Who was King Rehoboam in the Bible?

from the old testament

• King Rehoboam was the son of King Solomon. Rehoboam ascended to the throne when he was forty-one years old, and he reigned for seventeen years; his story can be found in 2 Chronicles 10–12 and 1 Kings 12:1–24; 14:21–31.
• At the beginning of Rehoboam's reign, the people came to him, saying, "Your father made our yoke heavy. Now therefore lighten the hard service of your father and his heavy yoke on us, and we will serve you" (1 Kings 12:4). Rehoboam told them to come back in three days, and he would have an answer for them then. He consulted his father's counselors, who told him if he was kind to the people, they would be loyal to him during his reign. Then, Rehoboam sought the counsel of the young men with whom he had grown up. They advised him to speak harshly to the people and tighten his control over them. Rehoboam unwisely took the counsel of his friends, and the people rebelled against him.
• At the same time as Rehoboam ascended to the throne, Jeroboam returned to Israel. King Solomon had placed Jeroboam over the forced labor of the house of Joseph because of his industriousness (1 Kings 11:28). Shortly after that appointment, Jeroboam was approached by the prophet Ahijah, who told him he would reign over ten of the twelve tribes of Israel because of Israel's idolatry (1 Kings 11:29–39). Because of this, Solomon sought to kill Jeroboam, and he fled Israel.
• When Israel rebelled against Rehoboam, they made Jeroboam their king. Rehoboam's own tribe, the tribe of Judah, followed him, as did the tribe of Benjamin. Rehoboam gathered 180,000 warriors to fight against Jeroboam, but God spoke through the prophet Shemaiah and told Rehoboam to stand down. Rehoboam and the people wisely listened (2 Chronicles 11:1–4). Thus, Jeroboam took control of ten of the tribes of Israel, while Rehoboam held the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, according to Ahijah's earlier prophecy. There was continued warring between Rehoboam and Jeroboam throughout their reigns. Of greater consequence, the kingdom of Israel would remain divided.
• Eventually, the Assyrians conquered the northern kingdom of Israel (the ten tribes) and were themselves later conquered by Babylon. The Babylonians also conquered the southern kingdom of Judah (the two tribes). The Persians later conquered the Babylonians, and the Persians, under Cyrus, allowed the Israelites to return to their homeland.
• Like his father Solomon, Rehoboam ignored the laws that God had set for Israel's kings in Deuteronomy 17:15–20. Rehoboam had eighteen wives, sixty concubines, twenty-eight sons, and sixty daughters (2 Chronicles 12:11). He made the oldest son of his favorite wife the chief prince and heir to the throne. Wisely, he dispersed his other sons through the districts of his territories, where he provided abundantly for them and found wives for them.
• During Rehoboam's reign, the priests and Levites, as well as all the people who set their hearts on seeking the Lord, left their land throughout Israel and came to Judah. Jeroboam had feared that if the people continued to worship the Lord at the temple in Jerusalem (in Judah's territory), the people's hearts would turn back to Rehoboam. So Jeroboam made his own idols and placed them in Dan and Bethel; he also made other temples and high places, for which he appointed priests from the people (1 Kings 12:25–31). Jeroboam "cast [the Levites] out from serving as priests of the LORD" (2 Chronicles 11:14). The Levites and others who were faithful to the Lord strengthened Rehoboam's kingdom and secured his reign for three years because they were faithful and obedient to God (2 Chronicles 11:17).
• However, 2 Chronicles 12:1 says, "When the rule of Rehoboam was established and he was strong, he abandoned the law of the LORD, and all Israel with him." The people of Judah continued to practice idolatry—high places, pillars, male cult prostitutes, and Asherim riddled the country (1 Kings 14:22–24). First Kings 14:22 says that "Judah did what was evil in the sight of the LORD…more than all that their fathers had done."
• Because of Rehoboam's unfaithfulness, in the fifth year of his reign, Judah was attacked by Egypt. Sishak, king of Egypt, took control of the fortified cities of Judah, up to Jerusalem. Shemaiah the prophet stood before Rehoboam and the people and said to them, "Thus says the LORD, 'You abandoned me, so I have abandoned you to the hand of Shishak'" (2 Chronicles 12:5).
• Rehoboam and the princes of Judah repented and humbled themselves before God. God had mercy on them and did not destroy them completely by the Egyptians; instead, they became servants to Shishak. Shishak took the treasures of the temple and the king's palace, including the shields of gold that Solomon had made. Rehoboam replaced them with shields of bronze.

from the new testament

• Rehoboam is mentioned in Jesus's lineage in Matthew 1:7.

implications for today

The story of Rehoboam teaches us a valuable lesson about the importance of consistent devotion and seeking God wholeheartedly. Despite humbling himself before God in times of trouble, Rehoboam's failure to continually seek the Lord led to dire consequences for his kingdom. His lack of determination to prioritize his faith resulted in a decline, not only in his own life, but also in the future of Judah. This teaches us that sporadic seeking of God is not enough; we must set our hearts to seek the Lord consistently and diligently. Just as the kingdom stood strong when the people faithfully followed God, we, too, must anchor ourselves in faith to weather life's challenges. Let us learn from Rehoboam's mistake and ensure that seeking God remains our constant priority, preparing our hearts to stay faithful, even in times of ease, thus securing a firm foundation for our lives.