It is not clear why the northern tribes had invited Rehoboam to the northern town of Shechem. They may have done so for a coronation over Israel separate from his coronation over Judah.125On the other hand the northern tribes may have invited him to go there for his coronation over the entire nation. Jerusalem was the natural coronation site. Perhaps Rehoboam chose to hold the ceremony at Shechem to accommodate and perhaps placate the northern tribes. In any case, Shechem was an understandable site because of its historical significance and earlier covenant renewal ceremonies (cf. Gen. 12:6-7; 33:18-20; Josh. 8; 24).
The heavy yoke Solomon had imposed on the Israelites consisted of taxation, forced labor, and other burdens. If Solomon had exempted Judah from these,126the spokesmen were probably speaking for the northern tribes rather than for all the Israelites and were demanding similar favors.127
Rehoboam's choice was whether he would regard himself as the people's servant under Yahweh's authority, as David and Solomon had done, or as the supreme authority in Israel, as Saul had done. His pride led to his downfall.
The "scorpion"(v. 11) was a particularly cruel kind of whip that contained sharp pieces of metal (1 Macc. 6:51).
"Rehoboam chooses slogans over wisdom, machismo over servanthood."128
Rehoboam's decision resulted in what God had predicted to Solomon (11:11-13), Ahijah, and Jeroboam (11:31-39).
The dissatisfaction with the rule of David's house that had been brewing for years (cf. 2 Sam. 20:1) finally boiled over.
Perhaps Rehoboam sent Adoram to pacify the angry mob (v. 18). Whatever his reason, this proved to be "the straw that broke the camel's back."Rehoboam lacked wisdom because he did not give God the place He deserved in his life. Because he revolted against God, the people revolted against him. In rebelling against Rehoboam, however, the Israelites were rebelling against God's anointed king. That action could only and did bring divine discipline on them. This rebellion continued throughout the history of the divided kingdom and accounts for much of the misery that nation experienced.129
Rehoboam's coronation turned into a bloody lynching and the coronation of his rival (v. 20).
Rehoboam's pride led him into further trouble. He wanted to start a civil war to recapture the throne. Benjamin joined with Judah at this time and remained allied from then on (cf. 2 Sam. 19:16-17). God had to intervene through a prophet to get Rehoboam to turn back (vv. 22-24).130To his credit Rehoboam obeyed God.
"Shemaiah's message goes against the perceived national interest, opposes a popular cause, and stifles the impulse to avenge wounded pride. But Shemaiah was a man of God before he was a man of Judah. His loyalty to God transcended that to king and country. His identity came from his relationship to God, not from society. He served God rather than the state. In short, he was a prophet."131
"Rehoboam is harsh, despotic, and autocratic, but the worst part is that he is also stupid and incompetent."132
There were several reasons for the division of the kingdom. The primary one was Solomon's apostasy. However tribal jealousy, sectionalism, and Solomon's exploitation of the people were contributing causes.133
