An Important Time in History - Separation of Judah and Israel
The following is my perception of a very very important Time in History and i.e. the Separation of Judah and Israel.
If you can understand and recognize this Historic Timeline, then you will comprehend some of the confusion and turmoil that we have in so called "organized Christianity".
Why refer to "organized Christianity".? Because "organised Christianity" is linked to "bible writings", and "bible writings" is linked to Israel's history.
1. Judah and Israel were originally One
a. In the History of the Israel (in the beginning there was no separation of Judah and Israel), there was only 1 Israel, and all the people were called Israelites.
b. All the disputes and separation really began when the Israelites wanted a king, just like the other nations. So they asked God for a king and for a kingdom.
c. God obliged and gave them a king, but He warned them about the challenges and consequences that will come. (1 Sam 8:12-22). Saul was their first king.
2. The Great Separation
a. In about the year of the 10 century BCE (or BC, approx. 975 BC), a very important shakening event happened that affected the Israelites. And this event is still affecting them today.
b. This dramatic event is called The Great Separation. It means that the Israelites (original Israel people) were separated into 2 kingdoms, i.e. the kingdoms of Judah and the kingdom of Israel.
c. This event is recorded in 1 Kings 12:16-19
1Kings 12:16 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.
... ...
1Ki 12:19 ... ... So Israel has been in rebellion AGAINST the house of David (Judah) to this day.
3. The Kingdom of Judah and the Kingdom of Israel
a. At that time before the split, there was a great disagreement in Israel about who was to become king over the nation. This was very important to them, because they believed that only their nation of Israel was chosen by God.
b. Rehoboam who is Solomon's son, was the rightful heir to be king, and reigned after Solomon's death. Jeroboam was a servant who rebelled against Solomon.
c. The tribes of Judah and Benjamin, together with the Levites, remained and made Rehoboam their king. The other 10 tribes of Israel made Jeroboam their king.
d. The 10 tribes made the northern land their kingdom (Kingdom of Israel), and the rest took the southern land their kingdom (Kingdom of Judah).
4. The Great Separation was foretold by God
a. This Great Separation was prophesied by God. Read all about it in 1 Kings 11:11-13, 29-39. Important to read to understand.
b. Why did God prophesied about the Separation? It was because of Solomon's sin (1 Kings 11:9) and God was angry with Solomon.
c. At first there were 12 tribes named after the 12 sons of Jacob. Originally they were known collectively as the Kingdom of Israel (before the Great Separation). After the Great Separation, they were known as the Kingdom of Judah (from the tribe of Judah and Benjamin) and the Kingdom of Israel (from the rest of the 10 tribes). There are now 2 different nations, with different kingdoms and different kings. They were no longer united as 1 kingdom.
d. The following is a list of the kings of both kingdoms, before and after the Great Separation.
Kings Before Division of Kingdom
Saul: First King of Israel; son of Kish; father of Ish-Bosheth, Jonathan and Michal.
Ish-Bosheth (or Eshbaal): King of Israel; son of Saul.
David: King of Judah; later of Israel; son of Jesse; husband of Abigail, Ahinoam, Bathsheba, Michal, etc.; father of Absalom, Adonijah, Amnon, Solomon, Tamar, etc.
Solomon: King of Israel and Judah; son of David; father of Rehoboam.
Rehoboam: Son of Solomon; during his reign the kingdom was divided into Judah and Israel.
Kings of Judah (Southern Kingdom)
Rehoboam: First King.
Abijah (or Abijam or Abia): Son of Rehoboam.
Asa: Probably son of Abijah.
Jehoshaphat: Son of Asa.
Jehoram (or Joram): Son of Jehoshaphat; husband of Athaliah.
Ahaziah: Son of Jehoram and Athaliah.
Athaliah: Daughter of King Ahab of Israel and Jezebel; wife of Jehoram; only queen to occupy the throne of Judah.
Joash (or Jehoash): Son of Ahaziah.
Amaziah: Son of Joash.
Uzziah (or Azariah): Son of Amaziah.
Jotham: Regent, later King; son of Uzziah.
Ahaz: Son of Jotham.
Hezekiah: Son of Ahaz; husband of Hephzi-Bah.
Manasseh: Son of Hezekiah and Hephzi-Bah.
Amon: Son of Manasseh.
Josiah (or Josias): Son of Amon.
Jehoahaz (or Joahaz): Son of Josiah.
Jehoiakim: Son of Josiah.
Jehoiachin: Son of Jehoiakim.
Zedekiah: Son of Josiah; kingdom overthrown by Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar.
Kings of Israel (Northern Kingdom)
Jeroboam I: Led secession of Israel.
Nadab: Son of Jeroboam I.
Baasha: Overthrew Nadab.
Elah: Son of Baasha.
Zimri: Overthrew Elah.
Omri: Overthrew Zimri.
Ahab: Son of Omri; husband of Jezebel.
Ahaziah: Son of Ahab.
Jehoram (or Joram): Son of Ahab.
Jehu: Overthrew Jehoram.
Jehoahaz (or Joahaz): Son of Jehu.
Jehoash (or Joash): Son of Jehoahaz.
Jeroboam II: Son of Jehoash.
Zechariah: Son of Jeroboam II.
Shallum: Overthrew Zechariah.
Menahem: Overthrew Shallum.
Pekahiah: Son of Menahem.
Pekah: Overthrew Pekahiah.
Hoshea: Overthrew Pekah; kingdom overthrown by Assyrians under Sargon II.
5. From Brothers to Enemies
a. Once it was 1 nation, now they are 2 nations. Once it was 1 house, now they are 2 houses. Once it was 1 big family, now they are 2 divided families. Once they were a great nation feared by those surrounding. Now they are Enemies of each other.
b. The Old Covenant (or Old Testament) prophets wrote and wept about their separation. The prophets call them people of God but their own pride and desire for political power has resulted in bitter disputes and enmity. These prophets prophesied about the future re-unification of both the northern and southern kingdoms.
c. The southern Kingdom of Judah pride themselves as the righteous Jews, as protectors of God's moral Laws, and guardian of Jerusalem, the place of worship. The northern Kingdom of Israel have their own place of worship, away from Jerusalem, and consider themselves purer keepers of God's laws. These different practices and cultures are still found in modern Israel today.
6. Post-Separation development of Kingdom of Judah and Kingdom of Israel
a. Throughout the rest of the Old Covenant (Old Testament and other extra historical sources), we see the 2 kingdoms fought with each other. They were strong and independent and had 2 different lineage as shown in their history. They had their own kings and even their own prophets!
b. Their political strength did not remain long. Sadly, both the kingdoms of Judah and Israel fell into captivity. Both their kingdoms were captured by different conquerors and at different times. The Babylonian empire captured the kingdom of Judah and the Assyrian empire captured the kingdom of Israel.
c. The Babylonians captured the kingdom of Judah for a period of 70 years. Led by King Nebuchadnezzar, the Babylonians attacked Judah and the city of Jerusalem. In 2 Kings 24, it marks the "beginning of the end" for Judah. The Babylonian Captivity is discussed in the books of Jeremiah, 2 Kings, 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Daniel, and other apocryphal texts.
d. The kingdom of Israel had a worse fate. In 721 BCE, the Assyrians captured their land and took them away for good, until many of the tribes had lost their own identities. You can read about it in 2 Kings 18:5-18; 2 Kings 15:29; 2 Kings 17:5-6. They lost all their inherited lands, and their Judaistic culture was diluted or lost. The Samaritans who are from the kingdom of Israel, were considered as half-breeds, and had always been looked down by the Jews from Judah, to the extent of the Jews calling them "Gentiles".
7. Jesus and the 2 kingdoms
a. At first the dispersion of the 12 tribes to Babylon and Assyria were called the "Diaspora" in Jewish records. This is a common term for those who lived far away from their own land.
b. Eventually the 10 northern tribes of Israel became known as the "lost sheep of the house of Israel". So the next time you read about the lost sheep, you will have a clearer understanding of what the bible writings actually meant. (The writings are actually more bias towards Judah instead of Israel).
8. Jesus talks about re-uniting the 2 kingdoms
a. From the historical and biblical records, we understand that the Messiah had to come from the kingdom of Judah (or the lineage of the house of Judah).
b. It was prophesied that Yeshua (Jesus in Hebrew) will come to bring about the unity. This was written many hundreds of years even before Yeshua was born. During the time of Yeshua, He brought up on many occasions about the tensions and separation between the 2 kingdoms. Some of them in parables and some in direct words.
c. For example, Yeshua brought up the issue of the 2 kingdoms when He was talking to the Samaritan woman at the well. Again Yeshua brought it up again in the "parable of the Good Samaritan".
9. The 2 Kingdoms in the Parable of the Prodigal Son
a. We read of the parable of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15:11-32, and we think it refers to an unbelieving family member coming back in relationship with the Father God. Have you ever consider that Yeshua had another message in the story? Have you looked at it from the perspective of the Context of the Israelites current situation, and their Historical events happening during that time?
b. Have you thought about the mind of their Messiah who wanted to bring to their attention to the situation of the two "brotherly" nations? Instead of speaking about events that will happen more than 2000 years in the future of their lifetime.?
c. In the parable, the younger son asks for his inheritance and departs from his father's house. The older son remained at home, even though he is not in total harmony with the father. There was anger and bitterness within the older son. When the younger son returned home, the older son was not willing to rejoice and celebrate the return of the younger son.
10. Reuniting kingdom of Judah and kingdom of Israel in the Prodigal Son
a. The Older Son is the Southern Kingdom of Judah. Judah had Jerusalem, and had never left the Father. The lineage of the kingship of David and Solomon comes all the way down through the kingdom of Judah. The kingdom of God had always been kept by Judah faithfully.
b. Bible writings and extra-biblical writings tells us that it was the kingdom of Judah who remained closer to God and God's ways, and not the kingdom of Israel. This was achieved through the Pharisaical and Levitical customs. But this does not mean that their hearts were godly. In fact, their hearts were evil and were far from God. Yeshua rebuked the self-righteous Jews on several occasions. Actually the prophet Jeremiah wrote in many writings about the great evil that is in both the the hearts of Judah and Israel.
c. What did the younger son do in the parable? He went out and committed many sins in a foreign country and lost everything before he came back to the father. The Kingdom of Israel was like that. It was the first to go out and did many wrongs, had chosen other gods, and moved in with the foreigners, and lost everything, even their identities, to the extent that the Jews from the kingdom of Judah called them Gentiles.
d. Yeshua is calling the older brother not to be angry and bitter of heart, but to celebrate because their younger brother has returned back to the family. Similarly, the kingdom of Judah should do the same as the kingdom of Israel comes back, in re-uniting back to the family. Yeshua was preparing the hearts of the Jewish people to receive back their brothers with joy and celebration.
e. The northern tribes had been scattered and lost for such a long time. They set up their own places of worship and idols, so that their people will not be lured back to the southern kingdom of Judah for their annual pilgrimage. They were abused in every way, and had everything taken away from them. They had no choice when they were living under the Assyrian captivity.
11. Yeshua re-united the kingdom of Judah and the kingdom of Israel
a. What did Jesus do? He gave His life on the cross to make a way for the "lost sheep of the House of Israel" to be brought back into relationship with the "House of Judah". And thus both re-uniting in relationship with God. Jesus took away the long standing enmity and replaced it with God's love.
Mat 15:24 Jesus answered, “I was sent ONLY to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
b. God wants to re-unite His chosen people. That is His desire for all of Judah and Israel to be returned to His household. It is NOT about YOU or ME.!!! It is about the nation of Israel ONLY.
12. Conclusion
a. That is the gist and summary of the very important time in the history of Israel.
b. Do not read yourself into the stories in the bible writings. It was written NOT to you, but you can use it for your own edification and exhortation.
c. Basically, the many writings in the bible is a historical account of the people of Israel, and not about you or me.
