It's interesting to note that the people now complained about the heavy burden Solomon had placed on them.  Obviously, all the riches and spendour in Jerusalem had come at a price, and they were now willing to turn their back on David's family1Kin 12:3,4.

It was in Shechem that Rehoboam chose to be anointed king. Later, it became one of the capitals of the Northern Kingdom (v.25).

V.12 Solomon had placed Jeroboam as supervisor over the labor force of the house of Joseph (1Kin 11:28).  These forced laborers knew Jeroboam as their supervisor.  He interacted with them on a daily basis, and was probably sympathetic with their situation.  It was to Jeroboam that these disgruntled workers appealed.  He was a natural to became their leader and spokesman in the confrontation with Rehoboam.

12:4  Solomon sat on the throne of the Lord 1Chron 29:23 – however by the end of his life he did not represent God. He represented his own greed. Jesus, in contrast, offered the easy yoke and light burden Matt 11:30.

12:6-15 Rehoboam consulted the old men and young men before choosing the advice of the young men. We may think he was wrong and should have chosen the counsel of the old men. However that would have been wrong as well. He should have asked God what he should do and accept His counsel.

What was it that made all the people murder the King's tax-man? In v4 we read of the "burdensome service" and "heavy yoke" which the people complained of. They saw their lot in life as service to the king, and this must have been a well founded accusation to get such unanimous support. Previously in 1Kings we have read that Solomon took workmen from the people, oppressed them, and over taxed them. But the biggest clue as to what was going on is to be found in v16. So little of Solomon's vast wealth had found its way to the ordinary people that they were still living in tents!

No wonder then that Jesus quoted v4, 11, 14 and promised the people "this son of David will lighten your burdens" (Matt 11:29-30).

12:2   The return of Jeroboam who had rebelled against Solomon – 1Kin 11:26 –highlights that the division of the kingdom was already planned as far as God was concerned. If Solomon had managed to kill Jeroboam rather than allow him to escape to Egypt this situation of which we are now reading would not have happened.

12:28 Jeroboam’s cry ‘these be thy gods ...’ quotes exactly what was said of the golden calf at Sinai – Exo 32:4

v 15-20 First Principles>Kingdom of God>Was overturned>History of fulfilment
3. During the reign of Rehoboam, the kingdom was divided into a Southern, two tribe kingdom with its capital in Jerusalem 2Chron 12:13 and a Northern ten tribe kingdom with its capital in Samaria 1Kin 12:15.
Rehoboam remained king of Judah 1Kin 12:16,18, 2Chron 10:16,17. Jeroboam became king of Israel 1Kin 12:20.
Go to Deut 28:49 to see more details of the history of Israel and its overturning.

12:30 The setting up of the calves becoming a sin is because men and women prefer convenience to rightness. It was easier to travel to Dan and Bethel to worship than to go all the way to Jerusalem. Besides this men prefer evil rather than good. We should always take care not to compromise our faith simply because it is easier.

1Kin 12:3-4 - One meaning of Jeroboam (3379) is "the people will contend" and that is what happened as the "congregation" [Heb. "qahal" (6951) means "an assembly called together, assembly, congregation, multitude, company, convocation"] stated their grievance of heavy burdens to Rehoboam; 1Kin 12:20 - a second word for "congregation" [Heb. "edah" (5712) means "an appointed meeting, in the original sense of fixture, a stated assemblage, a family or crowd, assembly, a concorse, company, congregation, multitude, people, swarm"] is used.

1Kin 12:26-29 - Jeroboam in an attempt to secure his position as king of the breakaway ten tribes made worship more convenient (than the pilgrimage to Jerusalem) by putting golden calves in "Bethel" [(1008) means "house of God"] and "Dan" [(1835) means "judge" or "a judge"].

38:6  Whereas Urijah had been killed by Jehoiakim – Jer 26:20-23– Zedekiah seemed to have some respect for Jeremiah and so rather than kill him he had him imprisoned. In the way that Zedekiah behaved we might see a man who realised what he ought to do but could not bring himself to do it and so spared the prophet Jeremiah hoping that some good might come from the situation.

35:5,10,14 Zedekiah, in his duplicitous dealings with Jeremiah, demonstrates that he was a man whose behaviour was dictated by self interest rather than Godliness. He listened to whoever spoke to him about Jeremiah, first imprisoning him, then having him released and then seeking an audience with the prophet.

38:5 Zedekiah shows how he really is not in control of the city, let alone the nation as he just leaves Jeremiah’s fate in the hands of others even though he was the king who should have ‘exercised judgement’

V.22 This verse talks of all the women that are left.  Other women, of the king's harem, had already defected to the Babylonian princes (chief army officers). 

38:16 So the king of the land ‘sware secretly’ thus we see that Zedekiah was not really behaving as a king – rather he was like a subject of a tyrant who he dare not cross. The tyrant was the princes who should have heeded the word of the king. However all authority had gone. The people did not respect God so why would they respect another man?

V.4 Some people cannot see the wood for the trees.  Zedekiah’s officials still thought that they could fight their way out of the present predicament (See Jer 25:11).

V.5 Zekekiah was a weak leader.  He deferred to his officials, who were more interested in looking after themselves, rather than the affairs of state (Ecc 10:16).

V.7 Ebed-melech went to the gate of Benjamin where Zedekiah was sitting in judgment, and dispensing justice.   It was the duty of every king to do this.   What better place was there, than this, for Ebed-melech to petition the king, for justice on behalf of Jeremiah? (Prov 22:22).

Vs.9,10 Ebed-melech’s petition was heard, and the king dispensed justice.  Yahweh was in back of all that occurred (Prov 8:15).

V.16 Zedekiah swore an oath in the Name of Yahweh.  The thing sworn to do must be carried out (Ecc 8:2).

V.19 Zedekiah echoed another spiritually weak king’s fears (1Sam 31:4).

38:4 The desire to put Jeremiah to death because he ‘weakeneth the people’ was a purely fleshly response. The word of God dictated that this was to be so.

Why does Jesus make his particular point in v35-37, because it doesn't seem to fit in with the rest of the context. Jesus had just been lambasted by the scribes, pharisees, saducees, and herodians, who had tried to trap him in his words. This was no friendly exchange or banter, but it was wholy out of malice (v12, v7).

Jesus quotes from Psalm 110v1. The previous few verses in Psalm 109 speak of exactly the trial Jesus was going through: "Help me O LORD my God,… Let them curse, but you bless…let them be ashamed….let my accusers be clothed with shame…He shall stand at the right hand of the poor, to save him from those who condemn him." (Psalm 109v26-31). God was there with Jesus during this trial, giving him the words with which to reply, so that "after that time no-one dared question him"(v34).

V.1 sets the scene that was common in the Land at the time of Christ. Wine production was not only prolific but very competitive. Vintners often tried to raid their opposition to destroy vines or disrupt production. Hence, vineyards were fortified with walls surrounding them and watchtowers erected to seek out intruders. The winepress was constructed and operated within this compound for maximum security.

Vs.25,26 Jesus confirms that the promises given to the Patriarchs will be fulfilled  (Heb 11:13); that they will be changed to immortality to be like the angels (1Cor 15:53).  This also applies to their seed, the true believers in Christ (Gal 3:16,27,29).

12:28  The scribe who perceived that he had answered them well' is not the lawyer of Matt 22:35That man was trying to trap Jesus. This man, impressed by Jesus' response, wants to know more about Jesus' teaching.

12:34-37 Having silenced his critics we might have thought that Jesus would, so to speak, breathe a sigh of relief and move on. We might well do that sort of thing. Not Jesus. Having silenced his critics he now asks them to think about Scripture. He is still trying to win them back to God.

12:29-31          Doubtless we realise that whilst Jesus speaks of the first and second commandment that they never occur together like this in the Old Testament. Jesus is drawing together Deut 6:4, Lev 19:18.

12:9It appears that Jesus answers his own question saying ‘he will come ...’ but looking at another of the records of this same event – Matt 21:41- we see it is ‘they’. It would appear that the common people answered the question to which the religious leaders said ‘God forbid’ – Luke 20:16

12:18-26 Doubtless this question was one that the Sadducees brought out time and again to try to silence the Pharisees. Doubtless they also discussed it amongst themselves to highlight, as they saw it, the error of the Pharisees. However there was one flaw in the argument. It was not Scriptural. It seemed to be Scriptural as it appealed to one details of the law. We must take care not to reason similarly. Enjoying the little argument that we have devised to support our own view which in reality has not Scripture to support it, just a miss application of Scripture and an ignorance of the whole counsel of God.