Sigh!
The weight that sits on my soul when I read the accounts of these next kings is very similar to how I feel reading about the waywardness of God’s people in the book of Judges.
First up is Rehoboam, heir to the throne of Solomon.
Rehoboam: blessed is he who does not walk in ungodly counsel
It is 931 BC, and Rehoboam is anointed king over Israel. We are not told that he was God’s anointed—only that he succeeded his father. Interestingly, this is also the year Israel splits into two nations due to his leadership style: the Southern Kingdom of Judah and Benjamin, and the Northern Kingdom made up of the other ten tribes.
On one hand, we see God’s sovereignty at play, as He had already pronounced judgment because of Solomon’s sin. On the other hand, we see human free will—man choosing either to walk in his own wisdom and bring about judgment, or to walk in God’s will and experience mercy.
“Young people who obey the law are wise; those with wild friends bring shame to their parents.”
— Proverbs 28:7 (NLT)
A while ago, I read this verse—written, ironically, by Rehoboam’s father. But I suppose with so many wives, Solomon hardly had time to train his own children, and his son turned out to be a trainwreck of a king (no pun intended).
In the last review, I wrote of how Solomon’s heavy policies impoverished the people. Yet Solomon was a beloved king, and the people didn’t voice their grievances until Rehoboam took the throne. When they finally did, Rehoboam rejected the wisdom of his father’s elder advisors and instead threatened the people with a harsher life than they could imagine. Instantly, prophecy was fulfilled: Jeroboam, whom God had chosen, was made king over the ten northern tribes.
Now, if God chose Jeroboam, why did he mess up so severely that he became the benchmark for evil kings?
I’ve often wondered why these kings acted the way they did. Why did they turn away from God? Why didn’t they heed the warnings of the prophets? Why were they so insistent on walking the path of destruction? Then I remembered the foundational guidelines meant to govern Israel’s monarchy.
God gave a clear directive in Deuteronomy regarding how a king was to remain aligned with Him:
“When he sits on the throne as king, he must copy for himself this body of instruction on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests. He must always keep that copy with him and read it daily as long as he lives. That way he will learn to fear the Lord his God by obeying all the terms of these instructions and decrees. This regular reading will prevent him from becoming proud and acting as if he is above his fellow citizens. It will also prevent him from turning away from these commands in the smallest way. And it will ensure that he and his descendants will reign for many generations in Israel.”
— Deuteronomy 17:18–20 (NLT)
Jeroboam: Protecting the Gift at the Expense of the Giver
Jeroboam thought to himself, “Unless I am careful, the kingdom will return to the dynasty of David. When these people go to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices at the Temple of the Lord, they will again give their allegiance to King Rehoboam of Judah. They will kill me and make him their king instead.” So on the advice of his counselors, the king made two gold calves. He said to the people, “It is too much trouble for you to worship in Jerusalem. Look, Israel, these are the gods who brought you out of Egypt!”
— 1 Kings 12:26–28 (NLT)
Have you ever wondered how Jeroboam’s failure differed from Solomon’s, given that Solomon also institutionalized idolatry in Israel?
I wondered too, so I studied it more closely. Solomon failed morally; he turned his heart away from God, pursued false gods, and established parallel places of worship. Jeroboam, on the other hand, made a calculated political decision to turn the people away from God to secure his own kingdom—the very kingdom God had handed to him on a platter. He deliberately corrupted God’s established order by adulterating the worship of Yahweh.
Meanwhile, the scriptures show that Rehoboam and Judah followed God for a short period—until Rehoboam felt secure, at which point he also abandoned the Lord (notice the contrast with Jeroboam?):
“From all the tribes of Israel, those who sincerely wanted to worship the Lord, the God of Israel, followed the Levites to Jerusalem, where they could offer sacrifices to the Lord, the God of their ancestors. This strengthened the kingdom of Judah, and for three years they supported Rehoboam son of Solomon, for during those years they faithfully followed in the footsteps of David and Solomon.”
— 2 Chronicles 11:16–17 (NLT)
“But when Rehoboam was firmly established and strong, he abandoned the Law of the Lord, and all Israel followed him in this sin.”
— 2 Chronicles 12:1 (NLT)
Lessons and Application for Us Today
For me, several passages sum up the lessons from the lives of these two kings, but this one stands out above the rest:
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and depart from evil.”
— Proverbs 3:5–7 (NKJV)
We see both kings trust in their own human cleverness or surround themselves with bad counsel. I am reminded that human wisdom is inherently flawed. Although Rehoboam briefly listened to godly counsel and enjoyed a thriving kingdom for three years, he neglected God as soon as his position felt secure.
Whenever we rely on wisdom outside of God, it inevitably leads to failure. There is only one right path in life—God. God is always right.
Love,
Osi
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