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I have been recently studying in depth on Rehoboam and Jeroboam because these two fellows were barely covered in my formal theological education and I must say they don’t come up very often even in church Bible studies.

These kings are glossed over, not because they are uninteresting, but because keeping their stories straight can get confusing!

In order to understand them, we must go back to the days of King Solomon.

King Solomon’s downfall: lust for seductive women and idolatry

By this point in time, King Solomon’s heart had truly deviated from seeking the LORD. The Bible tells us in detail the number of wives and concubines he had:

“And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines; and his wives turned away his heart. For it was so, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned his heart after other gods; and his heart was not loyal to the LORD his God, as was the heart of his father David.” 1 Kings 11:3

Lust ran in the family. King Solomon’s father, King David had struggled with that. Just look at his relationship with Bathsheba ( 2 Samuel 11).

But King Solomon took this to another level.

Unlike King David, King Solomon did not remain faithful to God alone. King Solomon not only kept company with seductive women, he allowed those women to influence his spirituality. He confessed it in his writings:

“And I find more bitter than death the woman whose heart is snares and nets, whose hands are fetters.
He who pleases God shall escape from her, but the sinner shall be trapped by her.” Ecclesiastes 7:26

King Solomon recognized that his obsession with women was a path to death:

“Do not let your heart turn aside to her ways, do not stray into her paths;
For she has cast down many wounded, and all who were slain by her were strong men.
Her house is the way to hell, descending to the chambers of death.” Proverbs 7:25-27

The Consequence for his sin: King Solomon’s kingdom would be torn away and given to one of his servants

King Solomon had overseen the construction of the beautiful Temple (1 Kings 5-7) and God had appeared to him twice. It is hard to imagine how he could let his heart turn from the One, True LORD.

But when sin seeps into our lives and we no longer recognize it, it launches us straight into destruction.

Justifiably, the LORD God of Israel became angry with Solomon. Scripture records the consequence: King Solomon’s kingdom would be torn away . . . and given to one of his servants.

I’m certain that would have been considered very embarrassing!

Here is what the Bible says:

“So the LORD became angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned from the LORD God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice, and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods; but he did not keep what the Lord had commanded. 

Therefore the LORD said to Solomon, “Because you have done this, and have not kept My covenant and My statutes, which I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom away from you and give it to your servant. Nevertheless I will not do it in your days, for the sake of your father David; I will tear it out of the hand of your son. However I will not tear away the whole kingdom; I will give one tribe to your son for the sake of My servant David, and for the sake of Jerusalem which I have chosen.” 1 Kings 11:9-13, emphases added

King Solomon’s heart had not been loyal to the LORD and now one of his own servants would be unloyal to him.

Jeroboam, a servant who becomes a king

Jeroboam was a servant of King Solomon. The Scriptures inform us that King Solomon considered him “industrious” (1 Kings 11:28).

The Bible says this hard worker was still a young man. King Solomon appointed Jeroboam to be the officer over the labor force of the house of Joseph 1 Kings 11:28).

Little did King Solomon know, but God would use Jeroboam against him!

The Prophet Ahijah prophesies to Jeroboam

“Now it happened at that time, when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, that the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite met him on the way; and he had clothed himself with a new garment, and the two were alone in the field.  Then Ahijah took hold of the new garment that was on him, and tore it into twelve pieces. And he said to Jeroboam,

“Take for yourself ten pieces, for thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: ‘Behold, I will tear the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon and will give ten tribes to you (but he shall have one tribe for the sake of My servant David, and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel), because they have forsaken Me, and worshiped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Milcom the god of the people of Ammon, and have not walked in My ways to do what is right in My eyes and keep My statutes and My judgments, as did his father David. 

However I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand, because I have made him ruler all the days of his life for the sake of My servant David, whom I chose because he kept My commandments and My statutes. But I will take the kingdom out of his son’s hand and give it to you—ten tribes. 

And to his son I will give one tribe, that My servant David may always have a lamp before Me in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen for Myself, to put My name there. So I will take you, and you shall reign over all your heart desires, and you shall be king over Israel. 

Then it shall be, if you heed all that I command you, walk in My ways, and do what is right in My sight, to keep My statutes and My commandments, as My servant David did, then I will be with you and build for you an enduring house, as I built for David, and will give Israel to you. And I will afflict the descendants of David because of this, but not forever.’ ” 1 Kings 11:29-39, emphases added

The LORD spoke through Ahijah to tell Jeroboam that He would tear the kingdom from King Solomon and give Jeroboam 10 of the tribes. Whoa! This was a major turning point in Israel’s history, one that would shape the future very dramatically.

The prophecy was so significant that King Solomon wanted to kill Jeroboam (1 Kings 11:40).

Jeroboam had to flee to Egypt until King Solomon died! (1 Kings 11:40).

Rehoboam, a wicked king

Names ending with “oboam” must’ve been very popular in those days.

King Solomon died and his son, Rehoboam, took over. (1 Kings 11:43).

Rehoboam was a terrible guy. Jeroboam and the others in Israel reasonably asked the newly crowned king of Israel to please lighten the work burden as it had been quite heavy under King Solomon’s reign. (1 Kings 12:3-4).

King Rehoboam consulted his elders, who wisely counseled that if he were to lighten their load, the people would happily serve him forever. But this wicked king rejected the sage advice of the elders.

Then King Rehoboam consulted his friends from his youth – and if they were friends with him, we can assume they were just as depraved as he was. Indeed, King Rehoboam’s friends advised him to flaunt his wealth by becoming fat and inform the people that he would harshly come after them with scourges (a literal translation is: “scorpions.”). (1 Kings 12:14)

The LORD hardened King Rehoboam’s heart in order for His plan as spoken through Prophet Ahijah to be fulfilled (1 Kings 12:15).

The Kingdom Splits in Two

The people of Israel were distressed when they realized King Solomon’s son, Rehoboam, was going to be an unreasonable leader.

“So Israel departed to their tents. But Rehoboam reigned over the children of Israel who dwelt in the cities of Judah.” 1 Kings 12:17

They knew this king would not listen to them, so 10 of the tribes chose Jeroboam to be their king.

“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.” 1 Kings 12:20, emphasis added

Jeroboam became the first king of the Northern Kingdom.

King Rehoboam, therefore, by default, was the first king of Judah as the Southern Kingdom.

Israel and the House of David

Did you notice the connection between 1 Kings 11:39 and 1 Kings 12:19?

The Word of God says, “And I will afflict the descendants of David because of this, but not forever.’ ” 1 Kings 11:39

“So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day.” 1 Kings 12:19

God promised that for the sake of his servant David and the sake of Jerusalem, their affliction would not last forever. Israel (the Northern Kingdom) rebelled against Judah (the Southern Kingdom) and this continues even today. But we know there must be a future restoration because our Savior taught:

“Knowing their thoughts, Yeshua [Jesus] said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is destroyed, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.” Matthew 12:25

Israel must be united in faith once again!

Our LORD Yeshua (Jesus) is of the lineage of King David and the Gospels testify of this fact. Mark 10:48 “Have mercy on me, Son of David!”

Also, our Messiah Yeshua (Jesus) is the Lion of the Tribe of Judah! (Revelation 5:5)

He will bring restoration and redemption. So much of native Israel continues to reject Yeshua (Jesus) as their promised Messiah, but this rebellion will one day cease. We see many previously unbelievers coming to faith in Him, so continue to pray!

“Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name,  that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:9-11.

God has kept His Word and all of His promises. As history continues to unfold, we see that each and every prophecy is being accomplished in His perfect timing.

I hope that this study has helped clarify for you some of the dynamics of what was going on as Israel and Judah divided. We pray for His return and the millennial reign of our LORD who will bring peace and unity!

I was reading a book last night by Dr.Amy-Jill Levine. It was sent to me and I’m going to be writing a blog review for it soon. Update: Here is a link to my review: The Difficult Words of Jesus. While Dr. Levine and I definitely have our theological differences, I was struck by one very simple, but poignant question she posed. The rich young ruler of the Gospels was so preoccupied with storing up treasures in both earth and heaven that he wanted to know what he had to do to inherit eternal life – so he could fill up his heavenly “vault,” as Levine put it. The question that sparked my interest was this: if you were in that situation, able to stop Jesus in His tracks to ask Him any question in the world, what would you ask? What would you say?

What would you ask Yeshua?

Would you ask Him what it takes to “earn” eternal life? Demand a heavenly inheritance? Plea for salvation? Would you humbly ask for a healing? Would you ask something deeply theological, or would you stick to something more temporal?

In 1 Kings, King Solomon has the opportunity to ask anything of God.

He could’ve asked for details about what happens in the next life or the world to come. But he asks for something quite unexpected, and much much different than the riches sought by the young ruler in the Gospel story.

The fact that the Eternal One directs Solomon to ask Him for something, to ask for anything at all is shocking.

It is shocking because it is unexpected, but it is also shocking because at the time, Solomon was walking in obvious disobedience.

King Solomon knew full well who God is, and his duty to honor the God of Israel as he ruled. After all, his father was King David who wrote most of the Psalms! Surely King Solomon had no excuse when he practiced idolatry and lustfully sought out his many wives. Solomon knew better than to worship pagan gods!

This Psalm, penned by King Solomon’s father, King David, speaks of the glorious ascent to the hill of YHVH.

“Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD?
Or who may stand in His holy place?
He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol,
Nor sworn deceitfully.
He shall receive blessing from the LORD,
And righteousness from the God of his salvation.“

Psalm 24:3-5

It is certainly conceivable Solomon had his father’s words ringing in his ears as he

climbed up . . . not to a Holy Place, but to

the pagan

high place in Gibeon

to singe a thousand burnt offerings and incense.

On top of that, Shlomo (Solomon in Hebrew) had just married Pharaoh’s daughter. Shouldn’t he be feeling ashamed by now?

Many of us are well aware that Solomon’s foreign wives inspired him to pursue pagan practices. Yet even to this day Solomon is known for something else: his wisdom. God’s mercy, long-suffering, and patience really are remarkable.

What Solomon had in his favor is recorded in 1 Kings 3:3, “Solomon loved the LORD . . . “

Loving the LORD makes up the difference. His mercy endures forever.

On one particular trip up the Gibeon mountain, the trek plus the mountain air allowed Solomon to fall asleep that night. He probably didn’t have to count Israeli sheep in order to fall asleep. I imagine he fell into a fairly deep sleep just from the day’s activities.

The LORD Almighty, the Sovereign One, the Only True God, came to Solomon in a dream.

No messenger sent, no angel. God Himself appears to Solomon in the dream and says to him,

“Ask! What shall I give you?” (1 Kings 3:5)

Solomon burned sacrifices not to YHVH, but to false gods, in this very place. But to demonstrate His Omnipresence and Perfect Sovereignty, Adonai challenges Solomon to go ahead, ask for something.

A conversation King to king

Solomon is king (melech) of Israel and in a sense, the LORD is treating him that way. Being a king, surely Solomon was used to asking for things and getting them. There are no restrictions, there are no asterisks, no strings attached.

There are no limits because the LORD is God of the entire universe.

Any other supposed deity would have to place a limitation. A blue genie could get trapped in a bottle along with the three wishes he might be offering. A less-than-Almighty god would have to say:

“Ask for something within reason.”

“Please keep it under 100 shekels.”

“There will be a 10% service charge, which will be handled by your next tithe.”

Solomon is allowed to ask the LORD Most High for absolutely anything because He is able to do absolutely anything.

If you could ask God for anything, would you want jewels? tools?

If you were the king or queen of Israel, what would you want? More wealth and riches?

Solomon doesn’t ask for any of these things, not even a new pet camel.

“What do you want, Solomon, what should I give you?

King Solomon is ready to answer, but first he is sure to flatter YHVH a little. Smart thinking. Maybe he felt an extra need to show honor and deference to Elohim if he was laden with guilt from his unfaithfulness. That or, like a wife trying to butter up her husband to complete a honey-do list, first she reminds him how much she loves him, appreciates him, and couldn’t live without him. Right? 🙂

Solomon begins to praise God and thank Him for the kindness He has shown to his father David. Solomon acknowledges his immaturity and demonstrates humility (1 Kings 3:6-8). He expresses how he views the situation he lives in, this context of governance over a chosen, great, and numerous people.

Only after all of that does Solomon dare to say what he would like from God.

“Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?” 1 Kings 3:9, emphasis added

Understanding and discernment.

In other words, wisdom.

Notice, King Solomon never says “wisdom.” He only describes it.

In Hebrew, the word for wisdom is chokhmah, and it is not found anywhere in this text, even though traditionally wisdom has been ascribed to Solomon. The Proverbs attributed to Solomon, however, do employ this term frequently. Here in 1 Kings 3, a form of the word chokhmah is used, chakham, but only by God Himself. God answers Solomon’s request for understanding and discernment by calling it wisdom (chakham).

It is quite evident that King Solomon avoids using the word chokhmah or any form thereof in his request of God.

So we must ask the question: why?

Perhaps it can be dismissed as too much of a technicality, but I do believe there is more to it.

Solomon may have been hesitant to ask for wisdom because in the culture of his day, despite being a king, he was asking a lot.

As early as the writings of Job, Jewish tradition has always held that wisdom is costlier than gold and silver (Job 28:12-15).

Maybe he thought it was too much to ask.

Wisdom is also personified in Scripture, interpreted as a divine attribute of God and embodied by Messiah Himself. While Solomon did not yet know his Messiah, Wisdom Incarnate, he would have had reverence regarding the subject of God’s Wisdom.

He had mustered his courage, and this pleased the LORD.

The speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing. Then God said to him: “Because you have asked this thing, and have not asked long life for yourself, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have asked the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern justice, behold, I have done according to your words; see, I have given you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has not been anyone like you before you, nor shall any like you arise after you. And I have also given you what you have not asked: both riches and honor, so that there shall not be anyone like you among the kings all your days. So if you walk in My ways, to keep My statutes and My commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days.”

1 Kings 3:10-14, NKJV, emphasis added

The LORD assures Solomon that he will give him wisdom and fame. He adds riches and honor to the package, but now He does add an asterisk:

“You will have all of this and a long life, if you walk in My ways as your father David did.”

God will hold King Solomon accountable – He wants Solomon to do what is right.

Solomon awakens from his dream, heads straight to Jerusalem to offer legitimate sacrifice there to Adonai, and holds a party for his servants (1 Kings 3:15).

“And God gave Solomon wisdom and exceedingly great understanding, and largeness of heart like the sand on the seashore.” 1 Kings 4:29

King Solomon had so many great achievements, most importantly, the construction of the Temple. He was known for his sayings and proverbs, his riches and influence. But despite all of that, his heart strayed from the LORD. Lust was in the family line, and he seems to have inherited a generational curse. Because Solomon continued in disobedience, the Lord assured him the kingdom would be torn away under the reign of his son and that is exactly what happened.

What would you ask Yeshua?

We are all given the opportunity to ask God anything because He has made a way for us through Messiah Yeshua (Jesus). He might not come to us in a dream, but He is willing to listen to us because of His amazing grace.

He may not give us exactly what we want, but we definitely have the opportunity to share our heart with Him and He knows our deepest desires. Next time you are in prayer, ask of Him, and I know He will answer you in love. Learn from Solomon’s mistakes: keep a repentant heart, and go after the things of God, not the ways of the world.

The Father sent His Son to die for you. He loves you. Surely it is not too much for you to ask for something that is weighing on your heart, if you ask in humility, it shall be done for you.

Are you able to have a conversation with the LORD?

Are you in relationship with Him?

If you are sincerely sorry for your sins and your mistakes and your character flaws that sometimes get the best of you . . . and you have decided that you will trust in Him to help you change and turn away from continuing in sin, and if you have accepted the Truth that Yeshua (Jesus) is the King of Israel and would like Him to be the King of your heart, then you absolutely can be in communion and conversation with Him. Nothing can separate you from His love – and Messiah Yeshua bridged the gap between sin and darkness to enable you to be able to trust Him today with your life and your salvation. Believe in Him, obey His Word, and do not be afraid to go to Him in prayer. He hears you when you pray!

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