Part 15 (1/2)

Who built the first temple, how long did it stand, and by whom was it destroyed? Who built the second temple, and at what time? Who built the third temple? When was it begun, finished, and destroyed? What building now stands on the site of the temple? Between what three valleys was Je-ru'sa-lem situated? Give a description of each valley. Where were Mo-ri'ah, O'phel, and Zi'on located? Into what four parts was the ”House of the Lord,” or temple proper, divided? What were the dimensions and what was the location of the Porch?

Describe the Holy Place and its contents. Describe the Holy of Holies. What took the place of the Ark in the later temples? What were the Chambers, and where were they situated? Where was the Court of the Priests?

What were its dimensions? What stood in this court?

Where was the Court of Is'ra-el? What were its dimensions and uses? What stood outside the Court of Is'ra-el adjoining Sol'o-mon's temple? Where was the Court of the Women in the latest temple? Describe this court and its uses? What was the exterior court to the temple in the time of Christ? What were the dimensions of this court? Where was the ”Beautiful Gate”? Where was the ”Chel”? Where was Sol'o-mon's Porch? How was this court used by the Jews? What did Je'sus do in this court? What was the princ.i.p.al means of access to the temple? What were the immediate surroundings of the temple?

TWELFTH STUDY

The Kingdom of Israel

PART ONE

The splendors of Sol'o-mon's reign pa.s.sed away even more suddenly than they arose. In less than a year after his death his empire was broken up, and two quarreling princ.i.p.alities were all that was left of Is'ra-el.

I. Let us ascertain the =Causes of the Division of Is'ra-el=. These were:

1. =The oppressive government of Sol'o-mon= (1 Kings 12. 3, 4). How far the complaints of the people were just, and to what degree they were the pretexts of an ambitious demagogue, we have no means of knowing. But it is evident that the government of Sol'o-mon, with its courts, its palaces, its buildings, and its splendor, must have borne heavily upon the people. Probably, also, the luxury of living among the upper cla.s.ses, so suddenly introduced, led to financial crises and stringency of money, for which the government was held responsible by the discontented people.

2. =The opposition of the prophets= (1 Kings 11. 11-13, 29-33). It is a suggestive fact that the prophets were opposed to Sol'o-mon and friendly to Jer-o-bo'am. Their reason was a strong resentment to the foreign alliances, foreign customs, and especially to the foreign idolatries which Sol'o-mon introduced.

3. =Foreign intrigues=, especially in E'gypt. The old kingdoms were not friendly to this Is'ra-el-ite empire, which loomed up so suddenly, and threatened to conquer all the East. Sol'o-mon's attempt to win the favor of E'gypt by a royal marriage (1 Kings 3. 1) was a failure, for two enemies of Sol'o-mon, driven out of his dominions, found refuge in E'gypt, were admitted to the court, married relatives of the king, and stirred up conspiracies against Sol'o-mon's throne (1 Kings 11. 14-22, 40). Another center of conspiracy was Da-mas'cus, where Re'zon kept up a semi-independent relation to Sol'o-mon's empire (1 Kings 11. 23-25).

4. =Tribal jealousy=; the old sore broken out again. Notice that Jer-o-bo'am belonged to the haughty tribe of E'phra-im (1 Kings 11. 26), always envious of Ju'dah, and restless under the throne of Da'vid. The kingdom of the ten tribes was established mainly through the influence of this tribe.

5. =The ambition of Jer-o-bo'am= was another force in the disruption. It was unfortunate for Sol'o-mon's kingdom that the ablest young man of that time in Is'ra-el, a wily political leader and an unscrupulous partisan, belonged to the tribe of E'phra-im, and from his environment was an enemy of the then existing government. The fact that he was sent for from E'gypt to the a.s.sembly at She'chem showed collusion and preparation of the scheme (1 Kings 12. 2, 3).

6. But all these causes might have been insufficient but for =the folly of Re-ho-bo'am= (1 Kings 12. 13, 14). If Da'vid had been on the throne that day an empire might have been saved. But Re-ho-bo'am, brought up in the purple, was without sympathy with the people, tried to act the part of a tyrant, and lost his ancestral realm (1 Kings 12. 16).

II. =The Results of the Division.= These were partly political, partly religious, and were neither of unmixed good nor unmixed evil.

1. The =political results= were: 1.) The entire _disruption_ of Sol'o-mon's empire. Five kingdoms took the place of one: Syr'i-a on the north, Is'ra-el in the center, Ju'dah west of the Dead Sea, Mo'ab east of the Dead Sea, and E'dom on the extreme south. Mo'ab was nominally subject to Is'ra-el, and E'dom to Ju'dah; but only strong kings, like A'hab in Is'ra-el and Je-hosh'a-phat in Ju'dah, could exact the tribute (2 Kings 3. 4; 1 Kings 22. 47). 2.) With the loss of empire came _rivalry_, and consequent _weakness_. For fifty years Is'ra-el and Ju'dah were at war, and spent their strength in civil strife, while Syr'i-a was growing powerful, and in the far northeast As-syr'i-a was threatening. 3.) As a natural result came at last _foreign domination_.

Both Is'ra-el and Ju'dah fell under the power of other nations and were swept into captivity, as the final result of the disruption wrought by Jer-o-bo'am.

2. =The religious results= of the division were more favorable. They were: 1.) _Preservation of the true religion._ A great empire would inevitably have been the spiritual ruin of Is'ra-el, for it must have been worldly, secular, and, in the end, idolatrous. The disruption broke off relation with the world, put an end to schemes of secular empire, and placed Is'ra-el and Ju'dah once more alone among their mountains. In this sense the event was from the Lord, who had higher and more enduring purposes than an earthly empire (1 Kings 12. 15-24). 2.) _Protection of the true religion._ Is'ra-el on the north stood as a ”buffer,” warding off the world from Ju'dah on the south. It was neither wholly idolatrous nor wholly religious, but was a debatable land for centuries. It fell at last, but it saved Ju'dah; and in Ju'dah was the unconscious hope of the world. 3.) _Concentration of the true religion._ The departure of Is'ra-el from the true faith led to the gathering of the priests, Le'vites, and wors.h.i.+ping element of the people in Ju'dah (2 Chron. 11.

13-16). Thus the Jew'ish kingdom was far more devoted to Je-ho'vah than it might otherwise have been.

Blackboard Outline

I. =Cau. Div.= 1. Opp. gov. 2. Opp. pro. 3. For. int. 4. Tri. jeal.

5. Am. Jer. 6. Fol. Re.

II. =Res. Div.= 1. Pol. res. 1.) Dis. emp. 2.) Riv. and weak. 3.) For.

dom.

2. Rel. res. 1.) Pres. rel. 2.) Pro. rel. 3.) Conc. rel.

Review Questions

What causes may be a.s.signed for the division of Is'ra-el? How far was Sol'o-mon's government responsible? What was the relation of the prophets to the revolution? What foreign intrigues contributed to break up the kingdom? Who were connected with these intrigues? What ancient jealousy aided, and how? What man led in the breaking up of the kingdom? Whose folly enabled the plot to succeed? What were the political results of the division? What were its religious results? How was this event from the Lord?