The story of King Jeroboam, first king of divided Israel (c. 920 BC), is so filled with drama and intrigue that it would make a great movie. How has Hollywood missed this opportunity? Are there no Bible readers in Hollywood?
My opening scene would be the prophet Ahijah tearing Jeroboam’s new cloak into 12 pieces and declaring: God will tear the kingdom from King Solomon and give you 10 tribes! And God promises that if you will walk in His ways, He will build you an enduring house as He did for King David (1Kings 11&12).
Spoiler alert: Jeroboam does NOT walk in God’s ways. In fact, he is the one who instituted systemic idolatry in Israel. King Jeroboam set up two – not one but TWO – golden calves in his lands. He drove out God’s priests and appointed his own. He invented his own holidays so that the people of his kingdom would not go to the temple in Jerusalem to celebrate the feasts. All of this angered God. So instead of building Jeroboam an enduring house, God wipes his whole family from the face of the earth.
This would be the theme of my movie: God takes His word very seriously. If God speaks to you, heed His every word! There are two other cameos on this theme in the narrative of 1 Kings 13 and 14. I will let you research those on your own. I am excited to get back to my movies script.
I would build suspense for my climatic scene by following the two characters who clash. The first is a prophet from Judah whom God calls to go and curse King Jeroboam’s altar. The prophetic curse is that a king of Judah would one day (300 years later) sacrifice the false priests on this very altar. God was also going to give a sign, which is an immediate fulfillment of a long-term prophecy. That sign would be the altar splitting apart and the ashes pouring out. I would do a fade out on the back of the prophet as he starts his journey . . . to deliver God’s message.
Next, I would pan the camera on King Jeroboam who is standing before that very altar, in front of his golden calf. He has gathered all the important people of Israel around him on his invented holiday. And King Jeroboam is preparing to burn incense as if he were the priest.
Has he not read about Nadab and Abihu who were stuck dead for offering “strange fire” (Num. 3:4)? Does he not know what happened to the last people who worshiped a golden calf (Exodus 32)?? Can you feel the tension in the situation? I am already waiting for something dramatic to happen. . . .
Then, in walks our dusty prophet from Judah. He loudly declares God’s curse! King Jeroboam stretches out his hand to command, “Seize him!” But the hand which he stretched out dries up and he cannot draw it back! The altar splits apart with a loud “CRACK,” and the ashes pour out on the ground, according to the sign by the word of the Lord! Wow!!
Are you breathless to know what happens next?? If so, then you have proven my point. This would make a great movie script.
Post Script: You will find the answer to what happens next (1 Kings 13 & 14), and ALL answers to EVERY question in the Bible.