The Rise and Fall of a Chosen Earthly Nation of Abraham

God established a nation for himself through his covenant with Abraham. Genesis 17 tells us that the Almighty God appeared to Abram who was 99 years old and said unto him, "I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect. 2) And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly. 3) And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him saying, 4) As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations.  He changed his name from Abram to Abraham who he will make exceeding fruitful, "and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee.  7) And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and they seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to they seed after thee.  8) And I will give unto thee, and to they seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.  God tested Abraham to see if he would sacrifice his son Isaac unto him. When Abraham proved himself an angel of the Lord spoke to him Genesis 22:16 And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: 17) That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and they seed shall possess the gate of his enemies.  18) And in they seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.  In earlier studies I have explored God's creation of man as a physical and spiritual side.  The first man Adam and the second man Christ.  We also are born unto the first man Adam and must be reborn of the second man Christ.   Here we are in the promises God is giving to Father Abraham the sands of the earth are God's chosen Israelites and the stars in the heaven is referring to Christ's Church where the Gentiles are joint heirs and have the promise of being with Jesus Christ in heaven.  A place where he has gone to prepare for those who are born again of the water and of the Spirit.  Jesus is from the lineage of King David who is in the lineage of Father Abraham that God spoke of in making his covenant with Abraham.  Abraham's lineage is often referred to as Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God renamed Jacob to Israel.  Israel has twelve sons who are the founding fathers of the twelve tribes of Israel.  Joseph was chosen by God and would find himself going through difficult trials in order for his dreams to be fulfilled.  During a famine that could have been devastating except that God placed Joseph in second command over all of Egypt that would save his family and many people.  God giving Joseph dreams that he told his father and brothers that set in motion a way to help them in God's timing.  We learn that in Exodus 1 that Joseph and all his brothers died, but the people of Israel had many children and greatly increased.  There was a new king in Egypt that Joseph didn't mean anything to and he begin to look at the Israelites as a threat.  The Egyptians put slave drivers over the people of Israel which begin their bondage in the land of Egypt.    

Moses was born during the bondage in Egypt of a man and woman from the tribe of Levi during a time when the midwives were instructed to kill any males born to Hebrew women. By God's will Moses mother would send her baby boy down the Nile River where Pharaoh's daughter was bathing.  She took him and raised him as her own.  Moses sister told her about a woman who could help her nurse little Moses which was his actual mother. Much like Joseph God allows Moses to go through trials but would use Moses to bring his chosen people out of their bondage of slavery to Egypt and to bring them to a promise land that flowed with milk and honey. God gave Moses the first five books of the bible known as the Law of Moses.  Later would be known as the Torah. Moses commanded the people of Israel in Deuteronomy 27:9 And Moses and the priests the Levites spake unto all Israel, saying, Take heed, and hearken, O Israel; this day thou art become the people of the Lord they God. 10) Thou shalt therefore obey the voice of the Lord thy God, and do his commandments and his statutes, which I command thee this day. Moses divided the children by the sons of Israel that some where to stand on mount Gerizim to bless the people while the rest stood on mount Ebal to curse.  In verse 14 the Levites spake unto all the men of Israel and with a loud voice issued out what the curses would be to those who did not keep God's commandments.  In verse 15 Cursed be the man that maketh any graven or molten image, an abomination unto the Lord, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and putteth it in a secret place and spake 11 more curses.  Chapter 28 goes on to give a blessing to those who hearken diligently unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the Lord thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth and followed many other blessing. The kings in Israel had the blessings of God as long as they kept his commandments.  However, they would also see the wrath of God as they angered him as they turned their heart from Him and did not heed his warnings.

The back story to the beginning of the curse upon the Israelites and how it splits the nation in two.  The first book of Kings chapters 1-11 are regarding the reign of King David the second king to reign over the Children of Israel and his son King Solomon who took reign after his father's passing.  We learn that King David wants and desires to build a temple for the Lord, however he is told he is not able to do that as he has innocent blood on his hands trying to cover up a sinful situation he put himself in.  He was told that his son Solomon would be king and would be able to build the House of the Lord.  King David gathered all supplies needed.  King Solomon did build the temple for God.  He was also known throughout all the lands for his wisdom in ruling over his people, a gift given to him by God.  In 1 Kings 11 tells us of the turning point of Solomon's reign and how he loved many strange women from other nations and how the Lord said to the children of Israel that they were not to go in unto them nor were they to come in unto them.  If this happened that they would surely turn the heart of men unto their gods.  King Solomon's heart was turned away from God after other gods. 1 Kings 11:4 his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father.  6) For Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord, and went not fully after the Lord, as did David his father.  In verse 7 Solomon then angered the Lord when he begin building high places for his wives strange gods, because his heart was turned from the Lord God of Israel which had appeared to him twice.  God warned Solomon not to go after these other gods, but Solomon did not heed God's command.  Verse 11) Wherefore the Lord said unto Solomon, Forasmuch as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to they servant.  In order to honor his covenant with David he would take the kingdom from the hand of Solomon's son.  God stirred up adversary's against King Solomon. We learn in verse 26 that  the servant of King Solomon is named Jeroboam.  He was a mighty man of valour and Solomon had made him ruler over all the charge of the house of Joseph. 

There was a Levite prophet named Ahijah from Shiloh who found Jeroboam and covered him with a new garment when they were alone in a field he took the garment and rent it into twelve pieces.  He told Jeroboam to take ten pieces 31) for thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel, Behold, I will rend the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and will give ten tribes to thee:  This split of Israel happened about 931 BC 32) (But he shall have one tribe for my servant David's sake, and for Jerusalem's sake, the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel:) 33) Because that they have forsaken me, and have worshipped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Milcom the god of the children of Ammon, and have not walked in my ways, to do that which is right in mine eyes, and to keep my statutes and my judgements, as did David his father. 34) Howbeit I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand: but I will make him prince all the days of his life for David my servant's sake, 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 God will only leave him one tribe.  Ahijah told Jeroboam that Solomon turned his heart from him by marrying forbidden women and built high places and set priest to worship other gods and forsook the Lord God which angered him and therefore God took the kingdom from him except for one on behalf of his covenant with King David.  Solomon's actions caused the people to also turn from the Lord God and followed after the king in idol worship.  He informed Jeroboam that as long as he followed the commandments of God faithfully then his legacy would be like King David's.  That this prophecy was God's judgement on Solomon for his evil towards God in idol worship. God is a jealous God and the first commandment of the Law of Moses was thou shalt not have any other gods before me. Solomon heard about the prophet prophesying to Jeroboam and sought therefore to kill Jeroboam who fled to Egypt until the death of Solomon.  Solomon reigned over Jerusalem for forty years.  After King Solomon's death his son Rehoboam was anointed king  in his stead. 

Rehoboam was on his way to Shechem to be made king when Jeroboam heard this he went before him with the congregation of Israel and they were told to come back in three days. When they returned Rehoboam in verse 13 spoke roughly with the people letting them know that he will be more harsh to them than his father and did not hearken to the voices of the elders.  However, this was the fulfilling of the prophecy from the Lord so that his saying might be performed that the kingdom would be taken from Solomon's sons reign in order to honor his covenant with King David.  Verse 20) And it came to pass, when all Israel heard that Jeroboam had come back, they sent and called him unto the congregation, and made him king over all Israel: there was none that followed the house of David, but the tribe of Judah only.  This was just as God said it would be to Ahijah the Shilonite who spoke to Jeroboam. 21) And when Rehoboam was come to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah, with the tribe of Benjamin, and hundred and fourscore thousand chosen men, which were warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, to bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam the son of Solomon.  22) But the word of God came unto Shemaiah the man of God saying,  23) Speak unto Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and unto all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the remnant of the people, saying, 24) Thus saith the Lord, Ye shall not go up, nor fight against your brethren the children of Israel: return every man to his house; for this thing is from me.  They listened to the word of the Lord, and returned to depart back to their homes, according to the word of the Lord.  

Jeroboam dwelt in Shechem and thought if he allowed the people to go back to sacrifice and worship in Jerusalem that their hearts would turn back to God and seek to kill him.  He instructed to have two golden calves made and set one in Bethel and one in Dan so that the people went to worship before them and this became a sin as the people did go to one or the other to worship before these golden images.  Jeroboam made a house in high places and made priests from people who were not from the sons of Levi.  Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense a man of God out of Judah came by the word of the Lord unto Bethel and cried in 1 Kings 13:2) O altar, altar, thus saith the Lord; Behold, a child shall be born unto the house of David, Josiah by name; and upon thee shall he offer the priests of the high places that burn incense upon thee, and men's bones shall be burnt upon thee.  3) And he gave a sign the same day, saying, This is the sign which the Lord hath spoken; Behold, the altar shall be rent, and the ashes that are upon it shall be poured out. 4) And it came to pass, when king Jeroboam heard the saying of the man of God, which had cried against the altar in Bethel, that he put forth his hand from the altar, saying, Lay hold on him. And his hand, which he put forth against him, dried up, so that he could not pull it in again to him.  5) The alter was also rent, and the ashes poured out from the altar, according to the sign which the man of God had given by the word of the Lord. Jeroboam asked the man of God to pray to God for him that he may restore his hand and he did and it became as it was before. After all this Jeroboam returned not from his evil way.  When Jeroboam's son fell sick he sent his wife to the prophet Ahijah the same one who told him he would be king to see what the outcome of the child would be but to disguise herself.  God told Ahijah that Jeroboam's wife was coming and she would be disguised. 1 Kings 14:6 He instructed her to go back and tell Jeroboam that because he did evil in the sight of the Lord and did not keep his commandments like David did and has done evil above all the others before him by making other gods, molten images and has provoked him to anger that God will bring evil upon Jeroboam's house and will cut him off.  When she enters back into the city her child will die.  That God is going to raise him up a king over Israel, who shall cut off the house of Jeroboam and the Lord will smite Israel and will uproot them from the good land because they have provoked him to anger. Jeroboam and Rehoboam warred between them all their days. Jeroboam reigned 22 years and was buried with his fathers. Rehoboam also died and was buried with his fathers.  Jeroboam's son Nadab and Rehoboam's son, Abijah took their places and followed after their fathers and were evil in the sight of God.  It is said that Abijah who reigned over Judah sinned against the Lord "more than all that their fathers had done" I Kings 14:23-24.    

King Manasseh began to reign when he was just twelve years old after his father King Hezekiah died.  He was king for 55 years in Jerusalem and built back the high places King Hezekiah destroyed that worshipped Baal and was evil in the sight of the Lord.  1 Kings 21:10) And the Lord spake by his servants the prophets, saying 11) Because Manasseh king of Judah hath done these abominations, and hath done wickedly above all that the Amorites did, which were before him, and hath made Judah also to sin with his idols: 12) Therefore thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Behold, I am bringing such evil upon Jerusalem and Judah, that whosoever heareth of it, both his ears shall tingle. 13) And I will stretch over Jerusalem the line of Samaria, and the plummet of the house of Ahab: and I will wipe Jerusalem as a man wipeth a dish, wiping it, and turning it upside down. 14) And I will forsake the remnant of mine inheritance, and deliver them into the hand of their enemies; and they shall become a prey and a spoil to all their enemies; 15) Because they have done that which was evil in my sight, and have provoked me to anger, since the day their fathers came forth out of Egypt, even unto this day. His son also walked his father's sted and did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord.

God used the prophets as his spokesmen to remind the rulers of what was to come to them if they did not stop their idolatry worship and turn their hearts back to him like David. First it would split the Israel nation into two and then they would find themselves in exile from their homeland as they angered the Lord God.    

Prophets that foretold of the wrath of God is known as the Pre-Exilic Prophets

1. Ahijah the Shilonite  prophesied to Jeroboam foretelling him that he would be the next king of Israel.  He also told of the future separation of the nation of Israel a country that was made up of twelve tribes from the sons of Jacob. They were originally ruled by judges until God appointed Saul as their first king. King Saul disobeyed God and from that a shepherd boy named David was anointed king before the death of King Saul.  David was a man after God's own heart and knew how to repent when he erred.  It is because of David's love for God he had a covenant with God in Psalms 89: 3-4 that his seed would be establish for ever, and build up they throne to all generations.  This is a Messianic prophecy itself in that it is referring to Jesus Christ of Nazareth who came from the seed of David. Solomon did not obey God's law and married women from other nations that turned his heart from God and because of this he angered the Lord and his throne would be taken from him and the Israelite tribes separated. 

2. 

Prophets during the time of exile: This is a time of the Mosaic covenant curse that was prophesied by pre-exile prophets. 

Ezekiel is a prophet who deals with the covenant. 

Daniel is the prophet who deals with the kingdom.

Prophets of the post-exilic era: 

God is looking for a faithful people as we are to walk by faith and not by sight. Just as in Hebrew 11:8 tells us that Father Abraham by faith obeyed when God called him to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance. He had no clue where he was going but 9) By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. 10) For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.  12) And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore. 17) By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, 18) even though God had said to him, "It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned." 

Next Study: Faith and Justice Go Hand -N- Hand

Study of Habakkuk: Faith and Justice Go Hand-N-Hand (sylviasjournalandthouhts.blogspot.com)