Session Six
Divided Kingdom: 1 Kings 12 - 22, 2 Kings:
930 - 722 BC
Black (Israel's darkest period): Tyranny Leads to Division
Exile: 2 Kings:
722 – 538 BC:
Baby Blue (Judah singing the blues in Babylon):
God's People Are Removed from the Promised Land
Return: Ezra, Nehemiah:
Yellow (Judah returning home to brighter days)
Judah Returns to the Promised Land
God’s Love Story:
· 1 Kings 12 – 22
· He told Rehoboam not to fight against Jeroboam and the Israelites (1 Kings: 12: 23)
· He warned Jeroboam about how He would destroy altars to false gods and withered Jeroboam’s hand (13:7)
· He told Jeroboam’s wife that He would burn up the house of Jeroboam completely for making strange gods (14:10)
· He allowed the Egyptians to attack Jerusalem because Judah imitated the practices of the pagans (14:25)
· The raised up a son for the evil King, Abijam, to continue the line of David as He had promised (15:4)
· He blessed King Asa whose heart was with Him (15:15)
· He allowed Baasha to kill off the entire house of Jeroboam as He had warned (15:28)
· He warned that He would destroy Baasha and his house for causing His people Israel to sin (16:4)
· He allowed Zimri to destroy the entire house of Baasha (16:12)
· He caused Zimri to die because of his sins (16:18)
· He warned Ahab through the prophet Elijah about a drought for his evil ways (17:1)
· He protected his prophet Elijah from the drought and provided oil and flour for the widow who fed Elijah (17:11)
· He inspired Elijah to return the breath of life to the widow’s son (17:24)
· He used Elijah the to destroy the prophets of Baal (18:1)
· He sent an angel to encourage Elijah after Jezebel’s threats (19:6)
· He spoke to Elijah in a whispering sound (19:14)
· He spared the lives of those who had not knelt to Baal (19:18)
· He warned Ahab about taking Naboth’s possessions and punished Jezebel who was devoured by dogs (21:19)
· He inspired Micaiah to foretell the scattering of Israel (22:17)
· Summary: 1 Kings 12-22 relates the sad history of the split between the kingdoms of Israel and Judah and the tragic consequences for turning away from God. Disregarding the prophets’ warnings, Israel will be sent into exile first.
· Amos: 760 – 753 BC: Minor (shorter in length) prophet speaking to Israel, mentioned in 2 Kings 14:23: Amos was a sheep breeder of Tekoa in Judah, who delivered his oracles in the Northern Kingdom (Israel) during the prosperous reign of Jeroboam II (786–746 B.C.). He prophesied in Israel at the great cult center of Bethel, from which he was finally expelled by the priest in charge of this royal sanctuary.
· Jonah: 800 – 753 BC: Minor prophet speaking to Assyria, mentioned in 2 Kings 13:10: Unlike other prophetic books, this is not a collection of oracles but the story of a disobedient, narrow-minded prophet who is angry at the outcome of the sole message he delivers. It concerns a disobedient prophet who rejected his divine commission, was cast overboard in a storm and swallowed by a great fish, rescued in a marvelous manner, and returned to his starting point. Now he obeys and goes to Nineveh, the capital of Israel’s ancient enemy. The Ninevites listen to his message of doom and repent immediately. All, from king to lowliest subject, humble themselves in sackcloth and ashes. Seeing their repentance, God does not carry out the punishment planned for them. At this, Jonah complains, angry because the Lord spares them.
· Hosea 936: 750 – 715 BC: Minor prophet speaking to Israel about the time of 2 Kings 14:23: Hosea preached in his homeland, which he addresses as Israel, Jacob or, frequently, Ephraim. He began the Old Testament tradition of describing the relation between the Lord and Israel in terms of marriage (e.g., Jer 3:1; Ez 16:23; Is 50:1). Hosea speaks about the first love, the short period of Israel’s loyalty in the desert, which was then followed by a long history of unfaithfulness lasting until his day. This unfaithful behavior will lead to Israel’s destruction by Assyria, but God’s love will have the last word.
· Isaiah: 740 – 650 BC: Major prophet speaking to Judah, mentioned in 2 Kings 15:1 and 2 Chronicles 26:16: Isaiah, one of the greatest of the prophets, appeared at a critical moment in Israel’s history. The Northern Kingdom collapsed, under the hammer like blows of Assyria, in 722/721 B.C., and in 701 Jerusalem itself saw the army of Sennacherib drawn up before its walls. In the year that Uzziah, king of Judah, died (742), Isaiah received his call to the prophetic office in the Temple of Jerusalem. The vision of the Lord enthroned in glory stamps an indelible character on Isaiah’s ministry and provides a key to the understanding of his message. The majesty, holiness and glory of the Lord took possession of his spirit and, at the same time, he gained a new awareness of human pettiness and sinfulness. The enormous abyss between God’s sovereign holiness and human sinfulness overwhelmed the prophet. Only the purifying coal of the seraphim could cleanse his lips and prepare him for acceptance of the call: “Here I am, send me!”
· Micah: 735 – 700 BC: Minor prophet speaking to Judah, mentioned in 2 Kings 15:32 and 2 Chronicles:27: Micah was a contemporary of the prophet Isaiah. He was a prophet during the reigns of three kings of Judah: Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. The Book of Micah is focused on Jerusalem, Zion, and the Judean leadership. The Micah who speaks in this prophetic book knows the tradition that Zion is the Lord’s chosen place, but he is critical of the popular view that this election ensures the city’s security (2:6–13; 3:9–12). Through the prophetic voice, the Lord announces the impending punishment of God’s people by means of military defeat and exile because of their failure to establish justice. After that punishment God will bring the people back to their land and establish perpetual peace. The will of God for human beings is that they do justice, love goodness, and walk humbly with God (6:6–8).
· 2 Kings
· He had Elijah warn King Ahaziah for inquiring about Baalzebub (2 Kings 1:3)
· He sent fire to consume two captains and 100 men for threatening Elijah (1:9)
· He punished King Ahaziah with death in his bed for following false gods (1:17
· He gave Elijah the power to cross the Jordan on his mantle (2:8)
· He took Elijah up in a flaming chariot (2:11)
· He raised up the prophet, Elisha and gave him the power to cross the Jordan on his mantle (2:13)
· He purified water for Elisha (2:19)
· He punished those who called ridiculed Elisha (2:23)
· He provided water for the army of Judah (3:17)
· He blessed the widow of a God-fearing man with oil to pay her debts (4:1)
· He blessed the Shunammite woman with a son for her kindness to Elisha.
· He raised the Shunammite woman’s son from the dead through Elisha (4:31)
· He helped Elisha make poisoned stew edible (4:38)
· He gave Elisha the power to multiply loaves (4:42)
· He cured Naaman from leprosy through Elisha (5:1)
· He punished Gehazi with leprosy for lying to Elisha about taking money from Naaman (5:27)
· He blinded the Aramean soldiers to protect Elisha (6:14)
· He caused the Arameans to hear chariots to protect the Israelites (7:6)
· He gave Jehu power to fulfill Elijah’s prophecies (10:15)
· He was merciful to Israel because of His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (13:22)
· He restored the boundaries of Israel as he had prophesized through the Prophet Jonah. (14:25)
· He inspired the Prophet Amos warned King Jeroboam that the northern kingdom of Israel would come to an end (Amos 5:2)
· He inspired the Prophet Hosea to tell of God’s unrelenting love despite the unfaithfulness of Israel during this time (Hosea 1:1)
· He punished Israel by deporting them to Assyria during the reign of King Hoshea for committing many sins against Him (17:7)
· He sent lions among those who settled in Samaria because they did not worship Him (17:25)
· He inspired the prophet Isaiah to encourage King Hezehiah not to fear the Assyrians and He promised a remnant of the House of Judah would survive (19:5)
· He sent an angel to strike down the Assyrians (19:35)
· He healed Hezekiah from his illness and extended his life 15 years (20:9)
· He spoke through the prophets (Micah, Joel, Nahum, Zephaniah, Jeremiah, Habakkuk, Baruch, Daniel, Ezekiel, Obadiah) that He would punish the kingdom of Judah for the evil ways of King Manasseh and the people (21:16)
· He spared King Josiah from the exile because of his faithfulness (22:19)
· He allowed King Jehohaz to be a prisoner in Egypt for his evil ways (23:31)
· He allowed King Jehoiachin and the people of Judah to be exiled to Babylon for the sins of King Manasseh and their own sins (24:8)
· He punished King Zedekiah by having him witness his sons’ slaying, losing his sight, and being exiled to Babylon (2:25).
· Summary: 2 Kings continues the tragic history of Israel and Judah being sent off to exile since they will not turn from their evil ways even after God sent them many prophets to warn them about the consequences of turning away from Him. They also delivered a message of hope when the people of God repent and do penance; then they can return to the Lord.
· Tobit: 722 – 721 BC: Historical book: Tobit, a devout and wealthy Israelite living among the captives deported to Nineveh from the Northern Kingdom of Israel in 722/721 B.C., suffers severe reverses and is finally blinded. Because of his misfortunes he begs the Lord to let him die. But recalling the large sum he had formerly deposited in far-off Media, he sends his son Tobiah there to bring back the money. In Media, at this same time, a young woman, Sarah, also prays for death, because she has lost seven husbands, each killed in turn on his wedding night by the demon Asmodeus. God hears the prayers of Tobit and Sarah and sends the angel Raphael in human form to aid them both.
· Joel: 722 – 701 BC: Minor prophet speaking to Judah, written in reference to the time of 2 Kings 17 and 2 Chronicles 29: In the two speeches that make up this book, Joel uses an agricultural crisis to measure his audience’s knowledge of its God, warn them of a worse disaster if they ignore his preaching, and express his conviction that all faithful Judahites would someday enjoy a secure future. Announcement of Unprecedented Disaster (1:2–20) The Day of the Lord (2:1–27) The Lord’s Final Judgment (3:1–4:21)
· Nahum: 664 – 654 BC: Minor prophet speaking to Assyria, written in reference to the time of 2 Kings 21 and 2 Chronicles 33: Shortly before the fall of Nineveh, the capital of Assyria, in 612 B.C., Nahum uttered his prophecy against the hated city. In the wake of their conquests, mounds of heads, impaled bodies, enslaved citizens, and avaricious looters testified to the ruthlessness of the Assyrians. Just such a conquest was suffered by Israel, when its capital Samaria fell to the Assyrians in 722/721 B.C., and by Judah, when its capital Jerusalem nearly fell to invading Assyrian armies twenty years later. Little wonder that in 3:19 Judah is shown as joining in the general outburst of joy over the destruction of Nineveh!
· Zephaniah: 632 – 628 BC: Minor prophet speaking to Judah, mentioned in 2 Kings 25:18 and 2 Chronicles 34: The ministry of Zephaniah took place during the reign of Josiah (640–609 B.C.), not long before the fall of Jerusalem in 587 B.C. His prophecy of judgment on Judah and Jerusalem emphasizes, perhaps more than any other prophecy, the devastation and death that divine judgment will bring. Described as the day of the Lord, the day of judgment is pictured as a time of darkness, of anguish and distress, of destruction and plunder of cities, and of threat to all life, human and animal alike. The major sins motivating this judgment, in Zephaniah’s view, are Judah’s worship of other deities (1:4–9) and its unjust and abusive leadership (3:1–4). He was put to death by Nebuchadnezzar’s orders.
· Jeremiah: 625 – 580 BC: Major prophet speaking to Judah around the time of 2 Kings 22 and 2 Chronicles 34: Jeremiah was born, perhaps about 650 B.C., of a priestly family from the village of Anathoth. He was called to his task in the thirteenth year of King Josiah (Jer 1:2). He complains about the burden of him ministry, of his abandonment, the failure of his preaching, and of an internal force that obliges him to speak. He warns Judah about its fall and laments (See Lamentations) after it has fallen. Nineveh, the capital of Assyria, fell in 612 B.C., preparing the way for the new colossus, Babylon, which put an end to the independence of Judah. Nebuchadnezzar captured Jerusalem (598 B.C.) and carried King Jehoiachin into exile (Jer 22:24). Jerusalem was destroyed in 587 and its leading citizens sent into exile. The prophet remained in Jerusalem, but was later forced into Egyptian exile. Jeremiah announces the “New Covenant” (31:31-33): I will place my law within them; it will last forever; when Jesus rises from the dead (Luke 22:20), all shall know the Lord, not just the Israelites.
· Habakkuk: 610 – 605 BC: Minor prophet speaking to Judah about the time of 2 Kings 23 and 2 Chronicles 36: Two important events frame Habakkuk’s prophecy: the great Babylonian (Chaldean) victory over the Egyptians at Carchemish (605 B.C.) and the second Babylonian invasion of Judah (587 B.C.), which ended with the destruction of Jerusalem. Habakkuk’s opening complaint about injustices in Judean society (1:2–4) is followed in 1:5–11 by God’s promise that the perpetrators will be punished by invading Chaldeans, i.e., Babylonians. Habakkuk’s second complaint about the violence of the Chaldeans themselves (1:12–2:1) is followed by a second divine response assuring the prophet of the reliability of God’s rule and calling for human faithfulness (2:2–4). This is followed by a poem on Wisdom personified. Next, the Poem of Consolation offers encouragement to the exiles in view of their eventual return.
· Baruch: 600 BC: Minor prophet, a companion and scribe for the prophet Jeremiah, speaking to Judah. He lived about the time of 2 Kings 24 and 2 Chronicles 36: The fictional setting is Babylon, where Baruch reads his scroll to King Jechoniah (Jehoiachin). He attempts to explain the trauma of the exile in terms of a Deuteronomic cycle: sin (of Israel), punishment, repentance, and return. The prayer of the exiles (2:11–3:8) is a confession of sin and a request for mercy. The final Letter of Jeremiah contains ten warnings that end in a kind of refrain that the idols are not gods and are not to be feared.
· Daniel: 605 – 535 BC: Major prophet speaking to the Exiles in Babylon and Persia, speaking of events about the time of 2 Kings 23 and 2 Chronicles 36: This work was composed during the bitter persecution carried on by Antiochus IV Epiphanes (167–164 B.C.) and was written to strengthen and comfort the Jewish people in their ordeal. The Book of Daniel is named after its hero, who was allegedly among the first Jews deported to Babylon, where he lived at least until 538 B.C. It is apocalyptic (pointing ahead to the day of the Lord when His people will be vindicated). The moral is that people of faith can resist temptation and conquer adversity. It focuses on right conduct, the divine control over events, the certainty that the kingdom of God will ultimately triumph and humanity attain the goal intended for it at the beginning of creation.
· Ezekiel: 590 – 571 BC: Major prophet speaking to the Exiles in Babylon about the time of 2 Kings 24 and 2 Chronicles 36: When Jehoiakim’s successor, Jehoiachin, surrendered in 597, Nebuchadnezzar appointed Zedekiah king and deported to Babylon Jehoiachin and the royal family, along with members of the upper class, including Ezekiel the priest who became the first prophet to be commissioned outside Judah or Israel. He tells the Exiles that they are responsible for the punishment of exile and the Lord’s decision to destroy their city and Temple. Later, he argues that the Judahites who embrace his preaching are the people whom the Lord has chosen as a new Israel, enlivened by a new heart, imbued with new breath (chaps. 36–37), and restored to a re-created land, Temple, and covenant relationship (chaps. 40–48).
· Judith: 638 – 330 BC: Historical Book: This book is historical fiction, written to exalt God as Israel’s deliverer from foreign might, not by an army, but by means of a simple widow. As God acted through Moses’ hand (Ex 10:21–22; 14:27–30), so God delivers “by the hand of a female,” Judith. Like Jael, who drove a tent peg through the head of Sisera (Jgs 4), Judith kills an enemy general. Like Deborah (Jgs 4–5), Judith “judges” Israel in the time of military crisis. Like Sarah, the mother of Israel’s future (Gn 17:6), Judith’s beauty deceives foreigners, with the result that blessings redound to Israel (Gn 12:11–20).
· Lamentations: 587 – 580 BC: Minor Prophet (anonymous) speaking to the Exiles: This is a book of five poems that serve as an anguished response to the destruction of Jerusalem in 587 B.C. A more anguished piece of writing is scarcely imaginable: from its portrayal of Jerusalem in chaps. 1 and 2 as an abandoned widow exposed to endless dangers, to the broken man of chap. 3, to the bleak description in chap. 4 of the inhabitants of the devastated city.
· Obadiah: c. 586 BC: Minor Prophet speaking to Edom about the time of 2 Kings 24 and 2 Chronicles 36: The prophecy is a bitter cry for vengeance against Edom for its pride and its crimes. Mount Esau in Edom will be occupied and ravaged by the enemy, while Mount Zion will be restored to its former sanctity and security. The triumphant refrain of Israelite eschatology will be heard once more: “The kingdom is the Lord’s!” Edomites took advantage of the helpless people of Judah and Jerusalem (v. 11; Ps 137:7).
God’s Love Story
· Ezra (Historical Book)
· He inspired King Cyrus to rebuild the house of God in Jerusalem and to let the Jews return (Ezra 1:2)
· He inspired the prophets Haggai and Zechariah to re-start building the house of God in Jerusalem (5:1)
· He watched over the rebuilding (5:5)
· He filled the people with joy for making the King of Assyria favorable (6:22)
· He blessed Ezra so that the King grants his requests (7:6)
· He sent sons of Levi as priests (8:18)
· He protected those arriving in Jerusalem from enemies and bandits (8:31)
· He inspired Ezra to demand that they abandon foreign wives and make guilt offerings (16:19)
· Summary: Ezra gave to his people a cohesion and spiritual unity which helped to prevent the disintegration of the small Jewish community settled in the province of Judah. Had it not been for the intransigence of Ezra and of those who adopted his ideal, it is doubtful that Judaism would have so effectively resisted Hellenism in later centuries. Ezra set the tone of the postexilic community, and it was characterized by fidelity to the Torah, Judaism’s authentic way of life.
God’s Love Story
· Nehemiah (Historical Book)
· He promised to return the Jews to the promised land when they returned to Him (Nehemiah 1:9)
· He raised up Nehemiah to ask King Artaxerxes to return to Jerusalem (2:1)
· He inspired Nehemiah to plan the rebuilding and protection of Jerusalem (4:14)
· He protected Nehemiah from his enemies (6:14)
· He inspired Ezra to read the Law and to retell the story of God’s people (8:1; 9:7)
· He inspired Nehemiah to:
· Keep the Feast of Booths (8:13)
· Encourage the people to confession and repentance (9:1)
· Sign an agreement to follow the Law of God (10:29)
· Organize the resettlement of Jerusalem and other cities (11:1)
· Re-establish the priesthood (12:1)
· Prescribe liturgical practices (12:44)
· Separate from the aliens (13:1)
· Reform the Temple (13:4)
· Observe the Sabbath (13:5)
· Abandon mixed marriages (13:23)
· Summary: Nehemiah, governor of the province of Judah, was the man of action who rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem and introduced necessary administrative reforms. Despite temperamental shortcomings, Nehemiah was a man of good practical sense combined with deep faith in God. He used his influence as governor of Judah to serve God and the fledgling Jewish community in Jerusalem. No matter what happens, there is always hope of restoration through God’s merciful love.
Session Six Summary: 1 Kings 12-22 relates the sad history of the split between the kingdoms of Israel and Judah and the tragic consequences for turning away from God. Israel split into rival kingdoms and fell into idolatry. Disregarding the prophets’ warnings, Israel will be sent into exile first. Turning away from God creates disaster and exile for all. 2 Kings continues the tragic history of the Israel and Judah being sent off to exile since they will not turn from their evil ways even after God sent them many prophets to warn them about the consequences of turning away from Him. The prophets also delivered a message of hope when the people of God repent and do penance; then they can return to the Lord. God brought the exiles back to Canaan; they rebuilt the Temple and Jerusalem and were taught once more from His law. Ezra was stubborn in leading God’s repentant people to resist the influence of the pagan Greek culture and to remain faithful to God’s law. Nehemiah organized this effort and demonstrated by his own deep faith that no matter what happens, there is always hope of restoration through God’s merciful love. Repentance must be followed by a determined effort to stay away from pagan influences and to follow the way of the Lord. Israel, Judah, Jezebel, Amos, Hosea, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Exile, Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome, Daniel, Ezekiel, Baruch, Cyrus of Persia, Zerubbabel, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther.
· Zechariah: 520 – 480 B.C: Minor Prophet speaking to Judah after the Temple restoration (520 BC), mentioned in Ezra 5:1: First Zechariah (chapters 1-8) is a series of visions in which the prophet describes the centrality of Jerusalem, its Temple, and its leaders, who function both in the politics of the region and of the Persian empire and in God’s universal rule. In Second Zechariah (chapters 8-14) various poems, narratives, oracles, and parables maintain the hope by depicting a glorious eschatological restoration. At that time, all nations will recognize Jerusalem’s centrality and acknowledge God’s universal sovereignty.
· Haggai: 520 BC: Minor Prophet speaking to Judah during the Temple restoration, mentioned in Ezra 5:1: Haggai’s words concern conditions in the Persian province of Judah at the beginning of the postexilic period during the reign of the Persian king Darius I (522–486 B.C.). The prophet links the well-being of the community to the work of Temple restoration, and his exhortations to the leaders and the people to begin work on this project are apparently heeded. The brief period of Haggai’s ministry (August to December 520 B.C.) marks the resumption of work on the Temple, the symbol of divine presence among the people.
· Esther: 485 – 464 BC: Historical Book: The Book of Esther (free composition, not a historical document) tells a story of the deliverance of the Jewish people. We are shown a Persian emperor, Ahasuerus (loosely based on Xerxes, 485–464 B.C.), who makes momentous decisions for trivial reasons, and his wicked minister, Haman, who takes advantage of the king’s compliance to pursue a personal vendetta against the Jews by having a royal decree issued ordering their destruction. The threat is averted by two Jews, Esther and Mordecai. Their influence and intervention allow the Jews to turn the tables on their enemies and rout their attackers. This deliverance is commemorated by the inauguration of the Jewish festival of Purim.
· Malachi: 432 – 424 BC: Minor Prophet speaking to Judah (Post-Exile) before the religious reforms of Ezra and Nehemiah. Malachi shows us attitudes and behaviors characteristic of the Jewish community a few generations after the end of the Babylonian exile (rejecting God’s law), and describes God’s response. Judah exhibits a weary attitude, a cynical notion that nothing is to be gained by doing what God wants and that wrongdoers prosper (2:17; 3:14–15). God condemns the wrongdoing and the underlying attitude, issuing a challenge to immediate reform (3:10–12), but also announcing a general reckoning at a future moment (3:16–21).
Discussion Questions Answered:
1. Rehoboam decides to be tougher than his father, Solomon, following the advice of his friends instead of his father’s advisor.
2. Northern Kingdom: Israel; Southern Kingdom: Judah
3. He made two calves of gold (pretending they came from Egypt) and set up places of worship outside Jerusalem (Bethel and Dan). He also made priests who were not Levites. He did this so his people in the south would not need to go to Jerusalem and be ruled by Rehoboam. He set up his own religion.
4. They are exiled from the Promised Land because they had turned away from the God who gave them the Promised Land. They turned away spiritually. They were turned away physically.
5. The period of the Exile is represented by the color baby blue because the people of Judah ended up singing the blues in Babylon as exiles.
6. Have someone read Jeremiah 31: 31-38 before answering. The New Covenant is one that will last (unbroken) forever. It will be made when Jesus Christ rises from the dead and the Messianic Period begins.
7. Idolatrous attachments: money power, fame, sex. Answers vary. Think of what people do instead of attending Church on Sundays, or what they value more than God.
8. Yellow is used to characterize the period of Return because it represents Judah’s returning to brighter days.
9. The unlikely person is King Cyrus of Persia. He rebuilds the temple in Jerusalem, allows Judah to return. Those who remain in Babylon contribute silver and gold to the return. Cyrus provides building materials and returns the Temple treasures taken by Nebuchadnezzar to Babylon.
10. (1) They need to rebuild the Temple (Zerubbabel rebuilds it for worship); (2) They need to rebuild the city itself. Nehemiah rebuilds the walls of Jerusalem (community of Jerusalem); (3) They need to rebuild their lives. Ezra teaches the Law.
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