The Kingdom was divided into North & South
Jeroboam, king of the north, offered Reheboam the opportunity to bring the tribes back under one reign. Reheboam's father, Solomon, had turned into a tyrant later in his reign. 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." Reheboam called a cabinet meeting with his own youthful advisors and his father's "old guard" counselors. The old guard told Reheboam to increase liberty, lower the taxation, and stop the government spending. The young advisors told Reheboam to come back more harshly by increasing the control of his kingship. Reheboam returned to the people and said, "My little finger is bigger than my dad's thigh. He whipped you with whips – I'll whip you with scorpions." A rebellion broke out. The kingdom revolted and stayed divided for the next several hundred years because the king chose coercion over liberty.
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. During Ahab's reign, Elijah constantly confronted and warned the king of coming consequences for his rebellion. Elijah confirmed a drought upon the land as God's warning that He wanted His people‟s devotion. Elijah eventually called for a contest between God and Baal. The 400 prophets of Baal met up on Mount Carmel to see which God was real. Elijah made an offering on a stone altar. The prophets of Baal did the same. Whichever god answered with fire was the one true God. The prophets of Baal danced, cut themselves, and prayed all day. Baal was silent. Elijah began mocking them, asking if Baal was “deaf or on vacation.” 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. Fire from heaven fell and consumed the sacrifice, the stone altar, and all the water. The people returned to God. Elijah was on a spiritual high until...
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
