Today’s Reading:
Read I Chronicles 10; I Kings 12
(For today’s reading, you will need your Day By Day Chronological Bible. In the back of the Bible, locate the map titled, “THE KINGDOMS OF ISRAEL AND JUDAH.”)
Okay- quick review! Remember, Jacob was Abraham’s grandson whose name was changed to Israel. He had 12 sons and those 12 sons and their descendants became the 12 tribes of Israel. The Israelites were God’s chosen people. They settled in the Promised Land and while there were 12 tribes, they were one kingdom, Israel. God granted their request and gave them a King to rule over them. Saul was the first king, and he did not honor God with his choices. David was the second king, and the Bible says that David was a man after God’s own heart. Solomon followed David as King and while the beginning of his reign showed that he would honor God, he ended his reign by “doing what was evil in the sight of the Lord.” When Solomon died, his son Rehoboam became King.
Unfortunately, Rehoboam started his reign off by ignoring wise counsel which ultimately led to the one nation of Israel being divided into two kingdoms. Rehoboam was the King of the Southern Kingdom which included the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. Jeroboam was the King of the Northern Kingdom which included the tribes of Simeon, Dan, Reuben, Ephraim, Manasseh, Gad, Issachar, Zebulun, Asher and Naphtali. Using your Day-by-Day Chronological Bible, you can see how this division took place.
Jerusalem, the capital city of Israel, where King Solomon had built the temple was in the Southern Kingdom. Jeroboam, the King of the Northern Kingdom, decided to build 2 temples in the Northern Kingdom- one in Dan and one in Bethel. Sadly, these temples were not built to honor God. Jeroboam had golden calves put in these temples and the Northern Kingdom began to worship idols. I Kings 12:30, “This led to sin…”
Application/Prayer:
Using a blank sheet of paper, make a t-chart with Southern Kingdom on the left side and Northern Kingdom on the right side. Re-read today’s chapters and make a list of what we find out about each kingdom. Keep this for reference as we continue to read more about the Northern and Southern Kingdom.
Spend some time as a family discussing Rehoboam’s choice to ignore the wise counsel of the elders. Ask the Lord to put people in your life who can offer wise counsel and ask Him to help you to listen to that counsel as you make decisions.
June Memory Verse:
“Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.”
Using the daily reading prompts from George H. Guthrie’s Read the Bible for Life, here’s how to use this devotional:
- Bring your Bible! Your kids need to see that everything you are reading to them or learning about comes from an actual Bible!
- Each day starts with a reading prompt. Read the selection as a family. If your kids are readers, encourage them to read along with you.
- After you’ve read the passage, read the short devotional thought that goes along with each passage.
- Prayer and application are important any time we read God’s word! After each devotional, there is a challenge to help apply what your family has read that day.
- There is a reading for six days of the week. The last reading of the week is a Gospel Conversation Prompt to help you connect the reading from the week with God’s plan for salvation.
Other Resources:
June memory verse coloring sheet
June Fill-in the blank activity