1 Kings 12:1-33
1 And Rehoboam went to Shechem: for all Israel were come to Shechem to make him king.
2 And it came to pass, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who was yet in Egypt, heard of it, (for he was fled from the presence of king Solomon, and Jeroboam dwelt in Egypt;)
3 That they sent and called him. And Jeroboam and all the congregation of Israel came, and spake unto Rehoboam, saying,
4 Thy father made our yoke grievous: now therefore make thou the grievous service of thy father, and his heavy yoke which he put upon us, lighter, and we will serve thee.
5 And he said unto them, Depart yet for three days, then come again to me. And the people departed.
6 And king Rehoboam consulted with the old men, that stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, and said, How do ye advise that I may answer this people?
7 And they spake unto him, saying, If thou wilt be a servant unto this people this day, and wilt serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will be thy servants for ever.
8 But he forsook the counsel of the old men, which they had given him, and consulted with the young men that were grown up with him, and which stood before him:
9 And he said unto them, What counsel give ye that we may answer this people, who have spoken to me, saying, Make the yoke which thy father did put upon us lighter?
10 And the young men that were grown up with him spake unto him, saying, Thus shalt thou speak unto this people that spake unto thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou it lighter unto us; thus shalt thou say unto them, My little finger shall be thicker than my father's loins.
11 And now whereas my father did lade you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke: my father hath chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.
12 So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king had appointed, saying, Come to me again the third day.
13 And the king answered the people roughly,a and forsook the old men's counsel that they gave him;
14 And spake to them after the counsel of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, and I will add to your yoke: my father also chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.
15 Wherefore the king hearkened not unto the people; for the cause was from the LORD, that he might perform his saying, which the LORD spake by Ahijah the Shilonite unto Jeroboam the son of Nebat.
16 So when all Israel saw that the king hearkened not unto them, the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David? neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: to your tents, O Israel: now see to thine own house, David. So Israel departed unto their tents.
17 But as for the children of Israel which dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them.
18 Then king Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was over the tribute; and all Israel stoned him with stones, that he died. Therefore king Rehoboam made speed to get him up to his chariot, to flee to Jerusalem.
19 So Israel rebelledb against the house of David unto this day.
20 And it came to pass, when all Israel heard that Jeroboam was come again, that they sent and called him unto the congregation, and made him king over all Israel: there was none that followed the house of David, but the tribe of Judah only.
21 And when Rehoboam was come to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah, with the tribe of Benjamin, an hundred and fourscore thousand chosen men, which were warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, to bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam the son of Solomon.
22 But the word of God came unto Shemaiah the man of God, saying,
23 Speak unto Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and unto all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the remnant of the people, saying,
24 Thus saith the LORD, Ye shall not go up, nor fight against your brethren the children of Israel: return every man to his house; for this thing is from me. They hearkened therefore to the word of the LORD, and returned to depart, according to the word of the LORD.
25 Then Jeroboam built Shechem in mount Ephraim, and dwelt therein; and went out from thence, and built Penuel.
26 And Jeroboam said in his heart, Now shall the kingdom return to the house of David:
27 If this people go up to do sacrifice in the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, then shall the heart of this people turn again unto their lord, even unto Rehoboam king of Judah, and they shall kill me, and go again to Rehoboam king of Judah.
28 Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold, and said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
29 And he set the one in Bethel, and the other put he in Dan.
30 And this thing became a sin: for the people went to worship before the one, even unto Dan.
31 And he made an house of high places, and made priests of the lowest of the people, which were not of the sons of Levi.
32 And Jeroboam ordained a feast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like unto the feast that is in Judah, and he offeredc upon the altar. So did he in Bethel, sacrificing unto the calves that he had made: and he placed in Bethel the priests of the high places which he had made.
33 So he offeredd upon the altar which he had made in Bethel the fifteenth day of the eighth month, even in the month which he had devised of his own heart; and ordained a feast unto the children of Israel: and he offered upon the altar, and burnt incense.
God’s lessons from history
1 Kings
Philip Smith
Chapter 12
The *kingdom divides
v1 Rehoboam went to Shechem. All the *Israelites had gone there to make him king. v2 Jeroboam the son of Nebat was still in Egypt. He had gone there to escape from King Solomon. Jeroboam heard what had happened. So he returned from Egypt. v3 The *Israelites sent for Jeroboam. He and they went to Rehoboam. This is what they said to him. v4 ‘Your father Solomon was cruel towards us. Now make these heavy *burdens lighter. Make our work easier and we will serve you.’
v5 Rehoboam replied, ‘Go away for three days. Then come back.’ So they went away.
v6 King Rehoboam asked the older men who had advised his father this question. ‘What answer shall I give to these people?’
v7 This is what they replied. ‘If you want to serve these people well, give them a kind answer. Then they will serve you loyally.’
v8 But he did not listen to what the older men said. Instead, he went to the young men who had grown up with him. The young men were serving him. v9 ‘What is your advice?’ he asked. ‘What shall I say to those people who want me to make their *burdens lighter?’
v10 The young men who had grown up with him said, ‘Say to the people who want you to make their *burdens lighter, “My little finger is stronger and thicker than my father’s thigh (the thickest and strongest muscle in the leg). v11 My father placed heavy *burdens on you. I will make them even heavier. He punished you with a whip. I will punish you with *scorpions.” ’
v12 Three days later Jeroboam and all the people returned to Rehoboam as he had told them. v13 The king did not listen to the advice of the older men. Instead, he answered the people in a severe manner v14 as the younger men had advised. ‘My father placed heavy loads on you. I will make them even heavier. He punished you with a whip. I will punish you with *scorpions.’
v15 So the king did not listen to the people. God wanted this to happen. So the message that the *Lord gave to Jeroboam, son of Nebat came true. Ahijah from Shiloh gave this message.
These verses tell us how the *kingdom divided after the death of Solomon. Rehoboam was the son of the wisest of men. But he was not wise. The northern *tribes of *Israel had gone to Shechem to make Rehoboam their king. So Rehoboam went there too.
Rehoboam probably thought that Shechem would be a good place to become king. It was the place where God promised the country called Canaan to Abraham (Genesis 12:6-7). It was in the centre of *Israel. It was not in *Judah, where Rehoboam’s family came from. And Shechem was between two mountains called Ebal and Gerizim. Here, the *Israelites gathered to make their promises to God (Deuteronomy chapter 27; Joshua chapter 24).
If the *Israelites appointed Rehoboam king at Shechem, they would always be loyal to him. However, Shechem was the wrong place for Rehoboam to become king. God had told Solomon that Rehoboam would not rule all *Israel. Rehoboam would only rule one *tribe, that is, *Judah. By his decision to go to Shechem, Rehoboam was trying to make himself more powerful than God intended. And Rehoboam was opposing God’s plans. God had chosen Jerusalem to be his *holy city. God’s *temple was there. Jerusalem was the capital city for David’s family to rule. Rehoboam should have become king there.
When the *Israelites met at Shechem, they were not ready to appoint Rehoboam king. Instead, they started to complain about the government. They did not like Solomon’s high taxes. They did not like the fact that they had to work for the king.
Jeroboam also came to Shechem. The *Israelites respected Jeroboam, although he had opposed Solomon. It seems that they asked Jeroboam to speak on their behalf. The people were willing to make Rehoboam king. They wanted the *kingdom to remain united. But the people would not continue to work so hard for the king. So Rehoboam would have to be a weaker king than his father was.
Rehoboam was foolish. He did not want God’s advice. Rehoboam did not pray. He did not even ask a *prophet or priest to advise him. He did not care that God did not want him to rule the northern *tribes. Rehoboam only cared about his own power.
So instead, Rehoboam chose political advisers. But he did not even choose the best advice that was available to him. He did not take the advice of those who advised his father. Instead, he took the advice of men of his own age. (He was 41 at this time.)
The men who had advised Solomon were very capable men. They had gained much experience in Solomon’s government. And they knew something that Rehoboam did not realise. The people did not respect Solomon just because he was their master and king. First, they saw that God had given wisdom to Solomon. They saw that Solomon’s judgements were fair. They realised that Solomon would be a great king (1 Kings 3:28). And so they were pleased to serve him. But Rehoboam did not have these benefits. Rehoboam would be unable to rule the people unless they supported him. So these older advisers told Rehoboam to agree with the people’s demands.
But the younger men were not wise advisers. They were just Rehoboam’s friends. They had grown up with him. So they had benefited from the luxury in the palace. Perhaps they never had to work hard. It is clear that they did not understand the real situation. They thought that they could control the *Israelites by strong words. These young men clearly did not expect the *Israelites’ strong reaction. But Rehoboam liked his friends’ advice. They were telling him what he wanted to hear.
Rehoboam did not do what the king should have done. Deuteronomy chapter 17 said that the king must follow God’s laws. But Solomon refused to obey God’s law. And then Rehoboam made a foolish decision. The writer here in 1 Kings says that God wanted this to happen. This means that it was part of God’s punishment. Solomon had not obeyed God.
v16 All *Israel saw that the king would not listen to them. So they shouted, ‘We have no share in David’s family. We have no part in the son of Jesse. Let us go home. David’s family can look after itself.’ So the *Israelites (from the north) went home. v17 Rehoboam still ruled over the people in the towns of *Judah.
v18 King Rehoboam sent out Adoniram. He controlled the people who had to work for the king. The people threw stones at him and they killed him. King Rehoboam managed to get into his *chariot and to escape to Jerusalem. v19 Ever since then the people in northern *Israel have *rebelled against the family of David.
v20 The *Israelites heard that Jeroboam had returned. So they made him king. Only the *tribe of *Judah remained loyal to the family of David.
v21 Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem. He called together 180 000 of the best soldiers from the *tribes of *Judah and Benjamin. He wanted to fight against *Israel and to get the *kingdom back.
v22 But God spoke to Shemaiah the *prophet. v23 ‘Give this message to Rehoboam, son of Solomon, king of *Judah. Give it also to all the people in *Judah and Benjamin. v24 The *Lord says, “Do not fight against your relatives, the *Israelites. You should all go home. I have brought about these events.” ’ So they obeyed the *Lord’s command and they went home.
These verses describe how the northern *tribes *rebelled against David’s family. The northern *Israelites protested against Rehoboam. Then he sent Adoniram to force them to obey him. Adoniram had been a very powerful man when Solomon was alive. But the situation had changed. People used to be afraid of Adoniram. But they were not still afraid. So they murdered him. Rehoboam’s action was foolish, as people already disliked Adoniram. Rehoboam had to escape to Jerusalem.
Then the northern *Israelites made Jeroboam their king. Probably they chose him because they considered him a good leader. But, of course, God had already chosen Jeroboam to be *Israel’s king. And so God carried out what he had promised in chapter 11.
Rehoboam made plans to fight in order to get the *kingdom back. God told him not to fight against the other *Israelites. This time he listened to God’s *prophet and he obeyed. He and his armies went home. He realised that God would allow him to rule *Judah only. If Rehoboam fought the *Israelites, he would be opposing God’s plan.
By means of these events, the *kingdom had separated permanently. The Book of 1 Kings continues with reports of events in both parts of the country. The northern *kingdom is often called *Israel. The southern *kingdom is called *Judah.
v25 Then Jeroboam made the defences of Shechem strong. This city was in the hill country of Ephraim. He lived there. Then he went out and built up the defences of Peniel. v26 He thought, ‘The *kingdom is likely to go back to the family of David. v27 People will go to the *temple of the *Lord in Jerusalem in order to offer *sacrifices there. If they do, they will support King Rehoboam again. Then they will kill me and return to him.’ v28 So King Jeroboam asked for advice. Then he made two young *bulls out of gold. This is what he told the people. ‘It is too difficult for you to go up to Jerusalem. People in *Israel, here are your gods that brought you out of Egypt.’ v29 He put one of the *bulls in Dan. He put the other *bull in Bethel. v30 So the people *sinned. They went as far as Dan to *worship there.
v31 Jeroboam built places for people to *worship on the tops of the hills. He chose priests from families who were not from the *tribe of Levi. v32 He also established a *festival on the 15th day of the 8th month. This was like the *festival in *Judah. He offered *sacrifices to the gold *bulls that he had made. He also established priests in Bethel. They served at the places of *worship that he had built. v33 On the 15th day of the 8th month, he went to Bethel. He had chosen this day himself. There he offered *sacrifices on the *altar that he had built. So he established a *festival for the *Israelites. He went up to the *altar in order to make *offerings.
Jeroboam made Shechem his first capital city. Abraham had camped there. He had also built an *altar there. Later the *Canaanites had a place of *worship there. There the people had *rejected Rehoboam as king. Peniel was an important city for defence against *Israel’s enemies.
It was God who appointed Jeroboam to be king. But Jeroboam was not loyal to God. Instead, he set up his own religion.
This was a clever political decision. People would not still go to Jerusalem to offer *sacrifices. So the relationship between *Israel and *Judah would become even weaker. And Jeroboam would become a more powerful king. Jeroboam’s religion was like the religion that Aaron set up in Exodus chapter 32. Jeroboam tried to combine the *worship of the *bull with the *worship of the *Lord. Of course, this was against God’s law. Jeroboam did not obey the second *commandment when he did this. Dan was in the far north of northern *Israel. Bethel was near the border with Benjamin and *Judah. The idea was that people would have a place of *worship near them. Then they would not want to go all the way to Jerusalem.
Also, Jeroboam set up other places of *worship on the hills. This is where the *Canaanites had given honour to their gods. He made his own *festival on the 15th day of the 8th month. This would be like the *Festival of Shelters which the people in *Judah *celebrated. They did this on the 15th day of the 7th month. Jeroboam also made priests from families who did not belong to the *tribe of Levi. He also acted as a priest himself. When Jeroboam did these things, he was *rebelling against God. We must give honour to God in the way that he has told us. If we do not, he will not accept our *worship.
In 1 Kings 11:28, God made a wonderful promise to Jeroboam. Jeroboam’s family would always rule *Israel, if only they obeyed God. But Jeroboam did not obey God. Instead, Jeroboam chose his own false gods, and he taught the people in *Israel to serve them.
kingdom ~ a country or nation that a king or a queen rules.Israelite ~ someone who lives in Israel; or, a descendant of Jacob.
Israel ~ the country or nation of people who are descendants of Jacob; the northern part of that country after it divided.
descendants ~ people in your family who live after you.
burden ~ a heavy thing to carry; or, a difficult duty.
scorpion ~ a dangerous small animal that stings people.
Lord ~ the name of God. It can translate either of two words in Hebrew, which is the original language of this book. The word ‘Yahweh’ is God’s most holy name, and means ‘God always’. The word ‘Adonai’ means ‘master’.
tribe ~ a group of people; a family or people that have the same ancestors; family from one man. Israel came from the 12 sons of Jacob. These 12 families formed the 12 tribes of Israel.
ancestor ~ any person from the past from whom the families of your father or mother have come.
Israel ~ the country or nation of people who are descendants of Jacob; the northern part of that country after it divided.
descendants ~ people in your family who live after you.
Israel ~ the country or nation of people who are descendants of Jacob; the northern part of that country after it divided.
descendants ~ people in your family who live after you.
Judah ~ one of the tribes of Israel. The southern part of the *Jewish kingdom after it divided.
tribe ~ a group of people; a family or people that have the same ancestors; family from one man. Israel came from the 12 sons of Jacob. These 12 families formed the 12 tribes of Israel.
Israel ~ the country or nation of people who are descendants of Jacob; the northern part of that country after it divided.
kingdom ~ a country or nation that a king or a queen rules.
ancestor ~ any person from the past from whom the families of your father or mother have come.
descendants ~ people in your family who live after you.
holy ~ morally good; something people consider very important in their religion.
temple ~ the central place of worship that Solomon built in Jerusalem; or, a place where people worship a false god.
worship ~ to praise God and to give thanks to him; to show honour to God; to say that we love him very much. But some people worship false gods instead of the real God.
prophet ~ a person who prophesies.
prophesy ~ to speak God’s word; or, to say what will happen in the future.
chariot ~ a cart with two wheels that soldiers used. Horses pulled it.
sacrifice ~ something valuable that people offered to a god.
bull ~ the male animal that mates with a cow.'sin/sinful ~ an action that is wrong or wicked. It is against a religious or moral law.
religious ~ about religion.
worship ~ to praise God and to give thanks to him; to show honour to God; to say that we love him very much. But some people worship false gods instead of the real God.
festival ~ a celebration that remembers a person or an event.
celebrate/celebration ~ to praise a person and to give honour to that person. Or, to show great happiness at a special event.
altar ~ a table on which people offer or burn gifts or sacrifices to a god.
sacrifice ~ something valuable that people offered to a god.
offerings ~ religious gifts.
religious ~ about religion.
Canaanites ~ the people who were the original inhabitants of the country that became Israel.
Israel ~ the country or nation of people who are descendants of Jacob; the northern part of that country after it divided.
descendants ~ people in your family who live after you.
reject ~ to refuse to accept someone or something.
commandment ~ any of the laws that God gave to Israel, especially the Ten Commandments.
Israel ~ the country or nation of people who are descendants of Jacob; the northern part of that country after it divided.
descendants ~ people in your family who live after you.
festival ~ a celebration that remembers a person or an event.
celebrate/celebration ~ to praise a person and to give honour to that person. Or, to show great happiness at a special event.
'celebrate/celebration ~ to praise a person and to give honour to that person. Or, to show great happiness at a special event.