Leadership Arrogance – 1 Kings 12:1-24

Is it the nature of youth to act arrogantly? It doesn’t have to be. Solomon did not act arrogantly, at first, but wisely. His son, however, did not learn what he should have from his father. God is determined to take a portion of the kingdom from David’s rule, his dynasty. And God uses Rehoboam’s arrogance to undo what David and Solomon achieved, the unity of the twelve tribes as one kingdom under God.

Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king. And as soon as Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard of it (for he was still in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon), then Jeroboam returned from Egypt. And they sent and called him, and Jeroboam and all the assembly of Israel came and said to Rehoboam, “Your father made our yoke heavy. Now therefore lighten the hard service of your father and his heavy yoke on us, and we will serve you.” He said to them, “Go away for three days, then come again to me.” So the people went away.

Then King Rehoboam took counsel with the old men, who had stood before Solomon his father while he was yet alive, saying, “How do you advise me to answer this people?” 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 forever.” But he abandoned the counsel that the old men gave him and took counsel with the young men who had grown up with him and stood before him. And he said to them, “What do you advise that we answer this people who have said to me, ‘Lighten the yoke that your father put on us’?” And the young men who had grown up with him said to him, “Thus shall you speak to this people who said to you, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but you lighten it for us,’ thus shall you say to them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s thighs. And now, whereas my father laid on you a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.’”

So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king said, “Come to me again the third day.” And the king answered the people harshly, and forsaking the counsel that the old men had given him, he spoke to them according to the counsel of the young men, saying, “My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.” So the king did not listen to the people, for it was a turn of affairs brought about by the LORD that he might fulfill his word, which the LORD spoke by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

And when all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them, the people answered the king, “What portion do we have 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 went to their tents. But Rehoboam reigned over the people of Israel who lived in the cities of Judah. Then King Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was taskmaster over the forced labor, and all Israel stoned him to death with stones. And King Rehoboam hurried to mount his chariot to flee to Jerusalem. So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day. 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, 180,000 chosen warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, to restore the kingdom to Rehoboam the son of Solomon. But the word of God came to Shemaiah the man of God: “Say to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the rest of the people, ‘Thus says the LORD, You shall not go up or fight against your relatives the people of Israel. Every man return to his home, for this thing is from me.’” So they listened to the word of the LORD and went home again, according to the word of the LORD. (1 Kings 12:1-24, ESV)

The old men knew what leadership meant…”be a servant to this people.” Rehoboam wants to play the despot king whose every whim is followed by an enslaved people. Israel would have none of it. Thus begins the separation of Israel into two nations, Judah in the south and Israel in the north, with David’s heirs ruling over Judah until its demise, and a series of men ruling over Israel, starting with Jeroboam.

Though it says only Judah stayed with Rehoboam, it is obvious that Benjamin was also subject to the southern kingdom, the Davidic kingship. Benjamin had always been the runt of the tribes and had, historically (Genesis 44) been taken care of by Judah.

Proverbs 16:9 says, “In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Yahweh establishes their steps.” Yahweh had told Jeroboam that he would rule and yet he gave Rehoboam a chance to have Israel’s fealty. Yahweh hardened Rehoboam’s heart to listen to his young advisors and what Yahweh predicted through His prophet happened. God will have His way in our lives and yet we are responsible before Him to do wisely. There is no contradiction here only divine mystery. How will you lead, or better, how will you serve?