Ten Minute Bible Talks Devotional Bible Study - Can Following Jesus be Dangerous? | The Life of Solomon | 1 Kings 12.26-30

Starting point is 00:00:00 Welcome to 10-minute Bible Talks, where we connect the Bible to your life in the time it takes to get to work. I'm Keith Simon. And I'm Patrick Miller. I hope that you enjoyed our series on favorite verses. One of our favorite speakers in that series was Tanya Wilmuth. In fact, we liked her talk so much that we've invited her to come on and co-host with us at 10-minute Bible Talks. So if you start hearing a new voice, which you will hear today, that is Tanya. Just a quick reminder of who she is.

Starting point is 00:00:34 Tanya is a mom, a former English teacher, and she's also a Bible teacher. And I think that you are really going to enjoy learning from her. She's got a different style and amazing insights that I don't think Keith or I could bring to the table. So enjoy listening to her today and from that point forward. Do you ever feel like following God is the least safe option? Maybe it requires losing something or making a change. or maybe it would require you to do nothing at all but wait, which can sometimes be the hardest thing there is.

Starting point is 00:01:08 You might not have heard of him, but there was a king who came after Solomon named Jeroboam. For him, the prospect of actually believing God's promises was terrifying. So terrifying, in fact, that he tried to do lots of things instead of following God. Because of Solomon's disobedience, Israel had been divided into 12 tribes. and 10 of those went to Jeroboam. Jeroboam actually had a lot going for him when he took over the throne. His tribes outnumbered the others 10 to 1.

Starting point is 00:01:42 The people seemed to like him. And to top it off, God spoke to him, telling him he would be king over all his soul desired. All he had to do was obey God and his commands. With the affirmation of God and the people, there was nothing Jeroboam needed to do. to prove his authority, other than follow God. But he was scared and insecure. Jerobolm was afraid that if he left things as they were, God's people would remember who they were and who they truly belonged to.

Starting point is 00:02:17 Even though Jeroboom had more land, there was one thing he didn't have, Jerusalem and the temple. Those belonged in the tribe of David. God has kept his promise that David, David's descendants would always have a successor on the throne. So that tribe went to Solomon's son, Rehobom. That meant that the people who lived in the ten tribes of Jeroboam would have to travel outside his borders to go to the temple to make sacrifices and worship God.

Starting point is 00:02:49 And this scared him. He was afraid that people would remember God's promise to David and remember they were God's people. He was afraid they would turn on him and have him killed. He thought following God was the least safe option for him. If you've ever hiked in the mountains and gotten above the tree line, you've probably been met with a fairly jarring warning sign posted by the National Park Service. It usually sounds something like, continue at your own risk, unmarked trails and dangerous weather conditions ahead. Do not attempt without proper clothing and hydration. No shelter. You're faced with a conundrum. The sign is startling and eye-opening, and it forces you to consider your own mortality

Starting point is 00:03:40 a little more than you might have planned. But you can also look past the sign to see the summit and the views it promises. Your face with a decision, is it worth it? God's word confronts us with both his warnings and promises. He is constantly pointing us toward the summit, his perfect plan to redeem and restore the earth and live with him forever. But there are also lots of warnings about how to stay on the right path,

Starting point is 00:04:11 how to follow him in the midst of danger, how to be prepared for the storms. The warnings speak into what we already know in the deepest part of our souls. Sometimes the prospect of actually following God can be really terrifying. When Moses was about to die, he told the Israelites new leader Joshua, he would need courage to take people into the promised land. And God told Joshua to be strong and courageous repeatedly when he was going to battle for territory in the promised land.

Starting point is 00:04:44 When David handed over the throne to Solomon, he told him to be strong and show himself a man. There's a strong connection in the Bible between being a faithful, God, fearing leader and having courage. God takes seriously the courage required to lead people faithfully toward his promised kingdom. In 1st Kings 1138, God promised that if Jeroboam would listen and obey the Lord's commandments in his new situation as king, God would be with him and build him a sure house. Instead of trusting God for his security, he tried to do everything on his own. 1 Kings 1226 And Jeroboam said in his heart

Starting point is 00:05:28 Now the kingdom will turn back to the house of David If these people go up to offer sacrifices In the temple of the Lord at Jerusalem Then the heart of these people will turn again to their lord To Rehoboam, king of Judah And they will kill me and return to Rehoboam, king of Judah So the king took counsel And made two calves of gold

Starting point is 00:05:50 Jeroboam devised a plan in his heart to keep the people away from Jerusalem and the well-worn path to God's temple. He built not one, but two golden calves to lure the people to worship in the new cities instead of in Jerusalem. He appointed priests that weren't from the tribe of Levi. He tried to create more convenient ways for the people to worship close to home so he could keep them close. He etched new paths and new loves into their hearts with meaning. meaningless and empty things. As a young adult, I was taking graduate classes in English, and in an effort to combine two things I loved, I eagerly registered for the class called Biblical Lit. My professor was articulate, smart, and entertaining. I wanted to believe everything he said,

Starting point is 00:06:40 and I wanted him to say everything I believe to be true about the Bible. But instead, he used his platform for a different purpose. He loved the Bible. He loved the Bible. He Bible as a piece of literature, but he had no love for God. His lack of love led him to refuse and reject the teachings of Christ as true and timeless, and to coerce us into rejecting them as well. Jeroboam's story is about a leader who led an entire generation to forget how to follow God. Distracted and disoriented, they gradually replace their commitment for God for a commitment to false gods that required less of them and gave them empty hearts in return. He obstructed their view of the summit because he was afraid and insecure, because he didn't

Starting point is 00:07:32 believe God's promise. Jesus wasn't that kind of leader. Jesus says his yoke is easy and his burden is light, but a convenient faith isn't what he preaches. Rependance is costly, and turning away from sin can be even more so. Faith and trust mean we have to depend on someone other than ourselves. Following Jesus takes courage. When I sit down to make a list of how I can follow Jesus today,

Starting point is 00:08:02 the things I list out may not sound like they require a lot of courage, but perhaps it's what they call me not to do that's hardest. Jesus, I can follow you by being loving and kind. Jesus, I can follow you by saying, get enough. Jesus, I can follow you by serving my family today. Jesus, I can follow you by waiting. On the flip side of each of those is something I will have to choose not to do. For example, for a student or someone working on a project to say good enough,

Starting point is 00:08:36 that person has to die to the desire to overwork or overachieve to prove or validate their worth. Or maybe for a person to wait, they'll have to die to their desire to win argument or make a point. I think we call that submission, not doing something less so we can do something more. I wonder if that's what Jesus means when he says to his disciples in Matthew 1624. If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. In trying to blaze a new pass instead of following God, Jeroboam led a nation out of the arms of God and into the hands of two golden calves. I wonder where those calves are today.

Starting point is 00:09:25 The Bible warns us to beware of anyone who would try to turn the joy and blessing of courageously following God's gracious invitation into a burden to be avoided. The Bible reminds us that it is a great privilege to come to the heavenly Jerusalem by coming to Jesus Christ. Thanks for listening. If you've enjoyed this content, please subscribe and give us a rating.

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Ten Minute Bible Talks Devotional Bible Study - Can Following Jesus be Dangerous? | The Life of Solomon | 1 Kings 12.26-30

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