The Montgomery tribune., 1910-12-30
THE KINGDOM
DIVIDED
Sunday School Lesson for Jan. I, 1911
Specially Arranged for This Paper


with wise men she'll be wise: but a COM
panion OF fools shall be Destroyed
Prov. 1920.
T1ME-The time OF solomon's death
and the division of the Kingdom. b. c.
Ss2.
PLACE-Rehoboam's capital was at
Jerusalem. The Disruption occurred at
shechem. which was the first capital OF
the northern Kingdom. ana the metropolis
Of Ephraim. 1t was 30 miles directly north
Of Jerusalem, between Mounts Ebal and
Gerizim. Here were located incidents In
the lives Of Abraham. Jacob, Joseph, and
Joshua. Close by, doubtless as a part Of
the larger town. were Jacobs well and
Sychar where Jesus talked with the Sa-
maritan woman. And there IL now the
seWt of the Samaritans, the smallest re-
ligious sect in the world.
This lesson covers the story of Re-
hoboam, and how he lost a kingdom.
1t Is the story Of reckless, untrain-
ed. conceited young man, and his COM
ing into the real business Of his life.
He was the heir to throne, and his
name means "Enlarger of the people,"
expressing the hope of his father for
his son. The son disappointed these
hopes, and became the "Diminisher of
his people" Alas for such boys to,
| day!
His father was Solomon. His moth
er Naamah, a young heathen princess
Of the kingdom of Ammon on the Dor.
der of the desert east Of the Jordan.
She was one Of many wives OF SOLO
mon.
Rehoboam seems to have been the
natural heir to the throne. Judah ac-
cepted him. But as in the case of
Saul, David and Solomon, at least in
Jerusalem, the people had voice in
the selection Of their king. Accord
ingly the tribes were summoned to
meet at the old northern capital, She
chem, to confirm the successor of Sol
omon. The northern tribes were de-
termined to obtain a charter Of rights
that would relieve them from their
burdens, as the price of their submis-
sion. For Solomon had forced them
to give their unpaid labor upon his
great buildings, and these free and
independent Ephraimites were re-
minded Of their ancestors slavery in
Egypt. They were shrewd enough to
send for their brilliant sympathizer,
Jeroboam, whom Solomon had BAN
ished to Egypt. They were ready to
enforce their just demands.
Rehoboam, apparently attended by
small force goes to confer with
them. Jeroboam Is their spokesman.
Rehoboam answered the people
roughly. One of the most foolish
things he could do. Rough words do
one Of two things. they wound or they
madden"
And Israel saw that the king heark-
ened not. Josephus says that they
were struck by his words as by an
iron rod" What portion have we
in David? What have We Of the north
ern tribes to do with David's son, Re-
hoboam, or David's tribe, Judah? To
your tents, o Israel. Back to your
homes and prepare for war.
Every young man has kingdom in
his own soul. He may throw it away
half of it or all of 1t, in the same
way Rehoboam did, foolishly follow.
Ing his headstrong will. Or, he may
take the advice Of wise men and the
Bible. and become monarch of all
the royal possibilities God has placed
in his life.
Ones character, already formed
Is powerful factor in all emergen
cies of choice and decision. There IL
no time to prepare new character
Rehoboam had formed the habit oi
taking bad advice when It fitted his
inclination, and so he took 1t at his
life's crisis.
On his return to Jerusalem Reho
boam assembled an army Of 10000
men to compel the seeding tribes te
return. But a prophet forbade the
movement in the name of the Lord
Rehoboam's goodness was but the
early cloud and the morning dew. Al
soon as he was firmly established, hi
, returned to his old ways, and "forsool
, the law Of the Lord" The deteriora
ton of his character and his king
dom was symbolized by the chang'
from the shields Of gold which Solo
mon had made for his palace armory
but which Shishak took away, ant
, which Rehoboam replaced by shield
; of brass.
. This deterioration continued tw,
. years, when God used another instru
, mentality for making Reboboan
good. In his nth year shishak, tn
Pharaoh of Egypt, came up witt
! 1900 chariots. 10000 horsemen, an
. an uncouuted number of common sol
diers. ThU captured the city O
4 Judah, devastated the country, an
' carried away the treasures Solomo
had stored In the temple and in hi
!, palace. and the golden shields in hi
Q armory. Shishak left an inscriptio
. on the walls Of Karnak in Egypt 81,
J. ing an account Of this invasion TIL
r prophet Shemaiah interpreted tn
I. meaning of this calamity; and kin
{ and princes humbled themselves. col
. fessed their sins, and promised to
n better.
, The ord therefore delivered then