CHAPTER 11

(974 B.C.)

REHOBOAM FORBIDDEN TO FIGHT ISRAEL

¹And when Rehoboam was come to Jerusalem, he gathered of the house of Judah and Benjamin an hundred and fourscore thousand (180,000) chosen men, which were warriors, to fight against Israel, that he might bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam (once again, Rehoboam did this thing without consulting the Lord; nevertheless, the Lord would consult him!).

²But the Word of the LORD came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying,

³Speak unto Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, saying,

⁴Thus says the LORD, You shall not go up, nor fight against your brethren: return every man to his house: for this thing is done of Me. And they obeyed the words of the LORD, and returned from going against Jeroboam (as God would not force Israel to serve Him, likewise, He will not force men to serve Him today; Salvation must always be from a willing heart [Rev. 22:17]).

REHOBOAM FORTIFIES HIS KINGDOM

⁵And Rehoboam dwelt in Jerusalem, and built cities for defence in Judah.

⁶He built even Beth-lehem, and Etam, and Tekoa,

⁷And Beth-zur, and Shoco, and Adullam,

⁸And Gath, and Mareshah, and Ziph,

⁹And Adoraim, and Lachish, and Azekah,

¹⁰And Zorah, and Aijalon, and Hebron, which are in Judah and in Benjamin fenced cities.

¹¹And he fortified the strongholds, and put captains in them, and store of victual, and of oil and wine.

¹²And in every several city he put shields and spears, and made them exceeding strong, having Judah and Benjamin on his side.

¹³And the Priests and the Levites who were in all Israel (the northern kingdom) resorted to him out of all their coasts (all worship of God had been discontinued in the northern confederacy; consequently, many Priests and Levites moved to Jerusalem).

THE PRIESTS AND LEVITES OF ISRAEL JOIN REHOBOAM BECAUSE OF JEROBOAMS SINS

¹⁴For the Levites left their suburbs and their possession, and came to Judah and Jerusalem: for Jeroboam and his sons had cast them off from executing the Priests office unto the LORD (living for God means forsaking all; it would seem farfetched to the carnal mind for individuals to leave their home, friends, and even family to go where God is moving; nevertheless, this has characterized true followers of the Lord from the very beginning):

¹⁵And he ordained him priests for the high places, and for the devils, and for the calves which he had made. (Because of worshipping Satan, the northern confederacy would be destroyed as a nation about 749 B.C. [II Sam., Chpt. 17]. A little over 130 years later [616 B.C.], Judah was also destroyed for her sins [I Ki., Chpts. 24-25]. Seventy years later [546 B.C.], the Godly of all the thirteen Tribes returned to make a nation again in the land of Israel.)

¹⁶And after them out of all the Tribes of Israel such as set their hearts to seek the LORD God of Israel came to Jerusalem, to sacrifice unto the LORD God of their fathers (the Temple and the Altar were at Jerusalem; and this was the place that God had chosen, as it regards the site of His Temple).

¹⁷So they strengthened the kingdom of Judah, and made Rehoboam the son of Solomon strong, three years: for three years they walked in the way of David and Solomon. (This, of course, was speaking of the southern kingdom of Judah but for only three years. It is amazing how the Holy Spirit delineated the time, down to almost the day. After this time, Rehoboam and Judah went into deep sin. As a result, God permitted Egypt to conquer them and take away all their treasures [12:2-12]. If Rehoboam had continued in the Godly Way, no kingdom or combination of kingdoms could have overcome him.)

REHOBOAMS FAMILY

¹⁸And Rehoboam took him Mahalath the daughter of Jerimoth the son of David to wife, and Abihail the daughter of Eliab the son of Jesse;

¹⁹Which bore him children; Jeush, and Shamariah, and Zaham.

²⁰And after her he took Maachah the daughter of Absalom; which bore him Abijah, and Attai, and Ziza, and Shelomith.

²¹And Rehoboam loved Maachah the daughter of Absalom above all his wives and his concubines: (for he took eighteen wives, and threescore concubines; and begat twenty and eight sons, and threescore daughters [Rehoboam was clearly wrong, according to Deut. 17:17].)

²²And Rehoboam made Abijah the son of Maachah the chief, to be ruler among his brethren: for he thought to make him king.

²³And he dealt wisely, and dispersed of all his children throughout all the countries of Judah and Benjamin, unto every fenced city: and he gave them victual in abundance. And he desired many wives. (The words in the Hebrew, wise dealing, are an indication that his conscience was not quite at ease, and that he knew he was wrong. Nothing is so liable to blind judgment as personal affection Pulpit.)