12:1 Rehoboam traveled to Shechem, for all Israel had gathered in Shechem to make Rehoboam king.
Shechem was a city located in the hill country of northern Ephraim, about thirty miles north of Jerusalem. Shechem was an important city, because of its rich history. Jehovah first appeared to Abraham at Shechem. The Abrahamic Covenant was given to Abraham at Shechem. Jacob settled in Shechem. Joseph was buried in Shechem. After entering the Promised Land, the nation of Israel dedicated themselves to keeping the Mosaic Law at Shechem. To Ephraim, Shechem was a sacred spot that reminded them of their destiny. The representatives of the ten northern tribes assembled at this famous historical city to accept Rehoboam as their king.
12:2 When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard the news, he was still in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon and had been living ever since.
The prophet had told Jeroboam that he would be king of ten tribes. Jeroboam was living in exile in Egypt to escape Solomon’s assassination attempts.
12:3 They sent for him, and Jeroboam and the whole Israelite assembly came and spoke to Rehoboam, saying,
The other ten tribes sent for Jeroboam to be their spokesman at the coronation.
12:4 “Your father made us work too hard. Now if you lighten the demands he made and don’t make us work as hard, we will serve you.”
Jeroboam knew the complaints of the forced labor of Israel. He knew they did not like the high taxes. He knew the people were frustrated with Solomon. He knew that he was to be the king of ten tribes. However, he did not take the task into his own hands. He allowed God to work out the details. Jeroboam brought up the complaint about high taxes and forced labor to Jeroboam, hoping that the new monarchy would lighten up on its enforcement.
12:5 He said to them, “Go away for three days, then return to me.” So the people went away.
King Rehoboam asked for three days so that he could receive advise from his counselors. King Rehoboam was 41 years old at this time.
12:6 King Rehoboam consulted with the older advisers who had served his father Solomon when he had been alive. He asked them, “How do you advise me to answer these people?”
Rehoboam first asked advice of the older and more experienced counselors who served his father. They would all be about 70 years old, the age of Solomon.
12:7 They said to him, “Today if you show a willingness to help these people and grant their request, they will be your servants from this time forward.”
The elder counselors advised Rehoboam to give into the requests of the people.
12:8 But Rehoboam rejected their advice and consulted the young advisers who served him, with whom he had grown up.
This advice was not what Rehoboam wanted to hear, so he asked for advice from the younger counselors. These younger counselors had grown up in luxury with Rehoboam in Solomon’s court. At this time, these younger counselors were about forty years of age. They did not yet understand the ways of the political world.
12:9 He asked them, “How do you advise me to respond to these people who said to me, ‘Lessen the demands your father placed on us’?”
Rehoboam asked these younger counselors the same question, hoping to hear the answer that he wanted.
12:10 The young advisers with whom Rehoboam had grown up said to him, “Say this to these people who have said to you, ‘Your father made us work hard, but now lighten our burden.’ Say this to them: ‘I am a lot harsher than my father!
The younger counselors suggested that Rehoboam was the king and he needed to start out with tough intimidation.
12:11 My father imposed heavy demands on you; I will make them even heavier. My father punished you with ordinary whips; I will punish you with whips that really sting your flesh.’ ”
The younger counselors suggested higher taxes, more forced labor, and heavier punishments upon the people.
12:12 Jeroboam and all the people reported to Rehoboam on the third day, just as the king had ordered when he said, “Return to me on the third day.”
The people had three days to talk among themselves about this current political situation. They were most likely not saying good things about the house of Judah. Insurrection was in the air.
12:13 The king responded to the people harshly. He rejected the advice of the older men
Rehoboam rejected the advice of the older, more seasoned men who understood the declining morale of Israel.
12:14 and followed the advice of the younger ones. He said, “My father imposed heavy demands on you; I will make them even heavier. My father punished you with ordinary whips; I will punish you with whips that really sting your flesh.”
Rehoboam followed the advice of the younger counselors who were green behind the ears.
12:15 The king refused to listen to the people, because the Lord was instigating this turn of events so that he might bring to pass the prophetic announcement he had made through Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam son of Nebat.
This assembly was a divine appointment. These men used their free will, but Jehovah had determined the outcome of this decision before the foundations of the world were even created. God is so sovereign, that Hhe can use the free will of men to accomplish his own purposes. The prophecy of Ahijah was about to be fulfilled.
12:16 When all Israel saw that the king refused to listen to them, the people answered the king, “We have no portion in David, no share in the son of Jesse! Return to your homes, O Israel! Now, look after your own dynasty, O David!” So Israel returned to their homes.
The ten tribes of Israel echoed out the same rebellious cry that Sheba cried out in his failed rebellion against David. The northern tribes divided, turning Israel into a divided monarchy.
12:17 (Rehoboam continued to rule over the Israelites who lived in the cities of Judah.)
Judah and Benjamin combined to become the nation of Judah, or the southern kingdom. The other ten tribes became Israel, or the northern kingdom.
12:18 King Rehoboam sent Adoniram, the supervisor of the work crews, out after them, but all Israel stoned him to death. King Rehoboam managed to jump into his chariot and escape to Jerusalem.
Rehoboam was foolish to send the chief of taxation and forced labor to negotiate with the ten tribes. Adoniram was stoned. King Rehoboam was almost assassinated. Rehoboam’s coronation was a huge failure, because it turned out to be Jeroboam’s coronation.
12:19 So Israel has been in rebellion against the Davidic dynasty to this very day.
The time of this writing was sometimes before the Babylon Captivity.
12:20 When all Israel heard that Jeroboam had returned, they summoned him to the assembly and made him king over all Israel. No one except the tribe of Judah remained loyal to the Davidic dynasty.
Although God allowed Jeroboam to become king, there was no divine anointing, no priest, and no prophet taking place in the coronation.
12:21 When Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem, he summoned 180,000 skilled warriors from all of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin to attack Israel and restore the kingdom to Rehoboam son of Solomon.
King Rehoboam of Judah prepared for civil war against Israel. He wanted to restore all twelve of the tribes back to the house of Judah. Benjamin possessed split cities in Judah and Israel, so they were split in their loyalty. The house of Levi remained with Judah, because the Messiah was to come from the line of Judah.
12:22 But God told Shemaiah the prophet,
God had a message for King Rehoboam. God sent Shemaiah the prophet to deliver the message.
12:23 “Say this to King Rehoboam son of Solomon of Judah, and to all Judah and Benjamin, as well as the rest of the people, 24 ‘The Lord says this: “Do not attack and make war with your brothers, the Israelites. Each of you go home, for I have caused this to happen.” ’ ” They obeyed the Lord and went home as the Lord had ordered them to do.
Jehovah caused the divided monarchy. If Rehoboam fought against Jeroboam, then he would be fighting against Jehovah Himself.
12:25 Jeroboam built up Shechem in the Ephraimite hill country and lived there. From there he went out and built up Penuel.
Jeroboam fortified Shechem and made it his capital. He also fortified Penuel, to assert his sovereignty south of the Jordan River.
12:26 Jeroboam then thought to himself: “Now the Davidic dynasty could regain the kingdom. 27 If these people go up to offer sacrifices in the Lord’s temple in Jerusalem, their loyalty could shift to their former master, King Rehoboam of Judah. They might kill me and return to King Rehoboam of Judah.”
The Mosaic Law required every male to go up to Jerusalem three times a year for the annual feasts. King Jeroboam saw this as a threat to his monarchy.
12:28 After the king had consulted with his advisers, he made two golden calves. Then he said to the people, “It is too much trouble for you to go up to Jerusalem. Look, Israel, here are your gods who brought you up from the land of Egypt.”
Jehovah had ordained a political and not a religious division of Solomon’s kingdom. Jeroboam was to possess political control over the ten northern tribes, not religious control. Israel was still to follow the Mosaic Law and worship at the temple in Jerusalem. Jeroboam would not have lost his kingdom, because he would have received divine protection.
It was foolish for King Jeroboam and his advisors to choose to create new gods for the new nation. Israel had worshiped the golden calves while exiting out of Egypt during the Exodus. King Jeroboam was not following the Mosaic Law as Jehovah had demanded him to do. This decision cost Jeroboam an eternal dynasty which would have been similar to that of David.
12:29 He put one in Bethel and the other in Dan.
Bethel means “house of God.” Bethel was located about 11 miles north of Jerusalem inside the territory of Benjamin. This city was located on the southern tip of Israel. Bethel was always revered as a sacred place, because Jacob worshiped there.
Dan was located in the northern part of Israel. Dan practiced pagan worship in this city during the time period of the Judges. This high place in Dan has actually been excavated and identified archaeologically. Dan’s name is even mentioned in an inscription.
12:30 This caused Israel to sin; the people went to Bethel and Dan to worship the calves.
This was a violation of the first and second commandment.
12:31 He built temples on the high places and appointed as priests people who were not Levites.
According to the Mosaic Law, Israelites could only worship at the temple in Jerusalem. Only Levites could become priests. Jeroboam broke both of these Mosaic laws.
12:32 Jeroboam inaugurated a festival on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, like the festival celebrated in Judah. On the altar in Bethel he offered sacrifices to the calves he had made. In Bethel he also appointed priests for the high places he had made.
Jeroboam created a new feast which was to be celebrated on the same day as the Feast of Tabernacles. The purpose of this feast was to keep the Israelites out of Judah.
12:33 On the fifteenth day of the eighth month (a date he had arbitrarily chosen) Jeroboam offered sacrifices on the altar he had made in Bethel. He inaugurated a festival for the Israelites and went up to the altar to offer sacrifices.
The internal weaknesses of Solomon's reign had now caused Israel to split and become an idolatrous nation.