The Two Kingdoms

MEMORY VERSE: “Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.” —Proverbs 14:34

I KINGS 12:12-20, 26-29

FOLLOWING the death of Solomon, “Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead.” (I Kings 11:43) Solomon attained a great amount of glory, and riches which were acquired to a considerable extent through excessive taxation of the people. Jeroboam, a mighty man of valor in Solomon’s government, conspired against the king, and was ordered killed. But Jeroboam escaped and fled to Egypt, where he remained until the death of Solomon.

Then Jeroboam returned and rallied a group of Israelites and appeared before Rehoboam, and said to him, “Thy father made our yoke grievous: now therefore make thou the grievous service of thy father, and his heavy yoke which he put upon us, lighter, and we will serve thee.” (I Kings 12:4) Rehoboam told them to come back in three days and he would give them an answer.

Meanwhile Rehoboam consulted the “elder statesmen” of Israel—those who had served under Solomon—as to how he should answer Jeroboam and his followers. These older men advised Rehoboam to accede to their demands. Probably these older men had themselves felt the weight of the burdens Solomon had placed upon the people and had witnessed the dissatisfaction which this had caused.

Then Rehoboam called in a group of young men to get their opinion. These advised that instead of lightening the burden of taxation, he should increase it. They suggested that he should say to Jeroboam, and his followers, “My little finger shall be thicker than my father’s loins. And now whereas my father did lade you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke: my father hath chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.”—I Kings 12:10,11

Rehoboam took the advice of these young men of Israel and, when Jeroboam and his followers returned on the third day, he gave them the answer which his young advisers had suggested. This led to a rebellion in the nation. Ten of the tribes of Israel made Jeroboam their king; and under his leadership broke away from Rehoboam, leaving him only the tribe of Judah. A little later the tribe of Benjamin took sides with Judah.

Thenceforth the children of Israel were divided into two kingdoms—the southern kingdom of Judah, and the northern kingdom of Israel. From the start, the northern kingdom of Israel failed to follow the precepts of the Lord. Jeroboam, the new king, deliberately led them away from the worship of the true God of the Israelites. While the nation was united, Jerusalem was the official place of worship, and to this capital city the people made yearly pilgrimages. Jeroboam reasoned that even his subjects—the ten tribes—would continue going up to Jerusalem to worship, and that this could result in their being drawn away from their allegiance to him. So he had two golden calves made, and set them up, one in Bethel and one in Dan, and thus succeeded in diverting his subjects from going up to Jerusalem to worship, for instead they worshiped the two golden calves. In God’s sight the sin of idolatry was a gross one indeed.

Our memory verse is an appropriate one for the lesson: “Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.” The ten-tribe kingdom of Israel did not practice righteousness; so, instead of being exalted, the kingdom deteriorated. Through all the generations this unholy kingdom lasted there was not a single king who served the Lord. Finally the kingdom was destroyed, and the majority of the people were taken into captivity in Assyria.

All the kings in the two-tribe kingdom of Judah were lineal successors of David. This was the “house” of David. Usually upon the death of a king the people would decide which male of the house of David would be the next king. But unrighteousness continued to predominate, and finally God permitted first Egypt, then Babylon, to take over the kingdom. In 606 B.C. Zedekiah, Judah’s last king, was overthrown, and the people taken captive to Babylon.

QUESTIONS

What brought about the division of Israel into two kingdoms?

What happened to each of the two kingdoms?

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