Division of the Kingdom: Rehoboam: 1 Kings 12:1-24

1 Kings 12:1‑24  •  5 min. read  •  grade level: 7
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The Word of God is fulfilled by means of feelings in the depths of the heart of man that drive him to his own ruin.
All Israel comes to Shechem to proclaim Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, king. Jeroboam is there, called by the people to be their spokesman before the king. These men complain to the king of the yoke his father had imposed upon them: “Thy father made our yoke grievous”—an expression showing that this had not always been the case. Christ’s yoke will never be grievous upon His people; to His own He will ever remain the same as they have known Him in the day of suffering and of grace: “My yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Beyond all doubt, the nations must submit to Him, and He will smite them with a rod of iron, but all the prophets bear witness to the grace wherewith He will feed His people. “He shall feed His flock like a shepherd: He shall gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young” (Isa. 40:1111He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young. (Isaiah 40:11)).
Rehoboam consults with the old men who had stood before Solomon to drink at the fountain-head of wisdom. Their counsel is that of Jesus to His disciples: “Let the greater among you be as the younger, and the leader as he that serves” (Lk. 22:2626But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve. (Luke 22:26)). “If this day,” say the old men, “thou wilt be a servant to this people, and wilt serve them and answer them and speak good words to them, they will be thy servants forever” (1 Kings 12:77And 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. (1 Kings 12:7)). Rehoboam forsakes the counsel of wisdom in order to follow that of the young men who had grown up with him, and who stood before him (1 Kings 12:88But 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: (1 Kings 12:8)). They could not thus be anything other than the mirror and reflection of their master’s thoughts. Had he himself stood before his father hearing the wise proverbs that fell from his lips, he could have communicated somewhat of this wisdom to others. He would have known what was becoming to a king; he would have known that “A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger” (Prov. 15:11A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger. (Proverbs 15:1)); that “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall” (Prov. 16:1818Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. (Proverbs 16:18)), and many other precepts. But no, those who flatter his pride are the ones who win his approval. The counsel of the young men in the final analysis is but that of his own heart. Pride goes hand in hand with despising one’s neighbor; this base people counts for nothing in the eyes of a king who exalts himself. Great Solomon, his father, even seems little to him in comparison to his own greatness. This saying that his courtiers suggest to him: “My little finger is thicker than my father’s loins” (1 Kings 12:1010And 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. (1 Kings 12:10)), does not meet with his disapproval. In any case, he esteems himself stronger and more energetic than his father and despises the people of God. He does not listen to them; this thing was of the Lord, that He might fulfill His prophetic word (1 Kings 12:1515Wherefore 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. (1 Kings 12:15)). What God has purposed, must come to pass.
Israel rebels. “What portion have we in David? And we have no inheritance in the son of Jesse: To your tents, O Israel! Now see to thine own house, David! (1 Kings 12:1616So 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. (1 Kings 12:16)). This was the rallying cry to rebellion, the common cry of those who were malcontented in the days of David (2 Sam. 20:11And there happened to be there a man of Belial, whose name was Sheba, the son of Bichri, a Benjamite: and he blew a trumpet, and said, We have no part in David, neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: every man to his tents, O Israel. (2 Samuel 20:1)). Rehoboam flees; nothing but Judah and Benjamin remain to him. To recover what he had so foolishly lost, he gathers together an army of 180,000 men against Israel. But Shemaiah the prophet exhorts them on God’s behalf: “Go not up, nor fight with your brethren, the children of Israel; return every man to his house, for this thing is from Me” (1 Kings 12:2424Thus 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. (1 Kings 12:24)). The king and the two tribes fear the Lord and return according to His word. Had they only continued in this path, which is the beginning of wisdom!
It should be noted that the role of the prophet becomes increasingly emphasized with the ruin of the kingship. In all this part of the history we are taken up with prophets. Ahijah was the first to appear, when Solomon fell under God’s judgment. There was also at that time a Nathan, and an Iddo who had a vision concerning Jeroboam, the son of Nebat (2 Chron. 9:2929Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, first and last, are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet, and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of Iddo the seer against Jeroboam the son of Nebat? (2 Chronicles 9:29)). Now here is Shemaiah who turns Rehoboam from his plans of war. The role of the prophet was a great grace, allowing relations between God and His people to continue despite the ruin. Above all the prophet was the mouthpiece for the Word of God. This Word was addressed to him and he could say, “Thus saith the Lord.” Whoever followed this Word could be sure of being well directed and of finding blessing. It is the same for us who live in these sad end times. Our prophet is the Word of God. God no longer grants us new revelations, as He did in times past, for He has revealed everything to us; but when His Word speaks to us, let us respect it and not turn aside. In the world there are many false prophets who pretend to know more than the true Word of God. They despise it, accusing it of being false, telling us that it is not God who has spoken. Let us turn a deaf ear to their words. God has spoken to us; our prophet has communicated His thoughts to us. Have we not proven a hundred times over that His Word is our souls’ life and safety? Let us prove it afresh; and when this prophet tells us, “Thus saith the Lord,” let us do like Rehoboam and Judah who had no need to repent of it. Let us “hearken to the word of the Lord” and act “according to the word of the Lord” (1 Kings 12:2424Thus 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. (1 Kings 12:24)).