1 Kings 12:16 - Meaning and Application

Here we see the kingdom of the ten tribes torn away from David’s family.

The people were firm and determined in their break with Rehoboam. They deeply felt the insult he had given them and were angry at his threats. They reasoned that if his rule began with such pride, it would become unbearable as it went on. So they came to one strong decision: “What share do we have in David?” (1 Kings 12:16).

This was a very disrespectful way to speak of David, who had been a great blessing to their nation. They called him “the son of Jesse,” as if he were only an ordinary man. It is sad how quickly people forget good leaders and the good they have done for the public. Their decision was also rash. With time and wise handling, they might have settled matters with Rehoboam and reached an agreement that pleased both sides.

If they had asked who gave Rehoboam this bad advice, and if they had removed those evil advisers, the split might have been avoided. Still, their concern for liberty and property was not wrong in itself, for a free people should not be crushed. Israel is not a slave, not a homeborn servant. Why should he be spoiled? (Jeremiah 2:14). They were willing to be governed, but not abused. Protection creates loyalty, but destruction destroys it.

So it is no surprise that Israel turned away from David’s house (1 Kings 12:19) if David’s house had turned away from the great purpose of its power, to serve God for the people’s good. But it was still a great sin to rebel against David’s family, which God had raised to the throne and promised would continue there. See (2 Chronicles 13:5-8). God speaks of this in (Hosea 8:4): “They set up kings, but not by me.” It is noted to Judah’s credit that they stayed with David’s house (1 Kings 12:17, 1 Kings 12:20), and it seems Rehoboam was later better than his first harsh words, because he did not rule with the severity he had threatened.

Rehoboam then showed more bad judgment in how he handled the crisis, and he became more and more blinded by his own folly. He had already stepped into danger, and in trying to get out, he sank deeper. First, he was unwise to send Adoram, the official in charge of tribute, to deal with them (1 Kings 12:18). The tax burden was one of the main things they complained about, so Adoram was exactly the man they hated most. Just seeing him stirred them up and made them wild with anger. They would not even listen to him calmly, but stoned him to death in the uproar. Rehoboam was as unwise in choosing his messenger as he had been in choosing his advisers.

Some think he was also unwise to retreat so quickly to Jerusalem. By doing that, he left his friends exposed and gave his enemies room to act. The people had indeed gone to their tents in anger (1 Kings 12:16), but they did not actually make Jeroboam king until after Rehoboam had left (1 Kings 12:20). Notice how quickly this foolish prince moved from one extreme to the other. He had spoken proudly and boldly when he thought everything was secure, but he became timid and low when he saw danger. That is often how it goes with those who are most proud in prosperity, they become most broken in hardship.

God forbade Rehoboam from trying to win back the kingdom by force. What had happened was from God, and God would not allow it to be undone. He would not permit Rehoboam to regain the ten tribes, and he would not allow Jeroboam to go further and take the two tribes from David’s house. So the matter had to remain as it was, and God stopped the battle. It was honorable in Rehoboam to plan to recover the rebels by force. His courage returned once he reached Jerusalem (1 Kings 12:21). There he was among his loyal supporters, who stood with him willingly. Judah and Benjamin, who feared the Lord and the king and did not join those eager for change, raised an army of 180,000 men to win back their king’s rights over the ten tribes.

Yet it was even more honorable in Rehoboam to stop when God, through a prophet, told him to put down his weapons. He would not have been fit to be called a prince if he had given up his kingdom without a struggle. But he would also not have been fit to be called an Israelite if he had fought against God’s will. To continue would have meant fighting their brothers (1 Kings 12:24), whom they should have loved, and fighting against God, whom they should have obeyed. “This thing is from me.” Two thoughts should help us bear losses and troubles without revenge: God is the one who sends them, and our brothers are often the tools through whom they come.

Rehoboam and his people listened to the word of the Lord, disbanded the army, and accepted what God had said. From a human point of view, they had good reason to hope for success, since their army was large and determined, while Jeroboam’s side was weak and unsettled. It would also have seemed shameful to lose so much strength without even trying, to make a show and then do nothing. Yet they still listened. They honored God’s command, even though it came through a humble prophet. When we know God’s will, we must submit to it, no matter how much it goes against our own wishes.

They also acted with practical wisdom. They knew that even with every advantage on their side, including the right, they could not succeed if they fought against God. It was better to stay still than to rise up and fall. In the next reign, God did allow them to fight and gave them victory (2 Chronicles 13), but not at this time.