WBC-09-The Divided Kingdom

The Divided Kingdom THE CHRONOLOGY OF THE DIVIDED KINGDOM TO THE ACCESSION OF JEHU

We now give a table exhibiting the contemporary reigns of the kings of Judah and Israel, and events which are dated in the Bible, from the death of Solomon, An. Hom. 3143, where our last table ended, down to the death of Ahaziah of Judah and Jehoram of Israel, both which kings were slain by Jehu in the same year (An. Hom. 3232). The year of the death of Solomon was the year of Rehoboam’s accession to the throne of Judah, and of Jeroboam’s accession to the throne of Israel. Following this table we -.will give some explana­tions (where such are needed) of the passages of Scripture from which the chronological facts are taken.

TABLE IX The Contemporary Kingdoms of Judah and Israel from the Death of Solomon to That of Ahaziah of Judah Where a king’s name appears for the first time it is the year of his accession to the throne.

Some explanations are required to make the foregoing table clear.

Baasha’s Invasion of Judah In 2 Chronicles 16:1-3 it is stated that "in the six and thirtieth year of the reign of Asa, Baasha, king of Israel, came up against Judah." But the 36th year of Asa would be nine years after the death of Baasha, this being what Lightfoot referred to in speaking of "Baasha fighting nine years after he was dead." The Hebrew text, however, says, not that it was the 36th year of the reign of Asa, as in our A. V., but that it was the 36th year of the kingdom of Asa. So it is evident that the reckoning here is from the beginning of the separate kingdom of Judah. Hence the invasion of Judah by Baasha would be in the 16th year of Asa, and the 13th of his own reign, as tabulated above.

Apparent Contradictions as to Jehoram

Again there is apparent disagreement or contradiction in regard to the beginning of the reign of Jehoram, son of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah. According to 1 Kings 22:41; 1 Kings 22:50 Jehoshaphat reigned 25 years, and was succeeded by Jehoram. This would make the beginning of the latter’s reign in the year 3228. But, according to 2 K. 1: 17, Jehoram of Judah had been already reigning one year when Jehoram of Israel succeeded his father Ahab, which was in the year 3221. Again, in 2 Kings 3:1 it is stated that Jehoram the son of Ahab "began to reign over Israel the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah." Thus, Jehoram of Israel began to reign in the 18th year of Jehoshaphat, and in the 2nd year of Jehoram his son. Evidently then, Jehoram was at that time reigning in the place of his father, Jehoshaphat, either because of some disability, or for other reason, not stated. Such incidents have often occurred. In the margin of the Cambridge Bible is the following note on 2 Kings 1:17, which explains the matter: "The second year that Jehoram was Prorex, and the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat: ch. 3:1."

Again in 2 Kings 8:16 we find the following record: "And in the fifth year of Joram, the son of Ahab, king of Israel, Jehoshaphat being then king of Judah, Jehoram, the son of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, began to reign." Here is a plain statement that Jehoram reigned at the same time with his father Jehoshaphat. Accordingly his name appears on the table as co-rex. The words "began to reign" should be simply "reigned" (see margin). In fact Jehoram began to reign, as we have seen, five years previously.

Finally, Jehoram’s reign as sole king began at the death of his father, after the latter had reigned 25 years (1 Kings 22:41; 1 Kings 22:50).

Thus the seeming contradiction as to the three several beginnings of Jehoram’s reign is clearly explained. Those who wish a more complete and detailed explanation will find it in Dr. Anstey’s work.

How the Accuracy of the Record is Insured In regard to this period of Bible history, and the way the succession of the several kings is recorded, we quote some helpful observations of Dr. Anstey:

"The reigns of the kings of the first two periods are so locked and interlocked that it is impossible for any error to have crept into the chronology between the year of the disruption and the year of the fall of Samaria.

"The accuracy of the chronology of the kingdom of Judah from the fail of Samaria to the captivity is likewise guaranteed, being checked by’ the long numbers which measure the intervals between two distant events, e.g., the period from the 13th of Josiah, when the ministry of Jeremiah began, to the 4th year of Jehoiakim, which is given as a period of 23 years. (Jeremiah 25:1-3)."

Another point which must be kept in mind in order that the details of the chronology may be understood is that the same year is often counted twice, being allotted both to the reign of the deceased king, and also to that of the king who succeeds him. This is the common practice in reckoning the succession of the kings of Israel, but not that of the kings of Judah. We give the explanation of this point also in the words of Dr. Anstey:

"Scripture chronology deals only with integral years. It reckons a broken year sometimes as one whole year which it gives to the outgoing king, and sometimes as two whole years, of which it gives one to the outgoing and one to the incoming king, the year being thus reckoned twice over. It follows from this fact that the chronology of the period cannot be ascertained by applying the process of simple addition to the figures denoting the lengths of the reigns of the various kings. This is easily demonstrated.

"In the first period the sum of the reigns of the six kings of Judah, Rehoboam to Ahaziah, is 95 years. The sum of the reigns of the 9 kings of Israel, from Jeroboam to Jehoram, is 98 years. But the true chronology of the period is 90 years. The explanation of the discrepancy lies in the fact that in the figures 95 and 98 some years have been reckoned twice over.

"In the second period the sum of the reigns of the 6 kings and 1 queen of Judah, from Athaliah to the 6th year of Hezekiah, including the inter­regnum of 11 years, is 176 years. The sum of the reigns of the 10 kings of Israel from Jehu to Hoshea, including the interregnums of 22 and 8 years respectively, is 175 years, reckoning a full year each to Zechariah and Shallum. The true chronology of the period, however, is 174 years, and the explanation of the discrepancy is the same as before.

"In the third period, the sum of the reigns of the six kings of Judah, from the 6th year of Hezekiah to the 3rd year of Jehoiakim, is 114. The true chronology of the period is also 114 years."

Jehoshaphat and His Affiliations with Ahab

Jehoshaphat was one of the good kings of Judah; for it is recorded of him that "the Lord was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the first ways of his father David" (2 Chronicles 17:3); and further that, in the third year of his reign, he sent forth princes, priests and Levites, throughout all the cities of Judah, with the Book of the Law, to teach the people. God accordingly recom­pensed the fidelity of His servant, during that period of his reign, in that the fear of the Lord was upon all the kingdoms round about Judah, so that they made no war against Jehoshaphat (2 Chronicles 17:7-10).

But, after certain years, Jehoshaphat "joined affinity with Ahab," who was the worst of all the bad kings of Israel (see 1 Kings 16:30-34); and from that time onward the record of his reign is largely one of wars and other troubles. The history of Jehoshaphat seems, therefore, to have been written for the special purpose of showing what evil consequences may be expected to follow when one of the people of God "joins affinity with," that is to say, enters into intimate relations or makes common cause with, the ungodly.

We have only to look at the chronological table (Table 9) to see the results of this misstep on the part of king Jehoshaphat. Instead of a clear separation from the ungodly king of Israel and his wicked queen Jezebel, there are plain marks of intimacy, in that the same names, Ahaziah and Jehoram, appear in both the royal families. Apparently Jehoshaphat named a son after Ahab’s first born, Ahaziah, and Ahab reciprocally named a son after Jehoshaphat’s first born, Jehorani. And not only so, but Jehoram (of Judah) "had the daughter of Ahab to wife" (2 Chronicles 21:6) and the consequence was that he exceeded all the kings of Judah in wickedness; for he slew all his own brethren; he made high places in the mountains of Judah; and he walked in the ways of the house of Ahab, introducing the licentious worship of Baal, and-even compelling the people of Judah to commit fornication (2 Chronicles 21:4-13). Therefore the Lord smote the people with a great plague; and smote Jehoram himself with a loathsome disease, wherewith he was afflicted for two years, until his bowels fell out by reason of his sickness, and he died of sore diseases.

It is evident that Ahaziah, son of Jehoram of Judah, began to reign as co-rex with his father during the last two years of his (Jehoram’s) reign, and doubtless because of his very serious illness. For it is stated in 2 Kings 9:29 that "in the eleventh year of Joram, the son of Ahab, began Ahaziah to reign over Judah." This would be the year 3231, as shown in Table 9. But we read in 2 Kings 8:25-26, that Ahaziah began to reign in the twelfth year of Joram, and reigned one year, from which it appears that the reference here is to the beginning of his reign as sole king, after the death of his father, Jehoram. That same year he paid a visit to his uncle Jehoram of Israel (his mother’s brother) when the latter was sick by reason of wounds received in battle with the Syrians (2 Kings 8:28-29). The Seeming Contradiction Concerning the Age of Ahaziah This Ahaziah of Judah is the king whose age, as given in 2 Chronicles 22:2, makes him out to be older than his own father. (See the remarks of Dr. John Lightfoot, quoted above.) Yet there is, as Lightfoot said, "admirable wisdom" in these seeming "slips of the Holy Ghost"; and "sweet music" for the anointed ear, where another would find "discords." For on the face of the two passages there is a plain contradiction. In 2 Kings 8:26 it is recorded that "Two and twenty years old was Ahaziah when he began to reign"; whereas in 2 Chronicles 22:2 we read, "Forty and two years old was Ahaziah when he began to reign."

Dr. Anstey gives two rules for solving this and like difficulties:

"First, look to the original Hebrew; and second, read carefully the context." In this case he gives the literal translation of 2 Chronicles 22:2, as follows: "A son of 42 years was Ahaziah when he began to reign." What meaning do we gather from the peculiar words, "a son of 42 years"? The first year of Ahaziah was 3231 (see Table 9). Counting back 42 years brings us to 3186 which (see Table 9 again) was the year that Omri, Azariah’s great grandfather, on his mother’s side (Athaliah, daughter of Ahab), founded the new dynasty, whereof Azariah of Judah was an off-shoot. "So that," to quote Anstey, "just as the sacred writer reckons the years of the kingdom of Asa from the true origin of the separated kingdom of Judah (2 Chronicles 16:1), so here he reckons the years of Ahaziah from the accession of the dynasty of Omri." And why this unusual mode of reckoning? For answer we follow the second rule laid down above, and look to the context. The complete translation of 2 Chronicles 22:2-9, as given by Anstey, is as follows:

"A son of 42 years was Ahaziah when he began to reign; and he reigned one year in Jerusalem, and his mother’s name was Athaliah, the daughter of Omri. He also walked in the ways of the house of Ahab. He did evil like the house of Ahab. And the destruction of Ahaziah was of God by his coming to Joram. For he went out with Joram against Jehu, whom the Lord had anointed to cut off the house of Ahab. And when Jehu was executing judgment upon the house of Ahab, and found the princes of Judah and the sons of the brethren of Ahaziah, he slew them. And he sought Ahaziah; and they caught him (for he was hid in Samaria) and when they had slain him, they buried him; for they said, He is the son of Jehoshaphat, who sought the Lord with all his heart." The inference from this is that, in making up the Book of Chronicles, which has a different purpose from that of Kings, being the record of the house of David in connection with the building and the maintenance of the Temple, Ahaziah is not counted as a son of David’s line at all. "He is," as Anstey says,

"the son of Athaliah, the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel. He is no seed of David. He is an imp of the house of Ahab, a son of the house of Omri, and as such he is ’a son of 42 years’; for the dynasty of the house of Omri was exactly 42 years old. That is not the ’modern’ way of writing history, but it is the way of the Old Testament writers; and if we wish to understand their writings, we must put ourselves at their point of view, and not force our meaning upon their words.

"This interpretation is confirmed by St. Matthew, who will have it that . . . Jehoshaphat begat Jehoram, but not that Jehoram begat Ahaziah, or Joash, or Amaziah "but only the fourth in the line of descent ’Jehoram begat Uzziah,’ his great-great-grandson. ’Let the posterity of the wicked be cut off, and in the generation following let their name be blotted out’ (Psalms 109:13)."

Elijah and Elisha The reign of Ahab was distinguished by the ministry of those great prophets, Elijah and Elisha, wherein was given a conspicuous manifestation of the faithfulness and the grace of God. Wickedness was at its very height in Israel. But when the enemy comes in like a flood, then the Spirit of the Lord raises a standard against him (Isaiah 59:19). There were some thousands in Israel who refused to follow in the ways of Ahab; and therefore the Lord raised up the two great prophets to bear a testimony to His Name in those days of almost total corruption and apostasy.

Vengeance Executed by Jehu This dark period was brought to a bloody end by a ministry of judgment executed by the hand of Jehu. He made a thorough work of it, slaying Joram (Jehoram) and his mother Jezebel (2 Kings 9:21-37), and the seventy sons of Ahab (10:1-7) and "all that remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, and all his great men and his kinsfolks and his priests, until he left him none remaining" (10: 11). Moreover, "when he came to Samaria, he slew all that remained unto Ahab in Samaria, till he had destroyed him, according to the saying of the Lord which He spake to Elijah" (10:17). And finally, he executed the vengeance of God upon the priests and worshippers of Baal (10:19-27). Moreover, because of the intimacy between Ahaziah, king of Judah, and the house of Ahab, the former also was involved in the extermination of the latter, for Ahaziah was slain at the same time with his uncle, Jehoram of Israel (2 Kings 9:27). In 2 Chronicles 22:7-9 it is recorded that "the destruction of Ahaziah was of God by coming to Joram; for when he was come he went out with Jehoram against Jehu the son of Nimshi, whom the Lord had anointed to cut off the house of Ahab. And it came to pass that when Jehu was executing judgment upon the house of Ahab and found the princes of Judah, and the sons of the brethren of Ahaziah, … he slew them. And he sought Ahaziah; and they caught him (for he was hid in Samaria) and brought him to Jehu. And when they had slain him they buried him." The Miraculous Preservation of the House and Lineage of David This execution of the wrath of God by Jehu marks a distinct epoch in the history of the two concurrent kingdoms of Judah and Israel, in that both thrones became vacant at the same time, and by reason of the same execution of the righteous judgment of God. Jehu succeeded to the throne of Israel; but there was more trouble and humiliation for Judah. For " when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the seed royal of the house of Judah." Thus the extermination of the house of David would have been as complete as that of the house of Ahab; but that Jehoshabeath, the daughter of the king, stole Joash, the infant son of Ahaziah, and hid him from Athaliah, so that she slew him not (2 Chronicles 22:11-12).

Thus the second period of the divided kingdom begins with the fierce and impetuous Jehu on the throne of Israel, and with a woman, a daughter of the house of Ahab, ruling over Judah. Such were some of the consequences of Jehoshaphat’s intimacy with the wicked king of Israel.