Frequently Asked Questions About the Old Testament
Session 16 – 1 Kings 12—22
What was the heavy yoke Solomon had imposed on the people (12:4)?
Solomon had enslaved foreigners (9:15) and Israelites to work one month out of every three (5:13—15). He also divided the kingdom into twelve districts, each responsible for providing one month of supplies for the king and his extravagant royal household (4:7,22—23,27—28). This policy had led to discontent and isolated many of the tribes who had only recently begun to see themselves as a nation rather than twelve loosely connected tribes. Solomon’s policies, sustained and intensified by Rehoboam, led to a division of the nation into two countries — Israel to the north and Judah to the south.
–Don Porter
Did God cause Rehoboam to reject the people’s request (12:15)?
Yes and no. On the one hand, Rehoboam made his decision and had to live with the consequences. On the other hand, God worked in and through the circumstances that led to Rehoboam’s decision. In this sense “this turn of events was from the Lord.” On the one hand human beings are given the choice to follow God or not. If we choose wrongly, we might face disaster. On the other hand, God ultimately controls all of human history. He is always working out the purposes of his own will. Rehoboam’s bad decision brought about the rebellion, but God used his choice to punish Solomon’s court for its idolatry.
–The Quest Study Bible
What are the specific sins mentioned in the phrase “And this thing became sin” (12:30)?
Jeroboam’s royal policy promoted violation of the second commandment (Exodus 20:4—6). It inevitably led to Israel’s violation of the first commandment also (Exodus 20:3) and opened the door for the entrance of fully pagan practices into Israel’s religious rites (especially in the time of Ahab). Jeroboam foolishly abandoned religious principle for political expediency and in so doing forfeited the promise given him by the prophet Ahijah (see 11:38).
–NIV Bible Study Notes
Why would God kill the man of God for trusting a lying prophet (13:18)?
The prophet from Judah was too easily convinced by the old man’s deception. Perhaps a fundamental flaw in his character can herein be detected: his carrying out of God’s charge may have been sheerly from command, not conviction. At any rate, he went with the prophet of Bethel. While they were dining, the word of the Lord truly did come to the old prophet. Because the man of God had disobeyed the full counsel of God, he would not be buried in the tomb of his father; this meant that he would meet a violent death along the way home.
–NIV Bible Commentary
With judgment promised against false priests, why would anyone want to be a false priest (13:33)?
Jeroboam’s priests were politically and perhaps financially motivated. Accepting such an office would require skepticism, if not complete disbelief, that God would speak through a prophet. These priests were, therefore, unafraid of the prophet’s prediction of doom. We need to take God seriously, seeking to be faithful to all He has called us to do.
–The Quest Study Bible
What happened to the immediate judgment–““even now” (14:14)?
Why did Jeroboam die in a ripe old age and his son succeed him, apparently contradicting Ahijah’s warning? Ahijah pronounced God’s judgment as effective without delay, but not all judgment falls with suddenness. For Jeroboam, the immediate future included the death of a son. The long-range future included the sure prospect that all his efforts would lead to disaster and shame. It was a sentence of lifetime frustration and failure, and it must have been like a dark cloud over Jeroboam’s head, every day of his life.
–The Quest Study Bible
After David’s sin with Bathsheba (and “murder” of Uriah), how can David be declared as “fully devoted to God (15:3)?”
Although David fell into sin (the seriousness of his sin is never diminished by Scripture as noted in 15:5), his heart was never divided between serving the Lord and serving the nature deities of the Canaanites. When confronted by Nathan, David confessed his sin and repented. He also received the discipline of the Lord. David sinned, but continued to be open to the Lord and was devoted to Him. In contrast, King Abijah’s heart belonged to the false gods of his day. All of us will sin, but will we still seek to be fully devoted to the Lord?
– Don Porter
Why would God punish the entire family of Jeroboam for his sins (15:29—30)?
Sin is always judged harshly, but the worst sinners are those who lead others into doing wrong. Jesus said it would be better if such people had millstones tied around their necks and were thrown into the sea (Mark 9:42). If you have taken the responsibility for leading others, remember the consequences of leading them astray. Teaching the truth is a responsibility that goes with the privilege of leadership.
–NIV Application Bible
With so many people suffering, why did God choose to heal so few (1 Kings 17:17—24)?
Interestingly, Jesus comments on this issue briefly by referring to this story. Although he doesn’t give a complete answer, in Luke 4:24—30 he points out that God’s blessings sometimes come to “outsiders” (non-Jews) who on the surface don’t seem to deserve it. And “insiders” are sometimes overlooked. We are called to be people of faith–not relying on some kind of special “status” or deserting God when things don’t go our way. When we ask for a miracle and it happens, we can rejoice. But in those times when it doesn’t –and in the Bible (and our life) those times are many–God is still God, and he is good. We live in a fallen world, subject to the brokenness that won’t be eradicated until Jesus returns. God sometimes acts in surprisingly wonderful ways. Sometimes, he does not. Our job (according to Jesus’ interpretation of this story) is to be receptive to him when he comes, and persevere in trust when he doesn’t .
–Don Porter
Who were the prophets killed by Jezebel (18:4,13)?
These prophets represented true worship in Israel. Jezebel’s actions are not explained, so we can only infer that the prophets posed a threat to her power–or to her conscience. Perhaps Jezebel was a bit unnerved to see the weaker Ahab vacillating again toward his old religious roots and away from her Baal worship.
–The Quest Study Bible
How could Elijah outrun a chariot (18:46)?
Could Ahab take his chariot full-tilt down a mountain for 20 miles? Was the roadway to Jezreel crowded with other vehicles and pedestrians? Was Ahab dazed over the events that just transpired? Would Ahab have purposely kept his chariot behind the running prophet, in holy awe? However it happened, Elijah’s run to Jezreel was empowered by God, and symbolized the superiority of the Lord above all other contenders.
–The Quest Study Bible
Was Elijah’s prediction of the dogs’ licking up Ahab’s blood at Jezreel really fulfilled by the Pool of Samaria (1 Kings 21:19 and 1 Kings 22:37—38)?
The licking up of Ahab’s blood by dogs is certainly confirmed by the narration of 1 Kings 22:37—38. But what about the detail, “in this place where the dogs licked up the blood of Naboth” (21:19)? Not all pools connected with ancient Near Eastern cities bore the name of the city itself, particularly if there was an older pool already in existence. In Jerusalem, for example there were the Pool of Siloam, the Pool of Bethesda (Beth-zatha), the King’s Pool, and the Pool of Shelah. Since the “Pool of Samaria” here mentioned was one at which the city’s prostitutes normally bathed (1 Kings 22:38), it was probably not the only pool in use, but only a later pool, constructed by the landscapers connected with the summer palace. It is therefore reasonable to infer that there was another pool known as the Pool of Jezreel, intended for the general public of Jezreel itself. Hence Ahab’s palace pool, if such there was, would have to have borne some other name. What, then, would have been more appropriate than the name of the national capital, where Ahab resided in his ivory-inlaid palace for the greater part of the year?
–Dictionary of Bible Difficulties
