Today let’s look at how Israel who were once a united kingdom, tragically split into the northern and southern kingdoms.

And it came to pass, when all Israel heard that Jeroboam was come again, that they sent and called him unto the congregation, and made him king over all Israel: there was none that followed the house of David, but the tribe of Judah only.

1 Kings 12:20, KJV

The Israelites had finally inhabited the promised land Canaan, during the generation of Joshua, after forty years in the wilderness.

Each of the twelve tribes were given allotments on which land to possess (1 Josh 11:23).

And the kingdom of Israel was united as one, during king Saul, David, and Solomon.

However, due to Solomon’s sin of marrying foreign wives outside the land God pronounced future judgment on Israel (1 Kings 11:1-11).

That He will only give one tribe (Judah) to his son Rehoboam, however this would only happen after Solomon’s death (1 Kings 11:12-13).

And the rest of the ten tribes would be given to Jeroboam (1 Kings 11:35).

Indeed after king Solomon’s death, his son Rehoboam reigned in his stead (1 Kings 12:1).

And God used his foolishness, to swiftly divide the kingdom.

Jeroboam who was hiding in Egypt during Solomon’s reign as he sought to kill him (1 Kings 11:40), returned to instigate the people to rebel against the harsh labour they faced (1 Kings 12:2-5).

King Rehoboam sought the elders who had served his father Solomon for counsel on what to do, however he did not heed their advice (1 Kings 12:6-8).

Instead, he heeded the evil advice of the young men who had grown up with him, to make their labour even harder (1 Kings 12:9-14).

As a result, the people rebelled and those tribes originally from the southern land with Judah, moved to the north (1 Kings 12:18-20).

Thus, Jeroboam was made the first king over the northern kingdom of Israel (also known as Samaria).

And Rehoboam was the first king over the the southern kingdom of Judah (1 Kings 12:20-21).

However, due to their sins both northern and southern went into exile.

The northern Israel, was taken captive by the Assyrians during 722 BC (2 Kings 17:5-6).

Please refer to Hos 6:2 article, for their exile and future restoration.

While the southern Judah, was taken into exile by the Babylonians during 586 BC (2 Kings 25:1-2).

Please refer to Isa 41 article, for their exile and future restoration.