Now that Solomon has died, it is time for Israel to anoint one of his sons to reign over them.
II Chronicles 10:1-2- And Rehoboam went to Shechem: for to Shechem were all Israel come to make him king. And it came to pass, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who was in Egypt, whither he had fled from the presence of Solomon the king, heard it, that Jeroboam returned out of Egypt.
The land of Israel has gone through some pretty interesting changes in the last 40 years. They've become the wealthiest kingdom in the known world through Solomon's wisdom. But, they've also become a land that is full of idolatry! There are now many temples to many different false gods in land of Israel.
Because of this sin, God has said that he will take 10 tribes away from Solomon's son and give them to Jeroboam. Now, Jeroboam has shown up with the rest of Israel to crown the new king, Rehoboam.
II Chronicles 10:3-4- And they sent and called him. So Jeroboam and all Israel came and spake to Rehoboam, saying, Thy father made our yoke grievous: now therefore ease thou somewhat the grievous servitude of thy father, and his heavy yoke that he put upon us, and we will serve thee.
The people of Israel asked Rehoboam to take some of the burden off them that his father Solomon had put on them.
It's like having all your teachers give you 10 pages of homework, and you go to the principal and ask him to give you less homework so that you're able to get it all done.
II Chronicles 10:5- And he said unto them, Come again unto me after three days. And the people departed.
Rehoboam decided that he would get counsel from those around him and asked the people to come back for an answer in three days.
There were two groups of people that Rehoboam would get counsel from. The first group was the old men who had built the kingdom into it's present greatness with Solomon. These men had years of experience dealing with and solving the kingdom's many problems. The next group was the young men who grew up with Solomon. This group of men had little experience. They never had to face tough problems like the old men, and they hadn't learned the many hard lessons that the old men had.
I Kings 12:6-11- 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? 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. 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: 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? 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. 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.
The old men advised that Rehoboam give the people what they wanted- be kind and gentle and they will follow you for the rest of your life. This was very wise advice.
But, Rehoboam was not a wise man. He didn't listen to the advice of the old men. Instead, he asked the young men what their advice was. They said to make the people's lives harder. Instead of punishing them with whips, use scorpions whose sting gives agony for days!
Remember the homework and the principal? What would you say if the principal said, "I'm going to make it 20 pages of homework!" You wouldn't like that principal! You wouldn't want to stay in that school!
God was going to use the foolishness of Solomon's son to bring His will to pass. He was going to make the Israelites so mad at Rehoboam that they would anoint another king.
II Chronicles 10:12-14a- So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day, as the king bade, saying, Come again to me on the third day. And the king answered them roughly; and king Rehoboam forsook the counsel of the old men, And answered them after the advice of the young men,
Well, as you can imagine, this information didn't go over very well!
I Kings 12:15-17- 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. 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. But as for the children of Israel which dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them.
So the nation of Israel was split in two. But, Rehoboam was so delusional that he thought everything was okay.
I Kings 12:18-19- 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. So Israel rebelled against the house of David unto this day.
Rehoboam sent a tax collector to pick up the payment to the king, and the tribes that had left Rehoboam's rule killed the man. Rehoboam was there when it happened and he barely escaped!
I Kings 12:20a- 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:
The ones who had rejected the rule of Rehoboam sent and anointed Jeroboam to rule over them just as God had said!
I Kings 12:21-24- 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. But the word of God came unto Shemaiah the man of God, saying, 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, 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.
Rehoboam was so mad that he was going to start a war with Jeroboam. God didn't want the Israelites killing each other, so he sent a prophet to tell Rehoboam that this was His will and not to go to battle.
Two kingdoms. Two kings. One true God! The only way for each of these kingdoms to truly prosper was for them to submit to God's rules and obey Him! Do you think they did?
