In a previous edition of Thrive we read through the lives of David and Solomon and we saw the demise of Solomon as he gave way to his personal ambitions. Here now we see the effect of this in the next generation. Solomon had worked his people hard to keep the machine of his grandiose empire going. Now we see the situation burst and a revolution take place. Jeroboam leads the northern tribes to independence from Judah, so from here on the twelve united tribes over which David and Solomon ruled would become two kingdoms, the southern kingdom of Judah (into which Benjamin was subsumed) and the northern kingdom of Israel (the other ten tribes). In a way, the division of the kingdom of Solomon was the result of Solomon’s divided heart. He was a worshipper of God who was lured away by the pleasures of this world and the ambitions of the heart. Solomon did not walk in the way of wisdom to the end and so it is no surprise that his son, Rehoboam, displays the very opposite of the wisdom that Solomon had at the start of his reign. It goes to show how incredibly significant our present choices are for the next generation. The priorities that we adopt are the priorities that will be impressed upon all those in our line of influence.
What legacy would you like to leave for the next generation?
Read 1 Kings 12:1-24
