After the death of Solomon, Rehoboam his son, went to Shechem and all Israel gathered at Shechem to make him king (1 Kings 12:1). Jeroboam returned from Egypt and they assembled in Shechem to make their request known to the new king.
Your father made our yoke heavy. Now therefore lighten the hard service of your father and his heavy yoke upon us, and we will serve you (1 Kings 12:3).
It was a reasonable request. After forty years of forced labour, the people were exhausted and wanted some rest. Rehoboam told them to come back three days later to hear his decision. In the meantime, Rehoboam sought advice from the "old men" who had been with Solomon. Their advice was likewise as wise. This piece of advice would have saved Rehoboam of his kingdom.
And they said to him, "If you will be a servant to this people today and serve them, and speak good words to them when you answer them, then they will be your servants for ever." (1 Kings 12:7).
This piece of advice is very Christian. When his apostles were arguing among themselves who should be the greatest, Jesus taught them.
If any one would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all (Mark 9:35b).
However, good advice is often not comfortable to the ears! Rehoboam rejected it because he was the king. He turned to his buddies who told him what was pleasing to his ears but disastrous to the kingdom.
thus shall you say to them, 'My little finger is thicker than my father's loins.
And now, whereas my father laid upon you a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke. My father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.' (1 Kings 12:10c-11)
It was sheer stupidity. Did Solomon think with his loins? Does the size of his little finger (the symbol of his penis?) matter in the governing of a kingdom?
Your father made our yoke heavy. Now therefore lighten the hard service of your father and his heavy yoke upon us, and we will serve you (1 Kings 12:3).
It was a reasonable request. After forty years of forced labour, the people were exhausted and wanted some rest. Rehoboam told them to come back three days later to hear his decision. In the meantime, Rehoboam sought advice from the "old men" who had been with Solomon. Their advice was likewise as wise. This piece of advice would have saved Rehoboam of his kingdom.
And they said to him, "If you will be a servant to this people today and serve them, and speak good words to them when you answer them, then they will be your servants for ever." (1 Kings 12:7).
This piece of advice is very Christian. When his apostles were arguing among themselves who should be the greatest, Jesus taught them.
If any one would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all (Mark 9:35b).
However, good advice is often not comfortable to the ears! Rehoboam rejected it because he was the king. He turned to his buddies who told him what was pleasing to his ears but disastrous to the kingdom.
thus shall you say to them, 'My little finger is thicker than my father's loins.
And now, whereas my father laid upon you a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke. My father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.' (1 Kings 12:10c-11)
It was sheer stupidity. Did Solomon think with his loins? Does the size of his little finger (the symbol of his penis?) matter in the governing of a kingdom?
Was one such statement the cause of division? Let's turn to Confucius to seek his opinion.
定公問一言而可以興邦，有諸？孔子對曰：言不可以若是其幾也，人之言曰，為君難，為臣不易。如知為君之難也，不幾乎一言而興邦乎？曰：一言而喪邦，有諸？孔子對曰：言不可以若是其幾也，人之言曰，予無樂乎為君，唯其言而莫予違也。如其善而莫之違也，不亦善乎？如不善而莫之違也，不幾乎一言而喪邦乎？ 【論語‧子路】
The ruler of Lu asked Confucius if there was one such statement as to raise a country. Confucius said that there wasn't but one which could be close. For example, people used to say, "It is difficult to be a king and not easy to be his ministers". If the king and his ministers understood the difficulties of governing a country and worked hard on it, wouldn't the country be close to rising. The ruler continued to ask Confucius if there was one such statement as to lose a country. Confucius answered that there wasn't but one which could be close. For example, people used to say, "There is no greater happiness than being a king. His command is never contradicted." If a king's command was good and not contradicted, wasn't it good? If his command was evil and not contradicted, wouldn't the country be close to losing? (Analect XIII.15).
Because of his wisdom, Solomon was never contradicted. Alas! Wisdom is not everything and Solomon was not all wisdom! The evil of forced labour was reaped by his son.
And when all Israel saw that the king did not hearken to them, the people answered the king, "What portion have we in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse. To your tents, O Israel! Look now to your own house, David." So Israel departed to their tents (1 Kings 12:16).
The people stoned Adoram, the taskmaster over forced labour, to death and Rehoboam fled to Jerusalem (1 Kings 12:18). The king had forgotten that the people were his power base. When a ruler loses touch with his people, his sovereignty is doomed.
庶人安政，然後君子安位。傳曰：「君者舟也，庶人者水也；水則載舟，水則覆舟。」此之謂也。【荀子‧王制篇第九】
The subjects were comfortable with the government. Only then could the ruler be comfortable in his throne. Commentary says, "Kings are ships, subjects are waters. Waters can carry ships, and can capsize ships." Thus it means. (Xun Yu, caput IX)
There is a certain amount of validity in this aphorism. Its truthfulness, however, depends on the quality of the waters, on how well organized they are. To be sure, if their energies are not properly mobilized and channelled, catastrophes arise.
定公問一言而可以興邦，有諸？孔子對曰：言不可以若是其幾也，人之言曰，為君難，為臣不易。如知為君之難也，不幾乎一言而興邦乎？曰：一言而喪邦，有諸？孔子對曰：言不可以若是其幾也，人之言曰，予無樂乎為君，唯其言而莫予違也。如其善而莫之違也，不亦善乎？如不善而莫之違也，不幾乎一言而喪邦乎？ 【論語‧子路】
The ruler of Lu asked Confucius if there was one such statement as to raise a country. Confucius said that there wasn't but one which could be close. For example, people used to say, "It is difficult to be a king and not easy to be his ministers". If the king and his ministers understood the difficulties of governing a country and worked hard on it, wouldn't the country be close to rising. The ruler continued to ask Confucius if there was one such statement as to lose a country. Confucius answered that there wasn't but one which could be close. For example, people used to say, "There is no greater happiness than being a king. His command is never contradicted." If a king's command was good and not contradicted, wasn't it good? If his command was evil and not contradicted, wouldn't the country be close to losing? (Analect XIII.15).
Because of his wisdom, Solomon was never contradicted. Alas! Wisdom is not everything and Solomon was not all wisdom! The evil of forced labour was reaped by his son.
And when all Israel saw that the king did not hearken to them, the people answered the king, "What portion have we in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse. To your tents, O Israel! Look now to your own house, David." So Israel departed to their tents (1 Kings 12:16).
The people stoned Adoram, the taskmaster over forced labour, to death and Rehoboam fled to Jerusalem (1 Kings 12:18). The king had forgotten that the people were his power base. When a ruler loses touch with his people, his sovereignty is doomed.
庶人安政，然後君子安位。傳曰：「君者舟也，庶人者水也；水則載舟，水則覆舟。」此之謂也。【荀子‧王制篇第九】
The subjects were comfortable with the government. Only then could the ruler be comfortable in his throne. Commentary says, "Kings are ships, subjects are waters. Waters can carry ships, and can capsize ships." Thus it means. (Xun Yu, caput IX)
There is a certain amount of validity in this aphorism. Its truthfulness, however, depends on the quality of the waters, on how well organized they are. To be sure, if their energies are not properly mobilized and channelled, catastrophes arise.
And when all Israel heard that Jeroboam had returned, they sent and called him to the assembly and made him king over all Israel. There was none that followed the house of David, but the tribe of Judah only.
When Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah, and the tribe of Benjamin, a hundred and eighty thousand chosen warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, to restore the kingdom to Rehoboam the son of Solomon. (1 Kings 12:20-21).
Here is a confusion. Only one tribe, the tribe of Judah, followed Rehoboam. What about the tribe of Benjamin? So, how many tribe(s) remained with Rehoboam, one or two? What about the tribe that was dedicated to God, the Levites? Was the tribe of Levi counted among the twelve?
In the end, God sent Shemaiah to persuade the 180,000 warriors home (1 Kings 12:22-24). A bloody civil war was avoided.
When Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah, and the tribe of Benjamin, a hundred and eighty thousand chosen warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, to restore the kingdom to Rehoboam the son of Solomon. (1 Kings 12:20-21).
Here is a confusion. Only one tribe, the tribe of Judah, followed Rehoboam. What about the tribe of Benjamin? So, how many tribe(s) remained with Rehoboam, one or two? What about the tribe that was dedicated to God, the Levites? Was the tribe of Levi counted among the twelve?
In the end, God sent Shemaiah to persuade the 180,000 warriors home (1 Kings 12:22-24). A bloody civil war was avoided.
Jeroboam started with a handicap. The Temple together with the Ark of Covenant were in Jerusalem. They legitimized the rule of Rehoboam. Furthermore, he anticipated the Israelites going to Jerusalem to offer sacrifice in the Temple. Very soon, his subjects would turn away from him. He acted too quickly without consulting God. He took counsel from men instead.
So the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold. And he said to the people, "You have gone up to Jerusalem long enough. Behold your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt."
And he set one in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan (1 Kings 12:28-29).
He also made houses on high places, and appointed priests from among all the people, who were not of the Levites (1 Kings 12:31).
The last action was a total break off from the Sinai Covenant mediated by Moses. Jeroboam had in effect, set up another religion for political purposes. This religion could not be qualified to be a true religion. It served political purposes only. The rest is history. That is why there is only a religion called Judaism, but not Israelitism.
So the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold. And he said to the people, "You have gone up to Jerusalem long enough. Behold your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt."
And he set one in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan (1 Kings 12:28-29).
He also made houses on high places, and appointed priests from among all the people, who were not of the Levites (1 Kings 12:31).
The last action was a total break off from the Sinai Covenant mediated by Moses. Jeroboam had in effect, set up another religion for political purposes. This religion could not be qualified to be a true religion. It served political purposes only. The rest is history. That is why there is only a religion called Judaism, but not Israelitism.
Dear Lord, the human drama unfolds before our eyes and teaches us the importance of maintaining a healthy relationship with You. Without Your providence, we are not. Help us in our inadequacy to follow Your commandments. Amen.
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