Institute
Lesson 32: 1 Kings 12–16

“Lesson 32: 1 Kings 12–16,” Old Testament Instructor’s Guide, Religion 301–2 (1994), 63–64

“1 Kings 12–16,” Old Testament Instructor’s Guide, 63–64

32

1 Kings 12–16

Scripture Content Outline

Supplementary Study Sources

  1. 1 Kings 12:1–24. The Ten Tribes Revolted against Rehoboam

    1. The ten tribes with Jeroboam as spokesman asked Rehoboam to lighten their yoke of service to the king (see 1 Kings 12:1–5).

    2. Rehoboam rejected the counsel of his old advisers and followed the counsel of his young advisers to increase Israel’s burdens (see 1 Kings 12:6–15).

    3. The ten tribes rebelled against Rehoboam and separated themselves under Jeroboam’s rule (see 1 Kings 12:16–20).

    4. Rehoboam was dissuaded by a prophet of God from waging war to reclaim the kingdom (see 1 Kings 12:21–24).

Religion 302 student manual, 4-1 through 4-11; 4-46 through 4-47.

Alma 37:37. What did the prophet Alma advise his son Helaman about counsel? How might Rehoboam have made a better choice? (see also Jacob 4:10).

TPJS, p. 299. What is one good way to help solve important problems? Where did Rehoboam err?

DBY, p. 219. If counsel meets with opposition, as in the case of Rehoboam, what possibilities exist? What should the king have done?

  1. 1 Kings 12:25–14:20. Jeroboam Led His People Away from the Lord

    1. Jeroboam established the headquarters of the Northern Kingdom in Samaria and erected two golden calves for worship to prevent his people from defecting to Rehoboam (see 1 Kings 12:25–30).

    2. Jeroboam appointed priests who were not Levites and established a feast like the feast of Tabernacles (see 1 Kings 12:31–33).

    3. A young prophet from Judah cursed the altar built by Jeroboam; he smote and then healed the king (see 1 Kings 13:1–6; 2 Kings 23:15–20).

    4. The young prophet was cursed for disobeying instructions from the Lord (see 1 Kings 13:7–22; JST, 1 Kings 13:18).

    5. The young man of God was killed by a lion and then buried by an old prophet (see 1 Kings 13:23–32).

    6. Jeroboam sent his wife in disguise to Ahijah, who foretold the death of Jeroboam’s child, the ruin of his house, and the scattering of Israel (see 1 Kings 13:33–14:20; JST, 1 Kings 14:8).

Religion 302 student manual, 4-12 through 4-24.

Religion 301–2 instructor’s guide, Appendix A, 31–32.

2 Chronicles 11:13–17. Why did the Levites flee from the kingdom of Jeroboam and return to the kingdom of Rehoboam in Judah?

Proverbs 29:2. Unrighteous leaders cause sorrow for their people.

Mosiah 29:16–17. Wicked kings can cause great iniquity.

DS, 1:285–86. How may individuals avoid being deceived?

TPJS, p. 332. God’s laws must be kept precisely in the way that he commands.

  1. 1 Kings 14:21–16:34. With Few Exceptions, the Kings of Israel and Judah Were Unrighteous Men

    1. Because of Judah’s unrighteousness, the Lord allowed Shishak, king of Egypt, to conquer them (see 1 Kings 14:21–31; 2 Chronicles 12:1–12).

    2. Abijam, son of Rehoboam, followed in his father’s evil ways (see 1 Kings 15:1–8; JST, 1 Kings 15:3).

    3. Asa ruled Judah in righteousness, but he lacked faith in God in his later years (see 1 Kings 15:9–24; 2 Chronicles 14:1–16:14).

    4. Nadab, Baasha, Elah, and Zimri unrighteously reigned over Israel (see 1 Kings 15:25–16:20).

    5. Both Omri and his son Ahab provoked the Lord by sin more than had all the kings of Israel before them (see 1 Kings 16:21–34).

Religion 302 student manual, 4-25 through 4-45; 4-48.

Religion 301–2 instructor’s guide, Appendix A, 33–43.

Leviticus 18:22; Deuteronomy 23:17. Sodomy, a sin practiced in Judah and Israel, was vigorously condemned by the Lord.

2 Chronicles 16:12. How did Asa show lack of faith in God?

Exodus 20:5–6. What does the Lord say about the iniquity of parents?

DBY, pp. 196–97. What was one of the very first evils of ancient Israel that King Ahab himself perpetuated?

Some Suggestions for Presentation

You are not expected to teach everything in the scripture content outline. Select those concepts that you feel will be the most helpful to your students.

History Demonstrates the Folly of Kingly Rule (Sections A–C)

Ask students to recall Samuel’s warnings to Israel against having a king rule them. List on the chalkboard as many evils as the students can remember that Samuel prophesied. Check the students’ answers by referring to 1 Samuel 8:10–18. Note that nearly everything the prophet had predicted came to pass after just three kings: Saul, David, and Solomon.

Read Mosiah 29:21–23. Briefly discuss why one major problem with an iniquitous king is that it is difficult to get rid of him. Ask students why they think Rehoboam followed the counsel of the young men rather than that of the older, wiser, more experienced men? Why do the young sometimes refuse to listen to those who are older? Refer the students to Doctrine and Covenants 121:39 and ask them to state how this scripture may be applied to the situation Rehoboam and Jeroboam were in.

Why didn’t Jeroboam seek to restore Israel’s unity when Rehoboam decided to listen to the counsel of a living prophet and not to make war? (see 1 Kings 12:21–33). Point out that Jeroboam obviously liked being king. His bad example influenced his sons, grandsons, and subjects and led them into sin. Jeroboam established a political religion in which the preservation of the state became more important than the spiritual welfare of the people. Thus the true God was evicted from Israel’s moral life. The result was inevitably further disunity through moral decay.

Use the following questions to lead into a discussion:

  1. Why is the advice in Jacob 4:10 good advice?

  2. Why are men often reluctant to follow the counsel of the Lord?

  3. Why is it usually wise to seek both human and divine counsel before deciding on a course of action? Why is this procedure particularly advisable when many people are concerned?

  4. Could this reason be why Samuel and Mosiah advised against having a king? Should those who are affected by decisions have some influence on those decisions? (see Mosiah 29:25–34).

A Comparison between Divided Israel and Divided America (Sections A–C)

The United States of America had been a united nation for less than a century when civil war divided the country. During that time President Abraham Lincoln appealed to the nation to return to God:

“It is the duty of nations as well as of men to own their dependence upon the overruling power of God, to confess their sins and transgressions in humble sorrow, … and to recognize the sublime truth, announced in the Holy Scriptures and proven by all history, that those nations only are blessed whose God is the Lord;

“… We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of Heaven; … But we have forgotten God … and we have vainly imagined, … that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own …

“It behooves us, then, to humble ourselves before the offended Power.” (“A Proclamation by the President of the United States of America,” cited in Richardson, Messages and Papers of the Presidents [Washington, D.C.: United States Congress, 1897], pp. 164–65.)

This message could apply in principle to any nation. Discuss the effect that turning from the Lord has on a nation. Use examples from 2 Chronicles 12–16 to show that the Lord will support those who follow him and will not support those who reject him.

The Kings of Israel and Judah (Sections A–C)

Transparencies 23 and 24 show the kings of Israel and Judah from the division until the captivity of each nation. Use the transparencies to show the lack of righteous kings in both nations. They illustrate why Israel, the Northern Kingdom, went into captivity first, followed by Judah a century later. Appendix B correlates the scripture passages about the kings. The chronology chart in the student manual could be used to show the students the relationship between the reigns of the kings and the ministries of the prophets.