More to the Story
A Kingdom Torn in Two
Chapter 14, 1 Kings 12-16

Israel's Civil War
 
“When all the Israelites heard that Jeroboam (Solomon’s “Secretary of State”)  had returned (from exile), the (people of the northern 10 tribes of Israel) sent and called him to the assembly and made him king over all Israel. Only the tribe of Judah remained loyal to the house of David.    When Rehoboam (Solomon’s son and designated King of Israel) arrived in Jerusalem, he mustered the whole house of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin--a hundred and eighty thousand fighting men--to make war against the house of Israel and to regain the kingdom for Rehoboam son of Solomon.      1 Kings 12:20-21(NIV)

History

After Solomon’s death Jeroboam took the northern 10 tribes and seceded from the southern two, Judah and Benjamin. If God had not interceded the south would have invaded the north, sort of the opposite of what happened in our civil war.  

From this point on the northern 10 tribes are referred to in the Bible as Israel and the southern two as Judah. Of all 38 Kings of both countries, none in the north were good kings. Each followed the rebellious and idolatrous ways of Jeroboam and each was described as having “done evil in the eyes of the Lord”. In fact every transition from one king to the next in the north was by coup.  

There were only five Kings in Judah listed by the biblical authors as good: Asa, Jotham, Jehosophat, Josiah and Hezekiah.  

Prayer

“Lord, from Adam to Eve to Cain to Noah to Abraham to Isaac to Jacob to Judah to Moses to Saul to David to Solomon to Rehoboam to Jeroboam, it seems there are almost no great role models. There are no perfect saints, no one who did life just right. What are you telling me? Is it that David is the one above all who got it right, that a broken and contrite heart you will not refuse? Thank you Lord that not even Jesus came as role model (although He is) but as a Savior of those who come to recognize that they cannot measure up, but instead need to be saved. Amen”