How Did the Israelites Split into the Nations of Israel and Judah?
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Have you ever watched something fall apart and wondered how it got to that point? Imagine a nation, chosen by God, blessed with his promises, and destined for greatness, suddenly torn in two. We don’t have to imagine it because it happened.
Israel and Judah emerged as two separate nations when the nation of Israel split. Why did this happen? As you will soon discover, there was one simple yet powerful underlying cause that led to it all. This same cause that wreaked havoc in Israel is doing the same today.
Israel and the Seeds of Division
We often think of Israel as always being a unified nation before the split. However, the seeds of division and separation were present following the death of Saul. After he died, we begin to see mention of two separate kings for the nations of Israel and Judah.
“Ish-Bosheth son of Saul was forty years old when he became king over Israel, and he reigned two years. The tribe of Judah, however, remained loyal to David. The length of time David was king in Hebron over Judah was seven years and six months” (2 Samuel 2:10-11).
This division happened because there was a war between the house of Saul and the house of David. It would take over seven years for this war to be resolved and for David to become king over a unified Israel and Judah.
“When all the elders of Israel had come to King David at Hebron, the king made a covenant with them at Hebron before the Lord, and they anointed David king over Israel. David was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned forty years. In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned over all Israel and Judah thirty-three years” (2 Samuel 5:3-5).
After uniting the nation under David, it was God’s desire to keep it that way. However, as you will see, the actions of Solomon, David’s son and heir, prevented that from happening.
Sin Leads to Division
As the leader of God’s people, Solomon had great wisdom. Yet for a man with such wisdom, he lacked judgment in one critical area: he loved many foreign women. God warned Solomon against marrying these foreign women because he knew they would turn his heart towards their gods. Knowing this, the Bible makes one of the most incredible statements about Solomon.
“…Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love” (1 Kings 11:2b).
Solomon ended up having over 700 wives and 300 concubines. I don’t know how he managed all those wives (I’m good with my one), but as God predicted, they turned his heart away from God. Solomon did not remain faithful to God’s commands. With his heart turned towards other gods, he was not fully devoted to the Lord as David was. Because Solomon disobeyed God’s decrees and did not keep the covenant with the Lord, God had to respond.
“So the Lord said to Solomon, ‘Since this is your attitude and you have not kept my covenant and my decrees, which I commanded you, I will most certainly tear the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your subordinates. Nevertheless, for the sake of David your father, I will not do it during your lifetime. I will tear it out of the hand of your son. Yet I will not tear the whole kingdom from him, but will give him one tribe for the sake of David my servant and for the sake of Jerusalem, which I have chosen’” (1 Kings 11:11-13).
As you can see, Israel was split into the nations of Israel and Judah because of Solomon’s unfaithfulness. It was his sin that laid the foundation for the split.
God Raised Up an Adversary
The split did not happen during Solomon’s lifetime, as God promised. In preparation to take the kingdom from Solomon, God raised up adversaries against him, both internally and externally. His primary internal adversary was Jeroboam. God made a promise to Jeroboam through the prophet Ahijah that he would rip the kingdom from Solomon and give him ten tribes to rule over.
Upon Solomon’s death, his son Rehoboam succeeded him as king. However, none of his father’s wisdom seemed to rub off on him. Rehoboam also showed poor judgment in ruling the people. Jeroboam and the people of Israel went to Rehoboam – who was the king of all Israel at this point – to request that he lighten up the harsh labor burden that Solomon had put on them. Instead of listening to their request and to his father’s advisors, he increased the burden. In response, all the Israelites rebelled against Rehoboam and declared Jeroboam their king of Israel.
Rehoboam gathered men from the tribe of Judah and Benjamin to reclaim the kingdom they had lost, but God stopped him. God told Rehoboam that he split the kingdom, so there was no need for him to fight to get it back. From that point forward, there were two nations. Israel, which was the Northern kingdom, and Judah, which was the Southern kingdom.
Israel existed as a nation until 721 BC, when the Assyrians conquered them and took them into captivity. Judah existed as a nation until 587 BC, when the Babylonians conquered them, led by Nebuchadnezzar II, and many were taken into captivity.
Lesson from the Splitting of the Nations
The nation of Israel began with God’s promise to Abraham that he would birth a nation from Abraham’s descendants. God fulfilled that promise. However, the promise fell victim to the only thing that can ever hinder or interfere with God’s plan and promise for your life: sin. Sin was the root cause of the split and downfall of both Israel and Judah.
What you learn from their story is that sin has a high price tag. While sin makes promises, it never fulfills them, and the consequences are usually devastating. As the saying goes, the juice is not worth the squeeze. Sin has ruined and destroyed the promise of many people’s lives throughout the years, and still does it to this day.
The consequences of sin are real, and they often reach far beyond what we initially imagine. As we've seen in this story, God's mercy doesn't always free you from sin’s consequences. Yes, he is gracious and forgiving, but sometimes we must live with the results of our choices. This happened to Solomon.
But here is when God's faithfulness shines brightest. Sin can derail everything, but it cannot overcome God's promises. God could have stripped everything from Solomon. He had every right to because Solomon had turned his heart to other gods. However, he didn’t. Why? God remembered his covenant with David.
“Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever” (2 Samuel 7:16).
This wasn't just about keeping a promise to David, but something far greater. Through the tribe of Judah would come Jesus Christ, the Lion of Judah, the ultimate fulfillment of God's promise. While sin divided a kingdom, Jesus would be the one to restore it. His kingdom can never be torn apart by sin or division. There will only be one king sitting on the throne forever, and that is Jesus.
This proves once and for all that through the twists, turns, sins, and failures of this life, God’s plan will prevail because just like his promise to David, all his promises endure forever.
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