CLARITY EDITION · OLD TESTAMENT
1 Kings 12
Chapter 12 of 22
Chapter Overview
What happens in 1 Kings 12
The kingdom splits in two. Rehoboam foolishly refuses to listen to the people's complaints, and ten tribes break away under Jeroboam. Jeroboam then sets up golden calves to keep his people from worshipping in Jerusalem.
Scripture
1 Kings 12
Rehoboam Rejects Wise Counsel
Study note
All Israel gathered at Shechem to make Rehoboam king. Jeroboam returned from Egypt and joined the people in asking Rehoboam to lighten the heavy burden Solomon had placed on them. The older advisers told Rehoboam to serve the people kindly. But the young men who had grown up with him advised him to be even harsher. Rehoboam foolishly followed the young men's advice, fulfilling the prophecy Ahijah had spoken.
1 Rehoboam traveled to Shechem, where all Israel had assembled to crown him king. And Rehoboam went to Shechem: for all Israel were come to Shechem to make him king.
2 When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard the news in Egypt, where he had fled from Solomon, he came back from Egypt. And it came to pass, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who was yet in Egypt, heard of it, (for he was fled from the presence of king Solomon, and Jeroboam dwelt in Egypt;)
3 The people sent for Jeroboam. Together with the whole crowd, they went to Rehoboam. That they sent and called him. And Jeroboam and all the congregation of Israel came, and spake unto Rehoboam, saying,
4 "Your father crushed us with heavy demands," they said. "Lighten the harsh workload and the heavy taxes he imposed, and we will serve you." Thy father made our yoke grievous: now therefore make thou the grievous service of thy father, and his heavy yoke which he put upon us, lighter, and we will serve thee.
5 Rehoboam told them, "Give me three days to think it over. Then come back." The people left. And he said unto them, Depart yet for three days, then come again to me. And the people departed.
6 King Rehoboam consulted the older men who had served his father Solomon: "What do you recommend? How should I respond to these people?" And king Rehoboam consulted with the old men, that stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, and said, How do ye advise that I may answer this people?
7 They said, "Serve these people today. Speak kindly to them. Give a good answer. Then they will serve you for life." And they spake unto him, saying, If thou wilt be a servant unto this people this day, and wilt serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will be thy servants for ever.
8 But Rehoboam dismissed the older men's advice. Instead, he turned to the young men who had grown up with him and now served as his advisors. But he forsook the counsel of the old men, which they had given him, and consulted with the young men that were grown up with him, and which stood before him:
9 "What do you think?" he asked them. "How should I respond to these people who want me to ease up on them?" And he said unto them, What counsel give ye that we may answer this people, who have spoken to me, saying, Make the yoke which thy father did put upon us lighter?
10 The young men answered, "Here is what you should tell those people: 'My little finger is thicker than my father's whole body!'" And the young men that were grown up with him spake unto him, saying, Thus shalt thou speak unto this people that spake unto thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou it lighter unto us; thus shalt thou say unto them, My little finger shall be thicker than my father's loins.
11 "Say to them: 'My father burdened you heavily? I will make it even heavier! My father disciplined you with whips? I will use scorpions!'" And now whereas my father did lade you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke: my father hath chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.
12 Three days later, Jeroboam and the people came back to Rehoboam, just as the king had said. So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king had appointed, saying, Come to me again the third day.
13 The king gave the people a harsh answer. He completely ignored what the older advisors had told him. And the king answered the people roughly, and forsook the old men's counsel that they gave him;
14 Following the young men's advice, he declared, "My father loaded you down? I will pile on even more! My father punished you with whips? I will use scorpions!" And spake to them after the counsel of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, and I will add to your yoke: my father also chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.
15 The king would not listen to the people. The Lord caused this. He kept his word to Jeroboam son of Nebat. He had spoken through Ahijah of Shiloh. Wherefore the king hearkened not unto the people; for the cause was from the LORD, that he might perform his saying, which the LORD spake by Ahijah the Shilonite unto Jeroboam the son of Nebat.
The Kingdom Divides
Study note
When the people saw that Rehoboam would not listen, the northern tribes rejected the house of David. They declared independence with the cry, 'What share do we have in David?' When Rehoboam sent his tax collector, the people stoned him to death. Rehoboam barely escaped to Jerusalem. He gathered an army to fight the rebels, but God sent the prophet Shemaiah to stop the civil war.
16 When all Israel saw that the king would not listen, the people answered him: "What connection do we have to David? We owe nothing to Jesse's son! Go home, Israel! Take care of your own house, David!" And the Israelites went home. So when all Israel saw that the king hearkened not unto them, the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David? neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: to your tents, O Israel: now see to thine own house, David. So Israel departed unto their tents.
17 Rehoboam ruled only those Israelites living in Judah's land. But as for the children of Israel which dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them.
18 King Rehoboam sent Adoniram, his work boss, to handle things. But the Israelites threw stones at him until he died. Rehoboam barely got away by jumping into his chariot and racing back to Jerusalem. 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.
19 Israel has been fighting against David's family line ever since that day. So Israel rebelled against the house of David unto this day.
20 When all Israel heard Jeroboam was back, they called for him and made him king over the entire nation. Only the tribe of Judah remained loyal to David's family. 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.
21 In Jerusalem, Rehoboam called up 180,000 top soldiers from Judah and Benjamin. He planned to fight Israel and take the kingdom back. 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.
22 But God spoke to Shemaiah, a man of God: But the word of God came unto Shemaiah the man of God, saying,
23 "Take this word to Rehoboam son of Solomon, king of Judah. Share it with all of Judah, Benjamin, and the rest." 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,
24 "The Lord says: You must not march against your own relatives, the people of Israel. Every one of you go home, because I am the one who brought about this situation." They listened to God's message and went home, just as the Lord had said. 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.
Jeroboam's Golden Calves
Study note
Jeroboam established his capital at Shechem but feared his people would return to Rehoboam if they kept going to Jerusalem to worship. So he made two golden calves and set one in Bethel and one in Dan, telling the people, 'Here are your gods who brought you out of Egypt.' He also built shrines on hilltops, appointed priests who were not Levites, and created his own festival. This became the great sin of the northern kingdom.
25 Jeroboam fortified the city of Shechem in the Ephraim hill country and made it his capital. He also fortified the town of Penuel. Then Jeroboam built Shechem in mount Ephraim, and dwelt therein; and went out from thence, and built Penuel.
26 Jeroboam began to worry. "The kingdom could go back to David's family." And Jeroboam said in his heart, Now shall the kingdom return to the house of David:
27 "If my people keep going to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices at the Lord's temple, their loyalty will shift back to Rehoboam, king of Judah. They will kill me and go back to him." 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.
28 After thinking it over, the king had two golden calves made. He announced to the people, "You do not need to travel all the way to Jerusalem anymore. Look, Israel -- here are your gods who rescued you from Egypt!" 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.
29 He placed one golden calf in Bethel and the other in Dan. And he set the one in Beth-el, and the other put he in Dan.
30 This became a terrible sin. People traveled all the way to Dan to worship in front of the calf. And this thing became a sin: for the people went to worship before the one, even unto Dan.
31 Jeroboam built shrines on hilltops. He picked priests from common people. They were not from the tribe of Levi. 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.
32 He invented a festival on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, modeled after the festival in Judah. He personally offered sacrifices at the altar in Bethel to the calves he had made. He also stationed his appointed priests at the Bethel shrines. 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 Beth-el, sacrificing unto the calves that he had made: and he placed in Beth-el the priests of the high places which he had made.
33 On the fifteenth of the eighth month — a date he picked on his own — Jeroboam offered sacrifices on the altar he built in Bethel. He made up this feast for Israel and went up himself to burn incense. So he offered upon the altar which he had made in Beth-el 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.
Key Themes
Themes in 1 Kings 12
The catastrophic consequences of arrogant leadershipRejecting wise counsel in favor of peer pressureReligious compromise for political convenienceGod's sovereignty working even through human foolishness
Apply This Today
Living 1 Kings 12
Rehoboam's decision to listen to his inexperienced friends instead of wise elders split the nation permanently. The voices we choose to listen to will shape our future. When facing important decisions, we should seek out people with proven wisdom and experience, not just those who tell us what we want to hear.
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