THE KINGDOM OF ISRAEL.
FIRST READING.
"This thing became a sin."—1 Kings 12:30.
SOLOMON'S son was named Rehoboam. He was foolish and hasty; and when his father's wise old men gave him good advice he would not listen to them, but only cared for his young friends, who were as foolish as himself. So when the Israelites came to him to ask him not to be hard upon them, and make them bring him so much corn and so many sheep, the old men told him to answer them kindly and gently, but the young men said he had better be fierce and sharp. So he followed the young men's advice, and made a very unkind answer.
This made them all so angry that they said they would not have him for their king any longer; but they took Jeroboam, a brave strong man of the tribe of Ephraim, and made him their king. Only two tribes still held steady to Rehoboam. These were the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. God left him these, because of the promise that King David's sons should go on sitting on his throne. But ten of the tribes had made Jeroboam their king; so that now there were two kingdoms—a large one called Israel, and a small one called Judah.
This was because Solomon had let his heart turn away from God, and had not taken pains to keep his people holy, but had cared more for riches, and power, and glory. But Jeroboam did not take pains to serve God. He set up two calves, made of gold, for the Israelites to worship, instead of going to the Temple.
QUESTIONS.
1. Who was Solomon? 2. Who was his son? 3. Whom did Rehoboam like best? 4. What did his people ask? 5. What did the old men advise? 6. What did the young men advise? 7. Whose advice did he take? 8. What answer did he give? 9. What did the Israelites do? 10. Whom did they make their king? 11. How many kingdoms were there? 13. How many tribes made up Israel? 14. Who was king of Judah? 15. Who was king of Israel? 16. Why did not Rehoboam lose all? 17. What had God promised David? 18. Why did Rehoboam lose any? 19. What foolish answer did he make? 20. What idols did he set up?