1 Kings 12:16

1 Kings 12:16 says, So when all Israel saw that the king hearkened not unto them, the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David? neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: to your tents, O Israel: now see to thine own house, David. So Israel departed unto their tents.  When Rehoboam wouldn't listen to the people, they asked what did they have to do with the house of David. They said they had no inheritance with him.   Matthew Henry said they acted rashly in rejecting David, their great benefactor, as being no more than any other man and not God's anointed king whose descendants were to rule over them forever.  Jesus Christ was the fulfillment of that promise, yet too many people see Him as just another man that they see no need to follow.  They left Rehoboam's rule.  Verse seventeen adds, But as for the children of Israel which dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them.  Not all the people rejected Rehoboam, and the people of Judah followed him.  Jesus Christ will still divide people today, but He will never be a cruel Ruler, but will always want what is spiritually best for His followers.  Verse eighteen continues, Then king Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was over the tribute; and all Israel stoned him with stones, that he died. Therefore king Rehoboam made speed to get him up to his chariot, to flee to Jerusalem.  Rehoboam sent Adoram to collect the tribute, or taxes, and the people stoned him to death, so Rehoboam fled to Jerusalem.  Rehoboam was a descendant of David, but he wasn't following God's guidance, so he did not have God's protection.  We may be the descendant of some great man of God, but that does not mean that we are saved.  We must accept Jesus Christ in order to be saved, and then we should seek and follow His will for our life.  Verse nineteen states, So Israel rebelled against the house of David unto this day.  The people of Israel, ten tribes, rebelled against Rehoboam.  When things don't go as they want, too many people rebel against God today.  Even though at times we may not be certain which earthly ruler to endorse, we can always be certain that we should follow Jesus Christ.  Verse twenty adds, And it came to pass, when all Israel heard that Jeroboam was come again, that they sent and called him unto the congregation, and made him king over all Israel: there was none that followed the house of David, but the tribe of Judah only.  Matthew Henry points out that the people of Israel did not call on Jeroboam to be king until Rehoboam fled.  He says had Rehoboam been willing to listen to the people and treat them with respect that they would likely have accepted him as king, but he didn't.  He ran away instead, in spite of his talk of ruling even more harshly than Solomon had.  When Jesus Christ calls us to follow Him, we can be certain that He will always want what is best for us, and He will never desert us.