Rehoboam's Arrogance Alienates Israel (1 Kings 12:1-16).
The elders of Israel came together with a view to anointing Rehoboam as king on condition that he would guarantee them a somewhat easier lifestyle, but he was too arrogant to take advantage of the offer, and instead listened to the advice of younger hotheads like himself. The result was, that under the influence of Jeroboam, Israel asserted its independence and decided to choose its own king for itself.
However, what is of the greatest interest to the writer is not the to-ing and fro-ing between Rehoboam on the one hand and Jeroboam and the elders of Israel on the other, which as far as he is concerned is simply part of the by-play, but on the fact that ‘it was a thing brought about by YHWH, that He might establish His word which YHWH spoke by the hand of Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat' (1 Kings 12:15). It was that history was moving forward in accordance with the word of YHWH.
Analysis.
a And Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel were come to Shechem to make him king (1 Kings 12:1).
b And it came about, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard of it (for he was yet in Egypt, where he had fled from the presence of king Solomon, and Jeroboam dwelt in Egypt, and they sent and called him), that Jeroboam and all the assembly of Israel came, and spoke to Rehoboam, saying (1 Kings 12:2-3).
c “Your father made our yoke grievous. Now therefore you make the grievous service of your father, and his heavy yoke which he put on us, lighter, and we will serve you” (1 Kings 12:4).
d And he said to them, “Depart yet for three days, then come to me again.” And the people departed (1 Kings 12:5).
e And king Rehoboam took counsel with the old men, who had stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, saying, “What counsel do you give me so as to return answer to this people?” And they spoke to him, saying, “If you will be a servant to this people this day, and will serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will be your servants for ever” (1 Kings 12:6-7).
f But he forsook the counsel of the old men, which they had given him, and took counsel with the young men who were grown up with him, who stood before him (1 Kings 12:8).
e And he said to them, “What counsel do you give, that we may return answer to this people, who have spoken to me, saying, ‘Make the yoke that your father put on us lighter?' ” And the young men who had grown up with him spoke to him, saying, “Thus shall you say to this people who spoke to you, saying, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but do you make it lighter to us', thus shall you speak to them, “My little finger is thicker than my father's loins. And now whereas my father burdened you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke. My father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions” (1 Kings 12:9-11).
d So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king had bidden saying, “Come to me again the third day” (1 Kings 12:12).
c And the king answered the people roughly, and forsook the counsel of the old men, which they had given him, and spoke to them after the counsel of the young men, saying, “My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke. My father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions” (1 Kings 12:13-14).
b So the king did not listen to the people, for it was something brought about of YHWH, that he might establish his word, which YHWH spoke by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat (1 Kings 12:15).
a And when all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them, the people answered the king, saying, “What portion have we in David? Neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse. To your tents, O Israel. Now see to your own house, David.” So Israel departed to their tents (1 Kings 12:16).
Note that in ‘a' all Israel came to make Rehoboam king in Shechem and in the parallel they rejected him and returned home. In ‘b' Jeroboam returned from exile in Egypt to support the pleas of the men of Israel, and in the parallel the king did not listen because of His plan to make Jeroboam king. In ‘c' the people demanded that their load might be made lighter, and in the parallel Rehoboam said that he would make it heavier. In ‘d' Rehoboam called on the people to give him three days in which to make his decision, and in the parallel they returned to him on the third day. In ‘e' Rehoboam sought the advice of the old men and received their reply, and in the parallel Rehoboam sought the advice of the young men and received their reply. Centrally in ‘f' Rehoboam turned from the counsel of the old men to receive the counsel of the young men who had grown up with him.
‘ And Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel were come to Shechem to make him king.'
As a result of the death of Solomon all Israel gathered at the Israelite sanctuary at Shechem in order to determine who should rule them. They had a sense of independence that was unfortunately unrecognised by Rehoboam. But they also seemingly had no other idea in their minds but to submit to Rehoboam as long as it was on the right terms. That was their intention in gathering at Shechem.
Shechem was the place to which Israel had first gathered under Joshua for the reading of the Law and the renewal of the covenant (Joshua 8:30-35), and the place where Joshua had renewed the covenant after the initial stages of the invasion were over and Israel were settled in the land (Joshua 24:1-28). It was a recognised place at which YHWH had recorded His Name (suggested by Joshua 8:30-31 with Exodus 20:24). It was the place where the stone of witness had been set up (Joshua 24:26) and it may well be that the regular reading of the covenant required by the Law of Moses took place at Shechem whose two local mountains Ebal and Gerizim, together with the valley that lay between them, formed a natural amphitheatre (see Deuteronomy 27:1-26). Its very sacredness gave a sense of solidity and assurance to Israel. Here at Shechem they would surely find YHWH's will.
This is a reminder to us that while Jerusalem had finally been established as the Central Sanctuary, (even though the existence of the Tabernacle was still within living memory), there were other sanctuaries at which YHWH could be legally worshipped. Later we learn of an altar on Mount Carmel that was declared to be an altar of YHWH usable by Elijah (1 Kings 18:30-32). And Elijah mentions other such acknowledged altars of YHWH (1 Kings 19:10).
‘ And it came about, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard of it (for he was yet in Egypt, where he had fled from the presence of king Solomon, and Jeroboam dwelt in Egypt, and they sent and called him), that Jeroboam and all the assembly of Israel came, and spoke to Rehoboam, saying,'
But Israel had not forgotten Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, who had fought their corner with Solomon, and they recognised that he was just the man to negotiate on their behalf in this situation. So they sent to Egypt where he was a refugee, calling on him to come and be their negotiator and mediator. And once he had arrived he and the elders of Israel went to negotiate with Rehoboam. Jeroboam was seemingly from one of Israel's leading families (he was a ‘mighty man of valour/wealth/property'), so that his worth and authority was recognised by all.