Author: gregsloop

Asa reigned for forty-one years, and did right in the eyes of the Lord.  He destroyed idols, and cut down the Asherah image of his grandmother.  He did not remove the high places.  He brought the consecrated items into the house of the Lord.  He was at war with Israel all the days of his … Continue reading Asa Regins in Judah (1 Kings 15:9 – 24; 2 Chronicles 14:3 – 18:1)

Rehoboam was king of Judah at age 41.  Judah did evil under his reign.  They built high places, sacred pillars, wooden images.  In his fifth year, Shishak of Egypt came up to fight against Judah.  He took away their treasures and gold shields, so Rehoboam had bronze shields made in their place.  There was war … Continue reading Rehoboam and Abijam (1 Kings 14:21 – 15:8; 2 Chronicles 12:1 – 14:2)

Jeroboam's son, Abijah, became ill.  Jeroboam sent his wife to Ahijah the prophet to see if the child would live.  She disguised herself and went to Shiloh.  The Lord told Ahijah, who was nearly blind, that the woman was Jeroboam's wife.  He proceeded to tell what the Lord had said, that Jeroboam's house would be … Continue reading The Fall of Jeroboam (1 Kings 14:1 – 20; 2 Chronicles 11:5 – 23)

A prophet, a man of God, cried out to Jeroboam, declaring that Josiah would be born and that he would kill the priests of the high places on the altar.  The sign would be that the altar would split apart.  King Jeroboam instructed the guards to arrest the man of God, but when he pointed … Continue reading The Man of God (I Kings 13; 2 Chronicles 11:5 – 23))

Rehoboam was to become king over Israel.  Jeroboam heard of it and returned from Egypt.  He and the assembly of Israel came to Rehoboam asking him to relieve the yoke of burden his father imposed upon them.  He asked for three days to decide.  He consulted the elders who assisted his father, and they encouraged … Continue reading Revolt Against Rehoboam and Jeroboam’s Idolatry (1 Kings 12; 2 Chronicles 10:1 – 19, 11:1 – 4)

Jereboam, the son of Nebat, an Ephraimite, was the officer over all the labor force that built the Millo and repaired the damages to the City of David.  When Jereboam was leaving Jerusalem one day, the prophet Ahijah met him wearing a new garment.  They were alone in a field.  Ahijah tore the garment into … Continue reading Another Enemy and the End of Solomon’s Reign (1 Kings 11:26 – 43; 2 Chronicles 9:29 – 31)

Solomon began to have enemies that would rise up against him.  Hadad the Edomite was a descendant of a king in Edom.  David and Joab had gone to Edom and killed every male in the kingdom, but some of the king's servants had escaped to Egypt with Hadad when he was a young man.  He … Continue reading Solomon’s Adversaries (1 Kings 11:14 – 25)

Solomon's wealth was staggering.  He received 666 talents of gold every year in tribute from surrounding nations, plus more from merchants and more remote kings.  A talent was worth approximately 6000 days' wages which, in moderate terms, would be worth about $480,000 today.  Therefore, the tribute he received annually was in the neighborhood of 320 … Continue reading Solomon’s Wealth and His Apostacy (1 Kings 10:14 – 11:13; 2 Chronicles 9:13 – 28)