The Two Camps in Conflict Continued

Ephraim Frank

Israel

June 12, 2009

This week's letter is a continuation of Chapter XLV.

Meanwhile, more and more of the Israelites (or Ephraimites) were coming down to watch the procession crossing the Jordan. Their internal quarreling had stopped, but now they were incensed with Judah. When the latter escorted the king across the river, the jealousy of Ephraim (Israel) finally broiled to the surface. "Then all Israel came to the king and said, 'why have our brothers from Judah stolen you away, and brought the king and his household and all David's men with him over the Jordan?'" (2 Samuel 19:41). Ephraim did not want to be left out or, rather, pushed out or even bullied out, by His older brother. He therefore lodged his complaint: "That’s not fair! It was my idea in the first place to bring the king back!" (v. 43 paraphrased). This would seem a mere logical conclusion, right? Unfortunately, Ephraim’s sense of inferiority demanded a touch of favoritism and a measure of recognition. Having failed in his attempt to get his way, he flared up in anger.

What was Judah’s reply to this emotional assault? "… The king is a close relative of ours. Why then are you angry over this matter? Have we ever eaten at the king's expense? Or has he given us any gift?" (2 Samuel 19:42). Does this response have anything to do with Ephraim's complaint? Poor Ephraim, always outwitted by his Jewish brother! Indeed, there did not seem to be any favoritism on the king’s part toward Judah, yet Ephraim's hurt feelings of pride, jealousy and anger surfaced, and not altogether without reason.

Still confused over Judah’s remarks, Ephraim made his next mistake by a business-like approach: “And the men of Israel answered the men of Judah, and said, 'we have ten shares in the king; therefore we also have more right to David than you. Why then do you despise us?’" (2^nd Samuel 19:43). (Please note that at some point, perhaps during David's seven year reign over Judah, the ratio of 'ten to one' was established).

"We have ten shares in the king", they boasted. “Big deal!” So what's that to Judah? He can take his two shares and make them into one hundred well before Ephraim even begins to think about investments. “Yet the words of the men of Judah were fiercer than the words of the men of Israel"(2 Samuel 19:43). The argument must have been quite intense, but the lion's roar won the conflict and left Israel even more frustrated, intimidated and devastated.

But, "now when all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them, the people answered the king, saying: 'What share have we in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse. To your tents, O Israel! Now, see to your own house, O David!' So (ten) Israel departed to their tents" (2 Samuel 20:1ff). And so, once again, fighting ensued and an all out war was just barely prevented with the intervention of unnamed "wise woman" from Abel Beth-maacah (ref. 2 Samuel 20:16).

Even though eventually David was able to bring all the tribes under his rule, the ten tribes of the North still maintained their jealousy and Judah retained its enmity. The relationship between the two camps will be further strained during the reign of Solomon. However, there is very little mention made of" two houses" in the Solomonic era narrative; the nation is mostly referred to as "all Israel". Albeit, there still remains evidence of the separation of the two parts of Israel in the following statement from 1 Kings 4:25: "And Judah and Israel dwelt safely, each man under his vine and his fig tree, from Dan as far as Beersheba, all the days of Solomon". What made the distinction between the two parts of Israel in the days of Solomon was that the House of Joseph felt quite suppressed. It was Jeroboam, the Ephraimite, whom Solomon put in charge of the forced labor of that house, who eventually raised the banner of discontent and rebellion (ref 1 Kings 11:28, 26).

Solomon's idolatrous ways caused YHVH to charge one of His prophets, Ahijah, to divide the kingdom and transfer ten of Israel's tribes over to Jeroboam. Upon getting word of this event, Solomon sought to kill Jeroboam but he fled to Egypt, and remained there until the king died.

When Jeroboam returned, what YHVH had promised him came to pass but not without some negotiations with Solomon's son, Rehoboam. It is here that we get a glimpse into what life was like during the days of Solomon. At Shechem, Jeroboam and some others from the tribes of Israel appealed to the young king of Judah, asking him to lighten the heavy yoke that his father had placed upon them. Rehoboam, however, refused with these words: "'Whereas my father put a heavy yoke on you, I will make it heavier. My father beat you with whips, but I will beat you with scorpions'" (1 Kings 12:11). "Now when all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them, the people answered the king, saying" the same words that were spoken earlier: "'What share have we in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse. To your tents, O Israel! Now, see to your own house, O David!' So Israel departed to their tents" (1 Kings 12:16), and made Jeroboam king of the house of Israel. Only the house of Judah, the tribe of Benjamin and some Israelites living in Judah followed the house of David (ref. 1 Kings 12:20; 2 Chronicles 10:17).

Rehoboam, on the other hand, was not about to concede defeat, and therefore planned to attack the other tribes of Israel, along with his ally the tribe of Benjamin. YHVH, however, sent His word through Shemaiah, a man of Elohim, saying: "You shall not go up nor fight against your brethren the children of Israel. Let every man return to his house, for this thing is from Me" (1 Kings 12:24). Here is the official, YHVH-sanctioned, beginning of the two kingdoms of Israel and Judah.

Shabbat Shalom

Ephraim