There are two stories going on in your life – the Upper Story and the Lower Story. We all live in and see life from the perspective of the lower story. No matter how hard we try, we can only see so far down the road because humanity’s viewpoint is linear, horizontal, limited. All our decisions require some sort of faith or trust in what we cannot control around the corner. The Upper Story is how the things look from God’s perspective. His viewpoint is panoramic, vertical, unlimited. Not only does he see around the next bend in the road, he sees it all from beginning to end. The goal is to align our Lower Story to God’s Upper Story because when we do, God promises it will be a good story.
SUMMARY
Solomon, whose name means peace, found peace slipping away during the final years of his reign. His son Rehoboam was to take his place as ruler over the 12 tribes of Israel. A large party of disgruntled leaders led by Jeroboam showed up at Rehoboam’s coronation ceremony requesting that he grant relief from the heavy burden of taxation and forced labor that Solomon had placed on them. Rehoboam rejected the counsel of the experienced elders and took the advice of his immature peers who theorized that bullying and intimidation were better leadership tactics than servanthood. Rehoboam promised even heavier taxation and more forced labor. With one decision, the nation divided and its fate was sealed.
Only Rehoboam’s tribe of Judah remained loyal to him. The other 10 tribes to the north seceded, took the name of Israel and made Jeroboam their king. Instead of appreciating the gracious gift of God, Jeroboam, like Aaron centuries before, set up idols of counterfeit worship, leading Israel into idolatry. God sent a prophet who warned of judgment for their idolatry and predicted that someday a king named Josiah, a descendant of David, would destroy their pagan worship sites (this was fulfilled 290 years later). As a sign to authenticate his message, the pagan altar split in two and Jeroboam’s outstretched hand turned leprous.
This did little to curb Jeroboam’s pagan practices. When his son became ill he sent his wife in disguise to the prophet Ahijah to inquire about their son’s fate. Though blind, Ahijah’s spiritual sight was 20-20. He not only saw through the charade, but gave Jeroboam’s wife a message of doom predicting that her husband’s dynasty would soon end and Israel would one day be carried away into captivity. The message of doom was to be authenticated with the death of their son as soon as her footsteps crossed the entrance to the palace. And so it came to pass.
God’s chosen people were now committing the same idolatrous and immoral practices that compelled God to purge the land of its Canaanite inhabitants in the first place. God’s righteousness and covenant loyalty moved Him to jealous anger. Rehoboam allowed Judah to fall into the same idolatry as the North. The golden years of peace faded further when God judged Judah by using Shishak, king of Egypt. He attacked Judah and carried off the all of the gold and silver treasures. Rehoboam replaced them with bronze, but the decline in moral and spiritual values was even sharper than the drop in value from gold to bronze.
The Lower Story is primarily a list of idolatrous kings who lead both Judah and Israel further and further away from God. Abijah son of Rehoboam became the next king of Judah. His tenure was short and sinful like his father’s. No good kings reigned in Israel after the split of the kingdom. Things went from bad to worse with the house of Omri. His evil son King Ahab and her royal wickedness Queen Jezebel drove Israel to new lows in idolatry.
But in the Upper Story, we see two things: First, those who reject the LORD will reap His grim judgment. But second, this judgment is always designed to redirect His people and produce repentance back toward the God who still relentlessly pursues His people, through prophets like Ahijah and kings like Asa who forged a path for people to find their way back to Him. The era of the kings, despite their terrible freedom, inaugurates a path to the King of Kings, who would redeem not just this era of division and strife, but every age from everlasting to everlasting.
QUESTIONS
- What’s the best advice you have received? What was the worst? Did you follow the advice?
- Have you had an occasion when someone asked you for counsel because they respected your integrity and truthfulness? If so, how do you handle that responsibility, knowing someone may follow the advice that you give? Who is it that you listen to when you need guidance?
- Jeroboam turned away from the LORD and caused Israel to sin in order to hold on to his position and power. Have you ever sinned against God in order to maintain a position, hold on to power, or boost your standing? What safeguard could you put in place to help you make God-honoring choices in the future that will impact other generations?
- The anger of the LORD is mentioned four times in this chapter. If someone asked you what makes God angry, what could you tell them? To which of the Ten Commandments was God’s anger related (p. 62)?
- What are a few of the ways that the national leaders of this chapter shaped the populace of their nations? Based upon what you have learned from this chapter, how might you pray differently for the leadership of our country?
- Under King Rehoboam, the people of Judah “engaged in all the detestable practices of the nations the LORD had driven out before the Israelites.” St. Augustine said that “Idolatry is worshiping anything that ought to be used, or using anything that is meant to be worshiped.” It’s easy to see the idolatry in our prevailing culture but is there also idolatry in the church today? If so, where and how does this impact your personal life?
- We know that God is jealous and He will not tolerate idolatry indefinitely. Eventually He will judge it. How can we personally keep ourselves from idols and be devoted to God (1 John 5:21)? What would you say to someone who believes that a God who renders judgment is not a God worth following?
- In the midst of these stories of conflict and idolatrous kings, God’s upper story still reveals that He relentlessly pursues his people. What area of division in your life has God redeemed/is redeeming for His glory? Who do you need to tell about God’s goodness to you?
TAKE-AWAY
For Israel and Judah, the divided kingdom showed divided hearts. And it’s a divided heart that still impacts us the most today. We want it all. We want to pursue the things of the world while pursuing the things of God. Make sure the trajectory of your life is one that is heading towards an intimate, personal and exclusive relationship with God alone.
PRAYER
Father, my heart is often drawn towards the things that are not from You, things that lead me away from an intimate relationship of a father with his child. Help me to break down and cast aside the idols that divide my affections and remove my attention from Your good plan. Strengthen me to follow you wholeheartedly and give me wisdom to live well in a world full of distractions, turmoil, and discord. Thank you for your constant love that seeks me out and for your renewing grace that restores my life. Amen.
