A Complete History and Mystery of the Old and New Testament, Volume 3 · Commentary on 1 and 2 Kings · Chapter 12
1 Kings CHAP. XII.
THIS Chapter deſcribeth the Diviſion of the Kingdom of Iſrael betwixt Rehoboam and Jeroboam, 2 Chron. 10.
Remark firſt upon Rehoboam; as, Firſt, The three firſt Kings, Saul, David and Solomon, had Reigned hitherto over all the Twelve Tribes of Iſrael, but Rehoboam was the very firſt that Reigned over two Tribes only: Some ſuppoſe it an over ſight in wiſe Solomon, that he had not before his Death, ſettled his Son King over Iſrael, as David had ſettled him before he died, 1 Kings 1.38, 39, &c. to prevent all Sedition; But God's holy Hand was in this Infatuated over-ſight.
Remark the Second: However this Divine Infatuation was more manifeſt in his Son, who, being the undoubted Heir of the Kingdom (ſettled by God upon Solomon and his Heirs, 2 Sam. 7.12, 13.) yielded to meet the Seditious Elders at Shechem, ver 1. (a fatal City, both for the Raviſhing of Dinah, and for the Sale of Joſeph, and for the Tyranny of Abimclech, as Peter Martyr noteth.) Had Rehoboam been a Prudent Man, he might well have ſuſpected ſome danger in going thither; he ſhould rather have Summon'd them up to Jeruſalem, the Capital City, by his Royal Authority: But there is no Wiſdom againſt the Lord. Prov. 21.30. Jeroboam might think himſelf unſafe at Jeruſalem, but ſafe enough at Shechem, a City of Ephraim, a turbulent Tribe, wherein he was powerful.
Remark the Third, is, the double Wonder here; Firſt, That Solomon ſhould not fill his Royal Place with plenty of Heirs by the Bodies of 700 Wives, and 300 Concubines; yet by all theſe we read only of one Son, and that by an Ammoniteſs, and he none of the wiſeſt, but a Silly Child, when at the Age of above Forty Years, as is after mentioned upon Chap. the 14. ver. 21, to 31. Dr. Hall noteth well, many a poor Man hath an Houſe full of Children by one Wife, whereas this great King hath but one Son by many Houſe-fulls of Wives. Well did David Document his Son, [Lo, Children are the Heritage of the Lord, and the Fruit of the Womb is his Reward] Pſal. 127.3. God oft denies this Heritage of Heirs, where he gives the largeſt Heritage of Lands, and gives moſt of the living Poſſeſſions, where he gives leaſt of the dead, &c. The ſecond Wonder is, That ſo wiſe a Father ſhould have ſo fooliſh a Son. As the greateſt Perſons cannot give themſelves Children, ſo the wiſeſt cannot give Wiſdom to their Children. This was Solomon's complaint, [That he knew not whether his Heir and Succeſſor would prove a wiſe Man or a Fool,] Eccleſ. 2.18, 19. Solomon the Father was a Man for Wiſdom, while he was but a Child in Years, ſhort of twenty Years old, when Rehoboam the Son was but a Child for Folly when he was grown up to manly Maturity even to the Forty-firſt Year of his Age, 2 Chron. 12.13. and yet call'd a Child, &c. 2 Chron. 13.7.
Remark the Fourth: This Factious Aſſembly at Shechem ſends for Jeroboam out of Egypt, ver. 2, 3. where he had laid lurking till Solomon's Death, in the Houſe of Solomon's Brother, or Father-in-Law, who nouriſhed this Serpent in his Boſom, that ſtung ſo fatally Solomon's Succeſſor, &c. This Jeroboam comes to Shechem (the place ſtained with Perficiouſneſs of old) and becomes the Mouth of this many-headed Multitude; which would have done better, had they preſented Rehoboam with the Head of this Fugitive, and Traytor to Solomon, than in making him the Head of their Faction and Rebellion. But they pitch upon him, who had been a prime Officer among them, and as one that had ſuffered Baniſhment for ſpeaking freely for them to Solomon, and who was a mighty Man of Valour, Chap. 11.26, 28. Yea, and of the ſame Tribe of Ephraim alſo: But probably moſt of all, becauſe he had God's Promiſe of the Kingdom by the Prophet Ahijah.
Remark the Fifth: This Seditious Aſſembly at Shechem ſent for Rehoboam thither (as well as Jeroboam) pretending to Crown him, and to perform all the Solemnities uſual at a King's Coronation, if he would grant their Requeſts, but indeed intending a Defecti…n, whatſoever Anſwer Rehoboam ſhould make. Jeroboam being made the Peoples Mouth, Petitions Rehoboam to eaſe them of the heavy Taxes his Father had laid upon them, ver. 4. This Crafty Fox had undoubtedly troubled the Waters of Iſrael, that he might fiſh the better for a Kingdom therein; therefore comes he in their Name with a deſign to Cavil. N.B. 'Twas true thus far, that Solomon had levied great Taxes upon them, for his many Works, Wars and Wives, but they had forgot who it was that had filled all their Coffers with ſuch a prodigious Plenty of Gold and Silver, wherewith with chearfully they might have born their Impoſts; nor do they mention one word of the Idolatry ſet up among them in Solomon's declining days, as any grievance to them. They could be thus Careful for Redreſs in Civil Matters, but over Careleſs in the Converns of Religion, brooking Idolatrous Worſhip well enough; which ſheweth how faſt they Ripened for thoſe dreadful Judgments of God, which are now haſtning upon them.
Remark the Sixth, is, Rehoboam's Anſwer from ver. 5, to 14. wherein Mark, 1. He begs time for Deliberation, ver. 5. no doubt but Rehoboam was perplexed to meet with this Complaint of his Father's Government in the firſt Place, inſtead of a Congratulation of him (his Son) to the Crown and Kingdom: If Rehoboam yield, he blemiſheth his Father; if he deny, he endangers his Kingdom: Here he ſticks, and craves three Days for Advice. This ſeems a Word of Wiſdom, not to give a ſudden Reſolve in a Caſe of Importance, but P. Martyr calls it an Act of Imprudence; to give a raging People ſuch a ſpace for their Conſults, ſeeing they now well underſtood the King bare no good Mind to them, otherwiſe he would not have delayed anſwering their Deſigns at firſt.
Mark 2. the Miſimprovement Rehoboam made of his three Days deſired: Firſt, he conſulted with Solomon's old Counſellors, ver. 6. this was a right ſtep, had he ſtood to their Counſel. Their converſing ſo long with ſuch a wiſe King, had made them wiſe (ſaith Grotius;) With the Antient is Wiſdom, &c. Job 12.12, 13. Their Advice to him was from the Advice of his Father, [A ſoft Anſwer turns away Wrath, &c.] Prov. 15.1. Namely, [to give them now good words, and he would gain them for ever,] ver, 7. To purchaſe a laſting Allegiance with one mouthful of good words, (as ſoon ſpoke as bad, and no harder Task for the tongue) is an eaſie Price for a Kingdom.
Mark 3. But this fooliſh King forſook their ſage Counſel, ver. 8, with whom he had conſulted for faſhion-ſake only, being reſolved before-hand to ſtand upon his Punctilio's of Majeſty, and looking upon it as below a Royal Perſon to truckle to his Subjects. Therefore, Secondly, he conſults with Greener Heads, than thoſe other grave and gray-headed States-men, and theſe gratified his Ambitious Humour, ſaying, ['Tis uncomely for a King to admit ſuch a ſawcy Addreſs of his Subjects; and 'tis but Princelike to cruſh this Preſumption in the Egg and Embryo, &c.] ver. 9, 10, 11.
Mark 4. When the third Day came, this young King, thus fluſh'd with his raſh and raw headed Counſellers, ſpake roughly to Jeroboam and the People that came then for his Anſwer, ver. 12, 13, 14 He now can ſpeak nothing but Daggers to them; every word hath its ſting; nothing but Burdens, and Scourges, and Scorpions to they hear from him, being leſs wiſe, but more wilful than his Father Solomon.
Mark 5. Here was a Prince and a People well met: As the latter (the People) was all for their Penny, nothing for Purity and Piety, no complaint their Religion was corrupted with Idolatry, no Petitioning the King to begin his Reign with God, to Purge his Church of Idol-mongers, and whole Piles of Abominations, &c. So the former (the Prince) was all for his Will and Pleaſure, [ſic Volo, ſic Jubeo] for an abſolute Sovereignty, and no doubt but Jeroboam in his Plot was well pleaſed with this Imperious Anſwer.
Remark the Seventh. There be two cauſes of Iſrael's Revolt from Rehoboam here; the firſt is the Cauſa foreign, or external Cauſe, namely Rehoboam's roughneſs, one churliſh Word loſt him now the Ten Tribes, whom he would (but might not) recover with Sword and Blood afterwards: As his changing of Counſellors from the Old to the Young, did argue great weakneſs of Judgment; whereas had he on the other hand changed them from the Young to the Old, this had been both his Prudence and Honour, &c. N.B. So his raſh, rude, rough, rugged Anſwer to a People even at this Juncture, fully fledge and ripe for Rebellion, did plainly proclaim Rehoboam's ſublime Simplicity: No doubt but Jeroboam had plied his Plot warmly all the three days reſpite, and had prepared the People for a Combuſtion againſt that time, wherein he expected a peremptory Reſolution of Rigour would drop from Rehoboam: But the Cauſa foreign, or Internal Cauſe, was the great God, ver. 15. there was a wheel within a wheel, Ezek. 1.16. For, (1. God with held Wiſdom from Rehoboam; and, (2.) gave him up to his young Counſellors Folly; (3.) alienating the hearts of his People from him. (4) This God did moreover to ſhew his Divine Truth in his Threatnings, to puniſh Solomon's Idolatry, Chap. 11.11. God brings to paſs what he had thre …ed, 1 Sam. 15.29. by the Inſolency of his Son. (5.) And to vindicate likewiſe the Honour of his Prophet, by whom he had foretold this ſad Rent, that Ahijah might not be found a falſe Witneſs, as 2 Kings 9.36. and 10.10. and in other caſes. (6.) There is no evil in the City, which the Lord hath not done, Am. 3.6. as an Act of Juſtice in God to puniſh ſin with ſin in the unjuſt actions of Men. N. B. God is the ſupream and moſt righteous Judge, and ordered all thoſe diſorders (of Rehoboam's roughneſs, of the People's petulancy, of Jeroboam's Plot, and of the young Councellor's raſh Councel) to his own glorious ends and purpoſes, by his over-ruling Providence in all theſe Occurrences. As ſin is a puniſhment of ſin, ſo 'tis an act of Juſtice in God to make uſe of it. All thoſe aforeſaid ſinners acted freely according to the choice of their own depraved wills, yet all their ſins do unwittingly meet together to accompliſh the juſt Decrees of God. N B. Dr. Hall ſaith Excellently here, all theſe aforeſaid Sinners might have done otherwiſe for any force that was offered to their wills, yet they all would no more do otherwiſe as they did, than if there had been no praedetermination in Heaven concerning it; that God may be magnified in his Wiſdom and Juſtice, while Man wittingly periſheth in his own folly, Hoſ. 13.9.
Secondly, The Remarks upon Jeroboam, as
Firſt, Now Jeroboam ſtrikes while the Iron was hot, and blows up the People (now under a general diſreliſh of Rehoboam's roughneſs into a general defection from him, and as general a Rebellion againſt him, crying out [What portion have we in David, &c.] v. 16. N. B. 'Tis a wonder thoſe ſeditious mouths durſt mention David in ſuch defiance one would have thought that the very name of David (whom God raiſed up to do ſo much good for Iſrael) might have been able enough to Conjure down that Devil of Phrenzy and Fury, which now had taken poſſeſſion of them, and to contain them within the due bounds of Loyal obedience; but alas, all thoſe good turns that David had done for them, and for their Fathers before them, were ſo ſoon forgotten, as that twice here they named David in contempt, and add that abſurd title to it [the Son of Jeſs] an opprobrious Language which they had learnt from Saul the Caſt-away 1 Sam. 22.7. and from Sheba that Arch-Rebell, 2 Sam. 20.1. tho' the Holy Ghoſt maketh an honourable mention of this Title, 2 Sam. 23.1. Pſal. 72.20. Acts 13.22. and Iſa. 11.1, 10. the Root of Jeſs, out of which Chriſt ſprouted. Tho' David had done them no wrong, yet thus venomouſly they ſpit out their, malice againſt David, and againſt his Houſe, ſaying [See to thy own Houſe, David] and we will ſee to ours, &c. N. B. Then the Ten Tribes went away to their Tents, and to their Idols too, as Mr. Broughton upon Daniel obſerveth from the words [Ohalchem, and Elohehem] that ſo ſignifie: And ſome ſuppoſe this mutiny was managed by the rude multitude, at Jeroboam's inſtigation, wholly reſolving to aſſume the Crown to himſelf.
The Second Remark is, Jeroboam having thus politickly gained the Ten Tribes to himſelf, v. 16.19. the Tribe of Judah only ſtuck cordially to Rehoboam, and with them that part of the Tribe of Simeon that were mingled with them, and part of Benjamin, whoſe dwellings were within the confines of Judah; yea and the Levites, and others of the other Tribes, who ſet their hearts to ſeek the Lord in his holy Temple, 2 Chron. 11.1….16. and 15.9. but Rehoboam could not content himſelf with theſe few; he therefore ſends his Tribute-Maſter Adoram to promiſe them eaſe of their Taxes, when it was too late, after himſelf had threatned to make them ten fold more heavy, v. 18 Herein alſo Rehoboam was ill-adviſed, ſeeing the ſight of ſuch an Officer (he might well think) would the rather enrage the rude rabble, the mutinous multitude were guided more by rage than by right, who, having rejected Rehoboam's Perſon and Majeſty, did with greater diſdain renounce his meſſage and Meſſenger. When Adoram (all too late) would coax the People with good words, they anſwered him with ſtones, wherewith they ſtoned him to death, and had Rehoboam been in Adoram's cloaths, he himſelf had fared no better; for thoſe ſtones were thrown at him in his Officer; the Meſſenger ſuffers for his Maſter, and the Maſter ſuffers in his Meſſenger, as 2 Sam. 10.3, 4, 5, 6. 'Twas now high time for Rehoboam to betake himſelf to his Chariot, and make Jeruſalem his Sanctuary againſt this Conſpiracy at Shechem, and well it was, he got ſo well away thither.
Remark the Third, Rehoboam having recovered a refuge (by an haſty flight) in Jeruſalem, takes a new ſtep of over-haſty Advice to reduce the Rebells into Allegiance by force of Arms, &c. v. 19, 20, 21. but was Countermanded by the Lord, who ſent his Prophet to prohibit him, &c. v. 22, 23, 24.
Mark 1. This was Rebellion and no better in Iſrael, tho' Rehoboam had acted like a fool towards them, and tho' it was according to the determined Counſel of God, and what God had foretold; yet becauſe Iſrael acted not here with any deſign of fulfilling God's Will, but only to gratifie their own Rebellious diſpoſitions, therefore is it moſt juſtly ſtiled a Rebellion, v. 19, 20.
Mark 2. Judah and Benjamin ſtill ſtick faſt to their Loyalty, the Example of a general Rebellion cannot make them Diſloyal to the Houſe of David; God will reſerve a Remnant free from and uncorrupted with the common Contagion: An hundred and fourſcore thouſand of them are ready to force Iſrael to their due Fidelity, and to their denyed Subjection, v. 21.
Mark 3. God ſuddenly ſends his Prophet Shemaiah to forbid the Battel, v. 22, 23.24. ſaying [this thing is from me, &c.] As this Rebellion was an Act of Sin, ſo it was from thoſe Rebels; but as it was a puniſhment for Solomon's Apoſtaſy, Chap. 11.11. ſo it was from God, who challenges it here for his own work, ſo Rehoboam deſiſts, &c. not doring to fight againſt God his Maker, tho' he durſt againſt the Multitude, &c.
Remark the Fourth is, When Jeroboam had craftily contrived to get himſelf made King over Iſrael by the Election of the People, v. 20. then he fortified Shechem, the City of his Conſpiracy, and Built Penuel beyond Jordan, to be a Bulwark there, v. 25. For this fault God blames them, [They have ſet up Kings, but not by me, &c.] H…ſ. 8.4. Iſrael there is worthily reproved for ſetting up this Ʋſurper, tho' they follow'd the will of God's Decree, yet did they not do it in obedience to God's Precept, but as hurried end way by an Ambitious and Seditious humour for eaſing their own burthens, and inriching themſelves with the Wealth of the Kingdom, &c. N. B. However, this Ʋſurper made Shechem his chiefeſt care, that had of old been ſeaſoned with many Treaſons, for which it had been ruin'd, and ſown with Salt, Judg. 9 45. but Rebuilt again, and now became ſo Auſpicious to this new Ʋſurpation.
Remark the Fifth, This Civil Defection ſoon produced the Religious and Spiritual Defections, Jeroboam's ſtoln Kingdom is not without Anxious Cares, nor his Throne without a Thorn: He feared that Iſrael would (when this pang of paſſion was evaporated) Revolt from him, v. 26, 27. and therefore like another crafty Achitophel, he conſults with Carnal Reaſon how to confirm himſelf in his new Uſurped Kingdom, by making God's Religion ſerve his own Policy, which was indeed the High-way, not only to ruine his own Houſe (as he ſin'd againſt his own Soul, Zeph. 2.10.) but to ruine alſo both Church and State.
Remark the Sixth, This Politician feared their reſorting to God's Temple and Service would reduce them to their right Soveraign; three times in a year will their Devotion carry them thither, beſide the exigence of their Occaſional Vows. N. B. The Royal Palace of Solomon, and the Prieſts of the Lord will remind them of their true Allegiance, and of the Abomination of their Sacrifices without their obedience to their Native King. Hereupon he gives them a Diverſion, v. 28, 29, 30. he deviſes a more compendious way of Worſhip with more eaſe to the People, and (as if Wiſer and kinder than God was) did gratifie their eyes with two Golden Repreſentations of their God nearer home. N. B. Iſrael had Sojourn'd in Egypt, and brought home one Golden Calf ſet up by Aaron, Exod. 32. but Jeroboam Sojourns there a while and brings home two; ('tis hard to dwell in Egypt untainted) and ſets them up in Dan and Bethel for Iſrael's eaſe and better accommodation. N. B. Some had further to go to Dan, than was to Jeruſalem: Men can take more pains for evil than for good, &c.
Remark the Seventh, This New King will have a new Mock-Deity, a new Mock-Temple, a new ſet of Leaden Prieſts, and a new Mock Feſtival Day whereon to Sacrifice his new mock Sacrifices; and rather than this ſhould not be done, as he had Uſurped the Kingdom, ſo he will uſurp the Prieſthood alſo, v. 31, 32, 33. Thus this Jeroboam made Iſrael to ſin, which Phraſe rings oft in our ears.