Why was Israel divided into the Southern Kingdom and Northern Kingdom?

Ten of the Tribes of Israel were rent from Rehoboam, and in 1 Kings 11:11 we are told it was for the sin of Solomon, but verse 33 of the same chapter says it was for the idolatry of the people, and in chapter 12 we find the exciting cause was the tyrannical spirit in which the imperious Rehoboam met the people, when they prayed him for a more gentle rule than that which had been imposed upon them by his father. Had we only that which is said in 1 Kings 11:11, we would conclude that it all came to pass on account of the sin of Solomon, and had we only verse 33 of the same chapter we would conclude that it was for the sin of the people, and had we only that which is recorded in chapter 12 we would be certain to put the evil which befell the nation to the despotism of Rehoboam. The fact is the sin of any one of the three parties named was quite enough to bring all the mischief that was done, and therefore is the responsibility of the matter left at the door of each. Let me, however, say again that this judgment is only governmental, and does not always reach into eternity, though in some cases no doubt it does, for “Some men’s sins are open beforehand, going before to judgment; and some men they follow after. Likewise also the good works of some are manifest beforehand, and they that are otherwise cannot be hid” (1 Tim. 5:24-25).

When the ten tribes revolted, and Israel was divided, Rehoboam sought to unite them by force, but the Lord sent him a message saying, "This thing is from me." The ostensible and immediate cause of the division was the foolishness of the king in rejecting the counsel of the elders; but the fundamental cause was Solomon's idolatry, for we read, "And the Lord was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the Lord God of Israel … Wherefore the Lord said unto Solomon, Forasmuch as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant … I will rend it out of the hand of thy son" (1 Kings 11:9-12). The kingdom was never re-united, and will not be until the Lord comes.

In turning away from the commandments of the Lord king Solomon caused his kingdom to be divided (1 Kings 11:9–13), bringing upon himself the anger of the Lord, and the adversaries that the Lord stirred up against him. The foolishnesses of Rehoboam, the son of Solomon was the means of the division of the kingdom, but the departure of his father Solomon from the Lord, and his idolatry, caused the division.

Ahijali met Jereboam outside of Jerusalem with no other observers present (v.29). Ahijah was clothed with a new garment, and took this garment, tearing it into twelve pieces, telling Jereboam to take ten pieces. The garment was the kingdom of Solomon, newly established. Ahijah gave Jereboam the message from God, "I will tear the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and will give ten tribes to you" (v.31). "But he (Solomon through his son Rehoboam) shall have one tribe for the sake of my servant David, and for the sake of Jerusalem which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel."

But God's reason for breaking up the kingdom is most clearly stated. Israel had forsaken the Lord and had sunk down to the level of worshiping various idolatrous gods and goddesses, ignoring God's statutes and judgments (v.33). God's plain abhorrence of such guilt on Israel's part, of which Solomon was the leader, ought to have deeply impressed the conscience of Jereboam to make sure he would not follow such abhorrent practices, but it was not long after being exalted as king of the ten tribes that he fell into the same evil ways (ch.12:29-33).

Now a prophet appears. Just as Samuel at the time of the ruin of the priesthood, so the fall of the kingship now raises up a prophet. He becomes, as we shall see so strikingly in the course of these books, the bond between the people and God when kingship in responsibility has failed. Ahijah the prophet meets Jeroboam outside Jerusalem. He rends the new garment with which he is clothed (indeed, the kingdom was still quite new), and gives ten parts to Jeroboam. At that very moment the kingdom is torn out of the hands of Solomon, although this fact is only realized later. One tribe is left to the house of David on account of the free choice of grace with regard to David and Jerusalem. "They have forsaken me," says the Lord, "and have worshipped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Milcom the god of the children of Ammon, and have not walked in my ways, to do that which is right in my sight, and my statutes and mine ordinances, as David his father" (v. 33). "They" was Solomon, the king! No doubt, all the people later followed that same path, but at this moment one man had sinned — the king. Set before God in a position of responsibility for all the people, his unfaithfulness brought judgment upon Israel. What a severe punishment Solomon had incurred.

Until the days of Rehoboam the people of Israel had been united in one kingdom; with the commencement of his reign they were divided. Does the story of this division afford any light as to the terrible divisions that have scattered the people of God in our day? We believe it does.

First we may enquire, What was the root of this division? The actual division took place in the days of Rehoboam but to discover its root we must go back to the days of Solomon. So with every division among the people of God, the true cause is often far removed from the actual division. The tenth chapter of the First Book of Kings, verses 26 to 29, together with chapter eleven, will bring before us the root of this great division in Israel. All is traced back to loss of devotedness to God, and departure from the Word of God. In order to seize the true character of this failure we must remember that the law of Moses gave very definite instructions for the King. In Deuteronomy 17:14 - 20, the King is warned against worldliness on the one hand, and disobedience to the Word on the other. The king was not to multiply horses; he was not to cause the people to return to Egypt, for the Lord had said, "Ye shall henceforth return no more that way." He was not to multiply wives to himself, nor greatly multiply to himself silver and gold. On the other hand he was to write a copy of the law and "read therein all the days of his life," to learn the fear of the Lord, and to keep all the words of the law.

Turning to the tenth and eleventh chapters of the First Book of Kings we find that in every particular King Solomon breaks down. He multiplies horses, he causes the people to return to Egypt; he multiplies wives to himself, and greatly multiplies silver and gold. Moreover, while much is written of Solomon's riches, wisdom, and magnificence, we are never told that he read the law of the Lord. Thus at length the Lord has to say to him "thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes which I have commanded thee" (1 Kings 11:11).

Because of these things God tells Solomon that the kingdom will be rent in twain. We must remember, however, that the division will not be simply because of the failure of the King, but also on account of the failure of the people. When the prophet Ahijah tells Jeroboam that the Kingdom is going to be divided, he says nothing about the failure of Solomon, but speaks only of the failure of the people. The division will come says the Lord "because they have forsaken Me; and have worshipped Ashtoreth … and have not walked in my ways, to do that which is right in mine eyes, and keep my statutes and my judgments" (1 Kings 11:31-33).

Such was the root of division, but how was the division actually brought about. The history is given in 1 Kings 12 and 2 Chronicles 10. King Solomon dies and his son Rehoboam comes to the throne. Immediately a crisis arises. There had been a long history of harsh actions, and grievous bondage, during the preceding years, and now a portion of the people rise up in protest. How is this met by the leader of the day? Rehoboam is counselled by the old men, who are rich in experience, that all will be well if he will "be kind to this people, and please them, and speak good words to them" (2 Chron. 10:7). Does not this carry our thoughts to Romans 15:1 - 4? In the first verse of this passage we have the "kindness" that bears "the infirmities of the weak" rather than putting grievous yokes upon them; in verses 2 and 3 we have the pleasing one another for "good to edification," rather than pleasing ourselves; and in verse 4 we have the "good words" of Scripture for our comfort and hope.

Such is the spiritual advice of the old men; very different however is the counsel of nature, as given by the "young men". They advise Rehoboam to take a course which appears highly commendable to nature as taking a strong line, and as maintaining authority and the majesty of the kingdom. Alas Rehoboam follows advice of nature. He assumes an overbearing and unreasonable attitude and threatens the protesters with violent and extreme discipline (1 Kings 12:12-15). The violence of the King is met by the violence of the people who stone the King's officer, and, in result, division is consummated (1 Kings 12:16-19).

However to judge of the division simply by the folly of Rehoboam would have been to entirely miss the mind of God. People of that day, looking at the bare facts of the case, might have concluded that the division was wholly owing to the folly of Rehoboam. They might have argued, 'Had it not been that Rehoboam took such an overbearing and unreasonable attitude, threatening to bring us all into bondage by exercising a violent discipline upon the people of God, there would have been no division." But however reasonable such arguments might appear to the natural mind they would have been false. It was true that Rehoboam's folly was the immediate cause of the division, but the word of God in judgment had gone forth long before the violent words of the King, and the mighty hand of God in discipline was behind the feeble hand of the King. The holy government of God was rending the kingdom, and behind the discipline of God was the low condition of the people.

God sent the prophet Ahijah to announce to Jeroboam that because of His people's unfaithfulness under Solomon, He would rend the kingdom out of Solomon's son's hand and make Jeroboam king over ten tribes. Yet because of His promises to David He would not entirely take the kingdom from David's family nor do this during Solomon's lifetime. While God is ever faithful to His word, He is never in a hurry to execute His righteous judgments.

The Lord was angry with him, and no wonder, “I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and give it to thy servant” (1 Kings 11:11). This came to pass, not in Solomon’s reign for God had respect to his father, David. In the reign of his utterly foolish son, Rehoboam, the kingdom was divided—ten tribes going with Jeroboam, Solomon’s servant; Judah and Benjamin remaining with Rehoboam. It was a big price to pay for his folly and sin.