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The nation gathers at Shechem to crown Rehoboam. The rival leader, Jeroboam, returns from Egypt and asks for relief from Solomon’s burden. Apparently the people had been heavily taxed and forced to work during Solomon’s administration (1Sa 8:10-18). The chronicler does not relate material from Kings that places Solomon in a negative light and explains this division as a divine judgment (1Ki 11). This deletion makes Rehoboam appear more responsible for the schism than is the case historically, but he is not without blame.
Rehoboam’s older counselors, who served Solomon, advise a policy of kindness. He follows his young advisors who encourage him to add weight to the burden. God, the unseen partner in this exchange, keeps his promise to Jeroboam (10:15). The northern tribes rebel in light of Rehoboam’s severity and their lack of partnership in the Davidic monarchy.
Hostilities intensify when the rebels stone Adoniram, the man in charge of forced labor. Despite affirming God’s role in this split, the chronicler views the breach as continual rebellion against the Davidic monarchy (10:19). Rehoboam musters an army to retake the North, but Shemaiah reiterates the Lord’s part in the split and convinces him not to fight (11:3-4). This initial obedience contrasts with Rehoboam’s behavior after consolidating his position over the reduced kingdom.