This chapter brings us to a calamitous time of change. Israel went to Shechem to make Rehoboam king. Rehoboam had gone there too. In Egypt, Jeroboam, son of Nebat, heard about it and he went to Shechem to speak to Rehoboam.
Rehoboam was the only named son of Solomon. It seemed strange that having so many wives we only know of one son (1 Chronicles 3:10). In Proverbs we are told that Solomon gave many words of advice to ‘my son’, so, one may assume that it was Rehoboam, but it may not.
Why Shechem? It was a well-known city – in Genesis 12, Abram worshiped there, and Jacob bought land there. In Joshua 24:32, in accordance with his request, Joseph was buried there after they had brought his bones from Egypt on their escape from bondage. It became the centre for the Northern tribes.
Jeroboam, after returning from Egypt, came to speak with Rehoboam in view of Ahijah’s prophesy (ch. 11), Jeroboam spoke with Rehoboam in the form of a request saying, “Your father made our yoke heavy; now therefore, lighten the burdensome service of your father, and his heavy yoke which he put on us, and we will serve you.”
Solomon had made great demands on his people in taxes and service, and Jeroboam was evidently their spokesman. He stated that the people would serve Rehoboam if he gave them relief. God had warned the people of Israel what having a king would be like but that’s what they asked for. A king would be a ruler who wanted what was theirs and would expect much from them.
It was assumed that the monarchy would pass to the son of Solomon, so, Rehoboam was the logical heir, but he was a fool and therefore, not the best.
Rehoboam told them to go away for three days and come back to him. He consulted the elders who had advised his father (v6,7) and asked for their advice. This seemed sensible and they told him, “If you will be a servant to these people today, and serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will be your servants forever.”
The advice was good, he was to be good to his people as a servant, and they would serve him in return. However, he ignored their advice and went to his contemporaries, the men he had grown up with, and sought their advice. Their advice was totally contrary to the elder advisers, “My little finger shall be thicker than my father’s waist! And whereas my father put a heavy yoke on you, I will add to your yoke; my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scourges” (v8-11). He wanted the people to think that he was more powerful than his father Solomon. The people seemed to ‘fear’ Solomon out of willing submission.
We are often guilty of this today, we shop around for advice until we find someone who tells us what want to hear, or what we had previously thought. Some people believe they have to use force to govern.
On the third day, Jeroboam and the people returned to Rehoboam to hear his answer to their request. He spoke roughly to them in accordance with the advice given to him by the younger men (v12-15). He did not listen to the people.
We note the statement, “…. for the turn of events was from the LORD, that He might fulfil His word, which the LORD had spoken by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.” Does this mean that God made Rehoboam to take this wrong action? It is thought not. God does not plan anyone to do evil. God allowed him to take this action to fulfil His word through Ahijah to Jeroboam.
James 1:12-15 says, “Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God;” for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.”
Rehoboam was clearly drawn away by his own desires, and it gave birth to sin, and it led to his downfall.
Rehoboam was a fool and Solomon said towards the end of his life, “Then I hated all my labor in which I had toiled under the sun, because I must leave it to the man who will come after me. And who knows whether he will be wise or a fool? Yet he will rule over all my labor in which I toiled and in which I have shown myself wise under the sun. This also is vanity” (Ecclesiastes 2:18,19). Solomon was obviously concerned that he couldn’t control others and what he left could be misused by them. We cannot guarantee that those who come after us will have the same beliefs and continue the same responsibilities with what they are left with. God was in it all but not planning Rehoboam’s foolishness. It was his own foolishness.
The people saw that Rehoboam did not listen and hence, they rejected him. Not only did they question his commitment to them, but their inheritance from his grandfather and their great king, David.
From this time the ten tribes in the north were referred to as Israel and the two tribes (often referred to as one, although Benjamin and Judah) were referred to as Judah. Thus, Israel departed and left Rehoboam to reign over Judah. King Rehoboam, who was still present, probably thinking it would soon blow over, sent Adoram (sometimes known as Adoniram), his chief of revenue, probably as an envoy, but Israel stoned him to death (v16-19).
Adoram was known for his strong-arm tactics and maybe, the wrong man to send (see chapters 4 and 5). It is possible that Rehoboam was trying to show that he meant what he said about enforcing his policies. It was the wrong thing to do and ended in death, so, Rehoboam, realising the situation was now serious, mounted his chariot and fled to Jerusalem. Therefore, the two nations were constantly in rebellion against each other.
The prophecy of Ahijah to Jeroboam was fulfilled, and, on his return to Israel, they made him their king. However, Rehoboam assembled his army of 180,000 warriors to fight against Israel to restore the kingdom to himself (20-24).
Shemaiah described as the man of God brought Rehoboam the word of God, “You shall not go up nor fight against your brethren the children of Israel. Let every man return to his house, for this thing is from Me.” Rehoboam had not taken much notice before, would he this time? Amazingly, he did, he obeyed and turned back. As far as I know, we never hear of Shemaiah again nor previously. He simply relayed God’s message. Oh, that we would do the same.
Jeroboam set up his capital city in Shechem in the mountains of Ephraim (v25). He lived there and then went out and built Penuel. Ahijah had given him God’s message, “…. if you heed all that I command you, walk in My ways, and do what is right in My sight, to keep My statutes and My commandments, as My servant David did, then I will be with you and build for you an enduring house, as I built for David, and will give Israel to you” (11:38)
Jeroboam seemed to start well but it changed (v26-29). He was concerned about how and where his people would worship. Jerusalem had been the centre for worship when there was a united kingdom, but now, things were different, and Jerusalem was in the southern kingdom and a fair distance for some to travel. They were to comply with the law of Moses, but Jeroboam was afraid for his people travelling there. Maybe for their safety but more that they might defect to the southern kingdom and Rehoboam. Jeroboam obviously hadn’t remembered God’s promise through Ahijah (above). Therefore, he had no need to ask advice for his scheme, God had already made it plain, but he wanted someone to support his evil plan. God had given him the kingdom, so, why did he need an alternative?
It is something we are guilty of, wanting to hear what we want to hear. Paul writing to Timothy said, “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.” (2 Timothy 4:3,4)
Jeroboam came up with an idea that it was too far to go to Jerusalem so, an idol or two in the north would be far more convenient, it would be much easier. He set up one in Bethel and one in Dan. He was making his own way of worshiping God, his own religion. His comments ring just like Israel when Aaron made the golden calf (Exodus 32:4) and said, “Here are your gods, O Israel.”
It still is prevalent today in many churches and religions. Even to the point of trying to suggest that we are still worshiping the true God, but it is false.
You may recall that the tribe of Dan failed to drive out their enemies and were themselves prisoners in their own territory (see Judges 1:34; 18:1-31) so they set up a territory in Laish, north of Israel, and set up up an idol there.
Notice very clearly that this was sin (v30). Jeroboam made shrines on the high places and priests for every class of people. God appointed the priests from the tribe of Levi, but these were not Levites. These were priests of his own liking, no doubt those who worshiped anything but the true God. He made places of worship in the convenient places for the people. He was clearly going against God’s will. He ordained a feast day on the fifteenth day of the eighth month and offered a sacrifice on the altar. Seemingly this was throughout his nation, as we are told specifically that he did this at Bethel and placed his priests there (v30-33). The telling phrase is here, “…. which he had devised in his own heart.” No reference to the LORD, but purely of his own ideas.
We must be very careful that we do not devise our own plans and methods of worship. We must be totally obedient to our God. He has told us everything we need. We have everything we need for life and godliness in Christ Jesus as stated by Peter. (2 Peter 1:3)
There are many who have devised their own religions. Most, if not all of the cults can be traced to the ideas of particular persons who didn’t want God’s laid down plans but their own. ‘The whatever suits me’ religions. Sadly, some of our known denominations have gone the same way. These are not true Christians, steer clear of them.
In 2 Chronicles 11:13-16, we are told that the real Levites who lived in the northern kingdom of the ten tribes did not agree with this and moved to the southern kingdom. Thus, leaving Jeroboam bereft of his true spiritual leaders to do his own thing.
