By: Obed Pineda
It is said that an empire defeated by its enemies can always rise and be rebuilt, but if the enemies who make it fall are from within, then that empire is doomed to never rise again. Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Greece, and Rome have all proven the veracity of this statement. Each of these nations grew to become powerful conquerors in the ancient world, but were toppled as a direct result of internal, civil war. Verily, this provides a glaring example of the Lord’s affirmation that “every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand” (Matthew 12:25, emphasis added). It is wise to recall that Jesus said this in regards to Satan’s kingdom because He was being falsely accused of casting out demons with demonic power (Matthew 12:24-26). Christ was illuminating the irrationality of the Pharisees statement by demonstrating that even the devil himself understood the longstanding value unity offers to any kingdom. On the other hand, the Pharisees’ illogical conclusion revealed that they still had yet to understand this important lesson. This should not be surprising since the Jews had long forgotten what the united kingdom of Israel looked like. The Israelite kingdom that had been forged and united by kings Saul, David, and Solomon splintered between the year 930 to 931 B.C., under the unwise rule of Rehoboam (1st Kings 12). Israel was able to enjoy this precious unity as a kingdom from Saul to Solomon for only one hundred and twenty years, approximately. Therefore, when the Lord Christ was born, almost a millennia had passed since the tribes of the north and the south stood as one, as the Kingdom of Israel, and would never do so again. It is beneficial to meditate carefully about this sobering reality, for the inspired Paul proclaims that, “whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope” (Romans 15:4). The unraveling of Israel’s united monarchy, and ultimate demise as a nation, began several centuries before Rehoboam ever took the throne from his father. The seeds of their destruction were sown almost immediately after they were liberated by Jehovah God from Egyptian bondage, in the wilderness. Holy Writ declares that after three months had passed since they had been freed, the children of Israel arrived “to the Wilderness of Sinai” (Exodus 19:1). The house of Jacob had already seen the amazing power of Jehovah God against the Egyptians and how He had never left their side during their journey out of Egypt. The Lord had sweetened the bitter waters of Marah (Exodus 15:22-27), had provided them with Manna and quail for them to eat (Exodus 16), water from the rock in Horeb for them to drink (Exodus 17:1-7), and defeated the Amalekites who attacked them in Rephidim (Exodus 17:8-16) during this three month span. The Lord had proven to the Israelites beyond a shadow of doubt that He was their liberator, healer, provider, and protector to strengthen their faith and reliance upon Him. Thus, having witnessed God’s loving, providential hand, He then explained to Israel “now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine” (Exodus 19:5, emphasis added). Unfortunately, the Psalmist reveals that “when your fathers tested Me; they tried Me, though they saw My work. For forty years I was grieved with that generation, and said, ‘It is a people who go astray in their hearts, and they do now know My ways.’ So I swore in My wrath, ‘They shall not enter My rest’” (Psalm 95:9-11, emphasis added). Due to the hardness of the hearts of the first generation that had been brought out of Egypt, who persistently refused to believe and trust in God even after witnessing His awesome power, the Father did not allow them to enter into the promised land except for Joshua and Caleb (Numbers 14:20-24). After forty years, every father from that first generation had perished, except Joshua and Caleb, and the Lord renewed His covenant with the house of Israel. Having seen the severe punishment of Jehovah upon their fathers, due to their unbelief and disobedience, God reiterates to Israel, “if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the Lord your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the Lord your God” (Deuteronomy 28:1-2, emphasis added). One of the blessings promised by God if they heeded His mandates was that they as a nation would not serve any other nations, but instead would be served by them (Deuteronomy 28:13-14). However, the Lord warned Israel as well of what would transpire if they were a disobedient and rebellious house, promising them that “the alien who is among you shall rise higher and higher above you, and you shall come down lower and lower. He shall lend to you, but you shall not lend to him; he shall be the head, and you shall be the tail” (Deuteronomy 28:43-45). Israel’s fidelity to the Lord after conquering the promised land was short lived, for “when all that generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after them who did not know the Lord nor the work which He had done for Israel. Then the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and served the Baals; and they forsook the Lord God of their fathers” (Judges 2:10-12a, emphasis added). The Almighty’s promised warning to the children of Israel came to fruition and time and time again the Lord would deliver them into the hands of their enemies, thus becoming the “tail” of those nations. This vicious cycle of forsaking God and being handed over to their conquerors as punishment for their sin, prevailed throughout Israel’s entire history. After Jerusalem had been sacked and burned by the Babylonian king, Nebuchadnezzar, the weeping prophet lamented, “The roads to Zion mourn because no one comes to the set feasts. All her gates are desolate; her priests sigh, her virgins are afflicted, and she is in bitterness. Her adversaries have become the master, her enemies prosper; For the Lord has afflicted her because of the multitude of her transgressions. Her children have gone into captivity before the enemy” (Lamentations 1:4-5, emphasis added). Israel, the northern kingdom, was no more when Babylon had taken Judah, the southern kingdom, captive. Any hope of reestablishing the glorious kingdom of Israel was demolished when the last sons of Israel cried in a loud voice “His blood be on us and on our children” referring to Jesus of Nazareth (Matthew 27:15-26, emphasis added). Ergo, Israel’s tragic end began when they rebelliously rejected God as their king. It is no wonder why Jesus lamented bitterly over Jerusalem (Matthew 23:37-39, Luke 13:34-35). May the tale of Israel’s fallen kingdom encourage us to remain always faithful to God and His commandments.