… that wears the crown.
Let’s talk about kings: the fascination of the postmodern world. While Disney, Netflix, and HBO are taking their turns to profit from romanticizing monarchy, the Biblical account of the many kings and kingdoms becomes hard to “market”, especially without the CGI and enormous production. Nevertheless, the riveting history of Israel is a precious gem waiting to be discovered by the believers who decide to care more about what they read than how fast they read.
We have looked at how Israel came to be. From that point onward, Israel had to endure Egypt, Exodus, the Red Sea, the wilderness, Canaanites, and Judges before Prophet Samuel anointed their first official king, Saul 掃羅 {sao3-luo2}. Though we may be charmed by the idea of a king for Israel, it was in fact, a rejection of God. Incidentally, Saul was also a disappointment as a king, to say the least. His successor, David 大衛 {da4-wei4}, the exemplary king, the man after God’s heart, proved that better was a king who desired God than one who desired kingship. Despite his various faults, David pleased God so much that God extended a covenant to him, promising that his throne would endure forever.
But you know people. It didn’t take them long to stray in numerous ways. David’s son, Solomon 所羅門 {suo3-luo2-men2}, the wise king who built a temple for God, was not wise enough to heed his own proverbs. He eventually succumbed to lust, decadence, and idolatry, causing the United Kingdom of Israel to split in two: the new Kingdom of Israel 以色列國 in the North, ruled by Jeroboam 耶羅波安 {ye1-luo2-bo1-an1}, and the remaining parts in the South called the Kingdom of Judah 猶大國, ruled by his son, Rehoboam 羅波安 {luo2-bo1-an1}. North Israel, South Judah.
The split, however, took place after Solomon died. Since then, the two kingdoms braved many more kings, the good, the bad, and the ugly, and suffered the usual turmoils that plagued almost every dynasty: murder, conspiracy, manipulation, usurpation, and invasion. Whereas there were no fewer than 7 king slayers who sat on the northern throne, the Kingdom of Judah was ruled entirely by the House of David from start to finish because of God’s covenant. There was only one close call when Queen Athaliah tried to kill all the royal descendants, thereby seeking to end David’s bloodline. Even then, one prince was secretly spared and eventually resumed the throne. And so God’s promise endured.
Photo by Nathan Mcgregor on Unsplash