1Ki 12 | TNotes | STEP | 12:1 Shechem , located in the heart of territory belonging to the northern tribes, had been a strategic site and religious center since the pre-Israelite occupation of Canaan (Gen 12:6-7 ; 33:18-20 ), and it became important in Israel as a Levitical city and a city of refuge (Josh 20:7 ; 21:20 ; 24:1 ). Rehoboam knew that if he wanted to be king over a united kingdom, he would need the approval and support of the politically and religiously strong northern tribes. Shechem later became the provisional capital of the northern kingdom (1 Kgs 12:25 ). • Rehoboam reigned from 931 to 913 BC .

12:1 ^a Shechem, located in the heart of territory belonging to the northern tribes, had been a strategic site and religious center since the pre-Israelite occupation of Canaan (Gen 12:6-7 ^b; 33:18-20 ^c), and it became important in Israel as a Levitical city and a city of refuge (Josh 20:7 ^d; 21:20 ^e; 24:1 ^f). Rehoboam knew that if he wanted to be king over a united kingdom, he would need the approval and support of the politically and religiously strong northern tribes. Shechem later became the provisional capital of the northern kingdom (1 Kgs 12:25 ^g).

• Rehoboam reigned from 931 to 913 BC.
12:4 ^h harsh labor demands and heavy taxes: See 4:7 ⁱ, 22-23 ^j; 5:13-18 ^k; 9:20-23 ^l; 11:27-28 ^m.
12:5 ⁿ three days: Rehoboam’s waiting period to consult his advisers is traditional; the third day was one of final decision (see 2 Kgs 20:4-8 ^o). Jesus rose from the grave on the third day (Luke 24:41 ^p; 1 Cor 15:4 ^q).
Summary for 1Kgs 12:6-7: 12:6-7 ^r older men: Those who had served under Solomon advised moderation.
Summary for 1Kgs 12:8-10: 12:8-10 ^s young men: Rehoboam’s appointed contemporaries took a hard line and advised the opposite of the older men.
12:11 ^t scorpions: This was probably a type of whip that contained barbs or nails; the wounds inflicted by this weapon were like a scorpion’s sting.
Summary for 1Kgs 12:12-17: 12:12-17 ^u Rehoboam’s decision to heed the counsel of his younger advisers was disastrous; it led the northern tribes to secede, followed by years of intermittent warfare (14:30 ^v; 15:7 ^w, 32 ^x).

• the will of the Lord: God directed these human decisions to fulfill the prophesied judgment against Solomon (11:11-13 ^y, 29-39 ^z).
12:18 ^aa Adoniram served under both David (2 Sam 20:24 ^ab) and Solomon (1 Kgs 4:6 ^ac; 5:13-14 ^ad). His death by stoning showed the folly of Rehoboam’s decision to send the unpopular supervisor of the labor force to restore order in the north.
Summary for 1Kgs 12:21-24: 12:21-24 ^ae Rehoboam resolved to restore the kingdom to himself by force, but he turned back when confronted with the message of the Lord through Shemaiah. The expression man of God emphasizes a prophet’s relationship to the Lord as his messenger. God’s prophets played a leading role in the history of the divided kingdom. Shemaiah apparently authored a history of Rehoboam’s reign (2 Chr 12:15 ^af).
Summary for 1Kgs 12:25-33: 12:25-33 ^ag Jeroboam’s actions in establishing his kingdom are reported in two sections, one on his building activities (12:25 ^ah), the other on his false shrines and religious practices (12:26-33 ^ai). 12:25 ^aj Both Shechem (12:1 ^ak) and Peniel, which Jeroboam built across the Jordan River, were strategic defensive sites against the Arameans.
Summary for 1Kgs 12:26-27: 12:26-27 ^al Jeroboam tried to satisfy Israel’s spiritual needs and maintain the allegiance of his people by making the worship services in the north both convenient and distinctive.
12:28 ^am Two gold calves would strike a responsive chord regarding Israel’s history (Exod 32 ^an; esp. 32:4 ^ao). Similar religious practices, associated with the Canaanite god Baal-Hadad, also appealed to the remaining Canaanite population in the northern kingdom. Jeroboam’s intentions compromised true worship and caused religious confusion (see 1 Kgs 14:9 ^ap; Hos 8:6 ^aq).
Summary for 1Kgs 12:29-30: 12:29-30 ^ar By placing the calf idols in Bethel (the southern part of Israel) and in Dan (the far northern section) Jeroboam gave his people two choice sites with long religious traditions (see Gen 12:8 ^as; 28:11-19 ^at; Judg 18:30-31 ^au). Archaeological excavations confirm the existence of a high place—an altar for pagan worship—in Dan. Bethel was where Jacob had his dream (Gen 28:10-22 ^av), and it was the resting place of the Ark of the Covenant in the days of the judges (Judg 20:18-28 ^aw) and a sanctuary in Samuel’s time (1 Sam 7:16 ^ax; 10:3 ^ay).
12:31 ^az Jeroboam directly violated the law of Moses, which prohibited worship at pagan shrines (Deut 12:2-7 ^ba) and specified that priests were to come only from the tribe of Levi (Exod 40:13-15 ^bb; Num 1:50-53 ^bc).
Summary for 1Kgs 12:32-33: 12:32-33 ^bd Replacing the Festival of Shelters, Israel’s crowning ceremonial feast in the seventh month, with the festival in Bethel also violated the law (Deut 16:13-15 ^be). The imitation observance one month later during the eighth month may have coincided with the end of the Canaanite agricultural year. Jeroboam’s false religious practices led to Israel’s downfall (2 Kgs 17:22 ^bf).

• Jeroboam’s offering of sacrifices on the altar at Bethel set a bad precedent in spiritual leadership.