God’s Word will be fulfilled exactly as He alone declared it to be fulfilled. God declared to Solomon that He would tear the kingdom apart because of his great wickedness in bringing idolatry into the nation.
Did Solomon not warn his son of this reality?
1 Kings 12:16 When all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them, the people answered the king, saying, "What portion do we have in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse; To your tents, O Israel! Now look after your own house, David!" So Israel departed to their tents.
The people rebelled against Rehoboam and his foolish advisors, just as God had declared. The kingdom was now divided.
12:17 But as for the sons of Israel who lived in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them.
Just Judah and the small tribe of Benjamin, remained under the rule of Solomon’s son. The remaining 10 tribes went their separate ways.
12:18 Then King Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was over the forced labor, and all Israel stoned him to death. And King Rehoboam made haste to mount his chariot to flee to Jerusalem.
Rehoboam did not take this revolt seriously, or so it would seem.
12:19-20 So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day. It came about when all Israel heard that Jeroboam had returned, that they sent and called him to the assembly and made him king over all Israel. None but the tribe of Judah followed the house of David.
We often hear the phrase the 10 lost tribes of Israel. Many want to give their views and opinions as to what happened to them and where are they today?
12:21 Now when Rehoboam had come to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin, 180,000 chosen men who were warriors, to fight against the house of Israel to restore the kingdom to Rehoboam the son of Solomon.
Rehoboam was ready to kill his fellow members of the chosen people of God to secure his power over them. He seemed to totally forget or disregard God’s declaration to his father Solomon. This is one of the ways of Satan to bring the world under his control. If you won’t come willingly through his deceitful strategies, he will wage war against you.
1 Peter 5:8 Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
12:22-24 But the word of God came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying, "Speak to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all the house of Judah and Benjamin and to the rest of the people, saying, 'Thus says the LORD, "You must not go up and fight against your relatives the sons of Israel; return every man to his house, for this thing has come from Me."'
" So they listened to the word of the LORD, and returned and went their way according to the word of the LORD.
So finally Rehoboam could not deny the plan and word from God.
He tried all the worldly wisdom of seeking counsel from frivolous, foolish young friends. That did not work.
Then puffed up, he decided to wage war against them to force them to obey him. That did not work.
Finally, God sent him a prophet to clearly declare God’s word to him. Finally, he accepted this judgment.
But, did this change his heart? More later.