20140808 Friday, August 8 2014
2 Chronicles 10: Rehoboam's Scorpions

by Wayne Blank
See also 1 Year Holy Bible Reading Plan

"My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add thereto: my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions"

The LORD (Who was and is Jesus Christ - see Genesis 1: In The Beginning Was The Word and The Kingdom Of The LORD God) declared the division of the united kingdom of Israel into two separate kingdoms - "Israel" and "Judah" - as a punishment for the apostasy of King Solomon (see What Caused Solomon's Idolatry? and Israel In History and Prophecy: Israel and Judah). The LORD also declared that the division would occur in the reign of Solomon's son, King Rehoboam, before Rehoboam became king (see 1 Kings 11:9-13).

The separation was not a typical revolution, with intended consequences by the new regimes (see also Israel In History and Prophecy: The Lost Ten Tribes and Israel Never Knew Purim, Hanukkah Or Judaism). The people of the tribes first sent representatives to Rehoboam with the reasonable request, "Thy father made our yoke grievous: now therefore ease thou somewhat the grievous servitude of thy father, and his heavy yoke that he put upon us, and we will serve thee."

"10:1 And Rehoboam went to Shechem: for to Shechem were all Israel come to make him king. 10:2 And it came to pass, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who was in Egypt, whither he had fled from the presence of Solomon the king, heard it, that Jeroboam returned out of Egypt. 10:3 And they sent and called him. So Jeroboam and all Israel came and spake to Rehoboam, saying, 10:4 Thy father made our yoke grievous: now therefore ease thou somewhat the grievous servitude of thy father, and his heavy yoke that he put upon us, and we will serve thee.

10:5 And he said unto them, Come again unto me after three days. And the people departed." (2 Chronicles 10:1-5 KJV)

King Solomon was wise in his youth and became an old fool (see Solomon's Wise Years), whereas Rehoboam was simply a young fool who "forsook the counsel which the old men gave him, and took counsel with the young men that were brought up with him, that stood before him."

"10:6 And king Rehoboam took counsel with the old men that had stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, saying, What counsel give ye me to return answer to this people?

10:7 And they spake unto him, saying, If thou be kind to this people, and please them, and speak good words to them, they will be thy servants for ever.

10:8 But he forsook the counsel which the old men gave him, and took counsel with the young men that were brought up with him, that stood before him. 10:9 And he said unto them, What advice give ye that we may return answer to this people, which have spoken to me, saying, Ease somewhat the yoke that thy father did put upon us?

10:10 And the young men that were brought up with him spake unto him, saying, Thus shalt thou answer the people that spake unto thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou it somewhat lighter for us; thus shalt thou say unto them, My little finger shall be thicker than my father's loins. 10:11 For whereas my father put a heavy yoke upon you, I will put more to your yoke: my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions." (2 Chronicles 10:6-11 KJV)

Rehoboam's foolishness was magnified by his arrogance (see also Why Does Satan Hate Humility?). When he responded to the people with the swaggering boast, "My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add thereto: my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions," the northern tribes rejected him as king (a word that means the father of a kin; "patriotism," which means loyalty to the father, originally referred to loyalty to the people's king i.e. the father of a nation). Rehoboam thereby diminished from the last king of the united kingdom of Israel to the first king of the Kingdom of Judah (see The First Kings Of Israel and Judah).

"10:12 So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day, as the king bade, saying, Come again to me on the third day. 10:13 And the king answered them roughly; and king Rehoboam forsook the counsel of the old men, 10:14 And answered them after the advice of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add thereto: my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions. 10:15 So the king hearkened not unto the people: for the cause was of God, that the LORD might perform his word, which he spake by the hand of Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

10:16 And when all Israel saw that the king would not hearken unto them, the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David? and we have none inheritance in the son of Jesse: every man to your tents, O Israel: and now, David, see to thine own house.

So all Israel went to their tents. 10:17 But as for the children of Israel that dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them.

10:18 Then king Rehoboam sent Hadoram that was over the tribute; and the children of Israel stoned him with stones, that he died. But king Rehoboam made speed to get him up to his chariot, to flee to Jerusalem. 10:19 And Israel rebelled against the house of David unto this day." (2 Chronicles 10:12-19 KJV)

Fact Finder: Rehoboam was the last king of the united kingdom of Israel. How long had Israel been a united kingdom with a human monarchy?
See How Many Kings Reigned In The United Kingdom?; also How Long Was Jerusalem The Capital Of Israel?