1 Kings 12:24

He has to learn, and all Israel with him, that despite the division the ten tribes are still their "brethren." They are not to "go up nor fight against" them. Shemaiah, the man of God, tells Rehoboam why they must stop. It is because God says, "This thing is from Me." God had rebuked Solomon for his worldliness and disobedience to the Word of God, and said to him, "Since this is done by you… I will tear the kingdom from you." Now that the blow has fallen, God can say to Rehoboam, "This thing is from Me." To seek to undo the evil of Solomon may be right. To ignore the acts of God's government is certainly wrong.

Under the government of God this division of the kingdom was the punishment of the sins of Solomon, brought on by the folly of Rehoboam; it must therefore stand. To fight, then, to bring back the unity of the nation, good as the purpose might seem, was to fight against God. Rehoboam ought to have been thankful that God's love to David had left him even two tribes.

Now here is Shemaiah who turns Rehoboam from his plans of war. The role of the prophet was a great grace. It let relations between God and His people continue despite the ruin. Above all the prophet was the mouthpiece for the Word of God… Whoever followed this Word could be sure of good guidance and blessing. It is the same for us… Our prophet is the Word of God. God no longer gives us new revelations, as He did in times past, because He has already revealed everything to us. But when His Word speaks to us, let us respect it and not turn aside.

It was mercy on God's part to send this message. Otherwise there might have been a terrible slaughter with no problem solved at all. Later, Amaziah, a king of Judah, launched a battle against Joash king of Israel, but suffered a crushing defeat. At least Rehoboam had sense enough to listen to Shemaiah and to obey the Word of the Lord.

Look carefully at that Old Testament story. God did not forbid His people to seek a righteous way of reconciliation, or to find out why the split had happened, or to confess their failure together. But He did forbid them to fight with their brethren… Where there has been general failure, it is best to drop the sword and for all to go to their knees. The division in Israel was God's condemnation on their evil state.

Very wisely Rehoboam and the two tribes stopped their efforts. As we read, they "obeyed the words of the Lord." They accept the humiliation and sorrow of the division and bow under the chastening hand of the Lord.

They, the Lord's witnesses, ought to accept the division as the result of their sin. They ought to entrust themselves to God, who would know how to put things right once His judgment had run its course and borne its fruit. That is why Ahijah had said to Jeroboam: "And for this I will afflict the descendants of David, but not for ever."