.
made the people pay heavy taxes and forced them to work long hours on his many projects
His heart was slowly turned away from God.
He gradually forgot the covenant & followed the ways of many false gods.
He even built altars, burned incense, and offered sacrifices to these false gods..
the power of a prophet comes from the one true God
Prophets (power)
Jeroboam was also appointing false priests
He doesn’t listen to the prophets’ warnings from God
He isn’t keeping the commandments or worshiping God with his whole heart
He led Israel to forget their covenant with God
Jeroboam continues to mess up
Their words and actions show that God is loving and faithful to his people, even when they are not faithful to him.
What do we learn from the prophets
King
Began a period of power & prosperity for the Israelites
Jehoash
The name Elijah means "Yahweh is my God."
Elijah's message called the people to faith in the one true God.
Elijah
These two prophets spoke God's words to many and urged the people to live in justice and faithfulness.
deeds of Elijah and Elisha are recorded in the First and Second Book of Kings.
Elijah and Elisha
Anointed by Elijah
had the spirit of God upon him
Elisha
giving worship to a creature or thing instead of to God.
Idolatry is forbidden by the First Commandment.
idolatry
Under his rule Israel regained lost land in the north and established peace with the southern kingdom of Judah.
Jeroboam II's reign was another "golden age.
Jeroboam II
God gives us the freedom to choose to love
our choices sometimes may lead us to live in ways that are not good for us.
Free Will
- he didn’t want people worshipping in Judah
- he set up places for his people to worship & provided each place with an altar and a great golden bull.
- people worshiped the bulls as gods
- Jeroboam had led the people into idolatry
Jeroboam messes up
One of the worst northern kings
Married Jezebel & began worshiping Baal
also used false priests and prophets as advisors.
Ahab
Because he had chosen to worship false gods and failed to keep the covenant
God said he would deprive Solomon’s son, Rehoboam, the right to rule because he had a soft spot for David
Solomon loses the right to rule
Some Israelites were wealthy, Most Israelites lived a hard life, and the government did little or nothing to make life easier.
Problems in Israel
Solomon’s son
Gave the people even heavier burdens, so the 10 northern kingdoms refused to accept him as king
This split Solomon’s empire in 2
Rehoboam
allowed the people to turn away from their covenant promise
Rehoboam continues to mess up
Jezebel did her best to get people to worship Baal & other gods
Ahab allowed Jezebel to kill hundreds of people who believed in the one true God.
Jezebel & Ahab
After Ahab’s death in battle, his sons took over & tried to turn the people back to God
Their mother, Jezebel, had too much power & influence, so they weren’t successful
Jezebel continues to do harm
real meaning the covenant was forgotten.
Many people no longer fulfilled their promises to God.
the faith of the Israelite people was almost completely lost.
Religious problems
the ten northern tribes, with Jeroboam as king. was known as Israel.
the two southern tribes, with Rehoboam as king, was known as Judah.
Israel & Judah
calls us to love and honor God above all else
The commandment also calls us to place our hope and trust in God. Even if we forget God's love and care for us.
The First Commandment
Sent by God to guide the people in his ways.
told the people to stop and think about the way they were living.
They called the people to be faithful to God just as God was faithful to them.
Prophets
a general
Killed Jezebel and most of Ahab's family
destroyed the places where false gods were worshiped, killed the false priests and officials, and established himself as king
He freed the northern kingdom from the worship pf false gods
Jehu
Is a gift from God
Faith