REHOBOAM TRAVELS TO SHECHEM
1 KINGS 11–14
Though Solomon had ruled a largely expanded kingdom, by the time of his death small fissures had broadened to lethal cracks. As Rehoboam aspired to sit on his father’s throne, the United Kingdom split apart beneath his feet during his coronation that was planned at Shechem for a reason (1 Kings 12:1–17).
The inspired writer of 1 Kings warns his readers that a split in the kingdom is on the horizon. Solomon took new brides to solidify foreign alliances even though the Lord had commanded Israelite kings not to enter into such entanglements. He rejected the ways of the God of his father (1 Kings 11:1–4), so God announced to Solomon that the unity of his kingdom would collapse with his passing (1 Kings 11:11–13). This was fulfilled during the days of Solomon’s son Rehoboam. The people of Israel’s northern tribes met with Rehoboam at Shechem to offer their loyalty in exchange for a royal concession. They asked that the heavy yoke of taxation and forced labor,1 imposed on them by Solomon, be lightened. When Rehoboam refused, the northern tribes seceded, rejecting the leadership of David’s royal family (1 Kings 12:1–17).
This took place at Shechem for several reasons, including accessibility and history. Shechem had a number of roadways radiating in and out from it, providing ready access to attendees from across the region. Residents of the kingdom traveling from the north or south could walk the well-worn Ridge Route. East/west travelers could take the Wadi Faria Road, the most important lateral road bordering Ephraim and Manasseh (a region later known as Samaria).2
Ancient Shechem (Tell Balata) with Mount Gerizim in the background.
Shechem also had a memorable history for the Hebrew people. This was the location of some of the most transformative encounters and decisions of their forefathers. When Abram entered the Promised Land, the Lord appeared to him at Shechem and spoke a powerful set of promises that detailed an identity and assignment for him and his descendants (Gen. 12:6–7; Acts 7:15–16). Jacob purchased land there, dug a well, built a memorial altar, and led his family in a reformation that purged false gods from their midst (Gen. 33:18–20; 35:4). Later, Joshua led the Israelites to Shechem on two separate occasions to renew their commitment to the Mosaic covenant (Josh. 8:30–35; 24:1–32). Here Joshua’s single-hearted and now famous words echoed across this valley: “As for me and my household, we will serve the LORD” (Josh. 24:15).
El-Amarna letter from Labayu, ruler of Shechem and ally of the Hapiru.
© Dr. James C. Martin. The British Museum.
Stone cutting. Solomon placed heavy labor burdens on the population.
As fitting as this location might seem to be, Shechem was not Jerusalem, the city of the Lord. And that fact subtly but powerfully betrays a new reality. A strong king—one who was going to follow the Lord—would expect his subjects to come to Jerusalem for a coronation.3 Only a weak candidate would travel away from Jerusalem to negotiate for their loyalty.
So Rehoboam traveled to Shechem for a reason. The tribal rifts that happened during the days of David’s reign (2 Sam. 20:1–2) may not have disappeared altogether. Although the entire country had been affected by Solomon’s heavy tax and labor burdens, the northern tribes seemed to be most fully prepared to pursue a change of circumstances (2 Chronicles 10). A few well-placed concessions would have gone a long way toward forestalling civil war, but Rehoboam’s harsh words did not resonate with the tone of the promises to Abraham earlier proclaimed at Shechem. Not only was he outside of Jerusalem, but it seemed as if he was reasoning from outside the realms of reality. Rehoboam must have wanted his power to remain over the northern tribes, but his human reasoning, self-sufficiency, and rejection of God’s guidance resulted in political weakness. The Lord had warned Solomon that the kingdom would be divided. Rehoboam’s actions at Shechem confirmed the time was at hand.
Jacob’s well near Shechem.
Shechem of Israel