1 KINGS LESSON 17

     We will begin this lesson in I Kings 12:1 "And Rehoboam went to
Shechem: for all Israel were come to Shechem to make him king."

     "Rehoboam" means he who enlarges the people. The name given him
by Solomon was what Solomon wanted for him, not what he became.
Shechem was a city which was on, or near Mount Ephraim. This would
have been a central gathering place for all of Israel.

     I Kings 12:2 "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;)"

     We read in another lesson, how Jeroboam was opposed to Solomon.
He had been afraid of Solomon, and fled to Egypt. Egypt, throughout
the ages, has been a place of refuge. Even though he had been afraid
of Solomon, he would not be afraid of Rehoboam. The news of Solomon's
death had reached him in Egypt.

     I Kings 12:3 "That they sent and called him. And Jeroboam and all
the congregation of Israel came, and spake unto Rehoboam, saying,"
I Kings 12:4 "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."

     This shows us that Solomon had taxed the people heavily to
support his lavish way of life. The people had not been satisfied with
this heavy tax levied upon them, and they have an opportunity, now, to
revolt. They were still willing to be part of the larger nation, if he
will reduce their taxes. The nation is ready for change. The people
can stand no more extremely high taxation. They are about to revolt.
They will serve Rehoboam, if he reduces their taxes.

     I Kings 12:5 "And he said unto them, Depart yet [for] three days,
then come again to me. And the people departed." I Kings 12:6  "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?"

     We will see that the gift of wisdom that his father, Solomon,
possessed would not be his son's, Rehoboam. First of all, he asked
asked for 3 days to decide this matter. Notice, also, that he does not
consult with the LORD about what he is to do. The consulting of the
old men is the very next best thing to do. These old men are filled
with the knowledge that experience brings. Since he has not prayed and
asked God what to do, he should listen to these old men.

     I Kings 12:7 "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."

     A really good leader is a servant to the people he leads. It is a
great honor to be king, but with that honor, goes great responsibility
to the people.

     I Kings 12:8 "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:"

     Rehoboam did not like the answer they gave, so he sought someone
else's advice, who would give him advice he wanted to hear. These
young men have no experience and should really not have been
consulted. They wanted to be the next leaders in Rehoboam's cabinet,
so they tell him what he wants to hear.

     I Kings 12:9 "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?" I Kings 12:10 "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."

     This is an egotistical remark to the people. A king is as strong
as the people will allow him to be. He has been advised to turn
against the people, who had made Solomon great in the land. This is
terrible advice. His strength lies in the LORD first, and then, in the
people of his kingdom. If he loses this, he has no power.

     I Kings 12:11 "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."

     Rehoboam was to threaten them. He would use his army to enforce
the taxes.

     I Kings 12:12  "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." I Kings 12:13 "And the king answered the people roughly,
and forsook the old men's counsel that they gave him;"

     Rehoboam was puffed up with pride. He took the advice of his
friends, which was terrible advice, and spoke to the people as if he
did not need their support. He counted them as nothing. He felt he
could take the army, and force them to do what he wanted them to do.
He had forgotten that even the army was made up of the people.

     I Kings 12:14 "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."

     He had decided to be even rougher on them than Solomon had been.
He would whip them into submission to him. He not only, will not
reduce the taxes, he will take more.

     I Kings 12:15 "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."

     This angry reply to the people by Rehoboam, was the tool the LORD
used to bring Jeroboam to lead the 10 tribes into revolt. We remember
the statement that the prophet Ahijah had said to Jeroboam. I Kings
11:31 "And he said to Jeroboam, Take thee ten pieces: for thus saith
the LORD, the God of Israel, Behold, I will rend the kingdom out of
the hand of Solomon, and will give ten tribes to thee:"

     I Kings 12:16  "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."

     They are not represented fairly, so why should they follow
Solomon's son? They are not receiving anything from the kingdom of
Solomon, so why should they serve him? They feel they are giving, and
not receiving anything in return. The ten tribes left and went to
their tents.  They would not be ruled by such a tyrant.

     I Kings 12:17 "But [as for] the children of Israel which dwelt in
the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them."

     Rehoboam was actually over Benjamin and Judah, which were spoken
of as Judah. Jerusalem was located here.

     I Kings 12:18 "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."  I Kings 12:19 "So Israel rebelled against the
house of David unto this day."

     This is the first true revolt, when they refused to pay the
tribute and killed the tax collector. Rehoboam fled for fear of his
own life. He would set up his kingdom in Jerusalem. Actually, from
that very day to this, there has been a separation of these people.

     I Kings 12:20 "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."

     The ten tribes, that now made up Israel, sent to Egypt for
Jeroboam, and he became the first king of the separated ten tribes.
He would be an evil king. He would cause Israel to sin against God. He
was, in fact, the beginning of a series of evil kings.

     I Kings 12:21  "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."

     I really believe that Benjamin came to the side of Judah, because
their land divided Jerusalem. God wanted Jerusalem to remain the holy
city. He did not want confusion in Jerusalem at this time. The 180,000
fighting men would have great war tools, like the chariots and horses.
The strange thing is, so will the ten tribes, because many of the
outposts were in those areas.

     I Kings 12:22 "But the word of God came unto Shemaiah the man of
God, saying,"

     This man of God, could or could not, be a prophet. We do know
that the message he brought was the Word of God. He was, probably, a
son of one of the prophets, and had been trained in the school for the
prophets.

     I Kings 12:23 "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," I Kings 12:24 "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."

     This warning from God was enough to stop them. They would not go
into battles against their brothers. This is the plan of God for
taking the ten tribes away from the family of Solomon. God had warned
him of this very thing, because he worshipped false gods. They are
still listening to the Word of the Lord through the prophets at this
time. There would be no war now.

     I Kings 12:25  "Then Jeroboam built Shechem in mount Ephraim, and
dwelt therein; and went out from thence, and built Penuel."

     We have left the study of Judah, and are now to the other ten
tribes. Jeroboam had taken over as king and is, now, building up the
cities. Jeroboam will quickly build fortifications to ward against
attack from Judah. He would headquarter in Shechem.

     I Kings 12:26 "And Jeroboam said in his heart, Now shall the
kingdom return to the house of David:" I Kings 12:27 "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."

     These people were devoted to their LORD. They would still want to
sacrifice. At present, the place set aside for worship was in
Jerusalem. Jeroboam knew that, if the people went to Jerusalem to
worship in the temple, they would not have broken ties with them. He
really was afraid the people would be so attached to the temple that
they would eventually re-attach themselves with Judah, and over-throw
him as king.

     I Kings 12:28 "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."

     These two golden calves were just as sinful to make as the golden
calf that Aaron made. The calf worship was not intended to be
idolatry, but in fact, was. Perhaps, Jeroboam's stay in Egypt had
affected his spiritual being to this extent. He is trying to give them
a god they can look at with their eyes. This has always been wrong.

     I Kings 12:29 "And he set the one in Beth-el, and the other put
he in Dan."

     He set these terrible calves up for them in two different places,
pretending it would be more convenient for them to worship. This is an
evil leader, and they do not recognize him as such. They accept these
calves. The people have a false leader.

     I Kings 12:30 "And this thing became a sin: for the people went
[to worship] before the one, [even] unto Dan."

     It was a sin to make the golden calves, but it was a worse sin to
go and worship before them.

     I Kings 12:31 "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."

     These high places had been a place of worship from time to time
throughout the history of the Israelites. The LORD had always been
opposed to them. The law forbid anyone who was not of the Levitical
tribe to be a priest. These were just people, who knew nothing of the
law, that they made priests.

     I Kings 12:32 "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." I Kings 12:33 "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."

     This is, possibly, speaking of the feast of Tabernacles, which
was on the fifteenth day of the seventh month. He had chosen a time
that suited him better. Notice, the sacrifices were not made to the
LORD, they were made to the golden calves. This was an abomination in
the sight of the LORD. Beth-el will be destroyed, when the Assyrians
take Israel captive in a few years.
                        1 Kings 17 Questions


1.  Where did Rehoboam go to be anointed king?
2.  What does "Rehoboam" mean?
3.  Where was Jeroboam at this time?
4.  What request did the people of Israel make to Rehoboam?
5.  Solomon had _________ the people heavily to support his lavish way
    of life.
6.  What must Rehoboam do, to keep them from revolting?
7.  How many days did he send them away, until he could consider their
    request?
8.  Who did he first consult with?
9.  Why was this a wise thing to do?
10. What should he have done even, before consulting with the old men?
11. What advice did the old men give him?
12. A really good leader is a ___________ of those he leads.
13. Who did he go to next?
14. What did they tell Rehoboam to do?
15. What kind of remark is this?
16. Whose advice did Rehoboam take?
17. What did Rehoboam tell them, after the three days?
18. Who had told Jeroboam he would reign over ten of the tribes of
    Israel?
19. What do they say in answer to Rehoboam?
20. Who did Rehoboam reign over?
21. Who was sent to collect the tribute?
22. What did they do to him?
23. Who set Jeroboam up as king?
24. What kind of king would Jeroboam be?
25. How many men did Rehoboam have, who were ready to fight?
26. Who did the Word of God come to for Judah?
27. What did God say to them through this man of God?
28. Where did Jeroboam dwell?
29. What did Jeroboam fear the people would do, if they worshipped in
    Jerusalem?
30. What terrible things did Jeroboam make for them to worship?
31. Where did he put them?
32. When did Jeroboam call a feast?
33. What feast of Judah was it supposed to be like?