THE TWO HOUSES OF ISRAEL (5): From Jacob to Solomon

When Jacob died, his family remained in Egypt with Joseph. The Israelites multiplied and became so many that Pharaoh worried. He did not remember Joseph and therefore turned the Israelites into slaves. However, God miraculously set them free, just as he had told Abraham. God designated Moses to guide the Israelites through the wilderness, on their way to the Promised Land. Joshua was the chosen leader to conquer Canaan, the inheritance God gave Israel and his children.

After the conquest, there was a period when the judges were in charge. Saul was the first king of Israel: the king that the people requested. However, David was the king according to God’s own heart. Under his kingdom the House of Judah began to rule over all twelve tribes of Israel. He established the capital of the kingdom in Jerusalem, and united the twelve tribes of Israel as a powerful nation, recognized among the neighboring nations. Despite his mistakes, David improved the state of Israel politically and economically, and encouraged respect for God and His laws. He desired in his heart to build a temple for God, however, his son and heir Solomon was assigned the great task to build it.

Solomon was the wisest king in history. Nevertheless, he got sidetracked and let his passions guide him. He married gentile women and made alliances with neighboring nations, thus opening the door to idolatry and sin. Solomon turned away from God, therefore God decided to take the Kingdom away from him.

How did God’s punish Solomon for not keeping his divine covenant?

(I Kings 11:11-13)  Therefore the LORD said to Solomon, "Since this has been your practice and you have not kept my covenant and my statutes that I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom from you and will give it to your servant.  (12)  Yet for the sake of David your father I will not do it in your days, but I will tear it out of the hand of your son.  (13)  However, I will not tear away all the kingdom, but I will give one tribe to your son, for the sake of David my servant and for the sake of Jerusalem that I have chosen."

Solomon’s servant, to whom the other part of the kingdom would be given, was Jeroboam (I Kings 11:26-28).

Through the prophet Ahijah, Jeroboam also received the prophetic word given to Salomon.

(I Kings 11: 29-40)  And at that time, when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite found him on the road. Now Ahijah had dressed himself in a new garment, and the two of them were alone in the open country.  (30)  Then Ahijah laid hold of the new garment that was on him, and tore it into twelve pieces.  (31)  And he said to Jeroboam, "Take for yourself ten pieces, for thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, 'Behold, I am about to tear the kingdom from the hand of Solomon and will give you ten tribes  (32)  (but he shall have one tribe, for the sake of my servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city that I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel),  (33)  because they have forsaken me and worshiped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh the god of Moab, and Milcom the god of the Ammonites, and they have not walked in my ways, doing what is right in my sight and keeping my statutes and my rules, as David his father did.  (34)  Nevertheless, I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand, but I will make him ruler all the days of his life, for the sake of David my servant whom I chose, who kept my commandments and my statutes.  (35)  But I will take the kingdom out of his son's hand and will give it to you, ten tribes.  (36)  Yet to his son I will give one tribe, that David my servant may always have a lamp before me in Jerusalem, the city where I have chosen to put my name.  (37)  And I will take you, and you shall reign over all that your soul desires, and you shall be king over Israel.  (38)  And if you will listen to all that I command you, and will walk in my ways, and do what is right in my eyes by keeping my statutes and my commandments, as David my servant did, I will be with you and will build you a sure house, as I built for David, and I will give Israel to you.  (39)  And I will afflict the offspring of David because of this, but not forever.'"  (40)  Solomon sought therefore to kill Jeroboam. But Jeroboam arose and fled into Egypt, to Shishak king of Egypt, and was in Egypt until the death of Solomon.

REHOBOAM ASCENDS TO THE THRONE

When Solomon died, his son Rehoboam ascended to the throne. However, he did not listen to the people’s request to lower the already high taxes. On the contrary, he laid on them an even heavier burden.

(I Kings 12:13-15)  And the king answered the people harshly, and forsaking the counsel that the old men had given him,  (14)  he spoke to them according to the counsel of the young men, saying, "My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions."  (15)  So the king did not listen to the people, for it was a turn of affairs brought about by the LORD that he might fulfill his word, which the LORD spoke by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

ISRAEL IS DIVIDED INTO TWO KINGDOMS

Facing Rehoboam’s oppression, many tribes decided to separate themselves from Judah (the royal tribe) and form a new kingdom.

(I Kings 12:16-19)  And when all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them, the people answered the king, "What portion do we have in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse. To your tents, O Israel! Look now to your own house, David." So Israel went to their tents.  (17)  But Rehoboam reigned over the people of Israel who lived in the cities of Judah.  (18)  Then King Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was taskmaster over the forced labor, and all Israel stoned him to death with stones. And King Rehoboam hurried to mount his chariot to flee to Jerusalem.  (19)  So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day. 

When the people heard that Jeroboam had returned from exile, they called him up to Northern Israel to crown him as king.

To counteract the rebellion, Rehoboam gathered 180,000 men from the house of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin to make war against the rebel Northern tribes in order to bring them back under his authority (1 Kings 12:20-21). However, God stopped him.

(I Kings 12:22-24)  But the word of God came to Shemaiah the man of God:  (23)  "Say to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the rest of the people,  (24)  'Thus says the LORD, You shall not go up or fight against your relatives the people of Israel. Every man return to his home, for this thing is from me.'" So they listened to the word of the LORD and went home again, according to the word of the LORD.

Ten tribes of Israel rebelled against Rehoboam, and named Jeroboam as their king. Only the tribes of Benjamin and Judah remained faithful to the house of David, and to their king Rehoboam.

The Kingdom of Israel (House of Jacob) was divided into two separate nations, known by various names:

  

The promise God had given Jacob after giving him a new name was fulfilled when the nation of Israel was divided into two kingdoms.

(Genesis 35: 11-12)  And God said to him, "I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply. A nation and a company of nations shall come from you, and kings shall come from your own body.  (12)  The land that I gave to Abraham and Isaac I will give to you, and I will give the land to your offspring after you."

A nation:                                The House of Judah

A company of nations:        The House of Israel, an assembly of nations

Then I broke my second staff Union,

annulling the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.

(Zechariah 11:14)