up alternative worship places, with golden calves as idols.
God had said in the Ten Commandments and the Law that the people should have no other gods before Him, not worship idols, and not be involved in adultery. As they took the land God had promised them, they were told again and again not to adopt the ways of the people there, not to have other gods or worship idols.
After the split, for the next 350 years, there were many kings (and one queen) in Israel (the ten tribes) and Judah (including Simeon, which was surrounded by Judah).
Some were good. Some were good with reservations!
1 Kings 15:11-14; 22:41-42, 46
2 Kings 18:1-7; 23:1-25
Some were bad, and some were very bad.
1 Kings 14:21-24; 16:29-33
2 Kings 10:28-32; 16:2-4
These dates are obviously not exact to the year, but this is an easy way to see 350 years of history in Judah and Israel:
Date Judah good bad Israel good bad
B.C. 930 Rehoboam x Jeroboam x
920
910 Abidjan x Nadab x
900 Asa * Baasha x
890 Elah Zimri x x
880 Tibni Omri x x
870 Jehoshaphat * Ahab x
860
850 Jehoram x Ahazariah x
(continued on page 46).
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Leader's notes: Lesson 13 - the Divided Kingdom
Note the end of both kingdoms and the exiles to Assyria and Babylon.
Student's worksheet: Lesson 13 - The Divided Kingdom.
(Continued from page 45).
Date Judah good bad Israel good bad
B.C. 840 Ahaziah x Joram Jehu x x
830 Qn Athaliah x
820
810 Joash x Jehoahaz x
800
790 Amaziah * Jehoash x
780 Azar/Uzziah * Jeroboam II x
770
760 Zechariah x
750 Jotham * Shallum Menahem - x
740 Ahaz x Pekahiah Pekah x x
730 Hoshea x
720 Hezekiah * B.C. 721 ISRAEL INTO EXILE
710
700
690 Manasseh x
680
650
640 Amon x
630 Josiah *
620
610 Jehoahaz Jehoiakim x x
600 Jehoiachin x
590 Zedekiah x
580 B.C. 586 JUDAH INTO EXILE
The fall of Israel 721 B.C. to Assyria. 2 Kings 17:18-23
The fall of Israel 586 B.C.to Babylonia. 2 Kings 25:1-21, 27-30
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Leader's notes: Lesson 13 - The Divided Kingdom.
These stories of Ahab also involve Elijah who was a major prophet in Jewish thinking, although not a writing prophet like Isaiah.
He spoke God’s words to the people and to Ahab.
Teach (or revise if the ladies know the story) through 1 Kings chapters 17, 18 and 19 up to
verse 18.
Student's worksheet: The Divided Kingdom.
King Ahab and the prophet Elijah –
famous stories and typical of what happened under the ‘bad’ kings
1 Kings 16:29-33 Samaria is now the capital of Israel - the ten tribes.
Ahab’s wickedness listed.
1 Kings 17:1 No introduction. No biography. “Now Elijah…said to Ahab”. This
typifies Elijah’s ministry - he was bold and direct in word and action.
1 Kings 17:1 Elijah confronted Ahab and said there will be no rain for the next few
years except at God’s word.
verses 2-6 Elijah was protected by God.
verses 7-9 Elijah saw the lack of water and was sent to Zarephath.
verses 10-11 He found a widow gathering sticks. He asked for water and bread.
verse 12 The widow said “no can do”.
verses 13-14 Elijah encouraged her to make him some bread, and then some for
herself and her son, because he believed ‘God will make sure the flour and oil do not run out while there was no rain’.
verses 15-16 She proved God right!
verses 17-18 Her son became ill. Her only hope was dying.
verses 19-23 Elijah cried out to God for the boy, and he came back to life.
verse 24 The widow had called Elijah ‘a man of God’. Now she knew that as truth.
1 Kings 18:1-2 God told Elijah to go and present himself to Ahab.
verses 2-6 The situation - severe famine, Obadiah the chief steward was a believer, Queen Jezebel was killing the Lord’s prophets, Obadiah had taken and
hidden 100 prophets, King Ahab and chief steward Obadiah were
searching the land for anywhere there was grass to keep the horses and
mules alive.
verses 7-8 Obadiah and Elijah meet and Elijah told Obadiah to go to Ahab and tell
him he had found Elijah.
verses 9-15 Obadiah was reluctant - saying Ahab had looked everywhere for Elijah –
what would happen if the Spirit of the Lord took Elijah away while
Obadiah went to the king? Elijah promised to speak with Ahab that day.
verses 16-18 Who is the troubler of Israel?
verses 19-20 A challenge is issued to the priests of Baal.
verse 21 A challenge is issued to the people.
verses 22-24 What was the challenge?
verses 25-29 The priests of Baal prepared the sacrifice. They called, they danced,
they cut themselves in frenzy, prophesied frantically. There was no fire.
verses 30-35 Elijah rebuilt the altar of the Lord there, arranged the wood and the
sacrifice. Then what happened? How many times? What was the result?
verses 36-38 At twilight, the time of the evening sacrifice, Elijah prayed to the God
of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, reminding the people of their heritage. He
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Leader's notes: Lesson 13 - The Divided Kingdom.
Jump to 2 Kings 2:1-15 to complete the story of Elijah –
we have an ending even though we did not have much beginning!!
Digression - Elijah was important in Jewish thinking and is mentioned several times in the Gospels.
Student's notes: Lesson 13 - The Divided Kingdom.
(from page 47) prayed “Answer me, O Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, O Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.”
Fire fell and consumed the sacrifice.
verse 39 The people acknowledged God and fell prostrate.
verse 40 Elijah commanded the priests of Baal to be captured and killed.
verses 41-44 Elijah sent Ahab to eat and drink while he and his servant climbed Mount
Carmel again. He prayed for the curse to be lifted and dispatched his servant
seven times to go and look to the sea. Nothing. Then the last time he saw a cloud as small as a man’s hand rising from the sea.
verses 44-46 Elijah’s servant told Ahab to go in his chariot while he could. Wind, heavy
rain, and Elijah ran ahead of Ahab to Jezreel- about 20 miles! How?
1 Kings 19:1-2 Ahab told Jezebel what had happened and she threatened Elijah.
verses 3-4 Elijah was afraid. He went to Beersheba, left his servant there and went a
day’s journey into the desert, laid down under a broom tree and wanted to die.
verses 5-9 He slept, was woken by an angel with food and water, went back to sleep,
was woken again by the angel and ate and drank. He travelled forty days and
forty nights to get to Horeb (Sinai) where he found a cave and sheltered there.
verses 9-13 God came and asked a question. Elijah talked about his zeal, the Israelites wickedness, and said he was the only one left.
verses 13-18 God tells him to stand on the mountain ‘in the presence of the Lord, for
the Lord is about to pass by’. A powerful wind wreaked havoc, then an
earthquake, then a fire, but the Lord was not in any of these events. Then a
gentle whisper. Elijah pulled his cloak over his face and went to the mouth of
the cave. God asked the same question. Elijah gave the same answer. Then God
said for Elijah to anoint Hazael king over Aram, Jehu king over Israel and Elisha
as his successor. God also told him he was not the only one verse 18!
2 Kings 2:1-15 Elijah was taken to heaven in a chariot of fire. (Genesis 5:22-24)
Digression: Malachi 4:5-6 The prophecy that Elijah would come again before the Lord’s coming. Matthew 17:9-13 and Luke 1:11-17. Zechariah is told his son, Jesus’ cousin, would ‘go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah’, and Jesus identifies his cousin, John the Baptist, as the promised Elijah Matthew 11:13-14. Matthew 17:1-5 at the Transfiguration, Moses representing the Law and Elijah representing the Prophets both appeared with Jesus.
God restored his defeated prophet. Exhausted and threatened, Elijah hit rock bottom. God fed and watered him, twice; asked him for his appraisal of the situation, twice; assured Elijah of His personal interest in him, and then recommissioned him.
Remind yourself of this story when life’s events get on top of you - don’t lose sight of God: He has not lost sight of you.
Please read chapter 1 verses 1-2 of most of ‘the prophet books’ for next time.
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