Rehoboam and Jeroboam were two kings who ruled over the divided kingdom of Israel after the death of King Solomon. Their story is told in 1 Kings chapters 11-14 and 2 Chronicles chapters 9-13 in the Bible.
After Solomon’s death, his son Rehoboam became king over the united kingdom of Israel. However, the people asked Rehoboam to lighten the heavy burdens and forced labor that Solomon had placed on them. Rehoboam consulted with his father’s advisors, who advised him to be kind and gain the favor of the people. But Rehoboam ignored this advice and said he would be even harsher than his father Solomon had been (1 Kings 12:1-15).
Because of Rehoboam’s harsh words, ten of the tribes rebelled against him and made Jeroboam their king instead. Only the tribes of Judah and Benjamin remained loyal to Rehoboam. This divided the kingdom into the northern kingdom of Israel ruled by Jeroboam, comprising ten tribes, and the southern kingdom of Judah ruled by Rehoboam, comprising two tribes (1 Kings 12:16-24).
Even though the kingdom was divided, Rehoboam tried to regain control over the northern tribes by gathering an army to fight against Israel. God sent a prophet named Shemaiah to forbid this civil war and Rehoboam listened (1 Kings 12:21-24). Jeroboam took action to consolidate his rule over the northern kingdom of Israel. He established Shechem as his capital and later moved it to Tirzah. He instituted idol worship with golden calves at Bethel and Dan so the people would not travel to Jerusalem to worship. He appointed his own priests and established new festivals to discourage the people from going to Jerusalem. The Bible condemns Jeroboam for leading the people into idolatry (1 Kings 12:25-33).
There was continual war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam throughout their reigns (1 Kings 14:30). Rehoboam reigned over Judah in Jerusalem for 17 years. The Bible says he did evil in the sight of the Lord by abandoning God’s laws and commands (1 Kings 14:21-24). Jeroboam reigned over Israel in Shechem for 22 years. The Bible says he caused Israel to sin greatly against God by instituting idol worship (1 Kings 14:20).
After Rehoboam’s death, his son Abijah became the next king over Judah. He reigned for 3 years and continued in the sins of his father Rehoboam (1 Kings 15:1-8). After Jeroboam’s death, his son Nadab became the next king over Israel. But he reigned for only 2 years before being assassinated by Baasha, who took over the northern kingdom (1 Kings 15:25-28).
The division of the kingdom after Solomon’s death was ultimately rooted in the sins of Solomon himself. Although blessed with great wisdom and wealth, Solomon’s many wives turned his heart away from the Lord in his older years (1 Kings 11:1-8). After Solomon’s death, the Lord said he would tear most of the kingdom away from Solomon’s son as punishment, while allowing the son to maintain rule over one tribe for the sake of David (1 Kings 11:9-13). This prophecy was fulfilled when ten tribes rebelled against Rehoboam and established Jeroboam as king over Israel.
Some key lessons from the story of Rehoboam and Jeroboam include:
– The importance of seeking and heeding wise counsel, as Rehoboam failed to do.
– The disastrous consequences of idolatry and false worship, as exemplified by Jeroboam.
– The tendency of human kings and rulers to lead their nations into sin and disobedience to God.
– God’s commitment to punish sin while also showing mercy and preserving a remnant, as seen in the division of the kingdom.
– The reassurance that despite human failings, God’s purposes and promises ultimately prevail.
In later centuries after Rehoboam and Jeroboam’s reigns, their sins and the sins of their people eventually led God to send foreign powers to overtake both Israel and Judah in exile. Yet God remained faithful to the covenant He established with David, ultimately raising up Jesus the Messiah as a descendant of David’s royal line. Jesus came to establish His eternal kingdom of righteousness, redeeming people from every tribe and nation by His sacrifice on the cross.
While Rehoboam and Jeroboam illustrate the tragedies of human greed and unfaithfulness, the legacy of Jesus Christ offers hope of healing and restoration for all who put their trust in Him. As Solomon himself wrote in Proverbs, “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people” (Proverbs 14:34). The stories of Israel’s kings remind us to walk in the light of God’s wisdom, truth and mercy.
1. The United Kingdom under Solomon
King Solomon reigned over a united kingdom of Israel after the death of his father David. Solomon consolidated power through political marriages and alliances (1 Kings 3:1). He was known for great wisdom, wealth, and building projects, including the temple in Jerusalem (1 Kings 4-7). The kingdom reached its greatest geographical extent under Solomon’s rule (1 Kings 4:21). However, in Solomon’s later years “his wives turned away his heart after other gods” (1 Kings 11:4). He built high places of worship for foreign gods such as Molech and Chemosh (1 Kings 11:7-8). So after Solomon died, his son Rehoboam faced turmoil and unrest among the people.
2. The Northern Tribes Rebel against Rehoboam
When Rehoboam succeeded his father Solomon as king, the northern tribes of Israel asked him to lighten the harsh labor and taxes imposed by Solomon. Rehoboam consulted the elders who advised him to grant the people’s request. But he rejected their advice and said, “My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions” (1 Kings 12:14).
Because of this harsh response, the ten northern tribes rebelled and made Jeroboam, who had earlier led an uprising against Solomon (1 Kings 11:26-40), their new king. Only the southern tribes of Judah and Benjamin remained loyal to Rehoboam and the house of David (1 Kings 12:16-20). Jeroboam established Shechem as the new capital in the north.
3. Jeroboam’s False Worship Centers
Jeroboam took steps to consolidate his power and discourage northerners from traveling to Jerusalem to worship. He made two golden calves for worship at Dan and Bethel, saying “Here are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt” (1 Kings 12:28). Jeroboam appointed non-Levite priests and established a new festival on the fifteenth day of the eighth month as an alternative to the Festival of Tabernacles in Judah (1 Kings 12:31-33).
“This thing became a sin; the people went even as far as Dan to be before one” of the idols (1 Kings 12:30). The Bible condemns Jeroboam for leading Israel into idolatry and “sinning and making Israel to sin” (1 Kings 14:16). Jeroboam’s cultic innovations left a legacy of false religion in Israel.
4. Continuous War between the Two Kingdoms
Rehoboam assembled an army of 180,000 men to fight against Israel and restore his rule over the northern tribes (1 Kings 12:21). But the prophet Shemaiah, speaking for God, forbid this civil war, saying “You shall not go up or fight against your relatives the people of Israel” (1 Kings 12:24). So while the division was established, relations remained antagonistic between Judah and Israel.
“There was continual war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all their days” (1 Kings 14:30). Border skirmishes broke out frequently. Judah was strengthened by remaining faithful to Davidic kingship and the temple in Jerusalem, while Israel was weakened by dynastic instability and false religion.
5. The Apostasy of Rehoboam in Judah
Though spared from destruction in battle, Rehoboam failed spiritually during his 17 year reign in Jerusalem. “He did evil because he did not set his heart to seek the Lord” (2 Chronicles 12:14). Judah’s sins included building pagan high places, sacred pillars, and Asherah poles (1 Kings 14:22-24). A major invasion by Egypt humbled Rehoboam and Judah as divine punishment (2 Chronicles 12:1-12).
However, Rehoboam retained the loyalty of priests and Levites from all Israel who “set their hearts to seek the Lord” (2 Chronicles 11:13-17). Judah thus benefitted from faithful spiritual leadership that was lacking in the north under Jeroboam.
6. Dynastic Changes in Israel and Judah
Jeroboam reigned for 22 years over Israel in the north (1 Kings 14:20). However, his son Nadab only reigned for two years before being killed by Baasha, who then killed all of Jeroboam’s family (1 Kings 15:25-29). This Dynasty established by Jeroboam was wiped out due to their sins.
Meanwhile in Judah, Rehoboam’s son Abijah succeeded him as king and reigned for three years (1 Kings 14:31). Hostilities continued with Israel during Abijah’s reign (2 Chronicles 13:1-22). Abijah’s rhetoric suggests Judah saw itself as the legitimate kingdom worshiping God, while Israel was in rebellion and false worship.
After Abijah, his son Asa became the third king over Judah. Asa led extensive religious reforms against pagan practices, even deposing his grandmother Maacah from being queen mother due to her idolatry (1 Kings 15:9-15). But Judah still faced invasion from Israel during Asa’s long reign.
7. Consequences of Solomon’s Sins
The ultimate source of the divided kingdom was Solomon himself. Despite unparalleled wisdom and prestige, “his wives turned away his heart after other gods” (1 Kings 11:4). Yahweh told Solomon he would “surely tear the kingdom from you and give it to your servant” as punishment, while leaving one tribe for his son’s sake (1 Kings 11:9-13).
Solomon failed to fully obey and teach God’s law. The blessings of his reign became a source of spiritual complacency. Rehoboam and Jeroboam both continued the idolatry he modeled in his later years. The kingdom’s fracture resulted from Solomon’s departure from wholehearted loyalty to Yahweh.
8. God’s Judgment and Mercy
The division of the kingdom was an act of divine judgment due to the widespread apostasy in Israel. Jeroboam’s idolatry was a flagrant violation of the commandments against graven images (Exodus 20:4-6). Allowing such open rebellion against His covenant would be unfaithful on God’s part.
Yet God showed mercy by leaving a remnant of two tribes under the Davidic king in Jerusalem. This preserved the messianic line leading to Jesus. God also sent prophets like Elijah and Elisha to condemn evil and call Israel to repentance. Judgment contained mercy for the sake of God’s ultimate plan of redemption.
9. Lessons for Today
This historical story contains timeless warnings and lessons:
- The dangers of idolatry and false religion leading to divine judgment.
- The corruption of power without accountability and ethics.
- The importance of wisdom and seeking counsel from godly advisors.
- How godly leadership shapes the faith of a nation.
- Staying true to God’s Word despite surrounding unfaithfulness.
- God’s justice and mercy displayed in judgment.
As Solomon wrote, “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people” (Proverbs 14:34). The divided kingdom remains a sober lesson in the importance of faithfulness to God and His Word.
10. A Kingdom Divided and the Promise of Redemption
After Solomon’s death around 930 B.C., tensions between north and south escalated until the united monarchy split. Jeroboam ruled ten northern tribes from Israel’s new capital of Shechem, later moving to Tirzah. Southern Judah remained under the Davidic dynasty in Jerusalem, ruled from Rehoboam onward.
This fracture was rooted in Solomon’s sins but also served God’s redemptive plan. Preserving a godly Davidic king in Jerusalem pointed toward Jesus as the ultimate son of David. Despite human failures, God’s purposes prevailed. The prophets called all Israelites to return to true faith in Yahweh.
Through the divided kingdom era, God prepared the way ultimately for the Messiah. Jesus came as the righteous king to establish an eternal kingdom, available to all who trust in Him. The brokenness of sinful kingdoms points to our need for Christ’s spiritual rule. God works through fallen humanity to accomplish His saving purposes.