|
The other kings of the Hebrews after Solomon are scarcely found to
have prophesied, "through certain enigmatic words or actions of
theirs, what may pertain to Christ and the Church, either in Judah
or Israel; for so were the parts of that people styled, when, on
account of Solomon's offence, from the time of Rehoboam his son,
who succeeded him in the kingdom, it was divided by God as a
punishment. The ten tribes, indeed, which Jeroboam the servant of
Solomon received, being appointed the king in Samaria, were
distinctively called Israel, although this had been the name of that
whole people; but the two tribes, namely, of Judah and Benjamin,
which for David's sake, lest the kingdom should be wholly wrenched
from his race, remained subject to the city of Jerusalem, were called
Judah, because that was the tribe whence David sprang. But
Benjamin, the other tribe which, as was said, belonged to the same
kingdom, was that whence Saul sprang before David. But these two
tribes together, as was said, were called Judah, and were
distinguished by this name from Israel which was the distinctive title
of the ten tribes under their own king. For the tribe of Levi,
because it was the priestly one, bound to the servitude of God, not
of the kings, was reckoned the thirteenth. For Joseph, one of the
twelve sons of Israel, did not, like the others, form one tribe,
but two, Ephraim and Manasseh. Yet the tribe of Levi also belonged
more to the kingdom of Jerusalem, where was the temple of God whom it
served. On the division of the people, therefore, Rehoboam, son of
Solomon, reigned in Jerusalem as the first king of Judah, and
Jeroboam, servant of Solomon, in Samaria as king of Israel. And
when Rehoboam wished as a tyrant to pursue that separated part with
war, the people were prohibited from fighting with their brethren by
God, who told them through a prophet that He had done this; whence
it appeared that in this matter there had been no sin either of the king
or people of Israel, but the accomplished will of God the avenger.
When this was known, both parts settled down peaceably, for the
division made was not religious but political.
|
|