The Division of the nation
1 Kings 11.28 The man Jeroboam [was] a mighty man
of valor; and Solomon, seeing that the young man was industrious, made him the
officer over all the labor force of the house of Joseph. 29 Now it happened at that time, when
Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, that the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite met him
on the way; and he had clothed himself with a new garment, and the two [were]
alone in the field. 30 Then Ahijah took hold of the new garment that [was] on him, and tore
it [into] twelve pieces. 31 And he said to Jeroboam, "Take for yourself ten pieces, for thus
says the Lord, the God of Israel: `Behold, I will tear the kingdom out of the
hand of Solomon and will give ten tribes to you 32 `(but he shall have one tribe for
the sake of My servant David, and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city which I
have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel), 33 `because they have [he has]
forsaken Me, and worshiped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh the
god of the Moabites, and Milcom the god of the people of Ammon, and have not
walked in My ways to do [what] [is] right in My eyes and [keep] My statutes and
My judgments, as [did] his father David. 34 `However I will not take the whole
kingdom out of his hand, because I have made him ruler all the days of his life for the
sake of My servant David, whom I chose because he kept My commandments and My
statutes. 35 `But
I will take the kingdom out of his son's hand and give it to you--ten tribes.
36 `And to his son I will give one tribe,
that My servant David may always have a lamp before Me in Jerusalem, the city
which I have chosen for Myself, to put My name there. 37 `So I will take you, and you shall
reign over all your heart desires, and you shall be king over Israel.
Divided Kingdom facts:
The King's role was to lead the people in obedience to God, to inspire them in word and example.
Divine judgment came due to Solomon’s sin, but surely the judgment was on the whole nation due to their similar sin; for example, see concerning Judah, 1 Kings 14.22-24: Now Judah did evil in the sight of the Lord, and they provoked Him to jealousy with their sins which they committed, more than all that their fathers had done. For they also built for themselves high places, [sacred] pillars, and wooden images on every high hill and under every green tree. And there were also perverted persons in the land. They did according to all the abominations of the nations which the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel.
A nation does not have to follow their king in rebellion.
The king had a great responsibility: he could have used his authority to remove idolatry from the land; consider the King Hezekiah: 1 Kings 18.4-7 He removed the high places and broke the [sacred] pillars, cut down the wooden image and broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made; for until those days the children of Israel burned incense to it, and called it Nehushtan. He trusted in the Lord God of Israel, so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor who were before him. For he held fast to the Lord; he did not depart from following Him, but kept His commandments, which the Lord had commanded Moses. The Lord was with him; he prospered wherever he went.
Though the people surely were disobedient to God, the kings were the ones charged with making Israel sin:
1 Kings 14.16: And He will give Israel up because of the sins of Jeroboam, who sinned and who made Israel sin.
1 Kings 16.2, Baasha: Inasmuch as I lifted you out of the dust and made you ruler over My people Israel , and you have walked in the way of Jeroboam, and have made My people Israel sin , to provoke Me to anger with their sins.
Jeremiah 23.2: Therefore thus says the Lord God of Israel against the shepherds who feed My people: "You have scattered My flock, driven them away, and not attended to them. Behold, I will attend to you for the evil of your doings," says the Lord.
Why did God chose kings who would eventually do evil in the sight of God?
They had a choice—they chose evil instead of good.
God gave much and offered much:
to Rehoboam: 1 Ki 11.37,38; 14.7-9
to Baasha: 16.2-3
|
Prophet |
Priest |
King |
|
The
prophet was to bring and speak forth the word of God--he was God's messenger
to the king and the people of God; he should inform, encourage, and admonish
the king. |
The
priest was the mediator between man and God, to minister for the people
before God and to help in their approach to God; he should teach the law to
the people and the king. |
The
king was to lead the people, direct them in obedience to God; he was to
encourage and exhort the people in righteousness by word and example; he was
to lead them in victory over their enemies and idolatry. |
All the kings of the North were evil kings. Judah had several good kings, kings who would seek reform by removing the idols of the land and teach the people the Law of God, yet good kings were followed by bad kings, and ultimately, judment would come. They would experience the curses of Deuteronomy 28 and be drivin from the land of promise.
Captivity
Jeremiah: I also spoke to Zedekiah king of Judah according to all these words, saying, "Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him and his people, and live! 13 Why will you die, you and your people, by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, as the Lord has spoken against the nation that will not serve the king of Babylon? 14 Therefore do not listen to the words of the prophets who speak to you, saying, You shall not serve the king of Babylon, for they prophesy a lie to you; 15 for I have not sent them, says the Lord, yet they prophesy a lie in My name, that I may drive you out, and that you may perish, you and the prophets who prophesy to you. 16 Also I spoke to the priests and to all this people, saying, Thus says the Lord: `Do not listen to the words of your prophets who prophesy to you, saying, Behold, the vessels of the Lord's house will now shortly be brought back from Babylon; for they prophesy a lie to you. 17 Do not listen to them; serve the king of Babylon, and live! Why should this city be laid waste? 27.12-17
The true prophets of God were sent to warn the people to obey God, but they would not listen: Jeremiah 25: 3 "From the thirteenth year of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, even to this day, this [is] the twenty-third year in which the word of the Lord has come to me; and I have spoken to you, rising early and speaking, but you have not listened. 4 "And the Lord has sent to you all His servants the prophets, rising early and sending [them], but you have not listened nor inclined your ear to hear. 5 "They said, `Repent now everyone of his evil way and his evil doings, and dwell in the land that the Lord has given to you and your fathers forever and ever. 6 `Do not go after other gods to serve them and worship them, and do not provoke Me to anger with the works of your hands; and I will not harm you.' 7 "Yet you have not listened to Me," says the Lord, "that you might provoke Me to anger with the works of your hands to your own hurt. 8 " Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts: `Because you have not heard My words, 9 `behold, I will send and take all the families of the north,' says the Lord, `and Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, My servant, and will bring them against this land, against its inhabitants, and against these nations all around, and will utterly destroy them, and make them an astonishment, a hissing, and perpetual desolations. 10 `Moreover I will take from them the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the sound of the millstones and the light of the lamp. 11 `And this whole land shall be a desolation [and] an astonishment, and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years.
The captivity would be for 70 years, a year for every year they did not observe the land Sabbath of the Law, 2 Chron 36.21.
The destruction came because they would not submit to Nebuchadnezzar, but the captivity came for 2 reasons: 1)Idolatry, Ezekiel 36.16-19, and 2) injustice and mistreatment of the poor, Zechariah 7.8-14.
Even though there would be returns from Babylon after the 70 years of captivity, the promise of restoration to the land has not been fulfilled. The "diaspora" still exists today, even with a "nation" of Israel in the land.
The writing prophets during the Assyrian captivity were Isaiah, Micah, and Hosea, The writing prophets during the Babylonian captivity were Daniel, Ezekiel, and Jeremiah. Daniel was taken captive to Babylon in the first stage while young and remained there to the end of his life after the Persian Empire domination; his faithfulness to God along with 3 of his friends results in their exaltation in Babylonian government. Ezekiel is taken captive in the second stage, and he prophesies concerning Judah and Jerusalem to the captives. Jeremiah stays in Jerusalem and is taken prisoner to Egypt by those who kill the governor of the people left in the land after the destruction of city and temple.
Daniel chapter 9 has Daniel praying to God for mercy and forgiveness, seeing the 70 years of captivity, according to Jeremiah the prophet, had expired. This is where we learn of the 70 weeks prophecy which is a timetable of restoration for the nation. This timetable gives timing of the Messiah and a future destruction of Jerusalem and final restoration of Israel.
Restoration
There will be a new memorial day for Israel and a new Shepherd-King: Jeremiah 23.1-8:
Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of My pasture! says the Lord. Therefore thus says the Lord God of Israel against the shepherds who feed My people: You have scattered My flock, driven them away, and not attended to them. Behold, I will attend to you for the evil of your doings," says the Lord. But I will gather the remnant of My flock out of all countries where I have driven them, and bring them back to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase. I will set up shepherds over them who will feed them; and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, nor shall they be lacking, says the Lord. Behold, [the] days are coming, says the Lord, That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; A King shall reign and prosper, And execute judgment and righteousness in the earth. In His days Judah will be saved, And Israel will dwell safely; Now this [is] His name by which He will be called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. Therefore, behold, [the] days are coming," says the Lord, "that they shall no longer say, `As the Lord lives who brought up the children of Israel from the land of Egypt,' "but, `As the Lord lives who brought up and led the descendants of the house of Israel from the north country and from all the countries where I had driven them.' And they shall dwell in their own land."
A new memorial day will be deliverance from the North and all nations. The reference to the branch of righteousness is concerning a son of David as King who will be a righteous king whose name will be the “Lord our Righteousness.”
“Branch” is symbolic for a descendant and is sometimes Messianic. He is in contrast to the evil shepherds who scattered Israel. By Him Judah will be saved and Israel will dwell safely. Jesus: I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. John 10.11.
Ezekiel 37 (:15-28) 15 Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 16 "As for you, son of man, take a stick for yourself and write on it: `For Judah and for the children of Israel , his companions.' Then take another stick and write on it, `For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and [for] all the house of Israel , his companions.' 17 "Then join them one to another for yourself into one stick, and they will become one in your hand. 18 " And when the children of your people speak to you, saying, `Will you not show us what you [mean] by these?'-- 19 "say to them, `Thus says the Lord God: "Surely I will take the stick of Joseph, which [is] in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel , his companions; and I will join them with it, with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they will be one in My hand." ' 20 "And the sticks on which you write will be in your hand before their eyes. 21 "Then say to them, `Thus says the Lord God: "Surely I will take the children of Israel from among the nations, wherever they have gone, and will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land; 22 "and I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel ; and one king shall be king over them all; they shall no longer be two nations, nor shall they ever be divided into two kingdoms again. 23 "They shall not defile themselves anymore with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions; but I will deliver them from all their dwelling places in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them. Then they shall be My people, and I will be their God. 24 " David My servant [shall] [be] king over them, and they shall all have one shepherd; they shall also walk in My judgments and observe My statutes, and do them. 25 "Then they shall dwell in the land that I have given to Jacob My servant, where your fathers dwelt; and they shall dwell there, they, their children, and their children's children, forever; and My servant David [shall] [be] their prince forever. 26 "Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them, and it shall be an everlasting covenant with them; I will establish them and multiply them, and I will set My sanctuary in their midst forevermore. 27 "My tabernacle also shall be with them; indeed I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 28 "The nations also will know that I, the Lord, sanctify Israel , when My sanctuary is in their midst forevermore."
This is clearly a reference to complete restoration, such as not took place after the captivity. The divided kingdom will be united as one nation under one king. The reference to David, I believe, is dynastical: He will be a son of David, particularly, Christ: Luke 1.32: God will give Him the throne of His father David. This "David My servant" will have its fulfillment in Christ following His second coming:
Romans 11.25-27: For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: "The Deliverer will come out of Zion, And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob; For this [is] My covenant with them, When I take away their sins."
Zechariah 12.9-10: It shall be in that day [that] I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for [his] only [son], and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn.
Revelation 1.7: Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.
Mark says that the crowd was delighted to listen to Jesus. Apparently they enjoyed seeing the so-called experts stumped! The remark also serves to show that, though the religious leaders opposed Jesus, the common people were for him.
Luke 1.30-33: Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. "And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. "He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. "And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end."
Daniel's Seventy weeks
This prophetic timetable that looks to complete restoration of Israel is 70 times 7 years that begins with a decree. It is after the 69 7s of years—483 years--- that Christ came the first time; it brings us to the approximate time of His crucifixion. The final 7 years are preceded by a gap of undetermined time, but with their beginning and completion comes the second coming of Christ and the Day of the Lord. The Day of the Lord will involve both the restoration of Israel geographically as a people for God’s purpose (under the New Covenant) and the judgment of the nations.
There are three views about the beginning of the 70 weeks with a decree. One view says it is the Artaxerxes I command to Ezra in 457BC using 365-day-years that comes out exact to the beginning of Christ's ministry in AD27. Another popular view says it is the same Artaxerxes who commands Nehemiah in 444BC using 360-day-years comes out exactly to the day of Christ's triumphal entry in AD33. The third view says it was the decree of Cyrus; see the following.
There is a view that takes the 70 7s of years as 365 1/4-day-years with their beginning being a decree by the first Persian king Cyrus. The time would be just following the demise of Babylon, which brought an end to the 70 years of Jewish captivity.
Isaiah 44.28: Who says of Cyrus, He is My shepherd, and he shall perform all My pleasure, saying to Jerusalem, you shall be built, and to the temple, your foundation shall be laid.
2 Chronicles 36.22-23: Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying, Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: All the kingdoms of the earth the Lord God of heaven has given me. And He has commanded me to build Him a house at Jerusalem which is in Judah. Who is among you of all His people? May the Lord his God be with him, and let him go up!
This view says there is an error in the king list; it is 82 years too long.
The Jewish King list gives Persia 123 years; from Cyrus to Alexander is 123 years. The dating from Alexander (331 BC) onward is accurate. Alexander (331 BC) to Herod’s death (4 BC) is 327 years (331-4=327). Adding the Persian years (123) to the Alexander to Herod years (327) equals 450 years. Christ death was 33 years after Herod's death. And so 450 years + 33 years = 483 years. 483 years is 69 7s of years. The termination of the 483 years is during the time of Christ, particularly the year of his crucifixion: Messiah shall be cut off, Daniel 9.26.
The final 7 years will begin with a covenant/ treaty and conclude with the coming of Christ again. The time between the 69 7s of years and the final 7 years has been that period in which God’s people for His purpose has been believers in Christ consisting mainly of Gentiles but is both Jew and Gentile and identified as the “Church” or assembly (“ekklesia” is the Greek word for “assembly”). The last 7 years will be the transitioning of the end of that period of Divine purpose to bring in a new purpose of God at the second coming of Christ; that new purpose is a restoration of Israel geographically under the new covenant in a new world order, the “Millennium.”
Israel’s restoration will include sanctification.
This prophetic timetable of restoration concernsIsrael (your people) and Jerusalem (your holy city).
Six things are to be accomplished. All of these things speak of restoration. Restoration in the terms of the six things will not be in the immediate future of the returns recorded in Ezra and Nehemiah.
The 70 weeks prophecy is divided up with a major time gap. The prophecy gives the timing of the first coming and the second coming of Christ. The gap involves the crucifixion, AD 70 destruction of Jerusalem, and the church age. The last ‘week’ is the time of the events of Revelation, particularly the second half as "great tribulation"; which concludes with the second coming of Christ and salvation of Israel.
The six things in 9.24: The first three speak of sanctification from sin both specific and general (the work of Christ as basis). The second three things speak of the establishment of the kingdom of God in its future, temporal aspect.
This Sanctification is practical salvation from sin. How will Israel have an advantage over us (the "Church") today? They will have the subjective impact of coming out of "great tribulation" and the affects of living in a community of believers. Ours (the church)is harder work--see Phil 2.12; 1 Tim 4.16. However, we have the same new birth as they.
A Remnant Returns to Rebuild
2 Chron 36.23; Ezra 1.1-4
Cyrus Cylinder (538 BC): “May all the gods whom I have resettled in their sacred cities daily ask Bel and Nebo for a long life for me.”
In the first return from Babylon, there was a total of 42,360 people, Ezra 2.64. Zerubbabel was the governor and Joshua was the high priest, Ezra 2.1-1.
Why didn’t all the people come back? What evidence was there that God was with those who didn’t return? The answer is found in the history of the fate of the Jews in the Book of Esther (during Xerxes, reign).
Why was it important to have a remnant return and rebuild the temple and Jerusalem if not all returned? The answer is found in the need to fulfill prophecy concerning the in the gap between the 69th and 70th weeks of Daniel 9.26 for the creation of the environment and circumstances of the coming of Christ (so Messiah could be "cut off") and the following Divine judgment on Israel in destroying the city and the sanctuary.
The rebuilding of the temple resulted in opposition, Ezra 4.1-4; 24
The foundation was laid, but the result was not as grand as the previous Temple: Ezra 3.11,12
Foreigners wanted to help but were not allowed,and so they cause trouble (which shows their motives were not sincere) 4.1-5. Isn't this the same principle taught in the New testament to not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers?
Why does God allow opposition? To test ones faith? Free will? Doing God’s will is not without opposition, and it doesn’t indicate that proof of God’s will is in lack of conflict.
Why was rebuilding so important? What significance is the temple? It was the visible point of reference of God’s presence and relationship with His people. A verifying reference point where God is connected with His people in holiness.
I see these analogies: The Church is analogous to Israel as the people of God, while the local body of believers is analogous to the temple as the special place of God’s presence in the world.
The rebuilding of the temple seemed insignificant, but if it was of God, then don’t despise even that which appears small. It’s like comparing the small assembly of believers with the mega-churches with multi-level auditoriums and escalators and satellite broadcasts.
Opposition cause work to cease and 15 years passed from the laying of the foundation. God raises up prophets, Haggai and Zechariah, to admonish and encourage the people with the word of God’s will. Ezra 5.1-2
Haggai: 1.13; 2.4: “I am with you.”
Zechariah 3.7: Zerrubabel shall finish the temple.
The Persian governor of the region, Tatenai, challenges the rebuilding, and sends a letter to the Persian King Darius. Darius finds the decree of Cyrus, Ezra 6.1-3, and he issues a decree to leave the building continue, 6.6,8,11,12. The law of the Persians works to their advantage here (cp. Daniel 6.8).
The temple is completed: 6.13-16: So the elders of the Jews built, and they prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And they built and finished [it], according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the command of Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia. Now the temple was finished on the third day of the month of Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius. Then the children of Israel, the priests and the Levites and the rest of the descendants of the captivity, celebrated the dedication of this house of God with joy.
In doing the will of God, expect opposition. Your faith will be tested and made stronger. Faith must act upon that will of God revealed. If it is God’s will, then He is with you through the opposition. Opposition is the mountain made into a plain, when one is led by the Spirit of God. And this takes place when one knows and believes and acts by faith in the word of God:
Zech 4.6-10: `Who [are] you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel [you] [shall] [become] a plain ! And he shall bring forth the capstone With shouts of "Grace, grace to it!" ' " Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying: "The hands of Zerubbabel Have laid the foundation of this temple; His hands shall also finish [it]. Then you will know That the Lord of hosts has sent Me to you. For who has despised the day of small things? For these seven rejoice to see The plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel
Major issues in the returns...the Jews who returned again failed to obey God, in the mistreatment of the poor by charging interest (charging usury contrary to the law) and taking their lands and children as slaves. They also violated the Sabbath Day. The other big problem was intermarriage with foriegnors who were non-believers. After 70 years captivity, and though allowed to come back to Jerusalem, they return to the same sins that brought Divine wrath on them before.
Ezra was commissioned by Artaxerxes to beautify the temple. (Ezra 7.12-13, 23,27-28) Ezra had to address the problem of intermarriage. (Ezra 9.1-4; 10.1-4, 11-14, 19, 44)
Nehemiah, also commissioned by Artaxerxes (to rebuild Jerusalem's walls, Neh 1.2-4; 2.1-6), had to address the problem of intermarriage. Nehemiah 13.26: Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? Yet among many nations there was no king like him, who was beloved of his God; and God made him king over all Israel. Nevertheless pagan women caused even him to sin. Should we then hear of your doing all this great evil, transgressing against our God by marrying pagan women?
Deut 7.1-6 When the Lord your God brings you into the land which you go to possess, … You shall make no covenant with them nor show mercy to them. Nor shall you make marriages with them. You shall not give your daughter to their son, nor take their daughter for your son. For they will turn your sons away from following Me, to serve other gods; so the anger of the Lord will be aroused against you and destroy you suddenly. … For you [are] a holy people to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth.
BKC: One of God’s major prohibitions was that His people were not to marry outside the community of believers (Ex. 34:11-16; Deut. 7:1-4). This was not because of racial difference, for the peoples of the surrounding areas were of the same Semitic race. The reason was strictly religious. If God’s people married outside Israel they would be tempted (as was Solomon; 1 Kings 11:3-5) to get caught up in pagan idolatrous worship. Intermarrying with people who did not worship Yahweh was symptomatic of the way the people forsook other aspects of God’s Law. If they would break this aspect of the Law in the most intimate of human relationships then they would probably also break the Law in other less intimate human relationships.
By obedience and trusting God to provide, you reveal to others that you fear God and believe His way is best. You reveal different motives than that of the world’s viewpoint. Others will see the outcome of doing it God’s way in your life.
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