Solomon is my favorite character in the Book for many reasons, but one of them is his wonderful humanity. He is the epitome of what it means to be human. He is said to be the wisest man in the history of the People of Israel. It is said that the only request Solomon had of God was to give him Wisdom and Yahweh heaped it on in bucket loads. Yet, all that wisdom became a curse in Solomon's older years as his desire for knowledge and peace led him to allow foreign wives to bring their pagan practices to the Kingdom of Yahweh. Because of this transgression Yahweh's blessing is removed from the Kingdom and after Solomon's death ten tribes of the north have split leaving Judah and Jerusalem under the control of one king and the Northerners with another. According to the Book Yahweh's covenant with David remains steadfast as there is still an heir on the throne in Judah and the Temple of Yahweh remains under the control of the House of David.
Judah and Israel
The southern kingdom of Judah is comprised of the tribe of Judah as well as the remaining Benjaminites and is the home of the Temple of Yahweh built by King Solomon and remains a place of worship no matter who is on the throne. While there were few of them, there were kings that tried to be faithful to Yahweh.
The Northern Kingdom of Israel rebelled against the god of Israel under the reign of their first king Jeroboam. The Northern Kingdom is full of usurpers and power grabs and military coups. Despite the wicked rulers of the kingdom there were prophets of Yahweh that spoke on His behalf in the Northern Kingdom.
930-913 B.C. Rehoboam was the first king of Judah and is the one that began the split after Solomon's death. When a Hebrew rebel named Jeroboam, from the tribe of Ephraim, hears of the death of the king he leaves Egypt and heads north to win the people outside of the territory of Judah. At the same time Rehoboam receives ill advice to oppress the northerners further, and who already feel like they are treated badly, which only pushes them further onto Jeroboam's side.
930-909 B.C. Jeroboam wins the northern people to his side and they push out the monarchy of Judah to the edge of their territory. Jeroboam is now the ruler of ten tribes of the twelve tribes of Israel. Ten different tribes all full of their own internal issues and problems. Now that Judah is a separate entity Jeroboam worries that the people will travel to Jerusalem to worship at the Temple and slowly loose their affection for the Northern Monarchy. To avert this Jeroboam commits the act that leads all of his successors to their demise. He builds golden calves to be worshiped in his Kingdom so the people have a place to sacrifice at. This angers Yahweh and the prophet Ahijah delivers a condemnation upon the house of Jeroboam beginning with the death of his child Abijah.
913-910 B.C. Abijam, the son of Rehoboam, takes the throne. He goes to war with the Northern kingdom of Jeroboam, and just before battle Abijam stands on a Mt. Zemaraim and calls out to Jeroboam condemning him for his idolatry and turning away from Yahweh. When Jeroboam out maneuvers him and ambushes him Abijam calls out to Yahweh for deliverance and is given victory. He gains more power, but only reigns for three years before dying in 910 B.C.
909-908 B.C. After the death of Jeroboam, allegedly by Yahweh in human form, his son Nadab takes the throne. Nadab reigns for one year and while he was besieging a city in the territory of Dan under Philistine occupation a man Baasha from the tribe of Issachar conspired to overthrow him. Baasha murders Nadab and the entire house of Jeroboam, fulfilling the prophecy of Ahijah.
910-869 B.C. The grandson of Rehoboam takes the throne, but his grandmother Maachah is still known as Queen Mother to the people. Furthermore she is a foreigner who has introduced the worship of the goddess of her people to the people of Judah. However, Asa is faithful to Yahweh and remembers the covenant of his Fathers. He begins to enact reforms into the land to bring people back to the ways of the Law. In his 15th year as king Judah was invaded by the Cushites, but with the help of Yahweh and the faith of Asa the enemy is defeated despite overwhelming odds. Asa gathers the people of Judah and Benjamin and declares a festival in honor of Yahweh and reaffirms the covenant made with King David. He also takes away the title of Queen Mother from Maachah because of a Asherah pole she had made. He cuts it down and burns it. Despite his reform and dedication to Yahweh he is still unsuccessful at fully removing the pagan idols from the lands. Then, a few months later when confronted with war with Baasha, Asa lacks faith in Yahweh and relies on a treaty with the king of Syria to achieve victory. Because of this lack of faith Yahweh uses the prophet Hanani to warn Asa that his lack of faith has ended the peace time of his land. In 872 B.C. his feet become diseased and he names his son Jehoshaphat as successor.
908-885 B.C. After murdering king Nadab and wiping out the house of Jeroboam Baasha continued in the ways of his predecessors and encouraged the worshiping of the false idols made by Jeroboam. Because of this Yahweh sends a prophet named Jehu to tell Baasha that although Yahweh gave him a chance he had failed. He would suffer the same fate as the family of Jeroboam. In 894 B.C. Baasha enters into war with the southern king, Asa, and takes control of territory close to Jerusalem. He doesn't know that his ally the king of Syria has just switched allegiance to his enemy, Asa, and when confronted by Syrian soldiers Baasha retreats.
885-884 B.C. In fulfillment of Jehu's prophecy the son of Baasha doesn't last long. When Baasha dies his son Elah takes the throne, but it doesn't take long for another conspiracy to develop. in 884 military leader named Zimri confronts Elah while he's drunk in the home of his steward and kills him. He destroys the entire family of Baasha in fulfillment of Jehu's prophecy. However, his reign doesn't last long. When the troops of Israel hear about the murder of their king they stop what their doing, select a leader among them named Omri as the true king, and set out to take the throne from Zimri. After seven days of being king Zimri sees the troops coming for him and kills himself by setting the palace on fire and burning with it.
884-874 B.C. After these events there is confusion and mayhem in the land of Israel. Half the territory is allied with the military leader, Omri, while the other half allied with a man named Tibni. In the end the followers of Omri prevailed and in the 31st year of king Asa's rule in Judah Omri became king of the North, Israel. He established Israeli rule over the land of Samaria and took over the territory of the Moabites forcing them to pay heavy tribute that lasted for forty years. Omri continued down the same path as his predecessors worshiping idols and foreign gods until his death in 874.
Judah and Israel
The southern kingdom of Judah is comprised of the tribe of Judah as well as the remaining Benjaminites and is the home of the Temple of Yahweh built by King Solomon and remains a place of worship no matter who is on the throne. While there were few of them, there were kings that tried to be faithful to Yahweh.
The Northern Kingdom of Israel rebelled against the god of Israel under the reign of their first king Jeroboam. The Northern Kingdom is full of usurpers and power grabs and military coups. Despite the wicked rulers of the kingdom there were prophets of Yahweh that spoke on His behalf in the Northern Kingdom.
930-913 B.C. Rehoboam was the first king of Judah and is the one that began the split after Solomon's death. When a Hebrew rebel named Jeroboam, from the tribe of Ephraim, hears of the death of the king he leaves Egypt and heads north to win the people outside of the territory of Judah. At the same time Rehoboam receives ill advice to oppress the northerners further, and who already feel like they are treated badly, which only pushes them further onto Jeroboam's side.
930-909 B.C. Jeroboam wins the northern people to his side and they push out the monarchy of Judah to the edge of their territory. Jeroboam is now the ruler of ten tribes of the twelve tribes of Israel. Ten different tribes all full of their own internal issues and problems. Now that Judah is a separate entity Jeroboam worries that the people will travel to Jerusalem to worship at the Temple and slowly loose their affection for the Northern Monarchy. To avert this Jeroboam commits the act that leads all of his successors to their demise. He builds golden calves to be worshiped in his Kingdom so the people have a place to sacrifice at. This angers Yahweh and the prophet Ahijah delivers a condemnation upon the house of Jeroboam beginning with the death of his child Abijah.
913-910 B.C. Abijam, the son of Rehoboam, takes the throne. He goes to war with the Northern kingdom of Jeroboam, and just before battle Abijam stands on a Mt. Zemaraim and calls out to Jeroboam condemning him for his idolatry and turning away from Yahweh. When Jeroboam out maneuvers him and ambushes him Abijam calls out to Yahweh for deliverance and is given victory. He gains more power, but only reigns for three years before dying in 910 B.C.
909-908 B.C. After the death of Jeroboam, allegedly by Yahweh in human form, his son Nadab takes the throne. Nadab reigns for one year and while he was besieging a city in the territory of Dan under Philistine occupation a man Baasha from the tribe of Issachar conspired to overthrow him. Baasha murders Nadab and the entire house of Jeroboam, fulfilling the prophecy of Ahijah.
910-869 B.C. The grandson of Rehoboam takes the throne, but his grandmother Maachah is still known as Queen Mother to the people. Furthermore she is a foreigner who has introduced the worship of the goddess of her people to the people of Judah. However, Asa is faithful to Yahweh and remembers the covenant of his Fathers. He begins to enact reforms into the land to bring people back to the ways of the Law. In his 15th year as king Judah was invaded by the Cushites, but with the help of Yahweh and the faith of Asa the enemy is defeated despite overwhelming odds. Asa gathers the people of Judah and Benjamin and declares a festival in honor of Yahweh and reaffirms the covenant made with King David. He also takes away the title of Queen Mother from Maachah because of a Asherah pole she had made. He cuts it down and burns it. Despite his reform and dedication to Yahweh he is still unsuccessful at fully removing the pagan idols from the lands. Then, a few months later when confronted with war with Baasha, Asa lacks faith in Yahweh and relies on a treaty with the king of Syria to achieve victory. Because of this lack of faith Yahweh uses the prophet Hanani to warn Asa that his lack of faith has ended the peace time of his land. In 872 B.C. his feet become diseased and he names his son Jehoshaphat as successor.
908-885 B.C. After murdering king Nadab and wiping out the house of Jeroboam Baasha continued in the ways of his predecessors and encouraged the worshiping of the false idols made by Jeroboam. Because of this Yahweh sends a prophet named Jehu to tell Baasha that although Yahweh gave him a chance he had failed. He would suffer the same fate as the family of Jeroboam. In 894 B.C. Baasha enters into war with the southern king, Asa, and takes control of territory close to Jerusalem. He doesn't know that his ally the king of Syria has just switched allegiance to his enemy, Asa, and when confronted by Syrian soldiers Baasha retreats.
885-884 B.C. In fulfillment of Jehu's prophecy the son of Baasha doesn't last long. When Baasha dies his son Elah takes the throne, but it doesn't take long for another conspiracy to develop. in 884 military leader named Zimri confronts Elah while he's drunk in the home of his steward and kills him. He destroys the entire family of Baasha in fulfillment of Jehu's prophecy. However, his reign doesn't last long. When the troops of Israel hear about the murder of their king they stop what their doing, select a leader among them named Omri as the true king, and set out to take the throne from Zimri. After seven days of being king Zimri sees the troops coming for him and kills himself by setting the palace on fire and burning with it.
884-874 B.C. After these events there is confusion and mayhem in the land of Israel. Half the territory is allied with the military leader, Omri, while the other half allied with a man named Tibni. In the end the followers of Omri prevailed and in the 31st year of king Asa's rule in Judah Omri became king of the North, Israel. He established Israeli rule over the land of Samaria and took over the territory of the Moabites forcing them to pay heavy tribute that lasted for forty years. Omri continued down the same path as his predecessors worshiping idols and foreign gods until his death in 874.
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