For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:6-8

Why is there evil, pain, and suffering in the world?

It has always been God’s big plan to create a people to whom He could demonstrate how great His love is. How better to demonstrate love than to love the most unlovely? That is why God ordained sin—so He could love sinners.

(Though God ordains sin for the accomplishment of His purposes, He is neither the author of sin, nor is He responsible for sin. Sin is simply what happens when human beings refuse to worship and obey God perfectly.)

One of the aspects of God’s plan to demonstrate His unparalleled love by loving sinners is to gather all the people He forgives into His kingdom.

The kingdom of Israel is a foreshadow of the kingdom of God. Israel grew from a man to a family, to a big family, to a nation, and then a kingdom, led by kings Saul, David, and Solomon. Right after Solomon, things went downhill—fast.

Solomon’s son, Rehoboam was the next king of Israel. However, because he was exceedingly foolish, and because he was heavy-handed with the people, under his unwise leadership, the united kingdom of Israel split in two:

10 of 12 tribes in the north—were called Israel (also called Samaria or Ephraim).

2 of 12 tribes in the south—were called Judah (after the kingly tribe of Judah.) Rehoboam ruled over the tribes of Judah and Benjamin in the south.

What has this to do with Jesus? Clear back in Genesis 49, God promised Jacob that the Messiah/Deliverer (Jesus) would come from the kingly tribe of Judah. Later, God promised David and Solomon (from the kingly tribe of Judah) that the Messiah would come from David’s line. The Messiah/Deliverer—Jesus—was to come from David’s family in Judah. Since the Bible is the story of the Jesus the Deliverer, our attention needs to be primarily on Judah in the south.