Rehoboam said, “My father made your yoke heavy; I will make it even heavier.” When all Israel saw that the king refused to listen to them, they answered the king: “What share do we have in David, what part in Jesse’s son? 1 Kings 12:14, 16
The dedication of the temple was the highest point in the Old Testament, and things went downhill fast from there. Solomon’s son was a guy named Rehoboam, and he was a jerk. He was prideful and told the Northern people of Israel he would treat them harshly. So, they rebelled against him and split the kingdom in two. The northerners created their own country which they called Israel and built a new capital in a town called Samaria. Meanwhile, the southerners started calling their Kingdom Judah and their capital was in Jerusalem. For the rest of the kingdom period, the north and south were divided and in conflict with one another.
When the two kingdoms first split apart, those in Judah wanted to go to war against their kinfolk in the North. However, God intervened and told them not to go. God chose to allow the kingdom to be divided but doesn’t want further wars to be fought about it.
The split of the Kingdoms is a symptom of generational sin within the family of David. A generational sin is a flaw or weakness handed down from parents or members of our family. Even though sin is personal, humans can inherit patterns of thinking from family members that can keep us trapped in destructive rhythms. Rehoboam was the third member of his family to be king, and he had witnessed his father Solomon and his grandfather David abuse their power out of pride. Rehoboam followed their example in abusing his power and being cruel to the Northern people. The two kingdoms never reunited.
Maybe you are vulnerable to generational sin. Perhaps you have seen destructive habits in your own family like substance abuse, verbal or physical violence, or being a workaholic. With God’s help, we can always rise above the sins of others, but it takes humility, intentionally, and faith. Reflect on the sins to which you feel most tempted and ask God for strength to see you through.
Kena Hawkins Newkirk 