Tips for Teaching This Week’s Session of The Gospel Project for Adults

Listen to this week’s leader training podcast with Y Bonesteele, team leader for The Gospel Project for Adults, for a summary and guidance in leading your group.

This week’s additional resources for study and preparation:

• Article: “Ask Someone Older Than You” by Marshall Segal
• Sermon: “Torn in Two by the Lord” by Austin Walker
• Sermon: “1 Kings 11:22-12:33” by Gary Hamrick

Transcript of Leader Training Podcast:

Hi, this is Y Bonesteele, team leader of The Gospel Project for Adults. Welcome to another Leader Training podcast. And welcome to a new volume, Division and Defiance. Today we are in Unit 13, Session 1, A Divided Kingdom, with the core passage of 1 Kings 12:1-8 and 10-17; and with the key concept of Division occurs when wisdom is ignored. Let’s dive in.

We’ve been studying about Solomon and his wisdom; but even though you have wisdom doesn’t mean that you’re going to use that wisdom. Solomon didn’t always make the wisest decisions about the women he married and ended up worshiping the foreign gods of those foreign women, even building worship places for those foreign gods (as seen in 1 Kings 11:4-8. So God was angered and told him He would take away the kingdom from him, but not from him but his son, and not completely just a portion, as seen in 1 Kings 11:11-13.

So Solomon’s son, Rehoboam, was to inherit the kingship after his father. But he had to decide of what kind of king he was going to be. And at his coronation so to speak, he went to Shechem as all Israel had gathered there.  Now the people brought Jeroboam there and a little bit about him: he was one of Solomon’s officials, capable and able, in charge of the forced labor for Solomon. And one day, Ahijah the prophet told him the kingdom would be torn into 12 pieces, and he would get 10 of them. Ahijah did this through an object lesson of tearing his own robe and giving Jeroboam 10 pieces. This is all in 1 Kings 11:26-29. And the Lord gave Jeroboam the same conditions He gave to His other kings, “if you obey all I command you, walk in my ways, and do what is right in my sight in order to keep my statutes and my commands as my servant David did, I will be with you. I will build you a lasting dynasty” in verse 38. But like all the kings before him, he had the choice to choose to live obediently or not, and God would discern accordingly.  But because he rebelled against Solomon, Solomon tried to kill him, and he fled to Egypt.

But in our passage today, he was summoned by Israel to come to Rehoboam’s coronation after being in Egypt. The people probably thought he could advocate for them, for better reforms. Gathered, they ask Rehoboam to lighten their load from Solomon’s reign. Rehoboam needed time to think so he told them to come back in three days. During that time, he consulted his elders who served under Solomon, and they wisely told him to be a servant to the people, to speak kind words, and as a result, they would be his servants. But in verse 8, we see that he chose poorly, ignoring the wisdom of the elders. And instead, he consulted with his peers. Bad move.

How can believers faithfully fulfill their responsibilities to lead and to serve? Humility and servanthood goes a long way as leaders. Over and over, and in the example of Jesus Himself, we see the need to lead sacrificially, to lead with people’s needs in mind, to lead guided by the Spirit. If you accomplish much but lose your soul in leadership, God doesn’t find that successful leading at all. Our culture will tell us one thing about leadership and God will tell us another. In His upside-down kingdom, the first will be last and the last will be first. That’s not just a pithy statement. It’s truth.

Why is listening to wisdom and experience so important? Well, let my specify that question even more to godly wisdom and experience as there may be worldly wisdom and experience out there too. But listening to godly wisdom and experience is so important because there are people who have weathered the storms, who have learned from good and bad choices, and can counsel those younger in years or experience to go the right route, to follow the Spirit’s leading, to serve others, to lead kindly. Listening to those seasoned souls can help many of us make good decisions and stray from dangerous ones.

The Theology Connection is on Christians and the Social Order because Rehoboam had an opportunity to govern with righteousness and justice, to look after the overlooked and downtrodden. All of us today also have that same command, to provide for the orphan and widows, needy and helpless, caring for people in humility.

So in verse 10, we see Rehoboam asking his peers for what he should do. And they gave the opposite response from the elders: give the people harsh words and harder work and a greater burden to carry, they said.

And verse 15 can be jarring when we read that “this turn of events came from the Lord to carry out his word.” Did God cause this whole situation? Yes and no. God is sovereign over all, but we still have free will. But God is beyond time so knows all things at all times. His judgment against Solomon and prophesy for Jeroboam was fulfilled through Rehoboam’s foolish actions.

Rehoboam could have used more kind words as a servant leader, but he chose to be a harsh leader, one that would rule with a hammer, or rather “barbed whip.”  So God would tear down the nation. So Israel returned to their tents and Rehoboam only “reigned over the Israelites living in the cities of Judah” in verse 17.

What are some ways you need to humble yourself to bring peace instead of division? Sometimes we live too comfortably and we don’t live going out of our way for others. But maybe God is asking you to go or go serve where you’re not comfortable. Maybe it’s a ministry in your church, or maybe it’s a nonprofit in your community. Maybe it’s in a neighborhood you wouldn’t normally go to, or a country that sounds too foreign. Humbling ourselves to bring peace means putting others first—people who need help, people who can’t help themselves, people who don’t know God. Kind words go a long way.

Verses beyond this passage, show that Rehoboam tried to send Adoram to force labor on the other tribes, but they stoned him. So Rehoboam went back to Jerusalem and only the tribe of Judah and Benjamin followed him, fulfilling the prophesy of Ahijah. And they were going to fight against the house of Israel in the north, all the other tribes, but God stopped them seen in 1 Kings 12:20-24.

But we see here, in the Christ Connection, that because of God’s promise to David, Judah remained under Rehoboam, David’s grandson. The nation would continue with the line of David’s descendants that would eventually lead to the promised King and Savior, Jesus, the King of Kings.

Onto the Group Experience, start with the Icebreaker activity asking about directions. Then move to the Context, explaining the succession from David to Solomon to Rehoboam. Make sure you explain Jeroboam’s role and why God sent Ahijah and the message he prophesied. Display Pack Item 2: The Kings if you have the space for the whole quarter so the group can see the reigns of the different kings from both kingdoms.

Continue with the Recap starting with asking, “Did the nation gather to ask Rehoboam to divide them into two kingdoms?” Of course, the answer is no. “What did the people want their new king to do?” Treat them better than Solomon, not make their burden heavy. Then continue with your recap highlighting the main progression of the passage.

Transition to the Group Activity, drawing the chart Favoring Our Own Beliefs on the board. Have someone read 1 Kings 12:1-7. Form 3 smaller groups and assign each group a line. Note that what you’re about to discuss is conjecture as the Bible doesn’t directly talk about these people’s inner thoughts or motivations. But this is an exercise just to stimulate us to think about our own lives. Ask, “What biases may the person or group have had? Do you think they were aware of their biases? What factors may have led the person/group to develop the biases that came to guide the way they perceived things in their lives? For example, for Rehoboam, his bias may have been for himself, anything that served him and kept him as king or looking like a king. He was probably aware of his bias of self-preservation. His upbringing in the palace, his respect of his own dad, his love of luxury are possible factors that led him to think the way he did. For Rehoboam’s friends, his peers, they also probably had similar biases. They had a bent toward luxury and the good life which means those without, the rest of the people, should be the laborers not them. They possibly were afraid of losing that luxurious life so advised Rehoboam in the way that they did. For the people of Israel, they were dealt harshly. They just wanted some rest and peace. They were probably tired of taken advantage of, so they asked nicely but didn’t get the result they wanted. So they rebelled against Rehoboam. They all were probably aware of their bents, maybe subconsciously. Now, your group may have a variety of answers here.

Now add the Elders to the bottom of the list. And go over the same questions. Answers are on the bottom of page 27 of the Leader Guide. Go through additional questions at the top of page 28: In whose interests were the various characters acting? Since Rehoboam did not choose the wisdom of the elders, everyone suffered. Division occurs when wisdom is ignored from the Key Concept. It was true for Israel and it’s true for us today.

Display Pack Item 3: The Divided Kingdom to show the division between Isreal and Judah and Rehoboam’s diminished kingdom.

How have you seen unity or division result from following someone’s advice? A historical example might be the Civil Rights March led by Martin Luther King, following the wise advice of peaceful protest brings unity. Maybe also a more common example of divorce, division happens when wisdom is not followed there. Church division can also happen when wisdom is ignored.

As an adult, whose advice are you listening to and how do you assess if it is wise or foolish advice? Maybe people look at youtube for handyman or hobby advice, or even ask AI for advice. But for all these things, hopefully, you know that person as an expert or have done research among other experts to get the wise info you need. Regarding spiritual advice, hopefully your group is basing the advice they get from sound interpretation of Scripture.

Pass out Pack Item 4: Seeing Jesus in the Divided Kingdom as a handout for your group to keep throughout the quarter to see Jesus connections throughout the volume. Rehoboam foolishly ignored wisdom leading to division. But God in His grace, spared him and allowed him a remnant because of His promise to David. For through his line, Jesus would come and unify His people under His salvific work, following the wisdom and will of His Father.

Continue on to the Head Heart Hands section, focusing on the Heart question if time is limited. How can you develop compassion for others to serve them like Jesus would (and unlike Rehoboam)? First, praying for a heart for all people. Also confessing any hatred or apathy toward any other group of people, whether related to class, or politics, religion, or culture. Then asking God to mold your heart towards one of compassion. Then taking steps to be in the shoes of others you normally don’t associate with. Ask questions. Be curious. Learn to love and care for others. Those are first steps.

Continue through Next Steps as options for further study or application for those wanting more. End with prayer requests and praises and if time permits, pray through Psalm 72:1-4, thanking God for godly leaders and asking Him to give wisdom to those over His people.

Hey thanks again for joining me on another Leader Training podcast. Write me at [email protected] and hope you have a great group time!