Solomon dies and the history of Israel becomes very complex.

When Solomon died, a man called Jeroboam comes with the elders to ask Rehoboam, Solomon’s son, if he will lighten their load.

But Rehoboam has not inherited his father’s wisdom, and when his elders tell him to lighten the load that was imposed to pay for the temple, Rehoboam “rejected the advice which the elders had given him, and consulted the young men who had grown up with him, who stood before him.”

So Jeroboam takes the elders and men of ten of the tribes, and sets himself up as king.

Rehoboam stays king of Judah, in order to maintain the light of David in Jerusalem, as God promised.

Things become very bad, with idol worship, intrigue and massacres, until at the end of the chapters we end up with the king who is declared by God to be worst of them all – the infamous Ahab and his Queen Jezebel.

Meanwhile, a wise thought from Psalm 39: “I said ‘I will guard my ways, lest I sin with my tongue; I will restrain my mouth with a muzzle, while the wicked are before me”

Dear God, Thank you for all your gifts to me. Thank you for the health you give me. Thank you for the anonymous kind person in Germany who has offered their livesaving bone marrow for P. Please help him be well enough to have it. Please be with N. Please help me to wait on you my Father, so that I might learn your will and your ways. Help me to love you more. I believe in you. Help me believe more. In Jesus’ name, Amen