The Israelite people plead for a king of their own and they had several throughout the Old Testament. David was known as a wonderful King, and a man after God’s own heart. When King David stepped down, the reign was passed to his son Solomon. God asked Solomon what he wanted and Solomon asked for wisdom so he could be a great leader. God granted Solomon his desire and he became known as the worlds wisest man. Solomon led the people of Israel for forty years. As his reign came to an end, his successor was his son Rehoboam. This was the beginning to the end of Israel's unity. The people of Israel presented King Rehoboam with a petition at his inauguration to be a more lenient king and to be kinder than his father. Rehoboam consumed by the feeling of power explained to the people that he would rule stricter than his father. The Israelites were not happy with his response and they abandoned him as their king and turned against him. Instead of trying to reconcile with the people, King Rehoboam foolishly decided to listen to his peers and separated the kingdom as a solution to the problem. Ultimately, the decision of one man resulted in consequences that would everlastingly change the nation. …show more content…
The northern area continued to be called Israel and Jehoboam was named king. Ten of the twelve tribes remained in the northern section. The northern area became known as a region with evil rulers filled with bad people that turned their back on God. They idolized statues made of gold such as the Golden Calves, this change in religious belief was forbidden by God. The southern area renamed as Judah, and Rehoboam became King of this region. The remaining two tribes, Judah and Benjamin, stayed in the southern area. The once united and powerful kingdom of Israel was now significantly weakened by the