A HISTORICAL RECORD: SLAVERY TO KINGDOM

Now we are getting into more familiar territory, the kingdom of Israel and its tortured history. From here on it it also gets easier to date events and individuals, although you will probably not be surprised to hear that there are still uncertainty and disagreements!
 
Part of the reason for that is the way the ancients approached dating of events. Remember there were no "BC" and "AD" to link to, so dating was linked to individuals and/or generations and/or events. That's why we often read "in the days of..." or something similar – in which case we first have to date "the days of", before we can attempt to date the event in question relative to "the days". A classic example can be found in 2 Kings 3:1:
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Slavery To Exodus

The book of Genesis ends with Joseph's death, but after quickly naming Jacob's sons at the start of Exodus, the narrative jumps more than 400 years, when "a new king, to whom Joseph meant nothing, came to power in Egypt" (Ex 1:8). Over generations, the "exceedlingly fruitful" Israelites grow into a large nation but are enslaved by the new Pharaoh who fears their numbers.
 
Pharaoh orders the killing of Hebrew male infants, but Moses is saved and adopted by Pharaoh's daughter. He is raised as an Egyptian prince, with all the privileges associated with that high life.
According to tradition Moses later writes the first five books of the Bible, and the books show that it was written by a highly-educated person. The well-constructed narrative, the seamless incorporation of various oral historical sources, and the attention to detail sets the author apart as a true wordsmith. Phase one of Moses' training completed!
 
At the age of 40 Moses kills an Egyptian who was beating a Hebrew slave, Pharoah hears about it, and Moses flees for his life. He ends up in Midian, where he meets his wife and tends his father-in-law's flocks. Over the course of the next 40 years the haughty Egyptian prince learns humility, to the point where the Bible later calls him "a very humble man, more humble than anybody else on the face of the earth" (Num 12:3). Phase two of his training completed!
 
God appears to Moses in the burning bush and commissions him to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. His brother Aaron met him on the way, and together they confront Pharaoh, demanding the release of the Israelites. Pharaoh refuses, and Egypt suffers ten plagues. The final plague, the death of the firstborn, leads to the institution of the Passover and Pharaoh's decision to release the Israelites. Pharoah changes his mind and pursues them to the Red Sea. The sea parts miraculously, the Israelites walk through, and Pharaoh's pursuing army drowns in the returning waters.
 
In the wilderness, God provides manna, quail, and water to sustain the people. The Israelites face challenges and battles, and complains a lot, but God guides them with a pillar of cloud by day and fire by night.
 
At Mount Sinai, God gives the Ten Commandments and establishes a covenant with Israel. Instructions for the construction of the Tabernacle are given, signifying God's presence among His people. The Israelites break the covenant by worshiping a golden calf, but Moses intercedes, and the covenant is renewed.
 
After leaving Sinai, the Israelites approach the Promised Land. Twelve spies are sent, but ten bring back a negative report, leading to fear and rebellion against God's instructions and promises. As punishment, the Israelites are condemned to wander the wilderness for 40 years until the unfaithful generation dies out.
During this time, God continues to provide for them, but there are repeated instances of disobedience and accompanying judgements, including Korah's rebellion and Moses striking the rock instead of speaking to it.
 
The Israelites defeat several nations east of the Jordan, including King Sihon of the Amorites and King Og of Bashan. Balaam is hired to curse Israel but ends up blessing them.
 
Moses gives three farewell speeches, reiterating the Law and reminding Israel of their covenant obligations. Joshua is appointed as Moses' successor.
 
Moses ascends Mount Nebo, from where God shows him the Promised Land. However, he is not allowed to enter because of his earlier disobedience. Moses dies at the age of 120, and God Himself buries him. The Israelites mourn his death for 30 days.
 
This period starts a trend of repeated disobedience and rebellion against God in Israel's national life, but it also highlights God's faithfulness, and Moses' crucial role as leader and mediator. Despite his human flaws, Moses is remembered as a prophet unparalleled in his intimacy with God and dedication to leading Israel.
 
Timeline of the Exodus
 
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The Conquest Of Canaan

The conquest of Canaan, led by Joshua, is a pivotal event in biblical history, detailed in the Book of Joshua. It describes the Israelites' transition from nomads wandering in the wilderness to establishing themselves in the Promised Land, fulfilling the covenant made with Abraham.
 
The conquest begins with the miraculous crossing of the Jordan River. The Ark of the Covenant, carried by priests, leads the way as the waters part.
 
The Israelites capture Jericho through divine intervention, marching around the city for seven days and shouting, causing the walls to collapse. Rahab, a local woman who sheltered Israelite spies, is spared along with her family, and eventually becomes an ancestor of King David and Jesus Himself.
 
After the destruction of Jericho the battle for Ai should have been short and simple, but it results in an initial defeat. After the sin of Achan, stealing forbidden items, is exposed and dealt with, the Israelites regroup and successfully conquer Ai.

(As an aside, there is a huge long-running debate among scholars on the dating of the Exodus, especially the destruction of Jericho, Ai, and Hazor. If you want to read more, the Armstong Institute of Biblical Archaeology has an excellent article here.)

Joshua leads the Israelites in renewing their covenant with God, reading the Law and building an altar at Mount Ebal.
 
The Gibeonites trick Israel into making a peace treaty by pretending to be from a distant land. When their deception is exposed, Joshua honors the treaty but makes them servants.
 
In response to an attack on the Gibeonites by a coalition of kings, Joshua leads Israel to a miraculous victory, during which the sun stands still at his request.
 
Joshua leads military campaigns and Israel conquer the southern and northern regions of Canaan, defeating powerful coalitions of Canaanite kings.
 
After securing major victories, Joshua oversees the division of the land among the twelve tribes of Israel, as commanded by God.
 
At the end of his life Joshua gathers the tribes at Shechem to renew their commitment to God. He delivers a farewell speech, urging faithfulness to the covenant.
 
Joshua's leadership is marked by faith, courage, and obedience to God. His ability to inspire unity among the Israelites was crucial to their success. He demonstrates a reliance on divine guidance, especially during battles and critical decisions, and his ability to balance military strategy with spiritual leadership is notable. However, occasional lapses, such as failing to seek God's counsel regarding the Gibeonites, highlight the challenges of human leadership. Overall, Joshua exemplifies a servant-leader who fulfills his mission to lead Israel into the Promised Land, ensuring the fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham and laying a strong foundation for the nation's future.
 
Some critics highlight his strict adherence to the command of herem (the complete destruction of Canaanite cities), which raises ethical questions in contemporary discussions. We should remember two contextual facts in this regard:
¤ it was a widely used military strategy of the times to completetely wipe out enemies, to prevent their regrouping and possible revolt,
¤ Joshua was obedient to the instructions from God. Annihilating the Canaanites was more than fashion, it was a direct order from God, being His judgement for their sinful way of life.
 
Timeline of the Conquest of Canaan
 
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The Time Of The Judges

The period of the Judges spans roughly 300 years between the conquest of Canaan under Joshua and the establishment of the monarchy under Saul. This era is marked by a depressing pattern of sin, oppression, repentance, and deliverance, repeated over and over.
 
The Israelites repeatedly turn away from God, worshiping Canaanite gods like Baal and Asherah. In response, God allows neighboring nations to oppress them until they repent, after which He raises up judges to deliver them (Judges 2:16-19). While each Judge was active, there was usually peace in the land, but as soon as they died Israel fell back into apostasy.
 
This period was marked by decentralization and tribal fragmentation, with each Judge serving a specific region or tribe rather than ruling over a unified nation.
 
We tend to think of the Judges in terms of the few stories we know, mostly Gideon and Samson, and perhaps Deborah and Jephthah, remembering their legendary acts of deliverance of Israel, but they did much more. In addition, there were a lot more Judges: most of them get only a very brief mention, but each of them "judged" Israel for many years.
 

In a sense Joshua was the first to fulfill the functions of a judge, but the first Judge listed in the book was Othniel, the son of Caleb's younger brother (Caleb and Joshua were the two spies bringing a favourable report to Israel under Moses).
 
Ehud follows him and pulled a "James Bond" on the king of Moab. Then comes Shamgar, before Deborah (the only female judge listed in the book) takes over. A prophet, she tells Barak that God will use him to free Israel from the Canaanite king Jabin – Barak only obeys when she goes with him, as a result a woman (not Barak) kills the commander of Jabin's army.
 
Gideon, one of the better-known Judges, follows, and delivers Israel from the Midianites. His son Abimelech succeeds him, tries to proclaim himself as king, and dies when a woman drops a millstone on his head.
 
Then come Tola and Jair, followed by Jephthah. He delivers Israel from the Ammonites, but makes a rash vow resulting in the death of his daughter,"his one and only child".
 
Ibzan, Elon, and Abdon follows, before the appearance of Samson the most colourful and best-known of the judges, who dies as a blind prisoner when he pulls down a Philistine temple on himself and thousands of Philistines, killing "more people when he died than he had during his lifetime" (Judges 16:30).
 
The book of Judges ends with three terrible stories illustrating a period of anarchy and total moral corruption in Israel, emphasizing the need for a righteous leader to guide the nation. (See the last rows in this table for more details). These stories, and the repeated cycles of apostasy and deliverance preceding it, set the stage for the rise of the monarchy under the leadership of Samuel, the last Judge, and the first prophet.
 
Timeline of the Judges and their achievements
 
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Kingdom, Or Theocracy?

When Israel settled in Canaan, they were a loose league of the 12 tribes, each with their own leaders, and no centralised government. Reading their history, it seems that God's intention was for them to be a theocracy, a nation ruled directly by God. In fact, when their leaders insisted to Samuel that they wanted a king, it "displeased Samuel", who then prayed to the Lord, Samuel warned them, It is very clear that the whole idea of a king also greatly displeased the Lord.
 
Yet the prescriptions regarding a king in Deuteronomy 18 seems to foreshadow that Israel would indeed have a king one day, focusing on the heart of the future king, who had to have his own copy of the law, so that How do we reconcile this with God's (and Samuel's) reaction?
 
It seems to me that the Israelites were just too eager, in a sense "jumping the gun" on God. It is clear that they have not thought through the whole idea: at first their reason for wanting a king was but later the true reason comes out the one thing God (and Moses) have warned them about repeatedly, to not be like the nations around them! And apparently they had also forgotten that it was God who repeatedly "fought their battles" in various ways.
 
They were not saying that a king (as in other nations) seemed to be a good method of governance, but that they wanted to be like all the other nations. And in that they were rejecting God.

Could it be that God was waiting for a man after His own heart, to raise him up as king and start off the kingdom on a different footing? We can't be sure, but how often are we today too eager to wait for God's time? As the first king, Saul was impatient, not willing to wait on God's timing, not living out the law, and not obedient to God's instructions. How different might the kingdom of Israel have been if it had started with David?
 
Interactions between Samuel, Saul, and David
 
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Saul: Establishing The Monarchy

Israel wanted a king like the nations around them, they got a king like those of the nations around them: a dashing figure, attractive, energetic, exciting, towering head and shoulders above everyone else. At first he was humble too, hiding among the baggage when the people wanted to crown him, but it didn't last long. Unfortunately his kingship soon went to his head, as God warned could happen: his heart was indeed "lifted up above his brothers" and he became a haughty man - vain, self-important, arrogant, contemptuous towards the instructions of God to the point where it grieved the Lord, and Samuel, that he became king.
 
Initially he was charismatic and popular, an excellent military leader who achieved important victories against Israel's enemies and secured the nation's borders. He brought the tribes of Israel together under a central authority for the first time and provided a sense of unity and stability, establishing the foundation of a united monarchy and paving the way for future kings like David and Solomon.
 
His failures, particularly disobedience, failure to lead spiritually, and jealousy fuelled by ego, marred his legacy and underscored the need for a ruler who would fully follow God's will. But despite these, Saul's reign marked a significant transition in Israelite history from a loose tribal confederation to a united nation under a king.
 
Overview of Saul's achievements
 
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David: Setting The Standard

Saul established the monarchy, but David set the standard against which all future kings would be measured. God's evaluation of these kings often included a comparison with David, and although some got good remarks, none ever lived up to Israel's greatest king. His reign was marked by immense achievements, but also by personal failures that had lasting consequences.
 
David was a brilliant military strategist and warrior. He expanded Israel's territory, defeated its enemies, and secured peace, making Israel a dominant regional power. Following a brief civil war after the death of Saul, he united the tribes of Israel and established Jerusalem as the political and spiritual capital, solidifying national unity.
 
David had a deep, personal relationship with God, as reflected in his psalms. He sought God's guidance in decisions and made worship central to Israelite life, bringing the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem. His humility, bravery, and devotion endeared him to his people, and his early triumph over Goliath and his rise from shepherd to king made him a symbol of God's providence.
 
Unfortunately, David also had some moral and personal failures, most notably his adultery with Bathsheba and the subsequent murder of her husband, Uriah. To put David's audacity into some perspective, Uriah was one of David's "Mighty Men", the ones who stuck with him through everything, and led and inspired his armies! This brought personal and national consequences, including family strife and divine judgment. From this moment the "fairytale" started falling apart for David, to the point where he had to flee from his own son usurping his throne.
 
David struggled to manage his family failing to administer justice consistently with his own children. Some of his actions, like conducting a census of Israel, were against God's will and led to punishment for the nation.
 
But in spite of his failures, David was "a man after God's own heart". When he sinned, he repented and sought forgiveness, unlike Saul who tried to justify his actions. He wrestled with God and his own sinfulness, and left a legacy in his psalms that still inspires and comforts people today.
 
His reign marked the height of Israel's power and the establishment of a stable, centralized monarchy. Under his leadership the nation experienced unparalleled unity and prosperity, and by making Jerusalem both the political and religious center, David set the stage for Israel's cultural and spiritual development.
 
His legacy, particularly the Davidic Covenant, shaped Israel's identity until today, and further developed the promise of a Saviour who would re-establish the relationship between God and humanity.
 
In terms of this whole study of the Bible, this covenant that God established with him (2 Samuel 7), is the key event in David's life and reign. It is very important to note two things:
¤ God's covenant with David began, not with David looking for a blessing, but wanting to honour God, and
¤ once again, it is God who takes the initiative in establishing the Davidic covenant:
 
Nathan, probably very happy about David's devotion, replied But God intervened and changed everything: And then God extended absolutely undeserved grace to David and his descendants – as with Abraham, He chose to make a covenant with David - he didn't earn it, and he accepted it with faith and humility:
"I want to build a house for you, Lord... No, David, I will build a house for you, a lasting dynasty", and right in the middle of everything comes the central promise of the Bible, the master key (as we will see later in the study) to the relationship between God and humanity:
 

Obviously it firstly came true in Solomon and the Davidic dynasty, but this promise finds its highest and complete fulfillment in Jesus Christ, the ultimate Son of David, through whom all who believe in Him becomes sons and daughters of the Living God:
Little wonder then, that a stunned David
Later in this study we will look in a lot more detail at this covenant, and its place in God's plan in human history, but for now, simply take a moment and be overwhelmed by the grace of God.
 
Overview of David's achievements
 
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Solomon: The Golden Age

Under Solomon, Israel reached the height of its territorial expansion, wealth, and influence. He is best known for his unparalleled wisdom, vast wealth, and the construction of the First Temple, which established a central place of worship and solidified Israel's identity as God's chosen nation. His reign brought peace and prosperity to Israel, but it ended with spiritual decline and political instability. – a reminder of the dangers of losing focus on God amidst success and prosperity.
 
Solomon was renowned for his wisdom, which he received from God in response to his humble request for discernment (1 Kings 3:5-12). His judgments, such as the famous case of two women claiming the same baby, demonstrated his ability to lead with insight and fairness.
 
He is credited with much of the wisdom literature in the Bible, including most of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, and some Psalms. According to Ecclesiastes 12:9,10 and 1 Kings 4:32:
Solomon expanded trade, established alliances, and built a thriving economy, which brought immense wealth to Israel. His reign is often seen as a golden age of prosperity.
 
  Solomon's crowning achievement was the construction of the First Temple in Jerusalem, which became the spiritual center for Israel and a symbol of God's presence among His people. He also built royal palaces, cities, and infrastructure projects that showcased his ambition and vision.

He maintained peace throughout his reign, largely through diplomatic marriages and alliances with surrounding nations, allowing Israel to flourish without the burden of war.
 
But Solomon also had weaknesses, which had dire consequences in his life, as well as for his descendants:
 
His many marriages to foreign women (700 wives and 300 concubines) led him to idolatry, as his wives influenced him to build altars and participate in worship of foreign gods, violating God's commands (1 Kings 11:1-8). As a result, Solomon's heart turned away in his later years, and he failed to remain fully devoted to the Lord as his father David had been.
 
To fund his grand projects and lavish lifestyle, Solomon imposed heavy taxes and conscripted forced labor from his people, which sowed discontent and resentment among the northern tribes. He maintained peace during his reign, but the seeds of division were sown. Discontent among the tribes and the favoritism shown to Judah contributed to the eventual splitting of the kingdom into Israel (the northern kingdom) and Judah (the southern kingdom).
 
Overview of Solomon's achievements     Summary of the united monarchy
 
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In Summary

This rather long Unit took us from the bitterness of slavery to the drama of the Exodus and conquest, from the bleak days of the Judges to the heights of the Davidic monarchy and the golden days of Solomon.

But the seeds of disaster had been sown: instead of driving out the idolatrous inhabitants of Canaan, as God had commanded repeatedly, Israel settled among them and followed their ways. And in the golden age of Solomon, idolatry was allowed to flourish in temples built for his many wives.

Trouble was coming...
 
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