10:1 Rehoboam traveled to Shechem, for all Israel had gathered in Shechem to make Rehoboam king.
Solomon had many wives, but Rehoboam was the only son of Solomon who was ever mentioned in Scripture. After Solomon died, Rehoboam traveled to Shechem to be coronated as the next king of Israel.
Shechem has always been a special place in Israel since the time of Abraham. Joshua reaffirmed the Mosaic Covenant at this same place. It had also become the unofficial capital of the north.
10:2 When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard the news, he was still in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon. Jeroboam returned from Egypt.
God promised Jeroboam that he would become king of ten tribes of Israel. Solomon found out and attempted to assassinate him. Jeroboam moved to Egypt to escape the assassination, but this was not necessary. Jeroboam was immortal until he became king.
10:3 They sent for him and Jeroboam and all Israel came and spoke to Rehoboam, saying, 10:4 “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.”
Solomon overtaxed Israel with his building projects. High taxes will bring down kingdoms. High taxes caused the Fall of the Roman Empire, the American Revolution, and the French Revolution.
10:5 He said to them, “Go away for three days, then return to me.” So the people went away.
Rehoboam wanted three days to discuss the tax situation with his advisers.
10:6 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 went to the older, more experienced, and more seasoned advisers first.
10:7 They said to him, “If you are fair to these people, grant their request, and are cordial to them, they will be your servants from this time forward.”
Solomon’s advisers knew that Solomon overtaxed the people. They advised to lower the taxes.
10:8 But Rehoboam rejected their advice and consulted the young advisers who served him, with whom he had grown up.
This was a mistake. Young MBA’s do not have enough experience or enough bible doctrine to make a good decision on most political or spiritual issues.
10:9 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’?”
The same question was asked to the young MBA’s.
10:10 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 young MBA’s wanted some of that tax money to pad their salary. They foolishly advised that the taxes should be raised.
10:11 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 young MBA’s advised the king to start out with intimidation and rule the people by fear.
10:12 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.”
Jeroboam knew that he would be king, but he patiently allowed God to move in his favor.
10:13 The king responded to the people harshly. He rejected the advice of the older men
There are many businessmen today who will fire their older leaders and replace them with new blood. This is not good management. Often, businessmen wish to promote people who they can control, not knowledgeable people who will challenge their methods.
10:14 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.”
The king started his campaign by threatening the people.
10:15 The king refused to listen to the people, because God 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.
God was sovereign in this entire process.
10:16 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 all Israel returned to their homes.
This began the divided kingdom. The ten northern kingdoms became the new nation of Israel.
10:17 (Rehoboam continued to rule over the Israelites who lived in the cities of Judah.)
The two southern kingdoms (Judah and Benjamin) became the southern kingdom of Judah. Sometimes, Benjamin wavered back and forth. The Scriptures will list the twenty kings of Judah, because they were all a part of the messianic seed. Chronicles will ignore the northern kingdom, because they went off into apostasy.
10:18 King Rehoboam sent Hadoram, the supervisor of the work crews, out after them, but the Israelites stoned him to death. King Rehoboam managed to jump into his chariot and escape to Jerusalem.
The new northern kingdom stoned this tax collector to death. Rehoboam escaped on his chariot and rode back to Jerusalem. The divided kingdom had officially begun.
10:19 So Israel has been in rebellion against the Davidic dynasty to this very day.
The ten tribes of Israel were still in rebellion at the time of this writing. Chronicles will not concentrate on these nations. Instead, the Book will concentrate on the kings of Judah. The kings of Judah will eventually bring in the messianic king. Joseph, Mary, and Jesus all came from the line of Judah.