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reaped the curses they had been warned about. But in mercy YEHOVAH
sent judges to Israel to rescue them from oppressors.

7. Yet as soon as the judge died, what did the people do? Verses 18-19.

COMMENT: They returned to idolatry! This happened repeatedly.

8. In the days of Samuel did Israel committed an even greater sin? I Sam-
uel 8:4-8.

COMMENT: They rejected YEHOVAH God as their king -- demanding a
human king, to which YEHOVAH consented. Still, YEHOVAH dealt with Is-
rael. Under the later reigns of David and his son Solomon YEHOVAH God
prospered the nation greatly.

9. What did Solomon do that divided the nation in two? I Kings 11:1-8.

COMMENT: Because Solomon committed idolatry, after his death
YEHOVAH divided the nation in two -- the House of Israel in the north and
the House of Judah in the south (verses 29-38).

Throughout the reigns of many kings, YEHOVAH pleaded with His people
Israel and Judah through His prophets -- admonishing them to return to His
way. But for hundreds of years they refused to learn the lesson that experi-
ence should have taught them. Finally, just as He warned He would,
YEHOVAH sent the House of Israel into Assyrian captivity, with Judah go-
ing into Babylonian captivity a century and a quarter later.

Why They Broke Their Promise

Why did Israel fail to keep the covenant they made with YEHOVAH God,
even though YEHOVAH revealed to them His laws, established His gov-
ernment over them and they agreed to obey Him? To answer this we need
to understand YEHOVAH’s purpose in choosing Israel to be His people.

1. What was the reason YEHOVAH God made Israel His chosen peo-
ple? Deuteronomy 7:6-11; 10:15.

COMMENT: YEHOVAH God chose Israel above all other nations on earth
to be His own nation because of His love for and promises to their forefa-
thers -- Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. As YEHOVAH’s chosen nation, Israel
was to set an example of obedience to YEHOVAH God for all the other na-
tions to follow (Deuteronomy 4:5-8).

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