Introduction
The division of Israel into two parts after Solomon’s death.
Verses
1Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king.
2When Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard of it (for he was yet in Egypt, where he had fled from the presence of king Solomon, and Jeroboam lived in Egypt,
3and they sent and called him), Jeroboam and all the assembly of Israel came, and spoke to Rehoboam, saying,
4“Your father made our yoke difficult. Now therefore make the hard service of your father, and his heavy yoke which he put on us, lighter, and we will serve you.”
6King Rehoboam took counsel with the old men, who had stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, saying, “What counsel do you give me to answer these people?”
7They replied, “If you will be a servant to this people today, and will serve them, and answer them with good words, then they will be your servants forever.”
8But he abandoned the counsel of the old men which they had given him, and took counsel with the young men who had grown up with him, who stood before him.
9He said to them, “What counsel do you give, that we may answer these people, who have spoken to me, saying, ‘Make the yoke that your father put on us lighter?’ ”
10The young men who had grown up with him said to him, “Tell these people who spoke to you, saying, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but make it lighter to us;’ tell them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist.
11Now my father burdened you with a heavy yoke, but I will add to your yoke. My father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.’ ”
12So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king asked, saying, “Come to me again the third day.”
13The king answered the people roughly, and abandoned the counsel of the old men which they had given him,
14and spoke to them according to the counsel of the young men, saying, “My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke. My father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.”
15So the king didn’t listen to the people; for it was a thing brought about from the LORD, that he might establish his word, which the LORD spoke by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.
16When all Israel saw that the king didn’t listen to them, the people answered the king, saying, “What portion have we in David? We don’t have an inheritance in the son of Jesse. To your tents, Israel! Now see to your own house, David.” So Israel departed to their tents.
17But as for the children of Israel who lived in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them.
18Then king Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was over the men subject to forced labour; and all Israel stoned him to death with stones. King Rehoboam hurried to get himself up to his chariot, to flee to Jerusalem.
19So Israel rebelled against David’s house to this day.
20When all Israel heard that Jeroboam had returned, they sent and called him to the congregation, and made him king over all Israel. There was no one who followed David’s house, except for the tribe of Judah only.
21When Rehoboam had come to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin, a hundred and eighty thousand chosen men, who were warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, to bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam the son of Solomon.
22But the word of God came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying,
23“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,
24‘The LORD says, “You shall not go up or fight against your brothers, the children of Israel. Everyone return to his house; for this thing is from me.” ’ ” So they listened to the LORD’s word, and returned and went their way, according to the LORD’s word.
25Then Jeroboam built Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and lived in it; and he went out from there, and built Penuel.
26Jeroboam said in his heart, “Now the kingdom will return to David’s house.
27If this people goes up to offer sacrifices in the LORD’s house at Jerusalem, then the heart of this people will turn again to their lord, even to Rehoboam king of Judah; and they will kill me, and return to Rehoboam king of Judah.”
28So the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold; and he said to them, “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Look and behold your gods, Israel, which brought you up out of the land of Egypt!”
29He set the one in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan.
30This thing became a sin; for the people went even as far as Dan to worship before the one there.
31He made houses of high places, and made priests from amongst all the people, who were not of the sons of Levi.
32Jeroboam ordained a feast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like the feast that is in Judah, and he went up to the altar. He did so in Bethel, sacrificing to the calves that he had made, and he placed in Bethel the priests of the high places that he had made.
33He went up to the altar which he had made in Bethel on the fifteenth day in the eighth month, even in the month which he had devised of his own heart; and he ordained a feast for the children of Israel, and went up to the altar, to burn incense.
Questions
1. What did the elders tell Rehoboam to do and how did it compare with the advice from the young men who had grown up with him?
v 7 ... “If you will be a servant to this people today, and will serve them, and answer them with good words, then they will be your servants forever.”
v 10 and 11 The young men who had grown up with him said to him, “Tell these people who spoke to you, saying, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but make it lighter to us;’ tell them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist. 11 Now my father burdened you with a heavy yoke, but I will add to your yoke. My father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.’ ”
2. What did the LORD tell Rehoboam not to do when the ten tribes rebelled against him?
v 24 'The LORD says “You shall not go up or fight against your brothers, the children of Israel. Everyone return to his house; for this thing is from me.” ' ...
3. How did Jeroboam discourage his people from worshipping in Jerusalem?
v 28 and 29 So the king ... made two calves of gold; and he said to them, “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Look and behold your gods, Israel, which brought you up out of the land of Egypt!” He set the one in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan.
Summary Points
- v 1 to 5 Rehoboam is made king at Shechem. The people’s spokesman, Jeroboam, asks Rehoboam to reduce the heavy taxation that Solomon had imposed
- v 6 to 11 Rehoboam consults his father’s contemporaries who advise acting on the request. His own contemporaries recommend a strong line and increased taxation
- v 12 to 24 Rehoboam speaks roughly to the people and tells them taxes will increase. Israel revolts against Rehoboam and they make Jeroboam their king
- v 25 to 33 Jeroboam then encourages the people in bad ways by discouraging them from going to Jerusalem to worship. He set up gods in Bethel and Dan and organises an alternative feast day for Israel
Audio