1 Kings 12:1

THE KINGDOM OF ISRAEL DIVIDED

"The history of the divided kingdom has three phases:

(1) From Jeroboam to Omri in the north and from Rehoboam to Asa in the south - a time of mutual hostility.

(2) Under Ahab, Ahaziah, and Joram in Israel, and Jehoshaphat, Joram, and Ahaziah in the south - a time of friendship due to marital alliances.

(3) From Jehu of Israel and Joash of Judah to the fall of Samaria (722 B.C.) - another period of hostility."[1]

The mutual jealousy and mistrust between Israel and Judah had always existed, from the times of Jacob's polygamous union with Leah and Rachel. Ephraim, the strongest of the northern tribes was descended from Rachel, whereas Judah the strongest of the southern tribes came from Leah. This mutual hatred and distrust surfaced in the times both of Gideon and of Jephthah as related in Judges. Saul, Israel's first king, was from a small tribe located between Ephraim and Judah, and was thus enabled to rule over all Israel. David reigned only in Judah for the first seven and one half years; and, after being king over all Israel, he suffered two rebellions, one under Absalom, and the other by Sheba of Northern Israel.

Furthermore, when David finally became king over all Israel, it was by a covenant arrangement with Northern Israel. Solomon had indeed reigned over all Israel, but as the result of a Davidic decree, and not by reason of any covenant with the whole people. The ten tribes of the north were not willing to submit to Solomon's successor on the basis of Rehoboam's being a son of Solomon. They had in mind an initial period of negotiations before they submitted. Rehoboam wisely submitted to their invitation and went to Shethem.

Shethem was a place of great historical interest to Israel. "The names of Abraham (Genesis 12:6), Jacob (Genesis 32:18), Joshua (Joshua 24:1), Gideon and Abimelech (Israel's first experience with a king) (Judges 9:6), and Joseph who was buried there (Joshua 24:32) are all associated with Shechem. It was here that the reading of the Law of Moses was staged at the twin mountains during the conquest (Joshua 8:33)."[2]

REHOBOAM SUCCEEDED SOLOMON AS KING OF ISRAEL

"And Rehoboam went to Shechem: for all Israel were come to Shechem to make him king. And it came to pass when Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard of it (for he was yet in Egypt whither he had fled from the presence of king Solomon, and Jeroboam dwelt in Egypt, and they sent and called him), that Jeroboam and all the children of Israel came, and spake unto Rehoboam, saying, Thy father made our yoke grievous: therefore make thou the grievous service of thy father, and his heavy yoke which he put upon us, lighter, and we will serve thee. And he said unto them, Depart ye for three days, then come again to me. And the people departed."

"Rehoboam" (1 Kings 12:1). The last verse of the preceding chapter recorded the fact of his having been made king in the place of Solomon, but northern Israel called a general assembly of the ten northern tribes at Shechem, to which they invited Rehoboam, with a view to negotiating with him for a reduction in the heavy burdens of taxation and forced labor so long imposed upon them during the reign of Solomon.

"Solomon had a thousand wives and concubines; and yet we read of only one son he had to bear his name, and he was a fool."[3]

The age of this prince at the time he became king is disputed. He is said to be "forty-one" (1 Kings 14:21); but that translation is questionable. "The Vatican manuscript and the Septuagint (LXX) in 1 Kings 14:24a state that he was only sixteen."[4] However, Snaith warns us that, "The Septuagint (LXX) is not nearly as satisfactory as the Masoretic text."[5] Of course, some scholars do their usual magic on O.T. numbers and read it as "twenty-one" instead of "forty-one." If indeed Rehoboam was forty-one years of age when he came to the throne, Solomon must have married Rehoboam's Ammonite mother at quite an early age and before his father David died.

"Therefore make thou the grievous service of our father ... lighter" (1 Kings 12:4). It is amazing to this writer that respected and honored scholars complain that these objections were not justified. "The complaint was groundless and unjust. Never did the people live more at ease than did Israel, nor in greater plenty."[6] Even Keil called these complaints, "a pretext."[7] Much as we respect the opinions of such learned men, we nevertheless find that the advice of the old counselors who had spoken with Solomon, and who advised Rehoboam to ease the peoples' burdens indicates that there must have been some basis for the dissatisfaction of the people, who soon demonstrated their hatred of forced labor by stoning Adoram to death.