We pick up the narrative in 1 Kings today. Solomon has died, and his son Rehoboam has ascended to the throne (12:1). We see in verse 2 that Jeroboam (see 11:26-40) returns to Israel upon hearing of Solomon’s death. He leads an envoy of the people to ask Rehoboam to ease the burdens Solomon had placed on the people of Israel. Remember, Solomon put his own people to forced labor (5:13), which Jeroboam knew all too well as the one given charge over them (11:28). So Rehoboam tells the people he will need three days to deliberate (v. 5).

In verses 6-15, we see how prophetic Solomon’s Proverbs were, and what a fool Rehoboam was. Rehoboam does not value the wisdom of his elders. He surrounds himself with fools, not taking care to keep the right company. He answers with harsh words. He abuses his power. But we see in verse 15 that even this was from the hand of God. God carried out the judgment He pronounced on Solomon (11:11-13). And the kingdom divides (vv. 16-20). This is God’s rejection of Israel (the Northern Kingdom) for their disobedience, and His preservation of a remnant (the Southern Kingdom) that He may keep His covenant with David (v. 24 – see 2 Sam 7:8-17). This will play out in history as Israel immediately becomes a nation that worships false gods.

Jeroboam needs to identify his people (Israel) with their own gods lest they worship YHWH in Judah (v. 27). So he makes golden calves to worship, and places one in Dan (to the extreme north) and one in Bethel (to the extreme south on the Israel-Judah border) (v. 29). He presents the calves as “your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt” (v. 28). This is history repeating itself (see Ex 32:4-5), with on major exception. Aaron and Israel set up their Golden Calf as an image of YHWH (Ex 32:5). These gods of Israel are meant to be other gods; competing gods.

In verse 31 we see that Jeroboam sets up high places and appoints non-Levitical priests for his new religion. High Places were sites of worship set up on the summits of mountains or hills in Canaanite religion. Israel was doing exactly what they were forbidden to do (see Deut 12:29-31). Jeroboam even institutes new Holy Days for his new religion (vv. 32-33). Verse 30 summarizes well the religion of the Northern Kingdom. This was sin. It was not YHWH worship, but a new, man-made religion.

Chapter 13 records the confrontation between Jeroboam and “a man of God”, that is, a prophet. Note that immediately after the wholesale turning from God by the northern kingdom, God pronounces a word of judgment. This is history repeating itself, as well. This is what He did at the Fall. Israel was a “corporate Adam” figure – given the blessings, and commanded to obey in order to keep the blessings. They failed like Adam.

This also begins the on-going prophetic ministry that lasts until the return from the Babylonian exile. Israel was supposed to represent God on earth (like Adam before). Now that they had failed, He sends His representatives to them to announce their sin. Usually, there is a call for repentance. As we will see, this was primarily for the Southern Kingdom (the remnant). For the Northern Kingdom, though there are some calls for repentance, the proclamation was usually one of judgment. That is what we see here. In 13:2, the prophet predicts the reign of Josiah in Judah (see 2 Kings 22:1-2) and his destruction of the High Places, including the one in Bethel (see 2 Kings 23:15-16), which would take place about 200 years in the future.

God’s word is confirmed by the drying up and restoration of Jeroboam’s hand, and the supernatural destruction of the altar (vv. 4-6). Note in verse 6 that Jeroboam refers to YHWH as “the Lord your God” when speaking to the prophet. When Jeroboam invites the prophet to accompany him, he refuses, citing the command by God not to eat or drink there (v. 9). Note that this is a prophet from the Southern Kingdom sent to the Northern Kingdom, and God commands him not to fellowship with the reprobate Israelites, but to return to Judah.

However, on his way home, this prophet meets another prophet who lived near Bethel. The entire story (vv. 11-32) seems a bit odd, and interpretations vary. The old prophet is often considered to be a liar who was either bitter over his separation from YHWH being in the Northern Kingdom now) or who was similar to Balaam in character. But note that the word “lied” in verse 18 is translated a bunch of ways in the Old Testament, and can also mean “kept secret.” Add to that the old prophet’s reaction to the death of the man of God (he mourns his death and says “alas, my brother,” buries him in his own grave, and asks to be buried with him – see vv. 30-31), which would indicate no ill-will, but rather affection. In addition, the fact that the lion does not attack the donkey (v. 24) seems to indicate that this was clearly a supernatural act of God (and the command to go back to Judah a different way would appear to be God providentially setting up this encounter between prophets). Placing any wrong-doing on the old prophet seems to me to be a mistake.

I think there is a bigger picture in focus here. Remembering that this is a prophet from Judah, I think it is better to see this incident as a test, and an object lesson, by God. Just like (united) Israel was not to mingle with the inhabitants of the land, God instructed this Judahite not to mingle with the Israelites. When he (like Israel) failed, he was judged. Both the prophecy of the man of God, and his own demise, illustrate the fact that Israel (the Northern Kingdom) has been rejected. God will now turn them over to their own sin, and He will complete their judgment with the Assyrian conquest of Israel.

The chapter closes with history repeating itself once again. Like Pharaoh in Egypt, Jeroboam is not affected by the judgment of God (his hand being stricken, his request that the prophet ask God to relent, and the reversing of the judgment is reminiscent of the plagues in Egypt). His heart was now hardened, and the final judgment would be the end of his house, that is, the death of his offspring (the final plague in Egypt).

This plays out immediately in the death of Jeroboam’s son, Abijah. He immediately (“at that time”) gets sick (14:1). Jeroboam sends his wife to Ahijah, the prophet he met back in 11:29 (v. 2). The prophet does not have good news. Because of Jeroboam’s immediate disobedience to God (all part of God’s plan to judge Israel), He would strike “every male both bond and free” (v. 10 – see Ex 11:4-5). The deaths will be so horrible, that God taking Abijah is actually an act of mercy (v. 13). That very day, God would set up a new king over Israel (v. 14). This is all part of God’s rejection of Israel, which is explicitly stated in verse 15. So Jeroboam dies and his son takes the throne (vv. 19-20). Note that from 12:20 – 14:20 is a 22 year span.

Verse 21 brings us back to the Southern Kingdom and Rehoboam. We see that he was no better than Jeroboam, and Judah was no better than Israel (vv. 22-24). Note that twice we are told that Rehoboam was the result of one of Solomon’s forbidden foreign marriages (v. 21, 31). We see that Judah did the same things Israel did (vv. 23-24). So what was the difference between Israel and Judah? God chose Judah (v. 21). That’s the only difference.

In verses 25-26, we see an attack by Egypt that results in all the wealth of Solomon being taken from Rehoboam. The kingdom is already a shadow of what it was, represented by the bronze being used in place of gold (v. 27). We see here that the war between the two kingdoms was already an ever-present reality (v. 30). And Rehoboam dies, and his son Abijam takes the throne.

As we go along through the rest of the books of Kings and 2 Chronicles, and as we consider the message of the prophets, we need to always keep the big picture in mind. There are great stories with valuable lessons to be learned, to be sure, but the point of this history is that God’s true chosen is Christ: the offspring of Abraham, the greater Son of David, the true Israel – the reason He preserves a remnant at all. This is communicated through the Old Testament before it is made explicit in the New Testament.