Jeroboam reigned twenty-two years, beginning in the year 975 B.C.  The extent of his territory was larger than that of the kingdom of Judah, over which Rehoboam ruled after the division.  Jeroboam’s portion, called the Kingdom of Israel, and comprising the northern portion of the land, was about the size of the State of New Hampshire.

Rehoboam first made an attempt to recover the allegiance of the revolted tribes, and sent his representative to take tribute from them, but he was promptly killed.  Rehoboam then made preparations for war; but he was admonished to pursue this course no longer by the prophet Shemiah (1 Kings 12:  21-24).

Rehoboam then turned his attention entirely to his own kingdom, and for three years left off his former wild and sinful ways, and seemed to give promise of becoming a good monarch (2 Chron. 11:  17).  He busied himself in fortifying his kingdom by a circuit of fifteen walled cities, thus protecting it on the south and west.

Three years of this devotion to a wise care of his kingdom was about all this young man could stand, and he went back to his dissolute ways, and the bad blood of his heathen mother manifested itself.

Continuing thus for two years, he was then attacked by Shishak, the King of Egypt, who was a friend of Jeroboam.  Judah was invaded, and the thousand shields of gold which Solomon had made for the display of his wealth and power, and other treasures of the temple, were carried off.  These shields Rehoboam replaced with shields of brass.

There was a war, on a larger or smaller scale, all the time between the two kingdoms, until in the reign of Abijah, the son of Rehoboam, Jeroboam was severely punished by an overwhelming defeat.

JEROBOAM’S FORTIFICATIONS.

  “Then Jeroboam built Shechem in Mount Ephraim, and dwelt therein;
  and went out from thence, and built Penuel.”

Jeroboam did not build Shechem.  There had been a town there from the earliest times, but the meaning is that he rebuilt it, enlarged it, beautified it, and made it the capital city.

It was especially adapted for this, as it was right in the centre of the territory of the ten tribes and the leader of the revolt.  It was the most ancient sanctuary in the land, and the ancestors of the Israelites had worshiped there long before they became a nation.

In 1 Kings 14:  17, we are informed that after a time Jeroboam left Shechem, and set up his capital in Tirzah, where he built a palace and other buildings on so grand a scale that the place became even a rival of Jerusalem (Sol.  Song 6:  4).

After having established himself in Shechem, he began to give attention to the outlying territory, and, in order to protect it, he built a fortification at Penuel.  The name of this place means “the face of God.”  It received this name from the meeting here of Jacob with the angel, and his wrestling with the angel (Gen. 32:  24-32).  It is located on a little stream called Jabbok, and is twenty miles east of the Jordan.  It was an important point, as it was situated on the road over which all the caravans passed first to Damascus and then on east to the countries of Babylon and Nineveh.