There were thirty-one kings in Canaan ( Joshua 12:9 Joshua 12:24), whom Joshua subdued.Adonibezek subdued seventy kings ( Judges 1:7).In the New Testament the Roman emperor is spoken of as a king ( 1 Peter 2:13 1 Peter 2:17); and Herod Antipas, who was only a tetrarch, is also … You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. On the one hand, God blessed the monarchy, and he even chose a kingly line from which to ap- pear in human form. This approach, however, does violence to the many positive biblical statements concerning God's design for the institution of kingship in the context of this sovereign plan for the redemption of his people, and ultimately for the uNIVersal triumph of peace and justice on the earth. In the next post we will look at how God’s kingdom develops in the Old Testament, beginning with Abraham, moving on to kingship in Israel, and ending with the exile of the northern and southern kingdoms. There are no records of his life or reign outside the Bible — odd, if he was that important. While he is king over his people in a special sense, by virtue of his covenantal relationship to them, his kingship is at the same time universal, extending to all nations and peoples and even the natural environment. The kingdom extended in the north as far as Bethel, while in the south it … Donate Now. He wrote them on a scroll, which he placed in the presence of the Lord. For usage information, please read the Baker Book House Copyright Statement. This description was a supplement to the "law of the king" given by Moses ( Deut 17:14-20 ).Samuel then inaugurated the reign of Saul, Israel's first king, in the context of a renewal of the covenant with Yahweh ( 1 Sam11:14-12:25 ). It is important to understand the way in which the Old Testament presents the relationship between divine and human kingship. This failure of the kings of both Israel and Judah to live up to the covenantal ideal provided the backdrop as Israel's prophets began to speak of a future king who would be a worthy occupant of the throne of David. The aim of this paper is to explore the concept of kingship in the Ancient Near Eastern civilizations, understand the implications of the office and the function of kings before to see its application to the time of the Old Testament world. The prophets (before, during, and after the exile), however, make it clear that even with the exile God would not, and did not, abandon His intention to … Jehoahaz and Jehoiachin ruled the shortest with 3 months both. Jesus’ reign as ‘King of kings and Lord of lords’ (Rev. The Greek word translated "Christ" in our English versions of the Bible is a translation of the Hebrew term for Messiah (the anointed one). To do this also denies the close relationship that exists between the establishment of the Sinai covenant and the acknowledgment of Yahweh's kingship over Israel. Jesus is the one who fulfilled the royal messianic promises of the Old Testament. The Southern Kingdom consisted of 2 tribes (Judah and Benjamin). David was an imperfect but true representative of the ideal of the covenantal king. Sacral Kingship―The Old Testament Background* Arthur E. Cundall [p.31] The subject of Divine or Sacral Kingship has been a dominant one in Old Testament studies during the past four decades. God had even provided for it in antecedent revelation. The … How was Israel to understand the relationship between their obligation to Yahweh, the divine King, on the one hand, and their obligation to the human king on the other? To question this erodes the institutional basis of the messianic hope that arose in connection with the failure of Israel's kings to function as God had instructed. He had not only delivered Israel from bondage in Egypt and taken them to himself to be a "kingdom of priests" ( Exod 19:6 ), but he was sovereign beyond Israel's borders as the ruler over all of nature and history. Nonetheless, God does not abandon His intention to rule over the earth through a human king. In fact, God built human kingship into creation itself. Sacred kingship, religious and political concept by which a ruler is seen as an incarnation, manifestation, mediator, or agent of the sacred or holy (the transcendent or supernatural realm). Second, the Old Testament portrays God as king over Israel in a special way. HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITE KINGDOMS In the New Testament the kingship theme is carried forward and its ambiguities resolved. Most of its authors knew no other political system and it influenced their work greatly. King. The issue here is not whether kingship in itself was right or wrong for Israel. Forms of this root occur 3,154 times in the Hebrew Bible. David is revered as the most powerful and important king of Israel during biblical times. He was always obligated to submit to the law of Israel's (and his) Great King, Yahweh ( Deut 17:18-20 ; 1 Sam 12:14 ) as well as to the word of the prophet ( 1 Sam 12:23 ; 13:13 ; 1 Samuel 15:11 1 Samuel 15:23 ; 2 Sam 12:7-13 ). Baker's Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology, California - Do Not Sell My Personal Information. What conditions gave rise to the idea of the coming of a future messianic king who would someday establish peace and justice in all the earth? In fact, significant sections of the writings of the prophets and poets also involve the actions of the various kings of Israel and Judah. He will not only be a descendant of David, but is also identified with deity ( Isa 7:14 ; 9:6-7 ; Jer 23:5-6 ; Ezek 36:24-28 ).During his reign wars will cease and peace and justice will be established in the earth ( Isa 2:1-5 ; 11:1-10 ; Amos 9:11-15 ).This future king came to be known as the "Messiah" (in Hebrew, "the anointed one") and longing for his appearance came to be known as messianic expectation. He is to spread God’s own dominion outside the boundaries of the ordered garden of Eden so that it branches out to the farthest reaches of creation. Parallels in literary structure between the Sinai covenant and certain international treaties drawn up by the kings of the Hittite Empire in the fourteenth century b.c. For these scholars the establishment of the monarchy represented a return to the social model of the old Bronze Age paganism of the Canaanites, and a rejection of religious foundations derived from the Mosaic formulations of the Sinai covenant. The Kingship of David (2 Sam. Dr. Ben C. Dunson is professor of New Testament at Reformation Bible College. The Ligonier Ministries site requires Javascript, but you’ve got Javascript disabled. Stevens teaches biblical studies at Lutheran Theological Seminary in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. He is the God who has come with might to reign for the Lord and satisfy the deepest needs and longings of his people (see Isa. 1–24) King Saul was Israel’s first king and monarch. HCSB, ISV, NET, LEB This is a list of every battle in the OT. Jesus fulfills all three of these roles. Second, the Old Testament portrays God as king over Israel in a special way. What, then, does the Old Testament have to say about the kingdom of God? King, Kingship The terms "king" and "kingship" are common biblical words, occurring over 2, 500 times in the Old Testament and 275 times in the New Testament. The tension in these chapters is evident. Simply put, God is the sovereign ruler of the universe. Salem Media Group. Jesus Declares His Kingship by Cleansing the Temple (Isa. In Jesus the duality of sovereigns present in the Old Testament period is eliminated. God's kingship, however, contrasts with that of Israel's rulers in that God's rule is not limited to the nation of Israel. This had enormous significance. The Kings of Judah 1 Kings 12:17 - But [as for] the children of Israel which dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them. At issue was the kind of kingship Israel desired, and her reasons for wanting a king. In Genesis 1-2 Adam is clearly portrayed as a king. Then Samuel sent all the people away, each to his home. Understanding kingship is essential when reading the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament. until 721 b.c. The issue of God's attitude toward the human institution of kingship in Israel is one concerning which the biblical texts appear --on the surface--to be ambiguous. They wanted a king to fight their battles and give them a symbol of national unity. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign overthe house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end" ( Luke 1:32-33 ).Jesus laid claim to fulfillment of the messianic prophecies of the Old Testament when at his trial before the Sanhedrin he was asked by the high priest whether he was the Messiah. Although this book is a loose sequel to her previous book, Theological Themes of the Old Testament, it can be read as a standalone book (p. x), as it is in this review. Yet in the course of time Israel also had her own human kings, the rulers in Jerusalem or Samaria who exercised their royal power to govern the nation. Your gift enables our worldwide outreach. This page is also available in: हिन्दी (Hindi) King Solomon was the third and last king of the United Kingdom of Israel. The Rights and Duties of Kingship in Israel by Marvin A. Sweeney The kings of Israel and Judah were believed to serve as Yhwh ’s agents to rule the nation. All of this suggests, very clearly, that Israel recognized Yahweh as her Great King long before kingship was established in Jerusalem. Saul had good favor with God and the people of Israel when he obeyed the Lord. This table is adapted from Edwin R. Thiele’s work in The Mysterious Numbers of the Hebrew Kings with some modifications. Category: Articles. Reference is also found to numerous foreign kings whose activities affected Israel in some way. Kingship in Israel was not unanticipated. of We'll send you an email with steps on how to reset your password. Arthur E. Cundall, “Sacral Kingship―The Old Testament Background,” Vox Evangelica 6 (1969): 31-41. Josiah was the last king before the exile.He destroyed all pagan idols and altars and insisted his people worship the one God. Kingship in Israel and other ancient Near Eastern societies is a major focus of modern scholarship and has produced fascinating results. After warning them about what it would be like to have a king like the nations ( 1 Sam 8:11-18 )Samuel defined how kingship was to function in Israel ( 1 Sam 10:25 ). 11, 12), but in contrast to Saul when Nathan, the prophet, confronted him, he repented and sought the Lord's forgiveness ( 2 Sam 12:13 ; Psalm 51 ). It is part of my biblical-theological analysis of the theology of War in the Bible.You can find my initial summary of the OT theology of war here.. This juxtaposition of divine and human kingship in the Old Testament period presented ancient Israel with a duality of sovereigns. Quick Overview of 1 Kings. The most important teaching on the kingdom in the Old Testament, however, is that God is king, so we must turn to this idea first. So I landed in the middle of the Kings of the Divided Kingdom and got the title: “5 Good Kings and 33 Bad kings in 208 years.” Several on the campaign asked that I post my notes - so here you go: I doubt any (many) of you know these names: Elah, Zimri, Tibni, Ahizah, Athaliah, Shallum. The longest reigning king of the Kingdom of Israel was Jeroboam II, who ruled for 41 years.The shortest was Zimri, who ruled only 7 days.In the Kingdom of Judah, King Manasseh ruled the longest with 55 years. While it was not wrong for Israel to desire a king (more on this below), the reason driving Israel’s request was indeed sinful. He reigned for 40 years (970 – 931 BCE) after King Saul and King David (1 kings11:42). Contrary to the idea of certain scholars (e.g., Vatke, Gressmann, von Rad), the Old Testament does not suggest that the idea of the kingship of Yahweh was a projection derived from the human institution. This recognition has caused other contemporary scholars (Mendenhall, McKenzie) to suggest that the establishment of human kingship in Israel was a rebellion against divine rule and represented an alien paganizing development in the social structure of ancient Israel. 56:7) Second, in verses 12-13 Jesus acts out another Old Testament text. In the words of the angel who spoke to Mary: "He will be great and will be called the Son of the Mos tHigh. The mission, passion and purpose of Ligonier Ministries is to proclaim the holiness of God Athaliah was the only woman who reigned the southern kingdom.She got her power by killing all of the members of the … Abraham was told that "kings" would arise among his descendants ( Gen17:6 ). The vast majority of uses involve human kings and kingdoms. from Ben Dunson Jesus replied, "I am, and you will see the Son of Man sitting at the rights hand of the Mighty One and coming with the clouds of heaven" ( Mark 14:62 ). Much of 1-2 Samuel, 1-2 Kings, and 1-2 Chronicles describes matters pertaining to the lives and reigns of these kings. After Solomon's death the kingdom divided into northern (Israel) and southern (Judah) segments. Kingship was subordinated to covenant.Israel's king was to be a covenantal king. David’s Successors: Kingship in the Old Testamentargues for a new reading of kingship in the Old Testament. Solomon was born in Jerusalem, the second born child of David and his wife Bathsheba, widow of Uriah the Hittite. The Messiah’s Sonship with God is thus related to His Messiahship. 16). Answer: There are three main “offices” spoken of in the Old Testament—prophet, priest, and king. In short, I argue that the Old Testament history shows that war was part of God’s gift of the land to Israel. 2 Timothy 2:12. Eastern societies is a major focus of modern scholarship and has produced fascinating results odd, if was! 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