With the house of Jacob (Israel and Judah) now divided into two kingdoms, the word and will of the Elohim of Jacob will continue to guide their destiny in spite of their iniquities. As we follow their biblical history we must pay close attention to each of the prophets, as YHVH uses them to speak very specifically and explicitly to each house and sometimes to both at the same time.
The initial influence that Jeroboam, the first king, had over the northern kingdom is very significant, as he set the pattern of rebellion, idolatry, and adultery. Not only did he cause Israel to sin by setting up idols which he declared to be Israel's "gods", but he also broke off all relations with Judah, Jerusalem and the temple. Abolishing the Torah of Moses, he established his own priesthood along with feast days other than those decreed by YHVH (ref. 1 Kings 12: 25-33), thus "changing the times and seasons".
Jeroboam manifested the very heart of the people. Although his reign was only twenty-two years long, he left his legacy stamped in the very core of his kingdom. YHVH refers over and over to the "sin of Jeroboam" as the main reason for the judgments and curses that fell on the people and the land. The "sin of Jeroboam" can be summed up in one phrase - "replacement theology".
YHVH called upon the very aged and blind prophet Ahijah to bring a message of doom and gloom to the king and to the nation. It was this very prophet who earlier had symbolically handed Jeroboam the kingship over the ten tribes, by the gesture of tearing his garment into twelve pieces and giving him ten (ref 1 Kings 11:30). But now he delivered a very different prophecy:
"But you have done more evil than all who were before you, for you have gone and made for yourself other gods and molded images to provoke Me to anger, and have cast Me behind your back -- Therefore behold! I will bring disaster on the house of Jeroboam, and will cut off from Jeroboam every male in Israel, bond and free; I will take away the remnant of the house of Jeroboam, as one takes away refuse until it is all gone…For YHVH will strike Israel, as a reed is shaken in the water. He will uproot Israel from this good land which He gave to their fathers, and will scatter them beyond the River, because they have made their wooden images, provoking YHVH to anger. And He will give Israel up because of the sins of Jeroboam, who sinned and who made Israel sin" (1 Kings 14:9-10; 15-16).
This was not the first time that YHVH had instructed a prophet to say these words. Moses, before Israel had ever entered the land, foretold of these days and the reasons for what was to befall the house of Israel: "Because they have forsaken the covenant of YHVH the Elohim of their fathers, which he made with them when he brought them forth out of the land of Egypt: For they went and served other gods, and worshipped them, gods whom they knew not, and whom he had not given unto them: And the anger of YHVH was kindled against this land, to bring upon it all the curses that are written in this book: And YHVH rooted them out of their land in anger, and in wrath, and in great indignation, and cast them into another land, as it is this day" (Deuteronomy 29: 25-28).
One of the main characteristics of the two kingdoms' mutual relationship was their frequent conflicts. During the reign of Jeroboam, and beyond, the kingdom of Israel warred against the kingdom of Judah. Ephraim, who was bitterly jealous of Judah, was the latter's chief rival. Years later, Isaiah would prophesy that one of the signs of the end times restoration of the two houses would be that this jealousy would depart, and as a result the enemies of Judah would be cut off (ref. Isaiah 11: 13).
In spite of this horrible disposition toward lawlessness in the house of Israel/Ephraim, YHVH's intent was to fulfill the covenant promises of multiplicity that He had made with their forefathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. YHVH's word is attached to the life of the forefathers' seed/offspring, in spite of the fact that "although they knew Elohim, they [the offspring] did not glorify Him as Elohim… and their foolish hearts were darkened" (Romans 1:21). As we have already seen in some of the first chapters, YHVH hid his purposes in the realm of darkness until it was time to bring these purposes to the light. Paul refers to it as the "mystery of lawlessness" (ref. 2 Thessalonians 2:7). Likewise in this case; YHVH camouflaged His intentions for the house of Joseph under the covering of iniquity. He hid His people/treasure in the realm of spiritual darkness, that is the "power of sin", until He would remove it and bring His purposes into the light. "And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it" (John 1:5).
All the kings of the northern kingdom were evil and followed in the footsteps of Jeroboam. Perhaps the most famous was the team of Ahab and Jezebel and the latter's prophets of Baal. YHVH sent his two most renowned servants - Elijah and Elisha - to the northern kingdom of Israel. Interestingly, just before the coming of Yeshua He sent John the Immerser in the spirit of Elijah to the House of Judah to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children (ref Luke 1:17). However, prior to "the great and terrible day of YHVH" He will send this same Spiritual anointing of the prophet Elijah to turn the hearts of the children, of all Israel, to the fathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (ref. Malachi 4: 5-6) and to exhort them to "Remember the Torah of Moses My servant, even the statutes and ordinances which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel" (Malachi 4: 4).
Ephraim
The initial influence that Jeroboam, the first king, had over the northern kingdom is very significant, as he set the pattern of rebellion, idolatry, and adultery. Not only did he cause Israel to sin by setting up idols which he declared to be Israel's "gods", but he also broke off all relations with Judah, Jerusalem and the temple. Abolishing the Torah of Moses, he established his own priesthood along with feast days other than those decreed by YHVH (ref. 1 Kings 12: 25-33), thus "changing the times and seasons".
Jeroboam manifested the very heart of the people. Although his reign was only twenty-two years long, he left his legacy stamped in the very core of his kingdom. YHVH refers over and over to the "sin of Jeroboam" as the main reason for the judgments and curses that fell on the people and the land. The "sin of Jeroboam" can be summed up in one phrase - "replacement theology".
YHVH called upon the very aged and blind prophet Ahijah to bring a message of doom and gloom to the king and to the nation. It was this very prophet who earlier had symbolically handed Jeroboam the kingship over the ten tribes, by the gesture of tearing his garment into twelve pieces and giving him ten (ref 1 Kings 11:30). But now he delivered a very different prophecy:
"But you have done more evil than all who were before you, for you have gone and made for yourself other gods and molded images to provoke Me to anger, and have cast Me behind your back -- Therefore behold! I will bring disaster on the house of Jeroboam, and will cut off from Jeroboam every male in Israel, bond and free; I will take away the remnant of the house of Jeroboam, as one takes away refuse until it is all gone…For YHVH will strike Israel, as a reed is shaken in the water. He will uproot Israel from this good land which He gave to their fathers, and will scatter them beyond the River, because they have made their wooden images, provoking YHVH to anger. And He will give Israel up because of the sins of Jeroboam, who sinned and who made Israel sin" (1 Kings 14:9-10; 15-16).
This was not the first time that YHVH had instructed a prophet to say these words. Moses, before Israel had ever entered the land, foretold of these days and the reasons for what was to befall the house of Israel: "Because they have forsaken the covenant of YHVH the Elohim of their fathers, which he made with them when he brought them forth out of the land of Egypt: For they went and served other gods, and worshipped them, gods whom they knew not, and whom he had not given unto them: And the anger of YHVH was kindled against this land, to bring upon it all the curses that are written in this book: And YHVH rooted them out of their land in anger, and in wrath, and in great indignation, and cast them into another land, as it is this day" (Deuteronomy 29: 25-28).
One of the main characteristics of the two kingdoms' mutual relationship was their frequent conflicts. During the reign of Jeroboam, and beyond, the kingdom of Israel warred against the kingdom of Judah. Ephraim, who was bitterly jealous of Judah, was the latter's chief rival. Years later, Isaiah would prophesy that one of the signs of the end times restoration of the two houses would be that this jealousy would depart, and as a result the enemies of Judah would be cut off (ref. Isaiah 11: 13).
In spite of this horrible disposition toward lawlessness in the house of Israel/Ephraim, YHVH's intent was to fulfill the covenant promises of multiplicity that He had made with their forefathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. YHVH's word is attached to the life of the forefathers' seed/offspring, in spite of the fact that "although they knew Elohim, they [the offspring] did not glorify Him as Elohim… and their foolish hearts were darkened" (Romans 1:21). As we have already seen in some of the first chapters, YHVH hid his purposes in the realm of darkness until it was time to bring these purposes to the light. Paul refers to it as the "mystery of lawlessness" (ref. 2 Thessalonians 2:7). Likewise in this case; YHVH camouflaged His intentions for the house of Joseph under the covering of iniquity. He hid His people/treasure in the realm of spiritual darkness, that is the "power of sin", until He would remove it and bring His purposes into the light. "And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it" (John 1:5).
All the kings of the northern kingdom were evil and followed in the footsteps of Jeroboam. Perhaps the most famous was the team of Ahab and Jezebel and the latter's prophets of Baal. YHVH sent his two most renowned servants - Elijah and Elisha - to the northern kingdom of Israel. Interestingly, just before the coming of Yeshua He sent John the Immerser in the spirit of Elijah to the House of Judah to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children (ref Luke 1:17). However, prior to "the great and terrible day of YHVH" He will send this same Spiritual anointing of the prophet Elijah to turn the hearts of the children, of all Israel, to the fathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (ref. Malachi 4: 5-6) and to exhort them to "Remember the Torah of Moses My servant, even the statutes and ordinances which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel" (Malachi 4: 4).
Ephraim
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