August 18, 2025 • 33 mins
# 217 - Divided and Doomed: The Kings of Israel & Judah - In this episode of The Chosen People with Yael Eckstein, From blood-soaked battlefields to burning palaces, Israel and Judah spiraled deeper into chaos as king after king clung to power but abandoned God. In this episode, witness the rise and fall of rulers who built idols, spilled blood, and forgot the only throne that lasts—the Lord’s.
Episode 217 of The Chosen People with Yael Eckstein is inspired by the Book of Joshua.
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For more information about Yael Eckstein and IFCJ visit https://www.ifcj.org/
Today's opening prayer is inspired by Proverbs 21:21, He that followeth after righteousness and mercy findeth life, righteousness, and honour.
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Show Notes:
(01:28) Intro with Yael Eckstein
(02:28) Divided and Doomed: The Kings of Israel & Judah
(27:57) Reflection with Yael Eckstein
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Previously on the chosen people, Jeroboam had won, the House
of David had lost.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
I have taken the throne. Now I must keep it.
Speaker 3 (00:15):
They think they can defy me, that they can cast
me aside like some commoner. And have you heard the
false king, Jeroboam, that's your surper is saying that they
alone in the north are Israel. We are only Judah.
Speaker 1 (00:34):
Can you believe that, my King, I beg you trust
the Lord to uphold what he has given you. Do
not repeat Solomon's folly.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
Behold your God, so Israel, here are the gods who
brought you out of Egypt.
Speaker 1 (00:53):
My king, we cannot defy the Lord's decree.
Speaker 4 (00:57):
The Lord's decree, the Lord's decreeve is that my father
should be king over all Israel, as is our right
as the House of David.
Speaker 1 (01:09):
Jeroboam did not look at him, He did not waver.
His decision had been laid, and neither he nor Ria
Boham could see it yet, but their choices would lead
them both to ruin.
Speaker 5 (01:30):
A kingdom does not change hands without blood being spilled,
and in Israel, blood had been spilled. Shelloh, my friends,
from here in the holy Land of Israel, I'm l
Extein with the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, and
welcome to the Chosen People. What happens when pride becomes policy,
(01:51):
when fear wears the crown and suspicion fills the throne room.
What if the war that destroys you doesn't come from
out your gates, from within your own house. Today we
return to a divided kingdom Israel and Judah, two halves
of a family now locked in bitter cycles of rebellion
(02:12):
and betrayal and loss. The story picks up with the
sons of kings inheriting not just power, but the poison
that came with it. Will any of them learn from
the past? Or are they too far gone? Let's find out.
Speaker 1 (02:30):
With the death of Rio Boam, the house of David
was diminished. Meanwhile, in the Northern kingdom, the house of
Jeroboam was doomed, And though the fathers had gone astray
from the Lord, it was their sons who would drive
their kingdoms to ruin. In the South, Abijam, the son
(02:51):
of Rio Boam, would reign in Judah, a king shaped
by his father's cruelty, but without his restraint, a man
hungry for war, in the north, Nadab, the son of Jeroboam,
would rule Israel, a king raised in his father's paranoia,
(03:11):
but without his cunning, a man drowning in fear. Neither
man was prepared for the fate that awaited them. The
war between Judah and Israel had never truly ended. It
smoldered in the background, waiting for the moment it would erupt,
(03:33):
And when Abijam ascended to the throne, he fanned it
into an inferno. The battlefield stretched wide before them. The
hill country of Ephraim had seen many wars, but none
like this. The Chosen people were at war with themselves.
Brother fought brother tribe for tribe. Four hundred thousand men
(03:58):
stood behind Abbot Jijan, son of Riaboam, king of Judah.
Their shields were raised and their banners whipped in the
wind as they beheld the massive force ahead before them.
Israel's army loomed twice their size, eight hundred thousand men.
(04:20):
Abijam gripped the pommel of his sword, his jaw tight
as he studied the enemy ranks. Here it was the
war he thirsted for. At last that the back of
the formation, a lone figure watched from a high vantage point.
Jeroboam unmoving, unreadable, and beside him Nadab, the Prince of Israel,
(04:46):
shifting uneasily, his young fingers clenched around his sword hilt.
Abijam's lip curled. He shouted loud enough for his words
to carry across the field to his foe.
Speaker 4 (05:00):
Does Jereboa think his numbers will save him?
Speaker 1 (05:04):
There was a small hesitation from his general. Standing beside him.
Speaker 2 (05:09):
My king, the southern Kingdom of Israel is strong. King
Jerobolim has ruled for many years. We must tread carefully.
Speaker 1 (05:19):
Abijam scoffed. His father's failures haunted him. Still, my father
was wake.
Speaker 4 (05:28):
He fled, shackhim like a coward. He flung the gates
open wild for the king of Egypt and let them
rob us blind. But I am not remon I will
not be humiliated. I am Abidam, King of Judah, and
victory will be ours.
Speaker 1 (05:50):
The army stirred in response, their breath hissing through their teeth.
Their fingers tightened on their shields as they moved into
position and locked them together in a defensive maneuver.
Speaker 4 (06:03):
Abriel, you rebelled against the House of David. You followed
a servant who das to call himself a king.
Speaker 1 (06:11):
The enemy ranks bristled, but Jeroboam himself stood at the back, watching, waiting.
Speaker 4 (06:18):
You think your numbers were same you you believe your
golden cabs will protect you? Do you think you can
stand against David's line?
Speaker 1 (06:29):
Jeroboam had heard enough from this insolent, spoiled king. He
raised his hand from the hills. The first war cries
split the air, then the ground shook beneath the pounding
of thousands of feet. The glint of sharpened spears caught
the sun as they barreled toward the battlefield. Judah's soldiers
(06:52):
craned their necks around their shields to see, but it
was too late. Abage AM's stomach dropped.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
It's a trap.
Speaker 1 (07:02):
Abijam whipped his head around, his eyes, darting wildly. The
men behind him hesitated, panic spreading like a sickness through
their ranks. Abijam gritted his teeth in frustration and screamed
at his general.
Speaker 4 (07:18):
Get them a line, get their bother line.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
Abijam looked around frantically for something, anything, that might give
them an advantage to avoid certain defeat. The northerners streamed
down the hills of their homeland, cutting down soldier after soldier,
taking the advantage of the higher ground. But then Abijam's
eyes fell on the wide eyed column of petrified priests.
(07:45):
Though Abijam followed the gods of his mother as the
king of Judah, he was still expected to march with
a ceremonial order of priests from the temple. Perhaps it
was desperation or a faith memory of seeing how the
Lord had stayed the defeat of Jerusalem years ago when
his father kneeled, but Abijam turned.
Speaker 4 (08:08):
To the Lord, praise the lower.
Speaker 1 (08:13):
The pale, trembling priests looked upon their king amid battle.
Speaker 4 (08:18):
Calm on the Lord, call on the God of Savor
to save us.
Speaker 1 (08:23):
The priests of Judah lifted the ram's horn. A blast
of trumpets ran through the valley, piercing the chaos of war,
splitting the air like thunder, And at that moment, the
army of Judah roared a desperate battle cry, a cry
not for their king, but for their God. And to
(08:45):
Abijam's surprise most of all, he answered. The ground trembled,
A shock wave of fear rippled through the Northern Israelite ranks.
The wall of soldiers surrounding Judah faltered, men hesitating, shifting uneasily,
as if some unseen force was pressing against them. Then,
(09:08):
like a wave breaking on the shore, the Northern Army's
lines wavered, then collapsed, like a dam breaking. The sound
of swords breaking, men screaming, and retreating. Footsteps crashed around him.
Men fled, and chaos consumed Jeroboam's disciplined, battle hardened soldiers.
(09:32):
By the time the sun set over the valley, five
hundred thousand of Jeroboam's men lay dead. It was the
greatest defeat of his reign, and it shattered his power.
Jeroboam never recovered from this staggering defeat, and his failures
did not end with him. They were passed down like
(09:54):
a curse to his son Nadab. A prophecy had been spoken,
warning had been given, and yet the sun walked the
same doomed path as the father, Blind to the swords
that waited in the shadows. Naidab had grown up watching
his father rule in fear, watching him silence critics, crush opposition,
(10:19):
and even betray his own people, all to cling to
his throne and now that paranoia was his only inheritance.
The sounds of battle ran through the camp. There were
distant screams, the clang of metal, and the pounding of
(10:40):
footsteps through the mud. But inside the king's tent, all
was still except for Nadab's shaking hands. Basha, the name
sent to shiver down his spine, the rumors of his
thirst for power, his rise through the ranks, his growing
(11:00):
support among the enemies of Jeroboam's house, and the prophecy,
the one that had loomed over Nadab's life ever since
his brother died. Basha was waiting. They all were conspiring, plotting, watching.
Nadab was sure of it. The conflict with Israel's ancient enemy,
(11:24):
the Philistines, should have been his focus, but he wasn't
seeing the battlefield. His eyes darted across the parchment on
the table before him, but they were unfocussed. He saw
only ghosts in the corners, traitors in the shadows, a
shift in footsteps outside his tent, a sudden silence when
(11:45):
he neared. Everything was a threat. Everyone was an enemy.
Speaker 2 (11:51):
He would have betrayed me. They all betray me.
Speaker 1 (11:55):
He jumped as a figure appeared at the entrance. It
was one of his advice. As the torchlight flickered, casting long,
shifting shadows against the fabric walls, the advisor hesitated, his face, drawn,
his posture uneasy. There was news, and by the look
in his eyes, it wasn't good. He chose his words carefully,
(12:19):
his voice low, deliberate.
Speaker 6 (12:22):
My king, the philistines are the threat. Your fixation on
conspiracies is a distraction our men, whisper of discontent. We
must reassure them es.
Speaker 1 (12:35):
Nadab snapped his head up. His eyes were wild, bloodshot.
He slammed his fist down onto the table, the map
crumpling beneath his palm.
Speaker 3 (12:46):
My father's enemies are still here. That you want to
see the house of jereb and fall.
Speaker 4 (12:52):
They long for it.
Speaker 3 (12:54):
You're waiting in the shadows, waiting, waiting to take my throne.
Speaker 1 (13:00):
The adviser sighed long and slow, not in surprise, but
in resignation. But then Nadab felt the shift in the air.
The hairs on his arms rose, the tent felt colder.
The adviser spoke again, and this time his voice was different, heavy, final,
(13:22):
like something inevitable had just arrived.
Speaker 6 (13:25):
My King, they are not in the shadows, They are here.
Speaker 1 (13:31):
Nadab blinked. Had he heard him right, or had his
paranoia finally devoured his mind. The words hovered in the
air like an unfinished sentence. But then the first knife
struck the adviser's throat. There was a spray of blood
and a choked gurgle. His body hid the floor. Nadab spun,
(13:54):
scrambling for his sword, but the second knife found his back.
He let out a sharp gasp, His fingers clutched at
the hilt, lodge between his ribs. The pains immediate searing.
His knees buckled, his breath hitched. The tent spun, and
as his vision blurred, he saw the would be king
(14:16):
stepped forward, and when the body fell, Basha stepped over
the pool of blood and stood in his place. A
kingdom does not change hands without blood, and in Israel,
blood had been spilled. Nadab lay dead in the mud.
(14:36):
Jerobo's house was finished, just as Nadab had feared. Basha
made it so. Basha was not a king's son, he
was not born to rule. But he had watched, he
had waited, and when the moment came, he had killed
(14:58):
the capital city of Turn in the north of Israel,
still smoldered. The flames had died down, but the stench
of burning wood and flesh still hung thick in the air.
Basha stood atop the city walls, the cool night air
laced with smoke, his hands still stained with the work
(15:19):
of war. Beneath him, the streets ran red. Bodies lined
the alleys, Jeroboam's grandsons, his officials, his loyalists. The final
purge had been swift, ruthless, complete. Basha's fingers traced the
hilt of his sword, his grip tight. He had seen
(15:41):
men rise before him, and he had seen them fall
just as quickly. Power was never truly taken, only borrowed.
Jeroboam was a fool. He thought he could make himself
king and keep his throne. His general stepped forward, hardened soldier,
(16:01):
one who had fought for Jeroboam once. Now he bowed
to Basha. The lines of his face were carved with war,
his expression grim. The house of Jeroboam is dead, his sons,
his family, his allies, all wiped out. Basha exhaled, slowly,
(16:23):
letting the words seep into his bones. He had done
what had to be done. It was his throne. Now
he allowed himself a smirk, as it should be. The
wind shifted, carrying the stench of death and smoke with it.
For a moment, the weight of it all pressed against him.
(16:45):
He had fulfilled the prophecy. He had wiped out Jeroboam's house,
but he had not learned its lesson, for he too
turned to the golden calves. He too led Israel into idolatry,
and his house too would be destroyed. But in Judah,
(17:06):
in the south, there was a different kind of king
on the rise. For all of Abijam's blood lust and ambition,
his reign only lasted three years, and when he met
his untimely end, his son Aysa took his place. Now
Ayesa had seen the failures of his father, the idols,
(17:28):
the corruption, the legacy of weakness, and he chose another path.
The pagan shrines loomed before him, carved idols of wood
and stone, the scent of past sacrifices still thick in
the air. The Asherah poles stood tall, towering over the
(17:50):
sacred groves his mother and grandmother had built. These were
not the altars of Yahweh. These were monuments to rebellion.
Ace's jaw tightened, his fingers curled into fists. He had
had enough.
Speaker 4 (18:07):
Tear them down.
Speaker 1 (18:09):
Them all his soldiers hesitated. These shrines had stood for decades.
They had belonged to kings before him, to his father,
his grandfather, and to Marka, though she was his grandmother.
So entrenched was her influence at court, she retained the
title of Gabeira queen mother over even Aesa's own mother,
(18:34):
and it was her pagan worship that polluted Israel. If
Solomon's wives, especially Rio Boham's mother Naemah, had cracked the
door to idolatry in their lifetimes, then it was Marka
who swung it wide open. The crackling of her staff
against the stone ground announced her fury before her voice,
(18:58):
Did you disgrace your fire, your grandfather, You dare to
destroy what they built? Aesa turned to her. His eyes
were cold, unwavering, and there was no fear in them,
only resolve.
Speaker 5 (19:16):
They disgraced themselves.
Speaker 1 (19:18):
Marcha staggered back as if he had struck her. Her
fingers dug into her robes, her face scrunched with betrayal,
No no ezrah. But despite her protestations, the first Asherah
pole crashed to the ground. Splinters flew into the air.
(19:40):
Soldiers seized the idols, dragging them toward the growing fire.
The flames roared, devouring the wooden figures that had once
been worshiped as gods. Smoke curled toward the sky, twisting, writhing,
like the false deities themselves were screening. Marka watched in horror,
(20:03):
her power, her influence, her gods reduced to ash. He
shattered the idols, purged the wicked priests, He restored the
worship of Yahweh, and in Judah there was spiritual reform,
there was revival. Asa also ended the bitter wars of
(20:23):
his father, defeating the Egyptians and out maneuvering Basha, the
King of Israel. Instead of direct battle, he struck a
clever alliance with the King of Damascus, forcing Israel into
a long, costly conflict in the north, her thorn in
their side for years to come, and for a time
(20:45):
the kingdom of Judah knew peace. But peace came with
a warning. A prophet told a sir, do not trust
in your own cleverness, trust in the Lord. And for
a time Asa did what was right in the Lord's sight.
While young King Aesa ruled Judah in peace, the North
(21:09):
was crumbling. A prophet of the Lord came to Basha,
just as one had come to Ayesa, But like the
kings before him, Basha did not listen, and so power
passed like a curse, from one unworthy ruler to the next.
Basha's cruel, blood stained reign lasted twenty four years. When
(21:33):
he died, his kingdom passed to his depraved son, Ella,
but it would not last. Ella ruled for just two years.
A drunken fool, he was assassinated in an inebriated stupor,
killed by his own army commander, Zimri. But Zimri's reign
(21:53):
was even shorter. Seven days, seven days of blood and terror.
He wiped out the entire house of Basha, slaughtering every man,
woman and child. But when his enemies closed in, Zimri
chose fire over the sword. He said the pallace ablaze,
burning himself alive inside his own throng room. But the
(22:17):
chaos was far from over. Zimri's suicide left a power
vacuum that threw Israel into civil war, threatening to split
the Northern kingdom in two but soon a man would
take the throne who would change everything, a man more ruthless,
more cunning, more unshakable than those before him, a man
(22:42):
who would seize a fractured kingdom and forge it into
something far more dangerous. The land was torn, Israel devoured
itself in war. Two kings had claimed the throne, Tibny
and Omri. Two factions split the kingdom, each clawing for control.
(23:04):
Cities burned, fields were trampled beneath warring armies. The people
cried for order, for an end to the chaos, and
when the dust settled after six years of civil war,
only one name remained. Omri stood atop his horse, his
armor streaked with dust and blood. Behind him, Tibney's broken
(23:28):
body lay still, the last threat to his throne gone.
He had won, but victory was only the beginning. Omri
was not just a soldier. He was a builder, a strategist,
a king who would leave a lasting mark. He built
(23:51):
a new capital in northern Israel, Samaria, a stronghold that
would outlast him, a kingdom that would shake the future.
But Omri's true legacy would not be in stone. It
would be in his son, Ahab, a name that would
become legend, a name that would become a curse, For
(24:15):
it was said of him, he did more evil in
the eyes of the Lord than any who came before him.
Prince Ahab lounged on decadent pillows draped in silks, a
chalice of wine in his hand. His father's new palace
rose above some area, a testament to power and wealth. Beautiful, strategic, unshakable,
(24:40):
the palace dominated the land trade routes, filling Israel's treasuries
and making them a desirable ally among the nations. One
such ally was the King of Tire, and with him
his beautiful, cunning daughter Jezebel. Watched lazily as his father
(25:02):
perused parchments and correspondence from themisseries. At first, he paid
no mind until Omri's expression changed, A greedy smile curled
on the old king's lips. Intrigued, Ahab called over.
Speaker 3 (25:17):
To him father, what is it?
Speaker 1 (25:22):
But Omri said nothing. He simply stood, walked to his son,
and dropped a rolled parchment into his lap. Then he turned,
moving to the window, his gaze fixed on the horizon. Waiting,
ahab unfurled the scroll, his brows furrowing as he read aloud.
Speaker 2 (25:45):
Omri, King of Israel, my brother may but all storm
clouds bless your lads, except my daughter, a jewel of Tire,
the princess for your sons, Ahab, and let our houses
be as cedars in twine.
Speaker 1 (26:08):
Ahab's brows lifted. Then his father's smile became his own.
He stood, stepping beside Omri and fixed his own eyes
on the horizon. He could see it already. The riches,
the power, and alliance with the King of Tire, the
ruler of the Sidonians, would bring Israel to new heights,
(26:32):
and he Ahab would be at the center of it all.
He and his queen Jezebel would shape the world to
their liking. God's people had wilfully torn their kingdom into
Judah in the south Israel in the north. They rejoiced
(26:53):
in wickedness, indulging in the corruption of the world. The
kings of both kingdoms clung to the fading glory of
their forefathers, believing past favor with the Lord would shield
them as they did what they pleased. But king after king,
despite the warnings of prophets sent to turn them back,
(27:15):
they led their people deeper into ruin. Their sin was
dragging the nation closer and closer to the inevitability of
divine judgment. But as the faithful God of Israel always did,
when evil rose, he sent his messengers of truth, men
(27:37):
who would offer a way out, a way to repent,
a way to turn back from destruction. But the question remained,
would the evil kings of Israel heed their warnings.
Speaker 5 (27:59):
There's a lot from the prophet Hosea that this story
brings to mind. Hosea says, they made kings, but not
through me. They set up princes. But I knew it.
Not that sums up today story, doesn't it? A story
in which egos outpace obedience. That's the tension here. You
can feel it under every coronation, every war cry, every
(28:24):
desperate trumpet blast across the valley. Although these men ruled
by divine right, today we find out what happens when
they rule with human wickedness. In contrast to so many
kings of both the Northern and Southern kingdoms, Asa was
considered righteous. He had removed the idols from the kingdom,
(28:45):
and the Bible even compares him to King David. But
towards the end of his long reign, Asa made a
fatal mistake, and he missed a golden opportunity. When ASA's
kingdom was attacked, you know what Asa did. He lost
his faith. Instead of having sufficient faith that God would
help him win and allow him to reunite the Northern
(29:07):
and Southern kingdoms, Asa used human means to try and
resist the attack. Instead of placing his total trust in
God and praying for divine help, Asa depleted the temple
treasury to hire the king of Aram to come to
his defense. Here's what I wonder. Had Asa trusted in God,
(29:30):
could he have easily defeated the combined forces of the
Northern Kingdom and Aram. I believe he could have. But
Asa didn't trust God, and instead he paid dearly for
this lack of faith. The nation remained divided, and Aram
he became a frequent invader of Israel. Asa, righteous and
(29:55):
virtuous as he was, forgot one of the central concepts
of the Chosen People, down to one word, unity the kingdom.
It was divided because of sin, but it could have
become reunited through faith. The stories that we've just heard
are wanting but also heartbreakingly human. They show us what
(30:18):
happens when leaders rule with the ego instead of awe
when faith is replaced with fear and sacred things are
used for personal gain. And yet woven into these chapters
amid the fire and betrayal is a faint glimmer of
something redemptive, a reminder that repentance is always possible, even
(30:39):
when the damage seems irreversible, that reform doesn't require perfection,
only humility. I often quote Pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who lost
his own life standing for the Jewish people during the Holocaust.
Pastor Bonhaeffer once wrote, if you bored the wrong train,
it's no use running along the corridor in the opposite direction.
(31:03):
But that's just what these kings tried to do. They
refuse to stop, refused to get off, and and then
they took their whole kingdoms with them. But we don't
have to. God's mercy still opens doors. The God of Israel,
our God, is not waiting to punish us. He's waiting
(31:24):
to restore his chosen people, if only we'll stop running
long enough to turn around. Maybe you're not a king,
but maybe you've inherited some patterns, some old habits, old fears. Maybe,
like us, you grew up watching dysfunction, and you've decided
that it stops with you. Well, good, let it stop
(31:48):
with you. Burn the idols, shatter the shrines, and start
with faithfulness, with quiet obedience. Trust that the God who
stood with Judah in the valley still hears the cry
of the brokenhearted, still response to those who remember his name,
And remember my friends. The Chosen People have seen kingdoms
(32:11):
rise and fall, We've buried kings, we've walked through fire,
and yet we are still here. That's because we don't
trust in thrones. We trust in the one who writes
each of these stories, and who wrote mine and yours.
Speaker 1 (32:32):
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Previously on the chosen people, Jeroboam had won, the House
of David had lost.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
I have taken the throne. Now I must keep it.
Speaker 3 (00:15):
They think they can defy me, that they can cast
me aside like some commoner. And have you heard the
false king, Jeroboam, that's your surper is saying that they
alone in the north are Israel. We are only Judah.
Speaker 1 (00:34):
Can you believe that, my King, I beg you trust
the Lord to uphold what he has given you. Do
not repeat Solomon's folly.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
Behold your God, so Israel, here are the gods who
brought you out of Egypt.
Speaker 1 (00:53):
My king, we cannot defy the Lord's decree.
Speaker 4 (00:57):
The Lord's decree, the Lord's decreeve is that my father
should be king over all Israel, as is our right
as the House of David.
Speaker 1 (01:09):
Jeroboam did not look at him, He did not waver.
His decision had been laid, and neither he nor Ria
Boham could see it yet, but their choices would lead
them both to ruin.
Speaker 5 (01:30):
A kingdom does not change hands without blood being spilled,
and in Israel, blood had been spilled. Shelloh, my friends,
from here in the holy Land of Israel, I'm l
Extein with the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, and
welcome to the Chosen People. What happens when pride becomes policy,
(01:51):
when fear wears the crown and suspicion fills the throne room.
What if the war that destroys you doesn't come from
out your gates, from within your own house. Today we
return to a divided kingdom Israel and Judah, two halves
of a family now locked in bitter cycles of rebellion
(02:12):
and betrayal and loss. The story picks up with the
sons of kings inheriting not just power, but the poison
that came with it. Will any of them learn from
the past? Or are they too far gone? Let's find out.
Speaker 1 (02:30):
With the death of Rio Boam, the house of David
was diminished. Meanwhile, in the Northern kingdom, the house of
Jeroboam was doomed, And though the fathers had gone astray
from the Lord, it was their sons who would drive
their kingdoms to ruin. In the South, Abijam, the son
(02:51):
of Rio Boam, would reign in Judah, a king shaped
by his father's cruelty, but without his restraint, a man
hungry for war, in the north, Nadab, the son of Jeroboam,
would rule Israel, a king raised in his father's paranoia,
(03:11):
but without his cunning, a man drowning in fear. Neither
man was prepared for the fate that awaited them. The
war between Judah and Israel had never truly ended. It
smoldered in the background, waiting for the moment it would erupt,
(03:33):
And when Abijam ascended to the throne, he fanned it
into an inferno. The battlefield stretched wide before them. The
hill country of Ephraim had seen many wars, but none
like this. The Chosen people were at war with themselves.
Brother fought brother tribe for tribe. Four hundred thousand men
(03:58):
stood behind Abbot Jijan, son of Riaboam, king of Judah.
Their shields were raised and their banners whipped in the
wind as they beheld the massive force ahead before them.
Israel's army loomed twice their size, eight hundred thousand men.
(04:20):
Abijam gripped the pommel of his sword, his jaw tight
as he studied the enemy ranks. Here it was the
war he thirsted for. At last that the back of
the formation, a lone figure watched from a high vantage point.
Jeroboam unmoving, unreadable, and beside him Nadab, the Prince of Israel,
(04:46):
shifting uneasily, his young fingers clenched around his sword hilt.
Abijam's lip curled. He shouted loud enough for his words
to carry across the field to his foe.
Speaker 4 (05:00):
Does Jereboa think his numbers will save him?
Speaker 1 (05:04):
There was a small hesitation from his general. Standing beside him.
Speaker 2 (05:09):
My king, the southern Kingdom of Israel is strong. King
Jerobolim has ruled for many years. We must tread carefully.
Speaker 1 (05:19):
Abijam scoffed. His father's failures haunted him. Still, my father
was wake.
Speaker 4 (05:28):
He fled, shackhim like a coward. He flung the gates
open wild for the king of Egypt and let them
rob us blind. But I am not remon I will
not be humiliated. I am Abidam, King of Judah, and
victory will be ours.
Speaker 1 (05:50):
The army stirred in response, their breath hissing through their teeth.
Their fingers tightened on their shields as they moved into
position and locked them together in a defensive maneuver.
Speaker 4 (06:03):
Abriel, you rebelled against the House of David. You followed
a servant who das to call himself a king.
Speaker 1 (06:11):
The enemy ranks bristled, but Jeroboam himself stood at the back, watching, waiting.
Speaker 4 (06:18):
You think your numbers were same you you believe your
golden cabs will protect you? Do you think you can
stand against David's line?
Speaker 1 (06:29):
Jeroboam had heard enough from this insolent, spoiled king. He
raised his hand from the hills. The first war cries
split the air, then the ground shook beneath the pounding
of thousands of feet. The glint of sharpened spears caught
the sun as they barreled toward the battlefield. Judah's soldiers
(06:52):
craned their necks around their shields to see, but it
was too late. Abage AM's stomach dropped.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
It's a trap.
Speaker 1 (07:02):
Abijam whipped his head around, his eyes, darting wildly. The
men behind him hesitated, panic spreading like a sickness through
their ranks. Abijam gritted his teeth in frustration and screamed
at his general.
Speaker 4 (07:18):
Get them a line, get their bother line.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
Abijam looked around frantically for something, anything, that might give
them an advantage to avoid certain defeat. The northerners streamed
down the hills of their homeland, cutting down soldier after soldier,
taking the advantage of the higher ground. But then Abijam's
eyes fell on the wide eyed column of petrified priests.
(07:45):
Though Abijam followed the gods of his mother as the
king of Judah, he was still expected to march with
a ceremonial order of priests from the temple. Perhaps it
was desperation or a faith memory of seeing how the
Lord had stayed the defeat of Jerusalem years ago when
his father kneeled, but Abijam turned.
Speaker 4 (08:08):
To the Lord, praise the lower.
Speaker 1 (08:13):
The pale, trembling priests looked upon their king amid battle.
Speaker 4 (08:18):
Calm on the Lord, call on the God of Savor
to save us.
Speaker 1 (08:23):
The priests of Judah lifted the ram's horn. A blast
of trumpets ran through the valley, piercing the chaos of war,
splitting the air like thunder, And at that moment, the
army of Judah roared a desperate battle cry, a cry
not for their king, but for their God. And to
(08:45):
Abijam's surprise most of all, he answered. The ground trembled,
A shock wave of fear rippled through the Northern Israelite ranks.
The wall of soldiers surrounding Judah faltered, men hesitating, shifting uneasily,
as if some unseen force was pressing against them. Then,
(09:08):
like a wave breaking on the shore, the Northern Army's
lines wavered, then collapsed, like a dam breaking. The sound
of swords breaking, men screaming, and retreating. Footsteps crashed around him.
Men fled, and chaos consumed Jeroboam's disciplined, battle hardened soldiers.
(09:32):
By the time the sun set over the valley, five
hundred thousand of Jeroboam's men lay dead. It was the
greatest defeat of his reign, and it shattered his power.
Jeroboam never recovered from this staggering defeat, and his failures
did not end with him. They were passed down like
(09:54):
a curse to his son Nadab. A prophecy had been spoken,
warning had been given, and yet the sun walked the
same doomed path as the father, Blind to the swords
that waited in the shadows. Naidab had grown up watching
his father rule in fear, watching him silence critics, crush opposition,
(10:19):
and even betray his own people, all to cling to
his throne and now that paranoia was his only inheritance.
The sounds of battle ran through the camp. There were
distant screams, the clang of metal, and the pounding of
(10:40):
footsteps through the mud. But inside the king's tent, all
was still except for Nadab's shaking hands. Basha, the name
sent to shiver down his spine, the rumors of his
thirst for power, his rise through the ranks, his growing
(11:00):
support among the enemies of Jeroboam's house, and the prophecy,
the one that had loomed over Nadab's life ever since
his brother died. Basha was waiting. They all were conspiring, plotting, watching.
Nadab was sure of it. The conflict with Israel's ancient enemy,
(11:24):
the Philistines, should have been his focus, but he wasn't
seeing the battlefield. His eyes darted across the parchment on
the table before him, but they were unfocussed. He saw
only ghosts in the corners, traitors in the shadows, a
shift in footsteps outside his tent, a sudden silence when
(11:45):
he neared. Everything was a threat. Everyone was an enemy.
Speaker 2 (11:51):
He would have betrayed me. They all betray me.
Speaker 1 (11:55):
He jumped as a figure appeared at the entrance. It
was one of his advice. As the torchlight flickered, casting long,
shifting shadows against the fabric walls, the advisor hesitated, his face, drawn,
his posture uneasy. There was news, and by the look
in his eyes, it wasn't good. He chose his words carefully,
(12:19):
his voice low, deliberate.
Speaker 6 (12:22):
My king, the philistines are the threat. Your fixation on
conspiracies is a distraction our men, whisper of discontent. We
must reassure them es.
Speaker 1 (12:35):
Nadab snapped his head up. His eyes were wild, bloodshot.
He slammed his fist down onto the table, the map
crumpling beneath his palm.
Speaker 3 (12:46):
My father's enemies are still here. That you want to
see the house of jereb and fall.
Speaker 4 (12:52):
They long for it.
Speaker 3 (12:54):
You're waiting in the shadows, waiting, waiting to take my throne.
Speaker 1 (13:00):
The adviser sighed long and slow, not in surprise, but
in resignation. But then Nadab felt the shift in the air.
The hairs on his arms rose, the tent felt colder.
The adviser spoke again, and this time his voice was different, heavy, final,
(13:22):
like something inevitable had just arrived.
Speaker 6 (13:25):
My King, they are not in the shadows, They are here.
Speaker 1 (13:31):
Nadab blinked. Had he heard him right, or had his
paranoia finally devoured his mind. The words hovered in the
air like an unfinished sentence. But then the first knife
struck the adviser's throat. There was a spray of blood
and a choked gurgle. His body hid the floor. Nadab spun,
(13:54):
scrambling for his sword, but the second knife found his back.
He let out a sharp gasp, His fingers clutched at
the hilt, lodge between his ribs. The pains immediate searing.
His knees buckled, his breath hitched. The tent spun, and
as his vision blurred, he saw the would be king
(14:16):
stepped forward, and when the body fell, Basha stepped over
the pool of blood and stood in his place. A
kingdom does not change hands without blood, and in Israel,
blood had been spilled. Nadab lay dead in the mud.
(14:36):
Jerobo's house was finished, just as Nadab had feared. Basha
made it so. Basha was not a king's son, he
was not born to rule. But he had watched, he
had waited, and when the moment came, he had killed
(14:58):
the capital city of Turn in the north of Israel,
still smoldered. The flames had died down, but the stench
of burning wood and flesh still hung thick in the air.
Basha stood atop the city walls, the cool night air
laced with smoke, his hands still stained with the work
(15:19):
of war. Beneath him, the streets ran red. Bodies lined
the alleys, Jeroboam's grandsons, his officials, his loyalists. The final
purge had been swift, ruthless, complete. Basha's fingers traced the
hilt of his sword, his grip tight. He had seen
(15:41):
men rise before him, and he had seen them fall
just as quickly. Power was never truly taken, only borrowed.
Jeroboam was a fool. He thought he could make himself
king and keep his throne. His general stepped forward, hardened soldier,
(16:01):
one who had fought for Jeroboam once. Now he bowed
to Basha. The lines of his face were carved with war,
his expression grim. The house of Jeroboam is dead, his sons,
his family, his allies, all wiped out. Basha exhaled, slowly,
(16:23):
letting the words seep into his bones. He had done
what had to be done. It was his throne. Now
he allowed himself a smirk, as it should be. The
wind shifted, carrying the stench of death and smoke with it.
For a moment, the weight of it all pressed against him.
(16:45):
He had fulfilled the prophecy. He had wiped out Jeroboam's house,
but he had not learned its lesson, for he too
turned to the golden calves. He too led Israel into idolatry,
and his house too would be destroyed. But in Judah,
(17:06):
in the south, there was a different kind of king
on the rise. For all of Abijam's blood lust and ambition,
his reign only lasted three years, and when he met
his untimely end, his son Aysa took his place. Now
Ayesa had seen the failures of his father, the idols,
(17:28):
the corruption, the legacy of weakness, and he chose another path.
The pagan shrines loomed before him, carved idols of wood
and stone, the scent of past sacrifices still thick in
the air. The Asherah poles stood tall, towering over the
(17:50):
sacred groves his mother and grandmother had built. These were
not the altars of Yahweh. These were monuments to rebellion.
Ace's jaw tightened, his fingers curled into fists. He had
had enough.
Speaker 4 (18:07):
Tear them down.
Speaker 1 (18:09):
Them all his soldiers hesitated. These shrines had stood for decades.
They had belonged to kings before him, to his father,
his grandfather, and to Marka, though she was his grandmother.
So entrenched was her influence at court, she retained the
title of Gabeira queen mother over even Aesa's own mother,
(18:34):
and it was her pagan worship that polluted Israel. If
Solomon's wives, especially Rio Boham's mother Naemah, had cracked the
door to idolatry in their lifetimes, then it was Marka
who swung it wide open. The crackling of her staff
against the stone ground announced her fury before her voice,
(18:58):
Did you disgrace your fire, your grandfather, You dare to
destroy what they built? Aesa turned to her. His eyes
were cold, unwavering, and there was no fear in them,
only resolve.
Speaker 5 (19:16):
They disgraced themselves.
Speaker 1 (19:18):
Marcha staggered back as if he had struck her. Her
fingers dug into her robes, her face scrunched with betrayal,
No no ezrah. But despite her protestations, the first Asherah
pole crashed to the ground. Splinters flew into the air.
(19:40):
Soldiers seized the idols, dragging them toward the growing fire.
The flames roared, devouring the wooden figures that had once
been worshiped as gods. Smoke curled toward the sky, twisting, writhing,
like the false deities themselves were screening. Marka watched in horror,
(20:03):
her power, her influence, her gods reduced to ash. He
shattered the idols, purged the wicked priests, He restored the
worship of Yahweh, and in Judah there was spiritual reform,
there was revival. Asa also ended the bitter wars of
(20:23):
his father, defeating the Egyptians and out maneuvering Basha, the
King of Israel. Instead of direct battle, he struck a
clever alliance with the King of Damascus, forcing Israel into
a long, costly conflict in the north, her thorn in
their side for years to come, and for a time
(20:45):
the kingdom of Judah knew peace. But peace came with
a warning. A prophet told a sir, do not trust
in your own cleverness, trust in the Lord. And for
a time Asa did what was right in the Lord's sight.
While young King Aesa ruled Judah in peace, the North
(21:09):
was crumbling. A prophet of the Lord came to Basha,
just as one had come to Ayesa, But like the
kings before him, Basha did not listen, and so power
passed like a curse, from one unworthy ruler to the next.
Basha's cruel, blood stained reign lasted twenty four years. When
(21:33):
he died, his kingdom passed to his depraved son, Ella,
but it would not last. Ella ruled for just two years.
A drunken fool, he was assassinated in an inebriated stupor,
killed by his own army commander, Zimri. But Zimri's reign
(21:53):
was even shorter. Seven days, seven days of blood and terror.
He wiped out the entire house of Basha, slaughtering every man,
woman and child. But when his enemies closed in, Zimri
chose fire over the sword. He said the pallace ablaze,
burning himself alive inside his own throng room. But the
(22:17):
chaos was far from over. Zimri's suicide left a power
vacuum that threw Israel into civil war, threatening to split
the Northern kingdom in two but soon a man would
take the throne who would change everything, a man more ruthless,
more cunning, more unshakable than those before him, a man
(22:42):
who would seize a fractured kingdom and forge it into
something far more dangerous. The land was torn, Israel devoured
itself in war. Two kings had claimed the throne, Tibny
and Omri. Two factions split the kingdom, each clawing for control.
(23:04):
Cities burned, fields were trampled beneath warring armies. The people
cried for order, for an end to the chaos, and
when the dust settled after six years of civil war,
only one name remained. Omri stood atop his horse, his
armor streaked with dust and blood. Behind him, Tibney's broken
(23:28):
body lay still, the last threat to his throne gone.
He had won, but victory was only the beginning. Omri
was not just a soldier. He was a builder, a strategist,
a king who would leave a lasting mark. He built
(23:51):
a new capital in northern Israel, Samaria, a stronghold that
would outlast him, a kingdom that would shake the future.
But Omri's true legacy would not be in stone. It
would be in his son, Ahab, a name that would
become legend, a name that would become a curse, For
(24:15):
it was said of him, he did more evil in
the eyes of the Lord than any who came before him.
Prince Ahab lounged on decadent pillows draped in silks, a
chalice of wine in his hand. His father's new palace
rose above some area, a testament to power and wealth. Beautiful, strategic, unshakable,
(24:40):
the palace dominated the land trade routes, filling Israel's treasuries
and making them a desirable ally among the nations. One
such ally was the King of Tire, and with him
his beautiful, cunning daughter Jezebel. Watched lazily as his father
(25:02):
perused parchments and correspondence from themisseries. At first, he paid
no mind until Omri's expression changed, A greedy smile curled
on the old king's lips. Intrigued, Ahab called over.
Speaker 3 (25:17):
To him father, what is it?
Speaker 1 (25:22):
But Omri said nothing. He simply stood, walked to his son,
and dropped a rolled parchment into his lap. Then he turned,
moving to the window, his gaze fixed on the horizon. Waiting,
ahab unfurled the scroll, his brows furrowing as he read aloud.
Speaker 2 (25:45):
Omri, King of Israel, my brother may but all storm
clouds bless your lads, except my daughter, a jewel of Tire,
the princess for your sons, Ahab, and let our houses
be as cedars in twine.
Speaker 1 (26:08):
Ahab's brows lifted. Then his father's smile became his own.
He stood, stepping beside Omri and fixed his own eyes
on the horizon. He could see it already. The riches,
the power, and alliance with the King of Tire, the
ruler of the Sidonians, would bring Israel to new heights,
(26:32):
and he Ahab would be at the center of it all.
He and his queen Jezebel would shape the world to
their liking. God's people had wilfully torn their kingdom into
Judah in the south Israel in the north. They rejoiced
(26:53):
in wickedness, indulging in the corruption of the world. The
kings of both kingdoms clung to the fading glory of
their forefathers, believing past favor with the Lord would shield
them as they did what they pleased. But king after king,
despite the warnings of prophets sent to turn them back,
(27:15):
they led their people deeper into ruin. Their sin was
dragging the nation closer and closer to the inevitability of
divine judgment. But as the faithful God of Israel always did,
when evil rose, he sent his messengers of truth, men
(27:37):
who would offer a way out, a way to repent,
a way to turn back from destruction. But the question remained,
would the evil kings of Israel heed their warnings.
Speaker 5 (27:59):
There's a lot from the prophet Hosea that this story
brings to mind. Hosea says, they made kings, but not
through me. They set up princes. But I knew it.
Not that sums up today story, doesn't it? A story
in which egos outpace obedience. That's the tension here. You
can feel it under every coronation, every war cry, every
(28:24):
desperate trumpet blast across the valley. Although these men ruled
by divine right, today we find out what happens when
they rule with human wickedness. In contrast to so many
kings of both the Northern and Southern kingdoms, Asa was
considered righteous. He had removed the idols from the kingdom,
(28:45):
and the Bible even compares him to King David. But
towards the end of his long reign, Asa made a
fatal mistake, and he missed a golden opportunity. When ASA's
kingdom was attacked, you know what Asa did. He lost
his faith. Instead of having sufficient faith that God would
help him win and allow him to reunite the Northern
(29:07):
and Southern kingdoms, Asa used human means to try and
resist the attack. Instead of placing his total trust in
God and praying for divine help, Asa depleted the temple
treasury to hire the king of Aram to come to
his defense. Here's what I wonder. Had Asa trusted in God,
(29:30):
could he have easily defeated the combined forces of the
Northern Kingdom and Aram. I believe he could have. But
Asa didn't trust God, and instead he paid dearly for
this lack of faith. The nation remained divided, and Aram
he became a frequent invader of Israel. Asa, righteous and
(29:55):
virtuous as he was, forgot one of the central concepts
of the Chosen People, down to one word, unity the kingdom.
It was divided because of sin, but it could have
become reunited through faith. The stories that we've just heard
are wanting but also heartbreakingly human. They show us what
(30:18):
happens when leaders rule with the ego instead of awe
when faith is replaced with fear and sacred things are
used for personal gain. And yet woven into these chapters
amid the fire and betrayal is a faint glimmer of
something redemptive, a reminder that repentance is always possible, even
(30:39):
when the damage seems irreversible, that reform doesn't require perfection,
only humility. I often quote Pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who lost
his own life standing for the Jewish people during the Holocaust.
Pastor Bonhaeffer once wrote, if you bored the wrong train,
it's no use running along the corridor in the opposite direction.
(31:03):
But that's just what these kings tried to do. They
refuse to stop, refused to get off, and and then
they took their whole kingdoms with them. But we don't
have to. God's mercy still opens doors. The God of Israel,
our God, is not waiting to punish us. He's waiting
(31:24):
to restore his chosen people, if only we'll stop running
long enough to turn around. Maybe you're not a king,
but maybe you've inherited some patterns, some old habits, old fears. Maybe,
like us, you grew up watching dysfunction, and you've decided
that it stops with you. Well, good, let it stop
(31:48):
with you. Burn the idols, shatter the shrines, and start
with faithfulness, with quiet obedience. Trust that the God who
stood with Judah in the valley still hears the cry
of the brokenhearted, still response to those who remember his name,
And remember my friends. The Chosen People have seen kingdoms
(32:11):
rise and fall, We've buried kings, we've walked through fire,
and yet we are still here. That's because we don't
trust in thrones. We trust in the one who writes
each of these stories, and who wrote mine and yours.
Speaker 1 (32:32):
You can listen to The Chosen People with Isle Eckstein
ad free by downloading and subscribing to the Prey dot
Com app today. This Prey dot Com production is only
made possible by our dedicated team of creative talents. Steve Gattina,
Max Bard, Zach Shellabaga and Ben Gammon are the executive
producers of the Chosen People with Yile Eckstein, edited by
(32:56):
Alberto Avilla, narrated by Paul Coltefianu. Characters are voiced by
Jonathan Gotten, Aaron Salvado, Sarah Seltz, Mike Reagan, Stephen Ringwold,
Sylvia Zaradoc, Thomas Copeland Junior, Rosanna Pilcher, and Mitch Leshinsky,
and the opening prayer is voiced by John Moore, music
(33:16):
by Andrew Morgan Smith, written by Aaron Salvato, Bree Rosalie
and Chris Baig. Special thanks to Bishop Paulinier, Robin van Ettin,
KAYLEB Burrows, Jocelyn Fuller, Rabbi Edward Abramson, and the team
at International Fellowship of Christians and Jews. You can hear
more Prey dot com productions on the Prey dot com app,
(33:37):
available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
If you enjoyed The Chosen People with Yile Eckstein, please
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