The Logic of Schism: Text: 1 Kings 12:16-20
Introduction: The High Cost of Folly
We come now to one of the saddest and most pivotal moments in the history of God's people. It is a train wreck in slow motion, but the conductor is proud of his speed. The nation of Israel, forged in the crucible of Egypt, united under David, and glorified under Solomon, now shatters into a thousand pieces. And it does so not because of some overwhelming external threat, but because of internal rot. Specifically, the rot of pride and folly in the heart of a king.
Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, inherited a kingdom, but he did not inherit his father's wisdom. When the people came to him with a reasonable request to lighten the heavy burdens his father had imposed, he had a choice. He could listen to the wise counsel of the old men who had served Solomon, who advised him to serve the people and win their hearts. Or he could listen to the testosterone-fueled bluster of his young friends, who advised him to be a tyrant. He chose the latter, and with one foolish, arrogant speech, he tore the kingdom apart.
We must understand that this is not merely a political story. It is a theological one. The events of this chapter are not random. The narrator has already told us that "this turn of events was from the Lord, that He might fulfill His word" (1 Kings 12:15). God is sovereign over the foolishness of kings. He uses the pride of Rehoboam to bring about His decreed judgment on the house of Solomon for his idolatry. But this does not excuse Rehoboam. God's sovereignty does not negate human responsibility. God's decree was the ultimate cause, but Rehoboam's folly was the immediate and culpable cause. He was not a puppet; he was a fool, and his foolishness had consequences that would echo for centuries.
This passage shows us the anatomy of rebellion. It demonstrates how quickly political structures can disintegrate when leaders despise their people and the people reject their heritage. It is a lesson in cause and effect, in sin and judgment, and it is a story that is deeply relevant to our own fractured and polarized age.
The Text
Then all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them. So the people responded to the king with this word, saying, “What portion do we have in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse; To your tents, O Israel! Now see to your own house, David!” So Israel went to their tents. But as for the sons of Israel who lived in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them. Then King Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was over the forced labor, and all Israel stoned him and he died. And King Rehoboam made haste to mount his chariot to flee to Jerusalem. So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day. Now it happened when all Israel heard that Jeroboam had returned, that they sent and called him to the congregation and made him king over all Israel. None but the tribe of Judah followed the house of David.
(1 Kings 12:16-20 LSB)
The Cry of Secession (v. 16)
The people's reaction to Rehoboam's tyrannical answer is immediate and decisive.
"Then all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them. So the people responded to the king with this word, saying, 'What portion do we have in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse; To your tents, O Israel! Now see to your own house, David!' So Israel went to their tents." (1 Kings 12:16)
When leadership refuses to listen, the social contract is broken. Rehoboam had revealed that he viewed the people not as a flock to be shepherded, but as a resource to be exploited. His answer was not a negotiation; it was a declaration of contempt. And the people responded in kind.
Their cry, "What portion do we have in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse," is a formal declaration of secession. It is a renunciation of the covenant God had made with David. This is not the first time we have heard this cry. A rebellious man named Sheba shouted the same words during David's reign (2 Samuel 20:1). What was then the cry of a lone troublemaker has now become the slogan of a national revolution. This is what happens when grievances are left to fester and are then met with arrogance instead of wisdom.
Notice the dismissive language: "the son of Jesse." They are deliberately demoting David, stripping him of his royal, covenantal status and reducing him to his humble origins. It is a profound insult, a rejection of God's chosen dynasty. They are saying, "The special arrangement is over. We are no longer bound to this family."
"To your tents, O Israel!" is a call to arms, or rather, a call to disperse and regroup. It means, "Go home and prepare for what comes next. The negotiation is over." This is the moment the kingdom dies. Rehoboam thought he was projecting strength, but all he did was reveal his weakness. True strength is found in service and wisdom, not in bluster and threats. He thought he could command their loyalty, but loyalty cannot be coerced; it must be earned. He lost the kingdom before he ever truly had it.
A Kingdom Divided (v. 17-19)
The immediate consequences of this verbal divorce are laid out starkly.
"But as for the sons of Israel who lived in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them. Then King Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was over the forced labor, and all Israel stoned him and he died. And King Rehoboam made haste to mount his chariot to flee to Jerusalem. So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day." (1 Kings 12:17-19 LSB)
The fracture is immediate. Rehoboam is left with only those Israelites living within the tribal territory of Judah. The ten northern tribes have effectively cast him off. But Rehoboam, in his spectacular folly, still doesn't seem to grasp the severity of the situation. He makes one more catastrophic blunder.
He sends Adoram, who was in charge of the forced labor. This is the man who embodied the very oppression the people were protesting. Sending Adoram was like pouring gasoline on a raging fire. It was the ultimate act of tone-deafness. Did he think this would intimidate them? Did he think the mere presence of the chief taskmaster would cause these enraged men to buckle and submit? It was an act of pure, unadulterated stupidity. And the people's response is visceral. They stone Adoram to death. The revolution now has its first casualty, and it is the king's own man.
Suddenly, the reality of the situation crashes down on Rehoboam. The man who just moments before was boasting about his power and his scorpions is now scrambling for his life. He "made haste to mount his chariot to flee to Jerusalem." The would-be tyrant is now a fugitive. He flees to the safety of his own tribal capital. The great, unified kingdom of David and Solomon is gone. The author then adds a concluding note, "So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day." This phrase tells us that this was written sometime after the event, looking back on a division that had become a permanent political reality.
The Usurper Crowned (v. 20)
The northern tribes, having rejected their legitimate king, now move to fill the power vacuum.
"Now it happened when all Israel heard that Jeroboam had returned, that they sent and called him to the congregation and made him king over all Israel. None but the tribe of Judah followed the house of David." (1 Kings 12:20 LSB)
Jeroboam, the man whom God had promised the ten tribes through the prophet Ahijah (1 Kings 11), is now formally acclaimed as king. He had been the spokesman for the people's grievances, and now he becomes the beneficiary of Rehoboam's folly. The people call him to the congregation and make him king. This is a popular anointing, not a dynastic one. They have chosen their own man.
But we must see the tragic irony here. They have rebelled against the house of David because of oppressive government policies. But what will Jeroboam give them? As we will see, he will lead them into idolatry to secure his own political power. He will set up golden calves in Dan and Bethel to prevent the people from going to Jerusalem to worship, fearing they might return their allegiance to Rehoboam. In rejecting the legitimate, though foolish, king, they embrace an illegitimate king who will lead them into apostasy. They traded a tyrant for an idolater. They fled the frying pan of Rehoboam's scorpions only to land in the fire of Jeroboam's golden calves. This is the logic of all godless rebellion. It rejects one form of tyranny only to embrace a worse one.
Conclusion: The Greater David
This story is a profound tragedy. A glorious kingdom, built by the grace of God, is shattered by the sin of man. Rehoboam's pride cost him his kingdom. The people's rebellion, while understandable, ultimately led them away from God's covenant and into idolatry. Both sides were culpable. Rehoboam was a fool for provoking the rebellion, and the people were wrong to renounce the Davidic covenant entirely.
But this historical event is recorded for our instruction. It points us to a greater reality. The people cried, "What portion do we have in David?" They saw the failures of David's grandson and rejected the whole dynasty. They looked at the son of David on the throne and found him wanting. And in their rejection, they walked away from the covenant promises of God that were tied to that throne.
We too are confronted with a son of David. Jesus Christ, the true and better King, comes to us. Unlike Rehoboam, He does not come to add to our burdens, but to give us rest. "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light" (Matthew 11:28-30).
Where Rehoboam was harsh, Christ is gentle. Where Rehoboam sought to serve himself, Christ came to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many. Where Rehoboam drove his people away with foolish pride, Christ draws all men to Himself with loving humility.
The question for us is the same one that faced Israel. What portion do we have in David? Will we look at the claims of Jesus, the great son of David, and say, "We have no inheritance in him"? Will we go off to our own tents, to our own self-made kingdoms, and see to our own house? Or will we see in Him the perfect King, the wise counselor, the good shepherd?
To reject Him is to repeat the folly of Israel on an eternal scale. It is to trade the light and easy yoke of the Savior for the crushing, impossible burden of our own sin and self-righteousness. It is to flee a king who offers grace only to fall under the eternal tyranny of the one who comes to steal, kill, and destroy. Let us not be like rebellious Israel. Let us rather bow the knee and gladly say, "We have every portion in David's Son. Our entire inheritance is in Him. We will not go to our tents, but we will dwell in the house of the Lord forever."