Pastor begins with a brief overview of Solomon’s divided kingdom. Judah was in the south with two tribes ruled by a descendant of David, Reheboam. Israel in the north with ten tribes was ruled by Jeroboam (1 Kings 11-14) 931-910 BC.  God had said that Jeroboam’s kingship would be blessed if he followed the Lord, but he chose the exact opposite path.

In today’s class we will look closely at three incidents with Jeroboam. In 1 Kings 12:31-33 we read some of the first things he did that were against God, everything Jeroboam did was counterfeit, just like what the enemy always tries to do – the enemy counterfeits what God desires.  We read; “Jeroboam built shrines on high places and appointed priests from all sorts of people, even though they were not Levites. He instituted a festival on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, like the festival held in Judah, and offered sacrifices on the altar. This he did in Bethel, sacrificing to the calves he had made. And at Bethel he also installed priests at the high places he had made. On the fifteenth day of the eighth month, a month of his own choosing, he offered sacrifices on the altar he had built at Bethel. So he instituted the festival for the Israelites and went up to the altar to make offerings.” 

Jeroboam puts forth a fake tabernacle celebration as he acts as both king and priest. So what happens when God sees this fake festival, one that He has not instituted and one in which King Jeroboam choose his own way of things instead of God’s.

Confrontation:
Next comes a confrontation (1 Kings 13:1-10). Jeroboam has gone against God’s plan. A man of God speaks to Jeroboam saying that the altar would split apart. And as Jeroboam says for the man to be arrested the altar splits and Jeroboam’s hand is shriveled up. The man of God prays for Jeroboam’s hand to be restored and it is healed. So the man of God is invited to Jeroboam’s house but the man of God does not go because it was not part of God’s plan.

Betrayal:
Next comes betrayal (1 Kings 13:11-32). An old prophet’s sons tell him what had happened during the story of confrontation. The old prophet lies to the man of God and the old prophet was able to convince the man of God to not do as the Lord had said. The man of God goes to the old prophet’s house – disobeying God’s plan and God speaks through the old prophet saying to the man of God, “You have defied the word of the Lord and have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you.” And then the old prophet sent the man of God on his way and down the road the man of God and his donkey are killed by a lion. 

God is communicating to the wayward people of Israel and specifically to Jeroboam that He is to be obeyed.

Jeroboam goes to see the dead man of God which was not eaten by the lion and Jeroboam has the man buried in his own grave because of the truth the man of God had spoken earlier in the day at the altar. 

What is the lesson in this story? God is doing this to encourage us to do ONLY what He says. 

And yet we read that Jeroboam did not change. 1 Kings 13:33-34 “Even after this, Jeroboam did not change his evil ways, but once more appointed priests for the high places from all sorts of people. Anyone who wanted to become a priest he consecrated for the high places. This was the sin of the house of Jeroboam that led to its downfall and to its destruction from the face of the earth.”  

Deception:
Lastly we see an act of deception (1 Kings 14:1-18). Abijah, Jeroboam’s son, becomes ill and Jeroboam has his wife disguise herself and go to Ahijah the prophet with 10 loaves of bread, 1 for each tribe Jeroboam has in his kingdom, so tells his wife to have the prophet tell her what will happen to their son Abijah. 

Ahijah the prophet knows who she is – her disguise did not work. He shares the words God gives him, telling of the evils of Jeroboam and that God says judgement will come. Ahijah tells her that her son Abijah will die on her way home and all of Israel mourned for their son.

Jeroboam reigned for 22 years and continued to be wayward from listening to God.  Such a sad story of Jeroboam but one that teaches us to follow God’s Word and to do what He says.

Now What? Learn about God at https://www.awakeusnow.com EVERYTHING we offer is FREE.

View live or on demand: https://www.awakeusnow.com/tuesday-bible-class

Join us Sundays 
https://www.awakeusnow.com/sunday-service

Watch via our app. Text HELLO to 888-364-4483 to download our app.

Check out this episode!

The Gospel of John Week 14
Scripture: John 10:1-28, Psalm 118.

In our text today, Jesus talks of being the Good Shepherd. He talks of His sheep. He talks of being the Gate. He tells us He knows His sheep and His sheep know Him. And He tells us that He brings life to His sheep.

Pastor Dodge shares a personal testimony and experience along with many personal photos expounding on what God taught him about the difference between sheep and goats.  Pastor shares how powerfully this revelation has impacted him personally, impacted his teaching on God as the Good Shepherd and given him insight into us as God’s sheep. 

As Jesus continues, He makes it known that salvation is through Him alone. We see His heart for His people to recognize Him as their Messiah.

Jesus doesn’t offer us a bunch of rules and regulations – what He offers us is Himself. What He offers us is real life. Life that matters, life that has purpose and significance and life that will never end! 

Compare what Jesus gives us to what the enemy brings.  The enemy comes only to steal, kill and destroy. But Jesus brings life, abundant life, life to the full!

Jesus wants us to experience the joy of knowing Him, of knowing the Father through Him, of knowing we will live forever.

As our Shepherd, even in the toughest of times our lives have meaning and purpose. He is there with us and He will use all things together for our good because He loves and cares for His sheep. Jesus knows us by name – We are precious to Him.

He is our Good Shepherd. 
We can trust Him.
We can rely upon Him.

Jesus tells the group He’s speaking to that He will lay down His life for his sheep. He says after He lays down His life, He will take it up again – death cannot hold Him, He will rise! He is speaking of all that is coming in the next months ahead.

We see many coming to faith in Jesus after hearing what He said about being the Good Shepherd – but there were many that hearing what He said wanted even more so to get rid of Him.

As the class draws to a close, Pastor shares the story of Hanukah – the Festival of Dedication – mentioned in John 10:22.

As we finish with today’s text, Jesus goes on to retell the people that His sheep hear His voice, they listen to Him, and He gives eternal life to them and no one will snatch them out of His hand. These are powerful and reassuring words for every believer.

Jesus IS the Good Shepherd.  Jesus is OUR Good Shepherd!

Our website – https://www.awakeusnow.com

Watch the video from our website! https://www.awakeusnow.com/2-year-study-of-the-gospels-upper

Watch the video from our YouTube Channel!! https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTaaqrC3dMOzMkhPyiNWwlJRpV6Bwpu01

    ⁃    The Gospel of John study is part five of five of our Two Year Study of the Gospels. 
    ⁃    The Gospel of John may be one of the most powerful books ever written. Many people have come to faith after reading only this book of the Bible.  Scholarly and archeological discoveries in recent decades give us new insight on details in the Gospel of John. We can now understand it as the most Jewish rather than the most “Gentile/Greek” of the Gospels, and when we do that we see many things that we missed before.

Our 2 year study of the gospels is great for large group, small group or home group study and can be started at any time!

Check out this episode!