Jeroboam I

Jeroboam I was the son of Nebat from the tribe of Ephraim. He was the first king of the northern kingdom of Israel. He ruled from 931 to 910 BC. He led the northern ten tribes into actions that caused the kingdom's destruction.

Jeroboam started his political career by managing Solomon's labor forces in Ephraim and Manasseh (1 Kings 11:26–28). Since Solomon had turned away from the Lord, God decided to take the ten northern tribes from David's family. The prophet Ahijah told Jeroboam that the Lord chose him to lead those tribes and promised him a lasting dynasty if he remained faithful (1 Kings 11:29–39). Solomon found out and tried to kill Jeroboam, who fled to Egypt for safety (1 Kings 11:40; compare Saul and David, 1 Samuel 18:5–20:42).

When Solomon died, his son Rehoboam became king in Judah. However, the northern tribes needed to confirm his rule separately. Seeing an opportunity, Jeroboam led the northern leaders to Rehoboam to ask for relief from the hard labor Solomon had imposed on them (1 Kings 12:1–4). Rehoboam unwisely rejected their request (1 Kings 12:5–14), leading the north to rebel and choose Jeroboam as their king (12:20). Thus, the kingdom divided, as God had promised.

Jeroboam did not stay loyal to God. He feared that if his people worshiped at the temple in Jerusalem, they would support the southern kingdom. Lacking faith in God to secure his rule, he made his own plan to win his people's spiritual loyalty. He built two gold calf shrines at the north and south of his kingdom (1 Kings 12:26–33). God was unhappy with these shrines and sent a prophet to condemn Jeroboam. Although Jeroboam initially reacted to the prophet's display of divine power, the calf shrines remained throughout the northern kingdom's history from 931 to 722 BC. Jeroboam's false religion was a main reason for the northern kingdom's destruction in 722 BC (1 Kings 14:14–16; 2 Kings 17:5–23).

Because of Jeroboam's sins, God did not grant him a lasting dynasty (1 Kings 13:33–34). Although Jeroboam's son Nadab became king after his father's death, a usurper named Baasha assassinated him and the rest of Jeroboam's descendants two years later (1 Kings 14:20; 15:25–31).

Passages for Further Study

1 Kings 11:26–14:20; 15:6–7, 25–28; 2 Chronicles 10:1–13:22