Then King Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was taskmaster over the forced labor, and all Israel stoned him to death with stones. And King Rehoboam hurried to mount his chariot to flee to Jerusalem.
Rehoboam had just lost ten tribes by one harsh speech. He still sent his tax officer to collect from them, and the killing that followed split the kingdom for good — but whose hand was behind it?
The officer sent to collect
The king's officer held a long-standing post. One reference work traces the same office and name back through two earlier reigns:
Morrish Bible DictionaryChief over the tribute in the days of Solomon (1 Kings 4:6; 1 Kings 5:14). In David's time ADORAM was over the tribute (2 Sam. 20:24), and in the days of Rehoboam also a person of this name was over the tribute (1 Kings 12:18). Gesenius and others take that name as a shortened form of Adoniram, and as referring to the same person. The Adoram of 1 Kings 12:18 seems to be called HADORAM in 2 Chr. 10:18. All Israel stoned him to death at the revolt of the ten tribes. If Adoniram held office from David to Rehoboam it would cover a long period; still it may be the same man throughout, or father and son.
Sending him misread the moment badly. One writer traces the mistake to self-flattery, and sets the king's boast beside his flight:
C. KnappRehoboam found it hard to believe that the ten tribes had really refused his yoke. He flattered himself, no doubt, that they would not dare rebel against his authority... So he confidently sent Hadoram to collect the imposed assessment. This unwise act brings matters to a crisis. The furious people stone the old collector-general, who had served in this office under his father Solomon and his grandfather David. The king had boasted that his "little finger" would be "thicker than his father's waist." Now, to his shame, he "hurried to mount his chariot to flee to Jerusalem."
The yoke behind the stones
The officer died for what he stood for. The people had complained of a heavy yoke, and one writer sets that complaint beside the yoke of Christ:
H. L. RossierThese men complain to the king about the yoke his father had put on them: "Your father made our yoke heavy." That wording shows it had not always been so. Christ's yoke will never be heavy on His people. To His own He will always stay the same as they have known Him in the day of suffering and of grace: "My yoke is easy, and my burden is light."
Violence answered by violence
The king took the advice that looked strong. One writer follows it through to the stones:
Hamilton SmithThe young men advise Rehoboam to take a course that seems admirable to the natural mind. It looks like taking a strong line and upholding the authority and majesty of the kingdom. Sad to say, Rehoboam follows the advice of nature. He takes a proud and unreasonable stand, and threatens the protesters with violent, extreme discipline. The people meet the king's violence with violence of their own. They stone the king's officer, and the division is complete.
A break that was never repaired
The stoning did not create the revolt; it exposed it. And the damage outlasted everyone involved:
William KellyBut this only became the open occasion for the rebellion to show itself... And that rebellion was never healed. Sad to say, we shall find worse abominations than this. But in this way the bitter fruits of evil were beginning to show themselves; and he who had sown the wind must reap the whirlwind.
The hand behind the king's hand
It would be easy to blame the whole disaster on one proud young ruler. Commentators warn that this reading stops too soon:
Hamilton SmithIt was true that Rehoboam's folly was the immediate cause of the division. But the word of God in judgment had gone out long before the violent words of the king. The mighty hand of God in discipline was behind the feeble hand of the king. The holy government of God was tearing the kingdom apart, and behind the discipline of God was the low condition of the people.
The lesson carried forward
One writer follows the split forward, past Israel to the Church:
Leslie M. GrantThis division happened with no delay. But it has continued through the centuries until now, and it will not be healed until the Lord Jesus comes in power and glory... In the counsels of God, Israel is one nation that cannot be divided. But in practice the nation has been completely inconsistent with God's plan for her. Sad to say, the same has been true in the history of the Church of God on earth too.
Summary
- Root — the split goes back past Rehoboam. God's word of judgment had already gone out, and the low condition of the people invited the discipline.
- Yoke — the tax officer stood for a burden that had grown heavy. Christ's yoke never grows heavy on His people.
- Folly — the king answered a complaint with threats, force met force, and the man he sent paid with his life.
- Flight — the king who boasted of his "little finger" ended up running for his chariot.
- Reach — the tear was never healed. Commentators see in it Israel's long division, and the divided state of God's people since; only Christ's coming will mend it.