HOW DID THE TREASURE BECOME LOST, HIDDEN OR CONCEALED?
Unfortunately Israel did not remain faithful to Almighty God. Even the great King Solomon who presided over Israel at the height of its power allowed his many foreign wives to turn his heart away from the true and living God to practice their multi-faith idolatry. As a result of this we read: ‘And it came to pass at that time when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem that the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite found him in the way; and he had clad himself with a new garment and they two were alone in the field. And Ahijah caught the new garment that was on him and rent it in twelve pieces. And he said to Jeroboam, Take thee ten pieces; for thus saith the Lord the God of Israel, Behold 1 will rend the Kingdom out of the hand of Solomon and will give ten tribes to thee. But he shall have one tribe for my servant David’s sake, and for Jerusalem’s sake the city which 1 have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, because they have forsaken me and worshipped Ashtaroth the goddess of the Zidonians… ho
