2 Unforgettable Immense Disparity in Shechem

1 KINGS 12:6-7

Then King Rehoboam consulted the elders who had served his father Solomon during his lifetime. “How would you advise me to answer these people?” he asked. They replied, “If today you will be a servant to these people and serve them and give them a favorable answer, they will always be your servant

2 unforgettable immense disparity in Shechem occurred during King Rehoboam regime, when he met Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, a mighty man of valor, who was a leader of Solomon’s labor force of the house of Joseph. Israel made an appeal to the King to lighten the labor yoke :“Your Father made our yoke heavy (tax burden) now, therefore, lighten the burdensome service of your father, and his heavy yoke which he put on us and we will serve you.”

Rehoboam sent the people away for 3 days, to get counsel, ponder his decision and get back to them. King Rehoboam sought multiple counsels in a time of crisis before making a decision; he consulted the elders with detachment who stood before his father, ”How do you advise me to answer these people?  And his peers in concurrence who had grown up with him when he asked them for advise on “How should we answer this people who have spoken to me, saying, ‘Lighten the yoke which your father put on us .“

The elders told Rehoboam he should immediately be a servant leader, who treats the people in the same way he would like to be treated, and be especially kind with his words. They understood the people concerns of Solomon force labor and its burden: being tax for the upkeep for the temple and royal court and because of this, they encouraged Rehoboam to be above reproach, listen with empathy, and lighten the yoke on the people.

He who gets wisdom loves his soul; He who keeps understanding will find good. (Proverbs 19:8)

He who walks with the wise and you will become wise. But companion of fools you will be ruined. (Proverbs 13:20)

Understanding is a wellspring of life to him who has it, but the correction of fools is folly. (Proverbs 16:22)

Pause & think

• Why did God divide Israel into 2 kingdoms and who were their respective kings?
• How did Rehoboam approach to the elders differ from his peers?
• What was the labor burden and what is scripture requirement for labor?

1 KING 12:8-15

But Rehoboam rejected the advice the elders gave him and consulted the young men who had grown up with him and were serving him. He asked them, “What is your advice? How should we answer these people who say to me, ‘Lighten the yoke your father put on us’? “The young men who had grown up with him replied, “These people have said to you, ‘Your father put a heavy yoke on us, but make our yoke lighter.’ Now tell them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist. My father laid on you a heavy yoke; I will make it even heavier. My father scourged you with whips; I will scourge you with scorpions. “

Rehoboam snubbed the elders’ counsel to purpose to serve and not be served, uncommon advice for a leader in a monarchy society, where the king had the final say. The 41 year old King, listen to his peers who him to tell the people: ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but you make it lighter on us –then you shall say to them: my finger shall be thicker than my father’s waist! Where as my father put a heavy yoke on you :I will add to your yoke, my father chastised with whips: but I will chastise you with scourges. Implicitly stating the latter yoke will be greater than the former, making the burden of the work even heavier.

Jesus said : Take my yoke it is easy and my burden is light, and a worker is worth his wages. (Matthew 11:30, Luke 10:7).

The young men encouraged Rehoboam to assert control over the people and threaten them with oppression, instead of redeeming their life from oppression and heavy burden. Jesus said: You know that the rulers of the gentiles lord over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it should not be so among you, but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. (Matthew 20:25-26).

On the 3rd day, when the people returned to Rehoboam, he harshly answered the people, “My finger shall be thicker than my father’s waist, I will add to your yoke, and chastise you with scourges.” He did not have insight into the heart of the people’s, he was insensitive to their needs and partial in his judgment. Rehoboam created strive rather than healing and unity that was required between the northern and southern Israel.

He made a wrong choice by listening to his peers, as oppose to the elders, even though age does not always guarantee wisdom, he should have permitted age with years of experience with the people to speak, to gain wisdom. He was also probably threaten by Jeroboam, who had an established reputation with northern Israel- a mighty man of valor, who was a leader of Solomon’s labor force of the house of Joseph. Rehoboam’s heart may have been harden by the Lord, so that scripture might be fulfilled:

“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 new garment and the two were alone in the field… and he said to Jeroboam, take for yourself 10 pieces for the say the Lord, the God of Israel: Behold, I will tear the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon and give 10 tribes to you. (1 King 11:29-31)

1 KINGS 12:16-19

When all Israel saw that the king refused to listen to them, they answered the king: “What share do we have in David, what part in Jesse’s son? To your tents, Israel! Look after your own house, David!” So the Israel went home. But as for Israel who were living in the towns of Judah, Rehoboam still ruled o ver them. King Rehoboam sent out Adoniram, who was in charge of forced labor, but all Israel stoned him to death. King Rehoboam, however, managed to get into his chariot and escape to Jerusalem. So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day.

When the people realized the king did not have their interest at heart, they voice their opinions, and said: “What shall do we have in David, what have no part in Jesse’s son? To your tents, O Israel! Look after your own house, David!” Similar to how of Bichri, a Benjamite rallied the people in his day and blew the trumpet against David. (2 Samuel 20:1-2.) Although, Rehoboam dwelt in Jerusalem, he built cities for defense in Judah, he forsook the law of the Lord and all Israel with him: “he did evil because he did not prepare his heart to seek the Lord.

Rehoboam should have sought the counsel of God, in addition to the counsel of men, to know God’s purpose and plan for His people because the hearts of men are in the hands of God and His eyes keep watch over the nations as He rules them. Rehoboam young and inexperience, was not prudent when he send Adoniram who was in charge of forced labor, to disgruntled northern Israel who stoned him to death. Even though, Rehoboam did not reign over all Israel he had jurisdiction over Israel who lived in Judah. “In a multitude of people is a King’s honor, but in a lack of the people is the downfall of a prince.”

“The heart of kings is in the hands of the Lord and He turns it wherever He wishes. (Proverbs 21:1).

Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, the grandson of David, king of all Israel, inherited 2 of the 12 tribes because of the sins of his father – who partook of abominable worship and loved many foreign women. Rehoboam had 18 wives, 60 concubines, 24 sons and 60 daughters; his quiver was quite full like his father. Rehoboam did not wholeheartedly seek the Lord’s heart so he and all Israel transgressed against the Lord. “They provoked the Lord to jealousy with their sins, which was more than all their fathers . Did God visit the iniquities of the fathers to the 3^rd generation when he made Rehoboam inherit 2 of 12 tribes of Israel?

The allocation of Rehoboam inheritance was predetermine before his reign due to his father’s sin against God- who faithfully preserved the throne of David to fulfill the promise of His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh. (Romans 1:3) However, Rehoboam bear his own sin against God when he partook of abdominal worship and polygamy: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.  

 He must not take many wives, or his heart will be led astray. He must not accumulate large amounts of silver and gold. (Deuteronomy 17:17)

Nonetheless, as believers do not inherit the guilt of our fathers, because our sins are forgiven. We are new creation, born not of blood, not of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God. However, we do inherit our father’s sin trait, even though the blood of Jesus remits our sin. Yet, the cycle of sin, sin pattern, and sin consequences of our father’s linger within our flesh. Through sanctification of the Holy Spirit, the word of God and belief in truth, we can renew and transform our mind through daily bible reading, which enable us to identify, acknowledge and repent of sinful pattern with patience and turn to God from sin.  

Jesus said: “Sanctify them by your truth. Your word is truth.”(John 17:17.)

Sin disposition can be overcome by walking in the Holy Spirit, as we submit to the Holy Spirit leading to, pray, worship and/or fast to not fulfill the lust of the flesh. “So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.”(Galatians 5:16) We can also overcome inter-generational sins by choosing to obey the word of God, do what is good, right and acceptable in the sight of God through Jesus Christ to the praise of the Father’s glory and grace. “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”(Romans 12:2)

Pause & think

What does the term sins of the father means in scripture and how is this exemplified in Rehoboam life?

Do children inherit the sins of their parents and how can parent empower children to over inherited sins?

How does Jesus empower us to over sins of our fathers?