The Divided Kingdom

1 Kings 12 

The Ten Signposts of the Bible
CAMDE—400—CALY
Creation. Abraham. Moses. DAVID. Elijah. 400. Christ. Apostles. Letters. Yet-to-Come.

Today we begin a survey of fascinating periods in Old Testament history that highlight key lessons for us, starting in 931 BC, the year Rehoboam became king. 

After Solomon’s death, his son Rehoboam began his reign. He was what you might describe as “born on third base,” yet he acted as if he had hit the triple himself. His pride and lack of discernment drastically altered Israel’s course for generations. 

Under David and Solomon, Israel became the envy of the world, marked by prosperity, peace, and security—especially during Solomon’s forty-year reign. But Solomon’s desire for foreign women brought pagan religions into Israel’s worship of the one true God. The effects of his disobedience soon appeared in his heir, Rehoboam, whose pride led to his downfall. 

Once Rehoboam assumed the throne, his early actions led to civil war between what became the northern kingdom (Israel) and the southern kingdom (Judah). God’s people continued fighting one other for the next two hundred years, until Israel was taken captive by a foreign nation.  

Solomon’s former servant Jeroboam returned to Jerusalem with a large following and a petition that he presented to the new king. In Solomon’s final years, God had spoken through the prophet Ahijah, and declared that Jeroboam would rule over ten of Israel’s twelve tribes. When Solomon discovered this plan, he tried to suppress the threat, and Jeroboam fled to Egypt. Now that Solomon was dead, Jeroboam was back, ready to reclaim his place in the kingdom.

Jeroboam made this proposal to Rehoboam: “Your father made our yoke heavy. Now therefore lighten the hard service of your father and his heavy yoke on us, and we will serve you. [The king] said to them, ‘Go away for three days, then come again to me.’ So the people went away” (1 Kgs. 12:4–5). Here, the “heavy yoke” refers to heavy taxes. 

Rehoboam asked for three days before giving his response. During that time, he consulted his advisors. The older counselors who had served with Solomon urged him, “If you will be a servant to this people today and serve them, and speak good words to them when you answer them, then they will be your servants forever” (1 Kgs. 12:7). But Rehoboam rejected their counsel and followed the advice of his peers instead, declaring, “My little finger is thicker than my fathers thighs . . . I will add to your yoke. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions” (1 Kgs. 12:10–11). In other words, he warned that the people’s tax burden was about to become much greater. 

Rehoboam's decision did not sit well with the people. As a result, the ten northern tribes rebelled and made Jeroboam their king (1 Kgs. 12:20), while Judah and Benjamin remained loyal to Rehoboam (1 Kgs. 12:21). 

“So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day” (1 Kgs. 12:19). 

Fearing that the people’s hearts would turn back to Rehoboam as they made pilgrimages to Jerusalem to worship at the temple, Jeroboam reasoned, “the heart of this people will turn again to their lord, to Rehoboam king of Judah, and they will kill me and return to Rehoboam king of Judah” (1 Kgs. 12:27). To guard against this, he made two calves of gold and said, “You have gone up to Jerusalem long enough. Behold, your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt” (1 Kgs. 12:28). 

Pause for just a moment, because this should sound very familiar. It is exactly what Israel did during the exodus while Moses was receiving the Ten Commandments. They made and worshiped a golden calf, declaring, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!” (Ex. 32:4). The consequences of that incident were severe (Ex. 32:35). Jeroboam’s idea was not original. Israel had been here before. Surely the people would have recalled the history of the fallout from that prior attempt to replace God with a golden calf!

Jeroboam continued leading Israel away from the one true God by establishing worship centers with golden calves at Dan in the north and Bethel in the south (1 Kgs. 12:29). As a result, the northern kingdom no longer needed to return to Jerusalem to worship.

The rift between Rehoboam and Jeroboam changed the course of Israel’s history. From that point on, God’s people remained divided into two kingdoms: Israel in the north and Judah in the south. The nation was never the same. Israel fell to the Assyrians in 722 BC, and Judah to the Babylonians in 586 BC. 

The rest of 1 Kings, followed by 2 Kings and 1 & 2 Chronicles, tells the story. That’s where we will pick up next time. 

As we conclude, consider the long-lasting effects of this outcome: God’s people enjoyed a united kingdom under David and Solomon, but it lasted only seventy-three years. As a result, only one generation experienced a flourishing kingdom united in worship of the Lord God. Rehoboam’s pride affected generations, while Jeroboam’s introduction of false worship to secure the people’s allegiance ultimately led to Israel’s captivity. What we do as leaders matters—in our homes, churches, and around the world. 

PERSONAL TIME WITH GOD
Read and reflect on 1 Kings 12. Where might pride be keeping you from receiving wise, godly counsel?

Talking to God: Ask God to open your eyes to areas of dangerous pride. 

Have questions? Please send your questions to our team. We're happy to assist as we explore God's Word together. Submit your question below, and we'll respond soon. If you're interested in learning more about a relationship with Jesus or seeking spiritual guidance, let us help you take the next step.

THE LIVING GROUNDED YOUTUBE CHANNEL
I invite you to visit the Living Grounded YouTube channel, where we share conversations to help you stay rooted in your faith. Check out all of our podcasts on The Living Grounded YouTube Channel: [Living Grounded YouTube Channel]. 

Be sure to subscribe—the more subscribers we have, the broader our reach.