1 Kings 12: Internal Conflict
CIVIL WAR. AMERICAN minds turn to Yankee blue battling Confederate gray; brothers, cousins and neighbors pitted against each other; a wantonly destructive march to the sea—forever an embarrassment to both sides; a president on his knees, in tears. Three thousand years ago, Israel, too, suffered civil war with many of the same griefs. As in the U.S. Civil War, family members had to decide which side they were on. Geography wasn't always the most important factor, for this war was not only a war of politics. It was also, at least at the outset, a war of faith.
Warming Up to God
How do you respond to conflict within your church or fellowship group? How does that kind of conflict affect your faith?
Read 1 Kings 12. »
Discovering the Word
- What steps in verses 1-19 led to the division recorded in verse 20?
- At what points did reconciliation seem possible?
- What indications do you find that God had not abandoned his people during this time of conflict?
- What spiritual results for the people of Israel would you expect to grow out of Jeroboam's new places of worship (vv. 26-30)?
- What did Jeroboam do that was contrary to God's law (vv. 31-33)?
Applying the Word
- If you were a godly person living under Jeroboam's rule, what choices would you have to make?
- In what ways do your actions show a take-it-for-granted attitude toward your current opportunities to worship?
- What conflict are you currently facing, and how do you need God's help to resolve it?
Responding in Prayer
Praise God for the freedom you have to worship. Pray for those who don't have religious freedom.
For Further Study
Diverse Worship by Pedrito U. Maynard-Reid