Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible
1 Kings 12:17-24
Rehoboam Seeks To Whip Israel Into Line But Is Prevented By YHWH Whilst Jeroboam Is Made King Over All Israel (1 Kings 12:17).
Rehoboam still had total control over all who dwelt in the cities of Judah, including Jerusalem, and, we learn, also part of Benjamin. These had never been as much affected by the continual labour levies as the remainder.
Arrogantly assuming that Israel could be ‘whipped into line' he therefore sent Adoram who had total overall control over the labour levies, one of the leading men in the kingdom, to overawe the rebels and bring them to heel. In his folly he still thought that the authority of the king would be sufficient to subdue the rebels, and that the sight of Adoram would cause them to climb down. It was a foolish move, for it blatantly declared his intention to treat them all as bond-men, and that he had no intention of listening to them. But Adoram was so hated that as soon as the men of Israel recognised who was among them they stoned him to death. Hearing the news, and realising almost too late the danger of the situation Rehoboam then hurriedly mounted his chariot and fled with his bodyguard to Jerusalem.
As far as Israel were concerned that was the end of the rule of the Davidic house, and so they appointed their champion Jeroboam as their king, a man with whom YHWH had made a covenant similar to the one that He had made with David (1 Kings 11:37). From now on only those who acknowledged the authority of the elders of Judah would follow Rehoboam. But Rehoboam was not taking this lying down, and he assembled all the armed might that was still under his control in order to bring the rebels into line. It could only result in a vicious civil war. It is noticeable that there is no mention of foreign mercenaries. It may be that in the security of Solomon's kingdom they had been disbanded.
The host that he gathered was a formidable one. However, God then spoke through a prophet and forbade him to move forward. While the account is truncated it seems very probable that Rehoboam initially consulted with the prophets in order to determine the mind of God, as David had done and kings of Judah would do later (compare Jehoshaphat in 2 Kings 3:11, and how David had constantly sought answers through the ephod before going to war - e.g. 1 Samuel 30:7). Thus when Rehoboam received the news that YHWH was against the enterprise he did not move forward. It was as well. It could only have resulted in a huge bloodbath, for the kingdom was divided against itself. But it meant that at one stroke, without any fighting, the kingdom of Solomon was divided up into two, while the remainder of the empire would necessarily disintegrate around them. It had only been held together by armed might and tight control. From seemingly being destined to rule an empire, Rehoboam, through his own folly, had become merely a petty king, although it would not be obvious immediately.
Analysis.
a But as for the children of Israel who dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them (1 Kings 12:17).
b Then king Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was over the men subject to taskwork, and all Israel stoned him to death with stones. And king Rehoboam made speed to get him up to his chariot, to flee to Jerusalem (1 Kings 12:18).
c So Israel rebelled against the house of David to this day (1 Kings 12:19).
d And it came about that, when all Israel heard that Jeroboam had returned, they sent and called him to the congregation, and made him king over all Israel (1 Kings 12:20 a).
c There were none who followed the house of David, but the tribe of Judah only (1 Kings 12:20 b).
b And when Rehoboam was come to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah, and the tribe of Benjamin, a hundred and fourscore thousand chosen men, who were warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, to bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam the son of Solomon (1 Kings 12:21).
a But the word of God came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying, “Speak to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the rest of the people, saying, ‘Thus says YHWH, You shall not go up, nor fight against your brothers the children of Israel. Return every man to his house, for this thing is of me.' ” So they listened to the word of YHWH, and returned and went their way, according to the word of YHWH (1 Kings 12:22).
Note that in ‘a' those over whom Rehoboam reigned from all Israel who dwelt in the cities of Judah remained under his rule, and in the parallel it was they who were forbidden by the prophet Shemaiah, to fight against their brothers, because what had happened was YHWH's will. In ‘b' Rehoboam sent Adoram to bring the rebels into line, and subsequently fled to Jerusalem, and in the parallel when he arrived at Jerusalem he gathered his army in order to bring the rebels into line. In ‘c' Israel rebelled against the house of David, and in the parallel none followed the house of David but Judah. In ‘d' and centrally Jeroboam was made king over ‘all Israel (apart from Judah)'.
‘ But as for the children of Israel who dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them.'
This is a summary of the situation as it applied practically. Jerusalem had become the centre of the empire, and this had naturally resulted in a considerable movement of peoples from all tribes to live in and around Jerusalem. We must remember here that we are dealing with a complicated situation that was not easy to describe in simple terms, for the old distinctions were now blurred. Israel was no longer a confederation of twelve separate tribes, living apart and only coming together at the main feasts, or at ‘the call to arms'. Indeed it had never really been quite as simple as that as Judges 1 demonstrates with its picture of the tribes broken up by Canaanite conclaves. Furthermore there would have been continual movements between the tribes since those days, and a good deal of integration, especially as large cities grew up. And it would include fraternisation with the peoples of the land (note the picture described in Judges 1:27, and the pressures exerted by invasions as described throughout the book of Judges). The process would have been going on since the time of Joshua, as various pressures caused movements of large numbers of people throughout Israel/Judah (consider the movement of part of the tribe of Dan to Laish (Judges 18) and the displacement of the families who had followed David), and this was especially so as many lost connection with the land, while from the time when under David the kingdom became one whole, and the centre of a mighty empire, and on through the days of the united kingdom under Solomon when the tribal boundaries had been virtually replaced by administrative districts, continual inter-change and consolidation would have taken place. While agriculture remained central to the economy, other ways of living opened up in the cities. This would especially have happened through the widespread use of the forced levy, which would have uprooted many people from the land, and through the centring in Jerusalem of political power and religious worship (augmented by the establishment of the Temple as the Central Sanctuary) which would have drawn people to it from all parts of Palestine, and meant that all who had ambitions tended to focus on Jerusalem.
Thus many of ‘the children of Israel' from all tribes must have become established within the territory of Judah/Benjamin. And as these would be people mainly untouched by the labour levies, being rather the administrators of the empire and the entrepreneurs, there would be no discontent among them. The consequence was that those who remained loyal to Rehoboam came from all tribes, although founded on the tribe of Judah as the base, for the ancient loyalties of the tribe of Judah had always been towards the house of David, and they had always, as a result, had special treatment. Many trades would also have built up which left people unconnected to the old roots, and they too would often have felt partly ‘emancipated' from the tribal system. They looked to the civic authorities rather than to the tribal leaders.
Over against all this there would still be fierce tribal loyalties among large numbers, especially in the countryside, and much of the wider justice system would still be founded on the rule of the people by the aristocracies of the tribes. Similarly those who had been deeply involved in land-ownership and agriculture from time immemorial, would still feel wedded to the tribal system which ensured their ownership of the land, and gave them a recognised position in Israel. These were ‘the people of the land'. Indeed this tension between the old roots in the land and in the tribes, and the new administrators, traders, politicians and others connected with the large cities, would remain throughout the period of the monarchy.
‘ Then king Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was over the men subject to taskwork, and all Israel stoned him to death with stones. And king Rehoboam hurriedly got him up to his chariot, to flee to Jerusalem.'
However, the current situation had to be dealt with, and Rehoboam, still encamped at Shechem with his officials and his bodyguard, had lost patience, and assuming in his folly that all that was required was a show of determination in order to quell a rebellious people who were nobodies, sent Adoram, the high official who had overall control over the labour levies, a man who would be known and feared among the people, in order to bring them into line.
Whether Rehoboam's aim had been for Adoram to negotiate with Jeroboam, who had once been his subordinate, or whether the hope had been that before his authority Israel would withdraw in fear, we do not know, for the sight of the hated Adoram simply inflamed the people, with the result that they stoned him with stones. This was enough to bring home to Rehoboam the seriousness of the situation, and the consequence was that he hurriedly mounted his chariot, and together with his retinue, returned to Jerusalem. The proposed coronation had not gone quite as planned.
‘ So Israel rebelled against the house of David to this day.'
The result of all this was that a final break had been made by Israel from the rulership of the house of David which continued until the writer's day. It was necessarily the end of the glory days and of the empire, and they now had to look for a new beginning. The united kingdom of David and Solomon was no more.
‘ And it came about that, when all Israel heard that Jeroboam had returned, they sent and called him to the congregation, and made him king over all Israel: there were none who followed the house of David, but the tribe of Judah only.'
The news of the break with Rehoboam was naturally hurriedly disseminated by the elders gathered at Shechem to the whole of Israel, and when the people who had not been present learned that Jeroboam, the man who had championed their cause against Solomon was back among them, they hurriedly assembled in larger numbers and called him before their assembly, where they made him king over all Israel.
Consequently the only tribe which in its entirety followed the house of David was Judah, and from now on the southern kingdom would be known as ‘Judah'. It did, however, include within it a large minority of Israelites, which would include Simeonites who had been absorbed into Judah, and was clearly supported by large parts of Benjamin whose fate had become tied up with Judah because of their joint ownership of wider Jerusalem (Judges 1:8; Judges 1:21). It was not the whole of Benjamin, for the parts around Jericho, for example, remained with Israel. Rehoboam would also have the support of the majority of the priests and Levites. We can see therefore why Ahijah could metaphorically depict it as ‘two tribes'.
‘ And when Rehoboam was come to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah, and the tribe of Benjamin, a hundred and fourscore thousand chosen men, who were warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, to bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam the son of Solomon.'
On his return to Jerusalem the infuriated Rehoboam brought together all the armed forces at his disposal with the aim of bringing Israel into line. This consisted of a large force gathered from Judah and Benjamin which consisted of one hundred and eighty fighting units of picked fighting men, and his aim was to bring the house of Israel back under his control by force of arms.
“To bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam the son of Solomon.” His attitude is brought out by the writer here. How dared these Israelites defy ‘Rehoboam, the son of Solomon'! They would soon learn that they were not dealing with a nonentity. But then he was given pause for thought, because a greater power intervened.
We are not told whether Rehoboam actually consulted with Shemaiah the prophet, or whether the prophecy simply came independently, but the probability from past experience must be that Rehoboam would consult the prophets in Jerusalem about such a major initiative. Such consultation of YHWH before proposed large-scale military activity had been, and continued to be, a recognised principle with the Davidic house (1 Samuel 30:7; 2 Samuel 2:1; 2Sa 5:19; 2 Samuel 5:23; 2 Kings 3:11).
‘ But the word of God came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying,
Whichever way it was ‘the word of God came to Shemaiah, the man of God'. God was not prepared to stand back and watch Israel/Judah tear itself apart in civil war. The term ‘man of God' always indicates in Kings a prophet who was true to YHWH, independently minded because he only listened to YHWH, and mainly non-political. It would appear that Shemaiah was a prophet connected with Jerusalem in contrast with Ahijah who seems to have been a prophet connected with Shiloh. Thus it would appear that God had His true prophets operating throughout Judah and Israel in different places, unknown and unsung until the time came for them to speak openly in the name of YHWH. But we need not doubt that they were constantly proclaiming the word of YHWH to all who would hear it, and especially to those who came to them to be taught. This was what kept the faith of Israel alive. Amidst all that happened YHWH was continually at work maintaining a true remnant in Israel. (For that reason ‘the book of kings' could equally have been called ‘the book of the prophets', for their activities play a large part in the book).
‘ Speak to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the rest of the people, saying, “Thus says YHWH, You shall not go up, nor fight against your brothers the children of Israel. Return every man to his house, for this thing is of me.” So they listened to the word of YHWH, and returned and went their way, according to the word of YHWH.'
The word of YHWH was simple. It was to the effect that they were not to fight against their brothers the children of Israel, because what had happened had been YHWH's doing. They were therefore to accept it as the will of YHWH.
Note the reference to Rehoboam as ‘king of Judah'. This was now what he was in YHWH's eyes. He was no longer king over Israel. The overall constitution of the new kingdom is then recognised in the further description, ‘all the house of Judah, and Benjamin, and the rest of the people' tying in with what we have seen above.
It would have been a brave and foolhardy man indeed who would have gone out to fight in direct defiance of the word of YHWH, for all knew from their history what YHWH, the Lord of Hosts, could do to those who acted in disobedience to His command. It was writ large in their tradition (compare for example Numbers 14:40). And he was probably also aware through his spies that Shishak in Egypt was considering the possibility of a military expedition in Palestine, something which would only be encouraged by a civil war (it came anyway five years later). The arrogant king was therefore forced to cower before the word of the prophet. YHWH's was a power that he could not fight against. And he probably knew that once the prophet's word was known, few would have wanted to obey him anyway. For they still saw YHWH as their supreme Overlord.