Easy Explanation of the Northern Kingdom and the Southern Kingdom
Introduction:
As King David's reign ends, and the crown of Israel's leadership passes on to David's son Solomon, the status of the Israelite nation can be described as unified. In fact, the first eleven chapters of 1st Kings are set within a unified kingdom ruled by Solomon. Solomon's rule over Israel starts strong, invoking wisdom from Yahweh and assuming great wealth as a favored king of the protagonist, but like previous monarchs before, Solomon falls victim to his own human folly. Starting with Solomon's downfall, the reader observes the Kingdom of Israel spiraling downhill to the point of full division between the Southern and Northern Kingdoms. To better understand the 'nature' of the divided Kingdom of Israel, the reader must first examine the folly of Solomon as well as the downfall's lasting influence on the kingships to follow. Likewise, an in-depth exploration of the characteristics of both the Southern and Northern Kingdoms, will help the reader grasp the true nature Israel's divided kingdom.
Solomon's Folly:
Solomon's reign as King of Israel begins in grand fashion. In chapter 3, Solomon is shown as a spiritually proactive king asking for wisdom from the protagonist. "Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern your great people" (1 Kings 3:9 ESV) Finding favor in Yahweh's eyes, Solomon quickly establishes a unified kingdom, secures great wealth, and is characterized as the wisest man in all of the lands. Solomon erects the temple in Jerusalem in chapter 6, fulfilling the promise between Yahweh and David in the text of Samuel. Moreover, Solomon houses the ark within the temple, establishing the protagonist's presence in a permanent dwelling of Yahweh's choosing. From chapter 3 to 10, the reader witnesses the 'golden era' of Solomon's kingship. On the other hand, as seen within each proceeding monarch, Solomon's spiritually unified kingdom quickly comes falling down around the king. The nature of Solomon's fall from kingship shows how the text is considered to be associated with the theology of the Deuteronomistic School. David Malik defines the Deuteronomistic school as "A late eighth or early seventh century school which aligned itself with Judah and the reforms of Josiah (640-608 B.C.) and extended through the exilic period writing historical works supports the principles in Deuteronomy (a late book written for Josiah's reforms)." The influence of Deuteronomistic principles on the events surrounding Solomon's downfall are evident early in chapter 11. "Now King Solomon loved many foreign women, along with the daughter of Pharaoh: Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite women…which the LORD said to the people of Israel, "You shall not enter into marriage with them, neither shall they with you, for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods." (1 Kings 11:1-2 ESV) Solomon clings to the very women that the protagonist has directly stated to stay away from, and in his old age takes to worshiping false gods such as Ashtoreth, Milcom, and Molech. These actions brought on by Solomon's lusting human fallibility, act as cornerstone of Solomon's separation from the ways of his father, David, as well as the initial splinter between the nation of Israel and Yahweh's bond.
Ron Graham makes the case that Solomon's numerous forbidden wives and concubines was only one part of a three-headed fall into sin and sorrow. Graham gives each account of Solomon's fall:
- Gold and silver: Solomon accumulated enormous quantities of silver and gold (1Kings 10:14-21,27).
- Thousands of horses: Solomon's stock and trade in horses from Egypt was huge (1Kings 10:26,28-29).
- A thousand wives: Solomon had 700 wives, the daughters of foreign kings, and 300 concubines (1Kings 11:1-3).
Graham goes on to point out the binding parallels between Solomon's actions and the 'laws of the kings' in Deuteronomy, writing, "To link the curious facts above with Solomon's downfall, we regress to the time in the wilderness. In the law given Moses, God anticipated the desire of the future nation to have a king. God made a law for every king (Deuteronomy 17:14-20)." Graham follows by presenting the linking parallels as such:
- "The king shall not multiply horses for himself, nor shall he cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses…"
- "Neither shall he multiply wives for himself lest his heart turn away…"
- "Nor shall he greatly multiply silver and gold for himself…"
- "When the king sits on the throne… he shall write for himself a copy of this law on a scroll… And it shall be with him, and he shall read it all the days of his life… carefully observing all the words of this law… that he may not turn aside from the commandment"
Graham's commentary gives the reader a detailed account of how Solomon's actions as king grew out of mediocracy and flowered into full-blown greed, whether dealing with precious metals, equestrian stock, or misleading relationships. Moreover, the reader notices how the flaws of human nature once again drive a wedge of separation, not only between the protagonist and Israel's king, but between Yahweh and the Israelite Nation as a whole. Failure to act obediently in regards to Yahweh's commands and covenant law go hand-in-hand with Solomon's fall from kingship and Israel's proceeding fall as a nation.
Yahweh's Reaction to Solomon's Fall:
The protagonist's tone when addressing the disobedience of Solomon expresses the magnitude of Yahweh's disapproval. "Therefore the LORD said to Solomon, "Since this has been your practice and you have not kept my covenant and my statues that I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom from you and will give it to your servant." (1 Kings 11:11 ESV) From this point on, the reader notices a repeating cycle of Yahweh raising up adversaries from around the kingdom that act as enemies of Solomon till his death. Yahweh's announcement that Solomon would be proceeded by a 'servant' and not his blood, shifts the narrative to resemble the realism of Saul's fall in Samuel, insecurity, jealousy, and murderous intentions. In the last days of Solomon's life, the king is portrayed as seeking to kill his servant, Jeroboam. Jeroboam flees to Egypt until Solomon's death, only to come back as a key figure of rebellion within the nation of Israel. Yahweh's stern foreshadowing of the upcoming loss of unity within a faulty nation becomes the turning-point that leads Israel into centuries of divided unrest.
Division of a Nation:
King Rehoboam's ensuing reign as the king of Israel brings with it no signs of relief in sight; moreover, the reader is now faced with a dissecting a succession narrative. Ryken explains the idea of the succession narrative in a commentary on 1st Kings chapter 12, writing, "Rehoboam is the rightful heir to the throne of David and Solomon. Like them, he must choose between wisdom and folly, either following God's way or his own way. The wise old men of Israel advise him to be a servant leader…Rehoboam senselessly follows the foolish advice of his peers and crudely threatens Israel with harsh servitude." (Ryken 481) Rehoboam's folly symbolizes the weakness of a human king as tyrannical to the point of ignorance of his true role of the king of Israel. Unlike Solomon, who did initially ask for the protagonist's wisdom, Rehoboam's character shows no personal relationship with Yahweh. Rehoboam gives his ear to of foolish men, and quickly makes foolish decisions in the king's address to the nation of Israel. "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." (1 Kings 12:14 ESV) The new kingship of Israel threatens heavy burden and death upon the nation, and the combination quickly leads to revolt as Rehoboam's taskmaster is stoned. The folly of one man strikes Israel hard enough to drive a civil wedge between the 'House of David', tribes of Benjamin and Judah, in the south and the remaining 10 tribes of the north. An article by Berel Wein examines the initial division of Israel, writing, "It only took a few years after the death of Solomon (I Kings 11:43) for the Jewish kingdom to divide and become two irrevocably separate kingdoms. The ten northern tribes made their own government and were called Israel with their capital the city of Samaria. The two southern tribes, Judah and Benjamin, remained loyal to the House of David centered in Jerusalem. They became known and the kingdom of Judea (from whence the word "Jew" was eventually derived)." As the split develops, the reader is now faced with a dual monarchy in the land of Israel, Rehoboam as king of the Southern Kingdom and Solomon's prophesized servant, Jeroboam, as king of the Northern Kingdom. As with Solomon's folly, the reader can find parallels in Rehoboam's folly from early biblical text. In Samuel's address to the Israelites on the negative aspects of a human king in 1st Samuel 8:10-18, verses 17-18 read, "He will take the tenth of your flocks, and you shall be his slave. And in that day you will cry out because of your king, whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the LORD will not answer you in that day." (ESV) Samuel's prophetic words become a reality as Israel is crippled by the division of a tyrannical king; moreover, the lack of relation displayed in the text between Yahweh and Israel points to a spiritual division as well as a civil division.
Nature of the Northern Kingdom:
After Shemaiah helps advert civil war at Shechem, Jeroboam remains in the ancient city until finally setting up in Penuel. Jeroboam's first concern as the king of the Northern Kingdom is that the people will "turn back to the house of David" (1 Kings 13:26 ESV), and devises to build two golden calves, much in the fashion of Aaron at Mt. Horeb, to divert the tribes sacrificial longing. Jeroboam systematically constructs festivals and sacrificial blessings that directly mock and mimic the rituals of the temple. John T. Stevenson elaborates on Jeroboam's actions:
"Jeroboam came up with an alternative plan of worship. It was a plan which appealed to convenience. The plan was for two centers of worship to be set up within the Northern Kingdom. They would be located at the extreme northern and southern borders of the kingdom.
- Bethel ("House of God"). This was the place where Jacob had his vision of a ladder reaching to heaven (Genesis 28:11-19). It was located a mere 12 miles north of Jerusalem and sat atop a bare mountaintop.
- Dan. The tribe of Dan had originally been given an allotment of land between Judah, Ephraim and Benjamin. This had proven to be uncomfortably close to the Philistines and in the days of the judges they migrated northward to the area north of the Sea of Galilee on the slopes of Mount Hermon (Judges 18). Capturing the Canaanite city of Laish, they renamed it Dan and made it their religious center with their own Levitical priesthood descended from Moses (Judges 18:30).
At each of these two locations there was erected a golden calf. Perhaps it was reasoned that such a means of worship had been instituted by Aaron at Mount Sinai. In actuality, both Aaron and Jeroboam had borrowed this calf worship from Egypt where the sacred cow was the symbol of the goddess Hathor."
The first dynasty of the Northern Kingdom brings with it a lasting stain that comes to label the north during the divided kingdom, a people of false gods. On his death-bead, Yahweh judges Jeroboam by comparing him to David, saying, "…yet you have not been like David, who kept my commandments and followed me with all of his heart, doing only that which was right in my eyes, but you have done evil above all who were before you and have gone and made for yourself other gods and metal images." (1 Kings 14:8-9 ESV) The struggle of abstaining from false gods and idols defines the spiritual nature of the Northern Kingdom.
The second and third dynasties begin a repeating cycle of short lived kingships in the Northern Kingdom, framed in assassination and suicide. Jeroboam's son Nadab reigns only 2 years and follows in his father's ways of idolatry and false gods (1 Kings 15:25-26). The reign of King Baasha is short-lived as he is quickly assassinated by his servant Zimri. Stevenson quickly summarizes the rule of Elah, writing, "Baasha's son was a drunk and Israel floundered without a leader. Elah was quickly assassinated by one of his captains who took the throne in his place." The reader quickly realizes that the murderer of the last two monarchs is now the king, as Zimiri takes leadership. Stevenson adds to the profile of Zimiri, saying, "Zimri was the captain who murdered his drunken king. He made a grab for the throne and managed to hold on to it for seven days. In those seven days, he murdered everyone from the house of Baasha. When news of Elah's death reached the Israelite army that was involved in a campaign with the Philistines, the army declared that their commanding general, Omri, should be their new king. Zimri heard of this and committed suicide." Progressively, from Nadab to Ahab, the actions of the Kings of the Northern Kingdom become worse and worse. Ahab and Ahaziah even become worshipers of Baal, showing that the sins of the first dynasty were still a strong force during the third dynasty. Over the course of time, the reader encounters a revolving lineage of kingships devoted to murder, false gods, assassination, and the continued decay of the Northern Kingdom.
Nature of the Southern Kingdom:
A small amount of time was spent previously on the evolution of kingship in the Southern Kingdom, or Judah. Stevenson describes Rehoboam's as "…one of good beginnings but poor endings. It is a pattern which we shall see repeated in a number of the kings of Judah. It began with Solomon. And now it is seen in his son." Though Rehoboam keeps the capitol in Jerusalem, Yahweh's choice of dwelling, the sins of Solomon quickly become apparent, not only in Rehoboam, but in the entirety of Judah. Furthermore, an invasion by Egypt's King crippled the pride and wealth of Judah. "In the fifth year of Rehoboam, Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem. He took away the treasures of the house of the LORD and the treasures of the king's house." (1 Kings 14:25-26 ESV) Egypt strikes a hard blow to the Southern Kingdom, a Bible History Online article says of the invasion, "Judah never recovered from the sudden loss of her national wealth. Because her land was not as fertile as that of the northern kingdom of Israel, Judah never enjoyed the same degree of prosperity." The reader develops a picture of the Southern Kingdom as fragile and unguided. This frail nature is not contained only to nationalistic pride and economy, as the kingdom is also in a state of spiritual ruin. Stevenson points out sinful nature of early Judah:
- High Places: It was the custom throughout the entire fertile crescent to conduct worship in a "high place." The origin of this practice may go back all the way to the Tower of Babel.
- Sacred Pillars: This is different from a support pillar or column. This is an obelisk. They were used by the Canaanites as fertility symbols.
- Asherim: An Asherah was a tree which was used for worship. Asherim (plural) were an entire grove of such trees.
- Male Cult Prostitutes: A part of the pagan worship involved homosexual acts within the places of worship. It was thought that participation in such actions would incite the various gods who ruled over the wind and the rain to participate and thus bring fertility to the land.
Abijam follows as the heir to the throne of Judah, and much like his father is hasty when it comes to following Yahweh's commands and statutes. Abijam is killed in an ensuing battle with Jeroboam, setting stage for a reformation period in the Southern Kingdom of Judah.
The first 'reformation' period in the Judah begins under the reign of King Asa. 1st Kings 15:11-12 describe the reformed king, stating, "And Asa did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, as David his father had done. He put away male cult prostitutes out of the land and removed all the idols that his fathers had made." Asa goes on to remove his mother from being queen because of her worshiping of Asherah, and makes a treaty with the Syrian king, like his fathers before him. Asa's rule is characterized by religious reform, military reform, and renewal of treaties. Asa, like the monarchs before him, falls tragically to the repercussions of his own fallibility. Asa's main folly came by stripping the temple of its treasures to secure the help of the Syrian King in invading the north. Asa put his faith in the power of a foreign power instead of Yahweh, Stevenson explains, "For relying upon a Syrian alliance instead of upon Yahweh, Asa was rebuked by the prophet Hanani. Instead of repenting, Asa responded by throwing Hanani into prison. As a result, the Lord afflicted him with political unrest and with a disease which affected his feet. Even then, he refused to return to the Lord." Though Asa starts as a 'poster-boy' of the Davidic lineage, human nature slowly drives Asa away from the protagonist during the end of his reign. With Asa's death, the reader is left only with mention of the proceeding king, Jehoshaphat. 1st Kings leaves the reader with a mixed view on the Southern Kingdom of Judah, wondering if the monarchs to come will continue to move back towards a relationship with Yahweh and reunite Israel. This subject is explored in the text of the Norther Kingdom, and later elaborated on in 2nd Kings. For now, the reader is left with a shadowy outlook on the future of Judah; furthermore, the nature of the divided Southern Kingdom is seen as fragile, teetering between destruction and reform.
Conclusion:
The text of 1st Kings offers the reader an intimate look into a nation on the brink of collapse. From Solomon's folly, a downward spiraling cycle is portrayed as the breaking point of Israel. With Rehoboam's reign as king, a complete split is formed between the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the Southern Kingdom of Judah. The Southern Kingdom is portrayed as spiritually void and without strong central leadership. Idolatry, false god worship, and short tragic kingships come to characterize the nature of division in the north. In the south, the reader is given the record of only three kings. Of the three, only one king, Asa, gives hope for a reformation of the spiritual separation between Yahweh and Judah. A loss of nationalistic pride can also be observed in the character of the Southern Kingdom, as Egypt invades and strips the treasures of Jerusalem. Judah's nature, can best be described as fragile, as the kingdom faces reformation in the midst of adversity. An absence of Yahwism can be used to describe the main fallibility of both kingdoms. Disobedience to Yahweh's commands and statutes stain the beginning of Solomon's fall, and returns repetitively as the true nature of the division of Israel.
By: Bryan Hawk
Source: https://bibleasliteratureotwbryan.wordpress.com/2017/10/22/southern-kingdom-vs-northern-kingdom-how-is-the-nature-of-the-divided-kingdom-portrayed-in-the-text-of-1-kings/
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