Thread by @GbengaWemimo

Solomon's Foolishness
A Thread!

When King Solomon gathered the elders of Israel and sold them his vision
His vision to built a temple
His vision to build palaces
His vision to put Israel on the world map and make a statement of wonder and awe to the world at large
He used David

He used the faithfulness of David to stir the people
He told them his "Heroic" Father had bought all it would take to build a temple for God!
All he had to do was birth his father's vision
The seed had been planted
He was just a surrogate
He wanted the nation with him
He had to

Deliver his father's vision
The advantages were numerous
God would have a place in the midst of His people
Idolatry will have no place in Israel
Nobody would have an excuse
You don't even have to be in the temple to pray
Wherever you are
You just have to face the direction

Of the temple!
YHWH will bless His people
The priesthood will be institutionalized
The kingdom will be firmly established
They would become the envy of their enemies
The world would come to see and respect the Godmof Israel and His people

The people bought into it
They agreed!

Solomon told them there was work to do
Building materials would be needed
King Tyre would supply cedars
Stone Masons would be needed
Experts with iron works, gold smiths, crafters and skilled sculptors would be needed
Israel didn't have all the expert
They had to use what they

Have to get what they needed!
The people agreed!
He told them since they didn't have cash
They would have to pay in kind
The people agreed!
Every able bodied man was drawn into forced labour
For two months out of twelve
Men were taken to the mines and forests to labour for the..

King's project!
The tribe took turns
Dan and Asher provided the men for January
Judah and Manasseh provided the men for February and so on
It was like paying a tithe of time
You work in your own farm for ten months
You labour for the king for two months
Israel did it with joy

Jeroboam was put in charge of the Labour project
He became influential quickly
Many who had challenges or personal issues to deal with would go to him
"sir, my wife just delivered, I can not resume duty now"
"Sir, my mother is ill, please give me a week break"
"Sir, sir, sir"

People gave Jeroboam gifts
People reasoned with him
He was a good manager of people
The work of the temple was completed in seven years
Then the king insisted the people must labour on
He was like Pharoah
Making others world while he grew fat
Solomon's wealth was built on the

Back of forced labour and cunningness
He was the only one with Hod when he had the dream he had!
We have to take his word for it!
A whole nation laboured hard for this one monarch to attain eternal greatness
He was wise and the wisdom made it all work out for his benefit!

Soon the people became restless
They had laboured and laboured
They have seen a temple built, a palace built for Pharaoh's daughter, a palace built for the king and get they were kept in the labour camps
The King didn't see the need to say "Enough" or stop!
He was a dictator!

Prophet Ahijah met Jeroboam on his way to Israel from the labour camp in Lebanon
Ahijah told Jeroboam he would be King after Solomon
Somebody told Solomon
Solomon tried to have Jeroboam killed
Jeroboam ran away to Egypt
Suddenly the pain and grief of the people had a point man

Jeroboam, a man without any royal blood who was appointment as Labour manager was legitimized by Pharaoh!
Wow!
Pharaoh must have seen potential in him
For pharaoh to take the rebel in despite being an in-law to Solomon!
The people noted this
If only Jeroboam could be king!

Solomon died!
Rehoboam became King
Ordinarily he was the only one of royal blood
He had been raised to rule
The people came to him with a simple request
"We are tired of the labour camps, shut down the camps since you now have all the buildings your father wanted
Rehoboam said no

The people met and decided they would crown Jeroboam
A man who was a nobody
A man legitimized by Solomon's foolishness
Like David before Him
The outsider got the crown
Because the one with the crown was unwise

I hope the President reads my thread!
History is key in governance!