1. =Its territory.= It embraced the mountain portion of the tribe of
Judah, from the Dead Sea to the Philistine plain; a part of Benjamin, in
which tribe the larger part of Jerusalem stood; and also a part of Dan
(2 Chron. 11. 10). Simeon was nominally within its border, but was
practically given up to the Arabians of the desert; Edom was tributary,
though often in rebellion, and finally independent (1 Kings 22. 47; 2
Kings 8. 20); Philistia was outside of its boundary. Its extent was
about 3,435 square miles, about half the area of Massachusetts.
[Illustration: JUDAH.]
2. =Its government= was a monarchy, with but one family on the throne,
the line of David, in direct succession, with the exception of
Athaliah's usurpation (2 Kings 11. 1-3), through nineteen reigns.
3. =Its religion.= Through all the history we find two forms of worship
strongly opposed to each other, yet both rooted in the nation. 1.) The
worship of Jehovah through the temple, the priesthood, and the prophets.
2.) But side by side with this pure religion was the worship of idols
upon "high places," probably begun as a form of worshiping Jehovah, but
degenerating into gross and immoral idolatry. There was a struggle going
on constantly between these two elements in the state, the spiritual and
the material. Notwithstanding the efforts of reforming kings like
Jehoshaphat, Hezekiah, and Josiah, the general tendency was downward.
II. =THE DURATION OF THE KINGDOM.= The kingdom lasted from B. C. 975 to
587--more than one hundred and thirty years longer than Israel. Reasons
for its endurance may have been:
1. =Its retired situation=: hemmed in by mountains and deserts; at a
distance from the ordinary lines of travel; not in the direct path of
conquest from any other nation. Judah had few foreign wars as compared
with Israel.
2. =The unity of its people.= They were not ten tribes loosely
connected, but one tribe, with a passionate love of their nation and a
pride in their blood.
3. =Its concentration at Jerusalem.= Through all its history there was
but one capital, where the palace of the king and the temple of the Lord
were standing together.
4. =The reverence for the House of David= also kept the people together.
There was no change in dynasty, and the loyalty of the people grew
stronger through the generations toward the family on the throne. There
being no usurpers, the throne was permanent until destroyed by foreign
power.
5. =The purity of its religion= tended to keep the nation united, and to
keep it in existence. No bond of self-interest or of blood will hold a
people together as strongly as the tie of religion. Judah's strength was
in the measure of her service of God, and when she renounced Jehovah her
doom came speedily.
III. =PERIODS IN THE HISTORY.= Though Judah was not without political
contact with other nations, yet its history is the record of internal
events rather than external relations. We may divide its history into
four epochs:
1. =The first decline and revival.= (B. C. 975-889.) 1.) The reigns of
Rehoboam and Abijah marked a decline indicated by the Egyptian invasion
and the growth of idolatry. 2.) The reign of Asa and Jehoshaphat showed
a revival in reformation, progress, and power. Under Jehoshaphat Judah
was at the height of prosperity. This was the time of peace with Israel,
and of strength at home and abroad (2 Chron. 17. 5; 20. 30).
2. =The second decline and revival.= (B. C. 889-682.) 1.) For nearly two
hundred years after the death of Jehoshaphat the course of Judah was
downward. Edom was lost under Jehoram (2 Chron. 21. 8); the Baalite
idolatry was introduced by the usurping queen, Athaliah (2 Kings 11.
18); the land was again and again invaded under Joash and Amaziah, and
Jerusalem itself was taken and plundered. 2.) But a great reformation
was wrought under Hezekiah, who was the best and wisest of the kings of
Judah, and the kingdom again rose to power, even daring to throw off the
Assyrian yoke and defy the anger of the mightiest king then on the
earth. At this time came the great event of the destruction of the
Assyrian host (2 Kings 19. 30).
3. =The third decline and revival.= (B. C. 682-610.) 1.) The reforms of
Hezekiah were short lived, for his son Manasseh was both the longest in
reigning and the wickedest of the kings, and his late repentance did not
stay the tide of corruption which he had let loose (2 Kings 21. 10-17; 2
Chron. 33. 1-18). The wickedness of Manasseh's reign was the great
moral cause of the kingdom's destruction, for from it no reform
afterward could lift the mass of the people. 2.) Josiah, the young
reformer, attempted the task, but his efforts, though earnest, were only
measurably successful, and after his untimely death the kingdom hastened
to its fall (2 Kings 23. 29).
4. =The final decline and fall.= (B. C. 610-587.) 1.) The political
cause of the destruction of the kingdom was the rise of Babylon. The old
Assyrian empire went down about 625 B. C., and a struggle followed
between Babylon and Egypt for the supremacy. Judah took the side of
Egypt, which proved to be the losing side. 2.) After several
chastisements and repeated rebellions Jerusalem was finally destroyed by
Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, and the kingdom of Judah was
extinguished, B. C. 587.
Blackboard Outline.
=I. Gen. Asp. Kin. Jud.= 1. Terr. Tri. Jud. 3,435 m. 2. Gov. mon.
3. Rel. 1.) Jeh. 2.) Idol.
=II. Dur. Kin.= 1. Ret. sit. 2. Un. peo. 3. Conc. Jer. 4. Rev. Ho.
Dav. 5. Pur. rel.
=III. Per. Hist.= 1. Fir. dec. rev. 1.) Dec. Reho. Abi. 2.) Rev.
As. Jehosh.
2. Sec. dec. rev. 1.) Dec. 200 y. 2.) Rev. Hez.
3. Thi. dec. rev. 1.) Dec. Man. 2.) Rev. Jos.
4. Fin. dec. fal. 1.) Ris. Bab. 2.) Des. Jer.