Revolt against Oppression

KEY VERSE: “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 … because that they have forsaken me.”—I Kings 11:31,33

SELECTED SCRIPTURE: I Kings 11:29-33; 12:15, 16

THE lesson today tells us that the kingdom was taken from Solomon because of his unfaithfulness. In I Kings 11:13, we read, God speaking to Solomon, “I will not rend away all the kingdom; but will give one tribe to thy son for David my servant’s sake which I have chosen.” Then the Lord began to raise up opposition to Solomon’s reign. The first adversary was Hadad. David, during his reign, had conquered Edom and Hadad was forced to flee to Egypt for his life. While in Egypt he attained a position of prominence, but when he heard David had died he returned to Idumea, in hopes of inciting disturbances before Solomon’s authority was established. But he seems to have been disappointed and restrained until after Solomon’s idolatry; from that point on, however, he harassed the administration of Solomon all the rest of his reign.

The Lord raised up another adversary, “Rezon, the son of Eliadah, which fled from his lord Hadadezer king of Zobah, … and he was an adversary to Israel all the days of Solomon, beside the mischief that Hadad did: and he abhorred Israel, and reigned over Syria.” (I Kings 11:23-25) Then “Jeroboam the son of Nebat … Solomon’s servant, … even he lifted up his hand against the king.” (vs. 26) A prophet of the Lord, Ahijah, met Jeroboam in the field and rent his cloak into twelve pieces and said, “Take these 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: (But he will have one tribe for my servant David’s sake, … the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel:) … But I will take the kingdom out of his [David’s] son’s hand, and I will give it unto thee, even ten tribes. And unto his son will I give one tribe, that David my servant may have a light alway before me in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen me to put my name there.”—vss. 27-36

All of this we believe was an admonition to Jeroboam not to molest Solomon in his lifetime, by stirring up rebellion against him; and also to walk in God’s ways, as did David, and not to fall into idolatry. It was also the purpose of God that David’s family should still continue to be honored, and to be the instrument of preserving the light of God’s favor. “The time that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel was forty years. And Solomon slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David his father: and Rehoboam, his son, reigned in his stead.”—vss. 42,43

All Israel went to Shechem for the purpose of inaugurating Rehoboam as king. The people spoke to the king and said, “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.” (I Kings 12:4) The king deferred judgment until he could confer with his advisors. He first consulted with the old men who stood before Solomon his father. They advised, “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 forever.” (vs. 7) But the king ignored the advice of the old men and consulted with the young men who had grown up with him.

Their advice was harsh and based on the selfish realization that if the people’s burdens were heavy, theirs would be light. And so he informed the people, “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.” (vs. 11) When the people heard the decision of the king, they rebelled and when the king sent his tax collector to them, they stoned him to death. This frightened Rehoboam and he fled to Jerusalem. Israel rebelled against the house of David unto this day. After some time, when the people heard that Jeroboam was come again into the land they gathered together and made him king, “and there was none that followed the house of David, but the tribe of Judah only. And he assembled all the house of Judah, with the tribe of Benjamin, … which were warriors, to fight against the house of Israel.”—vss. 20,21

| Home Page | Table of Contents |