A nation divided because of a failure to worship properly, not a disagreement over politics, national security, or taxes.
Solomon inherited a united kingdom from his father David. Israel was a nation of 12 tribes united together. God had stated plainly that if Israel did not worship Him alone then the kingdom would be divided. When Solomon died that promise rang true.
Like his father, Solomon had difficulty controlling his lust for other women taking many women from other nations to be his own. These women did not come alone. With them came their pagan worship practices and foreign gods who robbed God of His proper worship as people worshipped those who are not gods at all.
At the moment of Solomon's death, the kingdom divided. As we often do, the division could be seen as the result of heavy taxes or political differences. But the Scriptures state clearly that the reason the kingdom split was due to a worship issue.
Today in our own nation, we often make the issues about taxes, deficits, political differences, political issues, red and blue states, and more. Today in our churches, we often make the issues about the music, preaching style, attire, building aesthetics, and more. Rarely, if ever, do we frame the discussion as an issue of worship.
Israel failed as a nation and a people because worship drifted from God into an eclectic, polytheistic enterprise. The people didn't stop worshipping. Instead, they worshipped more as they multiplied their gods. Sometimes bigger and larger isn't better, especially when there is One God and Him alone should we worship. The failure and division over worship led to the division in everything else.
Worship is still the most important issue for we were made as human beings to be worshipping beings who worship God alone. Only through the door Jesus opened by His death and resurrection can we access God's throne to worship Him properly and as we were created. Are we making worship central to our lives, our family, our work, and our churches? Are we accurately seeing worship as more than the music, preaching, and place of our worship and more about our response of all that we are in light of the revelation by Christ and the Scriptures of all that God is?
Take a Daniel moment:
1. Worship God for all that He is with all that you are.
2. Pray that worship (responding to all He is with all we are) will be central in every facet of our lives.
Solomon inherited a united kingdom from his father David. Israel was a nation of 12 tribes united together. God had stated plainly that if Israel did not worship Him alone then the kingdom would be divided. When Solomon died that promise rang true.
Like his father, Solomon had difficulty controlling his lust for other women taking many women from other nations to be his own. These women did not come alone. With them came their pagan worship practices and foreign gods who robbed God of His proper worship as people worshipped those who are not gods at all.
At the moment of Solomon's death, the kingdom divided. As we often do, the division could be seen as the result of heavy taxes or political differences. But the Scriptures state clearly that the reason the kingdom split was due to a worship issue.
Today in our own nation, we often make the issues about taxes, deficits, political differences, political issues, red and blue states, and more. Today in our churches, we often make the issues about the music, preaching style, attire, building aesthetics, and more. Rarely, if ever, do we frame the discussion as an issue of worship.
Israel failed as a nation and a people because worship drifted from God into an eclectic, polytheistic enterprise. The people didn't stop worshipping. Instead, they worshipped more as they multiplied their gods. Sometimes bigger and larger isn't better, especially when there is One God and Him alone should we worship. The failure and division over worship led to the division in everything else.
Worship is still the most important issue for we were made as human beings to be worshipping beings who worship God alone. Only through the door Jesus opened by His death and resurrection can we access God's throne to worship Him properly and as we were created. Are we making worship central to our lives, our family, our work, and our churches? Are we accurately seeing worship as more than the music, preaching, and place of our worship and more about our response of all that we are in light of the revelation by Christ and the Scriptures of all that God is?
Take a Daniel moment:
1. Worship God for all that He is with all that you are.
2. Pray that worship (responding to all He is with all we are) will be central in every facet of our lives.
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