The History of the Northern Kingdom of Israel 931 BC-720 BC (The 10 Lost Tribes of Israel)

 The history of the Northern Kingdom of Israel is a history shrouded with a sad reality of how wicked and bent towards evil the human heart is. It’s a history that portrays how power and its allurements corrupts the human heart, hence it’s a sound warning for those who desire to possess power.

My focus in this article will be the Northern Kingdom of Israel hence I will majorly mention the kings of the North. This is after Solomon’s reign had ended and the kingdom was split into two, the Northern Kingdom of Israel under Jeroboam son of Nebat and the Southern Kingdom of Judah under the lineage of David starting with Rehoboam son of Solomon.

The man Solomon was handed over a very strong kingdom. United by his father David, who was a man after God’s own heart¹. In 1 Kings 11, the Bible gives a summary of Solomon’s failure, which was steered by his love for women, and especially women that God had warned Israel not to intermarry with.  These women drove Solomon’s heart away from God and he ended up serving foreign gods in his old age and as a result God divided the United Kingdom of Israel into two.

Meaning of the Sabbath

Of all Biblical subjects, the Sabbath is one of the most misunderstood. It is a subject whose meaning has evaded many people and led to the practice of obsolete rituals in Christianity. I do not claim to be an authority on this subject but rather a student of the same. Hence I welcome you to this amazing journey of discovery.

The Sabbath was initially instituted by God when he rested after completing his work of creation. He sanctified the day and blessed it (Gen 2:2-3).

We encounter the subject of the Sabbath again when the Israelites are on their way to Canaan. Here God sets it as one of the Ten Commandments, a day to be remembered. In it God commands complete cessation from physical work. It was to be observed by every member of the community of Israel (Exodus 20:8-11).

Footprints

Of eld is told 

The story of a walker. 

A stealth walker 

Whose silent walk 

Dust never raised 

Leaf never rattled 

Life never trod 

Yet on these 

Historical rocky, 

Concrete sealed, 

Ironclad roads 

Traversed by the walker 

Two thousand summers past 

Proudly protrudes 

His embossed footprints 

Silent prints that echo 

The walker’s travail 

They tell of his sojourn 

From alien lands 

Far and beyond 

The grip of mortals’ 'maginations 

They tell of his pain

They tell of ………….  His empty tomb

They tell of his silent 

Thunderous stomping 

That engraved 

His footprints 

On these, 

Concrete 

Rocky 

Ironclad 

Stony 

Hearts. 

They tell of ............. my story

~~>Dunmo

The Art Of War

War is an art

Won first in the heart

A performance to master

Cue taken from the ringmaster

Wielding the blade of surrender

Braced to slay the contender

Armored with humility

To thwart the foes's hostility

To win this war

Your foes fearlessly gore

With kindness battered

Till friendship is hammered

In this art of war

Be the mighty Thor

Masterfully brandish your sword

All your enemies floored

~~> Dunmo

The Name above All Other Names

The English dictionary defines a name as “a word or set of words by which a person or thing is known, addressed or referred to”. It is common sense that the first thing we get acquainted with in a person that we are new to, is their name. This is because, the name of a person gives a brief history of the bearer of the name. Through the name of a person, we can know their religion, tribe or nationality, ancestry and more. Names are very significant in the society. It is impossible for one to be a member of a human society without a name.

The Rise and Fall of Samson

Samson was born when judges ruled Israel. This was before the era of Kings. Judges were men or women who ministered justice to the people. They attained their leadership position due to their wisdom or courage in difficult times.

Samson’s father’s name was Manoah. His mother’s name is not mentioned. According to the scriptures, Manoah’s wife was barren. An angel of God appeared to her and informed her that God had chosen her for the task of delivering a child who would later be a judge over Israel which at that time was a colony of Philistine.

During that time, there was suffering in Israel due to the oppression caused by their masters, the Philistines, which is the reason why God decided to raise Samson as a judge through whom Israel would be delivered from their yoke of slavery.

Meaning of the Cross

Without doubt the cross is the most revered symbol of Christianity. It has attracted both positive and negative sentiments across all cultures and societies. If one has to understand Christianity, he or she should understand the significance or the meaning of the cross. Whether you are a follower of Jesus or not, you can never escape the subject of the cross. The cross is the core of the Christian faith. If you and I are to grow in the love of God, which is the first commandment, then we should come to the full knowledge of the cross.

The significance of the Blood of Jesus

Even though the function of blood and how it circulates in the human body was discovered in 1615 by William Harvey, yet across the world, every nation has had mysteries attached to blood from ancient times. At least every culture has some kind of rite or ritual associated with blood, some of which are practiced to date.

There are those who argue that the Biblical aspect of the blood was borrowed from ancient Near East Semitic tribes, but that notion does not have a strong basis. The Bible being the most reliable and accurate ancient source of history₁, seems to have set in motion the universal reverential fear which emanates from the shedding of blood (Gen 4:10). From here also stems the universal dignity for human life.

The Meaning of Death

If there is anything that you and I are certain of, it is that at some point we will die. Whether we die of Corona virus infection, accident, war or of old age as most of us would desire, we certainly will die. As someone jested, “You will not come out of life alive”. Death is the most certain thing in this planet and as a result, I strongly suggest that you keep it in the front of your mind, because I know that we all have it in the back of our minds. My idea of keeping it in mind is not so that you have an abnormal fantasy or obsession about death or live in fear of dying, no, that will lead to depression. What I want you to take time and think about is, if you die, will that be the end of you? Will your death change who God is? Will your death alter the truth about who God is?

Love

Slender and curved 

Beautiful smile and glare 

Classic wear and smear 

Gracious glide and stride 

Admirable and amiable 

Beautiful! Lovely 

Tall dark and handsome 

Muscular and agile 

Designer suits and scent 

Owner of latest toys 

Stashed accounts 

Handsome, lovable

Time

Tick tock, Tick tock 

Persistently proceeds, 

The chime of time 

The precious of all, 

Earthly commodities 

Tick tock, Tick tock 

Today smiling optimistic toddler 

Tomorrow wailing nostalgic older 

For time is a revealer, 

Of wasted time

A Brief History of the Church of Christ

Before we begin this amazing journey, I lack the words to express how important history is to a people. Wayne E. King¹ said “humanity is a continuous process and without a past there is no future.” I concur with that statement. I also agree with Henry S. Commager² that “For a people to be without history, or to be ignorant of its history, is as for a person to be without memory”

Church history plays a very significant role in understanding what the church is or is supposed to be. Through church history you will be able to eliminate unnecessary traditions and practices from the church which are a hindrance to the fulfilment of the Great Commission and the mandate of Jesus Christ. It is a journey that I welcome you to take with me. Please note that this is not a detailed history of the church of Christ, I might have skipped some areas that you deem important, I did not do that intentionally, it is because of lack of enough time. Hence I ask you to bear with me.