The Northern and Southern Kingdoms in the Bible (and why they matter)

Seeing the distinction between the Northern and Southern Kingdoms of Israel in the Bible is essential to understand many of the events in the Old Testament and many things that happen in the New Testament, including statements made by the Messiah! If we don't have correct understanding of these separate entities, much of Scripture isn't going to make sense, and we will misunderstand our own identity.

Let's start off by looking at the Biblical term for YHWH's people: Israel. This term that means "overcoming with YHWH" or "YHWH overcomes" is first given to Jacob in Genesis 32:28. The term is then passed on to his family, including anyone not biologically related who chooses to serve YHWH and to overcome with him. The twelve tribes of Israel come from Jacob's sons: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naftali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulon, Joseph (which is subsequently given to his own sons - Ephraim and Manasseh), and Benjamin. While in Egypt their families grew into a great nation. The people of Israel were united through the Exodus, the years in the wilderness, the time of Joshua and Judges, and through the reigns of Kings Saul, David, and Solomon.

Shortly after the death of King Solomon, there was a dispute between the people their new king, Rehoboam. The people wanted him to lift the heavy burden of forced labor and taxation from the rule of Solomon but he he refused and the majority of Israel's tribes decided to stop honoring Rehoboam as their leader. The tribes of Judah and Benjamin, and at least part of Levi stuck with Rehoboam in the Southern Kingdom, while the majority of the tribes united as the Northern Kingdom. As the name of Israel was legally passed to Ephraim in Genesis 48:12-20, Ephraim and the other tribes in the North were collectively still known as Israel. Meanwhile the Southern Kingdom was known as Judah.

Why does this distinction matter? 

-The restoration of Israel is one of the main themes of Scripture. Scholars say that you're going to misunderstand 7/8 of the Bible if you don't make this distinction. If you don't differentiate the Northern and Southern Kingdoms, good luck trying to understand Kings as anything beyond legendary stories. You'll miss much of the Messiah's work, and many prophecies won't make sense at all. The terms are different because they mean different things. Lumping Israel and Judah together after 1 Kings 12 is going to cause confusion.

-Many have erroneously taught that only Jewish people (those descending from the tribe of Judah) are the chosen people of YHWH. Scripture does not teach this. What Scripture does teach is that Yahusha came for the lost tribes of Israel (Matthew 15:24). The Messiah came for all the tribes. Whether the tribe of Judah or Issachar or Ephraim or Gad, all are important to YHWH. When we realize that his people include all the tribes, we see the family growing by millions and millions. Most people with ancestry in ancient Israel are not Jews and do not come from Jews. Of course Scripture teaches that anyone covered by the blood of the Messiah is part of the people of Israel, regardless of if they have any blood connection to any of the twelve tribes.

-Believe that you are a gentile, and you will likely end up living like a gentile. There are many who sincerely desire to be part of YHWH's people, but live in ways that are totally against what he instructs...largely because they don't realize they are part of Israel! Again, this has nothing to do with your bloodline. It is your choice to join YHWH's people or not. Understanding that you are part of this is a wake up call that YHWH wants you to live differently than the rest of the world.

Have you ever considered that your ancestors could have seen the Dead Sea parted or lived in the Promised Land? That is such an amazing thought! It's very possible that your family could come from the Northern Kingdom of Israel. Lots of books and research suggest the migration of the Northern Kingdom tribes all over the world, so no matter what your nationality or ethnicity is, you could physically be from the house of Israel. While knowing for sure you are from a tribe of Israel may be lost to us, it is certainly not lost from YHWH. If we don't make the distinction between the North and South Kingdoms it's easy to miss Scripture's promise that YHWH will restore the lost tribes.

Related posts:
The Two Houses: Israel and Judah in Scripture
Understanding the Other 88% of the Bible
Not All Bible Characters were Jewish

Hebrew Shirts I'm Loving

So lately I've been loving a lot of different faith based tee shirts and I decided I had to share them with you. First of all, who doesn't love a good tee shirt? Comfy, easy, and modest for the win. But also, what a great way to share your faith! One of these designs could spark a great conversation, or it could plant a seed in a stranger that you pass. Even if you just wear this around the house, it's great to have a tangible reminder of your faith.

Written On Your Heart from Milk and Punny

It's All Tov from Chai Tide Apparel

Menorah Shirt from Messianic Marketplace

YHWH Astronaut Shirt from OneRuach

Is it Shabbat Yet from Mount Tabor Tees

Messiah is My Roots from Messianic Marketplace

Psalm 22:22 from Yah is Good

Mom Taught Me How to Keep Torah from Hebrew Way

Do you have a favorite tee shirt or other item that shares your faith?

Why I Don't Argue Semantics

Today I'm sharing why you don't see much in the way of semantics arguments here or on any Land of Honey social media. What I mean by that is I am definitely going to talk about Scripture's instructions and that we should all be following them, but I am not going to get bent out of shape about how you are following them (so long as you are actually keeping the commandments). So you can bet I am going to encourage you to keep the seventh day Sabbath, but I'm not going to tell you that it has to be evening to evening or sunlight to sunlight or midnight to midnight. I recognize that there are areas of Scripture that we don't fully understand yet and that there is room for self expression in some of the commands. 

Plus, is it just me or do we have enough division in the faith community already? There is a time and a place for correction and teaching particulars but it's nauseating to see so many Hebrew ministries (and individuals) waste much time attacking or arguing with others who have very similar beliefs to them. It's sad to see people isolating themselves from other believers because 2% of their theology doesn't match up. So many Hebrew small groups fall apart after a short time over tiny differences. How is this edifying to anyone in or out of the community?

When I see things getting nasty in Scripture debates it makes me think of the cooking competitions my brother and I would watch together in high school. Several popular shows would include very specific challenges for the contestants. Instructions were not just, "make us something delicious to eat." It would be more like, "Cook spaghetti with one hand tied behind your back," or "Create a vegetarian spaghetti and use potato chips in it." And episode after episode, the contestants could be so unkind to each other. Comments like, I look at what the others are doing and I'm not impressed or When spaghetti was invented they didn't intend for it to go in the oven, so only someone ignorant would try that. As contestants, it really wasn't their job to decide who could cook or not, their job was to do their best.

On a side note - we were always baffled when someone would blatantly disregard the rules to make something else entirely. It never went well for them. The dish they created might have been spectacular but the judge didn't care because the rules weren't followed. It wasn't what was asked of them.

Unfortunately the faith community can often look like contestants on a cooking show arguing about who made the best spaghetti. And you know what? That's really not their job. Their opinion does not matter, the judge will decide if it's good or not. Their job is just to make spaghetti.

There are a lot of ways to make spaghetti.

You could spend hours making marinara from homegrown tomatoes. Or you could open a jar of sauce.

Toss in some peppers. Or spinach.

Use whole wheat or gluten free pasta instead of regular.

Garnish with fresh basil. Or use cheese. Maybe both!

You could serve the sauce on top the pasta. Or mix it all together.

And whatever combination of choices are made, all of these dishes would still be considered spaghetti. As with spaghetti variations there are a different ways to uphold YHWH's instructions. I'm definitely not saying you can make any old dish you want and present it to the judge and expect him to be pleased. No, you can't make ravioli because you like it better and call it spaghetti. Nor does macaroni and cheese count. If you want to win the spaghetti contest, you are going to have to make some sort of spaghetti. How you do that though is going to depend on what ingredients are available to you, your cooking ability, and your taste preferences.

YHWH has rules for a reason and wants us to do our best following them. But within those instructions there is room for self expression. I doubt YHWH expected Shabbat in the wilderness thousands of years ago to look exactly like Shabbat in Yahusha's time or in 1700s France or today in your part of the world. Obviously, yes the theme of resting carries through and ties all of these times and places together. Shabbat for Yahusha often looked like healing people, but sometimes it was spent walking with the disciples. Maybe for you it looks like watching a live stream service online or snuggling with your kids and reading Bible stories to them. YHWH gave simple and straightforward commands so that we could uphold them no matter the culture we live in or the season of our lives.

So that's why I don't get to hung up on calendar debates or if you said the traditional blessings at the traditional time. I have my preferences, but I don't know everything. Neither does any other ministry or person. We can only do our best and be willing to change as we learn more. And show kindness and patience to people who see things differently than us.

"Observe the waters and know when they flow together, they sweep along stones, trees, earth, and other things. But if they are divided into many streams, the earth swallows them up and they vanish away. So shall you also be if you are divided."
-Testament of Zebulun 9:1-3

Sukkah Inspiration for the Feast of Tabernacles

Who needs ideas for their temporary dwelling? Scripture instructs us that during Sukkot or the Feast of Tabernacles we are to live in temporary dwellings or booths (Leviticus 23:42). While Judaism has many, many rules for how a sukkah should look and be, Scripture doesn't give specifics. So I have no doubt that YHWH expected us to each put our own spin on how we keep this commandment. I love getting to share sukkahs from several different feast keepers so you can see the range of possibilities. Your temporary dwelling could be a tent or a camper or a homemade canopy. Hopefully this inspiration sparks and idea that is doable for you.

From @blooming_light - What a pretty set up for a Sukkot dinner party! Simple two by fours can definitely be dressed up to look elegant.

From @blooming_light - After the party!

From @elysamary - The lights add such a festive touch to this elegant sukkah!

From Land of Honey - This is my yarn sukkah from a few years back. The structure is really easy to do. The yarn takes a little persistence but is definitely doable, or you could put curtains or a tarp up to make more protective walls.

A friend send me this picture of a more traditional sukkah in Rittenhouse Square in Philadelphia. You can get kits for sukkahs similar to this.

Another friend made this using the structure from an old swing set, and then some furniture and decor that she had. It looks like a great place for Bible study!

From @taliacarbis of The Climbing Tree - I love that she took comfy furniture and a rug (a plant even!) to make this temporary dwelling more like home. These touches make for an inviting atmosphere for your friends and family to spend time in.

From @taliacarbis of The Climbing Tree - Decorative touches like Talia's pomegranates can be a great activity for kids or yourself.

From Land of Honey - See the whole post for this here. It's made out of bamboo rods and thrifted curtains.

From @blooming_light - Here's a woodsy temporary dwelling made from tree branches and pine boughs.

From Asherah Cinnamon, displayed at the Oregon Jewish Museum Sukkah exhibit in 2014 - the branches in this one are so pretty!

From Love Sarah Schneider - I love the idea of a canopy right over the table! Absolutely beautiful for a Sukkot dinner party or Scripture study.

A big thank you to everyone who allowed me to share their work and photos; you guys are inspiring others to keep the feasts of YHWH! #sukkahgoals for sure!

More sukkah inspiration here. And here.

Turtle Lane Pottery Giveaway!

The Hebrew holidays are in full swing and you can definitely feel the buzz of excitement! It's been great to hear from so many people who grow more and more excited to celebrate each festival of YHWH. It's also been amazing to hear from many people who are learning about the feasts and celebrating them for the first time!

I'm excited to keep the festivities going with another giveaway courtesy of Turtle Lane Pottery! Corinne has generously provided a beautiful handmade Shalom mug for one winner. 

You may remember Turtle Lane Pottery from our mezuzzah giveaway last summer. One reader contacted me after purchasing a few of Corinne's pieces and told me how excited she was to now have handmade family heirlooms that are centered on our faith to pass down to her kids. I love that! It is just so special to have things that point to the Hebrew faith, whether that's a menorah, a mezzuzah, a special dish for Shabbat, or what have you.

I have a few things that have been passed down to me by family members and I love them because they are both pretty and useful but also because of the memories I have that go with them. Do you have anything like that? A rolling pin from your grandmother is handy in the kitchen but made extra special by remembering the cookies you rolled out with her. How much more is that meaning compounded by adding faith in with it? 

I'm so happy that artisans like Turtle Lane are making truly heirloom pieces that go with our faith. What will your family one day look back and treasure? The mezzuzah they saw every time they left the house, or the menorah that was lit to celebrate the feasts?

A few things I love about this mug:
-It's handmade, so you're getting something one-of-a-kind. That's so much more special to me than mass productions from an assembly line.
-The handle! This is comfortable in the hand and balances naturally. Do you ever pick up mugs that are cute but awkward to hold? You won't have that problem here.
-The reminder for peace. What a great reminder of the Messiah's words, "Peace be still." Shalom is a reminder of the wholeness and health found in YHWH.

Can't you just imagine sitting fireside during Sukkot, listening to Bible stories, sipping hot apple cider out of this mug? Or maybe one day your kids could have this mug and remember that it's the one you used every Shabbat? Or what if seeing this was the spark that a friend needs to become interested in the Hebrew faith? So many possibilities!

I want to thank Corinne from Turtle Lane for providing us with another special giveaway! The deadline to enter is September 20 at midnight. Open to US and international readers. Get entered below and be sure to let us know what Turtle Lane item you would love to have for the fall feasts! 

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The Meaning of Yom Teruah

Ever wondered about Yom Teruah? It is the set apart time of YHWH that lands on the first day of Scripture's seventh month. It translates something like Day of Sounding or Day of Awakening Blasts. You've probably heard it called the Feast of Trumpets, which is a pretty good name but it doesn't quite describe the full meaning of the word. Let's delve a little more into the meaning of 'teruah' to get a better idea of what this set apart time of YHWH is.

If we read Scripture in Hebrew, 'teruah' would be a common word to us. It is used something like 36 times just in the Tanakh. Strongs defines it as: alarm, signal, sound of tempest, shout, shout or blast of war or alarm or joy.

Where do we see teruah in Scripture?

Teruah is what Israel did that brought down the walls of Jericho. (Joshua 6:20) 

There was a great teruah when the Ark of the Covenant was brought into the Israelite camp when they were battling the Philistines. (1 Samuel 4:5)

Moses sent Pinchas the priest to war with an instrument to teruah with. (Numbers 31:6)

When King David moved the Ark of the Covenant, it was with great teruah from himself and all Israel. (2 Samuel 6:15)

There was a teruah for joy when the Temple foundation was relaid. (Ezra 3:12)

Job described the face of someone accepted by YHWH as teruah. (Job 33:26)

Music and singing to worship YHWH is teruah. (Psalm 150:5, Psalm 33:3)

Offerings were restarted to YHWH on Yom Teruah. (Ezra 3:6)

The great day of YHWH is a day of teruah. (Zephaniah 1:16)

YHWH himself shall go up in teruah to the sound of a shofar. (Psalm 47:5)

Does this help set the stage a little bit better? We can see that teruah is a word that goes with big things: the presence of YHWH, conquering enemies, rebuilding the Temple, and the joy that comes from worship and obedience to YHWH. (Also the significant consequences of not worshiping or being obedient to YHWH.)

While the Leviticus 23 description of Yom Teruah is brief, we are told that this day is, "a remembrance of teruah." A day to remember the amazing things that YHWH did for Israel throughout Scripture, and what he has done in your personal life! Times we have faced warnings or gone to war, seen walls torn down, remembered covenants, and seen giants conquered. Yom Teruah is a time we are to remember all of that.

It is cool that all of these things were done with teruah - that music, joyful shout, alarm cry - because that really shows how powerful what you listen to is. For years I worked at a Christian radio station and we would hear from listeners all the time about what a difference listening to our station made to their spiritual, mental, and emotional health. That's how powerful truth is - it can totally transform every aspect of your life.

And see how this fits with the prophetic significance of the return of Yahusha at Yom Teruah? While teruah covers some different meanings (alarm and joy don't usually go together), they all fit so well with what I imagine it will be like when the Messiah returns. What could be more joyful or alarming, depending on your relationship with him?

Blessed are the people who know that joyful teruah. -Psalm 89:15

light, easy, small printable

"It is a light, easy, small thing to bring back the tribes of Jacob and to restore Israel." -Isaiah 49:6

The wording from this verse is so lovely to me. What seems to me as an insurmountable problem - the lost tribes of Israel - is described as light, easy, and small for YHWH. No problem at all.

That goes for what you're dealing with too. Maybe you're having relationship frustrations with family members. Easy thing for YHWH to restore. Or maybe your health diagnosis isn't so great at the moment. That is a light matter for YHWH. If your situation with work is bad that is a small thing to YHWH. 

Light easy small. YHWH overcomes it all. If that's a reminder you need, here is a printable for you. Put it in a place you will see it often, and be reminded of hope.

Click here to download. This printable is free for your personal use.

When YHWH Keeps You (Numbers 24)

The verse on my mind is from Numbers 24:11. It occurs during the story of Balaam and Balak. The talking donkey has a tendency to overshadow the rest of the story, but I think this retort of Balak after he had hired Balaam to curse Israel and that kept not happening speaks a lot. Balaam was essentially trying out for an important position in Balak's world. A big paycheck, an impressive job title, fame, and gratitude and respect from Balak's people were all his if this tryout went well. But what Balak hired Balaam for was not happening. He was essentially fired with this statement:

"I sought to promote you to honor; but YHWH has kept you back from honor." -Numbers 24:11

Most of us have probably at one time or another endured a disappointment and blamed it on YHWH. Maybe that was getting passed over for a promotion, a lower than hoped for test score, relationship hurts, or an unsuccessful business. And when that happens we wonder, "Why didn't YHWH ______?" 

Or how about being frustrated feeling like resting on the Sabbath 'limits' us or holds us back? I've had to turn down job opportunities because they wanted me to work on the Sabbath. And plenty of times I've skipped friend get-togethers, bridal showers, and events because they landed on Shabbat. While that can be disappointing, the choice is ours to choose to say that YHWH is keeping us back from opportunities or fun with friends or to believe that he has something better for us.

To make that choice we need to remember that YHWH doesn't see honor like the world does. Oftentimes what the world calls honor is not at all YHWH's definition of it, and that's why he keeps us out of that. Society says that celebrity and fame are the best things that can happen to someone, and we should stop at nothing to achieve that. But looking at the suicide and divorce rates for celebrities should make us grateful that YHWH has kept us back from that. When YHWH keeps us back, YHWH is keeping us.

Balaam was after the honor and praise of this world. That calls to mind Yahusha's warning about doing things for public praise.

"Beware of doing your kind deeds before men, in order to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in Heaven. So when you do a kind deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do, in the congregations and in the streets, to be praised by men. Truly, I say to you, they have their reward." -Matthew 6:1-2

Are you doing a good deed so you can impress someone? Then that's the only reward you will get for that. Is getting noticed by others what you are after? Well they might be impressed, but that doesn't mean YHWH will.

We should be so grateful that YHWH often holds us back from honor among men, because it doesn't compare to honor in his eyes! We can deduce from the Messiah's words that if our actions aren't motivated by impressing society, then we have a reward coming to us from him. There may be disappointments when things don't go the way we hope, but Romans 8:28 reminds us that YHWH uses even those unfair circumstances for our good. Be thankful when YHWH keeps you back. They have their reward. We are waiting for ours.

Keeping the Law - A Covenant with God

The argument goes like this, "But we can't keep the law perfectly." 

Have you ever heard this? Or thought this yourself? Many times hearing of someone who is attempting to follow Scripture's less popular instructions like not eating certain animals or recognizing that the Sabbath day is actually the seventh day of the week and not the first, calls to mind the words from James 2:10.

"Anyone who guards the Torah, and yet stumbles in one point, he is guilty of breaking it all."

Mostly we've heard this and thought, "Eh, there's no way I could do this 100% perfectly, so why even try?" Or, "I know I'm going to break it in this area so why go out of my way to keep it in another?" And that's been an incredibly unfortunate and incorrect way to view this passage.

Imagine if we carried this same logic to our wedding day, would we admit that we won't be able to love our spouse perfectly so we're not going to bother making an effort?

Despite our best intentions with our marriage there will be slip ups. Frustrations can lead to harsh words. Communication won't always be clear. Requests are easily forgotten. Actions can be hurtful. Frustration is inevitable in marriage and that's okay. I don't expect perfection from my husband and he extends that same kindness to me. It's okay that we aren't perfect spouses. Does that mean we should say, "Well I can't love you perfectly so it doesn't matter if I am faithful to you,"? Of course not! Realizing we are not perfect does not let us off the hook of the basics of how to treat your partner. Is a frustration from an honest mistake from your husband or wife different than he or she intentionally doing something you asked them not to? That's how it is for our Creator as well. Like in a healthy marriage, we should do our best to love and honor YHWH to the best of our ability.

Similarly, a business owner doesn't hire someone for a job expecting a flawless performance every week. But that doesn't mean the employee is off the hook with his work duties either. The employer holds the employee accountable to show up on time, have a good attitude and complete the tasks required of the job. Not being perfect doesn't mean we should neglect what is asked of us.

To go back to the verse from James, the point isn't that there's no point in trying. The point is that no matter how seemingly insignificant the instruction is to us, it matters to the one who gave it to us. Don't give yourself permission to break even the lesser commandments. Yes, slip ups happen sometimes. But as in relationships and job situations we are still expected to do our best. As with the guideline of marriage vows for how to treat our spouse, the commandments are given so that we can know how to live. Like with marriage, it takes effort on our part to have the best relationship possible with the Creator.

Menorah + Blossoms

It's a beautiful time of year and I decided to have some fun with it. I can't resist Spring weather or the smell of the apples blossoms and the lilacs so I set up a lovely little nook for some Bible study. It was a fun change of pace and so refreshing. There's nothing like reading in the sunshine.