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Lessons from the Throne
As we dive into 2 Chronicles 10-12, the nation will divide into northern Israel and southern Judah, and the Chronicler will transition to writing about the lesser kings. However, unlike 1 and 2 Kings which covered both kingdoms after the nation divided, the Chronicler ignores the northern kings.
Instead, he focuses exclusively on Judah’s 21 kings, including David, and adds new details that are not in the books of Kings. The exiles only hope for a king to save them must come from the line of David in Judah. The north no longer has a divine promise, because they don’t have the line of David.
Through character studies of the faithful and unfaithful, the Chronicler is teaching the Israelites they must learn from their past. If they are faithful to their covenant with God, He will be with them. If they are unfaithful, there will be consequences and ultimately exile.
How many wives did Solomon have?
Rehoboam and Jeroboam are the big names we’ll hear about in these chapters. Rehoboam was the only recorded son of Solomon, which is a mystery considering Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines. Yet only three of his children are recorded in the Bible…one son, Rehoboam, and two daughters, Taphath and Basemath.
This is very odd considering Solomon’s father, David, had 19 sons recorded, and the Bible mentions there are more. Solomon’s son Rehoboam had 18 wives and 60 concubines, which resulted in 8 sons and 60 daughters.
Why would the Bible list so many of David’s and Rehoboam’s offspring and not Solomon’s? Solomon had the most wives, so you would think he would have more children than either his father or son.
Solomon’s Pre-Wisdom Years
The other puzzle is, if Solomon was the wisest man on earth, why did he marry so many foreign, idolatrous women so early in life when David was probably still alive? Why would David allow that?
First, Solomon married Pharaoh’s daughter. Then he married Rehoboam’s mother Namaah who was an Ammonite of all people! David fought with the Ammonites right before Solomon was born.
You may recall in Season 13, Episode 11 of the Bible Book Club Podcast David was friends with Nahash, the Ammonite king. When Nahash died, David sent an envoy to express his condolences to Nahash’s son, Hunan.
Hunan humiliated the envoy, cutting their beards and clothes, which started a war. David sent Joab and his troops including Bathsheba’s husband Uriah to fight. Then David had an affair, killed Uriah, married Bathsheba, and their first child died.
Their next child was Solomon who grew up and married an Ammonite. Solomon wouldn’t have been born if his father hadn’t sinned while his army was at war with the Ammonites. Why would David let Solomon marry a foreigner, and especially an Ammonite?
And Solomon was young. It’s estimated he was between the ages of 14 and 19.
There are several formulas used to estimate Solomon’s age when he married, when he took the throne, and when he had Rehoboam. But most calculations estimate Rehoboam was born one year before David died and Solomon took the throne.
That means Solomon had not yet asked God for wisdom, because he wasn’t king. So perhaps we can excuse Solomon for his choice of an Ammonite wife. He was young and still foolish. But David is not excused for allowing it.
Rehoboam, the King of Conflict: 2 Chronicles 10
After Solomon’s death, all of Israel went to Shechem to crown Rehoboam as the new king. There were no traditions for crowning kings at this early stage. Saul, David, and Solomon were all crowned in a different place. So Rehoboam went to Shechem for his ordination in 2 Chronicles 10:1-4.
The choice of Shechem may have been forced on Rehoboam because it is in the territory of Ephraim. Asking Rehoboam to come to them was most likely a premeditated scheme of Israel’s to secede from Judah.
Shechem held significant historical and religious importance for the Israelites because it was the site where Joshua read the covenant between God and the people of Israel after they entered the Promised Land in Joshua 8.
You would think meeting at the place honored for the covenant would have reminded the Israelites to be faithful to the covenant! Spoiler alert…it did not.
Led by Jeroboam, Israel confronts Rehoboam at Shechem. They accuse him of the heavy yoke his father, Solomon, placed on the people of the north with taxes and forced labor.
A heavy yoke was typical of kings. They lived lavish lifestyles that did not pay for themselves. Still, Solomon was the wisest king ever. He should have known better. He asked God for wisdom, not wealth. In the end, it seems like he wanted both.
The Torn Cloak Prophecy
At this point, all we know about Jeroboam is that he’s from the tribe of Ephraim, who was one of Joseph’s sons. So Jeroboam has leadership running through his veins.
Back in 1 Kings 11:28, Solomon noticed how well the young Jeroboam did his work and put him in charge of the whole labor force of the tribes of Joseph, which included the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh. At that time, Solomon was already heavily taxing the people and forcing labor. Jeroboam’s role made him familiar with the discontent among the people.
In 1 Kings 11:29-39 Jeroboam’s path to kingship began when the prophet Ahijah approached him and tore a new cloak into 12 pieces. He told Jeroboam, “Take ten pieces for yourself, for this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘See, I am going to tear the kingdom out of Solomon’s hand and give you ten tribes.’”
When Solomon heard of this prophecy, he tried to kill Jeroboam, so he fled to Egypt for protection until Solomon’s death. But now he’s back and he’s confronting Solomon’s son, the new king Rehoboam, with a request to lighten the load.
A Young King’s Folly
Rehoboam has wisdom at his fingertips to help him answer Jeroboam’s request in 2 Chronicles 10:5-11. After all, his father was the wisest man on earth. In his wisdom, he chose advisors who became Rehoboam’s advisors when Solomon died. Wouldn’t it make sense that these advisors, chosen by the wisest man on earth, would be wise too?
But Rehoboam is not interested in seeking wisdom. He chooses to do things his way with his own advisors. He is seeking wealth, and his choices are foolish.
How could he fall so far with a father like Solomon and a grandfather like David? Solomon listened to his father, David, and followed his instructions for the temple and worship very carefully. Rehoboam would not even listen to his father’s advisors.
Rehoboam’s Foolishness Fulfills Divine Prophecy
In 2 Chronicles 10:12-15 Rehoboam threatens the ten tribes of the north, and Israel is not having it. No surprise there. Verse 15 reminds us this is God’s will. Ahijah the prophet foretold this would happen in 1 Kings 11 when he tore his cloak into 12 pieces and gave ten of them to Jeroboam.
There is a message for us in this. God has the end game in mind. He knows the choices each player will make, right or wrong, and they will all play into His plan.
God will win the game. His victory over sin is certain.
If situations in your life don’t make sense and seem unfair, if people around you prosper in sin, and the world appears to be reckless and lost…do not despair! The sin of the world, the foolishness of humanity, is not running loose. God has it all on a leash, and one day it will come to an end.
It was for this very reason God sent his son from the line of David, a king above all kings. The king that ended the Davidic line of imperfect kings.
John the Baptist was one of the first to recognize Jesus, the king, in John 1:29, and Philippians 2:9-11 assures us all will recognize Christ in the end. Revelations 11:15 tells us the battle will be over, and Jesus will be king forever. The game will end.
Jesus means “saves” and Christ means “anointed one.” Jesus Christ is the one king, anointed by God, who can save the world.
The Death of Unity
In 2 Chronicles 10:16-19, Rehoboam sends Adoniram to deal harshly with the Israelites, and he is stoned to death. Rehoboam escapes to Jerusalem, and Israel rebels against the house of David and God.
The horrible irony is that Rehoboam rejected God’s people and, in a spiritually catastrophic move, the people in turn reject Rehoboam, God, the Davidic Dynasty, and the Covenant promises.
A national and theological crisis will evolve from the actions of this one king, reversing so much of what David and Solomon had worked for. The twelve tribes that David fought so hard to unite are divided just one generation after his death, and all have forgotten David’s heart for the Lord.
Just months after Solomon’s death, they’ve also forgotten his writings of over 100 proverbs extolling the value of wisdom and the dangers of foolishness. Proverbs 1 begins with a strong reminder that fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
The entire chapter of Proverbs 9 personifies foolishness and wisdom. Wisdom is described as a valuable gift while foolishness is portrayed as self-destructive. Proverbs 13:20 compares them both.
The point is, Rehoboam was exposed to wisdom through observing his father and his father’s writing as well as through his father’s advisors. But Rehoboam was also exposed to wealth.
He had a choice. He chose the foolish advice of his companions, and he chose wealth because it benefited him.
The results are devastating for both Israel and Judah. It’s the beginning of their path to exile.
The Kingdom Divides
The Chronicler has been following the stories written in 1 Kings 12. However, he omits crucial, painful parts he assumes we know such as 1 Kings 12:20 when Jeroboam returns and they make him king of Israel. Only the tribe of Judah remains loyal to the house of David.
It’s as if the Chronicler can’t bear to say it. Israel made someone else king.
Judah alone maintained the true continuity of Israel’s covenant relationship with God. The northern kingdom serves as a negative example of what happens when you abandon the Davidic line, the Temple, and proper worship.
The Chronicler treats the northern kingdom of Israel as essentially outside the covenant community, though not exactly as complete foreigners. He largely ignores them, only mentioning northern Israel when it directly impacts Judah’s story.
When he does mention northern Israel, it’s usually as an enemy, threat, or cautionary example. They’re treated as a separate political entity rather than fellow Israelites. He has written them out of the main narrative of God’s people.
The Power of Restraint: Chapter 11
In 2 Chronicles 11:1-4, Rehoboam runs back to Jerusalem and gathers an impressive army from the faithful tribes of Judah and Benjamin. But before Rehoboam can attack, the prophet Shemaiah stops him with a word from the Lord.
Shemaiah reminds Rehoboam that the northern tribes are still brothers. The Northern Kingdom’s rebellion was God’ s doing. It was a consequence of Solomon’s sin. King Rehoboam obeys the command and appears to turn as a result of the lessons he learned.
By 2 Chronicles 11:5-17, Rehoboam seems to have seen the consequences of sin. Both his father’s and his own.
Ten of the tribes of Israel are now enemies, and his holdings are greatly reduced. So he builds up defenses and strengthens Judah, which also includes the tribe of Benjamin.
The Levites are the true heroes. Their commitment to the Word of God is solid, and when Jeroboam in the north goes rogue with his own form of worship they head south to Jerusalem along with some members of the northern tribes who were faithful.
Rehoboam had some other redeeming moments. He married Israelites. Cousins it sounds like. He also received the blessing of a large family, and in 2 Chronicles 11:18-23 we can see he was wise in parenting his sons.
The Attack from Shishack: Chapter 12
In 2 Chronicles 12:1-11, Egypt attacks and makes off with all the gold. Just like that, Rehoboam loses the golden shine that reflected his father Solomon’s glory to the world, because the gold was no longer being used to reflect God’s glory. Rehoboam replaced it with dull bronze.
Note God did not use a Canaanite invasion as a warning to Judah. He used the Egyptians, which should have triggered their memory. God’s choice was a blatant reminder of the slavery they left in Egypt, and of the slavery they would return to if they didn’t get it together and repent.
In 2 Chronicles 12:12-16 Rehoboam dies and is buried with David. His son Abijah succeeds him. This is Abijah, son of Rehoboam, not Abijah, the son of Jeroboam.
Ironically, both kingdoms use the name Abijah which means “my father is God,” but neither of their fathers, Jeroboam and Rehoboam, followed God.
🎧 Ready to dive deeper? Listen to episodes of the Bible Book Club Podcast here.
Themes of this podcast:
God’s covenant will prevail, even through human failure. Despite the foolishness, division, and rebellion of Israel’s kings and people, God’s promise to David remains intact. God’s plan cannot be derailed—even by bad kings, broken kingdoms, or national collapse.
Wisdom is a choice and so is foolishness. Rehoboam had access to wisdom through his father Solomon’s proverbs, his advisors, and his heritage, but he rejected it. His story is a cautionary tale that wisdom isn’t inherited—it’s chosen. When we choose pride and comfort over counsel and obedience, the consequences can be devastating for everyone.
God is in control, even when the kingdoms fall apart. From torn cloaks to divided thrones, God can make everything that happens work for our salvation. The world may seem out of control, but nothing is outside God’s hand.
