Prepared by: Richard G.
Pazcoguin UST Institute of Religion
The Israelites worship other gods God allows foreigners to attack the chosen people The Israelites repent and ask for Gods help God appoints a JUDGE to deliver them from oppression
The JUDGES were charismatic military leaders appointed by God to set the Israelites free from their enemies, that the chosen people may live in peace again.
Judges were appointed by God in times of crisis. They were not kings, and hence were not permanent rulers. There was no line of succession. This was because of the prevalent belief that God alone was the king of the chosen people.
The Israelites, not realizing that their weakness as a nation was a consequence of their being far from God, thought that a king was the key to economic and political stability. The Prophet Samuel, regarded as the last judge of Israel, was coerced by the people to anoint a king to govern Israel. Despite his resistance, the people had their way and God eventually permitted the establishment of the monarchy.
The government of the new kingdom was THEOCRATIC. The kings were regarded as having been directly appointed by God. Religion and state were one and the same. The King was both a political and religious leader. He was acknowledged as Gods vicar.
The people were obliged to pay taxes to the king, and to give him the best fruits of their labor. The men had to work in the kings army, and the ladies would have to be the kings servants.
Saul, from the tribe of Benjamin, was the first king of Israel. His reign was a total failure: He exhausted the resources of the nation for his wars. He failed to defeat the perennial enemy of the Israelites: the Philistines. He disobeyed God, refused to listen to Samuel. Because of these, God rejected Saul as king. Eventually, caught in a hopeless situation, Saul killed himself.
David, from the tribe of Judah, was secretly anointed by Samuel as the second king of Israel while Saul was still reigning. He became famous for defeating the Philistine giant, Goliath. His popularity rapidly rose, and king Saul was jealous, and even attempted to kill David. After Sauls death, David took possession of the throne, defeated the enemies of Israel, and expanded his kingdom. His reign was the beginning of the golden age. Nonetheless, David had his own share of weakness too. He committed the sin of adultery. But unlike Saul, David repented and listened to Gods messenger, that time, it was the Prophet Nathan.
King Solomon, known as the wise king, was Davids son. His reign was the peak of Israels golden age. He engaged in international trade, Israel was relatively prosperous during his reign, and he had his way of preventing wars with rival kingdoms. His greatest achievement is the construction of the Temple of Jerusalem. His reign was not a glittering success though. He had many wives. He imposed heavy taxes on the people to sustain his luxurious lifestyle. He implemented the practice of forced labor. His foreign wives made him build shrines for pagan gods.
Many believed that the division of the kingdom was a consequence of Solomons sins. The king after Solomon was Rehoboam. Jerusalem, being the nations capital, was the city where the king resided. It was in the south, Rehoboam told the north that he will rule them with harshness. In response to this, the north, led by Jeroboam, lead a rebellion, resulting into a schism and an eventual division of the kingdom. The North retained the name Israel with Samaria as its capital, and the south was called Judah retaining Jerusalem as its capital.
During the time after the kingdoms division, the Israelites could no longer rely on their kings for spiritual leadership. The monarchs have either been to engrossed with worldly things, or have fallen into idolatry. The kings led the chosen people far from God.
To remedy the situation, God sent prophets to convey His messages to His people and to serve as spiritual leaders.
Through the years of oppression which followed the division, the chosen people only hoped for one thing the reestablishment of the Kingdom.
The prophets spoke or wrote about: CONVERSION AND FIDELITY TO THE COVENANT JUSTICE FOR THE POOR AND THE OPPRESSED MESSIANISM a Spirit-filled emissary will come to proclaim the coming of the KINGDOM.
Simon Jenkins
THE BIBLE FROM SCRATCH
Quezon City: Claretian Publications, 1989
Fr. Luc Colla, CICM
THE LOVE STORY OF GOD AND HIS PEOPLE
Baguio City: St. Louis University, 1984 James Finley and Michael Pennock
JESUS AND YOU: DISCOVERING THE REAL CHRIST
Ind.: Ave Maria Press, 1977
