I Kings 12 1-431-5 Rehoboam, son of Solomon, succeeds to the throne. Jeroboam returns from Egypt and leads 10 tribes in demanding a reduction in taxes.
6-9 Rehoboam, under the influence of the young men of his kingdom, having rejected the counsel of the old men who were Solomon’s advisors, turns down the request of the 10 northern tribes.
10-15 Instead of reducing taxes, he threatens to raise them (vs. 10, 11). Therefore, Jeroboam leads the 10 tribes in revolt.
16-24 First Kings was written during the time of the division of the kingdom (v. 19).
These verses describe how the northern tribes rebelled against David’s family. The northern Israelites protested against Rehoboam. Then he sent Adoniram to force them to obey him. Adoniram had been a very powerful man when Solomon was alive. But the situation had changed. People used to be afraid of Adoniram. But they were not still afraid. So they murdered him. Rehoboam’s action was foolish, as people already disliked Adoniram. Rehoboam had to escape to Jerusalem.
Then the northern Israelites made Jeroboam their king. Probably they chose him
because they considered him a good leader. But, of course, God had already chosen Jeroboam to be Israel’s king. And so God carried out what he had promised in chapter 11.
Rehoboam made plans to fight in order to get the kingdom back. God told him not to fight against the other Israelites. This time he listened to God’s prophet and he obeyed. He and his armies went home. He realized that God would only allow him to rule Judah. If Rehoboam fought the Israelites, he would be opposing God’s plan.
By means of these events, the kingdom had separated permanently. The Book of 1
Kings continues with reports of events in both parts of the country. The northern
kingdom is often called Israel. The southern kingdom is called Judah.
24-33 Jeroboam divides the nation religiously as well as politically by setting up a golden calf in Bethel and one in the tribe of Dan. The northern tribes go into idolatry (vs. 28-30).
This was a clever political decision. People would not still go to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices. So the relationship between Israel and Judah would become even weaker. And Jeroboam would become a more powerful king.
Jeroboam’s religion was like the religion that Aaron set up in Exodus chapter 32. Jeroboam tried to combine the worship of the bull with the worship of the Lord. Of course, this was against God’s law. Jeroboam did not obey the second commandment when he did this. Dan was in the far north of northern Israel. Bethel was near the border with
Benjamin and Judah. The idea was that people would have a place of worship near them. Then they would not want to go all the way to Jerusalem.
No comments:
Post a Comment