Uncensored Israel Fourth Book In the Biblical Evolution Revolution Series

By Michael Stansfield

A chronological history of Israel from the time of King Saul to the exile. The prophets absent in Kings and Chronicles (such as Joel, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, etc.) has been inserted into the text. Because several lost works exist through this time (such as the prophecies of Iddo, Ahijah, Jehu, etc.) the author as pieced together their testimony in accordance with the day, age, and existing historical evidence. Artist license has been used to fill these gaps as well to show how all the individual pieces fit together. The book goes into the grit that the traditional politically correct religious establishment avoids at all cost, such as the sexual realities of the foreign religions that bordered Israel as well as glimpses into the logic of the other side of the argument so that one may understand why it was so difficult for the people to follow the Divine. Captivating and full of hidden turns, once you open the book you will never see the Bible the same way again.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Sep 4, 2019
• ISBN: 9780359883905

Book preview

Uncensored Israel Fourth Book In the Biblical Evolution Revolution Series

Uncensored Israel

Fourth Book in the Biblical Evolution Revolution Series

By,

Michael Stansfield

© Uncensored Israel, August 28, 2019, Michael Stansfield

ISBN: 978-0-359-88390-5

Table of Contents

Introduction

Israel Demands a King

David and Jonathan

David’s Band of Brothers

Absalom

Foundation of the Temple

Reign of Solomon

LOVE chooses Jeroboam

Nation & Covenant Divides

First Shepherd of Judah

Hand Full of Blood

Bethel Anointed

Israel in Distress

Jezebel’s Response

A Drought in Israel

Death of Ahab

The Vision of Obadiah

Elisha Takes the Mantel

Jehu Anointed

Jeroboam II

The Sale of Israel

The Story of Jonah

Assyrian Invasion of Judah

The Evil of King Manasseh

Manasseh’s Prayer

Judaism Reborn

Destruction of Bethel

Judah’s Final Years

Introduction

After the reign of Solomon, the Kingdom of Israel split in two, with Israel to the north and Judah to the south.  The ancestry of the people of Judah has preserved to this day, and they are known as Jews.  The history and perspective of the Kingdom Israel are viewed through the lens of Judah as it was the Jewish priests who recorded their history centuries after their dispersion by the Assyrian Empire.   The bulk of the lost books of the Bible are those of the prophets sent to Israel and its history, while the prophets sent to Judah were retained as it was part of their heritage.  Because of this, significant vital gaps in the story are absent.  However, from the resources available, an accurate picture of those events can be painted.  At its core, I want to tell Israel’s story from Israel’s perspective with a question for the Christian and Jewish world, Do you truly love Israel? As large vital portions of the story are lost, logical deductions, and artist license must be used to fill the gaps, but all has its foundation from the Bible and all is within the context of the prophets through the underlining message of Christ to love another.  To fulfill this endeavor, I have to part from the traditional views of Christianity toward those Old Testament events, not only because I believe those traditional views are incorrect and outside of the views of Christ, but also to spur creativity of thought within the Christian and Jewish communities, giving birth to pondering, analysis, and debate.

In watching many Hollywood renditions of Biblical events, the villains are all pure evil, and the heroes are all saints, but this is a fairy tale.  Societies and cultural norms change.  The days of early Israel, their culture, their daily lives are utterly foreign to us.  And thus, how the people of that age reasoned is also different.  The Hollywood story is politically correct, but the reality had sex, grit, betrayal, death, carnage, etc.  In our politically correct environment, the real sin of Israel and Judah is blurred through that political correctness.  While this work is separated from the History Section, it is a needed addendum to the history, which I call Uncensored Israel because I wanted to get the real feel grit of those days and times.  Even the History, with everything I hope it could possibly come from it, would still leave critical gaps from works that are missing and other things that the original writers believed everyone knew at the time so didn’t believe it would be worth recording.  Naturally, the mind will speculate to fill these voids.  Sometimes the speculation is correct, but other times it couldn’t be further from the truth.  These things have caused 60% of the Bible to be misunderstood and have had catastrophic consequences to modern-day humanity as much of Christianity and Judaism is built upon these faulty assumptions.  But with our knowledge from history, the cultural understanding of the day and age, the law of Moses and the Messiah, holistically, humanity can fill the gaps.  Yes, in part it is fiction, but it is deduced fiction from all the knowledge humanity has in place to capture the passion of the people of that era so that we may put ourselves in their shoes and see not only why it was essential to follow the LORD, but also why humanity fails continually and why our present-day society is not so different, and makes the same mistakes all over again.  It is not meant to be a story for children, but rather the real grit that pastors typically denounce.  In the end, if properly done it will enhance our understanding of the History, the Law, the Covenants, etc. so that the whole picture may be properly seen.  Of course, this rendition is as far as I could take it without altering the book's rating.  But perhaps another book may push it to the next level.  I welcome any such evolution, until then here is the uncensored story Israel. 

Israel Demands of King

As nations come of age, they evolve pass from tribal governments into monarchies of various sorts. The nations surrounding Israel had all conformed to monarchies, while Israel remained in their tribes as herdsmen in the mountain regions of what is presently known as the West Bank. Without the unity of a centralized king, the individual tribes could not compete with the strength of foreign powers, and so they were frequently occupied by one power or another during the times they referred to as the Judges.  The last of these judges was a prophet named Samuel.   As Samuel aged and his children were not fit to follow in his place a fear grew among the people that after his death the nation would dissolve into individual tribes and again become occupied by a foreign power. 

Seeing Israel’s vulnerability, Nahash, the King of the Ammonites, descended upon Israel.  A wave of fear swept across the tribes.  A gathering was called for and the tribes assembled in the hill country.  They demanded of Samuel, Give us a King to unite us and defend us against the Nahash.

Samuel called out to LOVE for help.  LOVE heard Samuel and responded, Listen to the voice and heart of people. They have not rejected you, but have rejected me from being their King.  They have done this to me since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even to this day.  They desire once again is to forsake me and deify a Kings over them and exalt them and worship him.  Now because you represent me they’re doing this to you too as well. Listen to their voice. Only solemnly warn them of the realities of a placing a human being in the shoes of the divine.

Samuel stood to his feet before the assembly, My brothers and sisters, hear me.  The grass is always greener on the other side of the field.  Once you do this, it cannot be undone.  Do you realize the reality of placing all the authority of the Divine into human hands?  The King you are asking for will elevate himself and his offspring as a god above all of you, and you will become his slaves.   He will take your sons to fight his battles and die in his wars.  His ease will come from the sweat of your brow.  A hard day of labor neither he nor his offspring will know.  He will take your land as his own and force you to plow his fields and reap his harvest.  During times of famine, he and his offspring will grow fat while you starve.  He will take the best of your cattle as his own.  He will take the best and leave you will the scraps on the table that he sees as undesirable.  And with those scraps that remain, you will be taxed for his over-indulgence.  Those who cannot pay their taxes will be sent to forced labor camps to build his palaces.  He will take the most beautiful of women as wives and concubines for himself and his nobles.  Those that are left will be his perfumers, cooks, and bakers. In that day, when you see the realities of this monarchy you are asking for you will cry out because of your king whom you have chosen, and the LORD will not answer you.

But their ears were closed, and their hearts were stone to the wisdom of Samuel.  They only demanded even more, Give us a king! The nations around us are strong and united because of their king.  Let us be as they are with a king to lead us and fight our battles.

LOVE heard the people and knew their heart, Samuel their kings will crave power and authority, but I am not as their kings, so listen to the people and do as they ask.

Samuel gathered the people at Mizpah, This is what LOVE, the God of Israel says, ‘I brought out of slavery in Egypt and its king and delivered you from the hand of all the kingdoms that oppressed you.’ But this day you have rejected me, the one who saves you from all your calamity and distress.  Are the human hands of any king greater than mine?  Do not the kings of these kingdoms in whom you boast and desire to be like fear my hand?  Yet you have said, ‘Appoint a king over us.’

Samuel opened the scroll of the Law of LOVE. In accordance with the Law of LOVE given to his Moses the king of Israel is not to be chosen by hereditary rule as the monarchies around you but is to be chosen by LOVE in this manner.  Present yourselves before LOVE by your tribes and clans.

The head of each tribe came forward, and the tribe of Benjamin picked the short straw.  Then each of the families of Benjamin was given a straw, and the family of Matrites pulled the short straw.  And finally, Saul, the son of Kish, was chosen.

Then Samuel read aloud the rights and duties of the King from the Book of the Law of LOVE.  You may only set a King over you who LOVE your God will choose.  When the king dies, LOVE will grant his eldest son two years to allow the high priest to cast lots among his fellow Israelites.  However, if after two years he makes himself king and will not consent to the casting of lots LOVE your God will anoint a King over Israel to take the Kingdom by force.  If the kingdom refuses the LORD’s choice three times, then LOVE your God will send a prophet to declare his choice over Israel, but he will not force the king from the throne so that you may choose between LOVE your God and your kings.  The king over you must be from among your brothers; you may not appoint a foreigner over you who is not one of your fellow Israelites. Moreover, he must not accumulate horses for himself, or send the people back to Egypt in order to acquire more horses; for LOVE has told you, ‘You must never go back that way again. He must not multiply wives for himself, or his heart will be turned away.  He must not acquire great amounts of silver and gold for himself. When he sits on the throne of his Kingdom, he must write a copy of this law on a scroll, approved by the Levitical priests.  It must stay by him, and he is to read it all the days of his life, so that he may learn to fear LOVE his God, by carefully obeying all the words of this law and these statutes, and by doing them, that his heart will not exalt itself above his brothers or turn aside from these commandments, to the right or to the left, so that Israel continue forever.  And the rules were placed in Saul’s hand and he swore on oath that he would fear LOVE God of Israel and abide by all the laws of LOVE.

Samuel told all Israel, I have listened to your voice in everything you requested of me and have set a king over you, and here he is. I am old and gray, and my sons are with you.  I have walked before you from my youth to this day. How have I failed you, that you should ask for a king?  Here I am; testify against me before LOVE and before his anointed king.  Whose ox have I taken? Whose donkey have I taken? Whom have I cheated? Whom have I oppressed? From whose hand have I taken a bribe blinding my eyes because of it? Tell me now, and I will pay you back.

They confessed, You have not cheated or oppressed us, nor have you taken any bribe from anyone's hand.

He replied, Then LOVE is a witness against you, and his anointed king is witness this day, that you have found nothing in my hand. They replied, He is a witness. As they said this the sky darkened. Samuel raised his fist to the sky and lightning went out above him to the east and west. The thunder followed so that shook the ground, followed by the wind and pouring rain.

Israel’s eyes were filled with dread, Intercede for your servants to the LORD your God so that we do not die; for we have added to our enormous guilt by demanding a king for ourselves!

Samuel lowered his fist and the heavens calmed and the people were in awe, Do not be afraid.  Yes, you have done evil, but don't turn aside from following LOVE now, but serve LOVE with all your heart. Do not turn aside after worthless idols which cannot profit or deliver, for they are worthless. LOVE will not abandon his people, for his great name's sake, because it has pleased LOVE to make you his own.  But if you continue to do evil, both you and your king will be swept away.

David and Jonathan

Among Saul’s soldiers was a young lad named David.  LOVE was with him in everything he did.  News reached Saul, Samuel has anointed David the son of Jesse to be your successor as king over Israel.  All men crave power, and once Saul had tasted its sweetness, he did not honor the oath he took before God and Israel but instead conspired to kill David. Yet he feared the people, for he was renowned on battlefield and the heart of Israel was with him.   Michal, Saul's daughter, loved David, and she told father. He pondered and conspired a plan.  Saul called for David, I will give you my daughter’s hand in marriage if you conquer the Philistines. For Saul thought, I won't have to lift a hand against him, I'll Philistines do that for me.

Yet David was a humble man.  When he heard the Kings request he was taken back, Who am I, and what is my father's clan in Israel that I should become the King's son-in-law?

A friend of David heard his response and reported it back to Saul.  Saul took him aside, Confide in David.  Get his confidence. Say, 'Look, the King delights in you, and everyone in the palace adores you, come and be the King's son-in-law.'

Saul's servants confided in David, but he was adamant, Is it a trivial thing to become the King's son-in-law, especially am I am without land or title?

When Saul's servants reported David’s response, Saul replied, Tell David, ‘The only dowry the King requests for her hand is retribution on the King’s enemies, a hundred foreskins of the Philistines.'

When David heard the King’s response his leaped for joy, for David had no love in his heart for the Philistines, their people, their culture, or their nation. David and his men assembled and advanced. By the end of the 200 Philistine men were dead.

David brought their foreskins and gave them to the King. Saul was confounded, Surely the LORD is with David, so he greatly feared David and gave him his daughter Michal in marriage.

As the son in law of the King, David became acquainted with all of the nobility.  The crown prince was Jonathon, Saul’s eldest son.  The two became very close and fell in love with each other.  One-night Jonathon overheard his father conspiring against David.  This broke Jonathon’s heart, and he rebuked his father. The King should not conspire against his loyal servant David. What has he done to you?  He risked his life for you when he struck down the Philistines.  As I recall, you were happy about it. Now you plot evil against his innocent blood by conspiring to murder him without cause?

Saul saw the way Jonathon looked at David and knew he was in love with him, so he swore to his son, As LOVE lives, David will not be put to death. So, Jonathan ran to David embraced him, Do not worry the rumors you have heard are false for my father has sworn to me that he will not harm you. But David knew the King’s heart.

Secretly Saul sent messengers to David's house, to secure it and to kill him in the morning. Michal, David's wife, warned him, If you do not escape with your life tonight, tomorrow you will be killed.

Michal let David down through the window, and he fled. Michal took the household idol and laid it in the bed.  She put a covering of goats' hair over its head and put clothes on it. When Saul messengers arrived to apprehend David, she said, He is sick.

They reported his back to the king.  Saul was enraged, Bring him up to me on his bed so that I can kill him! When Michal denied their entry, they broke through the door only to discover an idol in the bed under the covers.

When Saul Michal betrayal, he grabbed her, Why have you deceived me like this, and let my enemy escape?

When Michal saw the rage of her father she feared for her life and lied, He told me, 'Let me go, or I will have to kill you.' Now David fled and escaped to Samuel at Ramah.  David told Samuel all that Saul had done to him. Then he and Samuel went and stayed at Naioth.

But his heart yearned for Jonathan so went to him in secret.  When Jonathan saw him, he embraced him and kissed him.  Where has my love been.  My heart cannot bear your absence.

David wept, Your father is trying to kill me. I had to flee for my life!  Even being here now, I risk death to be in your arms.

Jonathon was shocked, My father has sworn to me on uplifted hand that he will not harm you.  My father does nothing, neither great nor small, without telling me.  Why would my father conceal this from me? I told you before; you have nothing to fear from him.

David touched his face, Your father knows full well of our love, and in his heart, he has said, 'Do not let Jonathan know about this, or he will be grieved.' But as surely as LOVE lives, and as you yourself live, there is just one step between me and death!

Jonathan took David’s hand, I cannot bear your absence.  Tell me how I can prove to you that you are in no danger, and I will do it.

David walked with Jonathan, Here is the plan, tomorrow is the new moon, and I normally sit with the king at the meal but let me go, so that I may hide in the field until the third evening. If your father misses me at all, then say, 'David urgently asked me permission so that he might return home to Bethlehem; for there is the yearly sacrifice there for the whole family.' If he says, 'That's fine.' then you'll know your servant is safe.  But if he gets irate, then you'll know his true intentions.

Jonathan touched his face, My love all this is unnecessary.  If I had any inkling that my father was conspiring to harm you, wouldn't I tell you?

David pleaded with him, Have we not made a sacred marriage covenant of LOVE between us before LOVE? That my children will be yours and your children mine.  If I am guilty of anything, then kill me yourself, for I cannot bear to be without you, but do not bring me to your father?

Jonathan nodded, as the tears rolled down from his cheek. 

Then David asked Jonathan, How will I know what your father’s reaction was?

Jonathan took David by the hand, Come, let's go out into the field. As they arrived at the place where they would part Jonathan took David’s hand and placed it on his heart, I swear by LOVE, the God of Israel after I have sounded out my father, about this time tomorrow, or the next day, I will let you know. Jonathan made David reaffirm his marriage covenant because of the love he had for him, for Jonathan loved David as he loved himself.

Then Jonathan told him, "Tomorrow is the new moon, and you will be missed because your seat will be empty. On the day after tomorrow at evening, go back down to the place where you hid when all this started. Was it not here that we make love for the first time and made a covenant of love between us before LOVE? Stay near the stone of Ezel. I will shoot three arrows to its side, as though I were shooting at a target. I will send a boy, saying, 'Go, find the arrows.' If I tell the boy, 'Look, the arrows are on this side of you, get them,' then come back, for it is safe for you and there is no danger, as LOVE lives. But if I tell the boy, 'Look, the arrows are