(a) Narrate the circumstances that led to the rejection of Rehoboam as a king of Israel ( 9 marks )
(b) What three factors can lead to the rejection of a political leader? ( 6 marks
Explanation
(A) CIRCUMSTANCES LEADING TO THE REJECTION OF REHOBOAM (I KINGS 12: 1-17)
(i) After the death of Solomon, his son Rehoboam was made king by the tribes of Judah, in the South.
(ii) He journeyed to the North to be crowned king at Shechem by the Northerners, in order to unite the kingdom.
(iii) Jeroboam who had been in exile in Egypt when he heard of the news returned home and led a delegation fom the North to meet Rehoboam
(iv) The delegation requested that the heavy burden imposed on them by Solomon be made light so that they would serve him.
(v) Rehoboam asked the Northern delegates to go and return on the third day for an answer.
(vi) He sought advice from his father's elderly counselors about the type of response he should give to the Northerners.
(vii) They advised him to pay heed to their request by reducing their burden so that they would serve Rehoboam.
(viii) Rehoboam later consulted his peers for advice on the issue.
(ix) His contemporaries advised him to tell the Northerners: "my little finger is thicker than my father's loins".
(x) "Whereas my father chastised you with whips, I will chastise you with scorpions".
(xi) This implied that the people's plight would be worse than that of his father.
(xii) On the third day, Jeroboam and the Northerners returned to Rehoboam for an answer.
(xiii) Rehoboam rejected the good advice of his elders and took that of his peers - that he would make their plight more grievous.
(xiv) When the Israelites saw that Rehoboam was not ready to listen to their plea for reduction of their burden, they broke away from the United Kingdom,saying "we have no inheritance in the son of Jesse. To your tents, 0 Israel!".
(xv) The Northerners then made Jeroboam their king.
(B) THREE FACTORS LEADING TO THE REJECTION OF A POLITICAL LEADER
(i) When the leader becomes dictatorial/cruel.
(ii) When economic conditions become depldrable/unbearable/harsh.
(iii) When the leader acts without authorization/beyond his powers/violates the constitution.
(iv) When the leader indulges in immoral acts.
(v) When the leader is unable to control those under him/her.
(vi) When the leader is corrupt.
(vii) When the leader compromises the independence of his country.
(viii) When the leader practises nepotism/favoritism.
(ix) Lack of integrity/selfishness.
(x) When a leader is inconsistent in his decision eg. influence from wife, etc.
(xi) When the leader has no respect for the elders
