INTERMEDIATE
AGE: 12 - 13
YEARS
STANDARD/GRADE:
VII & VIII
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is granted only for free distribution among Sunday School children.
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LESSON – 17
THE TWO
KINGDOMS OF ISRAEL
Rehoboam and Jeroboam
In the previous lesson we learnt about the glorious reign of King Solomon and also about his fall into decadence (Click this link for the lesson). When King Solomon died, his son Rehoboam was to be the next king of Israel, but there was trouble and discontent in Israel during that time. Ten tribes of Israel except the tribes of Judah and Benjamin concentrated in the Northern part of Israel showed dissatisfaction against the king. There was a man named Jeroboam who had rebelled against King Solomon. But when King Solomon tried to capture him, he ran away to Egypt. When Jeroboam heard that King Solomon had died and Rehoboam was about to take over the throne, he returned from Egypt. There is no information in the Holy Bible as to whether Rehoboam was crowned as the King of the Nation of Israel before it was divided. But according to Jewish history and Chronology, Rehoboam ruled as king over undivided Israel for a year before Jeroboam returned from Egypt (I Kings 12:1, 2; II Chronicles 10:1,2). (1)
King Solomon had engaged in huge building
projects, including the Temple of God in Jerusalem and his own palace which
took many years to build and involved hard labour. According to the Holy Bible, King Solomon drafted the non-Israelites settled in Israel in
the labour force to accomplish this massive work (I Kings 9:20-22). However, most of the Israelites who were self-employed and self-sufficient until then were made as King Solomon's servants in various capacities (I Kings 9:22,23). (Refer to Prophet Samuel's warning to the Israelites when they asked for a king in I Samuel 8: 6-19). When Solomon’s son Rehoboam took over the reign of
Israel, Jeroboam and the people of Israel went to Rehoboam and told him that
they would serve him if he lightened the burden his father Solomon had placed
on them. Rehoboam told them to give him three days and he would let them know
what his decision would be. Rehoboam knew that it was critical to give the
right answer to the people of Israel to make them submit to him. But instead of
asking God for wisdom like his father, Rehoboam went to two different groups of
people and asked them for their guidance.
Rehoboam Asks for Advice
First, he went to the older men, who were his father’s advisers who gave guidance when his father King Solomon was king. The elders advised Rehoboam that he should listen to the people’s request. They told him to be kind to the people and please them. They also counselled him saying that if he spoke appropriately to them with pleasing words, they would serve him forever. Rehoboam was unwise and disregarded the advice of the older men. Next Rehoboam went to a group of young men who had grown up with him, who did not have any experience in leading a nation. They advised Rehoboam to exercise authority over the people. They told Rehoboam to say, “my little finger shall be thicker than my father’s loins”. The meaning of that statement was, “Rehoboam’s weakest actions would be more severe than his father’s strongest actions.” They also told Rehoboam to say that his father had punished them with whips, but he would punish them with scorpions.” According to Biblical historians, “scorpions” are special type of whips that were very painful. The straps of these whips had pieces of metal or bone embedded in them. (2)
Ten Northern Tribes Break Away
After three days, Jeroboam and all the people
again assembled to hear Rehoboam’s response to the people’s request. Instead of
accepting the sensible advice of the senior advisors, Rehoboam brazenly chose
to listen to his inexperienced and immature friends. Rehoboam tried to be
authoritative and carelessly answered that he would make the conditions even
more harsh and would give heavy punishments. When the people of Israel saw that
the king did not listen to their request, they answered the king saying: “What
portion have we in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse. To your
tents O Israel! Look now to your house, David.”
The people rebelled against him and told him that they wouldn’t
co-operate with him and would not remain under his leadership anymore and they
returned to their homes. They felt there was nothing to be gained by remaining
under Rehoboam’s leadership. So, the ten northern tribes chose to break away
and form their own kingdom.
The Nation of Israel Divided
The nation of Israel was divided into two kingdoms
– the Northern Kingdom and the Southern Kingdom. The Northern Kingdom was also
called as the Kingdom of Israel and it consisted of 10 tribes of Israel. The
Southern Kingdom was also called as the Kingdom of Judah and consisted of only
two tribes, the tribe of Judah and Benjamin. The ten
tribes of Israel made Jeroboam their king and Rehoboam, the son of King
Solomon ruled over the Southern kingdom, the Kingdom of Judah.
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Kingdom of Israel
The 10 northern tribes (Reuben, Simeon, Dan,
Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Ephraim and Manasseh) rebelled
against King Solomon’s son and they formed the Kingdom of Israel. Jeroboam,
son of Nebat became the first King of the divided Kingdom of Israel. The
capital of the Northern Kingdom of Israel was first established in Shechem (I
Kings 12:25) and then in Samaria during King Omri’s rule (I Kings 16:24). Jeroboam
ruled the Kingdom of Israel for 21 years. (The thirteenth king of Israel was also named Jeroboam, so the first king is referred to as Jeroboam - I and the thirteenth king as Jeroboam - II)
His reign soon brought moral and religious corruption into Israel. As soon as Jeroboam became king, he introduced new worship practices into Israel. The Holy Temple of God was located at Jerusalem in the Kingdom of Judah. Jeroboam felt very insecure. He thought if his subjects travelled to the Kingdom of Judah to worship at the Temple of Jerusalem, gradually people’s heart might turn towards Rehoboam, his rival king and the Kingdom of Judah. So he thought of a wicked plan. He established two golden calves, one in Bethel and the other one in Dan and told the people to worship before them. Without revealing his true intention, Jeroboam told the Israelites that he had established these two altars at Bethel and Dan to prevent them from taking unnecessary and difficult journey to Jerusalem Temple to offer sacrifices. He also made inferior people of his own choice to be priests instead of the sons of Levi and made the Israelites believe that the two calves established at Bethel and Dan brought their forefathers out of Egypt.
So instead of going to Jerusalem, the Israelites travelled all the way
to Bethel and Dan to bow before these golden calves. Jeroboam’s wickedness did
not end with his generation and influenced the subsequent kings and the Kingdom
of Israel for generations to come and his name became associated with idolatry
and wickedness. The history of the kings of Israel was characterized by idolatry
and their disobedience to God. The kings made the Kingdom of Israel to turn
away from God which led to the subsequent downfall of the Kingdom of Israel.
List of the Kings of Israel
The list of the kings of Israel who ruled over the Northern Kingdom of Israel after the nation of Israel was divided into two kingdoms around 931 BC is given below. The following chart gives the details regarding the 20 kings from Jeroboam I to Hoshea who ruled from 931 - 722 BC until the people of Israel were defeated by the Assyrians and exiled to the Assyrian country in upper Mesopotamia. To know more details about each of the kings given in the chart refer to the Bible reference given against each of the kings. (Click the chart to enlarge it or to download it).
The Exile of Israel
The Kingdom of Israel or the Northern Kingdom,
existed as an independent state until 731 B.C. when it was conquered by the
Assyrian Empire. In the ninth year of King Hoshea's reign, the king of Assyria Tiglath-Pileser
III (Pul) and Shalmaneser V captured the Kingdom of Israel and took the
Israelites to the Assyrian Kingdom in upper Mesopotamia (modern Syria and
Iraq). This marked the end of the Kingdom of Israel. In 724 BC, nearly ten
years after the initial deportations, the capital city
of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, Samaria, was finally taken by Sargon II. The
tribes exiled by Assyria later became known as the “Ten Lost Tribes of Israel.”
At first, they were known as the “diaspora”, which is a common name for the
Jewish people who live away from their land. Eventually, the northern tribes
became the “lost sheep of the House of Israel.”
An Assyrian soldier waving a
mace escorts four deportees with sacks over their shoulders. (From the
Southwest Palace of Tiglath-Pileser III at Nimrud, ca. 730-727 B.C.E.) British Museum
The ten
tribes of the Northern Kingdom were never able to return to Israel and rebuild
their homeland. The Assyrians brought Gentiles to
live in the land of Israel and fill it. Few of the Israelites who had stayed
back in the area married the gentiles the Assyrians brought in to settle the
land. These people and their generations were called as Samaritans and were
considered as outcast by the Jewish people. This could be understood from Jesus
Christ’s interaction with the Samaritan woman in the New Testament (John
4:1-42). The northern Kingdom of Israel never regained its power as a nation.
Kingdom of Judah
The tribes of Benjamin and Judah formed the
Kingdom of Judah. The holy city of Jerusalem remained
the capital of the Kingdom of Judah. Rehoboam, King Solomon’s son became
the first King of the Judah Kingdom. David’s descendants continued as
the Kings of Judah. Though many of its Kings were faithful to God, other Kings
like Manasseh, did things to make God angry.
List of the Kings of Judah
The list of the kings of Judah who ruled over the Southern Kingdom of Judah after the nation of Israel was divided into two kingdoms around 931 BC is given below. The following chart gives the details regarding the 20 kings from Rehoboam to Zedekiah who ruled from 931 - 586 BC until the people of Judah were defeated by the Babylonians and exiled to the Babylonian province in lower Mesopotamia. To know more details about each of the kings given in the chart refer to the Bible reference given against each of the kings. (Click the chart to enlarge it or to download it).
The Exile of Judah
The Kingdom of Judah (or Southern Kingdom) existed
as an independent state from 931 BC until c. 586 B.C. when it was destroyed by
the Babylonian Empire. Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, began his siege of
Jerusalem in 605 BC during the reign of King Jehoiakim. This resulted in the
capture of Jerusalem and King Jehoiakim was forced to pay tribute to
Nebuchadnezzar. After few years Jehoiakim refused to pay further tribute, which
led to another siege of the city and eventual capture of Jerusalem. Jehoiakim
was killed and Jeconiah (also called as Jehoiachin and Coniah), his son was
made the king. But he ruled only for three months and 10 days. Nebuchadnezzar
took king Jeconiah, his court and other prominent citizens (including the
prophet Ezekiel) back to Babylon. He also plundered Jerusalem and took valuable
articles from the Temple to Babylon. Jehoiakim's uncle Zedekiah was appointed
king in the place of Jeconiah.
The Babylonian Chronicle for
the years 605-594 BC describes Nebuchadnezzar’s campaign against Jerusalem in
597 BC. Photo
Credit: British Museum
Prophet Jeremiah spoke to
King Zedekiah in the name of the Lord and warned him to repent of his sins. Despite
God's warnings, Zedekiah revolted against Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar, king of
Babylon, returned and besieged Jerusalem and exhausted it by sword, famine, and
plague, resulting in the city's fall and destruction in 586 BC. Nebuchadnezzar
destroyed the city wall and the Temple, along with the houses of the most
prominent citizens. King Zedekiah was blinded and taken to Babylon (Lower
Mesopotamia in modern day Iran and Iraq). with many others to live out the
remainder of his life. Judah became a Babylonian province, called Yehud
Medinata (Judah Province). This marked the end of the independent Kingdom of
Judah.
Return of the Judean exiles
But the Babylonian reign did not last for long.
The Babylon empire was attacked and defeated by the Persian
king Cyrus the Great in 538 BC. King Cyrus the Great ended the exile of
the Jewish people in 537 BC, the year after he conquered Babylon. He issued
a decree granting them permission to return to the land of Israel and rebuild
the Temple (Second Temple 521-516 BC) under Zerubbabel. The exiled
Jews began to return to the land of Judah after a 70 year exile. The return
of the exiles of Judah was not a single event and happened over many
years. Many of the exiled Jews decided not to return and stayed back in Babylon.
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The books of Ezra and Nehemiah in the Holy Bible have
carefully recorded the details about the return of the exiled Jewish
people to the land of Israel. Zerubbabel (Ezra chapters 1-6) led the
earliest return, dated approximately 537 BC, and Ezra and Nehemiah led the later
group of the people of Judah who returned to Jerusalem (Ezra chapters 7-10).
These groups who returned rebuilt the Jerusalem Temple that was destroyed by
the Babylonians. It was called the Second Temple. The people of Judah under the
leadership of Nehemiah also rebuilt the Jerusalem wall, in spite of many
oppositions, which is recorded in the book of Nehemiah. Unlike the people of
the Kingdom of Judah, the ten tribes of the Northern Kingdom of Israel exiled
by the Assyrians were never able to return to their homeland and became known
as the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel.
Ø The
chronology of the kings of Israel and Judah is from Edwin R. Thiele’s book, “The
Mysterious Numbers of the Hebrew Kings.” Most of the Biblical scholars. subsequently have adopted his chronological
scheme with a few modifications. The basic gist of Thiele’s reconstruction of
the chronology of the Kings is that Judah and Israel used different calendars.
Israel used a calendar year that began in Nisan (spring). The years were
numbered from 1 starting with the year each king became king. Judah began its
calendar years in Tishri (fall). The years were numbered from 1 starting with
the first full year after each king became king. (3)
Ø The
problem of Old Testament chronology is complicated by various factors:
1) Some of the numbers and information given in
the Holy Bible are symbolic
2) Different systems of dating were used in
different time periods and also different date references are at times given in
different portions of Scripture
3) Difficulty in transferring and obtaining
information while converting lunar dates into solar dates
4) Different methods of figuring the regnal
years of kings and possibility of co-regencies of kings
All
of these factors make figuring out the chronology of the Israelite kings difficult.
The purpose of these chronologies is only to provide a general relative time
frame of Old Testament events to aid in Biblical study and interpretation. Hence
these dates are not absolute, and could change if new archaeological evidences
are obtained.
Note to teachers:
The list of kings, charts etc are given only for
information and reference. Please do not make the children memorise such kind
of details in this lesson or any other lessons. The Sunday School teacher’s
duty is to impress the take home message from each of these lessons and to make
the children understand how each of these events relate to the arrival of the
Messiah and their relevance in the establishment of the Kingdom of God. Prioritize
and emphasize memorization of Bible verses only.
Reference:
(1) Rehoboam. The International Standard Bible
Encyclopedia, Orr J., et al. (Eds.), 1844-1913 ed. Copyright, 1939, by Wm. B.
Eerdmans Publishing Co.
(2) Clarke, Adam. "Commentary on 1 Kings
12". "The Adam Clarke Commentary".
https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/acc/1-kings-12.html. 1832.
(3) Jackson, J. G. (2009). Synopsis of the Old
Testament (1 Ki 11:43).
Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
Bible Reference: The Books
of I & II Samuel, I & II Kings, I & II Chronicles, Book of Jeremiah
Memory Verse: Blessed
be the name of God forever and ever, For wisdom and might are His. And He
changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings;
He gives wisdom to the wise And knowledge to those who have understanding.
(Daniel 2:20, 21 NKJV)
ASSESSMENT ACTIVITIES
Fill in the blanks:
1. The
ten northern tribes of Israel made ………………………. their king.
2. The holy
city of ……………………… remained the capital of the Kingdom of Judah.
3. Prophet ………………………
spoke to King Zedekiah in the name of the Lord and warned him to repent of his
sins.
4. Persian king ……………….. ended the exile of the Jewish people in 537 BC.
Give short answers:
1. Name
the two kingdoms of divided Israel and the tribes that formed them.
2. Why
did King Jeroboam establish two golden calves in the nation of Israel?
3. Who
are the Samaritans?
4. How did King Nebuchadnezzar destroy Jerusalem in 586 BC?
Answer in brief:
1. Why
did the Nation of Israel divide into the Northern Kingdom and the Southern
Kingdom.
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