Rise of Jeroboam
Jeroboam was one of King Solomon’s officials, a man who had proven himself capable and trustworthy in his work. However, things took a dramatic turn when Jeroboam ended up rebelling against Solomon. This happened because Solomon had turned away from following God faithfully. He had started worshiping other gods and allowed idol worship in Israel, which greatly displeased the Lord.
One day, the prophet Ahijah met Jeroboam on the road. Ahijah was wearing a brand-new cloak. In a dramatic and symbolic act, he tore the cloak into twelve pieces. He then gave ten of those pieces to Jeroboam and explained what this meant. Ahijah told him that God was going to give him control over ten of the twelve tribes of Israel. This was a punishment for Solomon’s disobedience and idolatry. However, God would still leave Solomon’s family with one tribe for the sake of David, Solomon’s father, who had been faithful to God.
When Solomon found out about this prophecy, he saw Jeroboam as a threat to his throne. Fearing that Jeroboam might try to take over the kingdom, Solomon tried to have him killed. To save his life, Jeroboam fled to Egypt, where he stayed in exile until Solomon died.
This story can be found in the Bible in 1 Kings 11:26-40.