Bible Study Week 5
Part 3
The Divided Kingdom
The Two Kingdoms
Solomon had built a great kingdom, but after his death it was divided. Solomon's sone, Rehoboam threatened to lay a heavier tax burden on the people than Solomon had. The people demanded reforms, but Rehoboam took the counsel of his younger advisors rather than that of the older and more experienced men. The result was a revolt, and the kingdom was divided into North and South, Israel and Judah (I Kings12-16).
The Kingdom of Israel
The Northern Kingdom consisted of ten tribes and was known as the kingdom of Israel. Its capitol was Samaria and its first king was Jeroboam. In an effort to keep the tribes form returning to Jerusalem, Jeroboam set up competing altars at Dan and Bethal (I Kings 12:29). Because of these altars, idolatry was widespread throughout the Northern Kingdom. Israel had a total of nineteen kings, and all of them were wicked. None of them were willing to remove the idolatrous altars.
God in His mercy sent many prophets to warn Israel of impending judgment. Two of the most notable prophets to Israel were Elijah and Elisha, mighty men of God who preformed many miraculous works.
All of their prophecies were fulfilled in their lifetime. The people refused to repent of their evil, however, and the judgment of God came. Israel fell, and the people were taken away captive by Assyria in 722 BC (II Kings 17).
Two of the kings of Israel were Ahab and Jehu. Ahab and his wife Jezebel, were notoriously wicked. They served a false god, Baal, and their wickedness ranged from killing prophets of God (I Kings 18:13) to the simple murder of Naboth in order to steal his land (I Kings 21:5-15).
Jehu was a king in Israel who executed righteousness for a period of time (II Kings 10:16-28). His reign, however, was not righteous in its entirety because he was unwilling to completely depart from the sins of Jeroboam (II Kings 10:29-31).
The Kingdom of Judah
The Southern Kingdom consisted of two tribes, Judah and Benjamin, and was known as the kingdom of Judah. The first king of Judah was Rehoboam, and the capital city was Jerusalem. Judah had nineteen kings and one queen. Unlike the kingdom of Israel, Judah did have some righteous kings, such as Asa, Jehohaphat, Jotham, Hezekiah, and Josiah, although many others were idolatrous and evil.
Prophets warned Judah of the judgment of God and His wrath that would surely come unless the people repented. God sent prophets such as Isaiah and Jeremiah to Judah with a message of impending judgment. However, Judah refused to repent and 606 BC this nation began to be carried into captivity by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon (II Kings 25). This captivity lasted for seventy years (Jeremiah 25:11-12).
>>> How is the captivity of the Northern and Southern Kingdoms similar to the consequences of rejecting God?
While God is merciful and blesses those who desire a relationship with Him, there are also consequences of rejecting Him. For Heaven to unite the righteous with God for eternity unrighteousness must be dealt with.
Judgment will soon come upon this world, and those who have not served God will be carried off captive for eternity. It is important to align our lives with the Word of God and respond to His saving grace.