In our last issue, we saw how God entered into an agreement with Israel through the covenant he made with them at Mount Sinai. God also spoke of a time by the mouths of the prophets when there would be coming a king to rule over his kingdom on God's behalf.
We then saw how Israel prematurely rejected God as their king and wanted a man to rule over them as their king. God did promise a king, however, this king was to be according to God's timetable.
We also saw that God does not overstep man's free will or stubbornness. Israel got their king, however, the best God could provide for Israel at that time was Saul.
We also saw that the king of Israel was called the Lord's anointed, or the Lord's Christ. David, and then his son Solomon, were the next two kings to reign on the throne. Many of the righteous kings recorded in the Old Testament enjoyed reigns which were typical of Christ's future kingdom.
Solomon built a temple for the Lord.
II Chronicles 2:1-5 1And Solomon determined to build a house for the name of the LORD, and a house for his kingdom. 2And Solomon told out threescore and ten thousand men to bear burdens, and fourscore thousand to hew in the mountain, and three thousand and six hundred to oversee them. 3And Solomon sent to Huram the king of Tyre, saying, As thou didst deal with David my father, and didst send him cedars to build him a house to dwell therein, even so deal with me. 4Behold, I build a house to the name of the LORD my God, to dedicate it to him, and to burn before him sweet incense, and for the continual shewbread, and for the burnt offerings morning and evening, on the sabbaths, and on the new moons, and on the solemn feasts of the LORD our God. This is an ordinance forever to Israel. 5And the house which I build is great: for great is our God above all, gods.
In Ezekiel, Chapters 40-48, the temple and the land are described in detail concerning the future kingdom where Christ will reign with us and the saved ones. As Hezekiah and Solomon received presents and tribute from the surrounding nations; they saw the land of Israel blessed with abundant fertility and prosperity. In Christ's worldwide kingdom, the same things will be seen on a far greater scale.
II Kings 18:1-7 1Now it came to pass in the third year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, that Hezekiah the son of Ahaz king of Judah began to reign. 2Twenty and five years old was he when he began to reign; and he reigned twenty and nine years in Jerusalem. His mother's name also was Abi, the daughter of Zachariah. 3And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that David his father did. 4He removed the high places, and broke the images, and cut down the groves, and broke in pieces the brazen serpent that Moses had made: for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it: and he called it Nehushtan. 5He trusted in the LORD God of Israel; so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor any that were before him. 6For he cleaved to the LORD, and departed not from following him, but kept his commandments, which the LORD commanded Moses. 7And the LORD was with him; and he prospered whithersoever he went forth: and he rebelled against the king of Assyria, and served him not.I Kings 10:1-11 1And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she came to prove him with hard questions. 2And she came to Jerusalem with a very great train, with camels that bore spices, and very much gold, and precious stones: and when she was come to Solomon, she communed with him of all that was in her heart. 3And Solomon told her all her questions: there was not any thing hid from the king, which he told her not. 4And when the queen of Sheba had seen all Solomon's wisdom, and the house that he had built, 5And the meat of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel, and his cupbearers, and his ascent by which he went up unto the house of the LORD; there was no more spirit in her.6And she said to the king, It was a true report that I heard in mine own land of thy acts and of thy wisdom. 7Howbeit I believed not the words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it: and, behold, the half was not told me: thy wisdom and prosperity exceedeth the fame which I heard. 4Happy are thy men, happy are these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and that hear thy wisdom. 9Blessed be the LORD thy God, which delighted in thee, to set thee on the throne of Israel: because the LORD loved Israel forever, therefore made he thee king, to do judgment and justice.10And she gave the king a hundred and twenty talents of gold, and of spices very great store, and precious stones: there came no more such abundance of spices as these which the queen of Sheba gave to king Solomon. 11And the navy also of Hiram, that brought gold from Ophir, brought in from Ophir great plenty of almug trees, and precious stones.
As a result of Solomon's disobedience, the kingdom of Israel was divided into two; Solomon's son, Rehoboam, ruled over the tribes of Judah, Benjamin and the half the tribe of Manasseh. Jeroboam ruled over the other ten tribes. The Northern ten-tribe kingdom was called Israel, or Ephraim; the other two-and-a-half tribes were called Judah.
The people of all these tribes, for the most part, followed Solomon's bad example: They claimed to believe in the true God, yet at the same time were worshiping the idols of the surrounding nations.
Time and time again, God pleaded with them, through the prophets, to repent; but to no avail. Because of this, He punished them by driving them out of the kingdom of Israel into the lands of their enemies. This was accomplished through the Assyrians and Babylonians invading Israel and taking them away captive.
Nehemiah 9:30 Yet many years didst thou forbear them, and testifiedst against them by thy spirit in thy prophets: yet would they not give ear: therefore gavest thou them into the hand of the people of the lands.
The ten-tribe kingdom of Israel had no good kings at all. Jeroboam, Ahab, Jehoahaz, and etcetera are all recorded in the book of Kings as idol-worshippers. Their last king was Hoshea, during whose reign Israel was defeated by Assyria, and the ten tribes were carried into captivity (II Kings 17.) From this they never returned.
The two-tribe kingdom of Judah had some good kings (like Hezekiah and Josiah), however, the majorities were evil. Due to the people's repeated sins, God allowed the overthrow of Judah as His kingdom in the reign of their last king, Zedekiah. Reference to this is recorded in Ezekiel.
Ezekiel 21:25-27 25And thou, profane wicked prince of Israel, whose day is come, when iniquity shall have an end, 26Thus saith the Lord GOD; Remove the diadem, and take off the crown: this shall be not the same: exalt him that is low, and abase him that is high. 27I will overturn, overturn, overturn, it: and it shall be no more, until he come whose right it is; and I will give it him.NIV Ezekiel 21:27 A ruin! A ruin! I will make it a ruin! It will not be restored until he comes to whom it rightfully belongs; to him I will give it.
So the prophet foretells that at some time in the future, the kingdom will be restored and given to the one to whom it rightfully belongs to.
The triple 'ruin' of Ezekiel 21:25-27 refers to the three invasions made by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. So, what happened to the kingdom?
From man's point of view, it was lost. But, from God's point of view (which is the true point of view), God was still on the throne, ruling over all.
Lamentations 5:16 The crown is fallen from our head: woe unto us, that we have sinned!
It was because of Israel's disobedience, that Israel lost their right and privilege to rule as God's chosen here on earth. But let me restate: GOD NEVER WAS DETHRONED AS KING! Man simply disqualified himself from the honor and privilege God formed, made, and created him for. It was man who lost dominion, not God.
Daniel 2:20-21 20Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God forever and ever: for wisdom and might are his: 21And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding:Daniel 4:34 And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honored him that liveth forever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation:
God's kingdom is an everlasting dominion and from generation to generation.
Psalm 89:3-4 3I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn unto David my servant, 4Thy seed will I establish forever, and build up thy throne to all generations. Selah.II Chronicles 13:8a And now ye think to withstand the kingdom of the LORD in the hand of the sons of David;...
Remember, God promised David an eternal seed, an eternal throne, and an eternal kingdom. His seed would rule over the kingdom forever. Because of Israel's rebellion, the kingdom was taken away from them. Again, what about God's promise to David? Once again I ask, Will God's promise NOT come to pass?
To be continued …ÿ
Note: All scripture is from the King James Version unless otherwise noted. NIV indicates The New International Version, NLT indicates the New Living Translation, NAS indicates the New American Standard version, NKJV indicates the New King James Version, ASV means the American Standard Version, NJB means the New Jerusalem Bible, BBE means the Bible in Basic English, DBY means the Darby translation, NAU means the American Standard Version, 1995 Edition, and NAB means the New American Bible translation. For more information, go to the Works Cited page.