Page images
PDF
EPUB

14 Q. How did God punish him for it? A. He ftirred up feveral Enemies against him, and particularly Jeroboam his own Servant. See 1 Kings xi, 14, 23, 26.

15 Q. What was Jeroboam's own Pretence for disturbing the Government? A. The building of fome expenfive Palaces for Pharaoh's Daughter, who was his Queen, and the raifing heavy Taxes for that and other Buildings, 1 Kings ix, 24. and xi. 27. and xii. 4.

[ocr errors]

Note, Jeroboam doth not appear to charge Solomon with promoting Idolatry, or with breaking the Laws of God in divine Worship; for he himself did fo afterward when he was King of Ifrael, which was a high Provocation in the Eyes of God both in Solomon and Jeroboam.

16 Q. And how far did God encourage Jeroboam in this Oppofition to Solomon? A. Abijah the Prophet being fent of God, caught hold of Feroboam's Garment when he met him in the Field, and rent it into twelve Pieces, and gave ten of them to Jeroboam, 1 Kings xi. 29, &c.

17 Q. What was the Meaning of this? A. The Prophet told him, that God had given him ten of the Tribes of Ifrael, and had left the Pofterity of Solomon one Tribe, i. e. Judah and Benjamin, which were afterward united into one under the Name of Jews, 1 Kings xi. 31. and xii. 20, 21. and 2 Chron. xi. 12.

18 Q Was this fulfilled in Solomon's Days? A. No; for it pleafed God to withhold thefe Calamities from the Houfe of Solomon till the Days of his Son, ver. 23.

19 Q. Did Solomon ever repent of his Sins that provoked the Anger of God against him? A. It is generally fuppofed that the Book of Ecclefiaftes

is a fort of Proof that Solomon repented, because he there describes the Vanity of every Labour and every Enjoyment under the Sun, and fums up all in the Fear of God, and keeping his Commandments, as the whole Duty, and chief Intereft of Man, Ecclef. i. and ii. and xii. 13, 14.

20 Q. How long did King Solomon reign? A. Forty Years; and though he had fuch a fhameful Number of Wives and Concubines, yet he left but one Son behind him, whofe Name was Reboboam, to fucceed him in the Kingdom of Ifrael, 1 Kings xi. 3, 43.

21 Q. What was the Character of Rehoboam? A. Though Solomon had written fo many excellent Leffons of Morality and Piety for his Son in the Book of Proverbs, and given him so many Warnings, yet he followed evil Courses; and Solomon himself seems to intimate it in the Book of Ecclefiaftes, chap. ii. 19. Who knoweth whether his Son will be a wife Man or a Fool?

22 Q. What further Occafion did Rehoboam give for the Revolt of the Tribes of Ifrael from him? A. Upon the Death of his Father, and his Acceffion to the Throne, he defpifed the Counsel of old Men, and hearkening to the Advice of rafh young Men, he threatened the Nation of Ifrael to make their Yoke heavier than his Father had done; that is, to lay heavier Taxes upon them, 1 Kings xii. 8, &c.

23Q What followed upon this Threatening of King Rehoboam? A. All the Tribes of Ifrael, except Judah and Benjamin, made Jeroboam their King; and thus the Nation was divided into two Kingdoms, which were afterwards called the Kingdom of Judah, and the Kingdom of Ifrael, 1 Kings xii. 15, 20. 2 Chron. xi. 11, 12.

F 5

СНАР.

CHAP. XI.

Of the Kings of ISRAEL.

10. HOW many Kings reigned over Israel after they were feparated from Judah? A.

These nineteen, and not one of them were good; Jeroboam the first, Nadab, Baashah, Elah, Zimri, Omri, Ahab, Abaziah, Jehoram, Jehu, Jehoahaz, Joah, Jeroboam the fecond, Zachariah, Shallum, Menahem, Pekabiah, Pekah and Hofbea.

2Q. Who were the most remarkable among these Kings of Ifrael? A. Jeroboam the first, Omri, Ahab, Abaziah, Jehu, Joash, Pekah and Hofhea.

3Q. What was the chief Character and Crime of Jeroboam? A. Instead of worshipping God, who dwelt between the Cherubs in the Temple at Jerufalem, he made two golden Images which are called Calves, and fet them up in two diftant Parts of the Land of Ifrael, (viz.) Dan and Bethel, and taught the People to worship before them, 1 Kings xii. 28, 29, 30.

4Q. What was the Worship which he appointed? A. Something like the Worfhip which God appointed at Jerufalem, with an Altar, and Priests, and Sacrifices, and Incense, ver 32.

5Q. Wherein did it differ from the Worship at Jerufalem? A. Befides the forfaking of the Temple and the Place, which God appointed, he alfo made Priefts of the loweft of the People, in-ftead of the Sons of Levi, and ordained Feafts at a different time from that which God had ap pointed, and fet up the Images of Calves to reprefent

present the Presence of God, ver. 23, 32. and 2 Chron. vi. 6. and xii. 13. and xiii. 8, 9.

Note, Here it is not to be fuppofed that Jeroboam forfook the God of Ifrael, and taught the People to worship mere Calves; but only that he devifed of his own Heart other Times and Places, and other Forms and Circumftances of Worship to be paid to the God of Ifrael; and that by Images or Idols, which were probably the Figures of the Cherubs on the Mercy-Seat, where God dwelt: But the Scripture in Contempt calls them Calves. See Chap. V. Queft. 37. and Chap. VII. Queft. 3. And the Worship is called Idolatry, and the Worship of other Gods. The Prophet Hofea, who lived in the Days of Jeroboam the fecond, the Son of Joab, perpetually rebukes this Sin of Idolatry, and inveighs against these Idols the Calves, Hof. i. 1. and viii. 4, 5. and x. 5. and xiii. 2.

6Q. For what End did Jeroboam do this? A. He feared if the People went up frequently to facrifice at Jerufalem, they would be tempted to return again to Rehoboam King of Judah, ver. 26, 27, 28.

7Q. What vifible Token of Difpleafure did God manifeft against this Worship which Jeroboam Jet up? A. He fent a Prophet to the Altar at Be-thel, who foretold that a Son of the House of David, Jofiah by Name, fhould burn the Bones of Jeroboam's Priests upon the Altar, 1 Kings xiii.

I, 2.

8Q. What Sign did the Prophet give, that this Prophecy fhould be fulfilled? A. The Prophet foretold that the Altar fhould be rent afunder, and the Afhes poured out, both which were fulfilled im-mediately and Jeroboam's Hand withered when he ftretched it out to lay hold of the Prophet, ver.. 3, 4, &c. though at the Prayer of the Prophet, God reftored it again,

9Q. What other Token did God give of his Anger against Jeroboam? A. God threatened Jeroboam and his Family with utter Deftruction, fo that none of them fhould find a Grave befides Abijah his youngest Son, because there were found in him fome good Inclinations toward the God of Ifrael, 1 Kings xiv. 13.

10 Q. Who was Omri? A. The Captain of the Hoft of Ifrael, who was made King by the People when Zimri fet up himself, 1 Kings xvi. 16.

[ocr errors]

IIQ. What is recorded concerning Omri? A. (1.) That he befieged Zimri his Predeceffor so closely in Tirzah, the Royal City, that Zimri burnt himself and the Palace together, and died. (2.) That he built Samaria for the Royal City on a Hill. And (3.) That he walked in all the finful Ways of Jeroboam, ver. 17-28.

12 Q. Who was Ahab, and what was his Character? A. Ahab was the Son of Omri, who followed the wicked Ways of his Predeceffors: he finned against God and Man grievously, and provoked God beyond all who were before him, ver. 29-33. and i Kingsxxi. 25.

13Q. How did God fignify his Difpleasure against Ahab? A. He sent Elijah the Prophet to reprove him, and to foretel that there fhould be neither Dew nor Rain for feveral Years, which accordingly came to pafs, 1 Kings xvii. 1.

14 Q. How was Elijah bimfelf fed during this Famine? A. He was appointed to hide himself by the Brook Cherith, and the Ravens brought him Bread and Flefh in the Morning and the Evening, and he drank of the Water of the Brook, ver. 5, 6.

« PreviousContinue »