Sin comes with a cost. Always. Even if we might not see it right away.
I think of the consequences of sin like the seasons when I eat too much and exercise too little. There are times when I eat well and exercise enough that I am in decent shape. But then, life gets busy and I get lazy and my eating and exercising slip. I don’t notice any difference the first day. Or even the first week. Or sometimes even the first month. But at some point, I look in the mirror and am not happy with what I see. I step on the scale to discover I have added 20 pounds back on. Those 20 pounds did not appear overnight. Rather, they are the cumulation of all the extra calories and skipped runs adding up. Each extra calorie mattered, even if I didn’t see how for some time.
In a similar, yet more important way, our sins have consequences. Sometimes those consequences are evident right away. At other times, like my lack of discipline, nothing is seen for quite some time and then one day they are readily apparent. This is what we see happening in the Bible story this week.
Solomon’s Sin
We begin this week by tracing the end of Solomon’s reign. Solomon started out well, but ended terribly. He married countless women and worshiped their idols. Because of his sin, God told him he would tear the kingdom from him, yet because of the promise He had made to David, God would not tear it entirely away.
Sometimes we want to parse personal and corporate sins. We tend to want to excuse “personal” sins a little more, believing they only impact ourselves. But that is not how God works, and it is not how life works. Here we see that Solomon’s “personal” sins bled over to how he ruled his people. There is no such thing as a “personal” sin, because God did not design us to live in a vacuum. All of our sin have the potential to impact others, directly or indirectly.
Rehoboam’s Folly
While it was Solomon’s sin that divided the kingdom, it was the folly of his son, Rehoboam, that set it in motion. After Solomon’s death, the people gathered before Rehoboam and asked him to ease up on them. Solomon had burdened them greatly to build the kingdom the way he desired. The people promised that if Rehoboam eased up, they would serve him gladly.
Rehoboam asked the elders what they thought of the people’s offer, and they encouraged him to do it. He had the opportunity to win the hearts of his people. But then the king asked his peers, and they took the opposite stance. If Rehoboam eased up on the people, he would appear to be soft and they might take advantage of him. Rather, the king had to set the tone right away and be even more strict than his father had ever been.
The king unwisely heeded the advice of his peers prompting the kingdom’s divide. In a corporate act of mutiny, most of the tribes severed from Rehoboam and the northern kingdom of Israel and southern kingdom of Judah were formed. There is a helpful take-away here. When it comes to seeking advice, we need to weigh carefully who is giving us that advice.
The Long-Term Consequences
Solomon’s sin did not just impact him and his son. It didn’t even just impact the next generation. Solomon’s sin rippled through generations. As we will see in the weeks ahead, both kingdoms were ruled mostly by sinful kings who drove God’s people further and further into idolatry and wickedness. Ultimately, both kingdoms would be conquered and hauled off into captivity. We have to wonder what would have happened had Solomon not sinned. What if the people had remained one? Might they have held fast to God? Might they have avoided the gross idolatry that plagued them?
It’s an interesting thought, no doubt, but we know that in the end, what happened was part of God’s perfect plan. From the divided kingdom and captivities would come a restored people, a picture of the gospel. While the people would struggle with a new vice—legalistic moralism—idolatry would pretty much be cast aside. God’s judgment was for the good of His people. Sin ripples through the generations; God’s mercy and grace echoes through eternity.
Preschool Tip: For preschoolers, be sure they understand this part of the big story of Scripture. The divided kingdom is, of course, a critical turning point in redemptive history, so be sure that your little ones grasp what happened on some level. If they miss it here, they will struggle to make sense of what happens after this.
Kids Tip: Once again, we see how no king was good enough for God’s people. Not Saul. Not David. Not Solomon. Not Rehoboam. And moving forward, with a couple of exceptions, they get worse and worse. Remind your kids of this truth and also try to guard time to talk about some of the practical implications of Solomon’s sin and Rehoboam’s folly. Help your kids see that their conduct impacts others.
-From Brian Dembowczyk at TGP website
#JesusJams for today!
CLICK HERE for this weeks story summary
Christ Connection: No king led God’s people perfectly. Solomon sinned, and Israel was divided between two kings. God’s people needed a perfect king. God would send His own Son, Jesus, to be King. Jesus is better than Solomon. Jesus is a perfect King who brings God’s people together.
If you have a bible at your house, turn to 1 Kings 11-12 If you don't have one, that's okay! CLICK HERE.
OPTION 1: Make “torn” art Tape a 4-by-6-inch piece of clear contact plastic for each preschooler sticky side up on a table. If you don't have that available consider using a self-laminating page that you can pick up from Walmart for just a few bucks. Invite preschoolers to tear pieces of tissue paper and lay them on the plastic. Seal finished art with another piece of clear contact plastic over the top. Help preschoolers cut small triangles out of one long side to create a crown shape. Print Jesus is the perfect King! on each preschooler’s artwork. Encourage preschoolers to tape their artwork in a window at home. Remind Kids • Your torn pieces of tissue paper came together into a beautiful crown! God divided Israel into two kingdoms because of Solomon’s sin. But one day, our perfect King Jesus will bring all of God’s people together again!
OPTION 2: Hidden Halves
Print the “Hidden Half ” printable. Cut out each picture and then cut each picture in half. Hide one half of each picture somewhere around the room. Then provide the kids with the halves you still have, and challenge them to find the missing halves to complete the pictures. You may provide tape to rejoin the pictures. Remind Kids •You found all the halves! In our story today, we will learn about when the kingdom of Israel split. It wasn’t exactly in half though. We’ll learn more soon.
OPTION 3: Divided Kingdom Craft
You will need 2 papers, one white and one yellow if available. 1 metal brad and some glitter or other decorations for the king's crown.
Print this DIVIDED KINGDOM printable
Print the second page on yellow paper if you have it!
Color the picture
Decorate or add glitter to the crown
Cut the crown in half
Use a metal brad at the bottom of the crown so it opens and closes.
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