Commentary - 1 Kings 14:29-31

Bird's-eye view

This brief passage serves as the official epitaph for the reign of Rehoboam, the first king of the southern kingdom of Judah. It is a formulaic conclusion, but one packed with theological weight. The author summarizes Rehoboam's reign in three strokes: first, by pointing to a more exhaustive secular record for the political details, indicating that this biblical account is a curated, theological history. Second, by characterizing his entire rule by the "war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam," a constant, grinding conflict that was the direct fruit of the kingdom's sinful division. Third, by noting his death, his burial in the city of David, and the succession of his son Abijam. Woven into this conclusion is a crucial, repeated reminder of his mother's identity, Naamah the Ammonitess, which points back to the root of the apostasy in Solomon's reign. In short, this is the final word on a foolish king whose legacy was division, warfare, and syncretism, yet through whom God sovereignly and faithfully maintained the promised Davidic line.

Outline

Context In 1 Kings

This passage concludes the section detailing the reign of Rehoboam, which began dramatically in chapter 12. After the death of Solomon, Rehoboam's arrogance and folly directly precipitated the division of the united kingdom. He rejected the counsel of the older, wiser men and instead listened to his foolish young friends, resulting in the ten northern tribes seceding under Jeroboam. The preceding verses of chapter 14 have detailed the rampant idolatry that flourished in Judah under Rehoboam (vv. 22-24) and the subsequent judgment from God in the form of an invasion by Shishak, king of Egypt, who plundered the temple and the king's house (vv. 25-28). This final summary, therefore, is the capstone on a reign defined by foolishness, division, apostasy, and judgment. It sets the stage for the ongoing, parallel history of the two kingdoms, a story of almost constant strife and varying degrees of unfaithfulness.

Key Issues

The End of the Matter

Every king gets an epitaph. When the history of a man's life is written, what is the final summary? What is the one thing that characterized his time on earth? For Rehoboam, the son of the wisest man who ever lived, the summary is a sad one. His reign, which began in blustering pride, ends here with a formulaic notice of his death. But the Holy Spirit, in guiding the historian, ensures that the essential details are recorded for our instruction. We are told where to find the political trivia, if we are interested in that sort of thing. But the Bible is not interested in trivia. It is interested in the things that matter forever. And what mattered about Rehoboam's reign was the perpetual, cancerous war with his brother to the north, and the fact that his heritage was shot through with the compromise of his father, Solomon. It is a story of failure and its consequences. And yet, in the last clause, we see the stubborn grace of God. A son takes the throne. The promise God made to David limps on, carried by unworthy men, until the true and worthy Son comes to claim His throne forever.

Verse by Verse Commentary

29 Now the rest of the acts of Rehoboam and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah?

This is a standard formula the author of Kings uses to conclude a monarch's reign. It is important to note that the "Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah" is not the biblical book we call 2 Chronicles. Rather, it was the official state record, the court annals, which were available to the original readers but have since been lost to history. The biblical author's point in referencing this source is twofold. First, it grounds his history in verifiable fact. He is not making this up; there are public records that can be consulted. Second, and more importantly, it shows the nature of biblical history. The Holy Spirit is not interested in giving us an exhaustive, encyclopedic account of every political policy and building project. He is giving us a theological history. He selects the events and details that are spiritually significant for God's people. He is saying, in effect, "If you want the rest of the political story, you can go read the court logs. I have given you what you need to know for your salvation and instruction."

30 Now there was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all their days.

This is the defining feature of the relationship between the two newly-formed kingdoms. This was not a one-time battle, but a state of perpetual hostility. It was a long, grinding, miserable civil war. This is the bitter fruit of the schism in chapter 12. When God's people divide over sin and pride, the result is not peaceful coexistence, but constant strife. The nation that God had made one was now two, and these two brothers, Judah and Israel, spent their energy and resources trying to destroy one another. This is a microcosm of what sin always does. It takes that which should be whole and unified and tears it asunder, leaving a legacy of bitterness, suspicion, and conflict. This was the political inheritance Rehoboam's folly left to his people.

31 And Rehoboam slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David; and his mother’s name was Naamah the Ammonitess. And Abijam his son became king in his place.

This final verse contains three crucial pieces of information. First, Rehoboam "slept with his fathers." This is the Old Testament's gentle way of speaking of the death of a covenant member. He was also buried in the "city of David," the royal cemetery. This signifies that despite his great sin and failure, and despite the division of the kingdom, he was still recognized as a legitimate king in the line of David. God's judgment came upon him, but he was not utterly cast off like Jeroboam would be.

Second, the author repeats a detail he already gave us in verse 21: his mother's name was Naamah the Ammonitess. Why the repetition? Because it is the key to understanding the whole mess. The Ammonites were pagan enemies of Israel. Solomon, in his sin, married this foreign woman, and the fruit of that union was Rehoboam. His folly was not an isolated event; it was the harvest of his father's compromise. The poison of idolatry had entered the royal bloodstream a generation earlier. This is a stark warning about the generational consequences of disobedience, especially of unequally yoked marriages.

Third, "Abijam his son became king in his place." In the midst of this story of failure, war, and compromise, the central promise of God holds. God had sworn to David that he would never lack a man to sit on his throne (2 Sam 7). Rehoboam was a terrible king. Abijam would not be much better. But God's faithfulness is not dependent on man's goodness. The line continues. The promise inches forward. This unworthy dynasty is preserved by a worthy God, all in anticipation of the great Son of David, Jesus Christ, whose kingdom would have no end.

Application

The story of Rehoboam is a cautionary tale for all times, and it presses several points upon us. First, it teaches us the devastating nature of pride. Rehoboam lost ten-twelfths of his kingdom because he refused to humble himself and listen to wise counsel. He postured and blustered, and his kingdom shattered in his hands. We must mortify the pride in our own hearts that refuses correction and insists on its own way. A refusal to be taught is the fast track to ruin, whether in a family, a church, or a nation.

Second, we see the long shadow that sin can cast. Solomon's sin with foreign women did not die with him. It lived on in his son, Rehoboam, whose mother was an Ammonitess. We cannot compartmentalize our sin. Our compromises, particularly in who we bind ourselves to, will affect our children and our children's children. We must strive for holiness not just for our own sake, but for the sake of the generations that will follow us.

Finally, the endurance of the Davidic line through a fool like Rehoboam is a testimony to the faithfulness of God. Our hope does not rest in the wisdom of our leaders or in our own ability to get things right. Our hope rests in a God who makes and keeps His promises, despite our persistent efforts to wreck them. The line of David did not culminate in Rehoboam, but in Jesus Christ. Because God was faithful to preserve this broken line of kings, we have a perfect King who will never fail us, whose kingdom is not characterized by war but by peace, and whose reign is eternal.