Rehoboam and the Divided Kingdom

Rehoboam went to Shechem, where all Israel had come to make him king. Jeroboam returned from Egypt, and he came with the assembly to speak to Rehoboam. They said Solomon had made their service hard and their yoke heavy, and asked for a lighter load. If he did that, they said they would serve him.

Rehoboam told them to come back in three days. He first asked the older men who had served Solomon. They said he should serve the people, be kind, and answer with good words. But Rehoboam left their counsel and asked the younger men who had grown up with him and served before him.

The younger men told him to answer with even greater harshness. He was to say that his father had made the yoke heavy, but he would add to it, and that where his father had punished with whips, he would punish with scorpions. When the people returned on the third day, Rehoboam answered roughly. The passage says he did not listen to the people, and that this happened as God established the word spoken earlier through Ahijah to Jeroboam.

When all Israel saw that the king would not listen, they broke away from David’s house and went to their tents. Rehoboam still ruled over the Israelites living in the cities of Judah. Then he sent the official over forced labour, and all Israel stoned him to death. Rehoboam quickly escaped by chariot to Jerusalem. Israel rebelled against David’s house, and in 1 Kings Jeroboam was made king over all Israel.

Back in Jerusalem, Rehoboam gathered 180,000 chosen warriors from Judah and Benjamin to fight against Israel and bring the kingdom back. But God’s word came through Shemaiah. They were not to go up and fight their brothers, because this thing was from God. So they listened to the Lord’s word and returned. Will we listen when wise counsel and God’s word turn us away from anger?