1 Kings 12:21-24 – Arrogance makes a person irresponsible

First Kings 12:21 said that when Rehoboam returned to Jerusalem, he gathered an enormous force. He managed to assemble a total of 180,000 men, all warriors from the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. He wanted to fight the people of Israel with the goal of restoring his kingdom. It was probably a face-saving attempt. This was another rash and foolish decision. Many lives would be lost had the Lord not stopped him. Again this proves how unthinking and insensitive he was.

Verse 22 said that the word of God came to him through Shemaiah, a man of God. The word of The Lord was clear and explicit. Speaking to the men of Judah and Benjamin, he said, ‘Thus says the Lord, “You must not go up and fight against your relatives the sons of Israel; return every man to his house, for this thing has come from Me.”’ The intervention of God through Shemaiah prevented the bloodshed on that day. So the men of Judah and Benjamin listened and went back home according to the word of the Lord. However, Israel, for now, was irreversibly split into the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah.    

Ever wonder why the tribe of Benjamin, where Saul, the first king of Israel hailed from, did not join the north? The tribes of Benjamin and Judah could not get along well for a long time due to jealousy. And the people of Benjamin had for a long time resisted the rule of David. Remember this man Shimei, a Benjamite? Second Samuel 16:5-6 said that when David was running away from Absalom, Shimei cursed him and pelted him with stone when he was at Bahurim. Then in 2 Samuel 20:1, we learned about another fellow Sheba, also a Benjamite. He also rebelled against David. Rift with the bad past, what could be the reason for them to choose to remain with Rehoboam? It was because Jerusalem, the pride of the country and the capital of the nation, was within the border of the tribe. Anyway, by this time Jerusalem was largely populated by the people of Judah. Besides, if they had chosen to join the northern tribes in their revolt, it would mean the loss of Jerusalem. Hence it made more sense for them to remain with Rehoboam in allegiance.

Rehoboam was not only proud but was also arrogant. People like him tend to act foolishly. They would abuse their authority and misuse their power. At least we notice that when Solomon started in his reign, he started by seeking God. But unlike his father, Rehoboam’s first thing when he encountered a problem was to seek the counsel of men and not God. This tells us that he was not only proud and arrogant but also godless. For us who trust God, we must learn to view our position as a God-granted privilege. Thus, we need to handle it faithfully and responsibly. Never abuse our authority or misuse our power. Instead, we must always seek the counsel of God through prayer and His word. Be sure not to emulate Rehoboam or face irreversible consequences!