1 Kings 12 - Divided

Introduction - how did we get here?

1 Kings 11 1 “1 Now King Solomon loved many foreign women, along with the daughter of Pharaoh: Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite women,”

Solomon loved the exotic; the affections of the rural girl from his youth were not enough.

1 Kings 11 4 “4 For when Solomon was old his wives turned away his heart after other gods, and his heart was not wholly true to the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father.”

Deut 17 16-17 “16 Only he must not acquire many horses for himself or cause the people to return to Egypt in order to acquire many horses, since the Lord has said to you, ‘You shall never return that way again.’ 17 And he shall not acquire many wives for himself, lest his heart turn away, nor shall he acquire for himself excessive silver and gold.”

Who does this sound like?

1 Kings 11 9-12 “9 And the Lord was angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice 10 and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods. But he did not keep what the Lord commanded. 11 Therefore the Lord said to Solomon, “Since this has been your practice and you have not kept my covenant and my statutes that I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom from you and will give it to your servant. 12 Yet for the sake of David your father I will not do it in your days, but I will tear it out of the hand of your son.”

David in his later years had family problems; Solomon in his later years had political/military problems

Rezon from the south (Edom)

Hadad from the North (Damascus)

Jeroboam

Capable, from the North

Promoted by Solomon

Received a prophecy (object lesson) from Ahijah: a new garment torn in 12

Flees to Egypt

Solomon’s good points:

An organizational genius

Effective foreign policy

Humble enough to pray for God’s wisdom

Solomon’s weaknesses:

1, 2 Kings (4) Solomon’s Death (11:41–43)

He is capable of expressing his ambition to be a great king through the acquiring of vast wealth and numerous wives. Eventually these twin desires for prestige and sensuality lead to his nation’s downfall. Solomon is not beyond using oppressive measures to get what he wants, as the institution of forced labor indicates, nor is he beyond cheating a friend, as his giving of worthless towns to Hiram proves. Worst of all, Solomon condones and even practices idolatry. Thus, he is capable of irrational thinking, ingratitude, and covenant infidelity. At his worst, then, this wise leader of Israel acts no better than the most foolish of his subjects. He thereby serves as a warning to those who take their God-given gifts for granted or, worse, come to believe they have achieved greatness on their own.

Was Solomon a believer?

1. Experience Speaks

1 Kings 12:1–7 CSB

1 Then Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had gone to Shechem to make him king. 2 When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard about it, he stayed in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon’s presence. Jeroboam stayed in Egypt. 3 But they summoned him, and Jeroboam and the whole assembly of Israel came and spoke to Rehoboam: 4 “Your father made our yoke harsh. You, therefore, lighten your father’s harsh service and the heavy yoke he put on us, and we will serve you.” 5 Rehoboam replied, “Go away for three days and then return to me.” So the people left. 6 Then King Rehoboam consulted with the elders who had served his father Solomon when he was alive, asking, “How do you advise me to respond to this people?” 7 They replied, “Today if you will be a servant to this people and serve them, and if you respond to them by speaking kind words to them, they will be your servants forever.”

Rehoboam goes to Shechem (in the north, the hill country of Ephraim) to consolidate his power.

Jeroboam returns from Egypt, and presents a request. Conscripted labor is the major complaint. Northerners have been forced to build southern projects, a fact (that) Jeroboam, the former taskmaster (1 Kgs 11:28), knows quite well

Paul R. House, 1, 2 Kings, vol. 8, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1995), 181.

v. 7 The advice of experience: “be a servant”; acknowledge the peoples’ burdens; lighten their load. “they will be your servants forever.”

Matthew 20:25–26 ESV

25 But Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 26 It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant,

Servant leader ship is Biblical - whether in the home, the office, or in government

2. Arrogance Reigns

1 Kings 12:8–15 CSB

8 But he rejected the advice of the elders who had advised him and consulted with the young men who had grown up with him and attended him. 9 He asked them, “What message do you advise that we send back to this people who said to me, ‘Lighten the yoke your father put on us’?” 10 The young men who had grown up with him told him, “This is what you should say to this people who said to you, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but you, make it lighter on us!’ This is what you should tell them: ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist! 11 Although my father burdened you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke; my father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with barbed whips.’ ” 12 So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day, as the king had ordered: “Return to me on the third day.” 13 Then the king answered the people harshly. He rejected the advice the elders had given him 14 and spoke to them according to the young men’s advice: “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.” 15 The king did not listen to the people, because this turn of events came from the Lord to carry out his word, which the Lord had spoken through Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam son of Nebat.

Solomon did the political equivalent of “doctor shopping” - he kept asking for advice until he heard what he wanted to hear. His young friends were happy to serve with Rehoboam and “planned to use their new positions for their own gain”.

v. 13 “the king answered the people harshly”

v. 14 you complain about your yoke? “I will add to your yoke”

What an idiot! Why did he do this?

He did not have the wisdom of his Father

v. 15 - “this turn of events came from the Lord”; similar to when Absalom had the chance to finish off David but instead listened to the counsel of Hushai

3. Division Ensues

1 Kings 12:16–19 CSB

16 When all Israel saw that the king had not listened to them, the people answered him: What portion do we have in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse. Israel, return to your tents; David, now look after your own house! So Israel went to their tents, 17 but Rehoboam reigned over the Israelites living in the cities of Judah. 18 Then King Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was in charge of forced labor, but all Israel stoned him to death. King Rehoboam managed to get into the chariot and flee to Jerusalem. 19 Israel is still in rebellion against the house of David today.

1 and 2 Kings: An Introduction and Commentary c. Israel Breaks Away (12:16–20)

rigid stupidity by one party forces the other to make an impulsive decision

This is shades of the rebellion of Sheba (in the aftermath of Absalom)

2 Sam 20 1-2 “1 Now there happened to be there a worthless man, whose name was Sheba, the son of Bichri, a Benjaminite. And he blew the trumpet and said, “We have no portion in David, and we have no inheritance in the son of Jesse; every man to his tents, O Israel!” 2 So all the men of Israel withdrew from David and followed Sheba the son of Bichri. But the men of Judah followed their king steadfastly from the Jordan to Jerusalem.”

v. 18 “King Rehoboam sent Adoram” - as an emissary? business as usual?

“King Rehoboam hurried” - flees for his life!

v. 19 “Israel has been in rebellion” - all about perspective. Civil war - “War of Northern Aggression?”

What’s ahead?

Lexham Context Commentary: Old Testament The Division of Solomon’s Kingdom (12:1–14:31)

The dynasty in Jerusalem will remain in the hands of David’s descendants, but those who govern Judah with Davidic integrity and spirituality will be few. As for the Northern Kingdom of Israel, with the exception the Omrides, who manage to rule for four decades (ca. 884–842 BC), the throne is unstable until its demise in 722 BC, with assassinations and usurpations of power happening in rapid succession. Of the kings in the north, Jehu alone receives a commendation from the narrator for having been Yahweh’s agent of judgment against Ahab and his entourage, but in the end, he condemns him for following the course set by Jeroboam I

Applications:

It matters from whom we seek counsel. “Don’t take advice from people ya don’t know”

Servant leadership is Biblical

God’s plans will always succeed. They may not be the ones that we would seek out.