10:1The crowning of an Israelite king would normally have taken place in Jerusalem, the capita! city. But Rehoboam saw that there was the possibility of trouble in the north; so to maintain his hold on the country, he chose Shechem, a city about 35 miles north of Jerusalem. Shechem was an ancient site for making covenants (Joshua 24:1).
Life Application Study Bible2 ChroniclesChapter 10
2 Chronicles 10
New Living Translation · Life Application Study Bible · Original pages: 678, 679, 680
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102 Chronicles 10
1. The northern tribes revolt
1Rehoboam went to Shechem, where all Israel had gathered to make him king. 2When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard of this; he returned from Egypt, for he had fled to Egypt to escape from King Solomon. 3The leaders of Israel summoned him, and Jeroboam and all Israel went to speak with Rehoboam. 4” Your father was a hard master,” they said. “Lighten the harsh labor demands and heavy taxes that your father imposed on us. Then we will be your loyal subjects.” 5Rehoboam replied, 6Come back in three days for my answer.” So the people went away. Settling for cheap imitations in exchange for the real thing is a poor way to live. in every area of his life, Rehoboam consistently traded away what was real for what was counterfeit. Given wise and unwise counsel by his advisers at his coronation, he chose to grab for power and control rather than being patient and taking the counsel of those older and wiser than he to treat his people with kindness. Although his position came from God, he chose to abandon God. These unwise decisions made him weaker rather than stronger. As a result, he was invaded by the Egyptians and stripped of the riches he had inherited from David and Solomon. To replace them, he had cheap bronze copies made. Throughout the early part of his reign, Rehoboam fluctuated between obeying God and going his own way. Outward appearances were kept up, but his inward attitudes were evil. Following in the tradition of David gave Rehoboam many opportunities for real greatness. Instead, he ended up with a divided and broken kingdom. How much of real living have we traded away for the things that do not last? We trade heaithy bodies for momentary excitement, personal integrity for fast-fading wealth, honesty for lies, God’s wise guidance for our seifish ways. We sin when we willingly give little value to “the real thing” God has already given us. Our counterfeit lives may fool some people, but they never fool God. Yet in spite of what he sees in us, God offers mercy. Are you a self-managed enterprise, counterfeit at best? Or have you placed yourself in God’s care? Do the decisions you must make today need a second consideration in light of Rehoboam’s example? Strengths and accomplishments Key verse Rehoboam’s story is told in 7Kings 11:483—14:31 and 9Chronicles 9:31—13:7. He is also mentioned in Matthew 1:7. the people, 11My father laid* heavy burdens on you, but I'm going to make them even heavier! My father beat you with whips, but I will beat you with scorpions!” 15So the king paid no attention to the people. This turn of events was the will of God, for it fulfilled the LORD’s message to Jeroboam son of Nebat through the prophet Ahijah from Shiloh.
16When all Israel realized* that the king had refused to listen to them, they responded,“Down with the dynasty of David!We have no interest in the son of Jesse.Back to your homes, O Israel!Look out for your own house, O DavidSo all the people of Israel returned home.
17But Rehoboam continued to rule over the Israelites who lived in the towns of Judah. 18King Rehoboam sent Adoniram,* who was in charge of the labor force, to restore order, but the people of Israel stoned him to death. When this news reached King Rehoboam, he quickly jumped into his chariot and fled to Jerusalem. 19And to this day the northern tribes of Israel have refused to be ruled by a descendant of David.
Textual footnotes
- that could sail to Tarshish.
- 12,000 charioteers.
- 10:14 As in Greek version and many Hebrew manuscripts (see also 1 Kgs 12:14); Masoretic Text reads / will fay.
- 10:16 As in Syriac version, Latin Vulgate, and many Hebrew manuscripts (see also 1 Kgs 12:16); Masoretic Text
Life Application Notes 6 notes
10:1-15Following bad advice can cause disaster. Rehoboam fost the chance to rule a peaceful, united kingdom because he rejected the advice of Solomon’s older counselors, preferring the counsel of his peers. Rehoboam made two errors in seeking advice: (1) He did not give extra consideration to the suggestions of those who knew the situation better than he, and (2) he did not ask God for wisdom to discern which was the better option. It is easy to follow the advice of our peers because they often feel as we do. But their view may be limited. It ts important to listen carefully to those whe have more experience than we do— they can see the bigger picture.
10:2,3Why was Jeroboam in Egypt? Ahijah the prophet had predicted that tsrael would split in two and that Jeroboam would become king of the northern section. When Solomon learned of this prophecy, he tried to kill Jeroboam, and Jeroboam was forced to flee to Egypt (1 Kings 11:26-40).
10:14Rehoboam must have gotten an unbalanced picture of leadership from his father, Solomon. Apparently Rehoboam saw only the difficulty of leading the nation, not the opportunities. He mentioned only the harsher aspects of Solomon’s rule, and he himself decided to be very harsh toward the people.
10:16-19In trying to have it all, Rehoboam lost almost everything. Motivated by greed and power, he pressed too hard and divided his kingdom. He didn’t need more money or power because he had inherited the richest kingdom in the world. He didn’t need more control because he was the king. His demands were based on selfishness rather than reason or spiritual discernment. Those who insist on having it all often wind up with little or nothing.
10:16-19This is the beginning of the divided kingdom. The peaceful united kingdom under Solomon divided into two parts. Ten of the tribes followed Jeroboam and called their nation Israel, or the northern kingdom. The other two tribes, Judah and Benjamin, remained loyal to David's line and accepted Rehoboam’s rule. They called their nation Judah, or the southern kingdom.
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Study feature · page 679
6Then King Rehoboam discussed the matter with the older men who had counseled his father, Solomon. “ What is your advice?” he asked. “How should I answer these people?” 7The older counselors replied, “If you are good to these people and do your best to please them and give them a favorable answer, they will always be your loyal subjects.” 5But Rehoboam rejected the advice of the older men and instead asked the opinion of the young men who had grown up with him and were now his advisers. 9“ What is your advice?” he asked them. “How should I answer these people who want me to lighten the burdens imposed by my father?” 10The young men replied, “This is what you should tell those complainers who want a lighter burden: ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist! 11Yes, my father laid heavy burdens on you, but I’m going to make them even heavier! My father beat you with whips, but I will beat you with scorpions!’” 12Three days later Jeroboam and all the people returned to hear Rehoboam’s decision, just as the king had ordered. 13But Rehoboam spoke harshly to them, for he rejected the advice of the older counselors and followed the counsel of his younger advisers. He told
• Fourth and last king of the united nation of Israel, but only for a short time Fortified his kingdom and achieved a measure of popularity
Weaknesses and mistakes
• Followed unwise advice and divided his kingdom
• Married foreign women, as his father, Solomon, had done
• Abandoned the worship of God and allowed idolatry to flourish
Lessons from his life
• Thoughtless decisions often lead to exchanging what is most valuable for something of far less value
• Every choice we make has real and long-lasting consequences
Vital statistics
© Where: Jerusalem
• Occupation: King of the united kingdom of Israel and later of the southern kingdom of Judah Relatives: Father: Solomon. Mother: Naamah. Wife: Maacah
• Son: Abijah.
• Contemporaries: Jeroboam, Shishak, Shemaiah
“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).
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Study feature · page 679
As you discuss your responsibilities with your children, be sure that you temper words of complaint with words of joy. Otherwise you may sour their attitudes toward the work you do and those you serve.