Israel Rebels Against Rehoboam. 2 Chronicles 10:1-19

Transcription

1 1 Israel Rebels Against Rehoboam 2 Chronicles 10:1-19

2 2 Text: 2 Chronicles 10:1-19, Israel Rebels Against Rehoboam 1. for all Israel had gathered in Shechem to make Rehoboam king. 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. 3. They sent for him and Jeroboam and all Israel came and spoke to Rehoboam, saying, 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. 5. He said to them, Go away for three days, then return to me. So the people went away. 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? 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. 8. But Rehoboam rejected their advice and consulted the young advisers who served him, with whom he had grown up. 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? 10. The young advisers with whom Rehoboam had grown up said to him, Say this to these people who have said to

3 3 you, Your father made us work hard, but now lighten our burden say this to them: I am a lot harsher than my father! 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. 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. 13. The king responded to the people harshly. He rejected the advice of the older men 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. 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. 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. 17. (Rehoboam continued to rule over the Israelites who lived in the cities of Judah.) 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.

4 So Israel has been in rebellion against the Davidic dynasty to this very day. (NET) Introduction: I. Parallel reference: A. 1 Kings 12:1-20, Rehoboam traveled to Shechem, for all Israel had gathered in Shechem to make Rehoboam king. When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard the news, he was still in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon and had been living ever since. They sent for him, and Jeroboam and the whole Israelite assembly came and spoke to Rehoboam, saying, 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. He said to them, Go away for three days, then return to me. So the people went away. 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? They said to him, Today if you show a willingness to help these people and grant their request, they will be your servants from this time forward. But Rehoboam rejected their advice and consulted the young advisers who served him, with whom he had grown up. 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 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

5 5 this to them: I am a lot harsher than my father! 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. 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. The king responded to the people harshly. He rejected the advice of the older men 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 refused to listen to the people, because the Lord 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. 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 Israel returned to their homes. (Rehoboam continued to rule over the Israelites who lived in the cities of Judah.) King Rehoboam sent Adoniram, the supervisor of the work crews, out after them, but all Israel stoned him to death. King Rehoboam managed to jump into his chariot and escape to Jerusalem. So Israel has been in rebellion against the Davidic dynasty to this very day. When all Israel heard that Jeroboam had returned, they summoned him to the assembly and made him king

6 6 over all Israel. No one except the tribe of Judah remained loyal to the Davidic dynasty. (NET) II. The Golden Age of Israel was the United Monarchy under David and Solomon, Hicks wrote. A. However, Solomon s reign while glorious in many ways left much to be desired. 1. Solomon s shortcomings led to the division of the kingdom upon his death. 2. The Chronicler, as he wrote to the post-exilic community, was more interested in principles by which restoration might take place rather than in troubles that had befallen the nation. (See Selman via Hicks.) 3. The Chronicler called the post-exilic community to unity on the basis of the Law of Moses, Torah, and the royal dynasty, lineage of David. 4. Hicks wrote, The Chronicler is interested in redemption, restoration, and healing. 5. The Chronicler is urgently concerned about uniting any remaining Israelites in the north with those returning from exile in the south. (See Hicks.) B. Solomon did many wonderful things for Israel, but his idolatries, heavy taxation and forced labor of Israelites and numerous other departures from God s way left God s people ripe for a devastating division.

7 7 III. Israel s history under kings can be divided into three phrases; viz., A. the pre-davidic era. B. the David-Solomon era. C. the divided monarchy, north and south, until the Assyrian and Babylonian captivities. (See McConville.) Note: Rehoboam was in some ways typical of the kings to follow him in Jerusalem and of the kings reigning in the north in regard to departures from God s will. 2 Chronicles concentrates on the kings of Judah, David s descendants. (See McConville.) Commentary: 2 Chronicles 10:1, for all Israel had gathered in Shechem to make Rehoboam king. (NET) I. Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all the Israelites had gone there to make him king. A. Why did all Israel (representatives of all the tribes) gather at Shechem instead of Jerusalem to crown Rehoboam? 1. Hicks concluded that Rehoboam probably went to Shechem to celebrate the renewal of the Davidic covenant. 2. Shechem, in the territory of Ephraim, was an historic site of great importance to Israel, a military, political and religious center from ancient Israel. (Dillard)

8 8 a. Genesis 12:6-7, Abram traveled through the land as far as the oak tree of Moreh at Shechem. (At that time the Canaanites were in the land.) The Lord appeared to Abram and said, To your descendants I will give this land. So Abram built an altar there to the Lord, who had appeared to him. (NET) b. Genesis 33:18-20, After he left Paddan Aram, Jacob came safely to the city of Shechem in the land of Canaan, and he camped near the city. Then he purchased the portion of the field where he had pitched his tent; he bought it from the sons of Hamor, Shechem s father, for a hundred pieces of money. There he set up an altar and called it The God of Israel is God. (NET) c. Joshua 24:26, Joshua wrote these words in the Law Scroll of God. He then took a large stone and set it up there under the oak tree near the Lord s shrine. (NET) d. Acts 7:15, 16, So Jacob went down to Egypt and died there, along with our ancestors, and their bones were later moved to Shechem and placed in the tomb that Abraham had bought for a certain sum of money from the sons of Hamor in Shechem. (NET)

9 9 e. Joshua 24:1-27, tribes at Shechem. He summoned Israel s elders, rulers, judges, and leaders, and they appeared before God. Joshua told all the people, Here is what the Lord God of Israel says: In the distant past your ancestors lived beyond the Euphrates River, including Terah the father of Abraham and Nahor. They worshiped other gods, but I took your father Abraham from beyond the Euphrates and brought him into the entire land of Canaan. I made his descendants numerous; I gave him Isaac, and to Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. To Esau I assigned Mount Seir, while Jacob and his sons went down to Egypt. I sent Moses and Aaron, and I struck Egypt down when I intervened in their land. Then I brought you out. When I brought your fathers out of Egypt, you arrived at the sea. The Egyptians chased your fathers with chariots and horsemen to the Red Sea. Your fathers cried out for help to the Lord; he made the area between you and the Egyptians dark, and then drowned them in the sea. You witnessed with your very own eyes what I did in Egypt. You lived in the wilderness for a long time. Then I brought you to the land of the Amorites who lived east of the Jordan. They fought with you, but I handed them over to you; you conquered their land and I destroyed them from before you. Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, launched an attack against Israel. He summoned Balaam son of Beor to call down

10 10 judgment on you. I refused to respond to Balaam; he kept prophesying good things about you, and I rescued you from his power. You crossed the Jordan and came to Jericho. The leaders of Jericho, as well as the Amorites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hittites, Girgashites, Hivites, and Jebusites, fought with you, but I handed them over to you. I sent terror ahead of you to drive out before you the two Amorite kings. I gave you the victory; it was not by your swords or bows. I gave you a land in which you had not worked hard; you took up residence in cities you did not build and you are eating the produce of vineyards and olive groves you did not plant. Now obey the Lord and worship him with integrity and loyalty. Put aside the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates and in Egypt and worship the Lord. If you have no desire to worship the Lord, choose today whom you will worship, whether it be the gods whom your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living. But I and my family will worship the Lord! The people responded, Far be it from us to abandon the Lord so we can worship other gods! For the Lord our God took us and our fathers out of slavery in the land of Egypt and performed these awesome miracles before our very eyes. He continually protected us as we traveled and when we passed through

11 11 nations. The Lord drove out from before us all the nations, including the Amorites who lived in the land. So we too will worship the Lord, for he is our God! Joshua warned the people, You will not keep worshiping the Lord, for he is a holy God. He is a jealous God who will not forgive your rebellion or your sins. If you abandon the Lord and worship foreign gods, he will turn against you; he will bring disaster on you and destroy you, though he once treated you well. The people said to Joshua, No! We really will worship the Lord! Joshua said to the people, Do you agree to be witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen to worship the Lord? They replied, We are witnesses! Joshua said, Now put aside the foreign gods that are among you and submit to the Lord God of Israel. The people said to Joshua, We will worship the Lord our God and obey him. That day Joshua drew up an agreement for the people, and he established rules and regulations for them in Shechem. Joshua wrote these words in the Law Scroll of God. He then took a large stone and set it up there under the oak tree near the Lord s shrine. Joshua said to all the people, Look, this stone will be a witness against you, for it has heard everything the Lord said to us. It will be a witness against you if you deny your God. (NET)

12 12 f. John 4:5, 20, Now he came to a Samaritan town called Sychar, near the plot of land that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you people say that the place where people must worship is in Jerusalem. (NET) 3. Jerusalem was the city of David. a. Perhaps Israel chose Shechem as a more neutral but historic place for Israel s negotiating with Rehoboam. B. Rehoboam was Solomon s son by Naamah, an Ammonite princess Kings 14:21, 31, Now Rehoboam son of Solomon ruled in Judah. He was forty-one years old when he became king and he ruled for seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city the Lord chose from all the tribes of Israel to be his home. His mother was an Ammonite woman named Naamah. Rehoboam passed away and was buried with his ancestors in the City of David. His mother was an Ammonite named Naamah. His son Abijah replaced him as king. (NET) 2 Chronicles 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. (NET) I. When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard this, he returned from Egypt.

13 13 A. 1 Kings 12:2, When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard the news, he was still in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon and had been living ever since. (NET) II. (he was in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon). A. 1 Kings 11:26-40, Jeroboam son of Nebat, one of Solomon s servants, rebelled against the king. He was an Ephraimite from Zeredah whose mother was a widow named Zeruah. This is what prompted him to rebel against the king: Solomon built a terrace and he closed up a gap in the wall of the city of his father David. Jeroboam was a talented man; when Solomon saw that the young man was an accomplished worker, he made him the leader of the work crew from the tribe of Joseph. At that time, when Jeroboam had left Jerusalem, the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite met him on the road; the two of them were alone in the open country. Ahijah was wearing a brand new robe, and he grabbed the robe and tore it into twelve pieces. Then he told Jeroboam, Take ten pieces, for this is what the Lord God of Israel says: Look, I am about to tear the kingdom from Solomon s hand and I will give ten tribes to you. He will retain one tribe, for my servant David s sake and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel. I am taking the kingdom from him because they have abandoned me and worshiped the Sidonian goddess Astarte, the Moabite god Chemosh, and the Ammonite god Milcom. They have not followed my instructions by doing what I

14 14 approve and obeying my rules and regulations, like Solomon s father David did. I will not take the whole kingdom from his hand. I will allow him to be ruler for the rest of his life for the sake of my chosen servant David who kept my commandments and rules. I will take the kingdom from the hand of his son and give ten tribes to you. I will leave his son one tribe so my servant David s dynasty may continue to serve me in Jerusalem, the city I have chosen as my home. I will select you; you will rule over all you desire to have and you will be king over Israel. You must obey all I command you to do, follow my instructions, do what I approve, and keep my rules and commandments, like my servant David did. Then I will be with you and establish for you a lasting dynasty, as I did for David; I will give you Israel. I will humiliate David s descendants because of this, but not forever. Solomon tried to kill Jeroboam, but Jeroboam escaped to Egypt and found refuge with King Shishak of Egypt. He stayed in Egypt until Solomon died. (NET) 2 Chronicles 10:3, They sent for him and Jeroboam and all Israel came and spoke to Rehoboam, saying, (NET) I. So they sent for Jeroboam, and he and all Israel went to Rehoboam and said to him: A. Jeroboam had rebelled against Solomon and now takes advantage of a wonderful opportunity to resume his political role in Israel.

15 Many turbulent and ungrateful spirits found fault with the government and sought redress of their grievances. (See Matthew Henry.) B. Solomon had brought peace to the land and had achieved many wonderful improvements for Israel. 1. These were evidently not a major topic of discussion on this occasion. 2. Where is a, Thank you, Solomon? 2 Chronicles 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. (NET) I. Your father put a heavy yoke on us, but now lighten the harsh labor and the heavy yoke he put on us,... A. This language reminds readers of slavery Israel endured in Egypt. 1. Exodus 5:9, Make the work harder for the men so they will keep at it and pay no attention to lying words! (NET) 2. Exodus 6:6-9, Therefore, tell the Israelites, I am the Lord. I will bring you out from your enslavement to the Egyptians, I will rescue you from the hard labor they impose, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments. I will take you to myself for a people, and I will be your God. Then you will

16 16 know that I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from your enslavement to the Egyptians. I will bring you to the land I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob and I will give it to you as a possession. I am the Lord! Moses told this to the Israelites, but they did not listen to him because of their discouragement and hard labor. (NET) 3. Leviticus 26:13, I am the Lord your God who brought you out from the land of Egypt, from being their slaves, and I broke the bars of your yoke and caused you to walk upright. (NET) 4. The charge was that Solomon and Pharaoh had treated Israel in similar ways. (See Hicks.) B. References to the harsh forced labor include the following: 1. 1 Kings 4:6, 7, 13-16, Ahishar was supervisor of the palace. Adoniram son of Abda was supervisor of the work crews. Solomon had twelve district governors appointed throughout Israel who acquired supplies for the king and his palace. Each was responsible for one month in the year. Ben Geber was in charge of Ramoth Gilead; he controlled the villages of Jair son of Manasseh in Gilead, as well as the region of Argob in Bashan, including sixty large walled cities with bronze bars locking their gates. Ahinadab son of Iddo was in charge of Mahanaim. Ahimaaz was in charge of Naphtali.

17 17 (He married Solomon s daughter Basemath.) Baana son of Hushai was in charge of Asher and Aloth. (NET) 2. 1 Kings 11:27, 28, This is what prompted him to rebel against the king: Solomon built a terrace and he closed up a gap in the wall of the city of his father David. Jeroboam was a talented man; when Solomon saw that the young man was an accomplished worker, he made him the leader of the work crew from the tribe of Joseph. (NET) 3. 1 Kings 4:19-28, Geber son of Uri was in charge of the land of Gilead (the territory which had once belonged to King Sihon of the Amorites and to King Og of Bashan). He was sole governor of the area. The people of Judah and Israel were as innumerable as the sand on the seashore; they had plenty to eat and drink and were happy. Solomon ruled all the kingdoms from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt. These kingdoms paid tribute as Solomon s subjects throughout his lifetime. Each day Solomon s royal court consumed thirty cors of finely milled flour, sixty cors of cereal, ten calves fattened in the stall, twenty calves from the pasture, and a hundred sheep, not to mention rams, gazelles, deer, and well-fed birds. His royal court was so large because he ruled over all the kingdoms west of the Euphrates River from Tiphsah to Gaza; he was at peace with all his neighbors. All the people of Judah and Israel had security;

18 18 everyone from Dan to Beer Sheba enjoyed the produce of their vines and fig trees throughout Solomon s lifetime. Solomon had 4,000 stalls for his chariot horses and 12,000 horses. The district governors acquired supplies for King Solomon and all who ate in his royal palace. Each was responsible for one month in the year; they made sure nothing was lacking. 28 Each one also brought to the assigned location his quota of barley and straw for the various horses. (NET) C. Manumission was not uncommon among certain ancient nations and it may be that Jeroboam had reference to that practice on this occasion. (Dillard) II. and we will serve you. A. Israel gave Rehoboam an ultimatum: Treat us with justice and fairness and we will serve you. Otherwise, we will not serve you. (See Hicks.) 2 Chronicles 10:5, He said to them, Go away for three days, then return to me. So the people went away. (NET) I. Rehoboam answered, Come back to me in three days. A. It has been said that this is one of the few things Rehoboam did right. 1. However, it did not take a genius to ask for a little time to figure out a response to a simple question the answer to which escaped Rehoboam.

19 Rehoboam appears to have had a five gallon head and a ten gallon hat; that is, a person whose ability did not well prepare him to serve as king. II. So the people went away. 2 Chronicles 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? (NET) I. Then King Rehoboam consulted the elders who had served his father Solomon during his lifetime. A. These Advisors were mature and experienced in government service under King Solomon. 1. Their advice here was sound and wise. 2. Job 12:12, Is not wisdom found among the aged? Does not long life bring understanding? (NET) 3. However, judging from Solomon s record, it appears that either their advice had not always been good or Solomon had not always taken their advice. II. How would you advise me to answer these people? he asked.

20 Chronicles 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. (NET) I. They replied, If you will be kind to these people and please them and give them a favorable answer,... A. Parallel reference: 1. 1 Kings 11:7, Furthermore, on the hill east of Jerusalem Solomon built a high place for the detestable Moabite god Chemosh and for the detestable Ammonite god Milcom. (NET) B. Rehoboam was forty-one (41) years of age when he became king, old enough to know prudent from dumb Kings 14:21, Now Rehoboam son of Solomon ruled in Judah. He was forty-one years old when he became king and he ruled for seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city the Lord chose from all the tribes of Israel to be his home. His mother was an Ammonite woman named Naamah. (NET) 2. 1 Kings 12:13, The king responded to the people harshly. He rejected the advice of the older men (NET) 3. However, 1 Chronicles 13:7 says that, at this time, Rehoboam... was young and indecisive and not strong enough to resist them. C. The people asked Rehoboam to be:...

21 kind, please the people, a servant to the people, and...give the people a favorable answer to their request. D. If Rehoboam had agreed to these terms, Israel would have served him forever. 1. The senior advisors would have preserved the kingdom had Rehoboam heeded their counsel. 2. Israel, Jamieson, Fausset and Brown wrote, was asking for reasonable concessions, redress of their grievances, and restoration of their unabridged liberties. 3. in return Israel promised unwavering allegiance. II. they will always be your servants. A. The elders gave Rehoboam good advice, but Rehoboam was not wise enough to see it for what it was. 1. Matthew Henry wrote, Moderate counsels are generally wisest and best. Goodness will do what violence will not do. 2 Chronicles 10:8, But Rehoboam rejected their advice and consulted the young advisers who served him, with whom he had grown up. (NET)

22 22 I. But Rehoboam rejected the advice the elders gave him and consulted the young men who had grown up with him and were serving him. A. This group appears to have been Rehoboam s halfbrothers or royal princes. (See Malamat via Hicks.) B. Compare Ahab s seventy (70) sons and the practice in Babylon with Rehoboam s young men who had grown up with him Kings 10:1-6, Ahab had seventy sons living in Samaria. So Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria to the leading officials of Jezreel and to the guardians of Ahab s dynasty. This is what the letters said, You have with you the sons of your master, chariots and horses, a fortified city, and weapons. So when this letter arrives, pick the best and most capable of your master s sons, place him on his father s throne, and defend your master s dynasty. They were absolutely terrified and said, Look, two kings could not stop him! How can we? So the palace supervisor, the city commissioner, the leaders, and the guardians sent this message to Jehu, We are your subjects! Whatever you say, we will do. We will not make anyone king. Do what you consider proper. He wrote them a second letter, saying, If you are really on my side and are willing to obey me, then take the heads of your master s sons and come to me in Jezreel at this time tomorrow. Now the king had seventy sons, and

23 23 the prominent men of the city were raising them. (NET) 2. Daniel 1:3-4, The king commanded Ashpenaz, who was in charge of his court officials, to choose some of the Israelites who were of royal and noble descent 4 young men in whom there was no physical defect and who were handsome, well versed in all kinds of wisdom, well educated and having keen insight, and who were capable of entering the king s royal service and to teach them the literature and language of the Babylonians. (NET) 2 Chronicles 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? (NET) I. He asked them, What is your advice? II. How should we answer these people who say to me, Lighten the yoke your father put on us? 2 Chronicles 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! (NET) I. The young men who had grown up with him replied,... A. Isaiah 3:4-5, The Lord says, I will make youths their officials; malicious young men will rule over

24 24 them. The people will treat each other harshly; men will oppose each other; neighbors will fight. Youths will proudly defy the elderly and riffraff will challenge those who were once respected. (NET) II. Tell the people who have said to you, Your father put a heavy yoke on us, but make our yoke lighter tell them,... III. My little finger is thicker than my father s waist. 2 Chronicles 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. (NET) I. My father laid on you a heavy yoke; I will make it even heavier. II. My father scourged you with whips; I will scourge you with scorpions. A. Some think the scorpions of this verse were whips with weights or barbs attached, but this is not certain. (Dillard) B. Rehoboam was advised to increase the burdens upon the people, to increase their servitude and taxation. 2 Chronicles 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. (NET)

25 25 I. Three days later Jeroboam and all the people returned to Rehoboam, as the king had said, Come back to me in three days. 2 Chronicles 10:13, The king responded to the people harshly. He rejected the advice of the older men (NET) I. The king answered them harshly. A. Rehoboam was not smart enough and/or emotionally mature enough to know the difference between good advice and bad (horrible) advice. 1. The result was the division of the nation! B. Rehoboam was a sad excuse for a politician, much less a statesman! 1. What reasonable, rational politician would answer his people harshly when the kingdom was ready to split? 2. Rehoboam chose selfishness over service and came out an abject loser! (See Hicks.) C. Rehoboam had not heeded his father s instruction. 1. Proverbs 15:1, A gentle response turns away anger, but a harsh word stirs up wrath. (NET) II. Rejecting the advice of the elders,... 2 Chronicles 10:14, and followed the advice of the younger ones. He said, My father imposed heavy

26 26 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. (NET) I. he followed the advice of the young men and said,... II. My father made your yoke heavy; I will make it even heavier. III. My father scourged you with whips; I will scourge you with scorpions. IV. This is a somewhat sour note in that sweet symphony of The Glory of Solomon, Coffman wrote. A. Solomon enslaved Israelites as well as foreigners. (Coffman) 1. Coffman further wrote, If Solomon had been whipping only the descendants of the Canaanites, there is hardly any possibility that Jeroboam and the other Israelites would have been at all concerned about it. 2 Chronicles 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. (NET) I. So the king did not listen to the people, for this turn of events was from God,... A. God was now bringing about events necessitated by Solomon s sins.

27 God both foreknew that these events would transpire and foreordained them because of Solomon s sins. 2. However, all involved were acting according to their own free wills obeying their own wills and passions. (See Jamieson, Fausset and Brown.) II. to fulfill the word the Lord had spoken to Jeroboam son of Nebat through Ahijah the Shilonite. A. 1 Kings 11:9-39, The Lord was angry with Solomon because he had shifted his allegiance away from the Lord, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him on two occasions and had warned him about this very thing, so that he would not follow other gods. But he did not obey the Lord s command. So the Lord said to Solomon, Because you insist on doing these things and have not kept the covenantal rules I gave you, I will surely tear the kingdom away from you and give it to your servant. However, for your father David s sake I will not do this while you are alive. I will tear it away from your son s hand instead. But I will not tear away the entire kingdom; I will leave your son one tribe for my servant David s sake and for the sake of my chosen city Jerusalem. The Lord brought against Solomon an enemy, Hadad the Edomite, a descendant of the Edomite king. During David s campaign against Edom, Joab, the commander of the army, while on a mission to bury the dead, killed every male in Edom. For six months Joab and the entire Israelite army stayed there until they had exterminated every male in Edom. Hadad, who was

28 28 only a small boy at the time, escaped with some of his father s Edomite servants and headed for Egypt. They went from Midian to Paran; they took some men from Paran and went to Egypt. Pharaoh, king of Egypt, supplied him with a house and food and even assigned him some land. Pharaoh liked Hadad so well he gave him his sister-in-law (Queen Tahpenes sister) as a wife. Tahpenes sister gave birth to his son, named Genubath. Tahpenes raised him in Pharaoh s palace; Genubath grew up in Pharaoh s palace among Pharaoh s sons. While in Egypt Hadad heard that David had passed away and that Joab, the commander of the army, was dead. So Hadad asked Pharaoh, Give me permission to leave so I can return to my homeland. Pharaoh said to him, What do you lack here that makes you want to go to your homeland? Hadad replied, Nothing, but please give me permission to leave. God also brought against Solomon another enemy, Rezon son of Eliada who had run away from his master, King Hadadezer of Zobah. He gathered some men and organized a raiding band. When David tried to kill them, they went to Damascus, where they settled down and gained control of the city. He was Israel s enemy throughout Solomon s reign and, like Hadad, caused trouble. He loathed Israel and ruled over Syria. Jeroboam son of Nebat, one of Solomon s servants, rebelled against the king. He was an Ephraimite from Zeredah whose mother was a widow named Zeruah. This is what prompted him to rebel against the king: Solomon built a terrace and he closed up a gap in the wall of the city of his father David. Jeroboam was a talented man; when Solomon saw that the young

29 29 man was an accomplished worker, he made him the leader of the work crew from the tribe of Joseph. At that time, when Jeroboam had left Jerusalem, the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite met him on the road; the two of them were alone in the open country. Ahijah was wearing a brand new robe, and he grabbed the robe and tore it into twelve pieces. Then he told Jeroboam, Take ten pieces, for this is what the Lord God of Israel says: Look, I am about to tear the kingdom from Solomon s hand and I will give ten tribes to you. He will retain one tribe, for my servant David s sake and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel. I am taking the kingdom from him because they have abandoned me and worshiped the Sidonian goddess Astarte, the Moabite god Chemosh, and the Ammonite god Milcom. They have not followed my instructions by doing what I approve and obeying my rules and regulations, like Solomon s father David did. 34 I will not take the whole kingdom from his hand. I will allow him to be ruler for the rest of his life for the sake of my chosen servant David who kept my commandments and rules. I will take the kingdom from the hand of his son and give ten tribes to you. I will leave his son one tribe so my servant David s dynasty may continue to serve me in Jerusalem, the city I have chosen as my home. I will select you; you will rule over all you desire to have and you will be king over Israel. You must obey all I command you to do, follow my instructions, do what I approve, and keep my rules and commandments, like my servant David did. Then I will be with you and establish for you a lasting dynasty, as I did for

30 30 David; I will give you Israel. I will humiliate David s descendants because of this, but not forever. (NET) B. God well knew in advance that these things were going to happen and were punishments upon the house of David for Solomon s apostasy. (See Jamieson, Fausset and Brown.) 2 Chronicles 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. (NET) I. When all Israel saw that the king refused to listen to them, they answered the king:... II. What share do we have in David, what part in Jesse s son?... A. 2 Samuel 20:1-2, Now a wicked man named Sheba son of Bicri, a Benjaminite, happened to be there. He blew the trumpet and said, We have no share in David; we have no inheritance in this son of Jesse! Every man go home, O Israel! So all the men of Israel deserted David and followed Sheba son of Bicri. But the men of Judah stuck by their king all the way from the Jordan River to Jerusalem. (NET) B. The Pulpit Commentary reads, The use, and especially repeated use, of the names David, Jesse, David plainly speaks of tribal rivalry, if not jealousy.

31 McConville wrote that these statements reflect northern sentiments. C. Others had rejected David s authority. 1. Nabal. 2. Sheba a. 1 Samuel 25:10, But Nabal responded to David s servants, Who is David, and who is this son of Jesse? This is a time when many servants are breaking away from their masters! (NET) a. 2 Samuel 20:1, Now a wicked man named Sheba son of Bicri, a Benjaminite, happened to be there. He blew the trumpet and said, We have no share in David; we have no inheritance in this son of Jesse! Every man go home, O Israel! (NET) III. To your tents, O Israel! Look after your own house, O David! A. 1 Kings 11:36-39, Jeroboam son of Nebat, one of Solomon s servants, rebelled against the king. He was an Ephraimite from Zeredah whose mother was a widow named Zeruah. This is what prompted him to rebel against the king: Solomon built a terrace and he closed up a gap in the wall of the city of his father David. Jeroboam was a talented man; when Solomon saw that the young man was an accomplished

32 32 worker, he made him the leader of the work crew from the tribe of Joseph. At that time, when Jeroboam had left Jerusalem, the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite met him on the road; the two of them were alone in the open country. Ahijah was wearing a brand new robe, and he grabbed the robe and tore it into twelve pieces. Then he told Jeroboam, Take ten pieces, for this is what the Lord God of Israel says: Look, I am about to tear the kingdom from Solomon s hand and I will give ten tribes to you. He will retain one tribe, for my servant David s sake and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel. I am taking the kingdom from him because they have abandoned me and worshiped the Sidonian goddess Astarte, the Moabite god Chemosh, and the Ammonite god Milcom. They have not followed my instructions by doing what I approve and obeying my rules and regulations, like Solomon s father David did. I will not take the whole kingdom from his hand. I will allow him to be ruler for the rest of his life for the sake of my chosen servant David who kept my commandments and rules. I will take the kingdom from the hand of his son and give ten tribes to you. I will leave his son one tribe so my servant David s dynasty may continue to serve me in Jerusalem, the city I have chosen as my home. I will select you; you will rule over all you desire to have and you will be king over Israel. You must obey all I command you to do, follow my instructions, do what I approve, and keep my rules and commandments, like my servant David did. Then I will be with you and establish for you a lasting dynasty, as I did for David; I will give you

33 33 Israel. I will humiliate David s descendants because of this, but not forever. (NET) 1. Ahijah foretold these events, but in a very real sense, Rehoboam brought these disasters upon himself. B. All Israel heard the king s answer, rejected Rehoboam s response, said, No!, and went home. 1. They renounced all allegiance to the house of David. 2. This reminds the reader of Sheba s rebellion. a. 2 Samuel 20:1-2, Now a wicked man named Sheba son of Bicri, a Benjaminite, happened to be there. He blew the trumpet and said, We have no share in David; we have no inheritance in this son of Jesse! Every man go home, O Israel! So all the men of Israel deserted David and followed Sheba son of Bicri. But the men of Judah stuck by their king all the way from the Jordan River to Jerusalem. (NET) 3. Israel had to know that there was a danger that Rehoboam would take military action against them. a. To your tents has military overtones. C. Solomon surely must have thought he had done more than enough for Israel to assure his enduring dynasty, yet

34 34 he is scarcely cold in his grave before ten of the twelve tribes revolted. (Matthew Henry) 1. Solomon s iniquities were visited on his sons for many generations to come. a. Exodus 20:5, 6, You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I, the Lord, your God, am a jealous God, responding to the transgression of fathers by dealing with children to the third and fourth generations of those who reject me, and showing covenant faithfulness to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments. (NET) IV. So all the Israelites went home. A. This event ushered in a two hundred (200) year period during which relations were never easy and on occasion erupted into war. (McConville) 1. 1 Kings 15:1-8, In the eighteenth year of the reign of Jeroboam son of Nebat, Abijah became king over Judah. He ruled for three years in Jerusalem. His mother was Maacah, the daughter of Abishalom. He followed all the sinful practices of his father before him. He was not wholeheartedly devoted to the Lord his God, as his ancestor David had been. Nevertheless for David s sake the Lord his God maintained his dynasty in Jerusalem by giving him a son to succeed him and by protecting Jerusalem. He did

35 35 this because David had done what he approved and had not disregarded any of his commandments his entire lifetime, except for the incident involving Uriah the Hittite. Rehoboam and Jeroboam were continually at war with each other throughout Abijah s lifetime. The rest of the events of Abijah s reign, including all his accomplishments, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Judah. Abijah and Jeroboam had been at war with each other. Abijah passed away and was buried in the City of David. His son Asa replaced him as king. (NET) 2 Chronicles 10:17, (Rehoboam continued to rule over the Israelites who lived in the cities of Judah.) (NET) I. But as for the Israelites who were living in the towns of Judah,... A. Only those in Judah remained loyal to the house of David. II. Rehoboam still ruled over them. 2 Chronicles 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. (NET) I. King Rehoboam sent out Adoniram (Hadoram, Adoram), who was in charge of forced labor, but the Israelites stoned him to death.

36 36 A. Scriptures: 1. 1 Kings 4:6, Ahishar was supervisor of the palace. Adoniram son of Abda was supervisor of the work crews. (NET) 2. 1 Kings 5:14, He sent them to Lebanon in shifts of 10,000 men per month. They worked in Lebanon for one month, and then spent two months at home. Adoniram was supervisor of the work crews. (NET) 3. 2 Samuel 20:24, Adoniram was supervisor of the work crews. Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was the secretary. (NET) B. This is merely the Chronicler s polite word for Hadoram... the slave driver, the most hated man in Solomon s kingdom, Coffman wrote. 1. Adoniram was stoned to death. a. He had enslaved his last person. 2. Rehoboam could not possibly have made a more serious mistake than asking Hadoram to accompany him in his negotiations with Israel, Coffman concluded. 3. Rehoboam s sending Adoniram is evidence that Rehoboam was determined to do as he had announced to Israel.

37 Not only did they stone Hadoram, but they would also have stoned Rehoboam if he had not escaped, Coffman wrote. B. Rehoboam lost the greater part of his kingdom because he foolishly, stupidly took the terrible advice of the wrong, inexperienced people. (See Coffman.) II. King Rehoboam, however, managed to get into his chariot and escape to Jerusalem. 2 Chronicles 10:19, So Israel has been in rebellion against the Davidic dynasty to this very day. (NET) I. So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day. A. The Chronicler regards this defection of Jeroboam and his successors as rebellion, pure and simple! (See McConville.) B. The phrase to this day or similar expressions as found in Chronicles may be an idiom meaning from then on or in perpetuity. (Dillard) Conclusion: I. Clarke rightly said, Rehoboam was a fool; and through his folly he lost his kingdom. II. This chapter, Matthew Henry wrote, reveals:... A. Rehoboam s extreme foolishness.

38 38 B. The people s wickedness evidenced by their rebellion. C. God s righteousness and justice. III. All in authority in civil government, in business, in the church and in the family can learn much about how not to treat others (See Matthew Henry.) by studying the actions of Rehoboam.

39 39 Questions 2 Chronicles 10: and are parallel references. 2. How are these references identical? 3. How are these references different? 4. How important are these differences? How can they be resolved? 5. In what ways was Solomon s reign glorious?

40 Name shortcomings of Solomon s reign. 7. The Chronicler wrote to the - community and was concerned about, and. 8. Israel s under kings can be divided into what three phases? 9. Why did Rehoboam and all Israel go to Shechem instead of Jerusalem to make him king? 10. Who was Rehoboam? What qualifications did he have for being King?

41 Who was Jeroboam? 12. What did Jeroboam and all Israel say to Rehoboam? 13. What advice did the elders give Rehoboam? 14. Who were these elders?

42 What advice did the young men give Rehoboam? 16. Who were these young men? 17. Whose advice did Rehoboam take? Why was this advice rather than the other advice taken by Rehoboam? 18. What did Rehoboam tell the people? 19. How did he speak to the people? Why did he speak to the people in this manner?

43 Tell of occasions in your life when you spoke harshly when you should have spoken gently. What difference would your manner of speaking have had on the outcome? 21. How can it be said that this turn of events was from God? Under these conditions, how can it be said that Rehoboam, Jeroboam and Israel were acting as free moral agents exercising their free wills? 22. What was Ahijah s prophecy? What did this prophecy mean? 23. What was the reaction of the people to Rehoboam s words? _

44 What effect, if any, did tribal rivalry, jealousy have in the people s rebellion? 25. Would Solomon have been surprised at this turn of events; that is, the division of the nation? Give reasons for our answer. _ 26. What were the results, short term and long term, of the people s decision at Shechem? 27. Over whom was Rehoboam left to rule? Of what importance was this continuing reign of Rehoboam?

45 Who was Adoniram? What had been his past duties? What behooved Rehoboam to send Adoniram to Israel? What were his orders on this occasion? What happened to Adoniram? 29. managed to get into his and to. So has been in against the of to this day. 30. What is the meaning of the phrase to this day in 10:19? 31. This chapter reveals: (a) (b) (c)

46 All in in, in, in the and in the can learn much about how to treat others by the of. 33. In what ways was Rehoboam typical of kings that followed him both north and south? 34. The called the - to on the basis of the of,, and the, of. 35. Why were Solomon s good deeds not considered at Shechem by Jeroboam and the people?