The Kingdom Fractures

The Divided Kingdom Period

The Kingdom Fractures

From - 1 & 2 Kings

• Like the books of Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings were originally one book.

• The division into two books was first made in the LXX, and then in the Vulgate.

Author

The author of 1 and 2 Kings is unknown, although Jewish tradition ascribes the work to the prophet Jeremiah.

All that can be said with certainty is that Kings was compiled from various sources and written from a prophetic perspective.

Author The author mentions three primary

sources:1. The “book of the acts of Solomon,” (11:41)

from the Temple archives.2. The “book of the Chronicles of the kings of

Israel,” (14:19; 15:7) from the official state archives.

3. The “book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah,” (14:29; 15:7) from the royal archives.

Date The grammar and style of the Hebrew and

the contents of the books of Kings indicate that the work was completed during the Babylonian captivity.

Kings was mostly likely completed after 561 B.C. since this is the date of the last recorded event. (2 Kings 25:27-30)

1 Kings covers the 120 years from the beginning of Solomon’s reign in 971 B.C. through Ahaziah’s reign ending in 851` B.C.

Outline of 1-2 Kings

I. United Kingdom: Solomon’s Reign (1 Kings 1-11)

II. Divided Kingdom (1 Kings 12 through 2 Kings 17)

III. Kingdom of Judah Alone (2 Kings 18-25)

A History of Israel

• Patriarchs 1900-1750 BC• Exodus 1290 (13th Cen.)• Conquest (begins) 1250• Time of Judges 1200• Saul 1020• David 1000• Solomon 961• Division of Kingdom 922• Fall of Israel 721• Fall of Judah 587

The Divided Kingdom

Significant Rulers

Reasons for the Division of the Kingdom

1. Solomon’s unfaithfulness to God: (examples Foreign wives and foreign gods) (1 Kings 11 & 2 Chron. 10)

2. Policy of Rehoboam (1 Kings 12; 2 Chron. 10)

3. Heavy taxation under Solomon to finance his building projects (1 Kings 12:4; 2 Chron. 10).

Reasons for the Division of the Kingdom

4. Utilized forced labor (1Kings 9:15; 2 Chron. 10:4).

5. Jealousy among the tribes (1Kings 9:16; 2 Chron. 10:16).

6. No outside threat to unify the people.

Northern: Jeroboam I

Dates: 931-909 BC Reign: 22 Yearso Served as a cabinet member under

Solomon; escaped to Egypt.o Led the revolt of the ten Northern tribeso His false religion cause Israel to sino His pagan altar was destroyed; his arm was

paralyzed, and his son stricken by God for his sin.

Northern: Jeroboam I

o He was defeated in battle by Abijah, the second king of Judah.

o He was stricken with a plague from God and died.

Northern: Omri (6)Dates: 885-873 B.C. Reign: 12 years

He made Samaria the northern capital.

He was the most powerful king up to his time.

He arranged the marriage of his son Ahab to Jezebel.

Northern: Ahab (7)

Dates: 874-852 B.C. Reign: 22 years1. He married Jezebel.2. His Baal worshiping practices caused a great

famine to fall upon the land.3. He was allowed to defeat the Syrians on two

occasions.4. He tricked king Jehoshaphat (Judah) into a

matrimonial and military compromise.

Ahab

5. His death for his sins was predicted by three prophets.

6. The death of Jezebel, his wife, was also predicted by Elijah.

7. He was killed in a battle with Syria.

Northern: Jehu (10)

Dates: 841-813 B.C. Reign: 28 years• He was anointed by a messenger from

Elisha.• He was known for his bloodletting. He

executed: Judah’s king Ahaziah; the northern king Jehoram; Jezebel; Ahab’s 70 sons, relatives, and friends; 42 royals princes of Judah; and numerous Baal worshipers.

Northern: Jeroboam II (13)

Dates: 793-752 B.C. Reign 41 years

He ruled longer than any other northern king.

He was one of the most powerful kings of the north.

He recovered much of Israel’s lost territory.

Southern: Rehoboam (1)

Dates: 931-914 B.C. Reign: 17 years

Was the son of Solomon. His stupidity and tactlessness sparked the civil

war. He had eighteen wives and sixty concubines. His favorite wife was Maachah, the evil

daughter of Absalom. He sees his capital, Jerusalem, invaded by

Shishak, Pharaoh of Egypt.

Southern: Jehoshaphat (4)Dates: 873-848 B.C. Reign: 25 years

He instituted a national religious education program by sending out teachers of the word of God.

He marred his testimony by compromising with three ungodly, northern kings.

He appointed a religious director and a civil director.

When Jerusalem was threatened by a massive Moabite invasion, God heard his prayer and supernaturally intervened.

Southern: Athaliah (7)

Dates: 841-835 B.C. Reign: 6 years

Took over after her son, Ahaziah, was killed by Jehu, and slaughtered all the royal seed but Joash, who was hidden from her.

She was executed after six years.

Southern: Uzziah (10)

Dates: 792-740 B.C. Reign: 52 years

He was a mighty warrior and builder.

He attempted to intrude on the office of the priesthood and was punished for this with leprosy.

Southern: Ahaz (12)

Dates: 735-719 B.C. Reign: 16 years

o Probably the second worst king of Judah.o He sacrificed his own children to devil

gods.o He ordered the construction of a pagan

Assyrian altar and placed it in the Temple.

Southern: Hezekiah (13)

Dates: 716-687 B.C. Reign: 29 years

Judah’s second best king, and the richest of all.

He repaired the Temple and organized several musical groups.

He held the greatest Passover celebration since Solomon.

Hezekiah

He saw the death Angel defeat the Assyrian enemies that had surrounded Jerusalem.

God healed him of a terminal disease, giving him another 15 years.

He wrote fifteen of the Psalms. Foolishly showed the wealth of Judah

to Babylonian ambassadors.

Southern: Manasseh (14)

Dates: 697-642 B.C. Reign: 55 years

Ruled longer than any other king, north or south.

The most wicked king of all.

Southern: Josiah (16)Dates: 641-610 B.C. Reign: 31 years

Godliest king since David. Judah’s last godly king. A book of the Law was discovered when

renovating the Temple. This sparked a great revival. He conducted a larger Passover celebration

than Hezekiah’s. He was killed in battle with the Egyptians.

Southern: Jehoiachin (19)Dates: 598 B.C. Reign: 3 months

• Grandson of Josiah.• He incurred a curse from God, banning his

sons from the throne.• Both Ezekiel and Jeremiah predicted that he

would carried off into Babylonian Captivity.• He was exiled away after Nebuchadnezzer’s

second visit, which also carried away Ezekiel.• He eventually died in Babylon.