The Divided Kingdom and Israel’s Fall

Old Testament Survey:From the Division of the Kingdom to

the Fall of Israel

• When Solomon died, his son, Rehoboam, became heir to the throne of Israel.

• The elders petitioned the young king to lighten the people’s tax burdens.

• He rejected their advice and accepted that of the younger advisers, increasing their burden.

• Kingdom divided--ten tribes to the North (under Jeroboam); two tribes (Judah and Benjamin) to the South (under Rehoboam).

• Israel = ten tribes• Judah = two tribes (1 Kings 12)

Division of the Kingdom

Israel• Jeroboam (22 years)

931—909 B.C.• Nadab (2 years)

910—908 B.C.• Baasha (24 years)

908-884 B.C.• Elah (2 years

884—886 B.C.

Judah• Rehoboam (17

years) 931—913 B.C.• Abijam (3 years)

913—910 B.C.• Asa (41 years)

910—869 B.C.

Kings of Israel and Judah

Israel• Zimri (7 days) 885

—884 B.C.• Tibni (4-5 years)

885—880 B.C.• Omri (12 years)

884-873 B.C.• Ahab (22 years)

874—853 B.C..

Judah• Jehoshaphat (25

years) 870—848 B.C.• Jehoram (8 years)

848—841 B.C.• Ahaziah (1 year)

841 B.C.• Athaliah (6 years)

841—835 B.C.

Kings of Israel and Judah

Israel• Ahaziah (2 years)

853—852 B.C.• Jehoram (12 years)

852—841 B.C.• Jehu (28 years)

841—813 B.C.• Jehoahaz (17 years)

813—798 B.C.

Judah• Joash (40 years)

835—796 B.C.• Amaziah (8 years)

848—841 B.C.• Ahaziah (29 years)

796—767 B.C.• Uzziah (52 years)

767—739 B.C.

Kings of Israel and Judah

Israel• Jehoash (16 years)

798—781 B.C.• Jeroboam II (41

years) 781—753 B.C.• Zechariah (6 mos)

753—752 B.C.• Shallum (1 month)

752 B.C. B.C.

Judah• Jotham (16 years)

739—731 B.C.• Ahaz (16 years)

731—715 B.C.• Continue in

next lesson

Kings of Israel and Judah

Israel• Menahem (10 years)

752—741 B.C.• Pekahiah (2 years)

741—739 B.C.• Pekah (20 years)

740—731 B.C.• Hoshea (9 years) 732 –722 B.C. Israel falls—722 B.C.

Judah• Continue in

next lesson

Kings of Israel and Judah

• Jeroboam and ten tribes fought against Rehoboam and two tribes; lasted for 50 years.

• Shortly after taking office, Jeroboam arranged for worship in Dan and Bethel (1 Kings 12:25-33).

• The kings who followed did not stop the departure from God’s law, so the apostasy continued.

• During Rehoboam’s reign in Judah, the Egyptian Pharaoh sacked the temple.

• The northern kings became progressively more evil.

Civil War

• Ahab married the daughter of the king of Sidon—Baal worship was introduced.

• Jezebel sought to stamp out the Jewish religion in Israel (1 Kings 16:29-34).

• She erected a Baal temple in Samaria and began to put God’s prophets to death.

• Elijah prophesied that there would be a three-year drought in the land (1 Kings 17:1).

• God used ravens and a widow woman to feed Elijah miraculously (1 Kings 17:2-24).

Ahab and Jezebel

• Elijah called the prophets of Baal and God’s people to Mount Carmel.

• Ahab accused Elijah of troubling Israel—not so; it was Ahab (1 Kings 18:17-19).

• Elijah suggests a test to determine the true God (1 Kings 18:29-34).

• 450 prophets of Baal against God’s prophet, Elijah (1 Kings 18:20-24).

• Baal’s prophets called on him from morning to evening—no answer (1 Kings 18:26-29).

• Elijah called on God, and He lit the fire under the altar (1 Kings 18:30-39).

Elijah at Mount Carmel

• Elijah kills the prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18:40).

• Rain again falls in Israel (1 Kings 18:41-46).

• Jezebel places a price on Elijah’s head, and he flees (1 Kings 19:1-8).

• God reminds Elijah he is not alone—7,000 others stand with him! (1 Kings 18:9-18).

• Jezebel orders Naboth’s death so she can give his vineyard to Ahab (1 Kings 21:1-16).

• Elijah foretells the deaths of Ahab and Jezebel and the end of Ahab’s house (1 Kings 21:17-29).

Elijah, the Rain, and Jezebel

• Israel and Judah become allies to invade Syria (1 Kings 22).

• Intermarriage between Ahab’s family and Judah brings more wickedness into Judah –Jehoram, king of Judah, marries Jezebel’s daughter (2 Kings 8:18).

• He slew all of his brothers who might have claim to his throne (2 Chronicles 21:4).

• Following Ahab’s death, Ahaziah is king; lasts a year and is killed by Jehu during the overthrow of Ahab’s dynasty (2 Chronicles 22:8).

Ahab’s Dynasty

• Ahaziah’s mother, Athaliah, daughter of king Omri, killed all heirs of the throne except Joash, who was an infant hidden by the priest (2 Kings 11:1-3).

• Athaliah usurped the throne. She was the only person outside David’s lineage to occupy the throne in Judah.

• Elisha prophesied during the reigns of Jehoram, Ahaziah, Athaliah in Israel, and Joash in Judah.

• He saw Elijah being taken up in a chariot of fire (2 Kings 2:11-15).

God’s Prophets

• Elisha received a double portion of Elijah’s spirit (2 Kings 2:9).

• He performed many miracles.– Used a small amount of oil to pay a widow’s

debts.– Raised the Shunammite woman’s dead son.– Made a poisonous portion of pottage nontoxic.– Healed Naaman’s leprosy.– Smote a large band of soldiers with blindness

Elisha

• In Judah, the kingdom continued to degenerate.• King Amaziah become an ardent worshipper of

the Edomite gods (2 Chronicles 25:14).

• Uzziah attempted to burn incense in the temple (2 Chronicles 26:18-21).

• Ahaz erected an altar in Jerusalem like one built by king of Assyria. Closed the doors of the temple so none could worship there. (2 Kings 16:15)

Conditions in Judah

• Judah had several righteous kings who reformed the corruption of the evil kings

• Kings Asa, Jehoshaphat, Jehoash, Uzziah, and Jotham were considered good kings in Judah.

• Influence of such men corrected many of the evils introduced by the wicked kings.

Righteous Kings in Judah

• Brief period of glory during reign of Jeroboam II.• His son, Zechariah, reigned for only six months

before being murdered by Shallum, who sought to usurp the throne.

• Shallum lasted one month before Menahem murdered him—he reigned for ten years.

• His son, Pekahiah, lasted two years before his captain, Pekah, murdered him .

• Assyria was a growing power, and Israel was divided ever whether to pay her tribute. Only one of Israel’s last six kings died a natural death!

Terrible Conditions in Israel

• Pekah reigned 20 years in Israel. He sought to stand and fight Assyria.

• Allied himself with Rezin, the king of Syria. Forced Ahaz of Judah to help them.

• Assyria attacked Syria and crushed her and Israel.

• Hoshea formed a conspiracy and killed Pekah, becoming king in his place.

• In battle with Assyria, many Jews were taken captive.

Terrible Conditions in Israel

• Hoshea reigned nine years. During the first part of his reign, he payed tribute to Assyria.

• In the sixth year of his reign, he sought to form an alliance with Egypt to fight Assyria.

• Assyria besieged Samaria for three years and finally destroyed her in 721 B.C.

• Assyria carried the ten northern tribes into captivity and brought others from various nations to occupy the land of Israel.

Hoshea, the Final King

• God did everything He could to stop Israel from rejecting His law.

• He sent the writing prophets--Isaiah, Hosea, Joel, Amos, and Micah--as well as other prophets. All called on Israel to REPENT!

• True proverb Proverbs 14:34

• Judah and Benjamin alone are left in Judah.• Israel followed Moses’ prediction (Deut. 28, 29).

• Assyrian Captivity marked the end of Israel’s national existence.

God Seeks to Avoid Captivity