11:1 The twelve tribes of Israel had split into two:
- Judah consisted of: Judah and Benjamin
- Israel consisted of: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, and Joseph (Ephraim and Manasseh)
Rehoboam returned to Jerusalem (headquarters and in the southern territory of Judah) and organized an army with the intention of reclaiming Israel.
11:2-4 However, Rehoboam was thwarted by God. The commanding word of God was given to a faithful man named Shemaiah. Effectively the message was: stand down. God instructed Shemaiah to speak with Rehoboam and tell him to cease operation against Israel. Perhaps God knew that the separation was inevitable and thus allowed it at the onset. We know that God has a plan for all of His children and evidently, Israel and Judah had different futures planned by Him.
11:5-12 Rehoboam strengthened his kingdom by having cities of defense built, by ensuring that those cities were fortified against enemies. He placed captains throughout the region and stored food, oil and wine. He armed every city with shields and spears. Humanity today puts a lot of time and effort into defense. Ironically, if we put that much effort into diplomacy, defense would be irrelevant.
God must have a sense of humor to deal with our choices! Humans scramble and scrape to defend themselves, living in near constant fear and altercation. When, if we simply choose God as our defense, we could have joy and peace. Rehoboam poured money and labor into a defense plan, was afraid to lose more of the kingdom. He could have kept it all simply through compassion!
11:13-15 Rehoboam made poor choices in the south, but Jeroboam made worse choices from his territory in the north. Jeroboam dismissed the priests and Levites of God and replaced them with idol worship. God had given Jeroboam the space he was now perverting with false gods.
11:16-17 All of the people faithful to God in the northern tribes left their homes and traveled south to live in Judah. They chose the high taxation and heavy labor of the north in rejection of the God-less south. For three years, the kingdom of Judah did well because for three years, they walked in the way of David. They lived, behaved, interacted with the same obedience to God David had.
They were faced with two bad options, neither king was competent. But their choice to live where God was still acknowledged (if not entirely obeyed) is an example to us. Always choose to space where God is because that place has hope.
11:18-19 Rehoboam married a woman named Mahalath of the tribe of Judah. Their children's names were: Jeush, Shamariah, and Zaham.
11:20 Rehoboam then married Maachah. Their children's names were: Abijah, Attai, Ziza and Shelomith.
11:21 Though Rehoboam loved Maachah the most, he acquired many wives and had many children. In Deteronomy 17:17, God instructed men not to marry multiple wives. Rehoboam was an imperfect man and unqualified king but it was his disobedience to God that ruined him.
We are imperfect. We are unqualified. It is our obedience to God that makes us able. God supplements what we lack with His perfection and absolute qualification.
11:22 Just as Samuel warned a human king would when Israel rejected God's leadership in 1 Samuel 8:10-18, Rehoboam set his family up in positions of power and prosperity around the kingdom. He took wives for his sons. Nepotism pervaded the country: relation to Rehoboam made one powerful rather than quality and ability.
The tribes rejected the prophet Samuel's warning. Will you? Appoint God as the true and full and rightful authority in your life. Not yourself. Not your desire for power or money or fame. Not another person claiming to be wise and powerful. Only God.
The tribes rejected the prophet Samuel's warning. Will you? Appoint God as the true and full and rightful authority in your life. Not yourself. Not your desire for power or money or fame. Not another person claiming to be wise and powerful. Only God.
