Who Was Rehoboam in the Bible?

Rehoboam's brief moment of decision at Shechem altered the course of Israel's history forever. When Solomon died, the northern tribes gathered to make Rehoboam king on the condition that he lighten the heavy yoke his father had placed upon them. Rehoboam first consulted the elders who had served his father, who wisely advised, 'If thou wilt be a servant unto this people this day, and wilt serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will be thy servants for ever.' But Rehoboam rejected their counsel and turned to the young men he had grown up with, who advised him to add to the burden and speak with contempt: 'My little finger shall be thicker than my father's loins... my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.' This foolish response triggered the rebellion that divided the united kingdom. Ten tribes followed Jeroboam, leaving Rehoboam with only Judah and Benjamin. Though he mustered an army of 180,000 to fight the northern kingdom, the prophet Shemaiah forbade it, saying, 'Thus saith the LORD, Ye shall not go up, nor fight against your brethren the children of Israel: return every man to his house; for this thing is from me.' Rehoboam's reign in Judah was checkered. For three years the people followed the ways of David and Solomon, but then Judah also fell into idolatry, building high places and sacred pillars. In Rehoboam's fifth year, Pharaoh Shishak of Egypt invaded and plundered the temple and palace treasures, including the golden shields Solomon had made. Rehoboam replaced them with bronze shields, a sad symbol of diminished glory. His reign lasted seventeen years, and though he did not wholly abandon the Lord, his legacy was the permanent division of the kingdom. Rehoboam's story illustrates the destructiveness of pride, the value of wise counsel, and the consequences of failing to serve those entrusted to one's leadership.