Professional Documents
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Something Rotten
Something Rotten
Something Rotten
Bible References
To the teacher
After solomon’s death, the 10 northern tribes split away from judah to form a separate
narion, differentiated from the southern kingdom ruled by David’s dynasty. This nation, kown
Israel’s history was one of politically in stability, without a strong family line of king
like that of David’s dynasty in Judah. The various tribes making up the northern kingdom had
competing interests, and this made for a volatile climate of assassination and upheaval, as
usurpers from different tribes grappled, one after another, for power. Middle school students
can understand this jockeying for status quite inatey, as a similar dynamic likely occurs within
This lesson will explore the roots of idolworship in Israel, as reflected in the life of
Jeroboam and coming to its ultimate realization under Ahab and Jezebel This lesson also
introduces a new sort of character into the Old Testament story (although prophets had been
Preparation/Materials
Background
The division between the northern and southern tribes that resulted in an open rift after
Solomon’s death had roots far back in Israel’s history. Although the tribe of Judah had quickly
anointed David to succeed Saul as king (2 Samuel 5:3), the northern tribes had not readily
accepted him. These tribes felt justified in reconsidering their allegiance to David’s house.
Their shouts of rejection of David’s dynasty (1 Kings 12:16) echoed earlier cries at the time
when Sheba had rallied the northern tribes to revolt against David. Then too, “all the men of
Israel deserted David…. But the men of Judah stayed by their king” (2 Samuel 20:2).
Once the division was final, Jeroboam of Israel set about consolidating his kingdom.
But his fear of the drawing power of Jerusalem prompted him to initiate a form of syncretistic
worship that started Israel down the road to idolatry and unfaithfulness to God. Setting up
worship centers in addition to the Jerusalem temple violated God’s command in Deuteronomy
12:1-7. In breaking with the kingship of David’s dynasty, the northern kingdom also broke
with faithful worship of the Lord in Jerusalem. By opening the door to idolatry, Jeroboam was
The instability of the throne among the 10 tribes served only to augment this idolatry.
Kings were assassinated regularly in the Kingdom of Israel, as power shifted from one tribe or
faction to another. Several kings were powerful enough to establish their own brief dynasties;
Omri is notable in this respect. The apostasy of his son Ahab, however, stands out as one of
Omri was a shrewd political operator, who cemented his relationship with the king of
Sidon by arranging the marriage between Ahab and the Baal-worshiping pagan princess
Jezebel. It would seem from 1 Kings 16:31-33 that Ahab did not just allow idolatry in Israel
but entered personally into Baal worship. The people of Israel were systematically led away
Lesson Steps
Brudge
1. Begin this lesson with a time of quiet reflection and journaling on the folowing topics:
Give students at least five minutes to think and write. It might be appropriate to play
some quiet music (perhaps instrumental) while students are writing in order to reduce any
deelings of awkwardness. To transition out of this quiet time, give students a one minute
2. As students finish up their journaling, write the following on the board: “Things that
get in the way of our relationship with God.” Invite students to come forward and write
3. Ask students whether they ever fell that “possessions” get in the way of their
relationship with the Lord. Pint out that this is common, even among veteran believers.
In our materialistic culture, possessions have an incredible pull that often deflects
people’s focus away from God. Ask students how this sin is addressed in the Ten
Commandments. (the first and second commandment both address this issue: “no other
gods” and “no idols”.” To some degree the tenth “no coveting” applies as well.)
4. Remind students that the Lord will forgive this sin if we ask forgiveness and repent. If
it seems appropriate, you might lead students at this point in a prayer of cofession and
repentance.
5. Remind students that the history of God’s people is one of wrestling with God;
remember that the name Israel means “he struggles with God.” One of the clearest way
in which Israel struggled with God was in the repeated failure of God’s people to avoid
idol worship.
Scripture Link
1. Direct students to “Something Rotten” (page 26) in the student text. Read this section
together, and discuss the analogy between Israel’s Kings and popularitycrazed middle
school students who are often willing to “bump others off” to improve their own
position. Be sure students understand that in the case of Israel more then popularity was
at stake. It may help them understand this better if you explain that the “power” that
Something rotten
After King Solomon’s death, Israel was split into two separate nations. Solomon’s son
Rehoboam ruled Judah, the southern kingdom, continuing David’s royal line. King Jeroboam
ruled the northern kingdom of Israel. A conflict had been simmering among the tribes ever
since David’s anointing as king of Judah in place of Saul. Scripture tells us that “all the men of
Israel deserted David … but the men of Judah stayed by their king” (2 Samuel 20:2). Life for
God’s people had not been uniformly peaceful and calm. First Kings 11:40 tells us that King
Solomon had even tried to kill Jeroboam. After Solomon died and the kingdoms split, King
Jeroboam ruled Israel for 22 years. Following his rule, other kings vied for power, some of
The drive for power can generate a great deal of damage, leaving behind a rotten stench.
We can see ourselves in the power-driven kings of Israel, as we figure out small and large ways
to manipulate our own situations for our advantage and power. How often do we use other
people to enhance our own popularity? Do we ever establish a friendship in order to get an
invitation to a concert of a major sporting event? Do we make friends with someone who is
popular or athletic, dumping our old and less outstanding friend in the process? Do we try to
make ourselves look good by putting others down? Have we ever turned our backs on our
friends because we wanted to impress someone older? Let’s face it: Something we’re willing
relationships, to feed our hunger for popularity. When this happens, the situation can be quickly
turn rotten. We may not even look back long enough to notice the hurt we’ve caused someone
Our drive to become popular is a small example of the kind of hunger for power evident
in the northern kingdom. Israel’s kings had much more at stake than merely becoming popular.
The political power they craved too frequently entailed killing off their rivals, as well as, more
often than not, their rivals’ entire families to prevent a resurgence of their power.
Assassinations, political plotting, and fighting were common as the factions in the north
competed for power. This was a time of grave political unrest in Israel.
2. Read together the section “on the wrong path” (page 27) in the student text. Ask
students to explain why they think Jeroboam set up the golden calves. (He was seeking
to secute his political power by preventing the people from traveling to Jerusalem, in
Judah, to worship.) Ask, “Why was this a problem?” (In “spicing up” the religious
practices by adding the golden calves, Jeroboam was introducing idols false images or
representations of God into what might have begun as faithful worship of the Lord.
According to God’s explicit command, the people were to worship the Lord only at the
temple in Jerusalem.)
King Jeroboam now faced a dilemma. Should he allow his people to travel south to
worship Yahweh in Jerusalem three times each year for the required pilgrim festivals
commanded in God’s covenant? What if Jeroboam were to lose control of the northern
kingdom? In a bid to maintain political power, he made his choice, and in so doing he repeated
the ancient sin of idolatry from Mount Sinai. Just as God’s people under Aaron had constructed
a golden calf, Jeroboam set up two golden calves, one at Dan and the other at Bethel (the
outposts of the northern kingdom), thereby introducing idolatry into the worship of God. This
not only broke the first two commandments but opened the door for further idol worship in
Israel. The northern kingdom also broke its covenant ties to worshiping God in Jerusalem.
First Kings 12 explains that King Jeroboam erected shrines of high places – locations
at the tops of mountain where foreign gods were worshiped because these places seem
physically closer to heaven. Jeroboam also “appointed priests from all sorts of people, even
though they were not Levites” (1 Kings 12:31). He promoted new festivals for sacrificing to
the golden calves at Bethel and Dan. The kings that followed Jeroboam in Israel continued to
do evil; the writer of 1 Kings describes each successive monarch as “walking in the ways of
Jeroboam and in his sin” (1 Kings 15:34, see also 16:7; 16:9). Omri, one of the later kings of
Israel, manipulatively arranged a marriage between his son Ahab and a Baal-worshiping
foreign princess named Jezebel. One of the lowest points in the history of God’s people began
when Ahab, Israel’s king, opted personally to worship Baal (1 Kings 16:31). He even built a
temple for Baal in Samaria, the capital of the northern kingdom. God’s people in Israel were
led astray from their covenant relationship with God through the encouragement of their
wicked kings.
3. Write the phrase “He did evil in the eyes of hte LORD” ON THE BOARD. With
students, skim through 1 Kings 15: 25-16:28, lookng for this phrase or variations of it.
Ask students to explain what “He did evil in the eyes of the LORD” Might mean. (Each
time this phrase appears, it is used in relations to the people of Israel worshiping
Jeroboam’s golden calves.) point out to students how many king there were during this
short period of Israel’s history and how many of them did not die a peaceful death.
(Five kings: Nadab, Basshas, Elah, Zimari, and Omri. All except Bassha and Omri
4. Read 1 Kings 16: 29-33 with students. Note that Ahab is described as doing more “to
provoke the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger than did all the kings of Israel before
him.” Based upon the clues provided in this passage, ask students why this might have
been true. (Ahab not only worshiped Jeroboam’s golden calves but aso introduced Baal
worship into Israel, going so far as to construct a temple for Ball, similar to the temple
5. Read togehter the sidebar “Introducing . . . Elijah”! (Page 28) in the student text. Ask
student to identify the primary task of a prophet. (the prophet’s main task was to speak
for God, which was sometimes accompanied by foretelling the future and/or miraculous
signs to confirm that the prophet was indeed speaking as God’s representative.)
Introducing …… Elijah!
Elijah the prophet, who came to speak for God during wicked King Ahab’s
were written during the time of the kings, most of whom were more
focused upon themselves than upon God’s covenant. The monarchs needed
messages from the Lord. Sometimes these prophets foretold the future,
they truly were speaking on God’s behalf and as his representatives. Time
and again they called for repentance and obedience, for God’s judgment
was coming. Elijah is perhaps best remembered for the dramatic life and
Student Activites
Option 1
Read the stories about Ahab and Elijah in 1 King 17-18. Think about the following
characteristics of Ahab and Elijah and complete the table. Give reasons or specific
information in these
person is he?
Seeks food for his animals all over Hides in the Kerith Ravine
in Sidon
Whom does he
worship?
Who else in these Jezebel, the prophets of Baal and The widow at Zarephath and
stories worships Asherah, and the people of Israel later on the people after the
with him?
questions for reflection
1. Remember that Jezebel – Ahab’s Baal-worshiping wife – was from Sidon and had brought
Baal worship along with her into Israel. What is significant about this fact in light of
Elijah’s travels, during the drought, to Zarephath, a town in Sidon? Answer will vary. But
will likely address the irony that God’s spokesperson, who was not even in Israel, found
2. The Hebrew word for “waver” in 1 Kings 18:21 (Elijah went before the people and said,
“How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if
Baal is God, follow him.” But the people said nothing) is the same as the word for “dance”
in 18:26. What might the writer of 1 Kings have been pointing out here? Answer will vary
but should address the idea that Israel’s “dancing” between the Lord and Baal was as
3. Do you think it was hard for Elijah to “stand up” for God in his situation? Explain your
4. What kinds of things can make it hard for God’s people today to stand up for God? Answer
will vary but might center around fear---around worry about what others might think of
5. In what ways can students at our school support each other in standing up for God?
“Ahab” column, while the other pair fills out the “Elijah” column. If
you have copies of the NIV Study Bible, make them available to
students, encouraging them to read the text nots for the passages to
responses.
4. After the student pairs have completed their work, have the students
talk about wys in which they can put their words into action.
Option 2
their responses.
brainstorm ways in which they can put their words itno action.
Enrichment
1. Devotional Material. The lesson “Who Is God?” from Feith Lessons on the prophets
and Kings of Israel, Volume 2 of Ray Vander Lann’s video series that the World May
know, explains the importance of the contest at Mount Carmel and encourages students
2. Social studies. Have students use a bible dictionary or other resources to research the
gods and religious practices of the neighbors of Israel and Judah, including Philistia,