Rehoboam v. Jeroboam

00:00:00 Speaker 1: Previously on The Chosen People Solomon left a gleaming empire behind, but for all its glamour, it teetered on the brink of chaos and war. The children of Israel were crushed under the weight of taxes and conscripted labor. As a result, they had little faith left in their rulers. 00:00:22 Speaker 2: Your Majesty, we have come before you not as rebels, but as your loyal subjects. We have built your father's cities. harvested his fields, paid his tribute. But his yoke was heavy upon us. 00:00:35 Speaker 3: You don't truly think that people would turn against the house of David, do you? My great-grandfather united us, and my grandfather made us all rich. 00:00:44 Speaker 4: The people won't forget that. 00:00:46 Speaker 5: What portion do we have in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse. Israel, return to your tents. The sons of David can look after. 00:00:58 Speaker 4: Their own house. We were slaves once, Rehoboam. Never again. 00:01:07 Speaker 1: There was stillness for another fraught heartbeat. And then chaos. The northerners at the far end of the hall exploded with fury and sprang forward past the tribal leaders and toward the royal family and advisors. But they were swiftly driven back by Rehoboam's guard. Rehoboam stumbled but was shoved toward the chariot. The kingdom his father built was tearing itself apart. Or rather, it was being torn from him. Jeroboam had won. The house of David had lost. Miles away from the gleaming capital of Jerusalem in the north, A modest coronation had taken place. The victorious northerners gathered in their burned hall of Shechem, anointing Jeroboam as king. Despite the charred stone walls of the recent fire, raucous cheers reverberated joyously. Rising from the ashes of their rebellion, the northern tribes cast off the yoke of Solomon's line, rallying around their chosen king. But the cost was high. Brothers had spilled each other's blood. For the first time since David had united them, Israel was fractured. Jeroboam stood atop a sooty, rough-hewn stone platform in the destroyed hall. He looked out at the expectant faces, hungry for inspiration, ready to be led into a glorious future as a liberated people. He had fought to be worthy of this moment. He rose from. 00:02:54 Speaker 6: Nothing, and yet.... 00:02:58 Speaker 1: Jeroboam exhaled slowly, his fingers clenching at his sides. 00:03:03 Speaker 6: He had won, but had he? 00:03:06 Speaker 1: The throne of the northern kingdoms was his, yet his kingdom was built on ashes and betrayal. Was this what a prophecy fulfilled looked like? 00:03:19 Speaker 4: I have taken the throne. Now I must keep it. 00:03:25 Speaker 1: To the side of his platform in the dilapidated hall, his wife Elisheba stood with their young sons. Abijah, the elder, watched his father with admiration. Beside him, Nadab clutched the hem of his mother's robe, his young eyes wide with unease. Jeroboam fixed a confident smile to his face, stepped forward, his voice steady and commanding, and addressed the crowd. 00:03:56 Speaker 7: People of Israel, you have thrown off the heavy yoke of the. 00:04:02 Speaker 4: House of David. 00:04:04 Speaker 7: Today we stand as a free nation, no longer subject to the tribe of Judah. Let the house of David and the tribe of Judah sit in their palaces and look after themselves. For what portion do we have in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse. We will arise and build ourselves into an even greater nation. Let Judah and Benjamin in the south fall away and look after their own house. Let the 12 become 10. 00:04:44 Speaker 4: We are Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Dan. 00:04:51 Speaker 7: Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebalun, and the sons of Joseph, Ephraim, and Manasseh. We are strong, strong without Benjamin, strong without Judah, We are the kingdom of Israel! 00:05:17 Speaker 1: A resounding cheer rose from the assembly, but Jeroboam knew well enough, cheers today did not guarantee loyalty tomorrow. As the crowd started to disperse to the center of town to celebrate their newfound independence, his shrewd eyes scanned the fringes of the crowd until he found him, Abiel. An old priest from Shiloh, situated at the edge of the crowd. Jeroboam moved with the throng of people, shaking hands and clapping arms until he finally made his way to the stooped priest on the edge. He then bent down so as to be eye-level with Abiel. Jeroboam's voice dropped so only the priest could hear him. 00:06:05 Speaker 4: Abiel, I'm honored that you would be here at my coronation. Really? 00:06:09 Speaker 5: Really. 00:06:10 Speaker 8: I must admit, I'm surprised to hear that, your highness. 00:06:15 Speaker 1: Though not from the prominent line of high priests now situated in Jerusalem, Abiel was still an influential priest in the lesser spiritual circles of the north, Shiloh, Bethel, and Shechem. And he knew the prophet Ahijah well. Jeroboam knew the priest would be essential in securing his hold on the northern tribes. 00:06:40 Speaker 6: Oh, yes. 00:06:41 Speaker 2: I'm sure you're familiar with the prophecy given about me by the prophet Ahijah. 00:06:46 Speaker 8: Oh, of course, your highness. Everyone in Israel knows about that. The northerners have talked of nothing else these last few years. 00:06:55 Speaker 2: Oh, well, I only meant to say that Ahijah mentioned you. 00:07:00 Speaker 4: Really? 00:07:00 Speaker 2: I have long considered you for my counsel, Abiel. And now that I'm king, I would be honored to have you at my side. 00:07:08 Speaker 1: The old man seemed caught off guard to have risen to the attention of the new king. But Jeroboam noticed with satisfaction that a flush of pride came over him. 00:07:20 Speaker 4: Why, of course. 00:07:22 Speaker 8: It would be an honor to advise you, my king. 00:07:25 Speaker 4: Wonderful. 00:07:27 Speaker 2: Now, come, let me introduce you to my wife and my two sons, Abijah and Nadab, the future of Israel. 00:07:34 Speaker 1: Jeroboam charismatically threw an arm around the old priest and steered him over to his waiting family and the other influential men he had collected for his inner circle. Jeroboam had no royal blood, no claim but the one he seized. Rehoboam had power handed to him, while Jeroboam had earned it. He prided himself on the difference. Where Rehoboam's fragile ego made him reckless, Jeroboam harnessed the wisdom of others, shaping it into something he could wield. But even in this triumph, a seed of fear had taken root in Jeroboam's heart. He had taken the kingdom, but a question kept gnawing at the back of his mind. How long could he hold it? He could charm men, win alliances, and shape his kingdom. But there was one thing he could never change. the heart of Israel still beat in Jerusalem. And as long as the temple stood, his throne would never be secure. In the south, in the palace of Jerusalem, Rehoboam licked his wounds from his humiliating ousting from his would-be coronation in the north. He stormed through the corridors, his fury masking the utter embarrassment of it all. His royal guard was stoned and burned alive while he fled with his weeping mother. His hand still trembled at the thought, barely containing his fury. He was still king, technically speaking, but there wasn't a merchant, nobleman or farmer who hadn't heard of what happened. There was no getting around it. He had fled from Shechem, fled from his own people. What he did next was critical to regain the control he had lost. He stormed into the audience chamber, still fuming about how he was humiliated. His inner circle was waiting for him. Nehemiah, his mother, Macha, his favorite wife, and Abijam, along with his group of young instigators. 00:09:54 Speaker 9: They think they can defy me? That they can cast me aside like some commoner? 00:10:00 Speaker 4: And have you heard? 00:10:03 Speaker 9: The false king Jeroboam, that usurper, is saying that they alone in the north are Israel. 00:10:11 Speaker 4: We are only Judah. 00:10:13 Speaker 6: Can you believe that? 00:10:16 Speaker 10: They have made a mistake, my love. A mistake you will correct. Israel is not Israel without Judah to lead them. Everyone knows that. 00:10:27 Speaker 1: His wife practically purred her words of comfort as his mother slammed the table with her fist. 00:10:35 Speaker 11: Your father built this kingdom with his bare hands. He made Jerusalem the finest city in the world. We will not be put to shame in our own kingdom. You will reclaim it. 00:10:47 Speaker 3: We should go to war, father. Let's teach the peasants a lesson. Take back the kingdom. 00:10:53 Speaker 4: Yes, a lesson. 00:10:56 Speaker 1: Rehoboam turned to his last loyal general, Benaiah, the old warrior who had once fought beside David himself. 00:11:06 Speaker 9: Raise the army. Rouse our allies. Surely the tribe of Benjamin will stand with us. 00:11:14 Speaker 4: Jerusalem is their territory after all. 00:11:16 Speaker 7: We march at dawn. 00:11:18 Speaker 4: My king, are you sure? 00:11:21 Speaker 6: This is not just a battle. 00:11:23 Speaker 4: This would be a civil war. 00:11:26 Speaker 1: Rehoboam's pride flared hot. It blinded him to the severity of Benaiah's warning. 00:11:33 Speaker 9: I will not be the king who loses the house of David's kingdom. 00:11:38 Speaker 3: Yes, we'll destroy all the disloyal tribal leaders of the north. We'll replace them with new families, loyal families, to rule in their place. Show the traitors no mercy, we'll wipe them off the face. 00:11:51 Speaker 8: Of the earth. 00:11:52 Speaker 1: The young nobles hung on every word and pounded the table in enthusiastic support. His son Abijam had a certainty and confidence to him that Rehoboam envied. The two women eyed him with maternal admiration. They shaped him into the young leader that he was. But the old general frowned, disapproval flashing and then quickly disappearing on his disciplined face. Rehoboam saw it flare up even though his own fury bent on revenge. The look was sobering, even in Rehoboam's murderous rage. Doubt twinged in his gut. casting a shadow of uncertainty over their plans. I will meet with my lieutenants and see about raising a force with our allies. Rehoboam tamped down the flicker of doubt. He turned back to his advisors, but his gaze lingered on Abijam. His son, so young, so sure. There was no hesitation in his words, no fear, no doubt. Was this what a true king looked like? Rehoboam swallowed hard, clenching his fists. If he had to carve his name into history with blood, so be it. 00:13:12 Speaker 6: Let the North burn. Let the whole. 00:13:15 Speaker 4: Kingdom burn, if it means they fear me again. 00:13:25 Speaker 1: While Rehoboam sharpened his swords for war, up in the north Jeroboam paced the stone floors of his newly built palace in Shechem. It was plain, almost austere, nothing like the grandeur of Jerusalem. But power was not in the walls. Power was in control. And if Jeroboam was to keep his throne, he needed more than soldiers. 00:13:52 Speaker 6: He needed loyalty. 00:13:54 Speaker 1: He needed time, time to fortify, to build, to make the people forget the house of David. Abiel the priest stood across. 00:14:05 Speaker 6: From him, his brow furrowed. 00:14:08 Speaker 1: He had lingered after the council meeting had concluded to express his concern about the rising number of advisors and priests of other gods. To Jeroboam's annoyance, it was becoming a bit of a pattern. 00:14:23 Speaker 2: Yes, yes, yes, I heard you the first time, but tell me this. What happens when they long for the temple, when their hearts turn toward Jerusalem? 00:14:31 Speaker 8: Then let them go to worship as the Lord commanded. You were chosen, my king, appointed by the prophet Ahijah by the will of the Lord. He will keep your throne secure. 00:14:44 Speaker 1: Jeroboam stiffened. Faith alone had not put him here. It had been strategy, persuasion. and an understanding of the people's grievances, he would not let faith be his undoing. Jeroboam turned his back on the priest, a shadow crossing his face. 00:15:04 Speaker 4: We must give them something else. 00:15:07 Speaker 8: Is this why you've been entertaining the council of these pagan priests? You should know better. Don't you know your history? And did not the prophet Ahijah warn you of what would happen if you turn from the Lord? You flirt with disaster, my king. 00:15:25 Speaker 2: The prophet told me I would be king, and I am. And I may not have been brought up with tutors, but I know enough of our history. And you sound like my youngest son, Nadab. always worrying and fretting like a little desert mouse clinging to my wife's hem. 00:15:42 Speaker 1: Visibly exasperated, the old priest sighed and tried a softer approach. 00:15:48 Speaker 8: You have what you wanted, Jeroboam. Do not turn from the Lord now after all this. 00:15:55 Speaker 2: If the people must visit Jerusalem to worship, then it's more and more opportunity. Rehoboam to entice them with wealth and false promises. The temple is a threat. We need one here. 00:16:08 Speaker 8: My king, I beg you, trust the Lord to uphold what he has given you. Do not repeat Solomon's folly. 00:16:16 Speaker 6: But Jeroboam's mind was made up. 00:16:20 Speaker 4: No, we will build our own altars, our own places of worship. 00:16:24 Speaker 6: Abiel's breath hitched. 00:16:26 Speaker 8: But the Ark of the Covenant is in Jerusalem. Who will you build these places of worship to? 00:16:33 Speaker 4: A king does not beg for loyalty. He shapes it. If they long for the temple, I will give them something to bow before. 00:16:45 Speaker 1: The silence between them was deafening. Abiel's body tensed in fear, but Jeroboam's lips curved into a slow smile. By the time he was finished, they would no longer look to Jerusalem. They would kneel here, in the kingdom he built for them. Back in the south, in Jerusalem, Rehoboam's forces stood ready, banners unfurled, war drums pounding. His army was prepared to march north, reclaiming what had been stolen from him. Then the prophet arrived, a lone figure in the vast corridors of the palace. His name was Shemaiah. The name alone was a thunderclap in the hall, a prophet of the Lord. Rehoboam stiffened in his seat as the man entered. The room stilled. A tension deeper than battle weighed upon them now. His generals, his young nobles, even his own family Each of. 00:17:54 Speaker 6: Them felt it. 00:17:56 Speaker 1: Shemaiah's robes were simple, but the authority in his presence was like iron. He did not kneel. He did not bow. He raised a hand, his voice booming with divine finality. 00:18:12 Speaker 9: You shall not go up and fight against your brothers. This division is from the Lord. 00:18:20 Speaker 1: The words sliced through the room like a blade. Benaiah, the old warrior, exhaled sharply, his shoulders slumping as though he had just been released from death itself. 00:18:33 Speaker 6: His relief was palpable. 00:18:35 Speaker 8: My king, we cannot defy the lord's decree. 00:18:39 Speaker 1: But even as the general spoke, there was a ripple of unease. The young nobles shifted, glancing at one another, their expressions darkening. Rehoboam's jaw clenched. He could feel their eyes on him, the weight of their expectations. Abijam, his son, was the first to speak, his voice sharp and unyielding. 00:19:04 Speaker 3: The Lord's decree is that my father should be king over all Israel, as is our right as the house of David. 00:19:16 Speaker 1: There were murmurs of agreement at that. The nobles stirred, their loyalty fueled by fury, by ambition, by the intoxicating hunger for power. Macha touched Rehoboam's arm gently, her voice smooth, coaxing. 00:19:34 Speaker 10: The prophet is wrong, my love. The Lord does not divide his people. Would he truly let rebels steal what is yours, what was David's? 00:19:46 Speaker 6: But then his mother Nehemiah spoke. She still lives. 00:19:50 Speaker 1: Rigid as stone, her dark eyes locked onto Shemaiah with something close to contempt. 00:19:57 Speaker 11: The throne of Israel is yours, my son. Will you surrender it without even a fight? We have been praying to Milcom day and night, readying for war. Don't throw away his favor like this. 00:20:12 Speaker 1: The room was turning, voices rising. The young nobles pounded the table. 00:20:18 Speaker 3: We should go to war. Let us take back what is ours. 00:20:23 Speaker 1: Rehoboam's fingers dug into the arms of his throne. He wanted to believe them, needed to believe them. And yet, the prophet's gaze was unwavering, unshaken. His father's God. The God who had spoken to Solomon. The God who had made David's throne unshakable. A chill coiled around Rehoboam's spine. His vision blurred with rage, but deep inside, beneath his pride, was something else. 00:20:56 Speaker 6: Fear. 00:20:58 Speaker 1: His voice, when it came, was tight, reluctant, almost strangled.' Withdraw the troops!' The words fell like a hammer into the silence. The nobles stiffened. Abhijam's nostrils flared, his fists tight with fury. A murmur rippled through the ranks, but none dared disobey. The war was over before it began. And as Rehoboam sat there, his father's throne beneath him, but a divided kingdom beyond him, he knew one thing with certainty. They would not forget this moment, and neither would he. In Jerusalem, Rehoboam sat in his throne room, stewing over his failure. He had lost the north, lost his people, and now with no war to fight, he turned inward, to his father's wealth, his father's women, his father's indulgences. The nation was fractured and two distinct identities emerged, Israel to the north and Judah to the south. The kingdom David had fought to unite was divided. What Solomon had built was torn apart by his son. But even as Rehoboam drowned in self-pity, in the north, Jeroboam was sealing his own fate. In the ancient, storied city of Bethel, torches flickered against the night sky. The scent of burning incense clung to the air, mingling with the hum of voices. Before the gathered priests and tribal leaders, Jeroboam stood tall and commanding. He raised his arms, his voice ringing bold with the certainty of his decision. 00:22:59 Speaker 7: Behold your gods, O Israel! 00:23:02 Speaker 4: Here are the gods who brought you out of Egypt! 00:23:06 Speaker 1: A hush fell over the crowd. For a moment, silence held its breath. Then, shockwaves rippled through the assembly. Some cheered, desperate for a kingdom fully severed from Jerusalem's rule. They raised their hands, bowed their heads, grateful for this new order Jeroboam had created. 00:23:30 Speaker 6: But others hesitated. 00:23:32 Speaker 1: The words had been spoken once before, in a time of wilderness, in a time of calves and golden idols and ruin. At the edge of the gathering, Abiel felt his stomach twist. 00:23:46 Speaker 8: He really doesn't know our history. This is the golden calf we made. 00:23:51 Speaker 6: Abiel had feared this. 00:23:54 Speaker 1: He had warned Jeroboam that power alone could not hold a kingdom together. They needed the guidance of their god. For the Lord's relationship with Israel was what set them apart from the rest of the world. And now, before his eyes, the new king had crossed the line. The firelight cast grotesque shadows against the gleaming golden calves. 00:24:20 Speaker 8: What have you done? 00:24:21 Speaker 1: Jeroboam did not look at him. He did not waver. His decision had been made, and neither he nor Rehoboam could see it yet. But their choices would lead them both to ruin. Steve Gatina, Max Bard, Zach Schelleberger and Ben Gammon are the executive producers of The Chosen People, narrated by Paul Coltofianu. Characters are voiced by Jonathan Cotton, Aaron Salvato, Sarah Seltz, Mike Reagan, Stephen Ringwald, Sylvia Zaradoc, Thomas Copeland Jr., Rosanna Pilcher and Mitch Lashinsky. Music by Andrew Morgan Smith. written by Aaron Salvato, Brie Rosely, and Chris Baig. You can hear more Prey.com productions on the Prey.com app, available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. If you enjoyed The Chosen People, please rate and leave a review.