When it came to love, he acted anything but wise. The spiritual reason why the kingdoms split into was that they would not serve God fully. This became why the birthright was not passed to Reuben as the firstborn. The kingdom of Judah was only left to themselves. Your email address will not be published. The Bible and the whole history of the world we live in would look different because the prophecy of going into captivity would not have taken place. In addition, Jacob would adopt both of his children as part of the 12 tribes of Israel. Chemosh, the pagan sun god of war worshipped by the Moabites. This is the clearest explanation of the division I have ever read. Jeroboam, the man who led the revolt from the kingdom Judah, set up his own worship system for the 11 tribes, which essentially made all of the tribe of Levi to return to Judah. The split of the nations. This was the time when Solomon began to fall out of favor with God for his behavior. ReferencesBible Knowledge CommentaryHolman Concise Bible CommentaryKeil and Delitzsch CommentaryWillmington's Complete Guide to Bible Knowledge, God, for the first 355 years the children of Israel lived in. Thank you. Sometimes some of the histories in the Bible escapes some…, Need to Know the Names of the 12 Tribes of…, Studies to Help and Make You a Bible Study Leader…, In this chapter, our species took a detour that…, The seven churches of Revelation described in Revelation chapters…, Chapter 2 of Genesis begins with the report of the…, Genesis Chapter 14 Summary Genesis Chapter 14 Summary outlines some…, Read Updated Version of Genesis Chapter 12 In chapter…, Ezekiel was sent by God to give a message to…, Genesis Chapter 4 Summary Genesis chapter 4 commences with Adam…. This question, why did Israel split into two kingdoms, is one that is not so easy to grasp. Joseph’s lineage also would rule, that is Joseph and Benjamin, which were Joseph’s children, Ephraim and Manasseh. Solomon began to rebel against God. At the return of Jesus, He will bind them together into one branch and make them one nation under Him and under his servant David, as he promised King David. I only wish you had included scripture references. The rulers over God's people were not to multiply women to themselves (verse 17). The king's older advisers, who counselled his father, suggested he listen to the people and lighten their tax load. Rehoboam, at the age of 41, assumes the throne of Israel in 930 B.C. Praise the ALMIGHTY brother Jay; thank you for being here and your comment. Not before the elder, “no, no, no,” therefore Jacob ended up marrying them both. Thank you, Praise God sister Barbara, continue your study in grace and understanding. Answer: Throughout their history in the Promised Land, the children of Israel struggled with conflict among the tribes. var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; Solomon was completely smitten and in love with foreign women (those who were not citizens in Israel). However, God promised that David’s dynasty would continue, albeit over a much smaller kingdom, for the sake of God’s covenant with David and for the sake of Jerusalem, God’s chosen city. js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; God’s reason for the division of the kingdom was definitive: “Because they have forsaken me . His first wife Naamah, married before he ascended the throne, was an Ammonite (1Kings 14:21) who gave birth to Rehoboam. BibleStudyMinistry.com (BSM), believes the Bible is one assimilated account leading and pointing to Jesus the Messiah. elder Peoles thank you for your comment and it is great to meet you! We’re also on Instagram…, Your explanation has been very helpful. Get weekly Bible Lessons emailed to you in video, audio, and in text form. and have not walked in my ways.”. It turned from one kingdom into two. The punishment for such grievous and public sins was to split the ancient kingdom by tearing ten of Israel's tribes away from Solomon's ruling dynasty (1Kings 11:11, 29 - 32). Amen! A pleasure to assist Linda Joy, thank you for being here, many blessings to you and your study group. Question: "Why was Israel divided into the Southern Kingdom and Northern Kingdom?" However, these things were prophesied from the very beginning and have played out. Jeroboam, the man who led the revolt against the kingdom Judah, set up his own worship system for the 11 tribes. When Rehoboam, Solomon’s son, would not lessen the tax burden, 11 tribes left the kingdom of Judah. The break away kingdom of the ten tribes retained the name ISRAEL, whilst the smaller kingdom that remained around Jerusalem was known as JUDAH. This has been helpful WE’RE studying the 12 tribes. She was a deity of sex and fertility that involved licentious rites and worship of the heavens. The king would ultimately mimic other rulers and marry a staggering number of women (700 wives, 300 concubines). It’s always a pleasure to have you. Sign up today! It turned from one kingdom into two. God used the issue of taxation to complete his punishment of the foolish king (1Kings 12:15, 22 - 24). The younger advisers, who grew up with Rehoboam, took for granted the power of the tribes to become independent if they so wished. When Rehoboam, Solomon’s son, would not lessen the tax burden, 11 tribes left the kingdom of Judah. I find this very hard. May the ALMIGHTY continue to increase your understanding. Your Online Bible Study Supplement Source. (function(d, s, id) { js.src = "//forms.aweber.com/form/95/514808195.js"; Continue in grace. This was done because of rebellion towards God. 2 The Main Point Behind this story is the now familiar principle that God punishes unrepented disobedience, and often used the wicked to punish the wicked. Nevertheless, his father-in-law didn’t want to give the younger daughter in marriage. One of the abominable rites of his worship was the sacrifice of children by burning them alive (known as "passing through the fire," see Leviticus 18:21, 20:1 - 5, 2Kings 23:10). He also allowed several enemies to raise up civil unrest against him (1Kings 11:14 - 37), one of which was Jeroboam. Now both of these women produced children for Jacob. We are happy you were edified by the Spirit, continue in grace in Jesus’ name. If we look at it in the physical, we can understand why the kingdom was split into two. Praise the LORD, Richard, let us all continue to grow in knowledge and wisdom from the LORD. Surprisingly, the cause of ancient Israel splitting in two lies at the feet of King Solomon, the man blessed with unmatched wisdom and understanding at the start of his reign (1Kings 3:4 - 9, 2Chronicles 1:3 - 10)! Josephus, the first century Jewish historian, also asserts he not only financially supported but also worshipped the foreign gods of his wives (Antiquities of the Jews, Book 8, Chapter 7, Section 5). This essentially made all of the tribe of Levi to return to Judah. Scripture also seems to indicate that Solomon in his old age also indulged, at what level is unknown, in worshipping the following pagan gods as well as the true God of Israel (1Kings 11:5 - 7, 10, 2Kings 23:13). Ten of the tribes formed the new Kingdom of Israel with Jeroboam as its first ruler. The king, in order to please his many pagan wives, built various altars and "high places" for them to worship their false deities (1Kings 11:8, 2Kings 23:13, Nehemiah 13:26). Unfortunately, Saul could not follow God’s Word wholly, and the kingdom went to the children of Judah. The problem was that doing so sinned against God (Deuteronomy 17:18). Solomon's indulgence in both pagan women and idolatry angered the Lord, especially when he had appeared twice to him (1Kings 11:9 - 10). Explanation: The Kingdom of Israel split when Solomon offended by harassing the Israelites and God said that his son Rehoboam would drop control of Israel.