Reflections on 1 Kings 12

1 Kings 12 (Contemporary English Version)

1. Rehoboam went to Shechem where everyone was waiting to crown him king.
   
2. Jeroboam son of Nebat heard what was happening, and he stayed in Egypt, where he had gone to hide from Solomon.
   
3. But the people from the northern tribes of Israel sent for him. Then together they went to Rehoboam and said,
   
4. "Your father Solomon forced us to work very hard. But if you make our work easier, we will serve you and do whatever you ask."
   
5. "Give me three days to think about it," Rehoboam replied, "then come back for my answer." So the people left.
   
6. Rehoboam went to some leaders who had been his father's senior officials, and he asked them, "What should I tell these people?"
   
7. They answered, "If you want them to serve and obey you, then you should do what they ask today. Tell them you will make their work easier."
   
8. But Rehoboam refused their advice and went to the younger men who had grown up with him and were now his officials.
   
9. He asked, "What do you think I should say to these people who asked me to make their work easier?"
   
10. His younger advisors said: Here's what we think you should say to them: "Compared to me, my father was weak.
    
11. He made you work hard, but I'll make you work even harder. He punished you with whips, but I'll use whips with pieces of sharp metal!"
    
12. Three days later, Jeroboam and the others came back.
    
13. Rehoboam ignored the advice of the older advisors.
    
14. He spoke bluntly and told them exactly what his own advisors had suggested: "My father made you work hard, but I'll make you work even harder. He punished you with whips, but I'll use whips with pieces of sharp metal!"
    
15. When the people realized that Rehoboam would not listen to them, they shouted: "We don't have to be loyal to David's family. We can do what we want. Come on, people of Israel, let's go home! Rehoboam can rule his own people." Adoniram was in charge of the forced labor, and Rehoboam sent him to talk to the people. But they stoned him to death. Then Rehoboam ran to his chariot and hurried back to Jerusalem. So the people from the northern tribes of Israel went home, leaving Rehoboam to rule only the people from the towns in Judah. Ever since that day, the people of Israel have opposed David's family in Judah. All of this happened just as the LORD's prophet Ahijah had told Jeroboam.
    
16. (SEE 12:15)
    
17. (SEE 12:15)
    
18. (SEE 12:15)
    
19. (SEE 12:15)
    
20. When the Israelites heard that Jeroboam was back, they called everyone together. Then they sent for Jeroboam and made him king of Israel. Only the people from the tribe of Judah remained loyal to David's family.
    
21. After Rehoboam returned to Jerusalem, he decided to attack Israel and take control of the whole country. So he called together one hundred eighty thousand soldiers from the tribes of Judah and Benjamin.
    
22. Meanwhile, God told Shemaiah the prophet
    
23. to give Rehoboam and everyone from Judah and Benjamin this warning:
    
24. "Don't go to war against the people from Israel--they are your relatives. Go home! I am the LORD, and I made these things happen." Rehoboam and his army obeyed the LORD and went home.
    
25. Jeroboam rebuilt Shechem in Ephraim and made it a stronger town, then he moved there. He also fortified the town of Penuel.
    
26. One day, Jeroboam started thinking, "Everyone in Israel still goes to the temple in Jerusalem to offer sacrifices to the LORD. What if they become loyal to David's family again? They will kill me and accept Rehoboam as their king."
    
27. (SEE 12:26)
    
28. Jeroboam asked for advice and then made two gold statues of calves. He showed them to the people and said, "Listen everyone! You won't have to go to Jerusalem to worship anymore. Here are your gods who rescued you from Egypt."
    
29. Then he put one of the gold calves in the town of Bethel. He put the other one in the town of Dan, and the crowd walked out in front as the calf was taken there. What Jeroboam did was a terrible sin.
    
30. (SEE 12:29)
    
31. Jeroboam built small places of worship at the shrines and appointed men who were not from the tribe of Levi to serve as priests.
    
32. He also decided to start a new festival for the Israelites on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, just like the one in Judah. On that day, Jeroboam went to Bethel and offered sacrifices on the altar to the gold calf he had put there. Then he assigned the priests their duties.
    
33. (SEE 12:32)
    

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Solomon had turned away from God and God had told him, "Since you have done this and did not keep My covenant and My statutes, which I commanded you, I will tear the kingdom away from you and give it to your servant." (11:11) Now, following Solomon's death, God's word to Solomon very quickly began to come to pass, starting with the coronation ceremonies to crown his son, Rehoboam.

As plans for the coronation, which was to be held at Shechem, were being made, leaders of the northern tribes prepared for a confrontation. Bringing Jeroboam back from exile in Egypt to be a part of this confrontation suggests some manuevering behind the scenes to secede and make him king over the 10 tribes. This raises the question of whether their words to Rehoboam were true or simply a "smoke screen," when they said, "lighten your father's harsh service and the heavy yoke he put on us, and we will serve you." (12:4) Was Jeroboam their spokesperson? And, were they really that concerned about Solomon's heavy yoke or was this an excuse to revolt?

Prior to this confrontation from the northern tribes had Rehoboam even considered his position on continuing, lightening, or increasing the yoke of his father? Whether or not he had, now that his leadership was challenged his response to the question would set the tone of his leadership policy and also establish the strength of his leadership. Though Rehoboam was predisposed on how to respond to the question, he went first to his elders to ask their counsel. They counseled him to be a servant to the people and to speak kind words. Rehoboam rejected this counsel and went to his contemporaries for their counsel. Obviously, he simply sought someone to agree with him. Not only was he determining with this decision who he would rule, he was determining who would be among his staff, for he had now alienated the elders in his father's administration.

Taking the advice of his contemporaries, Rehoboam met again with the leaders of the northern tribes and told them, "My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke; my father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with barbed whips." (12:14) If Rehoboam and his contemporaries thought this reply would intimidate these tribes causing them to submit to his rule, they were badly mistaken. On the other hand, the intent of their message may have been to say, "Submit to our rule or not, but if you do it will be on our terms." Rehoboam's next move suggests the first intent, expecting to intimidate the people into submission.

When they revolted, seceding from the kingdom, Rehoboam set out to force their submission. He returned to Jerusalem and mobilized 180,00 warriors to fight the northern tribes. But God stepped in, sending a prophet, Shemaiah, to tell him, "You are not to march up and fight against your brothers, the Israelites. Each of you must return home, for I have done this." (12:24) Fortunately, Rehoboam listened and backed down, and war was averted. All of this was by God's design and he needed to accept it. But there were now two kingdoms, Israel, consisting of the ten northern tribes, and Judah, consisting of Judah and Benjamin.

Jeroboam established Shechem as his royal headquarters and also as a fortified city and also built a fortified city east of the Jordan. He was concerned that his people would be drawn back to the southern kingdom since they would have to go to Jerusalem to worship at the new temple. So he established his own version of Judaism with two places of worship and two golden calves to represent the "God who brought you out of the land of Egypt." (12:27) Going the way of many rulers and political leaders, Jeroboam was more concerned about establishing himself than of serving the people and doing what was best for them. In contrast, David ruled with a concern for the people. When his son rebelled against him and tried to forcibly become king, rather than fighting him, David withdrew, leaving it in God's hands who restored him as king. Though God had told Jeroboam he would rule the ten tribes, he was unwilling to trust himself to God.