Bible Study 7/8/25 | Helena Methodist Chu

Bible Study Notes 7/8/2025

(Much gratitude is given to Dr. Carol Kaminski for her Old Testament Survey course at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and the study materials that accompany and inform this teaching.)

Rebellion in the kingdom

The Northern kingdom begins in 930 BC when 10 tribes move to the northern region of I under the leadership of a military man named Jeroboam, whom O raises up to be King.

Jeroboam lived in Shechem and is concerned that the people will return to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices, so he makes two idols in the form of golden calves.

He presents them to I as the gods who brought them out of Egypt – one set in Dan and the other in Bethel, thus establishing places for idol worship in the northern kingdom.
Of course, this is a huge breach of the covenant relationship established at Sinai.
These calves will be worshipped for the next 200 years because every northern king continues in the sins of the Jeroboam until the kingdom finally comes to an end in 722 BC.
During this time, the northern kingdom also worshipped a Canaanite god named Baai.
The worst northern king is Ahab, who marries foreign princess Jezebel and builds a temple for Baai in the city of Samaria.

O sends the prophets Elijah and Elisha to Israel in the 9th C. BC and Hosea and Amos in the 8th C. BC.

These prophets are O’s messengers who speak to the kings and to I, calling them back to O’s laws and warning them of O’s judgment if they do not repent.
Hosea exposes I’s covenant unfaithfulness-worshipping foreign gods.
Amos denounces I’s lack of justice and mercy, seen in their attainment of wealth through the abuse of the poor and needy.

O also sends the prophet Jonah to the Assyrians at the Nineveh in the 8th C. BC.

The non-Israelites at Nineveh repent when they hear O’s word through Jonah, yet the I’s in the north do not give heed to the prophets Hosea and Amos, in spite of O’s repeated warnings.

The people continue to rebel against O’s law, worshipping idols and forsaking righteousness and justice.

O’s judgment finally comes in 922 BC when the Assyrian defeat the north, at which time many of O’s people are scattered…uprooted from their land…and the northern region is populated with foreigners.

This is the end of the northern kingdom!

Jeroboam I

Solomon dies – son, Rehoboam, becomes king.

Rehoboam listens to bad counsel and the kingdom divides.

10 tribes rebel against the house of David-Judah and move north under the leadership of a military man named Jeroboam.

Jeroboam becomes the northern kingdom’s 1st king.

Son of Nebat from the tribe of Ephraim…
One of Solomon’s servants.

Solomon puts him in charge of his labor force, which was engaged in the massive building program.

Jeroboam rebels against Solomon after he completed the fortifications in the city of David in Jerusalem.

As Jeroboam leaves the city, he is met by a prophet, Ahijah, who tears his cloak into 12 pieces.

He gives 10 pieces to Jeroboam, explaining that the kingdom will be torn away from Solomon, but 10 of the tribes will be given to him.
2 tribes remain in the south because of O’s promise to David.

Solomon learns of the prophecy and tries to kill Jeroboam, but J flees to Egypt and seeks protection under Pharaoh Shishak until the king dies.

Jeroboam becomes the north’s first king, and the prophet Ahijah announces O’s word to him.

O promises to build Jeroboam an enduring home, but only if he walks in O’s ways.
Jeroboam establishes idolatrous worship in the northern kingdom of Israel because he is concerned that the people will return to Rehoboam in the south, as those in the north travel to Jerusalem in the south to offer sacrifices at the temple.
He makes two golden calves calling them I’s gods and sets up places of worship at Dan and Bethel; builds an altar in each place then appoints non-Levi priests to officiate at the altars.
He then says to the I’s: read 1Kgs 12:28.
He also establishes festivals in the north like those celebrated in Jerusalem.

The law stated in no uncertain terms that the one who made an idol would be cursed by O, but Jeroboam’s idols will be worshipped for the next 200 years in the northern kingdom.

Thus, it is repeatedly said of each northern king that he did, “what was evil in the sight of the lord and walked in the way of Jeroboam and in his son, which made I to sin”.
So O brought judgment against the northern kingdom.

The 10 tribes in the north are no different than the I’s at Sinai: stubborn, stiff-necked people who quickly turned aside to make a golden calf and worship it — worshipping the created rather than the creator.

Because of O’s anger with Jeroboam and his idolatrous practices, he sends a prophet from Judah to Bethel to announce judgment against the altar Jeroboam built.

Sadly, the prophet himself disobeys O and dies on the journey home.
Also, the king does not turn from his evil ways, so O’s judgment will come by way of king Baasha.

But O sends the prophet Ahijah to Jeroboam, who tells the king that because he has provoked O to anger, judgment will surely come upon him.

This judgment entails being eaten by dogs and birds and is well-known at the time as being “curse” language.
This type of language is throughout the Old Testament.

The theological background for understanding the OT and O’s judgment against his people is the Mosaic covenant, so this underscores that O’s wrath against his people! It is not capricious or arbitrary but is consistent with the terms laid out in the covenant.

Consequently, Ahijah warns Jeroboam about the judgment that will come down upon him, informing him that O will raise up a king who will cut off the house of Jeroboam.

This will take place a few years later during the reign of king Baasha, who kills Jeroboam’s family until there is no person remaining.
Ahijah also tells Jeroboam that O will uproot Israel from the good land and scatter them into foreign lands because they have provoked him to anger through their idolatry.
The specific punishment of being “uprooted” and “scattered” recalls the curses of the mosaic covenant; it thus foreshadows the end of the northern kingdom in 722 BC — judgment is coming!

During Jeroboam’s reign there is a war between his kingdom and the southern kingdom, which is ruled by king Abijah in Jerusalem.

Jeroboam even takes his golden calves with him in battle. O gives Abijah victory over Jeroboam because the people in the south trust O.
Thousands in the north suffer death with the military defeat.
Jeroboam cannot recover after the battle and O finally strikes the king and he dies.

Nadab – Jeroboam’s son

Nadab takes the throne, does evil in O’s sight, and is killed by Baasha shortly after assuming the throne.

Baasha killed not only Nadab, but also all those in Jeroboam’s household so no one remains alive in that family.

This fulfills O’s word spoken to Jeroboam through the prophet Ahijah.
War broke out between Baasha and the southern king, Asa.