The Kingdom Divides

The Great Schism

Solomon's successor was Rehoboam.  The people of the northern part of the kingdom ask him to lighten the load of taxes and forced labor. (Read 1 Kings 12:4.)  He foolishly refuses to lighten their load.  All this sparks a widespread revolt against Rehoboam.  The revolt was led by Jeroboam.  The ten northern tribes withdraw from the monarchy and form their own kingdom, to be called Israel:  "What share have we in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse!" 1 Kings 12:16.  The southern tribes of Judah and Benjamin remain loyal to the Davidic rulers.  They form the smaller and poorer kingdom of Judah with its capital at Jerusalem.

 While reading the history of the divided kingdom, one must be aware of a couple of things.  For one thing, the writers were from Judah, and they admired David.

Since Israel opposed the Davidic monarchy and the Davidic covenant, the historians had negative feelings about anything connected with the Northern Kingdom.  For another thing, Jerusalem (to the Deuteronomic historians) was the only place where true worship could be carried on.  When Jeroboam led the revolt and set up worship centers at Dan and Bethel, he chose golden calves to replace the Ark of the Covenant as the symbol of the LORD'S throne.  For this reason, Jeroboam became the devil incarnate to the religious men of Judah.  All who followed Jeroboam were put in the same category.

 The rebel leader Jeroboam was the first king of northern Israel (circa 922-901 B.C.E.).  Whereas the southern nation of Judah, ruled by an unbroken succession of Davidic kings, maintains relative stability, the northern kingdom suffers repeated overthrows of its kings, none of whom is able to establish a dynasty as enduring as David's.  After the death of Jeroboam, Israelite kings came and went with surprising rapidity.  Most of these kings were driven by greed and a lust for power.