Have children open the Kit Kat® and break the two pieces apart. These two pieces were joined but are now broken apart. Ask them to listen for when someone/something is split in the story.
4 “Your father made our yoke heavy. Now therefore lighten the hard service of your father and his heavy yoke on us, and we will serve you.” 5 He said to them, “Come to me again in three days.” So the people went away.
6 Then King Rehoboam took counsel with the old men, who had stood before Solomon his father while he was yet alive, saying, “How do you advise me to answer this people?” 7 And they said to him, “If you will be good to this people and please them and speak good words to them, then they will be your servants forever.” 8 But he abandoned the counsel that the old men gave him, and took counsel with the young men who had grown up with him and stood before him. 9 And he said to them, “What do you advise that we answer this people who have said to me, ‘Lighten the yoke that your father put on us’?” 10 And the young men who had grown up with him said to him, “Thus shall you speak to the people who said to you, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but you lighten it for us’; thus shall you say to them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s thighs. 11 And now, whereas my father laid on you a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.’”
19 So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day.
Rehoboam was the grandson of King David and the son of King Solomon. He wanted to be great and famous like them, but he was foolish.
When he was asked to be kind and understanding toward his people, he asked for advice from others. But instead of listening to the older, wiser men, he listened to his younger friends and ended up making life even harder for his people. He was selfish, and so many of his people rebelled against him. They didn’t want him to be their king anymore. God’s Kingdom was split in two!
Rehoboam was selfish, heartless and unkind. He came after two very good kings, and maybe he felt the need to make a name for himself. Instead he was hurtful and caused the nation to split. Do you think it makes sense that God would use Rehoboam in his story and perfect plan? It doesn’t to me! Rehoboam was a sinner who needed God’s grace and redemption. He offers that to us in the middle of all our sins too. Praise the Lord, Jesus is coming!
