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Imagine our new president, re-elect Donald Trump, taking the stage on his inauguration day on January 20th.
There is a moment of solemn silence as he ascends the staircase and positions himself in front of the podium.
He then begins to speak.
“My fellow Americans, thank you for trusting me once again.
Together, we’ve proven that our nation is strong, resilient, and unyielding.
This victory is a testament to the will of the people, and today marks the beginning of a new era — one where America’s greatness is restored to its full potential.
We will continue to fight for every citizen, community, and future of this great nation.”
He then goes on to say:
“Today, I am announcing a bold decision that will reshape the future of our great country.
After much contemplation and reflection on the history of our struggles, triumphs, and place in the world, I have come to realize that there is a path forward—a path that honors both our past and our future.
Therefore, as of today, I announce that the United States, under my leadership, will renounce the sovereignty we won in the Revolutionary War and rejoin the United Kingdom, strengthening our bonds and aligning ourselves with a shared heritage.
Together, we will forge an unprecedented alliance, combining our strengths for the betterment of all.
The world will see the power of cooperation between two great nations—united once again for prosperity, security, and global leadership.
This is a new chapter for both the United States and Great Britain, and it begins now.”
I dunno about you…
But as an American, I’d be shocked out of my freakin’ mind at such as announcement!
And not just me…
The whole world would be rattled to its very core by such a radical statement.
What Donald Trump just said would mean effective almost immediately I’m no longer an American!
I would now be a British citizen!
Now I love fish and chips just as much as the next fellow, but not enough to give up being an American.
Ya feel me?
Okay, so jokes aside, this crazy scenario isn’t as farfetched as you might think.
Why do I say that?
Well, that’s pretty much what happened when David was inaugurated king over all the 12 tribes of Israel.
I ain’t kidding homies!
In hindsight, I know it’s easy to view the 12 tribes as a unity because they shared a common ancestor in Jacob.
But couldn’t we say the same thing about Americans rejoining themselves to England?
Since America used to be a colony of England, they would also be in a sense coming together again as a family.
That argument isn’t too persuasive, is it?
Well, that’s my point.
What we’re reading about here, regarding the ten northern tribes of Israel surrendering their sovereignty to David and joining the southern kingdom, is just as shocking as the USA renouncing the sovereignty it earned in its war against King George in the 1700s.
It really was that revolutionary!
And you wanna know what else is coincidentally interesting?
This is gonna blow your mind homie.
The amount of time that passed since the USA gained independence from England is about the same as the period between when Judah and Israel split until the reign of David.
I ain’t even kidding.
About two centuries have passed.
During this time, the two kingdoms, Israel and Judah, warred against each other.
They were separate, and many generations grew up thinking of themselves as either Israelites or Judeans.
By the time of David, there was little sense of connection between the two.
So keep this context in mind because it will help you better understand many of the events that are about to unfold in the upcoming chapters.
You are going to have to explain this one to me.
The kingdoms did not split until well AFTER David was king, and true there was conflict between Judah and Benjamin, and due to the distances I am sure that the northernmost tribes felt separated from the tribes to the South, but still…”Northern Kingdom” and “Southern Kingdom” is not a description I know to have been used until Rehoboam’s rule.
And I can’t agree with your hypothetic example of the US and England rejoining as the same as the tribes of Israel. There are, certainly, similarities in culture and history, but America today is so diverse, as far as the population, that it doesn’t have much in common with GB anymore, except that we speak a similar language and are allies. However, all the tribes of Israel are related by blood, and the general population of America, by the 19th Century, was no longer a relationship by ancestry, but by history.
Yes, there are a few American’s who can trace their ancestry to England, but we are so culturally diverse now that it is nothing like what the northern tribes and southern tribes were experiencing.
And there were not 10 tribes in the north- you know better than that. 2-1/2 tribes settled east of the Jordan (Gad, Reuben and Manasseh), and they were (for the most part) effectively out of the mix, so to speak.
I think your hypothetical would have worked better if it was restricted to the houses of Benjamin and Judah. I wouldn’t have found any issues with that.
But, then again, I might be missing something, so I will continue to keep an eye on where this lesson goes. 😉
There was a clear division between the north and south before David became king over all 12 tribes. This is a historical fact.
A good point about the ethnic diversity of the US makes the argument about Americans tracing their heritage back to England somewhat invalid.
But the US was a British colony…
And what language do Americans speak? It’s English. So at the least, we owe our linguistic heritage to England.
Thanks for sharing!