Standard 10 · Lesson 19
The Kingdom of Israel (Part II)
Lesson Content
The kingdom of Judah existed from 975 B.C. to 597 B.C. Twenty kings reigned in Judah during this period. The kingdom of Israel existed from 975 B.C. to 730 B.C. during which period nineteen kings reigned. The kings and the people of Israel forsook the living God and worshipped idols (I Kgs.22:52,53). They lived contrary to the laws of God. During the reign of Hoshea, the king of Assyria came against Israel and Hoshea became his servant (II Kgs.17:3). The Assyrian king, having found conspiracy in Hoshea, who had failed to bring him a present as he had done year by year, went up to Samaria and beseiged it. He carried Israel away to Assyria and planted them in two cities of the Medes (II Kgs.17:4-6). This was in 722 B.C. The kingdom of Judah continued after this for about 125 years. Judah too began to sin against the Lord, especially because of their affinity with the kings of Israel who did not walk in God’s ways. The Lord then raised up Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon against Judah, whose army came against the kingdom of Judah and burned the temple in Jerusalem, and the palace with fire. The people of Judah were taken captive to Babylon in 586 B.C. (II Kgs.25:21). From that time onwards Jerusalem was successively under the dominion of heathen kings, namely, Babylonian, Medo-Persian, Greek and Roman. The temple built by Herod the Great during the Roman rule was destroyed by emperor Titus in A.D. 70 in fulfilment of the prophecy of our Lord Jesus Christ (Lk.19:44). In A.D. 135 the Jews were scattered to different parts of the world (Lk.21:24). After the Roman rule, Palestine went into the hands of various rulers. Towards the end of the nineteenth century there was a great awakening among the Jews. A Jewish advocate Theodore Herzel began a movement called “Zionism” its aim being “Palestine for the Jews”. Palestine was then under the rule of the Turks. During World War I, when the British were facing defeat by the Germans, a Jewish chemist by name Chaim Weizmann working in Manchester discovered a chemical called TNT. This helped the British to defeat the Germans. Then the British came forward to offer him rewards. But he turned down the offer and instead asked for Palestine to be given to the Jews. Britain defeated the Turks in 1917 and ruled over Palestine. After the Second World War, Palestine was given independence and given to the Jews. Thus the kingdom which was once divided into two has again become one according to the prophecy in Ezekiel 37:15-22. Now Israel is ruled by a succession of Presidents. How true is God’s Word! Soon our Lord Jesus Himself will appear as the King of kings, not only for Palestine but for all the nations of the earth! (Jer.23:5; Ezek.37:24; Zech.14:9; Rev.19:16).
Moral
We should not be like the children of Israel but walk uprightly in all His ways, be steadfast in our covenant with Him and take heed that we do not stray away from Him, for He Who has called us is faithful.
Memory Verse
“For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars.”
II Chronicles 16:9