I Kings 12:18-33
“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.” (I Kings 12:18-19)
Ten out of twelve, or eighty three percent of the people had voted for a tax reform, walking away when Rehoboam refused to cut spending. Rehoboam went ahead with his plan, sending his tax collector to collect it anyway. The people revolted, killing Adoram, and threatening Rehoboam to such a degree he was forced to flee to escape assassination himself. His actions further alienated his opponents, making reconciliation almost impossible.
Such a response by the people is entirely predictable. It was almost identical behavior by the king of England that led to the American Revolution, the overthrows of numerous kings and dictators throughout history, and is causing the conflict in present day America. Many leaders never seem to understand that they only got power because people allow them, choosing instead to believe they have a divine right to have their way.
“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: there was none that followed the house of David, but the tribe of Judah only.” (I Kings 12:20)
Rehoboam’s actions offended the people, and they united around Jeroboam, making him their king instead. Rehoboam was left with only one of the twelve tribes, although much of the tribe of Benjamin would join him.
“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.” (I Kings 12:21-24)
Determined to have his way, Rehoboam gathered a hundred eighty thousand men with the intention of forcing the others to do as he wanted. God sent a prophet to forbid them from going, and the people listened, going home instead. The split was what God had said, and they were going against him to try to force the people to go along.
“Then Jeroboam built Shechem in mount Ephraim, and dwelt therein; and went out from thence, and built Penuel. And Jeroboam said in his heart, Now shall the kingdom return to the house of David: If this people go up to do sacrifice in the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, then shall the heart of this people turn again unto their lord, even unto Rehoboam king of Judah, and they shall kill me, and go again to Rehoboam king of Judah.” (I Kings 12:25-27)
God had made the same promise to Jeroboam as he had made to the previous kings, that if they would serve God, he would establish them as kings forever over Israel. Not trusting God’s promise, Jeroboam became concerned that his people might decide to reunite with Judah if they continued to worship God according to the Law, killing him and making Rehoboam king.
“Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold, and said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. And he set the one in Bethel, and the other put he in Dan. And this thing became a sin: for the people went to worship before the one, even unto Dan.
And he made an house of high places, and made priests of the lowest of the people, which were not of the sons of Levi. And Jeroboam ordained a feast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like unto the feast that is in Judah, and he offered upon the altar. So did he in Bethel, sacrificing unto the calves that he had made: and he placed in Bethel the priests of the high places which he had made. So he offered upon the altar which he had made in Bethel the fifteenth day of the eighth month, even in the month which he had devised of his own heart; and ordained a feast unto the children of Israel: and he offered upon the altar, and burnt incense.” (I Kings 12:31-33)
Because he didn’t believe in God’s power to cement his leadership, Jeroboam completely changed the worship of the nation of Israel. He changed the place of worship, setting up two high places closer to home to make it more convenient and more attractive to the people. He changed service times, and focused attention on a different aspects, literally setting up idols, but using similar sacrifices so people would not realize the differences. He replaced the Levitical priests with his own hand picked ones.
Today we see a similar actions by many pastors who assume a new pastorate. They change the type of service, remodel the building, and replace the former teachers and officers in an effort to make the people forget about the former pastor. In doing so, they completely overlook Paul's statement in I Corinthians 12:18, “But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.” Like Jeroboam, they don’t trust God to unite the church behind them, and try to use human actions to do so. Just as this became a sin for Israel, it leads to sin for churches today.
“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.” (I Kings 12:18-19)
Ten out of twelve, or eighty three percent of the people had voted for a tax reform, walking away when Rehoboam refused to cut spending. Rehoboam went ahead with his plan, sending his tax collector to collect it anyway. The people revolted, killing Adoram, and threatening Rehoboam to such a degree he was forced to flee to escape assassination himself. His actions further alienated his opponents, making reconciliation almost impossible.
Such a response by the people is entirely predictable. It was almost identical behavior by the king of England that led to the American Revolution, the overthrows of numerous kings and dictators throughout history, and is causing the conflict in present day America. Many leaders never seem to understand that they only got power because people allow them, choosing instead to believe they have a divine right to have their way.
“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: there was none that followed the house of David, but the tribe of Judah only.” (I Kings 12:20)
Rehoboam’s actions offended the people, and they united around Jeroboam, making him their king instead. Rehoboam was left with only one of the twelve tribes, although much of the tribe of Benjamin would join him.
“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.” (I Kings 12:21-24)
Determined to have his way, Rehoboam gathered a hundred eighty thousand men with the intention of forcing the others to do as he wanted. God sent a prophet to forbid them from going, and the people listened, going home instead. The split was what God had said, and they were going against him to try to force the people to go along.
“Then Jeroboam built Shechem in mount Ephraim, and dwelt therein; and went out from thence, and built Penuel. And Jeroboam said in his heart, Now shall the kingdom return to the house of David: If this people go up to do sacrifice in the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, then shall the heart of this people turn again unto their lord, even unto Rehoboam king of Judah, and they shall kill me, and go again to Rehoboam king of Judah.” (I Kings 12:25-27)
God had made the same promise to Jeroboam as he had made to the previous kings, that if they would serve God, he would establish them as kings forever over Israel. Not trusting God’s promise, Jeroboam became concerned that his people might decide to reunite with Judah if they continued to worship God according to the Law, killing him and making Rehoboam king.
“Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold, and said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. And he set the one in Bethel, and the other put he in Dan. And this thing became a sin: for the people went to worship before the one, even unto Dan.
And he made an house of high places, and made priests of the lowest of the people, which were not of the sons of Levi. And Jeroboam ordained a feast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like unto the feast that is in Judah, and he offered upon the altar. So did he in Bethel, sacrificing unto the calves that he had made: and he placed in Bethel the priests of the high places which he had made. So he offered upon the altar which he had made in Bethel the fifteenth day of the eighth month, even in the month which he had devised of his own heart; and ordained a feast unto the children of Israel: and he offered upon the altar, and burnt incense.” (I Kings 12:31-33)
Because he didn’t believe in God’s power to cement his leadership, Jeroboam completely changed the worship of the nation of Israel. He changed the place of worship, setting up two high places closer to home to make it more convenient and more attractive to the people. He changed service times, and focused attention on a different aspects, literally setting up idols, but using similar sacrifices so people would not realize the differences. He replaced the Levitical priests with his own hand picked ones.
Today we see a similar actions by many pastors who assume a new pastorate. They change the type of service, remodel the building, and replace the former teachers and officers in an effort to make the people forget about the former pastor. In doing so, they completely overlook Paul's statement in I Corinthians 12:18, “But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.” Like Jeroboam, they don’t trust God to unite the church behind them, and try to use human actions to do so. Just as this became a sin for Israel, it leads to sin for churches today.
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