1 Kings 12

This chapter describes the division of the kingdom of Israel after the death of Solomon. Rehoboam, Solomon’s son, becomes king, but his harsh response to the people’s requests for lighter burdens leads to a rebellion, and the northern tribes break away under Jeroboam’s leadership. The chapter highlights themes of leadership, rebellion, and the fulfillment of God’s prophecy about the splitting of the kingdom.

1 Kings 12:1-5 (NKJV)
1 And Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had gone to Shechem to make him king.
2 So it happened, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard it (he was still in Egypt, for he had fled from the presence of King Solomon and had been dwelling in Egypt),
3 that they sent and called him. Then Jeroboam and the whole assembly of Israel came and spoke to Rehoboam, saying,
4 “Your father made our yoke heavy; now therefore, lighten the burdensome service of your father, and his heavy yoke which he put on us, and we will serve you.”
5 So he said to them, “Depart for three days, then come back to me.” And the people departed.

Rehoboam goes to Shechem to be officially crowned as king. Jeroboam, who had fled to Egypt because of Solomon’s threats, returns when he hears the news. The people, led by Jeroboam, request that Rehoboam ease the heavy labor and taxes Solomon had imposed. This moment gives Rehoboam the opportunity to win the people's favor by lightening their burdens, but he asks for three days to decide.

1 Kings 12:6-7 (NKJV)
6 Then King Rehoboam consulted the elders who stood before his father Solomon while he still lived, and he said, “How do you advise me to answer these people?”
7 And they spoke to him, saying, “If you will be a servant to these people today, and serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will be your servants forever.”

Rehoboam wisely seeks counsel from the experienced elders who had advised his father Solomon. The elders suggest a servant-leadership approach, advising him to serve the people and speak kindly to them. They assure him that if he does so, the people will remain loyal and faithful servants to him for life.

1 Kings 12:8-11 (NKJV)
8 But he rejected the advice which the elders had given him, and consulted the young men who had grown up with him, who stood before him.
9 And he said to them, “What advice do you give? How should we answer this people who have spoken to me, saying, ‘Lighten the yoke which your father put on us’?”
10 Then the young men who had grown up with him spoke to him, saying, “Thus you should speak to this people who have spoken to you, saying, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but you make it lighter on us’—thus you shall say to them: ‘My little finger shall be thicker than my father’s waist!
11 And now, whereas my father put a heavy yoke on you, I will add to your yoke; my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scourges!’”

Instead of following the elders’ wise counsel, Rehoboam turns to his young, inexperienced peers. Their advice is to assert dominance and threaten even harsher treatment than Solomon had imposed. They suggest a boastful and oppressive response that only increases the burdens on the people, reflecting pride and a lack of empathy.

1 Kings 12:12-15 (NKJV)
12 So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king had directed, saying, “Come back to me the third day.”
13 Then the king answered the people roughly, and rejected the advice which the elders had given him;
14 and he spoke to them according to the advice of the young men, saying, “My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke; my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scourges!”
15 So the king did not listen to the people; for the turn of events was from the Lord, that He might fulfill His word, which the Lord had spoken by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

Rehoboam delivers the harsh response recommended by his young counselors, choosing to increase the burdens instead of easing them. This decision alienates the people and leads to rebellion. The passage highlights that these events are part of God’s plan, fulfilling the prophecy given to Jeroboam by Ahijah that the kingdom would be divided due to Solomon’s disobedience.

1 Kings 12:16-17 (NKJV)
16 Now when all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them, the people answered the king, saying:
“What share have we in David?
We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse.
To your tents, O Israel!
Now, see to your own house, O David!”
So Israel departed to their tents.
17 But Rehoboam reigned over the children of Israel who dwelt in the cities of Judah.

In response to Rehoboam’s harsh words, the northern tribes reject the house of David and declare their independence, famously saying they have no part in David’s dynasty. The kingdom is effectively divided, with Rehoboam retaining control over the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, while the rest of Israel rebels.

1 Kings 12:18-19 (NKJV)
18 Then King Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was in charge of the revenue; but all Israel stoned him with stones, and he died. Therefore King Rehoboam mounted his chariot in haste to flee to Jerusalem.
19 So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day.

When Rehoboam sends Adoram, his official in charge of forced labor, the people react violently and stone him to death. This event demonstrates the depth of the people's anger and the breakdown of Rehoboam’s authority. Fearing for his life, Rehoboam flees to Jerusalem. This marks the official rebellion of Israel against the house of David, leading to a permanent division.

1 Kings 12:20-21 (NKJV)
20 Now it came to pass when all Israel heard that Jeroboam had come back, they sent for him and called him to the congregation, and made him king over all Israel. There was none who followed the house of David, but the tribe of Judah only.
21 And when Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah with the tribe of Benjamin, one hundred and eighty thousand chosen men who were warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, that he might restore the kingdom to Rehoboam the son of Solomon.

Jeroboam is declared king over the northern tribes of Israel, effectively solidifying the division. Rehoboam, angered by the rebellion, assembles a large army from the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, intending to wage war to regain control over the entire kingdom. This decision threatens to escalate the conflict into a civil war.

1 Kings 12:22-24 (NKJV)
22 But the word of God came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying,
23 “Speak to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, to all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the rest of the people, saying,
24 ‘Thus says the Lord: “You shall not go up nor fight against your brethren the children of Israel. Let every man return to his house, for this thing is from Me.”’” Therefore they obeyed the word of the Lord, and turned back, according to the word of the Lord.

Before war can begin, God intervenes through the prophet Shemaiah, instructing Rehoboam not to fight against the northern tribes. God reveals that the division of the kingdom is His will and should not be resisted. Rehoboam and his army obey God’s command and return home, avoiding further bloodshed.

1 Kings 12:25-27 (NKJV)
25 Then Jeroboam built Shechem in the mountains of Ephraim, and dwelt there. Also he went out from there and built Penuel.
26 And Jeroboam said in his heart, “Now the kingdom may return to the house of David:
27 If these people go up to offer sacrifices in the house of the Lord at Jerusalem, then the heart of this people will turn back to their lord, Rehoboam king of Judah, and they will kill me and go back to Rehoboam king of Judah.”

Jeroboam fortifies his position by building cities in strategic locations, such as Shechem and Penuel. However, he becomes anxious that if the people continue to go to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices, their loyalty might shift back to Rehoboam. This fear drives him to make a dangerous and unfaithful decision.

1 Kings 12:28-30 (NKJV)
28 Therefore the king asked advice, made two calves of gold, and said to the people, “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, O Israel, which brought you up from the land of Egypt!”
29 And he set up one in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan.
30 Now this thing became a sin, for the people went to worship before the one as far as Dan.

Jeroboam, fearing the people's loyalty would return to Rehoboam if they continued worshiping in Jerusalem, sought advice and created two golden calves for worship. He placed one in Bethel and the other in Dan, presenting them as the gods who led Israel out of Egypt. This act mirrored the idolatry of the golden calf incident in Exodus and led Israel into a deep sin of false worship. By establishing new centers of worship, Jeroboam intentionally violated God's command to worship in Jerusalem, causing spiritual corruption and rebellion against God’s established order. This sin had long-lasting negative consequences for the northern kingdom.

1 Kings 12:31-33 (NKJV)
31 He made shrines on the high places, and made priests from every class of people, who were not of the sons of Levi.
32 Jeroboam ordained a feast on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, like the feast that was in Judah, and offered sacrifices on the altar. So he did at Bethel, sacrificing to the calves that he had made. And at Bethel he installed the priests of the high places which he had made.
33 So he made offerings on the altar which he had made at Bethel on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, in the month which he had devised in his own heart. And he ordained a feast for the children of Israel, and offered sacrifices on the altar and burned incense.

Jeroboam’s actions go further as he creates his own religious festivals, similar to those in Judah, but at times and places of his own choosing. He appoints non-Levitical priests and sets up altars at Bethel and Dan, leading Israel into idolatry by making golden calves to represent God. This departure from God’s commandments marks a significant moment of spiritual decline in the northern kingdom. Jeroboam’s actions become a lasting sin that would plague Israel for generations, as he prioritized political control over true worship.