Topical Bible: God: The Revolt of the Ten Tribes

◄ God: The Revolt of the Ten Tribes ►

Jump to: Nave's • Library • Subtopics • Terms

Topical Encyclopedia

The Revolt of the Ten Tribes is a significant event in the history of Israel, marking the division of the united monarchy into two separate kingdoms: the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah. This schism is rooted in the reign of Solomon and the subsequent actions of his son, Rehoboam.

Background and Causes

The seeds of division were sown during the reign of King Solomon. Although Solomon was renowned for his wisdom and the prosperity of his kingdom, his later years were marked by heavy taxation and forced labor to support his extensive building projects, including the construction of the Temple in Jerusalem (1 Kings 5:13-18). Solomon's marriages to foreign women led him to idolatry, provoking the LORD's anger (1 Kings 11:1-10). As a result, God declared that the kingdom would be torn from Solomon's son, though not entirely, for the sake of David, Solomon's father (1 Kings 11:11-13).

The Revolt Under Rehoboam

Upon Solomon's death, his son Rehoboam ascended to the throne. The people of Israel, led by Jeroboam son of Nebat, approached Rehoboam at Shechem, seeking relief from the heavy burdens imposed by Solomon. They requested, "Your father made our yoke heavy. Now therefore lighten the harsh labor and the heavy yoke your father imposed on us, and we will serve you" (1 Kings 12:4).

Rehoboam sought counsel from the elders who had served his father, who advised him to serve the people and speak kindly to them. However, Rehoboam rejected their advice and instead consulted the young men he had grown up with, who advised him to increase the burdens, saying, "My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist! Whereas my father burdened you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke. My father scourged you with whips, but I will scourge you with scorpions" (1 Kings 12:10-11).

Rehoboam's harsh response led to the revolt of the ten northern tribes. The people of Israel declared, "What portion do we have in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse. To your tents, O Israel! Look now to your own house, O David!" (1 Kings 12:16). Thus, the ten tribes rejected Rehoboam's rule and made Jeroboam their king, fulfilling the prophecy given to Jeroboam by the prophet Ahijah (1 Kings 11:29-31).

Theological Implications

The division of the kingdom is seen as a direct consequence of Israel's disobedience and idolatry. It serves as a reminder of the importance of covenant faithfulness and the consequences of turning away from God. The LORD's sovereignty is evident in the orchestration of events, as He uses human actions to fulfill His divine purposes.

Aftermath and Legacy

The northern kingdom, known as Israel, and the southern kingdom, known as Judah, would have distinct and often contentious histories. The division weakened the once-united nation, making it more vulnerable to external threats. The northern kingdom, under Jeroboam's leadership, quickly fell into idolatry, establishing golden calves at Bethel and Dan to prevent the people from returning to Jerusalem for worship (1 Kings 12:28-30).

The Revolt of the Ten Tribes is a pivotal moment in biblical history, illustrating the consequences of forsaking God's commandments and the enduring impact of leadership decisions on a nation's spiritual and political trajectory.

Nave's Topical Index

1 Kings 12:15,24
Why the king listened not to the people; for the cause was from the LORD, that he might perform his saying, which the LORD spoke by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.
Nave's Topical Index

2 Chronicles 10:15
So the king listened not to the people: for the cause was of God, that the LORD might perform his word, which he spoke by the hand of Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.
Nave's Topical Index

Library

How Shalmaneser Took Samaria by Force and How He Transplanted the ...
... So the ten tribes of the Israelites were removed out of ... them to imitate his bad example,
made God to be ... thirty-six years; this king, upon the revolt of the ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 14 how shalmaneser took.htm

How, Upon the Death of Solomon the People Forsook his Son Rehoboam ...
... And when he had called those ten tribes together over whom ... you of being a priest,
bring to God a bullock ... deluded the people, and made them to revolt from the ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 8 how upon the.htm

The Instrumentality of the Wicked Employed by God, While He ...
... David, not murmuring against God, but acknowledging him to be a just judge ... is said
to proceed from the Lord, as the revolt of the ten tribes, the death of ...
/.../the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 18 the instrumentality of.htm

The Divided Kingdom.
... disloyalty to God. (4) The ambition of Jeroboam, of the tribe of Ephraim, a valiant
officer of Solomon, no doubt led him to stir up the ten tribes to revolt. ...
/.../tidwell/the bible period by period/chapter xiii the divided kingdom.htm

First and Second Chronicles.
... II. Judah After the Revolt of the Ten Tribes, Chs.10-36. ... (5) The scripture and
God's house as a means and source of all information, see: ...
/.../the way of salvation in the lutheran church/chapter x first and second.htm

Jeroboam
... far as possible, the probability of a revolt from his ... In these places the ten tribes
should be invited to assemble, instead of at Jerusalem, to worship God. ...
/.../white/the story of prophets and kings/chapter 7 jeroboam.htm

The Rending of the Kingdom
... When Rehoboam saw the ten tribes withdrawing their allegiance from him ... evidence of
the strength of revolt, "King Rehoboam ... But the word of God came unto Shemaiah ...
/.../white/the story of prophets and kings/chapter 6 the rending of.htm

The First Kings.
... and luxury of Solomon's reign, and his departures from God into idolatrous ... the grandeur
of his empire depart before the revolt of the ten tribes from Judah ...
/.../headley/half hours in bible lands volume 2/the first kings.htm

The New Garment Bent
... put forward as the reason for the revolt, and, no ... reason for the readiness with which
the ten tribes rallied to ... You can either leave God out, or trace all to ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture f/the new garment bent.htm

The Captivity of Judah.
... After the fall of Samaria we hear but little of the ten tribes. ... These were perhaps
leaders of Israel whom he thought might lead a revolt. ... (3) God controls all ...
/.../tidwell/the bible period by period/chapter xv the captivity of.htm