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The Story of the Conflict Between Israel and Judah – Why Did God_s Tribes Fight Each Other · truthunedited

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Speaker 1: What if I told you that God's own chosen people
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would one day turn their swords against each other, that
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brothers who once stood together at Mount Sinai would spill
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each other's blood for centuries. This is the shocking true
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story of how one moment of pride it tore apart
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the greatest kingdom on earth, from Solomon's golden throne to
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the ashes of Jerusalem. Witness how division, rebellion, and broken
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promises led to the most tragic civil war in Biblical history.
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The twelve tribes that conquered giants would now face their
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greatest enemy themselves. Prepare to discover the hidden prophecies, political intrigue,
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and divine judgments that split God's kingdom in two and
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changed the course of history forever. This is not just
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ancient history. It's a warning that echoes through the ages.
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The great kingdom that David built and Solomon expanded was
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starting to crack. What began as a golden Age was
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slowly turning into something darker. Solomon needed money, lots of
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it for his grand building projects. The magnificent Temple, his
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luxurious palace, and cities across the land all required resources
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that the kingdom had never spent before. First Kings Chapter
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four tells us about solomon system. He divided Israel into
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twelve districts, each responsible for providing food and supplies for
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the royal court for one month every year. But this
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was just the beginning. The king also demanded something that
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would create deep wounds in his people's hearts. As we
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read in First Kings chapter five, verse thirteen, King Solomon
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conscripted laborers from all Israel, thirty thousand men. These weren't volunteers.
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These were fathers, sons, and brothers, forced to leave their
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families and work on the king's projects. The text continues.
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He sent them off to Lebanon in shifts of ten thousand,
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so that they spent one month in Lebanon and two
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months at home. Imagine being torn away from your farm,
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your family, your life to cut down trees in a
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foreign land. The northern tribes felt this burden more heavily
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than anyone else, While Judas seemed to receive special treatment.
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The other tribes watched their men disappear into forced labor
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gangs month after month. But it didn't stop there. First
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Kings chapter nine, verse twenty one reveals an even harsher reality,
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their descendants remaining in the land, whom the Israelites could
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not exterminate. These Solomon conscripted for his slave labor force.
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As it is to this day, Solomon had created a
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system of permanent slavery within God's chosen people. The Bible
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tells us in First Kings, Chapter five, verse fifteen, that
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Solomon also had seventy thousand carriers and eighty thousand stonecutters
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in the hills. Think about those numbers. That's one hundred
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and fifty thousand men working just on construction projects. Add
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the thirty thousand cutting trees in Lebanon, and you have
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almost two hundred thousand men taken away from their normal lives.
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Every family in Israel felt this burden. Mothers watched their
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sons march away. Wives said goodbye to husbands who might
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not return for months. Children grew up barely knowing their fathers.
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The kingdom that was supposed to be blessed by God
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was becoming a place where families were torn apart for
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the king's glory. These weren't just marriages, they were spiritual
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disasters waiting to happen. God had been clear about this,
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as Verse two reminds us. They were from nations about
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which the Lord had told the Israelites, you must not
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inter marry with them, because they will surely turn your
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hearts after their gods. Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them
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in love. The Bible tells us in verse three just
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how far this went. He had seven hundred wives of
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royal birth and three hundred concubines, and his wives led
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him astray. Seven hundred wives and three hundred concubines. Each
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marriage was probably a political alliance, but each one also
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brought foreign gods into the heart of Israel, and that's
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exactly what happened. Verse four tells us the tragic truth.
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As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after
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other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to
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the Lord, his God, as the heart of David, his
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father had been. Picture this scene, the man who built
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God's temple was now building altars to false gods. Verse
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seven shows us just how far he fell. On a
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hill east of Jerusalem, Solomon built a high place for Kimosh,
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the detestable god of Moab, and for Molik, the detestable
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god of the Ammonites. Kiemosh demanded child sacrifice Molek required
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babies to be burned alive. These weren't just different religions.
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These were demons that demanded the blood of innocence, and Solomon,
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the wisest man on earth, was building places where his
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wives could worship these evil spirits. The same hands that
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had dedicated the temple to the Lord were now raising
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stones to honor demons. The kingdom that was supposed to
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be a light to the nations was now embracing the
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very darkness God had commanded them to drive out. Verse
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eight tells us he didn't stop there. He did the
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same for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and
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offered sacrifices to their gods. The smell of burning sacrifices
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to false gods was rising from the hills around Jerusalem,
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mixing with the smoke from God's temple. It was a
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spiritual abomination that made God's anger burn hot. God's patience
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has limits, and Solomon had crossed them. The Lord, who
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had appeared to Solomon twice, who had blessed him beyond measure,
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now began to act in judgment. First, King's Chapter eleven,
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verse fourteen tells us what happened next. Then the Lord
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raised up against Solomon an adversary, Haddad, the Edomite from
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the royal line of edom. This wasn't random political trouble,
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this was divine judgment in action. Haddad had a personal
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reason to hate Solomon. Years earlier, when David conquered Edom,
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his commander Joab had tried to kill every male in
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the country. But Hadad was just a boy then, and
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some Edomite officials had rescued him and fled to Egypt.
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The Bible tells Us in verses seventeen to eighteen what happened.
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But Dad, still only a boy, fled to Egypt with
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some Edomite officials who had served his father. They set
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out from Midian and went to Paran. Then taking people
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from Paran with them, they went to Egypt to Pharaoh,
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King of Egypt, who gave Haddad a house and land
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and provided him with food. Now Hadad was grown married
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to Pharaoh's sister in law and had a son, but
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he never forgot what David's army had done to his people.
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When he heard that both David and Joab were dead,
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he asked Pharaoh to let him return home. As Verse
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twenty two records, then Pharaoh said to him, but what
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have you lacked here with me that you want to
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go back to your own country nothing. Hadad replied, but
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do let me go. But God wasn't finished. Verse twenty
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three introduces us to another enemy, and God raised up
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against Solomon another adversary, Reason's son of Eliyada, who had
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fled from his master, Hadad de Azir, king of Zoba.
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Raison gathered men around him and became leader of a
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rebel band. When David defeated Hadad, ezer Rezon escaped and
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eventually took control of Damascus. The Bible tells us in
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verse twenty five that Raison was Israel's adversary as long
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as Solomon lived. Adding to the trouble caused by Hadad,
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so Raison ruled in Aram and was hostile toward Israel.
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These weren't just political problems. They were signs that God's
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favor was lifting from Solomon's kingdom. The same God who
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had given Solomon peace on all sides was now allowing
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enemies to rise up and trouble him. The kingdom that
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once made other nations tremble was now being attacked from
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multiple directions. God rarely acts without warning, and he was
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about to send a message that would change everything. The
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messenger was a prophet named Ahijah from Shiloh, and his
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target was a young man named Jeroboam. Jeroboam wasn't just anybody.
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First Kings, Chapter eleven, verse twenty eight tells us now,
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Jeroboam was a man of standing, and when Solomon saw
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how well the young man did his work, he put
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him in charge of the whole labor force of the
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tribes of Joseph. This was the man Solomon trusted to
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oversee the forced labor of Ephraim and Manassa, two of
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the most powerful northern tribes. Jeroboam saw first hand how
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the people suffered under Solomon's harsh policies. He watched families
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torn apart, saw men worked to exhaustion, witnessed the growing
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anger in the northern tribes. But God had different plans
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for Jeroboam, As verses twenty nine to thirty described the
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scene about that time, Jeroboam was going out of Jerusalem,
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and Ahijah, the prophet of Shiloh, met him on the way,
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wearing a new cloak. The two of them were alone
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out in the country, and Ahijah took hold of the
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new cloak he was wearing and tore it into twelve pieces.
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Picture this moment, two men alone on a dusty road,
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and suddenly the prophet grabs his new robe and rips
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it apart. This wasn't just dramatic. This was prophecy in action.
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In those days, when a prophet acted out a message,
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it meant God was about to make it happen. Then
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Ahijah spoke the words that would reshape history, as recorded
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in verse thirty one, take ten pieces for yourself, for
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this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says. See,
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I am going to tear the kingdom out of Solomon's
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hand and give you ten did The message was clear
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and shocking. God himself was going to split his people's kingdom,
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and he was giving ten tribes to this young ladyber supervisor.
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But it wouldn't happen immediately. God still honored his promise
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to David. When Solomon heard about Ahijah's prophecy, his reaction
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was swift and deadly. As firstless. Solomon tried to kill Jeroboam,
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but Jeroboam fled to Egypt to Shashak the King and
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stayed there until Solomon's death. Think about what this meant
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the man who had been wise enough to settle disputes
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between mothers, who had impressed the Queen of Sheba with
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his understanding, was now so threatened by a prophecy that
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he was willing to murder one of his own officials.
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But this also revealed something about Solomon's spiritual condition. A
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king who truly trusted God wouldn't be afraid of prophecy.
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Jeroboam believed God's word enough to risk everything. He left
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his position of authority, his comfort life in Jerusalem, his
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family and friends. He became an exile in a foreign land,
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trusting that the Lord who had spoken through Ahijah would
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make good on his promise. Egypt was an interesting choice
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of refuge. This was the same country that had enslaved
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Israel for four hundred years, but now it became a
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place of safety for a future king of Israel. God
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works in mysterious ways, sometimes using even former enemies to
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accomplish his purposes. Years passed. Jeroboam lived as a refugee
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in Pharaoh's court, watching and waiting. He probably heard news
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from home, reports of Solomon's continued building projects, stories of
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the king's many wives, whispers about the growing resentment among
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the northern tribes. Every day that passed was another day
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closer to God's promise being fulfilled. Jeroboam had learned to
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be patient, to trust God's timing rather than trying to
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force things to happen. This was preparation for kingship, learning
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to wait on the Lord. After forty long years on
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the throne, Solomon's time was up. First Kings Chapter eleven,
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verse forty two records it and dug a well that
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would still be there when Jesus talked to the Samaritan
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woman centuries later. Most importantly, it was where Joshua gathered
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all the tribes to renew their covenant with God before
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he died. The people were saying something important. By choosing Shechem,
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they were reminding every one that Israel belonged to God
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first and King's second. They were going back to their roots,
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to the place where their ancestors had promised to serve
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the Lord. First Kings Chapter twelve, verse one tells us
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what happened Rioboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had
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gone there to make him king. Notice something important here.
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The text doesn't say they went there to crown him.
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It says they went there to make him king. The
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difference is huge. They were letting Rihoboam know that becoming
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king wasn't automatic. He would have to earn their loyalty.
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This was already a sign that Solomon's kingdom was fracturing
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in David's time. When he died, Solomon became king without question.
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The people loved David so much that they gladly accepted
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his son. But now forty years later, the tribes were
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demanding to have their say. Think about how this must
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have felt to Rihoboam. He had grown up as a
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prince in Jerusalem, surrounded by luxury and servants. He probably
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expected to simply take his father's throne and continue ruling
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the way Solomon had, But instead he was being summoned
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to Shechem like a common citizen to justify his right
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to be king. The journey from Jerusalem to Shechem was
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only about thirty miles, but it must have felt much
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longer to the new king. With every step, he was
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moving away from the comfort and security of his father's
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palace and into uncertain territory. When Rie Hoboam arrived at Shechem,
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he found representatives from all twelve tribes waiting for him.
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These weren't just random people. These were the leaders, the elders,
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the men who spoke for their tribes, and they had
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serious business to discuss. When rie Hoboam arrived at Schechem,
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he got a surprise. Jeroboam was there too. The man
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who had fled to Egypt years earlier had returned, and
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he was speaking for the northern tribes. First King's Chapter twelve,
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verses three to four record what happened. So they sent
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for Jeroboam, and he and the whole assembly of Israel
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went to Rehoboam and said to him, your father put
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a heavy yoke on us, But now lighten the harsh
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labor and the heavy yoke he put on us, and
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we will serve you. This was their moment. After decades
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of forced labor, crushing taxes, and feeling ignored by Solomon's government,
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the people finally had a chance to speak up. And
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they weren't asking for much, just relief from the burden
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that had been breaking their backs for years. Notice how
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reasonable they were being. They weren't demanding revolution or rebellion,
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they weren't asking for independence or threatening violence. They were
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simply saying, make things easier for us. And will gladly
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serve you as king. It was a fair request from
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people who had suffered under Solomon's policies. The word yoke
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that they used was perfect. A yoke was the heavy
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wooden frame that farmers put on oxen to make them
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pull plows or carts. It was a symbol of hard
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work and burden. The people were saying that Solomon had
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treated them like work animals, and they wanted his son
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to treat them like human beings. But there was something
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else in their words, a warning. They were telling Rijoboam
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that their loyalty wasn't guaranteed. Unlike previous generations who had
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followed David and Solomon without question, these people were making
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their support conditional on how they were treated. Jeroboam's presence
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made the message even stronger. Here was the man God
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had chosen to rule ten tribes, standing with the people
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and speaking their concerns. Even though the people might not
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have known about the prophecy, they could see that Jeroboam
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was a natural leader who understood their struggles. Ri Hoboam
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asked for three days to think about it. As verse
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five tells us, Rie Hoboam answered, go away for three
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days and then come back to me. So the people
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went away three days. That's all the time the new
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king had to make the most important decision of his reign.
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Would he choose wisdom and compassion, following the example of
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his grandfather David, or would he choose pride and harshness
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following his father's later example. The future of God's kingdom
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hung in the balance. Twelve tribes were watching and waiting.
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In Egypt, Pharaoh Shishak was probably hearing reports and planning
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his next move. Most importantly, God himself was watching to
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see if his prophecy would be fulfilled through human wisdom
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or human foolishness. The seeds of division that had been
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planted during Solomon's reign were about to either sprout into
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full rebellion or be pulled up by wise leadership. Everything
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depended on what Rioboam would decide to do. The three
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days were up, and everyone gathered again at Shechem. Rioboam
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had spent those days asking for advice, and now he
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had to give his answer. The future of the entire
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kingdom hung on what he would say next. First, ri
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Hooboam had talked to the older men who had served
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his father Solomon, First Kings, Chapter twelve, verse seven tells
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us what they said. If today you will be a
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servant to these people and serve them and give them
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a good answer, they will always be your servants. These
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wise old men understood something important. Real leadership means serving
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the people, not just ruling over them. They had watched
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Solomon's kingdom grow angry and divided, and they knew the
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only way to heal it was through kindness and understanding.
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But Rioboam also talked to his young friends, the men
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who had grown up with him in the palace. These
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young advisers had never known hardship or struggle. They had
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lived their whole lives surrounded by luxury and power. First Kings,
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Chapter twelve, Verses ten to eleven record their terrible advice.
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The young men who had grown up with him replied,
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these people have said to you, your father put a
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heavy yoke on us, But make our yoke lighter. Now
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tell them, my little finger is thicker than my father's waist.
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My father laid on you a heavy yoke, I will
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make it even heavier. My father scourged you with whips,
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I will scourge you with scorpions. Think about how arrogant.
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This advice was instead of showing mercy to suffering people,
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they wanted Rihoboam to boast about making things worse. Instead
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of healing the kingdom's wounds, they wanted him to tear
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them open even wider. When the people returned on the
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third day, Rihoboam made his choice. Verse thirteen tells us
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what he did. The king answered the people harshly, rejecting
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the advice given him by the elders. Instead. Verse fourteen
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shows us the exact words he spoke. My father made
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your yoke heavy, I will make it even heavier. My
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father scourged you with whips, I will scourge you with scorpions.
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The crowd must have gasped when they heard these words.
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They had come asking for relief from their suffering, and
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the new king was promising to make their lives even worse.
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They had offered loyalty in exchange for kindness, and he
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had answered with threats and cruelty. But the Bible makes
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something clear in verse fifteen. So the king did not
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listen to the people, for this turn of events was
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from the Lord to fulfill the word the Lord had
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spoken to Jeroboam, son of nabat Ford's was immediate and explosive.
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The representatives of the northern tribes had heard enough. After
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decades of suffering under Solomon's policies, and now facing the
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promise of even worse treatment, they made a decision that
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would change history forever. First Kings, Chapter twelve, verse sixteen
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records their response. When all Israel saw that the king
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refused to listen to them, they answered the King, what
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share do we have in David? We have no inheritance
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in the son of Jesse. To your tense, Israel, look
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after your own house, David. So the Israelites went home.
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These weren't just angry words. This was a formal declaration
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of independence. When they said what share do we have
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in David? They were cutting all ties with the royal
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family that had ruled them for decades. When they said
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to your tents, Israel, they were using an ancient battle
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cry that meant every man for himself. Think about how
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this must have felt to the tribal leaders. For three days,
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they had waited patiently for a reasonable answer. They had
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offered loyalty and service in exchange for fair treatment, but
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instead of mercy, they got threats. Instead of a king
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who would serve them, they got a tyrant who wanted
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to crush them. The phrase look after your own house
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David was particularly stinging. They were telling rejo Boem that
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he could be king of his own family if he wanted,
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but they were done being part of his kingdom. The
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unity that David had built through love and respect was
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being destroyed by his grandson's pride and cruelty. As the
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tribal representatives left Shechem and returned to their territories, they
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carried news that would spread like wildfire. The northern tribes
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were free from Rehoboam's rule. After forty years of heavy
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taxation and forced labour under Solomon, and now facing even
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worse treatment under his son, they had chosen independence over oppression.
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But Verse seventeen shows us that not everyone joined the rebellion.
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But as for the Israelites who were living in the
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towns of Judah, Rihoboam still ruled over them, the tribe
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of Judah, Rehoboam's own people remained loyal. They had benefited
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from the favoritism that Solomon had shown them, and they
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weren't ready to rebel against David's family. Benjamin, the small
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tribe that bordered Judah also stayed loyal. These two tribes
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would form the Southern kingingdom, still ruled by David's descendants
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from Jerusalem, but the other ten tribes, the vast majority
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of Israel's people and territory, were now free to choose
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their own king. The kingdom that God had given to David,
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that Solomon had expanded to its greatest glory, was now
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split in Two. Brothers who had fought together against the
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Philistines and other enemies, would now see each other as
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separate nations. With the northern tribes in rebellion, they needed
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a new king. They didn't have to look far. Jeroboam
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was right there among them, the man who had spoken
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for them at Chechem. More importantly, he was the man
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God had chosen through the prophet Ahijah's dramatic prophecy years earlier.
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First Kings, Chapter twelve, verse twenty tells us what happened
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when all the Israelites heard that Jeroboum had returned, sent
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and called him to the assembly and made him king
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over all Israel. Only the tribe of Judah remained loyal
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to the House of David. This wasn't a violent overthrow
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or a military coup. This was the people choosing their
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leader freely and openly. The Northern tribes gathered in assembly,
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probably at Shechem, where everything had started, and formerly crowned
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Jeroboam as their king. Think about how amazing this moment
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must have been for Jeroboam. Years earlier, he had been
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forced to flee to Egypt when Solomon tried to kill him.
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He had lived as an exile, trusting in God's promise
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that someday he would rule over ten tribes. Now that
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promise was being fulfilled exactly as the prophet had said.
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But becoming king wasn't easy. Jeroboam inherited a kingdom that
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was angry, divided, and economic struggling. The Northern tribes had
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just broken away from the wealthiest and most established part
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of Israel. They had no capital city, no established government,
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no treasury, and no army ready for war. The first
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thing Jeroboam did was establish his capital at Shechem. This
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made perfect sense. It was where the rebellion had started,
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where the tribes had gathered to make him king, and
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where their ancestors had renewed their covenant with God. Shechem
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was also centrally located in the territory of Ephraim, one
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of the most powerful northern tribes. The Bible tells us
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in verse twenty five that Jeroboam fortified Shechem in the
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hill country of Ephraim and lived there. A king needed
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a secure base of operations, and Shesham provided that. But
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Jeroboam also did something else that showed his strategic thinking.
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From there, he went out and built up Penuel. Penuel
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was located east of the Jordan River, in the territory
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that the tribes of gad Reuben and half of Manassa
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had settled. By fortifying Penuel, Jeroboam was showing that his
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kingdom included not just the tribes west of the Jordan,
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but also those on the eastern side. He was making
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sure all ten tribes knew they were part of his
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new kingdom. But even as Jeroboam celebrated his rise to power,
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he faced a serious problem. The Temple was still in
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Jerusalem in Rijoboam's territory. Every faithful Israelite was supposed to
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go there for the major festivals. How could he keep
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his people loyal when their religion required them to visit it.
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As recorded in verse four, this is what the Lord says,
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do not go up to fight against your fellow Israelites.
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Go home, every one of you, for this is my doing.
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Think about how hard this message must have been for
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Rehoboam to hear. He had just lost most of his kingdom,
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and now God was telling him he couldn't even try
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to get it back. The prophet was saying that the
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division was God's will, not just a political rebellion that
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could be fixed with military force. But the message wasn't
29:20
just for re Hoboam, it was for all the soldiers too.
29:24
Shemaiah called the northern tribes your fellow Israelites, reminding everyone
29:29
that this wasn't a war against foreign enemies. These were
29:33
brothers who would be fighting, brothers, children of Abraham, killing
29:37
children of Abraham. The Bible tells us in verse four
29:41
what happened next. So they obeyed the word of the
29:45
Lord and went home again, as the Lord had ordered.
29:50
This was remarkable. A king ready for war with a
29:54
huge army assembled, simply sent everyone home because a prophet
29:58
said so. This showed that even though the kingdom was
30:01
divided politically, many people still recognized God's authority. They understood
30:08
that no human king, not even David's grandson had the
30:12
right to fight against what God had clearly decreed. Rihoboam's
30:17
army went home, and the northern tribes remained independent. The
30:23
division that had started with harsh words at Shesham was
30:26
now confirmed by divine command. There would be no quick
30:30
military solution to reunite the kingdom. Even though Rihoboam's army
30:35
had gone home, Jeroboam still faced a serious problem. The
30:40
temple was in Jerusalem, in enemy territory, but God's law
30:44
required all Israelite men to come there for three major
30:48
festivals every year. Passover likely revert to the house of David.
30:54
He could see the danger clearly. If his people kept
30:57
going to Jerusalem to worship, they would be reminded of
31:01
their old loyalty to David's family. They might decide to
31:05
rejoin Rihoboam's kingdom. Verse twenty seven reveals his fear, if
31:12
these people go up to offer sacrifices at the Temple
31:14
of the Lord in Jerusalem, they will again give their
31:17
allegiance to their lord, Ri Hooboam, King of Judah. They
31:22
will kill me and return to King Rihoboam. So Jeroboam
31:27
made a decision that would have terrible consequences for generations.
31:32
Instead of trusting God to keep his promise, instead of
31:36
finding a way to remain faithful while being politically independent,
31:40
he chose to create his own religion. Verse twenty eight
31:44
tells us what he did. After seeking advice, the king
31:49
made two golden calves. He said to the people, it
31:54
is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem.
31:57
Here are your gods Israel, who brought you up out
32:00
of Egypt. Golden calves, the same type of idol that
32:05
had gotten Israel in trouble at Mount Sinai when Moses
32:09
was receiving the Ten Commandments. Jeroboam was repeating one of
32:13
the worst mistakes in his people's history, but he tried
32:18
to make it sound reasonable. He told the people it
32:21
was too much for them to travel to Jerusalem. He
32:25
was offering them convenience instead of faithfulness. He even claimed
32:31
these golden calves were the gods who had rescued them
32:33
from Egypt, trying to connect his idols to Israel's real history.
32:38
Verse twenty nine shows us where he put these false gods.
32:43
One he set up in Bethel and the other in Dan.
32:47
This was clever politically. Bethel was in the south of
32:51
his kingdom, close to the border with Judah, while Dan
32:54
was far in the north. People from all over the
32:58
northern kingdom could worship at one of these sites without
33:01
having to travel as far as Jerusalem. But it wasn't
33:05
just about location, it was about control. Verse thirty one
33:10
tells us he went even further. Jeroboam built shrines on
33:15
high places and appointed priests from all sorts of people,
33:19
even though they were not Levites. God had commanded that
33:24
only men from the tribe of Levi could serve as priests,
33:28
but Jeroboam ignored this rule and appointed any one he wanted.
33:33
This meant he could control the religious system completely, making
33:36
sure the priests would support his political goals instead of
33:40
following God's laws. The kingdom that was supposed to worship
33:44
the one true God now had two false gods, illegal priests,
33:49
and worshiped sinners that violated everything Moses had taught them.
33:55
With both kingdoms now established, each needed a proper capital city.
34:00
Jerusalem remained the seat of power for Rihoboam in the
34:03
southern kingdom of Judah. This made sense. It was David's
34:09
city where the temple stood and where Solomon had built
34:13
his magnificent palace. But Jeroboam faced a different situation. He
34:19
had started his reign in Shechem, which was historically important,
34:23
but not really built to be a major capital. He
34:26
needed something more impressive, more defensible, and more strategically located.
34:32
First Kings, Chapter sixteen, verse twenty four tells us about
34:36
the solution that would eventually emerge. He bought the Hill
34:40
of Samaria from Shemer for two talents. Second Chronicles, Chapter eleven,
34:46
verses thirteen to fourteen tell us what happened. The priests
34:50
and Levites from all their districts throughout Israel sided with him.
34:55
The Levites even abandoned their pasture lands and property and
34:58
came to Judah and jur Erusalem because Jeroboam and his
35:02
sons had rejected them as priests of the Lord. Think
35:07
about what this meant. These weren't just job changes. These
35:12
were men giving up everything they owned to stay faithful
35:16
to God. The Levites had been given specific cities and
35:20
pasture lands throughout all the tribes of Israel, But when
35:24
Jeroboam set up his Golden calves and appointed non levitical priests,
35:30
the real priests faced an impossible choice. They could stay
35:34
in the Northern Kingdom and participate in false worship, or
35:38
they could abandon their homes and move to Judah, where
35:41
they could still serve God properly. For faithful men, there
35:46
was really no choice at all. Verse fourteen shows us
35:50
the reason for their decision, because Jeroboam and his sons
35:54
had rejected them as priests of the Lord. Jeroboam didn't
35:59
want priests who would put God's law above his political needs.
36:03
He wanted religious leaders who would support his policies, even
36:07
when those policies violated God's commands. But the priests and
36:12
Levites weren't the only ones who moved south. Verse sixteen
36:17
tells us about others who made the same difficult choice.
36:22
Those from every tribe of Israel who set their hearts
36:25
on seeking the Lord, the God of Israel, followed the
36:29
Levites to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices to the Lord, the
36:33
God of their fathers. These were ordinary people from all
36:38
ten northern tribes who refused to worship Jeroboam's golden calves.
36:43
They left their homes, their farms, their businesses, and moved
36:48
to Judah so they could continue worshiping God the right way.
36:52
This created a massive brain drain. In the Northern Kingdom.
36:56
The most educated, most spiritually minded, most faithful people were leaving.
37:02
The priests who could teach God's law, the levites who
37:06
led worship, and the ordinary citizens who took their faith
37:09
seriously were all moving south for the Southern Kingdom. This
37:15
was a huge blessing. Verse seventeen shows the result. They
37:20
strengthened the Kingdom of Judah and supported Rihoboam, son of Solomon,
37:24
three years walking in the ways of David and Solomon.
37:28
During this time, all these faithful refugees made Judah stronger, spiritually, economically,
37:36
and militarily. King thought he was showing strength, but he
37:40
was actually being used by God to fulfill prophecy. Human
37:45
pride and divine purpose came together to split the kingdom,
37:49
exactly as God had foretold. This didn't excuse Rioboam's cruelty
37:55
or Jeroboam's idolatry. Both men were responsible for their choices
38:00
and would face consequences for their sins, but it did
38:03
show that God can work even through human failure to
38:06
accomplish his purposes. The division also served another purpose. It
38:12
preserved a faithful remnant. When the Northern Kingdom fell into idolatry.
38:18
The Southern Kingdom maintained the true worship of God, the
38:21
proper priesthood, and the correct sacrificial system. The Temple in
38:27
Jerusalem continued to function as God had commanded, even though
38:31
fewer people could come to worship there. Through all the
38:35
political chaos, military threats, and religious confusion, God remained in control.
38:42
The kingdom that looked like it was falling apart was
38:45
actually being reshaped. According to divine wisdom. The unity that
38:49
seemed lost was being preserved in a different form, not
38:54
as one political entity, but as two kingdoms that would
38:58
each play their part in God's larger planned for his people.
39:02
The promises to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob weren't canceled. They
39:07
were being fulfilled in a new and unexpected way. The
39:11
kingdom was divided, but God's purposes would continue to unfold
39:15
through both Israel and Judah until the day when a
39:19
greater king from David's line would reunite not just the tribes,
39:23
but all the nations of the earth. Once the kingdom split,
39:27
peace became a distant memory. The two new nations that
39:32
had once been united under David and Solomon now faced
39:35
each other as enemies. Brothers who had fought side by
39:40
side against the Philistines were now preparing to fight each other.
39:44
First Kings, Chapter fourteen, verse thirty tells us the sad
39:47
reality there was continual warfare between Rijo Boam and Jeroboam.
39:54
This wasn't just political tension or occasional disputes. This was constant,
40:00
ongoing conflict that lasted throughout both their reigns. Think about
40:05
what this meant for ordinary people. Farmers near the border
40:09
never knew when soldiers might come through their fields. Merchants
40:13
traveling between the kingdoms faced checkpoints, taxes, and the constant
40:18
threat of being treated as enemy spies. Families that had
40:22
relatives on both sides of the border found themselves torn
40:25
apart by politics. The warfare wasn't just about major battles.
40:31
It was about one thousand smaller conflicts. Border towns changed
40:36
hands repeatedly, Raiding parties from both sides would cross into
40:39
enemy territory to steel cattle, burn crops, and capture prisoners.
40:45
Each kingdom claimed territories that the other kingdom said belonged
40:49
to them. Second Chronicles, Chapter twelve, verse fifteen confirms this
40:54
state of constant conflict. There was war between Rihoboam and
40:59
Jeroboah throughout their reigns. Neither king could establish secure control
41:05
over disputed areas because the other was always ready to
41:08
challenge any expansion. The saddest part was that both sides
41:12
knew they were fighting their own brothers. These weren't foreign
41:16
enemies with different languages and religions. These were the same
41:20
people who had once celebrated the same festivals, worshiped at
41:25
the same temple, and served under the same kings. But
41:30
pride and political necessity kept the fighting going. Rihoboam couldn't
41:35
accept that he had lost most of his father's kingdom.
41:39
Jeroboam couldn't allow Rihoboam to reclaim any territory, knowing that
41:43
success might encourage other tribes to return to David's family.
41:47
Every small victory by one side was seen as a
41:50
threat by the other. Every raid demanded revenge, Every captured
41:55
town required a counter attack. The cycle of violence that
41:59
started with fish words at Shechem had become a way
42:02
of life for both kingdoms. The constant warfare also prevented
42:07
both kingdoms from reaching their full potential. Instead of building
42:11
trade relationships with other nations, developing their agriculture or strengthening
42:16
their cities. Both kings had to spend their resources on
42:20
armies and fortifications. While Rihoboam and Jeroboam were busy fighting
42:25
each other, a much bigger threat was watching from the south.
42:29
Pharaoh Sheeshach of Egypt had been following the division of
42:33
Israel with great interest. He remembered when Jeroboam had lived
42:37
in his court as a refugee, and he saw an
42:40
opportunity to expand Egyptian power. In Rioboam's fifth year as king,
42:46
Shei Shack decided to act. Second Chronicles, Chapter twelve, Verse
42:51
two tells us what happened. Because they had been unfaithful
42:56
to the lord. Shei Shock, king of Egypt, attacked Jerusalem
43:00
in the fifth year of King Rijoboem. This wasn't a
43:04
small raid, this was a massive invasion. Verse three describes
43:10
the size of Sheshak's army, with twelve hundred chariots and
43:15
sixty thousand horsemen, and the innumerable troops of Libyans, Sukites,
43:19
and Khushites that came with him from Egypt. Twelve hundred chariots.
43:26
In those days, chariots were like tanks, the most advanced
43:30
military technology available. Egypt had always been famous for its chariots,
43:36
and now they were rolling toward Jerusalem with the largest
43:39
chariot force anyone in Israel had ever seen. But the
43:44
invasion wasn't just about military power. It was divine judgment.
43:50
The people of Judah had started following the same path
43:53
as the Northern Kingdom, turning away from God and embracing
43:57
foreign religions. Shshi Shak's invasion was God's way of getting
44:02
their attention. A prophet named Shemaiah came to Rioboam and
44:07
the leaders of Judah with a clear message, as recorded
44:12
in verse five. Then the prophet Shemaiah came to Rihoboam
44:17
and to the leaders of Judah, who had assembled in
44:19
Jerusalem for fear of she Shac, and he said to them,
44:24
this is what the Lord says. You have abandoned me.
44:28
Therefore I now abandon you to Sheishak. The message hit home.
44:34
Verse six tells us their response. The leaders of Israel
44:37
and the king humbled themselves and said, the Lord is just.
44:43
They recognized that this invasion wasn't just bad luck. It
44:46
was the consequence of their unfaithfulness to God. Because of
44:51
their repentance, God showed mercy, but the damage was already done.
44:57
Verse nine describes what she Shocked Doe took from Jerusalem.
45:02
When Shei Shak, king of Egypt, attacked Jerusalem. He carried
45:06
off the treasures of the Temple of the Lord and
45:08
the treasures of the royal Palace. He took everything, including
45:13
the gold shield Solomon had made. All the wealth that
45:17
Solomon had accumulated, the gold, the precious objects, the magnificent
45:22
shields was now in Egyptian hands. The temple, that had
45:27
been the most beautiful building in the world was stripped
45:30
of its treasures. The kingdom that had once been the
45:34
envy of all nations was now impoverished and humiliated. When
45:39
Ray Hoboam died, his son Abija became king of Judah.
45:44
Unlike his father, who had eventually accepted the division of
45:47
the kingdom, Abija believed he had the right to rule
45:51
over all twelve tribes. This led to the largest battle
45:55
yet between the brother kingdoms. Second Chronicles, Chapter thirteen, Verse
46:01
three describes the massive armies that faced each other. Abijah
46:05
went into battle with an army of four hundred thousand
46:09
able fighting men, and Jeroboam drew up a battle line
46:13
against him. With eight hundred thousand able troops eight hundred
46:17
thousand soldiers from Israel against four hundred thousand from Judah.
46:22
This wasn't a border skirmish, this was total war. Nearly
46:27
every able bodied man in both kingdoms must have been
46:30
involved in this conflict. The battle took place at Mount Zemiraim,
46:35
which was in the hill country of Ephraim. Before the
46:39
fighting started, Abija climbed up on the mountain and gave
46:43
a speech that every soldier could hear, as recorded in
46:46
verses four to five, Abijah stood on Mount Zemareim in
46:51
the hill country of Ephraim, and said, Jeroboam and all Israel,
46:57
listen to me. Don't you know that the Lord, the
47:01
God of Israel has given the kingship of Israel to
47:05
David and his descendants forever by a covenant of salt.
47:09
Abijah was claiming divine authority over the northern kingdom. He
47:14
reminded them that God had made an eternal promise to
47:17
David's family and that Jeroboam was just a rebel who
47:21
had no right to rule over God's people. But he
47:25
didn't stop there. Verses eight to nine record his challenge,
47:30
and now you plan to resist the kingdom of the Lord,
47:33
which is in the hands of David's descendants. You are
47:38
indeed a vast army, and have with you the golden
47:40
calves that Jeroboah made to be your gods. But didn't
47:45
you drive out the priests of the Lord, the sons
47:47
of Erin and the Levites, and make priests of your own,
47:51
as the peoples of other lands do. This was spiritual
47:56
warfare as much as physical warfare. Abijah was saying that
48:00
Israel wasn't just fighting against Judah, they were fighting against
48:04
God himself. He pointed out their false gods and their
48:08
illegal priests as proof that they had abandoned the true faith.
48:12
The battle itself was a disaster for Israel. Despite their
48:16
numerical advantage. Verse seventeen tells us the outcome Abajah and
48:22
his army inflicted heavy losses on them, so that there
48:26
were five hundred thousand casualties among Israel's able men five
48:31
hundred thousand dead. This was one of the bloodiest battles
48:35
in the entire Bible. The Northern Kingdom lost more than
48:39
half its army in a single day. Families throughout Israel
48:43
received news that their fathers sons and brothers would never
48:47
come home. Verse eighteen explains why Judah won. The Israelites
48:53
were subdued on that occasion, and the people of Judah
48:56
were victorious because they relied on the Lord, the God
49:00
of their ancestors. After Abija's great victory, his son Asa
49:06
became king of Judah. But Asa learned an important lesson
49:10
from his father's war with Israel. Military strength was essential
49:15
for survival. The northern kingdom was still there, still angry,
49:20
and still dangerous. Second Chronicles, Chapter fourteen, Verse eight tells
49:25
us about ASA's army. Asa had an army of three
49:28
hundred thousand men from Judah, equipped with large shields and
49:32
with spears, and two hundred eighty thousand from Benjamin, armed
49:36
with small shields and with bows. All these were brave
49:41
fighting men. Five hundred and eighty thousand soldiers. Aesa had
49:46
built one of the largest armies in Judah's history. He
49:50
understood that the days when the twelve tribes could live
49:53
together in peace were over. Now each kingdom needed to
49:57
be ready for war at any moment. But Asa didn't
50:02
just build an army. He also fortified his cities. Verses
50:07
six to seven describe his building projects. He built up
50:11
the fortified cities of Judah, since the land was at
50:14
peace and no one was at war with him during
50:18
those years. For the Lord gave him rest. Let us
50:22
build up these towns, he said to Judah, and put
50:25
walls around them with towers, gates and bars. The land
50:31
is still ours because we have sought the Lord, our God.
50:35
We sought him, and he has given us rest on
50:38
every side. So they built and prospered. Think about what
50:43
this meant. A king of God's people was spending huge
50:46
amounts of money in labor, building walls and fortifications to
50:51
protect his cities from his own brothers. The unity that
50:55
David had created was now completely gone, replaced by the
51:00
constant threat of war. Aesa also recognized that military strength
51:05
alone wasn't enough. Verse four tells us about his spiritual reforms.
51:12
He commanded Judah to seek the Lord, the God of
51:14
their ancestors, and to obey his laws and commands. The
51:20
king understood that God's blessing was more important than military power,
51:25
but he also understood that God expected his people to
51:28
be prepared and not just rely on miracles. When the
51:32
massive Ethiopian army of Zirah invaded Judah with a million
51:36
soldiers and three hundred chariots. ASA's preparations paid off. Second Chronicles,
51:43
Chapter fourteen, verse eleven records his prayer before the battle.
51:48
Then Aysa called to the Lord, his God, and said, Lord,
51:53
there is no one like you to help the powerless
51:57
against the mighty. Help us, Lord, our God, for we
52:01
rely on you, and in your name we have come
52:04
against this vast army. Lord, you are our God. Do
52:09
not let mere mortals prevail against you. God gave us
52:14
a victory over the Ethiopians, but the lesson was clear.
52:18
The kingdoms of Israel and Judah now lived in a
52:21
world where military strength was essential for survival. After Jeroboam died,
52:27
his son Nadab became king of Israel. But Nadab's reign
52:31
was short. He was assassinated by one of his commanders
52:35
named Basha, who then took the throne. Baisha proved to
52:40
be even more aggressive toward Judah than Jeroboam had been.
52:44
First Kings. Chapter fifteen, verse seventeen tells us about Basha's strategy. Basha,
52:51
king of Israel, went up against Judah and fortified Rama
52:55
to prevent anyone from leaving or entering the territory of Asa,
52:59
King of Judah, Shaphat believed that the two kingdoms should
53:03
work together against their common enemies. This seemed like wisdom,
53:09
but it led to Siria's problems. Second Chronicles, Chapter eighteen,
53:13
verse one tells us about Jehoshaphat's strategy. Now, Jehoshaphat had
53:18
great wealth and honor, and he allied himself with Ahab
53:22
by marriage a marriage alliance. Jehoshaphat arranged for his son
53:27
Jehoram to marry Athalia, who was either Ahab's daughter or sister.
53:33
This was supposed to create peace between the kingdoms and
53:35
unite them against external threats. The alliance led to a
53:39
joint military campaign against Syria. Verses twenty eight to twenty
53:44
nine describe how the two kings went into battle together.
53:49
So the King of Israel and Jehoshaphat, king of Judah,
53:52
went up to Ramath Gilead. The King of Israel said
53:56
to Jehoshaphat, I will enter the battle in disguise, but
54:00
you wear your royal robes. So the King of Israel
54:04
disguised himself and went into battle. This battle was a disaster.
54:10
Ahab was killed and the alliance fell apart, but the
54:14
marriage connection remained, and it would bring terrible consequences to
54:19
Judah in the next generation. Later, Jehoshaphat tried another alliance
54:25
with Ahab's son Ahaziah. Second Chronicles, Chapter twenty, Verse thirty
54:30
five tells us later Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, made an
54:35
alliance with a Haziah, king of Israel, whose ways were wicked.
54:40
This time they planned to build ships together and trade
54:43
with distant lands, but verse thirty seven shows us what happened. Then, Eliezer,
54:50
son of Dodavahu of Mauritia, prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, because
54:56
you have made an alliance with Ahaziah, the Lord will
55:00
destroy what you have made. The ships were wrecked and
55:04
were not able to set sail for trading. God clearly
55:08
disapproved of these alliances. Even though Jehoshaphat was a righteous
55:13
king who genuinely wanted to serve God, his attempts to
55:17
cooperate with the wicked kings of Israel brought divine judgment.
55:22
The problem wasn't political, it was spiritual. The Northern kingdom
55:27
had completely abandoned true worship of God and any alliance
55:31
with them meant compromising with false religion. Saster it was
55:36
illness the davity gun with Prilian how long people they
55:39
had filled the promised little false The exoft showed the
55:42
Kasinal divit tribes that had been exiled by the would be.
55:45
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56:14
and church community. These timeless lessons about the consequences of
56:19
pride and the hope of restoration are messages everyone needs
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56:27
of division or seeking hope for restoration. This story speaks
56:32
directly to the human heart. Drop a comment below and
56:35
let me know what part of this story impacted you
56:39
the most. Was it Rihoboem's fateful decision, the tragic fall
56:44
of both kingdoms, or perhaps the beautiful promises of future restoration.
56:50
I read every comment and love hearing how these biblical
56:53
stories speak to your life. Remember, God's story of redemption
56:58
is still being written today and you're part of it.
57:02
Thanks for joining me on this incredible journey through scripture.
57:06
I'll see you in the next video, where we'll explore
57:10
another amazing chapter in God's unfolding plan for humanity. Until then,
57:18
may you find hope in knowing that the God who
57:20
promised to restore his divided people is the same God
57:25
who offers restoration to each of us to day.