THE KINGS OF ISRAEL 1 Samuel 8:4-7 4: All the elders of Israel assembled and came to Samuel at Ramah 5: And said to him, Behold, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways; now appoint us a king to rule over us like all the other nations. 6: But it displeased Samuel when they said, Give us a king to govern us. And Samuel prayed to the Lord. 7: And the Lord said to Samuel, Hearken to the voice of the people in all they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me, that I should not be king over them. From Abraham to Samuel, the children of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had been under a theocracy, a God-rule. Once in the Land, they were governed by judges, now they desired to have a king like other nations to judge and lead them in battle. 1 Samuel, at this time, was Israel s Judge. This shows that Yehovah was Israel s first king. Israel, as a whole, rejected Yehovah as their king. SAUL 1 Samuel 9:1, 2, 15-16, 17 1: There was a man of Benjamin whose name was Kish... 2: Kish had a son named Saul... 15: Now a day before Saul came, the Lord had revealed to Samuel in his ear, 16: Tomorrow about this time I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him to be leader over y people Israel... 17: When Samuel saw Saul, the Lord told him, There is the man of whom I told you. He shall have authority over y people. Saul is from the tribe of Benjamin. Yehovah revealed to Samuel to anoint Saul as leader and authority over Israel. Saul was chosen by Yehovah to rule over Israel. But the tribe of Benjamin was not to be the ruling tribe through whom the essiah would come. The scepter promises belong to the tribe of Judah. To fulfill these promises, a change somewhere after Saul s reign would need to occur, changing the rule of Israel over to the tribe of Judah. 1 Dake s Annotated Reference Bible - pg. 301, column 1, note n 1
1 Samuel 10:17-1 Samuel 31 The reign of Saul DURING THE REIGN OF SAUL 1 Samuel 15:10-11 10: Then the word of the Lord came to Samuel, saying, 11: I regret making Saul king, for he has turned back from following e, and has not performed y commands. And Samuel was grieved and angry [with Saul], and he cried to the Lord all night. Saul did not follow Yehovah s commands on the attack of Amalek. (1 Samuel 15:2-9, 12-23) Saul had turned his heart away from following Yehovah. Yehovah regrets He made Saul king. 1 Samuel 16:1, 12 1: The Lord said to Samuel, How long will you mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? Fill your horn with oil; I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite; for I have provided for yself a king among his sons. 12: Jesse sent and brought him. David had reddish hair and fair skin, beautiful eyes, and was fine looking. The Lord said [to Samuel], Arise, anoint him; this is he. Yehovah sends Samuel to anoint the son of Jesse as king. David, Jesse s youngest son, is selected. Bethlehemite 2 - an inhabitant of Bethlehem, which was located in Judea. It was called Bethlehem-Judea to distinguish it from Bethlehem in Zebulun, (Joshua 19:15,16). 1 Samuel 17:12 12: David was the son of an Ephrathite of Bethlehem in Judea, named Jesse... Ephrathite - an inhabitant of Bethlehem-Judea. The ancient name of Bethlehem was Ephratah (icah 5:2) or Ephrath (Genesis 35:19). Bethlehem - Ephratah - Ephrath, they are all one and the same. This town is in the land belonging to the tribe of Judah. David was from the tribe of Judah holder of the kingly promises. 2 Young s Analytical Concordance - pg. 92 2
It is necessary to explain that David did not immediately become king. The anointing by Yehovah occurred in 1063 BC; the anointing by the tribe of Judah in 1056 BC; and the anointing by all of Israel in 1048 BC. From his anointment by Yehovah until his anointment by all of Israel, there is a period of 15 years. 1 Samuel 31:6 6: So Saul, his three sons, his armor-bearer, and all his men died that day together. Saul dies in a battle against the Philistines. Acts 13:21 21: Then they asked for a king; and God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years. Saul s reign lasted 40 years. DAVID 2 Samuel 2:4, 10-11 4: And the men of Judah came and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah... 10: Ish-bosheth, Saul s son, was forty years old when he began his two-year reign over Israel. But the house of Judah followed David. 11: And David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah for seven years and six months. The men of Judah anointed David as king over the house of Judah. Ish-bosheth reigns over Israel for two years. 2 Samuel 3:1, 4:8 (concerning the son of Saul) 1: There was a long war between the house of Saul and the house of David. But David grew stronger and stronger, and the house of Saul grew weaker and weaker. 8: And they brought the head of Ish-bosheth to David at Hebron and said to the king, Behold, the head of Ish-bosheth son of Saul, your enemy, who sought your life... This shows the conflict between the two kings. Ish-bosheth is killed after reigning for two years. 3
2 Samuel 5:3 3: So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and King David made a covenant with them [there] before the Lord, and they anointed [him] king over Israel. David is now king over all of Israel. This changes the ruling of Israel over to the tribe of Judah, who possesses the kingly (scepter) promises of Genesis 49:10. KINGS OF ISRAEL Yehovah Tribe of Judah Tribe of Benjamin Saul anointed David anointed During the 40-year reign of David, the nation of Israel divided a total of three times into two kingdoms. It is necessary to note that there was conflict between the tribes while David reigned. Verses in House of Judah House of Israel 2 Samuel David Ish-bosheth 2:10 David Absalom 15:6,13 David Sheba 20:1,2 The durations of these divisions were short, not one lasting any longer than two years. They were always cut short by death. King/Leader Death Ish-bosheth 2 Samuel 4:7 Absalom 2 Samuel 18:9 Sheba 2 Samuel 20:22 4
PROISES TO DAVID 2 Samuel 7:16 (Yehovah speaking to Nathan, a prophet, to say to David) 16: And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before you; your throne shall be established forever. Yehovah promises to establish the house of David forever. Yehovah promises to establish David s kingdom forever. Yehovah promises to establish David s throne forever. These three promises are all unconditional and eternal. Luke 1:32-33 32: He will be great (eminent) and will be called the Son of the ost High; and the Lord God will give to Him the throne of His Forefather David. 33: And He will reign over the house of Jacob throughout the ages; and of His reign there will be no end. Yeshua, the Shiloh of Genesis 49:10, will fulfill the unconditional promises given to David from Yehovah. 1 Kings 2:4 (David speaking) 4: That the Lord may fulfill His promise to me, saying, If your sons take heed to their way, to walk before e in truth with all their heart and mind and with all their soul, there shall not fail you [to have] a man on the throne of Israel. Yehovah promises David that a man shall always sit on the throne of Israel IF his sons are obedient to Yehovah with all their heart, mind, and soul. This promise is conditional. Just as Jacob divided the birthright between his two sons, Judah and Joseph, the throne now takes on a two-way promise. One being an eternal and spiritual throne; and the other being a temporary and earthly throne. SOLOON 1 Chronicles 22:9, 10 9: Behold, a son shall be born to you who shall be a man of peace... for his name shall be Solomon... 10: He shall build a house for y Name and the [symbol of y] Presence. He shall be 5
y son, and I will be his father; and I will establish his royal throne over Israel forever. A son is to be born to David. David is to name his son, Solomon. Solomon s name means peace. 1 Chronicles 28:5 5: And of all my sons, for the Lord has given me many sons, He has chosen Solomon my son to sit upon the throne of the kingdom of the Lord over Israel. Solomon is David s tenth son. Even though he is not the first born, he is chosen by Yehovah to obtain the throne from his father, David. 1 Kings 1:39 39: Zadok the priest took a horn of oil out of the tent and anointed Solomon. They blew the trumpet and all the people said, Long live King Solomon! Solomon is anointed as king. 1 Kings 2:10-11 10: So David slept with his fathers and was buried in the City of David. 11: David reigned over Israel forty years; seven years in Hebron and thirty-three years in Jerusalem. David dies. David s reign lasted 40 years. 1 Kings 2:12 12: Then Solomon sat on the throne of David his father, and his kingdom was firmly established. Solomon takes a throne that is firmly established. 6
KINGS OF ISRAEL Yehovah Tribe of Judah Tribe of Benjamin Saul anointed David anointed Solomon anointed PROISES TO SOLOON 1 Chronicles 22:10 (Yehovah speaking of Solomon) 10: He shall build a house for y Name and [the symbol of y] Presence, He shall be y son, and I will be his father, and I will establish his royal throne over Israel forever. 2 Chronicles 7:17-18 17: As for you [Solomon], if you will walk before me as David your father walked, and do all I have commanded you, and observe y statues and y ordinances, 18: Then I will establish the throne of your kingdom, as I covenanted with David your father, saying, There shall not fail you a man to be ruler in Israel. Again, we see the contrasting thrones; one being unconditional and the other being conditional. SOLOON S APOSTASY For a total in-depth look at Solomon s falling away, you will need to read 1 Kings 10:24-11:8. It is necessary to point out the main highlights of these scriptures: The Scripture The Sin The Law 1 Kings 10:24-27 ultiplying Wealth Deuteronomy 17:17 10:28-29 ultiplying Horses 17:16 11:1-3 ultiplying Wives 17:17 11:4 Turning his heart away from Yehovah 17:19 11:5-8 Idol Worship Exodus 20:1-5 7
1 Kings 11:6 6: Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord, and went not fully after the Lord, as David his father did. Solomon did not completely follow Yehovah with all his heart, mind, and soul. 1 Kings 11:11-13 11: Therefore the Lord said to Solomon, Because you are doing this and have not kept y covenant and y statutes, which I have commanded you, I will surely rend the kingdom from you and will give it to your servant! 12: However, in your days I will not do it, for David your father s sake. But I will rend it out of the hand of your son! 13: However, I will not tear away all the kingdom, but will give one tribe to your son for David y servant s sake and for the sake of Jerusalem, which I have chosen. Solomon is told that his kingdom will be torn away from him. The kingdom will be given to a servant of Solomon s. This would not take place in Solomon s lifetime, but the kingdom would be torn away from his son s reign in Israel. For the sake of David and Jerusalem, Yehovah will choose one tribe to stay under the rule of Solomon s son. JEROBOA 1 Kings 11:26 26: Jeroboam son of Nebat, an Ephrathite of Zereda, Solomon s servant, whose mother s name was Zeruah, a widow woman, rebelled against the king. Solomon s servant, Jeroboam, rebels against the king. 1 Kings 11:30-31 (Ahijah, a prophet, speaking to Jeroboam) 30: Ahijah caught the new garment he wore and tore it into twelve pieces. 31: He said to Jeroboam, You take ten pieces, for thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, Behold, I will tear the kingdom from the hand of Solomon and will give you ten tribes. Jeroboam, a servant, is chosen to rule over ten tribes. 1 Kings 11:36-38 (Ahijah continues his talk to Jeroboam) 36: Yet to his son I will give one tribe, that David y servant may always have a light before e in Jerusalem, the city where I have chosen to put y Name. 8
37: And I will take you, and you shall reign according to all that your soul desires; and you shall be king over Israel. 38: And if you will hearken to all I command you and will walk in y ways and do right in y sight, keeping y statutes and y commandments, as David y servant did, I will be with you and build you a sure house, as I built for David, and will give Israel to you. Jeroboam is given a throne with conditional promises. Jeroboam s throne did not contain the throne with a two-way promise. It could only be an earthly, temporary throne because Jeroboam was not of the tribe of Judah; who holds the scepter promises of an eternal, unending spiritual throne. REHOBOA 1 Kings 11:42-43 42: The time Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel was forty years. 43: And Solomon slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David his father. Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead. Solomon dies. Solomon s reign lasted 40 years. Rehoboam, Solomon s son, takes the throne of Israel. For a thorough look at Rehoboam s reign over Israel, you will need to read 1 Kings 12-14. THE DIVISION OF ISRAEL INTO TWO SEPARATE KINGDOS 1 Kings 12:15,19 (Speaking of Rehoboam, the king) 15: So the king did not hearken to the people, for the situation was from the Lord, that He might fulfill His word which He spoke by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam son of Nebat. 19: So Israel rebelled against the house of David to this day. Jeroboam and all the assembly of Israel demanded that Rehoboam lighten the burdens of hard service that Solomon had placed upon them. If he would do this, they would serve him. Against the advice of his father s counselors, he followed the advice of young men who grew up with him. He returned an insulting answer, which resulted in total rebellion (1 Kings 12:1-18). It is at this time, in scripture, the nation of Israel divided into two separate kingdoms. 9
Scripture says that it is divided to this day. 1 Kings 12:20 20: When all Israel heard that Jeroboam had returned, they sent and called him to the assembly and made him king over all Israel. None followed the house of David except the tribe of Judah only. Jeroboam is chosen as king by Israel. This fulfills the scriptures in the preceding chapter (1 Kings 11:11, 31). 1 Kings 12:21 21: And when Rehoboam had come to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah, with the tribe of Benjamin, 180,000 chosen warriors, to fight against the house of Israel to bring the kingdom back to Rehoboam son of Solomon. The tribe of Benjamin is selected to be the one tribe to remain with Judah. This fulfills the scripture in the preceding chapter (1 Kings 11:13). THE TRIBES OF ISRAEL DIVIDE 975 BC Kingdom of Judah Kingdom of Israel 1. Judah 1. Reuben 2. Benjamin 2. Simeon 3. Levi 4. Zebulun 5. Issachar 6. Dan 7. Gad 8. Asher 9. Naphtali 10. Joseph Ephraim anasseh 10
THE SCEPTER/BIRTHRIGHT BLESSINGS DIVIDE 1 Chronicles 5:2 2: Judah prevailed above his brethren, and from him came the prince and leader [and eventually the essiah]; yet the birthright was Joseph s. The scepter and birthright promises, having been divided between two sons, are now divided between two kingdoms; Judah s tribe belonging to the Kingdom of Judah, and Joseph s tribe belonging to the Kingdom of Israel. THE TRIBES OF ISRAEL Kingdom of Judah Kingdom of Israel *1. Judah 1. Reuben 2. Benjamin 2. Simeon 3. Levi 4. Zebulun 5. Issachar 6. Dan 7. Gad 8. Asher 9. Naphtali **10. Joseph *Scepter promises Ephraim **Birthright promises anasseh 11
KINGS OF ISRAEL Yehovah Tribe of Judah Tribe of Benjamin David anointed Solomon anointed Saul anointed After the Division Kingdom of Judah Rehoboam Abijah Asa Jehoshaphat Jehoram Ahaziah Athaliah Joash Amaziah Uzziah Jotham Ahaz Hezekiah anasseh Amon Josiah Jehoahaz Jehoiakim Jehoiachin Zedekiah Kingdom of Israel Jeroboam Nedab Baasha Elah Zimri Omri Ahab Ahaziah Joram Jehu Jehoahaz Joash Jeroboam II Zechariah Shallum enahem Pekahiah Pekah Hoshea The thrones of Saul, David, and Solomon lasted for 120 years. Each anointed king reigned for 40 years. The Kingdom of Israel existed approximately 254 years, it had 19 reigning kings. The Kingdom of Judah existed approximately 369 years, it had 20 reigning kings. 12
SUARY From Yehovah s selection of Abraham to the throne of Saul, the people of Israel were ruled by God, a theocracy; and before the reign of kings, the people of Israel were governed by judges. After 300 years of Israel s existence, and being governed by judges, the people asked Samuel to give them a king. They wanted to be ruled like all the other nations. Yehovah revealed to Samuel, who was a judge, to anoint Saul. Saul was a man from the tribe of Benjamin, and he reigned over Israel for 40 years. During his 40-year reign, he turned his heart from Yehovah and did not perform His commands concerning the attack of Amalek. Yehovah then sent Samuel to anoint another man to be Israel s king. This man was David, a shepherd, and from the tribe of Judah. David, who at the time of his anointment was quite young, did not immediately become king of all Israel. There was a span of 15 years from his anointment by Yehovah until the time he actually sat on the throne to rule over the nation of Israel. This changed the ruling tribe from Benjamin to Judah, who holds the scepter promises given in Genesis 49:10. Yehovah made two covenants to David concerning the throne. The covenants were unconditional and conditional; making it a throne with a two-way promise. One had to do with a spiritual, eternal throne; the other was an earthly, temporary throne. Under the reign of David, three attempts were made to overthrow his throne. Each time was short in duration and ended in death of the one trying to overthrow him. Not one attempt lasted longer than two years. After David s 40-year reign, his son, Solomon, took a throne which was firmly established. Solomon s reign, also, existed for 40 years; and after his death, his son, Rehoboam, took the throne. At the beginning of Rehoboam s reign, there was an effort made by Jeroboam, and an assembly of Israel, trying to get Rehoboam to lighten the duties of service placed on them by Solomon, his father. When this effort failed, ten of the twelve tribes split from what had been the nation of Israel. Rehoboam remained king of the southern kingdom, and Jeroboam was made king of the northern kingdom. In other words, the earthly throne would now split into two kingdoms with two different kings. They were known as the Kingdom of Judah and the Kingdom of Israel. The covenants, which were given to David from Yehovah, were passed down to Solomon. The conditional covenant was then turned over to Jeroboam, 3 who was of the tribe of Ephraim, holder 3 Smith s Bible Dictionary - pg. 291 13
SUARY (continued) of the princely promise. This covenant passed over Rehoboam, Solomon s son, because of Yehovah s judgment on Solomon for breaking the conditional covenant. But, the unconditional covenant remained with the tribe of Judah, who holds the eternal scepter promises. In no way did this judgment jeopardize the spiritual throne that points directly to Yeshua, our essiah, who will be the King of Kings. 14