The Divided Kingdom
When Rehoboam became king after his father Solomon died, the people of Israel came to him with a request. They asked him to make their lives easier by reducing the heavy burdens that had been placed on them during Solomon’s reign—things like high taxes and forced labor. Rehoboam had the chance to win the people’s loyalty by showing kindness and understanding.
First, he consulted with the older, wiser advisors who had served his father. They encouraged him to listen to the people and ease their hardships. But instead of following their advice, Rehoboam turned to a group of younger men—his friends who had grown up with him. These younger advisors told him to do the opposite: to be even harsher and increase the people’s workload to show his strength.
Rehoboam chose to follow the advice of the younger men, and this decision backfired. The people were outraged, and as a result, ten of the twelve tribes of Israel rejected Rehoboam as their king. They broke away from his rule and made Jeroboam their new leader instead. This event fulfilled a prophecy that had been spoken by the prophet Ahijah, which said that the kingdom would be divided (as recorded in 1 Kings 12:16–20).