The Divided Kingdom of Israel
In biblical times, the people of Israel lived in the Promised Land, but they didn’t always get along. Their troubles began way back in the time of Jacob, their ancestor. Jacob’s family had problems because his sons didn’t always treat each other kindly. The sons of Leah and the sons of Rachel, Jacob’s wives, often argued and didn’t get along well. Even Joseph, Rachel’s son, was treated badly by his brothers because they were jealous of him and his dreams (Genesis 37:1-11).
Did you know that Jacob’s name was changed to Israel? His twelve sons became the ancestors of the twelve tribes of Israel! These tribes were Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Joseph, and Benjamin. When the Israelites entered the Promised Land, the tribes of Joseph were divided into two—Ephraim and Manasseh—making twelve tribes that received land. The tribe of Levi didn’t receive its own territory because they served as priests and helpers in the worship of Yah, their Elohim.
Later, after the Israelites entered the Promised Land, these arguments continued. During the time of the judges, the tribe of Benjamin, which came from Rachel, fought against the other tribes (Judges 20). Then, when Israel’s first king, Saul, came from Benjamin, more problems arose. When David, from Judah (one of Leah’s tribes), became king, the tribe of Benjamin didn’t accept him right away. They even went to war! After a long time, David united all twelve tribes and ruled as king (2 Samuel 3:1; 5:1-5).
But the peace didn’t last forever. David’s son Absalom wanted to be king, so he tried to take the throne from his father. Many people followed Absalom, and this caused more division (2 Samuel 15). Later, another man named Sheba led a rebellion against David and the tribe of Judah (2 Samuel 20:1-2).
When David’s son Solomon became king, the troubles continued. Solomon ruled during a time of great wisdom and wealth, but he also faced challenges. Check out our King Solomon Activity Book, filled with ready-to-go lesson plans and hands-on activities that teach kids about Solomon’s wisdom, his building projects, and even the famous story of the Queen of Sheba.
Solomon’s servant, Jeroboam, rebelled after hearing from a prophet named Ahijah that God would divide the kingdom because the people had turned away from God and worshiped idols. God promised that David’s family would still rule over part of the kingdom for the sake of His promise to David (1 Kings 11:26-40). Discover more about Solomon’s choices and their impact with our King Solomon Activity Book, which includes creative ways to teach kids about the importance of following God.
After Solomon died, his son Rehoboam became king. Jeroboam returned from Egypt, where he had fled, and asked Rehoboam to lower the heavy taxes Solomon had put on the people. Rehoboam refused, and this made the northern tribes angry. They decided to make Jeroboam their king instead. Only the tribes of Judah and Benjamin stayed loyal to Rehoboam. This is how the kingdom of Israel was divided into two: the northern kingdom, called Israel, and the southern kingdom, called Judah (1 Kings 12:16-24).
Jeroboam, the king of Israel, didn’t want his people going to Jerusalem in Judah to worship God. So, he created new places to worship, including golden calves, and told the people to worship there instead. This spiritual adultery, where the Israelites worshiped other gods, was the reason why God scattered the tribes of Israel, just as He had warned He would do in Deuteronomy 4:27 and 1 Kings 14:15-16.
