The split of ancient Israel into Judah and the Northern Kingdom also known as Israel occurred under the watch of the grandson of King David, Rehoboam. He is well known as the man who lost Israel. Today, we are not here to cast aspersions at him for his style of leadership that led to the split. Both Israel and Judah boasted of kings with diverse spiritual backgrounds that contributed to their eventual dispersal to the nations by God. It would be unfair to heap all the blame on one man alone.
The split of ancient Israel into Judah and the Northern Kingdom also known as Israel occurred under the watch of the grandson of King David, Rehoboam. He is well known as the man who lost Israel. Today, we are not here to cast aspersions at him for his style of leadership that led to the split. Both Israel and Judah boasted of kings with diverse spiritual backgrounds that contributed to their eventual dispersal to the nations by God. It would be unfair to heap all the blame on one man alone.
Shepherd Heart: Thank you for honouring our invitation King Rehoboam.
King Rehoboam: I am glad to be here to share my side of the story. Thank you for having me.
Shepherd Heart: Kindly tell our readers whatever you want them to know about your background.
King Rehoboam: I was the first son of King Solomon and I ruled over Judah for 17 years.
Shepherd Heart: The most significant thing that happened during your reign was the rebellion against your leadership led by Jeroboam, which culminated in ten tribes forming their own kingdom known as Israel. Many people have identified you as the major cause of that rebellion. Do you agree with them?
King Rehoboam: I do not. I may have been the catalyst to an extent but the split was not primarily due to Jeroboam’s rebellion or my perceived highhandedness. If you read the Old Testament of the Bible, you will clearly see that Almighty God told my father Solomon that He would punish him for his idolatry after he is gone. God did say in 1 Kings 11:9-13 that He will not tear the kingdom completely from my father during his lifetime but under his son; which is what He (God) did after my father died.
Shepherd Heart: If you knew that this kind of judgment was hanging on your head, why did you give Jeroboam the occasion to rebel by threatening to deal more harshly with your people than your father did?
King Rehoboam: That is a good question. Do you think anyone can avert God’s judgement?
Shepherd Heart: The people of Nineveh did when they repented in dust and ashes. King Manasseh, the son of King Hezekiah did despite all the atrocities he committed. In 2 Chronicles 33 verses 10 to 20, we are told that God allowed the King of Assyria to capture and punish Manasseh. In his suffering, he humbled himself and asked God for forgiveness. God forgave him and restored him to the throne. You could have entreated God to pardon your father for his numerous indiscretions and averted the judgement on your family. Instead of humbling yourself before God, you chose to seek the counsel of your young friends who led you astray, thereby hastening the judgement that led to the split of Israel into two nations.
King Rehoboam: Although you are correct in your analysis, it is important for you to remember that rulership of the kingdom was thrust upon me when I had not sufficiently matured enough for such a responsibility.
Shepherd Heart: That is a cop out excuse King Rehoboam. David your grandfather was anointed king in his youth. Even though he did not assume that position until the death of King Saul, he acquitted himself honourably to the admiration of many people in Israel. I believe your greatest undoing was in refusing to acknowledge God as your strength and to work towards a spiritual reformation in Israel after the disastrous reign of your father. That brings me to the question. Did you have any relationship with the Holy One of Israel in any form or shape during your reign?
King Rehoboam: My father Solomon had abandoned the LORD God of Israel before I was born, hence he could not bring me up in the fear and nurture of the LORD. I was raised in a palace filled with idols and shrines built for my father’s many wives and concubines. No. I did not know the God of Israel. I could have sought for Him when I grew up, but nurture trumped faith in God in my own case.
Shepherd Heart: Did you make any attempt to make amends when the 10 tribes abandoned you? You still had the temple in Jerusalem and some faithful priests. What was your relationship with them?
King Rehoboam: At this time, idolatry was rampant in Judah. Very few people worshipped the true God. They had taken a cue from my father, King Solomon and were enthralled with the gods of neighbouring nations. There was nothing I could do because as I said earlier, I was not brought up in a godly environment.
Shepherd Heart: If you had an opportunity to advise young men caught up in the excitement of life in the world, with little or no regards for God and His ways, what would you have told them?
King Rehoboam: First and foremost, all that glitters is not gold. Life is worthless without a sure foundation – God. As Yeshua said in the New Testament, what does it profit anyone to gain the entire world and lose his soul? Kings die. So do Emperors, Presidents, Heads of Government, movie stars, athletes, captains of industry etc. Death is a leveller. Why would anyone want to gamble with where to spend eternity? People like us made mistakes that were recorded for other generations to learn from. God is merciful and He does not want anyone to perish. Return to Him as the prodigal son did in the story told by Yeshua in the New Testament. Almighty God is waiting for all prodigals with open arms to receive them. That is how much He loves humanity.
Shepherd Heart: The story of your life might have had a more positive ending if you had friends that cared for the people of Israel. In this case, they would have given you a more people-oriented counsel that would not have triggered the rebellion led be Jeroboam. How important is it for us to choose our friends wisely?
King Rehoboam: The choice of friends is not the key issue in fulfilling destiny. Make God and His word your safety net and everything will fall into place. The most important asset a man needs is not friends but a relationship with the Holy One of Israel.
Shepherd Heart: I totally agree with you dear King. Many people have shipwrecked their lives because they found no place for God in their lives. In our generation, there are those who doubt His existence but they believe in aliens! Thank you very much for your insights. We pray that our readers would take your wise counsels to heart and choose God as their mainstay before the curtains fall on humanity.
King Rehoboam: The pleasure is mine. Thank you once again for having me.