{"id":2080,"date":"2012-03-20T09:30:38","date_gmt":"2012-03-20T13:30:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/godonomics\/?p=2080"},"modified":"2012-03-20T09:25:57","modified_gmt":"2012-03-20T13:25:57","slug":"fast-track-read-the-bible-in-one-month-part-9-of-24-draft","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/godonomics\/2012\/03\/fast-track-read-the-bible-in-one-month-part-9-of-24-draft.html","title":{"rendered":"Fast Track: Read The Bible in One Month (Part 9 of 24)"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>After Solomon\u2019s death, his kingdom was divided into two halves: the northern kingdom and the southern kingdom. The northern kingdom was often called Israel, comprising eleven of the twelve tribes. The southern kingdom was often called Judah (King David\u2019s family tribe). Both had a long history of running from God, some more so than others. Solomon’s son Reheboam had a critical leadership moment that offered the possibility of reuniting the divided kingdom.<\/p>\n

Jeroboam, king of the north, offered Reheboam the opportunity to<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
The kingdom was divided into North & South<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

bring the tribes back under one reign.\u00a0 Reheboam’s father, Solomon, had turned into a tyrant later in his reign.\u00a0 His empire crashed as he continued expanding government projects, over-extending the finances of the empire, and demanding heavy taxes from the people. Jeroboam asked Solomon’s son, Reheboam, to “lighten the load, so the people would choose to serve their king.”\u00a0 Reheboam called a cabinet meeting with his own youthful advisors and his father’s “old guard” counselors.\u00a0 The old guard told Reheboam to increase liberty, lower the taxation, and stop the government spending.\u00a0 The young advisors told Reheboam to come back more harshly by increasing the control of his kingship.\u00a0 Reheboam returned to the people and said, “My little finger is bigger than my dad’s thigh. He whipped you with whips \u2013 I’ll whip you with scorpions.”\u00a0\u00a0 A rebellion broke out.\u00a0 The kingdom revolted and stayed divided for the next several hundred years because the king chose coercion over liberty.<\/p>\n

One of the evil kings of the north was a man named Ahab. He married a wicked woman named Jezebel and led the people to worship Baal, a god of sensuality. God eventually judged the northern kingdom by allowing them to see if “Baal” could deliver them from the Assyrian army. Baal, a stone statue and fertility god, was not successful in stopping the Assyrian army.\u00a0 During Ahab’s reign, Elijah constantly confronted and warned the king of coming consequences for his rebellion.\u00a0 Elijah confirmed a drought upon the land as God’s warning that He wanted His people\u2019s devotion.\u00a0 Elijah eventually called for a contest between God and Baal.\u00a0 The 400 prophets of Baal met up on Mount Carmel to see which God was real. Elijah made an offering on a stone altar.\u00a0 The prophets of Baal did the same. Whichever god answered with fire was the one true God.\u00a0 The prophets of Baal danced, cut themselves, and prayed all day.\u00a0 Baal was silent. Elijah began mocking them, asking if Baal was \u201cdeaf or on vacation.\u201d After their humiliation, Elijah covered his stone altar with water to make the claim clear. He asked God to send fire from the sky down upon this altar as a sign that He was real.\u00a0 Fire from heaven fell and consumed the sacrifice, the stone altar, and all the water.\u00a0 The people returned to God.\u00a0 Elijah was on a spiritual high until\u2026<\/p>\n

Elijah was threatened by Ahab’s wife Jezebel and fell into a depression. Elijah pulled away from people and withdrew in fear. God met with Elijah and offered him food, rest, and a partner named Elisha. God appeared to Elijah in a still small voice prompting him to stop isolating himself. God helped rid Elijah of his depression and suicidal thoughts. After Elijah’s ministry came to an end, Elisha had a great legacy of proclaiming God’s love and providing proof of His power. Elisha made a jar of oil multiply to provide for a poor woman, healed a man from leprosy, and performed many other miracles<\/p>\n

The kingdom continued in rebellion and was eventually overthrown by the evil Assyrian Empire. (Assyria is the area known in modern times as Iran and Iraq.)\u00a0 Many of the people in the northern kingdom had members of their family killed and enslaved by the evil Assyrians.\u00a0 Those who remained in the homeland saw relatives and friends brutally tortured and carried off to Assyria’s capital city, Nineveh.\u00a0 Despite the evil and wickedness of Assyria, God<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Jonah met a fish on his way to Assyria's capital<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

loved all His people and wanted them to “stop running and return to Him.\u201d\u00a0 He came to the prophet Jonah and asked him to go to the capital city of the Assyrians and offer God’s forgiveness and leadership. Jonah refused.\u00a0 The fearful prophet hated the Assyrians and didn’t want God to forgive his enemies.\u00a0 Jonah didn’t want the capital city of Nineveh to hear about God’s love and mercy.\u00a0 So Jonah hopped on a ship and traveled to the westernmost part of the known world, away from Assyria. Jonah ran, but God ran after him.\u00a0 A storm struck the ocean and the shipmates threw Jonah overboard.\u00a0 God rescued Jonah, capturing him underwater in a great fish’s belly.\u00a0 Jonah remained inside the beast for three days and three nights as God brought him back to shore.\u00a0 (How did Jonah survive in the fish? Some people think that the Bible teaches that Jonah died in the fish and was resurrected upon “arrival” to shore based on Jonah\u2019s prayer and mention of death in the account.)<\/p>\n

Jesus would reference Jonah\u2019s time in the fish as a predictor of His death and resurrection after three days and nights in the grave.\u00a0 Still angry with God, Jonah begrudgingly traveled to Nineveh. He still couldn’t believe that God would offer forgiveness to these wicked people.\u00a0 Jonah delivered a “turn or burn” message while strolling through Nineveh, hoping the audience would not respond.\u00a0 Amazingly, the people did, and decided to stop running from God, seeking God’s grace and forgiveness.\u00a0 Jonah was mad at God for forgiving them, and went up to a hillside to pout, hoping God would change His mind and destroy the city.\u00a0 God loved the disgruntled prophet anyway, even though he was being selfish, hateful, and childish.<\/p>\n

God sent a plant to shade Jonah as he sulked.\u00a0 A worm then ate the plant, which exposed Jonah to the hot sun. Jonah was furious.\u00a0 He told God that he’d rather be dead than live in a world with forgiven Assyrians.\u00a0 He revealed his heart’s motives for rebellion.\u00a0 Jonah was afraid God would be too kind to them.\u00a0 God then asked Jonah a question:\u00a0\u00a0 “If you care so much about the plant and the worm that is here for one day and gone the next, shouldn’t I care about the thousands of men, women, and livestock in Nineveh?”<\/p>\n

Jonah reminds us that we can run from God by being wicked like the Assyrians; and we could run from God by thinking we are “good enough” and better than others.\u00a0 Jonah shows us that God needs to run after people lost in their immorality and morality.\u00a0 God needs to rescue us from our wickedness and perceived righteousness.\u00a0 God’s love rescues us from our good works and our bad works. God loves everyone and runs after us all.<\/p>\n

Here is a live teaching of Fast Track:\u00a0 2 Kings – Malachi<\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v= http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=xn80cMgd0go<\/a><\/a><\/p>\n

For a free session of Godonomics, visit:\u00a0 http:\/\/www.godonomics.com\/watch-session-5<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

After Solomon\u2019s death, his kingdom was divided into two halves: the northern kingdom and the southern kingdom. The northern kingdom was often called Israel, comprising eleven of the twelve tribes. The southern kingdom was often called Judah (King David\u2019s family tribe). 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He graduated from Moody Bible College in Chicago, majoring in pastoral ministry and communication. His love for ministry and creativity can be seen in many forms: leading teams, expository teaching, acting, and video production. He has served as pastor at two high-impact churches in Georgia: Cumberland Community Church and New Community Church. Chad received an M.A. in Ministry from Moody Graduate School in 2008. 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