Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 2 Chronicles 10:1
And Rehoboam went to Shechem: for to Shechem were all Israel come to make him king.
Ch. 2Ch 10:1-15 (= 1Ki 12:1-15). The Conference at Shechem
1. Shechem ] Chosen for its central position, for it is in the heart of Western Palestine.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
The narrative of Kings (marginal reference) is repeated with only slight verbal differences.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
2Ch 10:1-19
And Rehoboam went to Shechem.
Rehoboam
A cause so stated must succeed. There will be difficulty, but the end is assured. The reasonable always triumphs, due time being given for the elucidation of its purposes, and the manifestation of its real spirit. Violence can have but a short day; the tempest cries itself to rest. Ease thou somewhat the grievous servitude of thy father, and his heavy yoke that he put upon us, and we will serve thee. They wanted ease for service, for loyalty. Where there is no ease how can there be homage, thankfulness, devotion, or any of the high qualities of patriotism? How tempted men are, who are not themselves disquieted, to tell other people to bear their burdens uncomplainingly! The sufferers should sometimes be admitted to the witness-box. There is danger lest our personal comfortableness should disqualify us from judging the case of downtrodden men. Wherever there is weakness the Christian Church should be found; wherever there is reasonableness the Christian sanctuary should offer hospitality. Is there anything more detestable than that a man who has his own way seven days a week, whose footsteps are marked by prosperity, whose very breathing is a commercial success, should stand up and tell men who are bleeding at every pore to be quiet and contented, and not create disturbance in the body politic? If Jeroboam had come with a petition conceived in another tone it ought to have been rejected; it would have been irrational, violent, contemptuous; but the reasonableness of the request will ensure its victory in the long run. How easy it is to think of Rehoboam as the foolish son of a wise father! But are we not unjust to the son in so regarding him? Was Solomon the wise man he is often made out to be? The answer would be Yes–and No. There was no greater fool than Solomon; and he attained his supremacy in folly because there was no man so wise. If the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! If he had not been son of the morning some shallow pit might have held him; but being son of the morning, and detaching himself from the gravitation of God, the pit into which he falls is bottomless. Pliny says no man can be always wise. That is true philosophically and experimentally; for all men have vulnerable heels, or are exposed to temptations to lightness of mind, amounting in some instances almost to frivolity; they are also the subjects of a singular rebound, which makes them appear the more frivolous because when we last saw them they were absorbed in the solemnity of prayer. Solomon himself is not wise in this matter of government. The history shows that the people were appealing, not against Rehoboam, who had yet had no opportunity of proving his quality as a king, but against his father: Thy father made our yoke grievous. We are prone to copy the defects of our ancestors and their idols rather than their excellences. We are tempted in wrong directions, Folly has often more charms for us than wisdom. Rehoboam made a cautious reply, and therein, he began, well; he said to the petitioners,Come again unto me after three days. This looked hopeful. King Rehoboam utilised the interval by taking counsel with the old men that had stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, saying, What counsel give ye me to return answer to this people? And they spake unto him, as old men ought to speak. Rich is the king whose old men talk in such a strain! They were patriots and philanthropists and philosophers; they were Christians before the time. Marvellous is the power of kindness. They will do most in life who are most considerate. If when the people returned after three days Rehoboam had spoken so, the welkin would have rung with the resonant cheers of a delighted, thankful, because emancipated, people. We have opportunities of this kind: let every man know that in proportion to his kindness will be the quality and the durableness of his influence. Kindness is not weakness. It takes Omnipotence to be merciful, in the largest degree and fullest quality of the term. He to whom power belongs holds in His other hand the angel whose name is Mercy. But he forsook the counsel which the old men gave him, and took counsel with the young men that were brought up with him, that stood before him (2Ch 10:8)–showing that he understood the message of the people perfectly; he correctly represented the popular will, and therefore he increased his own responsibility, because he was not the victim of ignorance. And the young men that were brought up with him spake unto him, saying (2Ch 10:10-11). Woe to the nation whose young men talk so! A young oppressor is an infant devil. Young men talking so will ruin any occasion. This may appear to be a very advanced policy, a very spirited policy, home and foreign. It is a spirited policy: but what is the name of the spirit that inspires it? Does a controversy of this kind begin in a question, and end in an answer? Or is there a reply? Are there such things in history as retorts, reprisals, rebounds, consequences? Let it be known, and laid down as the basis-principle of all action, social, ecclesiastical, and imperial, that there is no right of tyranny. Oppression has no veritable and reputable credentials. Men are not at liberty to take counsel whether they shall be gentle or ungentle. The law is unwritten, because eternal, that even righteousness must be administered in mercy. It might be supposed that the king had taken a most patriotic course in consulting the old and the young. He had done nothing of the kind: he had omitted to consult Him who had called his house to the royalty. Rehoboam should have consulted the King-maker whose throne is on the circle of the earth, and whose sceptre toucheth the horizon, and whose will is the law of monarchy and commonwealth. All human consultation is a species of under-counsel, valuable within proper limits, and right as recognising the education, the intelligence, and the political instinct of the times; but all consultation, to result in profoundest wisdom, must be intensely, almost exclusively, religious. Kings should talk to their King. The greater the man the nearer should he stand to God. The gospel never gives liberty to oppression. Employers may adopt this course if they please, but they will find it end in ruin. We must recognise the difference between employing cattle and employing men. A parent may adopt this course if he pleases, but his children will chastise him, sting him, with many a disappointment. The world has been educated by oppression. The Lord Himself has used it as an instrument in His hands. A curious expression occurs to this effect in the fifteenth verse–for the cause was of God. Rehoboam had not taken Him into account, but the Lord took the matter into His own hand. The ministry of the universe is a ministry co-operative, and is not to be understood in parts and sections, but can only be understood by those who take in the whole circumference on which the Almighty operates; and that cannot be done here and now. The Saviour of the world was not murdered by the Jews, except in a secondary and transient sense; He was delivered up from before the foundation of the world that He might make on the universe an infinite impression and reveal to the universe the law of life and the law of sacrifice. If our movement is towards trust, liberty, leniency, philanthrophy, beneficence, we are entitled to believe that this is the very logic of love, the rigorous reasoning of piety itself. This will apply to nations, to families, to employers, to all men to whom is remitted the question, Shall the policy be severe, or shall it be clement and hopeful? Rehoboam will be punished: have no fear of that. With what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. You can make your whips thongs of scorpions, but upon your own back shall the lacerating lash be laid; you can play the fantastic trick before high heaven and make the angels weep, but the bitterness shall be yours: the triumphing of such a policy is short, the end of it is everlasting punishment. What could we do without such laws as these? They are the very ribs of the universe, the very security of society, the corner-stone on which Gods fabric rests. We are not the subjects of accidents, the changing whims of statesmen; we are not dependent upon general elections for the grand issue of things: the Lord reigneth. Let us be true and calm. Only the gospel of Jesus Christ can get at the heart of things; deal with causes, fountains, origins, and purify the spring of all life. Here the Saviour is gentle in His might, mighty in His gentleness; He says, Marvel not that I say unto you, Ye must be born again. When the soul is right the hands will take to the new policy with skill that might have been learned in heaven and that is inspired by the spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ. (J. Parker, D. D.)
A political crisis and a fatal policy
I. We see here on the part of the ten tribes, the expression of a reasonable political aspiration.
II. The example of Rehoboam teaches by contrast what our spirit and method, as Christian men and a Christian nation, ought to be at this time.
III. And that a generous Christian policy only will effect the pacification of a discontented people the example of Rehoboam proves. (W. Bishop.)
A wise prince will avoid overtaxing his people
The Chinese Emperor Tehou set out on a journey to visit the vast provinces of his empire, accompanied by his eldest son. One day he stopped his car in the midst of some fields where the people were hard at work. I took you with me, said he to his son, that you might be an eye-witness of the painful toils of the poor husbandmen, and that the feeling their laborious station should excite in your heart might prevent your burdening them with taxes!
The foolish ruler and the revolting tribes
I. The grievance stated.
1. Reasonable demand.
(1) Heavy taxes.
(2) Forced service.
(3) Long endured.
2. A national demand.
II. The consultation held.
III. The decision given.
IV. The results which followed. (J. Wolfendale.)
Advice
Judge Buller, when in company of a young gentleman of sixteen, cautioned him against being led astray by the example or persuasion of others, and said: If I had listened to the advice of some of those who called themselves my friends when I was young, instead of being a judge of the Kings Bench, I should have died long ago a prisoner at the Kings Bench.
The experience of old men
I wonder why young people dont make more use of old people than they do. I find it fascinating to hear old sailors talk, and to listen to their many stories of hair-breadth escapes. One Of the privileges of old age is to be a guide to the young. Young men should take warning and instruction from old men, for they have been over the ground and know all the risks and dangers of life. (George Dawson.)
Two methods of treating men
I propose to use the incident to illustrate the two methods of treating men–the conciliatory and the unconciliatory–the principle applies to all men in some of the relations of life; and the question is, What is the true, and consequently the safe, basis of all government?
1. Social positions are graduated. The strong man will of necessity, sooner or later, go to the front and claim the influence which belongs of right to his powers; and the weak man will be left at the point that exhausts his strength. Democracy does not equalise men.
2. No elevation of rank gives one man the right to tyrannise over another. Tyranny is necessarily associated with littleness of nature, littleness somewhere; there may be many great qualities, but the nature as a whole is of a low type.
3. The whole tenor of the gospel is in favour of magnanimous conduct on the part of those who hold any degree of rulership. This is an incidental proof of the supernatural origin of the gospel, etc.
4. Pass in review a few of the cases in which the two methods of treating men come into operation. Kings, employers, parents, pastors, all have their choice as to which method they will adopt.
5. The maintenance of a conciliatory policy is quite consistent with–
(1) Headship;
(2) firmness;
(3) justice. (Pulpit Analyst.)
Moderation in princes
The advice of an ancient French counsellor to his sovereign at his departure was good. Being wished to lay down some general rules for government, he took a paper, and wrote on the top of it moderation, in the middle of it moderation, and at the bottom moderation. (J. Trapp.)
Taking counsel of the young
So did our King Richard II., to his utter ruin. So Xerxes despised the grave counsel of his uncle Artabanus, and was led wholly by the young Mardonius to the loss of all. The like is reported of Dionysius, king of Sicily; Croesus, king of Lydia; Nero, emperor of Rome; James that reigned in Scotland in Edward IVs time; and Lantrer, of whom it is reported that he lost the kingdom of Naples from the French king, his master, and all that he had in Italy, because he would not ask nor follow the advice of those who were wiser than himself. (J. Trapp.)
Pampered in youth, ruined in prime
Many a bright scriptural character is set before us for our example; this man is set before us for our warning. There were two things that contributed to make his life a failure.
I. He was brought up in the lap of luxury. His father lived in a style of magnificence that has never been equalled. In the midst of this was Rehoboams youth and boyhood spent. Nothing could have been morally worse for him than that. I ask the head of some large academy, What is the chief cause of the ruin of many lads belonging to respectable families? and he whispers, Too much money, The president of one of the largest educational institutions in America stated that he believed the surest protection to young men against the perils of opening life was poverty. The being free from the necessity of working for a living has been the worst thing in the lot of many a young man. I have personally known youths who were unfortunate enough to start life with a patrimony of 200 a year, and they never came to anything. In the life of Mr. Nasmyth he says: I often observe in shop windows every detail of model ships and model steam-engines, supplied ready-made for those who are said to be of a mechanical turn. Thus the vital uses of resourcefulness are done away with and the sham exhibition of mechanical genius is paraded before you by the young impostors, the result, for the most part, of too free a supply of pocket-money. I have known too many instances of parents being led, by such false evidence of constructive skill, to apprentice their sons to some engineering firm and after paying vast sums, finding out that the pretender comes out of the engineering shop with no other practical accomplishment than that of glove-wearing and cigar-smoking. The connection between Rehoboam and kid gloves may not at first be apparent, and yet there is a good deal in it, for had he been brought up less luxuriously, had he known something in his early days of real hard work, he might have turned out a more sensible and successful man.
II. His refusal of the advice of men who were older and wiser than himself. Evil companionship proved his destruction. Well might he have said, Save me from my friends. Their advice may have been meant for the best, yet like the bear which from friendly motives, tried his paw to remove a fly from his masters face, they did more harm than good. Nothing tells upon our life more distinctly than our early choice of companions. We take the colour of the society we keep, as the frogs of Ceylon do that of the leaf on which they sit. Be slow to form your friendships. Have nothing to do with any one–no matter how smart and plausible he be–who jests at sacred things. Be certain you will get no good from one who wants to shake you out of what he calls your old-fashioned principles. Never make a friend of one who avows himself an unbeliever. The fear of God is the root of all true nobleness of character, said a French monarch, when once asked to give his consent to a dishonourable treaty. The blood of Charlemagne is in my veins; and who dares to propose this thing to me? Some of you young men have a pedigree still more worthy to glory in. We want no Rehoboams amongst us. We want the sons to be better than their fathers. (J. T. Davidson.)
The folly of self-will
Dr. Anderson, of the American Board, told me that a young man once came to the mission-house in Boston as a candidate for the foreign mission field. Dr. Anderson invited him to spend the night with him in Roxbury, and as they were walking together, the young man suddenly said, I prefer to walk on the right side. Dr. Anderson said to him, May I ask why you walk on the right side? Are you deaf in one ear? No, said the young man, but I prefer to walk on the right side, and I always will walk on the right side. That young man was not sent abroad. It was evident that a man who was bent on having his own way, without giving reasons, would be likely to make mischief, and his right side would be pretty sure to be the wrong side. (H. H. Jessup.)
The mystery of Divine working
I. Events of history controlled and directed to accomplish Divine purposes.
II. In the accomplishment of Divine purposes men act as free agents.
III. Men thus acting as free agents are responsible for them actions. (J. Wolfendale.)
Paroxysms in history
Nature has her paroxysms. Sir Roderick Murchison affirms that by no possible extension of gradual and insensible causes could huge masses of Tertiary rocks have been so thrown over as to pass under the older rocks of the Alps, out of which they were formed. That operation, he says, must have been paroxysmal, and no slow process could have accomplished it. The crust and outline of the earth are, in short, full of evidences that many of the ruptures and overthrows of the strata, as well as great denudations, could not even in millions of years have been produced by agencies like those of our times. (Scientific Illustrations.)
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Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
CHAPTER X
The people apply to Rehoboam to ease them of their burdens, 1-4.
Rejecting the advice of the aged counsellors, and following that
of the young men, he gives them an ungracious answer, 5-14.
The people are discouraged, and ten tribes revolt, 15-17.
They stone Hadoram, who went to collect the tribute; and
Rehoboam but barely escapes, 18, 19.
NOTES ON CHAP. X
Verse 1. Rehoboam went to Shechem] This chapter is almost word for word the same as 1Kg 12:1-19, to the notes on which the reader is referred.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
The contents of this chapter are in 1Ki 12, where see the notes.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
1. Rehoboam went to Shechem(Seeon 1Ki 12:1). This chapter is, witha few verbal alterations, the same as in 1Ki12:1-19.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
[See comments on 1Ki 12:1].
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
This event is narrated in our chapter, except in so far as a few unessential differences in form are concerned, exactly as we have it in 1 Kings 12:1-19; so that we may refer for the exposition of it to the commentary on 1 Kings 12, where we have both treated the contents of this chapter, and have also discussed the deeper and more latent causes of this event, so important in its consequences.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
| Rehoboam Succeeds Solomon. | B. C. 975. |
1 And Rehoboam went to Shechem: for to Shechem were all Israel come to make him king. 2 And it came to pass, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who was in Egypt, whither he had fled from the presence of Solomon the king, heard it, that Jeroboam returned out of Egypt. 3 And they sent and called him. So Jeroboam and all Israel came and spake to Rehoboam, saying, 4 Thy father made our yoke grievous: now therefore ease thou somewhat the grievous servitude of thy father, and his heavy yoke that he put upon us, and we will serve thee. 5 And he said unto them, Come again unto me after three days. And the people departed. 6 And king Rehoboam took counsel with the old men that had stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, saying, What counsel give ye me to return answer to this people? 7 And they spake unto him, saying, If thou be kind to this people, and please them, and speak good words to them, they will be thy servants for ever. 8 But he forsook the counsel which the old men gave him, and took counsel with the young men that were brought up with him, that stood before him. 9 And he said unto them, What advice give ye that we may return answer to this people, which have spoken to me, saying, Ease somewhat the yoke that thy father did put upon us? 10 And the young men that were brought up with him spake unto him, saying, Thus shalt thou answer the people that spake unto thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou it somewhat lighter for us; thus shalt thou say unto them, My little finger shall be thicker than my father’s loins. 11 For whereas my father put a heavy yoke upon you, I will put more to your yoke: my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.
We may observe here, 1. The wisest and best cannot give every body content. Solomon enriched and advanced his kingdom, did all (one would think) that could be done to make then happy and easy; and yet either he was indiscreet in burdening them with the imposition of taxes and services, or at least there was some colour of reason to think him so. No man is perfectly wise. It is probable that it was when Solomon had declined from God and his duty that his wisdom failed him, and God left him to himself to act in this impolitic manner. Even Solomon’s treasures were exhausted by his love of women; and probably it was to maintain them, and their pride, luxury, and idolatry, that he burdened his subjects. 2. Turbulent and ungrateful spirits will find fault with the government, and complain of grievances, when they have very little reason to do so. Had they not peace in Solomon’s time? They were never plundered by invaders, as formerly, never put in fear by the alarms of war, nor obliged to hazard their lives in the high places of the field. Had they not plenty–meat enough, and money enough? What would they more? O fortunatos nimium, sua si bona norint!—O happy, if they knew their happy state! And yet they complain that Solomon made their yoke grievous. If any complain thus of the yoke of Christ, that they might have a pretence to break his bands in sunder and cast away his cords from them, we are sure that he never gave them any cause at all for the complaint, whatever Solomon did. His yoke is easy, and his burden is light. He never made us serve with an offering, nor wearied us with incense. 3. Many ruin themselves and their interests by trampling upon and provoking their inferiors. Rehoboam thought that because he was king he might assume as much authority as his father had done, might have what he would, and do what he would, and carry all before him. But, though he wore his father’s crown, he wanted his father’s brains, and ought to have considered that, being quite a different man from what his father was, he ought to take other measures. Such a wise man as Solomon may do as we will, but such a fool as Rehoboam must do as he can. The high-mettled horse may be kicked and spurred by him that has the art of managing him; but, if an unskilful horseman do it, it is at his peril. Rehoboam paid dearly for threatening, and talking big, and thinking to carry matters with a high hand. It was Job’s wisdom, as well as his virtue, that he despised not the cause of his man-servant or maid-servant, when they argued with him (Job xxxi. 13), but heard them patiently, considered their reasons, and gave them a soft answer. And a similar tender consideration of those in subjection, and a forwardness to make them easy, will be the comfort and praise of all in authority, in the church, in the state, and in families. 4. Moderate counsels are generally wisest and best. Gentleness will do what violence will not do. Most people love to be accosted mildly. Rehoboam’s old experienced counsellors directed him to this method (v. 7): “Be kind to this people, and please them, and speak good words to them, and thou art sure of them for ever.” Good words cost nothing but a little self-denial, and yet they purchase good things. 5. God often fulfils the counsels of his own wisdom by infatuating men, and giving them up to the counsels of their own folly. No more needs to be done to ruin men than to leave them to themselves, and their own pride and passion.
Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary
See note on 1Ki 12:1
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
THE SECOND BOOK OF CHRONICLES
IN discussing the First Book of Chronicles we called attention to the fact that according to Usshers chronology, the two Books, not reckoning the table of genealogy, covered a space of 468 years of history; the First Book only 41 of these, and this second, 427. As to the authorship of these Books, Ezra is commonly accepted.
The analysis of any book is largely the presentation of a personal view. One man divides this Second Book of Chronicles into two portions: The Reign of Solomon, chapters 1 to 9, and The Kings of Judah, chapters 10 to 36.
Scofield in his reference Bible, says of this Book: It falls into eighteen divisions, by reigns, from Solomon to the captivities; records the division of the kingdom of David under Jeroboam and Rehoboam, and is marked by an ever growing apostasy, broken temporarily by reformations under Asa, Jehoshaphat, Joash, Hezekiah, and Josiah.
It is our purpose to follow neither of these divisions, however natural they may be, but to discuss the volume under three heads: Solomon and the Temple; Rehoboam and the Division, and the History of Judah.
SOLOMON AND THE TEMPLE
The Book opens with a declaration concerning the new king, And Solomon the son of David was strengthened in his kingdom, and the Lord his God was with him, and magnified him exceedingly (2Ch 1:1).
The history that follows gives occasion to say several things concerning this marvelous man of immortal reputation:
First, Solomons kingship enjoyed an auspicious beginning. The man who ascends the throne under the favor of the Lord necessarily begins a reign of promise. If, as in Solomons case, he sensibly recognizes his responsibility and seeks wisdom from the only sufficient source, he adds greater certainty to his success. When, in addition to this, his objectives are high and God-honoring, the glory of his kingdom advances accordingly. Certainly, Solomons preparation to build the temple was not only a noble objective, but one in line with his kingly fathers purpose and prayers, and the great Heavenly Fathers will for him.
The interesting history here of gathering materials and appointing men for this marvelous construction is made more interesting still by the kings personal supervision and spiritual interest. It takes some courage to conduct war, and we believe it takes almost more courage and even a clearer sense of God, to build sanctuaries, make their appointments according to the Divine pleasure, and call the people to worship within the spacious rooms of the same. Yet, when you have read but five chapters of this Book, you find such a work complete, and are not in the least amazed or even surprised to read, The glory of the Lord had filled the house of God (2Ch 5:14).
It is doubtful whether any company of men have done more for the establishment of spirituality in the earth and for the strengthening of the souls of their fellows, than have those who brought sanctuaries into existence and led congregations of people to a genuine worship of the most high God.
The on-going of this Book reveals Solomons conscious dependence. When the altar was erected he stood by it with outstretched hands (2Ch 6:12). That is the attitude of prayer and possibly of adoration. When his lips parted to speak, he says,
O Lord God of Israel, there is no God tike Thee in the heaven, nor in the earth; which keepest covenant, and shewest mercy unto Thy servants that walk before Thee with all their hearts:
Thou which hast kept with Thy servant David my father that which Thou hast promised him; and spakest with Thy mouth, and hast fulfilled it with Thine hand, as it is this day.
Now therefore, O Lord God of Israel, keep with Thy servant David my father that which Thou hast promised him, saying, There shall not fail thee a man in My sight to sit upon the throne of Israel; yet so that thy children take heed to their way to walk in My Law, as Thou hast walked before Me (2Ch 6:14-16).
Now then, O Lord God of Israel, let Thy Word be verified, which Thou hast spoken unto Thy servant David (2Ch 6:17).
Then follows an appeal that Gods eyes should be open upon their house day and night; that His ears should hearken to the prayers made in that place, and if sin were committed, that forgiveness should be granted, and if the people fail before the face of the enemy because of sin that they also should be pardoned; that if heaven be shut up on the same ground, upon repentance the dearth should end.
Then he concludes in a more personal petition to Him:
Then what prayer or what supplication soever shall be made of any man, or of all Thy people Israel, when every one shall know his own sore and his own grief, and shall spread forth his hands in this house:
Then hear Thou from Heaven Thy dwelling place, and forgive (2Ch 6:29-30).
These are only samples of the long petition that followed the dedicatory sermon. They wind up with a sentence like this: O Lord God, turn not away the face of Thine anointed: remember the mercies of David Thy servant (2Ch 6:42). It is a model prayer; it is the petition of a sincere soul; it is the cry of one who knows that the mercy and love of God are the only grounds of hope.
The further text records Solomons fame and death. That fame was based upon Solomons wisdom, accentuated doubtless by the magnificence of the temple, but made more honorable still in the extent of his organization, the luxury of his court and the wealth of his treasury.
Evidently, among the rulers of the earth, the queen of Sheba held conspicuous place, and when the fame of Solomon reached her, she came to prove him with her questions, and impress him with her own riches and glory. The difficult questions were satisfactorily answered, the temple was adequately shown, the table of the king groaned with its good meats, the apparel of the servants was profoundly impressive, and the queen said to the king,
It was a true report which I heard in mine own land of thine acts, and of thy wisdom:
Howbeit I believed not their words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it: and, behold, the one half of the greatness of thy wisdom was not told me: for thou exceedest the fame that I heard.
Happy are thy men, and happy are these thy servants, winch stand continually before thee, and hear thy wisdom.
Blessed be the Lord thy God, which delighted in thee to set thee on his throne, to be king for the Lord thy God (2Ch 9:5-8).
The compliment to the king is followed with a statement of Solomons annual income, the magnificence of his throne, the rich appointments of the palace, the extensive commercial importance of his kingdom, and the willing tributes of the earths lesser lords.
Then, as if the task of telling all was too great, we have this record,
Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, first and last, are they not written in the book of Nathan the Prophet, and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of Iddo the seer against Jeroboam the son of Nebat?
And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years.
And Solomon slept with his fathers, and he was buried in the city of David his father: and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead (2Ch 9:29-31).
It is a surprising end, and yet strangely true to human history. How many men spend all their days in preparing to live, and when the preparation seems almost complete, proceed to die? The last enemy is no respecter of persons. His bow is drawn against the great as well as the humble, the rich as well as the poor, the wise as well as the ignorant. Death respects neither thrones nor kings; he holds the key to the palace room, and even to the throne room. Kings may command their humbler fellows, and even counsel their equals; but where death calls, they also obey.
REHOBOAM AND THE DIVISION
The emptying of a throne is forever fraught with perils. The eternal and pertinent question is this, Who shall come after the king? The tenth chapter answered that concerning the throne of Israel. The answer was an ill omen! Rehoboams tyrannical spirit split the kingdom. When Jeroboam and all Israel came to him, saying, Thy father made our yoke grievous: now therefore ease thou somewhat the grievous servitude of thy father, and his heavy yoke that he put upon us, and we will serve thee (2Ch 10:4), they delicately referred to the increased taxation to which the luxurious court and the personal orgies of Solomon had given rise. They thought, as people commonly do, that the new rule would prove the peoples friend. Their hope was in vain.
The old men, former counselors of Solomon, advised kindness and compassion; but the young bloods, spoiled by their fellowship with royalty, counseled increased oppression; and under their influence he said,
My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add thereto: my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions (2Ch 10:14).
It was enough. The war was on; and that war has never ended until this day, for Israel and Judah are not yet one. A man who divides brethren and sets them to battle, little understands the infinite reach of his mischief. The father of Modernism in America, when he fell asleep at a comparatively early age, little dreamed that he had set influences to work that would divide every denomination on the continent, destroy the fellowship of men who loved one another as twins are commonly supposed to love, wreck schools and churches by the thousand, and start a war that may easily exceed the famous Hundred Year War of history.
Israel and Judahblood brothersbecame the bitterest of enemies. For some reason Second Chronicles pays little attention to Israel, but proceeds to trace Judahs history to the year of Cyrus, king of Persia, or through a period of almost a half millennium. The family feud occasionally projects itself into the record, but for the most part, Israel is forgotten, and the doings of Judah are recorded in detail.
The explanation of this is found in the circumstance that Jeroboam rejected the worship of Jehovah (2Ch 11:14-15). When God is once put away, when Gods priest is disposed of, and His minister is heard no more, then degeneracy compels a declining record.
Unitarianism three quarters of a century ago denied the Lord. Its history has amounted to little; and if it were recorded, it would simply prove, as the Jeroboam movement, a breeding place of apostasy; and yet this record regards not one apostasy only, but two.
The man of many favors may forget God.
When Rehoboam had established the kingdom, and had strengthened himself, he forsook the Law of the Lord, and all Israel with him (2Ch 12:1).
What a sad commentary on the uncertainty and unstability of human nature! The explanation of Rehoboams failure has fitted thousands, yea millions of cases. He did evil, because he prepared not his heart to seek the Lord (2Ch 12:14). Of all disappointments, none exceed thisto begin well and end badly; to give promise and create disappointment; to be the subject of Divine favor, and become the slave of Gods adversary.
THE HISTORY OF JUDAH
Chapters 11 to 36 contain the roster of kings. The fortunes of the country answer accurately and inevitably to the characters of their rulers. On the whole, the history is a down-grade. In that respect, it runs true to form. The doctrine of evolution may find an illustration in national life if it goes from the simple to the complex, but in so far as it contends for improvement, history fails to illustrate it. Degeneracy of nations has more often taken place than has social and moral progress.
The foundations of Judah were laid under David; the kingdoms glory appeared under Solomon. From that moment until this, one word expresses Judahs coursedecline.
Africa was once an advanced nation, now a heathen one; Italy once ruled the world, now she holds an inconspicuous place; Greece once represented the climax of physical and mental accomplishment, now she boasts neither. The reasons for decline are varied, but in Judah they were one the God who had made her great was too often forgotten, too willingly offended. When the nations neglect the source of their strength, weakness naturally ensues. Judahs strength was in the Lord, and when her kings forgot Him, despised His Word, entered into unholy alliances that were followed by the people, her fame declined, and her land fainted.
The mixed social condition manifested her sinfulness. We have a phrase, Like people, like priest. We can paraphrase that, Like princes, like people. The study of these kings results in no compliment to human nature. Some of them were utterly evil; most of them were a mixture of the good and bad; two or three of them were sound. Among the utterly evil ones, Jehoram, Ahaziah, Athaliah, Manasseh, Amon and Jehoiakin held first place. The ones that represent a mixture of good and bad were Jeroboam, Jehoshaphat, Joash, Amaziah, Uzziah, Jehoiakim; while the truly good consisted of Jotham, Hezekiah and Josiah. In all probability the reign of each of these good kings was profoundly affected and made spiritually fruitful by the ministry of Isaiah, the greatest preacher among Old Testament Prophets. It is perhaps a fact of history that no rulers have ever proven faithful to God without the stimulating and salutary influence of the Gospel ministry.
The judgments and mercies of Second Chronicles alike vindicate Jehovah. In this record wickedness does not go unpunished; and yet it is a marvelous revelation of Divine mercy.
There is never the least sign of penitence on the part of the ruler and the people without an immediate and generous response from Jehovah.
When Jehoshaphat declined in his loyalty and effected a sinful coalition with Ahab, judgment fell; but instantly upon his repentance, mercy was shown. Judgment is always and everywhere Gods strange work, the work in which He takes no pleasure. As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked (Eze 33:11).
Mercy is His nature, His essential character, for to the Lord our God belong mercies and forgiveness. He that covereth his sins shall not prosper; but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy (Pro 28:13).
Fuente: The Bible of the Expositor and the Evangelist by Riley
CRITICAL NOTES.] Here begins the fourth part of the book of Chronicles, extending from the division of the kingdom to the decree of Cyrus, authorising the return of the exiles and confining itself to the affairs of the kingdom of Judah. The present chapter includes the proposal of the people to Rehoboam (2Ch. 10:1-5); the counsel given to him (2Ch. 10:6-11); and the answer that provokes the revolt (2Ch. 10:12-19). This corresponds to 1Ki. 12:1-19 [Murphy].
2Ch. 10:1-5.Proposal to the people. Shechem, a judicious step, meeting there not simply because central and convenient, but honouring the capital of Ephraimites and removing disaffection. King. assembled to receive Rehoboam as lawful king and join in usual acclamations (1Sa. 10:24; 1Ki. 1:39) [cf. Speak. Com.] 2Ch. 10:2. Jer. an Ephraimite appointed by Solomon to civil administration of house of Joseph (1Ki. 11:28), of which Ephraim a branch. Cause of flight to Egypt given (1Ki. 11:29-40). He returned to be leader and spokesman of people. 2Ch. 10:4. Yoke, pomp and style of Solomon made taxation heavy. Vast building operations required forced labour, &c. Ease, grant relief, make concessions, most reasonable request.
2Ch. 10:6-11.Counsel given to the king. Old men who served under Solomon and well able to advise. 2Ch. 10:7. Spake, yield to will of people, for once be servant, be ruled by them and attach to thyself servants for ever. 2Ch. 10:8 Forsook, refused good words, consulted younger advisers, who gave counsel more flattering and agreeable to kings temper.
2Ch. 10:12-19.Little finger. Proverbial for increasing rather than diminishing burdens. Finger not in original; but may be safely implied. The meaning is, You shall find my hand heavier on you than my fathers; as much heavier as if my little finger were thicker than his loins [Speak. Com.]. Whips, often with sharp bones or pieces of lead tied to end. Scorpions, i.e., scourges with sharp points (Latin scorpio), iron thorns inflicting exquisite pain. Harsh and foolish answer. 2Ch. 10:15. Cause, i.e., the turn of events was from the Lord, to fulfil his word (1Ki. 2:29-31). 2Ch. 10:16. What portion? Words of sedition by Sheba (2Sa. 20:1), expressing deep-rooted aversion to royal house and resulting in open rebellion. 2Ch. 10:18. Adoram, identified by some with Ad. of 1Ki. 4:6; 1Ki. 5:14; and Adoram of 2Sa. 20:24. The three names mark three distinct persons, perhaps of same family, who were respectively contemporary with David, Solomon, and Rehoboam [Speak. Com.]. Sent to alleviate burdens. Stoned, usual mode of mob vengeance. 2Ch. 10:18. King himself narrowly escaped the same fate. From that time Israel and Judah separated and distinguished one from another.
HOMILETICS
THE REPRESENTATIVE ASSEMBLY.2Ch. 10:1-5
I. The place of meeting. Shechem wisely chosen by Rehoboam, to remove dissatisfaction; at the advice of judicious men, whose counsels he afterwards rejected. A place of great antiquity, noted for conventions (Jos. 24:1) and royalty (Judges 9).
II. The purpose in view. The future government of the nation.
1. To make Rehoboam king. King with officers of state around; tribes drawn up under their leaders ready to receive him. How proclaimed? Not with hearty shouts of God save the king. A pause and solemn silence. Jeroboam steps forward!
2. To represent the people. Make our yoke lighter and we will serve thee. This unexpected; surprised and annoyed Rehoboam; not what he came for, not what he liked! Not bold enough to deny, not grace enough to concede. Delay dangerous, may breed suspicion and intensify ill-feeling.
III. The conclusion arrived at. Come again unto me after three days. King did not commit himself to rash impromptu reply. Adjournment might seem wise, but demands just, prompt redress would have been better than prudent caution. There is a gift whose recompense is double (Sir. 20:10).
THE FOOLISH RULES AND THE REVOLTING TRIBES.2Ch. 10:6-19
The four scenes may be treated separately or in one sketch.
I. The grievance stated. Real, not imaginary; outspoken and not kept back. The grievous servitude of thy father and his heavy yoke that he put upon us.
1. A reasonable demand. Couched in a spirit of fairness and loyalty. Reason and justice will ever triumph. Violence and storms spend themselves for nothing, (a.) Heavy taxes. Splendour of Solomons court, the magnitude of his undertakings, such that neither tribute of dependent states, presents of foreign princes, nor profits of commercial enterprises could support. He was obliged to levy taxes for necessary revenue. (b.) Forced service. This chief ground of complaint (cf. 1Ki. 4:6; 1Ki. 5:13-14; 1Ki. 11:28). Each tribe called upon to render without payment. Forced labour has been among the causes leading to insurrection in many ages and countries. It alienated the people of Rome from the last Tarquin (Liv. 1:56); it helped to bring about the French revolution, and it was for many years one of the principal grievances of the Russian serfs [Speak. Com.]. (c.) Long endured. Put upon us by thy father. Complaint of past reign. Solomon wise, but oppressive in government. No man can always be wise, says Pliny. We are more apt to copy the defects of our ancestors than imitate their virtues; to remember the evil of their lives, not their benefits.
2. A national demand. It was the voice of all Israel. The people unanimous; not a few merely turbulent and dissatisfied. Thus was prophecy fulfilled. This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you; he will take your sons, &c. (1Sa. 8:11-18).
II. The consultation held. If impolitic to delay, it was prudent to seek advice.
1. With aged counsellors. Wise, experienced, and suitable. How do ye advise? With the ancient is wisdom, and in length of days understanding. Be kind, concede, speak good words, and they will be thy servants for ever. Advice(a), just; (b), timely; (c), far-seeing; and (d), wise. Happy the ruler with such statesmen! No sentimentalists, but true patriots and philosophers! Kindness wins and overcomes. A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.
2. With young counsellors. Conceited, proud, and inexperienced. They recommend oppression and defiance. Yield nothing, put more on, afflict with scorpions. This considered spirited and kingly! but (a), unreasonable; (b), foolish; (c), cruel; and (d), destructive. Wise men lay up knowledge: but the mouth of the foolish is near destruction.
III. The decision given. The king answered the people roughly, and forsook the old mens counsel that they gave (2Ch. 10:13). This
1. Unexpected. Demands reasonable; ease and make yoke lighter. Delay gave time to think, and this course resolved upon!
2. Foolish. Rough words unbecoming; display weakness, ignorance, and pride. A grain of wisdom would have taught that such conduct would widen the breach between him and his people.
3. Presumptuous. Kings made to serve, not to tyrannise; should rule for the good of the people and not for selfish purposes. The way to govern is to serve. Those kings safest who stoop lowest. I would rather be king of the French than king of France, said Louis XIV., i.e., rule in the hearts of the people than over the territories of the kingdom. Whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister; and whosoever of you will be chiefest, shall be servant of all.
4. Mischievous. This tone like that of the nobility of France before the great revolution, calculated to irritate (cf. the Ephraimites, Jdg. 12:1-4; men of Israel and Judah, 2Sa. 19:41-43; and the harsh words of Eliphaz, Job. 22:5), to add fuel to the fire. Mischievous in themselves and in results. How many thousand souls are hurt every day by the words of others! [Baxter]. How sad the result here! The beginning of the words of the mouth is foolishness: and the end of talk is mischievous (Sir. 11:13).
IV. The results which followed (2Ch. 10:16). Whatever ground for resisting before, they now receive provocation, which accounts for strong words and firm resolve.
1. Revolt. Threatened, insulted, they raised a shout expressive and well understood. To your tents, O Israel!
2. Resistance. Hadoram sent, the man who was over the levy (Rev. Vers.) of forced labourers, whose presence would rouse Israel to anger, exasperate, and outrage. A foolish and imprudent act. Israel stoned him with stones, that he died.
3. Final separation (2Ch. 10:19). God prevented the king from filling the land with blood. It was with one exception (Hadoram) a bloodless revolt [Stanley]. The attempt to recover lost tribes forbidden. The determination of king, the loyalty and number of Judah and Benjamin of no avail. The thing was done and could not be altered. The army disbanded and submitted to the God of battles. For the cause was of God, that the Lord might perform his word. Even if right appear on our side, better sit still than fight in disobedience to God. When Gods will is known ever submit, whatever loss may be involved.
THE MYSTERY OF DIVINE WORKING.2Ch. 10:15
The cause, the Hebrew circuit, or turning about, was of God; for here was a wheel within a wheel, as Ezekiel 1. [Trapp]. The original idea of the disruption was that it was a divine dispensation. The thing was from the Lord. It was as much a part of the divine economy of the national destinies, as the erection of the monarchy itself, or as the substitution of the House of David for the House of Saul [Stanley].
I. Events of history controlled and directed to accomplish divine purposes. Gods will supreme and ultimate. The turn of events not aimless and independent. The current directed, turned, according to Gods pleasure and word.
II. In the accomplishment of divine purposes men act as free agents. Neither the folly of the king, nor rebellion of people pre-ordained. Events from natural order. Men not fated, but free to act; are under moral, not physical government. But as for you, ye thought evil against me, but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.
III. Men thus acting as free agents are responsible for their actions. We are not subjects of accidents, bereft of power to do good or evil, but morally responsible for our actions. The hands of the Jews were wicked in crucifying Christ, though he was delivered up to them by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God (Act. 2:23). Those who rebel against God and lose heaven will have to blame themselves for wilfulness and folly.
TWO METHODS OF TREATING MEN.2Ch. 10:6-11
I. The conciliatory. II. The unconciliatory. Social positions are graduated. Yet no elevation of social rank gives one man the right to tyrannise over another. Pass in rapid review a few of the cases in which the two methods of treating men come into constant operation. The maintenance of a conciliatory policy is quite consistent with a headship.
1. Firmness;
2. Justice. What is the cure for all false relations among men? The gospel of reconciliation [Beecher].
GOVERNMENTS AND SUBJECTS
From the whole narrative learn
I. That governments create dissatisfaction among their subjects by injustice. Order, contentment, and affection essential to prosperity in government. Severe laws, over-taxation, curtailment of liberties, and coercive measures create uneasiness and opposition. The government of a prudent man is well ordered (Sir. 10:1).
II. That it is right for subjects to agitate for the removal of injustice. Within right to get redress in just and legal methods. History abounds, in critical and stirring times, in witnesses against oppression and tyranny. Wrong to submit to despotisms. I know how to add sovereign to the kings person, but not to his power, said Pym.
III. That it is wise for rulers to listen to the complaints of injustice. Concessions more becoming than extravagant assertions of divine right. Mild and merciful procedure quickens the spirit of freedom; destroys jealousy towards a rulers actions and character, and the best safeguard of thrones and constitutions. When a king speaks good words, they seem to be better than if spoken by other lips; when a king is kind, he seems to add to his kindness by his very kingliness; the stoop of his condescension redoubles the value of his benefaction. If when the people returned after three days Rehoboam had spoken so, the welkin would have rung with the resonant cheers of a delighted, thankful, because emancipated, people [Dr. Parker].
HOMILETIC HINTS AND SUGGESTIONS
2Ch. 10:1-12. Rehoboam the headstrong. Only son of Solomon, but did not profit by his fathers Wisdom
1. His training. Not like that of his father. (a) His mother an idolatress (2Ch. 12:13), not the wise, good mother which Solomon seems to have had (Pro. 4:3). Hence the mothers influence over the young prince. (b) He had not the good example which Solomon had in David. Solomons later years degenerate, what wonder if his son was far behind!
2. His accession. Without difficulty (cf. 1Ki. 11:43) at the death of his father, when about 41 years old. (a) By promise of perpetual sovereignty to Davids posterity; (b) By public assembly of representatives. Met not to exercise right of election (1Sa. 10:19-21); for after Gods promise, their duty was submission to the authority of rightful heir; but their object was to renew the conditions to which their constitutional kings were subject (1Sa. 10:25), and to the omission of rehearsing which, under the peculiar circumstances in which Solomon was made king, they were disposed to ascribe the absolutism of his government [Jamieson].
3. His trouble. Kings not without. Uneasy is the head that wears the crown. (a) A corrupt empire; (b) A dissatisfied people; (c) A dark future.
4. His folly. Wisdom not inherited as wealth. Some infatuated, nothing can teach them. Men have no right to tyrannise in social, political, or religious affairs. The rough answer was a fearful mistake. He that walketh with wise men shall be wise; but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.
2Ch. 10:2-3; 2Ch. 10:12-15. Jeroboam the first king of Israel.
1. His early life. Jeroboam (whose people is many) son of Nebat, an Ephrathite, i.e., belonging to territory of Ephraim; of Zereda (2Ch. 4:17; cf. Jdg. 5:22), a town near Scythopolis. Mother Zeruah, a widow, reduced by the execution of her husband at beginning of Solomons reign, if Jeroboam be identical with Shemei (cf. 2Sa. 16:5; cf. 1Ki. 2:46).
2. His natural ability. A mighty man of valour (1Ki. 11:27); mighty in power as Nimrod (Gen. 10:8); in wealth, as Boaz, Kish, and other Israelites (Rth. 2:1; 1Sa. 9:1; 2Ki. 15:20). But clever, of strong natural capacity; active and enterprising (Sept. a man of works).
3. His rapid promotion. Solomon discerning his talents, seeing the young man that he was industrious, that he did the kings business (Dan. 8:27), made him ruler; set him over all the charge, the burden; superintendent of taxes and public works (1Ki. 11:27-28). The hand of the diligent shall bear rule (Pro. 12:24; Pro. 22:29).
4. His prophetic designation. By prophet Ahijah in symbolic action (1Ki. 11:29-39). From which time he became a marked man by Solomon.
5. His seditious conduct. Ambitious, impatient for the death of Solomon, he was led to plot and conspire, and in consequence driven to Egypt. Chosen of God, yet could not wait for Providence. Incurred penalty of death by rebellion.
6. His accession to the throne. Chosen at length by people and permitted to become first king of Israel.
2Ch. 10:7. Be kind. The power of kindness in winning affection and service. Lenity and moderation in a prince is very prevalent with the people, as to win their affections at first, so to hold them in obedience ever after. The advice of an ancient French counsellor to his sovereign at his departure from court was good. Being wished to lay down some general rules for government, he took a paper, and wrote on the top of it moderation, in the middle of the leaf moderation, and at the bottom moderation [Trapp].
2Ch. 10:6-11. I. The national council.
1. Assembled and consulted by the king;
2. Composed of old and young, wise and foolish men. II. The resolution adopted.
1. From whom it came;
2. What its nature;
3. What its results. Forsook old men, whom he consulted for fashions sake, as Xerxes did when he invaded Greece. Resolved beforehand to stand upon his pantoufles and not at all to stoop to the people. He had those about him, doubtless, that would tell him, as some Court parasites did our King John, when he had yielded to the requests of his barons for the subjects liberty, that now he was a king without a kingdom, a lord without a dominion, and a subject to his subjects [Trapp]. Consulted young men. So did our king Richard II., to his utter ruin. So Xerxes despised the grave counsel of his uncle Artabanus, and was led wholly by young Mardonius to the loss of all. The like is reported of Dionysius, king of Sicily; Crsus, king of Lydia; Nero, emperor of Rome; James that reigned in Scotland in Edward IV.s time; and Lantrer, of whom it is reported that he lost the kingdom of Naples from the French king, his master, and all that he had in Italy, because he would not ask nor follow the advice of those who were wiser than himself [Ibid.].
2Ch. 10:12-15. The adjourned meeting.
1. The decision given. Haughty and imperious.
2. The effect produced. (a) On the aged counsellors; (b) On deputies; (c) On the nation [adapted from Bib. Mus.].
2Ch. 10:16. To your tents, O Israel. It was a national watchword, and not the war-cry of a single tribe which led the revolt [Stanley].
1. Its antiquity. Raised in time of David, now with fatal effect (2Sa. 20:1).
2. Its ingratitude. What have we to do with David?
3. Its selfishness. Cut themselves off from their brethren and their sovereign. To your tents, let us have a king of our own!
2Ch. 10:16-19. The great secession.
1. Its strange beginning.
2. Its remarkable progress.
3. Its fatal consequences. Two kingdoms; rival worship. Weakness, jealousy, and political decline of Jewish nation. Terrible is progress of strife. One angry word, one look of revenge, one act of resentment, will kindle a fire which may set a neighbourhood or a nation into flame. A drop of revenge soon becomes a river, and the river a torrent, which sweeps everything before it. The beginning of strife is as when one letteth out water. Therefore leave off contention before it be meddled with.
ILLUSTRATIONS TO CHAPTER 10
2Ch. 10:6-10. Counsel. Judge Buller, when in the company of a young gentleman of sixteen, cautioned him against being led astray by the example or persuasion of others, and said: If I had listened to the advice of some of those who called themselves my friends when I was young, instead of being a judge of the Kings Bench, I should have died long ago a prisoner at the Kings Bench.
2Ch. 10:12-15. Answered. Who knows what he is till he is tried, and until he meets his own trial? for every one is not discovered in the same way; he may be firm in one peril and fail in another [Jay]. His friends were summoned on a point so nice, to pass their judgment and to give advice; but fixed before, and well resolved was he, as those who ask advice are wont to be [Pope].
2Ch. 10:16-19. When any one person or body of men seize into their hands the power in the last resort, there is properly no longer a government, but what Aristotle and his followers call the abuse and corruption of one [Swift].
Fuente: The Preacher’s Complete Homiletical Commentary Edited by Joseph S. Exell
II. THE DIVISION OF THE KINGDOM
(2Ch. 10:1 to 2Ch. 36:21)
1. JEROBOAMS REVOLUTION (Chapter 10)
TEXT
2Ch. 10:1. And Rehoboam went to Shechem; for all Israel were come to Shechem to make him king. 2. And it came to pass, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard of it (for he was in Egypt, whither he had fled from the presence of king Solomon), that Jeroboam returned out of Egypt. 3. And they sent and called him; and Jeroboam and all Israel came, and they spake to Rehoboam, saying, 4. Thy father made our yoke grievous: now therefore make thou the grievous service of thy father, and his heavy yoke which he put upon us, lighter, and we will serve thee. 5. And he said unto them, Come again unto me after three days. And the people departed.
6. And king Rehoboam took counsel with the old men, that had stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, saying, What counsel give ye me to return answer to this people? 7. And they spake unto him, saying, If thou be kind to this people, and please them, and speak good words to them, then they will be thy servants for ever. 8. But he forsook the counsel of the old men which they had given him, and took counsel with the young men that were grown up with him, that stood before him. 9. And he said unto them, What counsel give ye, that ye may return answer to this people, who have spoken to me, saying, Make the yoke that thy father did put upon us lighter? 10. And the young men that were grown up with him spake unto him, saying, Thus shalt thou say unto the people that spake unto thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou it lighter unto us; thus shalt thou say unto them, My little finger is thicker than my fathers loins. 11. And now whereas my father did lade you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke: my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.
12. So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king bade, saying, Come to me again the third day. 13. And the king answered them roughly; and king Rehoboam forsook the counsel of the old men, 14. and spake to them after the counsel of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add thereto: my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions. 15. So the king hearkened not unto the people; for it was brought about of God, that Jehovah might establish his word, which he spake by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.
16. And 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: every man to your tents, O Israel: now see to thine own house, David. So all Israel departed unto their tents. 17. But as the children of Israel that dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them. 18. Then king Rehoboam sent Hadoram, who was over the men subject to taskwork; and the children of Israel stoned him to death with stones. And king Rehoboam made speed to get him up to his chariot, to flee to Jerusalem. 19. So Israel rebelled against the house of David unto this day.
PARAPHRASE
2Ch. 10:1. All the leaders of Israel came to Shechem for Rehoboams coronation. 2, 3. Meanwhile, friends of Jeroaboam (son of Nebat) sent word to him of Solomons death. He was in Egypt at the time, where he had gone to escape from King Solomon. He now quickly returned, and was present at the coronation, and led the peoples demands on Rehoboam: 4. Your father was a hard master, they said. Be easier on us than he was, and we will let you be our king! 5. Rehoboam told them to return in three days for his decision.
6. He discussed their demand with the old men who had counseled his father Solomon. What shall I tell them? he asked. 7. If you want to be their king, they replied, you will have to give them a favorable reply and treat them with kindness. 8, 9. But he rejected their advice and asked the opinion of the young men who had grown up with him. What do you fellows think I should do? he asked. Shall I be easier on them than my father was? 10. No! they replied. Tell them, If you think my father was hard on you, just wait and see what Ill be like! Tell them My little finger is thicker than my fathers loins! 11. I am going to be tougher on you, not easier! My father used whips on you, but Ill use scorpions!
12. So when Jeroboam and the people returned in three days to hear King Rehoboams decision, 13. he spoke roughly to them; for he refused the advice of the old men, 14. and followed the counsel of the younger ones. My father gave you heavy burdens but I will give you heavier! he told them, My father punished you with whips, but I will punish you with scorpions! 15. So the king turned down the peoples demands. (God caused him to do it in order to fulfill his prediction spoken to Jeroboam by Ahijah, the Shilonite.)
16. When the people realized what the king was saying they turned around and deserted him. Forget David and his dynasty! they shouted angrily. Well get someone else to be our king. Let Rehoboam rule his own tribe of Judah! Lets go home! So they did. 17. The People of the tribe of Judah, however, remained loyal to Rehoboam. 18. Afterwards, when King Rehoboam sent Hadoram to draft forced labor from the other tribes of Israel, the people stoned him to death. When this news reached King Rehoboam he jumped into his chariot and fled to Jerusalem. 19. And Israel has refused to be ruled by a descendant of David to this day.
COMMENTARY
Solomons name meant Peace and described his character and the nature of his reign. Rehoboams name meant the people are enlarged or one who sets the people free. There was bound up in Rehoboams name Solomons hope for Israel. Rehoboams actions contradicted the anticipation in his name. The selection of Shechem for the great national gathering was unusual. Jerusalem was the capital. The Temple was in Jerusalem. Shechem was in Ephraim about thirty miles north of Jerusalem. Whether Rehoboam went there by choice or was advised by the people that this was where they would meet him is not clear. The people of Israel gathered there to make him king if he would meet their conditions.
When Ahijah had revealed to Jeroboam that Jehovah would give him ten parts of the kingdom (1Ki. 11:31), Jeroboam conspired to take the throne from Solomon. The conspiracy failed. Jeroboam was able to find refuge in Egypt where he remained until Solomons death. Jeroboam had friends in Ephraim and other northern tribes who looked to him for leadership. In the meeting at Shechem, Jeroboam is the champion of the ten tribes. He and the elders of these tribes presented themselves before Rehoboam with their requests. Solomons demands upon Israel had become very galling especially in the latter half of his reign. There was much wealth; but the rich became richer and the poor became poorer. Social injustice was evident throughout the kingdom. The people were burdened with excessive taxation. They had been pushed to the point of rebellion. They asked that their heavy yoke be made lighter. They requested a readjustment of personal responsibilities with regard to the kingdom. From a human viewpoint, Rehoboam probably could have made the necessary adjustments and the kingdom would have remained united. From Jehovahs viewpoint His purpose was that the kingdom should now be divided (1Ki. 12:15). Rehoboam would rule over Judah and Jeroboam would lead the ten northern tribes. Faced with this serious request, Rehoboam promised an answer within three days. Rehoboam used the time to seek the advice of counselors. He turned to the old men, contemporaries of Solomon. They advised that he follow a policy of kindness and consideration for the people. Even here, Jehovah was at work as Rehoboam rejected good advice. Having decided what he wanted to do, his heart was hardened as was the case with Pharaoh in Moses day. At this time Rehoboam was forty one years old (1Ki. 14:21). He turned to younger men, those of his own generation for advice. They advised him to be stern, kingly, demanding. They fed Rehoboams ego, reminded him of his authority, sent him to the people with a proverbial expressionmy little finger is thicker than my fathers loins. The people understood that if they had found Solomons regime burdensome, Rehoboams would be unbearable. They could not and would not live with scorpions. The scorpion was a creature which was able to inflict a person with a very painful sting. The term was also used as a name for a whip made of rawhide thongs to which pieces of lead were attached. Rehoboam threatened to coerce Israel and rule as a despot. When the appointed time came, the king hatefully announced his policy to the people. 2Ch. 10:15 reviews Jehovahs purpose in this matter. It must be understood that Jehovah did not use Rehoboam as a pawn. What the king decided to do was, first of all his own decision. When he would not do Gods will, his heart was hardened. In these matters we cannot limit Jehovahs knowledge of the past, present and future. He is omniscient. At the same time, He allows personal choice and holds man responsible for that choice.
When the people heard Rehoboams insulting speech, they lifted up the cry of rebellion and left the scene in an angry mood. Perhaps some of the people were glad for an occasion to rebel. Others among them were perplexed. Israel, as a name, from this time specially identified the ten northern tribes. The rebel cry, what portion have we in David? Every man to your tents, had been heard in Shebas rebellion against David (2Sa. 20:1). The tribes of Judah, Simeon and a part of Benjamin submitted to Rehoboams kingship. All of the other tribes of Israel turned to Jeroboam, son of Nebat, and made him king. This was a tragic day in Hebrew history. Rehoboam made a futile attempt to bring the northern tribes under his rule. Hadoram (Adoram1Ki. 12:18) was sent to organize some forced labor or to arrange for tribute to be paid to Rehoboam. The king, Rehoboam, kept himself at a safe distance. When Hadoram was stoned to death by the rebels, Rehoboam hurried to the safety of Jerusalem. The division between Judah in the south and Israel in the north continued until the time of the Babylonian captivity.
Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series
(1) To Shechem.Shkmah, with accusative ending; Kings, Shkem. Were come, pf. plural; Kings, singular.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
2Ch 10:7 And they spake unto him, saying, If thou be kind to this people, and please them, and speak good words to them, they will be thy servants for ever.
2Ch 10:7
Fuente: Everett’s Study Notes on the Holy Scriptures
The Demand of the Northern Tribes.
v. l And Rehoboam went to Shechem, one of the chief cities of the northern tribes and almost in the center of Canaan; for to Shechem were all Israel come to make him king. Cf l Kings 12.
v. 2. And it came to pass, when Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, who was in Egypt, whither he had fled from the presence of Solomon the king, v. 3. And they sent and called him, v. 4. Thy father made our yoke grievous, v. 5. And he said unto them, Come again unto me after three days. v. 6. And King Rehoboam took counsel with the old men that had stood before Solomon, his father, while he yet lived, v. 7. And they, v. 8. But he, v. 9. And he said unto them, What advice give ye that we may return answer to this people which have spoken to me, saying, Ease somewhat the yoke that thy father did put upon us?
v. 10. And the young men that were brought up with him spake unto him, v. 11. For whereas my father put a heavy yoke upon you,
Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann
EXPOSITION
This chapter begins the fourth and last great division of the work once called in its unity, “The Chronicles.” This fourth and last division, therefore, will see us to the end of our 2Ch 36:1-23; where we find, by an historical anticipation of above fifty years, the memorable proclamation of Cyrus, which authorized the return of the captive Jews, and sanctioned the rebuilding of the temple. This stretch of history, divided in our Authorized Version into twenty-seven chapters, covers, therefore, a period of about four hundred and fifty years; it ignores almost totally the career of Israel, and, in clearest accord with its post-captive and prophetic objects, abides uninterruptedly by that of the sacred dynasty of Judah. The kings are in number twenty, beginning with Rehoboam, ending with Zedekiah, of whom, however, the last four can be credited with but little semblance of independent authority, for they were the alternate vassals of the rival and antagonistic powers of Egypt and Assyria. The longest reigns of the twenty were those of Manasseh; of Uzziah or Azariah; of Asa; of Jehoash; of Josiah; of Hezekiah; of Amaziah (twenty-nine years, b.c.838-809); of Jehoshaphat; and of Rehoboam. The last of the mournful procession was Zedekiah, who was mocked with the title for eleven years. In the dates of this chronology, though slight differences are found, there is little room for variation when once the initial and, in consequence, final dates are fixed. The line of succession is hereditary throughout, and almost entirely of strict lineal descent, i.e. from father to son, if we except, first, the interruption caused by the Queen Athaliah, mother of her predecessor Ahaziah; secondly, Joash, her grandson and successor, who was son of Ahaziah; thirdly, Jehoiachim (so named by the King of Egypt, but formerly named Eliakim), who was brother of his predecessor Jehoahaz; and, fourthly, Zedekiah (or Mattaniah), who was the paternal uncle (2Ki 24:17) of his predecessor Jehoiachin, and who was put on the throne by Nebuchadnezzar, against whom he in due time rose in rebellion, and by whom he was sent captive to Babylon, after seeing his sons slain, and having thereupon his own eyes put out. After him them was no more a king in Judah. It will be obvious that, if the years marking the duration of the succeeding reigns be summed up, we shall obtain too large a result, as they often or always overlapped one another, and, of course, did not fall into exact years. The initial date we take as b.c. 979, and the final date at the end of Zedekiah’s eleven years, culminating in the destruction of Jerusalem, as b.c. 587. Some chronologies quote these dates, however, b.c. 975-588. Side by side with these preliminary notes respecting Judah, it may be stated that the initial and final dates for the separate kingdom of the ten tribes, Israel, with their nineteen kings, were b.c. 979 (975) to the date of Samaria taken, b.c. 719, or (as some would date the overthrow of Israel) b.c. 722 or 721. It need scarcely be said that, if forty years are added for the reign of Solomon, and forty years for that of David, we shall be conducted to the date of either b.c. 1059 or 1055 as the beginning of the Davidic royal line, and may count the duration of that royal line as numbering about 472 years. An interesting table, showing some slight differences of date, may be found in pp. 53, 54 of the second edition of Conder’s ‘Handbook to the Bible.’
The verses of this chapter, nineteen in number, correspond with those of 1Ki 12:1-19. They so correspond as to convince us that both writers took from one original, or, at any rate, one former source. But they are particularly instructive also in another direction. Our 1Ki 12:2 and 1Ki 12:3 are in order, and quite intelligible. 1Ki 12:2 and 1Ki 12:3 of the parallel are not so, and convince us either that the carelessness of copyists was more than usual (even when our Authorized Version “of it” is cancelled) or, which is a by far less acceptable supposition, that the carelessness of the compiler or writer was great. Though these two lengths of nineteen verses each so closely correspond as to show both indebted to one former source, they also evince clearly that neither writer absolutely bound himself by the exact words of his pattern, but took the meaning, and slightly altered, so to say, grammar and syntax of sentences.
2Ch 10:1
This verse would have been far better placed last in the previous chapter, but now, left without note of time, it purports to tell us that (whereas by the last clause of the previous chapter “Rehoboam reigned in his” father Solomon’s “stead,” and had been presumably accepted as his heir and successor in Jerusalem and all Judaea) Rehoboam, now somewhat later on, repairs to Shechem (the ancient capital, and the prized position of the high-spirited tribe of Ephraim) to receive some final recognition as king from “all Israel.” Rehoboam. Solomon’s son by Naaraah; an Ammonite princess (1Ki 14:21, 1Ki 14:31). Eurydemus may be considered as a close reproduction in Greek of the Hebrew name Rehoboam. To his son Abijah, by his favourite wife Maachah, who was the third of the wives that belonged to the house of Jesse, he bequeathed the kingdom. Wanting any positive Scripture statement of the matter of Rehoboam going to Shechem, we believe the explanation given above is the most probable, and that it was not any designed stroke of policy, with the view of conciliating or flattering Ephraim. Though no formal statement of it be made here, yet it is quite intelligible that the opinions, feelings, and readiness to express them on the part of Ephraim and “Israel” were well enough known, and had to be reckoned for. Shechem. For many reasons one of the most interesting geographical names in all the Old Testament. It was the ancient capital, as Shiloh, near to it, was the ancient seat of the national worship. It was situate in Ephraim, with Ebal to the immediate north, and Gerizim to the immediate south. Its upper slopelands (its position on which is possibly the origin of the name, , “a shoulder” commanded a view of the Mediterranean. It was the half-way resting-place, at the end of the second day’s journey, for travellers from Galilee to Jerusalem, and hence bore the name in later times, it is thought, of Mabertha, or Mabartha (), Pliny’s Mamortha. Vespasian subsequently named it Neapolis, the modern Nablous. The Authorized Version synonyms of Shechem appear as Sichem, Sychem, Sychar (Joh 4:5, Joh 4:20). In post-Captivity times, a new temple on Gerizim was the cathedral of Samaritan worship, which was levelled by John Hyrcanus, B.C. 129. Jacob’s well is a hall: mile south-east, and Joseph’s tomb two miles east (Jos 24:32). Almost every one of the references to Shechem are of great interest on one account or another, and to turn to each of them in order is to read the Scripture narrative of the place. The leading references are subjoined (Gen 12:6; Gen 33:18, Gen 33:19; Gen 34:1-31.; Gen 35:1-4; Gen 37:12, Gen 37:28; Gen 43:22; Gen 49:5-7; Deu 27:11; Jos 9:1-27 :33-35; Jos 20:7; Jos 21:20, Jos 21:21; Jos 24:1, Jos 24:25, Jos 24:32; Jdg 9:7, Jdg 9:22, Jdg 9:34-45; Jdg 21:1; 2Ki 17:5, 2Ki 17:6, 2Ki 17:24; 2Ki 18:9; 1Ch 6:67; 1Ch 7:28; Ezr 4:2; Jer 41:5; Joh 4:5; Act 7:16; Act 8:5). The article “Shechem,” by Dr. Hackett, in Dr. Smith’s ‘Bible Dictionary,’ vol. 3. pp. 1234-1240, is of exceptional interest. All Israel. No doubt this expression may mean even here the assemblage of the federated twelve tribes. Considering the immediate recurrence of the expression in verse 3, it must be, however, that the Jeroboam party of the ten tribes (headed by the strong and self-conscious Ephraimites) are especially in view; in point of fact, of course, all the twelve tribes were represented in the gathering of verse 1. There can be no division of opinion about this, though the meeting be represented as one demanded or occasioned by the attitude of Israel, in the lesser comprehension of the name.
2Ch 10:2, 2Ch 10:3
In these verses the compiler brings up lost time. He has not mentioned before the name of Jeroboam, just as he has not mentioned the lustful sins of Solomon that led to idolatry, and these sequel idolatries of his, that heralded the shattering of his kingdom immediately on his decease. So we are now told all in one how Jeroboam, in his refuge-retreat in Egypt (1Ki 11:26-40), “heard” of Solomon’s demise, and apparently (see first clause of our third verse) heard of it in this wise, that “they,” i.e. the “all Israel” (of our first verse) “had sent and called him” Probably the growing sense of discontent and the rankling in those tribes that were not closely breathing the atmosphere of Jerusalem and the one home county, because of their burdens and taxation, and possibly also Ephraim’s ancient and famed rivalry, knew instinctively that this hour of Solomon’s death was the hour, if any, of their redemption. The lacunae in the history speak for themselves; for though the tribes, after the long seething of their com-plainings and sufferings, needed but short time for deliberation, Solomon’s death must have been an accomplished fact before they (whoever the “they” were) sent to Egypt to Jeroboam; and that sending and his returning or otherwise, at any rate his hearing and consequent returning, must have taken time. Considering all this, it is remarkable that no note of time is found. But had only our first verse been placed as the last of the foregoing chapter, the ambiguity would have been less. For the strange variations on the history of Jeroboam (a name, together with that of Rehoboam, new to Solomon’s time, meaning “many-peopled,” while Rehoboam signifies “increaser of people”), as found in the Hebrew texts, and additions to it, see the Septuagint Version, 1Ki 11:43; 1Ki 12:24; and A. P. Stanley’s article, “Jeroboam,” in Dr. Smith’s ‘Bible Dictionary,’ 1. 979, 980; and comp. again 1Ki 11:26-40; 1Ki 12:25; 1Ki 14:13, 1Ki 14:17, 1Ki 14:18. Stanley’s faith in the Septuagint notwithstanding, its variations and additions are not reconcileable enough with either the Hebrew text or themselves to command anything like unfeigned acceptance. One thing may be considered to come out without much obscurity or uncertaintythat Jeroboam was the acknowledged rather than tacit leader of an opposition that was tacit at present rather than acknowledged; nor is it at all improbable, under all the circumstances, that the Rehoboam party in, knowing well how the ground really lay, were as content to let the coronation, so to call it, at Shechem linger awhile for Jeroboam’s return, as Jeroboam’s opposition party out desired and perhaps compelled the delay. Of course, Jeroboam knew well, none better than he, as of old the overseer of the forced labour and taxation of Ephraim (1Ki 11:28; 1Ki 9:15), how grievous the service and how heavy the yoke to his people, even when he had acquitted himself as the most “industrious” of taskmasters.
2Ch 10:4
The grievous servitude heavy yoke. These may, for conciseness’ sake, be supposed to correspond with the naturally enough hated “forced labour” (1Ki 4:6, 1Ki 4:7; 1Ki 5:13-16; 1Ki 11:27, 1Ki 11:28) and the burdensome “taxes” (1Ki 4:19-28) which had not failed to become more odious to the people as familiarity with them grew. The refreshing New Testament contrast to all this (Mat 11:28-30) will occur to every memory.
2Ch 10:5
This first reply of Rehoboam was not necessarily inauspicious. Yet sometimes, as it proved now, the caution that takes time to consider heralds fatal mistake. This is when either a generous, instinctive impulse, asking an instantaneous obedience, is chilled by some self-regard; or yet worse, when the offended Spirit is restrained, and no inner guiding voice is heard, as Saul found, to his ruin.
2Ch 10:6
The old men who had stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived. The first practical step now taken by Rehoboam, if he delay at all, is the right and far from inauspicious step. O si sic omnia that followed after! The “old men” here spoken of, and not before distinctly spoken of, need not necessarily be regarded as professional advisers of Solomon, nor as a privy council of slate; they may designate those of like age with him, or but little his juniors, and with whom he had chiefly associated for his own society.
2Ch 10:7, 2Ch 10:8
Rehoboam was now (1Ki 14:21; 2Ch 12:13; but cf. 2Ch 13:7) forty-one years of age; he was just too old to find any excuse for inability to gauge either the experience, and value of it, of the “old,” or the inexperience, and foolishness of it, of the immature human heart. According to the modern phrase, he was just ripe to have known and bethought himself of this. But all rashly Rehoboam casts the die. The sound judgment, real knowledge, opportune and practical advice of the “old men,” uttered evidently off so kind a tongue, should have been indeed now “as good as an inheritance; yea, better too”. The reading of the parallel is well worthy to be noted (1Ki 11:7), with its manifestly pleasantly and skilfully worded antithesis, “If thou this day will be a servant to this people then they will be thy servants for ever.“ Our words, however, have their own exquisite beauty about them, If thou wilt be kind to this people, and please them, and speak good words to them. One might fancy that Saul, and David, and Solomon, and angels themselves bended over the scene, and looked and listened and longed for wisdom and love and right to prevail. The young men that had grown up with him. While this expression throws light as above on that which speaks of Rehoboam’s old men counsellors, it wakens the question how men of forty-one years of age can be called “young,” as Rehoboam was not living in patriarchal aged times. And the question is emphasized by the language applied to Rehoboam in 2Ch 13:7, where he is described as “young and tenderhearted,” and unable, for want of strength of character and of knowledge, to “withstand vain men” (as he surely shows too clearly now). It has been suggested (‘Speaker’s Commentary,’ 2.562, Note C) that (21) should be read for (41) in the two passages quoted above (1Ki 14:21; 2Ch 12:13). The suggestion seems good, and it is certainly reasonable for the requirements of both matter and manner.
2Ch 10:10, 2Ch 10:11
Language perhaps never spoke more clearly what was in man. And it spoke in this ease the mad infatuation of insolent temerity itself.
2Ch 10:12
It may be worth observing that the history is silent of what of hope and fear or other thought and feeling transpired with Jeroboam and his party these three critical days of suspense, as also it was so silent as to what transpired with them during the three days, three weeks, three months, before the first interview with Rehoboam at Shechem.
2Ch 10:13
Roughly; i.e. Rehoboam had not “heard the instruction of a father,” and had been an ill pupil indeed of him who wrote and taught, “A soft answer tumeth away wrath” (Pro 15:1).
2Ch 10:15
So the king hearkened not for the cause was of God his word, which he spake by Ahijah (see, as before, 1Ki 11:29-31, also 9-39). Rehoboam hearkened not, as Pharaoh hearkened not, but hardened his heart. The Divine word foretold, as the Divine mind foreknew, the inevitable course of the stream, that took its source in and from Solomon’s faithless heart and life. Solomon “being dead yet” bears his full share of the responsibility of what Rehoboam was, and shortly came to show he was. Everything must fall out as God foretells it shall fall out, not because “the cause is from him” in this sense that he has made it, but in the sense that he has pronounced it, through knowing it with an absolute knowledge. It were but a thing to be expected also, that just in the measure that the Bible is the Word of God, it shall exhibit and pronounce plainly the phenomena of his own ultimate fiats, rather than linger to track or describe the uncertainties of human morality or conduct. Let but that result appear, which God has with his sure and abiding Word declared, and the practical attitude and language of Scripture are that it is vain to fight against it; for the thing is of God. It was known of him and said of him. And it carries its punishment or its recompense in it, as of him. It will be noticed, again, how our compiler refers to the incident of Ahijah, as though he had recorded it, which he had not done.
2Ch 10:16
What portion have we in David? (see 2Sa 20:1). To your tents, O Israel; i.e. there is nothing more to be done here; all may as well go home. The use, and especially repeated use, of the names, David, Jesse, David, plainly speaks tribe rivalry, if not jealousy.
2Ch 10:17
To the tribe of Judah the family of David belonged. There was less inclination on this ground, to begin with, among them to go to the length of revolting. Though they too are pressed with burden and taxation, yet royal expenditure, residence, magnificence, are all near them, and are some solarium doubtless to them. God said that this tribe and (as is abundantly evident from Ahijah’s forcibly dramatic parable of the rent garment) Benjamin also should be saved to Rehoboam and for ever to David’s line, and again it is evident that he works in the midst of human event, and moral cause and effect. Israel would not have revolted but that Jeroboam was of Ephraim, and Judah would not have remained steadfast but that, with other determining influences also, to Judah belonged Rehoboam and Solomon and David.
2Ch 10:18
Hadoram that was over the tribute stoned him Rehoboam made speed to flee. Hadoram was perhaps the same as Adoniram, son of Abda (1Ki 4:6; 1Ki 5:14), but on the arbitrament of age this is less likely, and certainly it is very unlikely that he was one with Hadoram of 2Sa 20:24. Rehoboam must be supposed to have sent Hadoram either to make some “tribute” summons, or try some arrangement respecting it, or respecting conciliatory steps. The reception he met warns Rehoboam to make the quickest escape possible, and no doubt opens his eyes fully to what he has done. It was the remanet of his delusive self-confidence to send this collector of taxes to those who had begged some remission of taxation.
2Ch 10:19
Unto this day. So our compiler of Captivity and post-Captivity date transcribes the literal words of his copy.
HOMILETICS
2Ch 10:1-19
A notable and very mournful instance of lacking wisdom through not asking of God.
The compiler of the Chronicles, in the pursuit of the special objects which he had in view, feels that he need lose no time in details, or in parts of the whole history, which were to be found elsewhere, but which were less important to his own object. The fifteenth verse of this chapter supplies us with an instance of this, its reference to Ahijah the Shilonite finding full explanation in the fuller parallel (1Ki 11:29-40). Our own familiarity with the mournful history and mournful needlessness of the schism, and the method in which it was brought about, which is the subject of this chapter, seems to lose for us nothing of that same mournfulness. Men may make use of the contents of this portion of the history of Israel (as of other portions of Holy Scripture, which seem to trench on the unfathomable depth of the doctrine of God’s election and fore-ordination) to find their (ever very easily found) theoretic difficulties, as unconcealedly suggested by the words of the above-quoted fifteenth verse. But it remains the same, that the election and the fore-ordaining of One who foreknows, and whose word of prophecy is as sure as the word of any other being after the event, are altogether different phenomena, different facts from what they otherwise should seem to be. Still, the central mystery must needs remain, before which we wonder, exercise faith, and silently adore, or we should not be creatures in the presence of the Creator. The history of this crisis of the nation highly favoured reminds us
I. OF THE SURE WORD OF GOD. The forewarning, “Thou shalt surely die,” was not more truly fulfilled than the forewarning made now, not a century and a quarter ago, that the nation that would have an earthly king would come to find, not its gain therein, but its loss. The dicta of revealed religion are great, simple, and eternal for man. And from instances on a universal scale, and then on a national scale, are we, as individuals, mercifully, most forcibly, and most graciously admonished.
II. THE ERRING UNCERTAINTY FIRST, AND THEN THE CERTAIN ERRINGNESS OF THE MAN WHO FAILS TO MAKE GOD AND RIGHT, DUTY AND TRUTH, HIS SWORN GUIDE. High place, high office, high responsibility,these give the prominence which is needed to enforce the example of such truth. The deviation is not more real than in the humblest, lowliest life, but it is more conspicuous. Let us note, as circumstances bearing on the case, what follows.
1. Rehoboam must have had some forewarning of the place to which he was to come. Solomon’s was not a sudden death, nor his son’s a sudden, unexpected accession.
2. Rehoboam must have had some acquaintance with the severity of the oppression and servitude of the people as a whole, and probably some anticipation of the likelihood of the representations, which in fact they made to him, of their experiences.
3. These representations, and the manner in which they were brought before Rehoboam, were far from unreasonable.
4. Rehoboam, to all appearance, is disposed to begin by acting wisely. He will wait three days before replying. He will utilize that interval by asking the advice of the experienced. He asks it; it is given, and given rightly.
5. There can be little doubt that it was at this point that self and self-will showed themselves in Rehoboam. Perhaps he had already heard, already knew, the feeling and the reckless bias of the younger menfor it is significantly said they were of those who had been brought up with him, and who were his chief associates nowor otherwise, if his own inclination and will were strong enough of themselves, he did not lean to the judgment of the old men, and hoped for different advice from the younger men, though it were but the merest prop to his own wish. He asks their advice, and is flattered and is glad that it leaps with the thought of his own brave and bravado spirit! In this show of right-doing, in this superficial wisdom, so different from that special wisdom noted in his father, one fatal defect existed. He asked the advice of the old. That it might not be said he asked the advice of one class alone, he asked the advice of the young also. But he did not ask the advice of God, he did not pray for the direction of God. And his foot slipped; he stumbled and fell, and that fall was great. Two things were wrong with even his earthly wisdom. To ask the advice of the young at all was a mistake, and to a great extent even a contradiction in terms. For inevitably they were wanting in the experience which was necessary to draw upon for advice. To ask the advice of the young, after having asked and received that of the aged, was a greater mistake. It looked like a sham and a delusion, and a self-deception, and a craving after serf-deception; and such it was. It was an affront to common sense, an insult to his own conscience, and a sop thrown to selfthat enemy which is often, very often, a man’s worst, very worst enemy! Rehoboam asked advice of those persons who he knew wouldn’t be above giving the advice which he wanted. So be, indeed, easily got what he wanted. So it may be said again God permitted him to have what he saw he was bent on having, as he permitted the people and nation to have, some hundred and twenty years before, the king they were bent on having. But he lived to rue the day, and rueing it still ever, he died. An unreasonable, a cruel, and a brutally insolent answer alienated once and for ever the hearts, service, and lives of the larger part of the people from their king; but a king who had disentitled himself. A very few days and he was a fugitive (2Ch 10:18), though to his own capitalthat capital one lamentably dismembered in its provinces. So stumble and. so fall, sooner or later, those who set at naught kindness, justice, God, to serve self, folly, and time present.
III. THE INFINITE RISK OF MISCHIEF IRREPARABLE THAT LURKS IN THE INTEMPERATE SIN, THE INTEMPERATE TEMPER, OR, PUT GENERALLY, THE INTEMPERATE ACTION, OF MEN IN AUTHORITY, BY REASON OF THE EASY EXCUSE FOR SCHISM, THE FACILE THOUGH SUPERFICIAL DEFENCE OF IT, THEREBY OFFERED TO THE VERY LIPS OF THOSE WHO ARE, OR OUGHT TO BE, UNDER THEIR AUTHORITY, AND WHO OTHERWISE WOULD HAVE REMAINED IN HAPPY UNQUESTIONING SUBORDINATION TO THAT AUTHORITY. The illustration and instance of this here is patent and glaring. The disaster was enormous. The long-trailed consequences were mournful, melancholy, miserable. The fault and sin of the ten tribes or their representatives are undeniable. Their sweet reasonableness of yesterday and three days ago is, unfortunately, not simply blown to the winds or evaporated into thin airworse by far, it is converted into a determined breaking loose from some of the holiest bonds wherewith it is the mercy of Heaven to bind on earth. The kingdom of God is one; the Church of God is one; the people of God are one. Disguise it as laxity of creed may, disguise it as laxity of practice may, disguise it as the great ancient or even greater modern cleavages of apostasy may, the calamity is of the nature of an avalanche alike of faith and of good works, and ever buries beneath its disastrous debris, not bodies but souls innumerable, and of immeasurable worth. Hence the golden calves, instead of the One only Object of worship, without image or likeness. Hence Bethel and Dan, instead of Jerusalem without compare. Hence priests of the lowest life, i.e. without the credentials of devotion, love, Divine call and appointment. Hence, instead of the one altar, many, but these rended, their ashes poured out to the ground, and incense a rejected abomination, and all the long-drawn sequel of woe untraceable by human eye, irremediable by human power. Does not the world take more loss from the dissensions of the Church than all the Church takes from the united enmities of the world?
HOMILIES BY W. CLARKSON
2Ch 10:1-4
Two young men.
These two young men, Rehoboam and Jeroboamfor we may regard them as such, though the former was forty years old when he began to reignmay be viewed together, as they were brought together, and may furnish us with some useful suggestions for the guidance of our life. We have them
I. STARTING FROM DIFFERENT ENDS OF THE SOCIAL SCALE. Rehoboam born in the palace, born to the purple, surrounded with every luxury, accustomed to the utmost deference, expecting the greatest things. Jeroboam commencing his career almost at the bottom of the scale, losing his father when quite young, obliged to work hard to sustain his widowed mother, obtaining employment as a workman in connection with one of King Solomon’s works, with “no prospects” in life.
II. MEETING MIDWAY IN THEIR CAREER. When they looked one another in the face at Shechem, what was it that each saw in the other? Probably the king’s son saw in the son of Nebat a man who was clothed in presumption, who had forgotten his position, who was entertaining a daring and criminal purpose in his heart. And probably Jeroboam saw in the enthroned monarch a man who was unfitted for his post, unequal to the strain that would be put upon his powers, a feeble man who would prove an easy prey to his own designs. No kindly feeling, we may be sure, shone in the eyes of either prince or subject as they confronted one another that day at Shechem.
III. CHALLENGED TO MAKE A CHOICE ON A CRITICAL OCCASION. Rehoboam was now called upon to decide definitely what policy he would pursue in his administrationwhether that of leniency and popularity, or that of stringency and force; whether he would “rule by love or fear.” Jeroboam had, at this point in his life, to decide whether he would adopt the safe policy of continuing in retreat, or the bold and venturesome one of heading a national revolt, and being either crushed beneath the feet of authority or raised to the height of a successful revolution.
IV. DISAPPOINTING THE HOPES OF THEIR BEST FRIENDS. Singularly enough, the names of both these men signified “enlarger or multiplier of the people;” they pointed, probably, to the hopes of their parents concerning them. But though they both occupied the throne, and one of them rose to a much higher position than could have been anticipated at his birth, both men failed in the sight of God and in the estimate of the wise. The one by his folly estranged and lost the greater part of his kingdom; the other led Israel into shameful and ruinous apostasy.
1. Be not much affected by social position; very great advantages in this respect will not carry us far along the path of true success; without character their value will soon expire. On the other hand, great disadvantages may be overcome by industry, energy, patience, virtue.
2. Be prepared to make the decisive choice, whenever the critical moment may come. We cannot be sure when this will arrive, but there will come an hourthere may come more hours than onewhen a decision has to be taken by us on which the gravest consequences, to ourselves or to others, will depend. Shall we then be equal to the occasion? Shall we be prepared to speak the wise word, to choose the right course, to take the step that will lead upward and not downward? This will depend on the character that we shall have been forming before that time comes. If we shall have been neglecting our opportunity and misusing our privileges, we shall then be found wanting; but if we shall have been gathering wisdom at every open source, we shall be able to speak, to act, to decide as God would have us do, as we shall afterwards thank God we did.
3. Aspire to fulfil the best hopes and prophecies of younger days. We may have a name, a reputation, to uphold. Our parents and teachers may be looking for good and even great things from us. Let us be earnest and eager to live such a life, that not only shall there be no painful discrepancy between the hope and the reality, but that there shall be a happy and satisfying correspondence between the two.C.
2Ch 10:4-14
The legacy of brilliance, etc.
We have here
I. THE LEGACY OF BRILLIANCE. “Thy father made our yoke grievous” (2Ch 10:4). No man ever had a nobler opportunity than Solomon had. His father handed to him a united nation, a country whose enemies were subdued, the kindly and helpful shadow of a great name and a beloved disposition and an illustrious career. He was endowed by God with great talent and surpassing wealth. He had before him an object of honourable ambition, which would be acceptable to Heaven and gratifying to his subjects. But, instead of pursuing the path of usefulness and the prize of a people’s gratitude, he aimed at overwhelming splendour. And what did he gain by his pursuit? Forty years of selfish gratification, not undimmed by many cares, disappointments, difficulties, in his home (or harem) and in his court; and when he died he left a kingdom less compact, a dynasty less secure than he found when he took the reins of government from his father David. All his brilliance ended in a popular sense of injury, in a general consciousness that the people had been weighted with needlessly heavy burdens, with a store of suppressed popular discontent ready to burst out and blaze forth at the first opportunity. Brilliance is a very fascinating thing, whether it be on the throne or in parliamentary government, or in the courts of law, or in business, or in the school. But what is its end? To what issues does it lead? Usually it conducts to poverty, to serious error, to discomfiture, often to a catastrophe. But, where brilliance breaks down and is ruined, steady and conscientious faithfulness, under the guidance of heavenly wisdom, will succeedwill lead on to a real enrichment, to a lasting safety, to an honour that may be accepted and enjoyed.
II. THE WISDOM OF CONTEMPLATION AND CONSULTATION. “He said Come again unto me after three days And he took counsel” (2Ch 10:5, 2Ch 10:6). It is, indeed, true that no good ultimately came of this delay and this consultation. But that was because Rehoboam consulted the wrong men. He did well in asking for time and in appealing to others at this critical juncture. Supposing that this demand took him by surprise, nothing would have been more foolish than to have given a reply offhand. A remonstrance is very likely to excite anger in the first instance, and no wise man will come to an important decision when he is out of temper. It is in the hour of complete self-control that we should settle grave matters affecting our destiny. Moreover, we do well to take the judgment of others. It was due to the nation that his father’s wise statesmen should be asked for their advice in a great national crisis. It was due to himself that his inexperience should secure the inestimable advantage of their ripe sagacity. It is always due to ourselves that we get the additional light which can be gained from an impartial judgment. No man can possibly look at his own affairs in a perfectly pure atmosphere; no man can take an entirely unbiassed view of his own temporal interests. Men who look from outside see what we cannot possibly see, and their counsel is sure to be worth our consideration. “The physician who prescribes for himself, or the lawyer who advises himself, has a fool for his patient or for his client.” This saying will hold good in every department of human action. Take time for thought, and invite the frank and full counsel of your true friends.
III. OUR TRUE COUNSELLORS. These are:
1. They who have had an opportunity of knowing. The young men whom Rehoboam consulted could have given him very good advice on some subjects, on those that belonged to their period of lifeathletics, fashions, etc.; but of statesmanship what could they tell? We should take care to consult those who know, who have learned in the best schools.
2. They who give us frank rather than palatable counsel; who will tell us what they believe to be for the best, rather than that which will humour our own fancies.
3. They whose counsel makes for peace rather than for strife. There are times when the wisest will be for war, but in nine cases out of ten the true Christian advocate will urge conciliation and concord.C.
2Ch 10:18
Ignominy, its source and its avoidance.
For the son of Solomon and the grandson of David to meet the tribes of Israel in solemn assembly, and, after holding conference with them, to have his officer and ambassador scornfully stoned to death, and then to betake himself to his chariot with all speed and flee to Jerusalem,this was a pitiable illustration of human ignominy. We Almost pity the abject prince for his misery as much as we blame him for his folly.
I. THE SOURCE OF IGNOMINY. What is it that brings men down to such dishonour? It is:
1. When they assume a position to which they are not entitled; when they take a higher place than they can fairly claim, and the “more honourable man” comes in to supplant them, and they “begin with shame to take the lower place” (Luk 14:9). An assumption of social or literary or ecclesiastical superiority, unwarranted by the facts, must sooner or later end in an ignominious surrender.
2. When they undertake a task for which they are unfitted. The son of Gideon wisely shrank from the act of execution for which his immaturity rendered him unfitted. “As the man is, so is his strength,” said he. Youth must not undertake the task of manhood, nor ignorance that of learning, nor inexperience that of trained and proved ability, nor mental feebleness that of intellectual vigour, nor moral frailty that of spiritual strength. Else it will sustain an ignominious fall.
3. When they adopt a course which should have been scrupulously avoided. What could have been the result of such insensate folly as that of which Rehoboam had just been guilty but this ignominious flight? When his far stronger father had incensed the citizens by heavy and burdensome taxation, what a ruinous mistake it was for him to declare that he would go even further than Solomon himself had gone in this direction! To take a course which conflicts with men’s natural rights, or which kindles their just indignation, or which wounds their keen susceptibilities, is to invite dishonour to our door; it is to robe our own shoulders with the mantle of shame.
4. When we credit ourself with a character which we have not gained; when we assume that we are in spirit and in principle what in truth we are not, that we have moral qualities which we really do not possess;in this case, the dishonour that awaits us may come either in this world or the next.
(1) We may be found unable to resist the temptations which we encounter, and our lamentable failure may expose us to the rebuke and the condemnation of man (see Act 5:1-11; Act 13:13; Act 15:38; 2Ti 4:10).
(2) We may find ourselves rejected and expelled on the great day of judgment (Mat 6:21-23; Mat 25:44, Mat 25:45).
II. THE AVOIDANCE OF IGNOMINY. If we would not be put to shame by our fellow-men or by the Divine Judge, we must do these things:
1. Study until we know ourselves; examine our hearts until we know what is in themwhat is the spirit we are of, what are the principles at the root of our behaviour.
2. Be content with the position and the work which our heavenly Father has assigned us (see Psa 84:10; Psa 131:1).
3. Make continual and earnest supplication that God will reveal us to ourselves (Psa 19:12; Psa 139:23, Psa 139:24). Then, instead of an ignominious retreat, our path will be that of the just, shining more and more; we shall advance from honour to honour; God himself will crown us with his Divine commendation.C.
HOMILIES BY T. WHITELAW
2Ch 10:1
The coronation of a king.
I. THE PERSON OF THE MONARCH. Rehoboam, the man “who enlarges the people,” a name upon which his subsequent history was a satire.
1. The child of a heathen mother. This was Naamah, the Ammonitess (2Ch 12:13; 1Ki 14:31), a daughter of the last Ammonite king, Hanun, the son of Nahash (1Ch 19:1, etc.). Rehoboam probably suffered in character and constitution from his taint of heathen blood.
2. The son of a distinguished father. Judged at the worst, Solomon was a great king, no less renowned for administrative faculty than for wisdom and wealth. The first two, it is clear, do not pass from sire to son by the law of heredity. A man may bequeath money to his son, but he is helpless in the matter of intellectual wealth. A king may hand on crown and throne to his descendant, but he cannot communicate capacity to rule.
3. The heir of an extensive empire. The sovereignty of the undivided kingdom and of all the tributary princes fell into his hands on his father’s decease.
II. THE SCENE OF THE CORONATION. Shechem.
1. A spot of rare beauty. Eighteen hours distant from Jerusalem, and situated at the foot of Mount Gerizim, in the mountain range of Ephraim (Jdg 9:7)the modern Nablous, near the site of the ancient Shechem, “is the most beautiful, perhaps it might be said the only very beautiful spot in Central Palestine”.
2. A scene of inspiring memories. Patriarchs had pitched tents and erected altars there (Gen 12:6, Gen 12:7; Gen 33:18-20). Thither Joshua had convened the princes and elders, the heads and representatives of the people, when the conquest of Canaan had been completed, and made a covenant with them, setting them a statute and ordinanceso practically constituting Shechem the first capital of the ]and (Jos 24:1, Jos 24:25). There Joseph’s bodes were consigned to a sepulchre in the parcel of ground which Jacob had bought of Hamor for a hundred pieces of silver (Jos 24:32). There, on the two mountains which overlooked the valley, Gerizim and Ebal, had been placed the blessing and the curse as commanded by Jehovah (Deu 11:29, Deu 11:30; Jos 8:31, Jos 8:33). There also the first attempt, though unsuccessful, at king-making had been made (Jdg 9:1).
3. A locality unauthorized for coronations. Stanley speaks of it as having been the custom, even after the erection of Jerusalem into the capital, to inaugurate new reigns at Shechem, citing as a modern parallel “the long continuance of Rheims, the ancient metropolitan city of France, as the scene of the French coronations”; but, as Rehoboam’s is the only coronation that took place at Shechem (in addition to the above-mentioned crowning of Abimelech), one example, or even two, can hardly be said to constitute a custom. The proper place for carrying out such a second coronation as the northern tribes contemplated was Jerusalem, the metropolis of the entire kingdom, just as when they had acknowledged David’s sovereignty (2Sa 5:1) they came to Hebron, at that time the capital of Judah. Besides, Rehoboam had already been crowned at Jerusalem, and in that act the northern tribes should have taken part. That they stood aloof and claimed for themselves a right of either acquiescing in or repudiating the sovereignty of Rehoboam shows, if not that they still had a right of free election to the crown, at least that their fusion with Judah was not so complete as, after seventy-three years, it might have been. Their intention, probably, was to acknowledge Rehoboam as king, but at the same time to assert their freedom by insisting on his compliance with certain demands and conditions. Hence they abstained from the national gathering at Jerusalem, and summoned Rehoboam to a new assembly at Shechem to receive their fealty as if they were a separate empire. “It was a significant hint to Rehoboam, if he had properly understood it” (Ewald).
III. THE GIVERS OF THE CROWN. All Israel The ten tribes as distinguished from Judah and Benjamin, which had already taken the oath of allegiance to the son of Solomon (2Ch 9:31). The northern tribes, from the time of David’s accession to the throne of Saul (2Sa 2:4), when they adhered to the sceptre of Ishbosheth, Saul’s son (2Sa 2:10), had asserted a semi-national independence; this again, after having lain in abeyance for the greater part of a century, suddenly flamed up, and gave ominous outlook of trouble to the young prince.
LESSONS.
1. Kings’ crowns oftentimes conceal thorns.
2. Those thrones are stablest which rest on the free choice and affection of subjects.
3. Those peoples are best ruled whose sovereigns by their lives show they have been enthroned by God.W.
2Ch 10:2
The recall of an exile.
I. THE EXILE‘S STORY.
1. His name. Jeroboam, “whose people are many;” the son of Nebat. His father was an Ephrathite of Zareda, in Ephraim; his mother a widow (1Ki 11:26)which may mean either that he had been born in unlawful wedlock (LXX.), or that his father had died while he was young, leaving him to be brought up by his widowed mother (Josephus).
2. His character. Courageous and industrious, “a mighty man of valour” (Jdg 6:12; Jdg 11:1), and a man that did work (Pro 22:29)two qualities befitting youth, and almost certain to bring temporal success in their train; two qualities that should never be absent from Christians, who are specially commanded to “add to their faith virtue, or courage” (2Pe 1:5), and to “be not slothful in business” (Rom 12:10).
3. His promotion. Just when Jeroboam came to manhood, Solomon was engaged in building Millo, and closing up the breach in the city of David (1Ki 9:15). For these purposes Solomon raised a levy of workmen, not of the Hittites, Amorites, etc. (2Ch 8:7), but of Israelites, who worked by courses of ten thousand a month (1Ki 5:13; 1Ki 9:15); or imposed certain burdens in connection with those works which required to be borne by the Israelites. Discerning Jeroboam to be a capable youth, of spirit and energy, Solomon appointed him overseer or governor of all those Israelites employed in or about the works who belonged to the house of Joseph, i.e. who were Ephraimites.
4. His incipient rebellion. Serving in this office, he began to commune with his own thoughts about raising a revolt. Either as an Ephraimite he felt humiliated at being obliged to work in the capital of Judah, or being a youth of aspiring mind he was not content with the elevation suddenly thrust upon him, and wished to climb higher; but in any case, when the “mood” was on him, an incident occurred which, chiming in as it did with his own aspirations, pricked the sides of his intent, and bore him onwards in his dangerous career of ambition. That incident was his meeting with Ahijah the Shilonite, who told him that Jehovah intended to wrest ten tribes from the Davidic kingdom and give them to him, Jeroboam (1Ki 11:29). A perilous communication for a youth like Jeroboam to carry about with him! Josephus states that it prompted him “to persuade the people to forsake Solomon, to make a disturbance, and to bring the government over to himself” (‘Ant.,’ 2Ch 8:7.8).
5. His precipitate flight. His treason having come to the king’s knowledge, he was obliged to save himself from well-merited execution by suddenly withdrawing from the land, and seeking refuge in Egypt under the sceptre of Shishak (see on 2Ch 12:2).
II. THE EXILE‘S RETURN.
1. Its date. When Solomon was dead. A king’s life is sometimes a kingdom’s best bulwark against revolution. So long as Solomon lived, insurrection under Jeroboam was impracticable. Yet a king’s life may be the greatest barrier to the progress of a good work. Moses could not return to Egypt to resume his emancipation work until Rameses II. was dead (Exo 2:23). Joseph could not return from Egypt with Mary and Jesus until Herod was dead (Mat 2:19).
2. Its occasion. The invitation of the northern tribes (2Ch 10:3). This, addressed to Jeroboam while at the court of Shishak (1Ki 12:2; Josephus, ‘ Ant.,’ 1Ki 8:8. 1), was probably the medium through which he learnt of Solomon’s decease. Not necessary to hold. that it was only despatched to Jeroboam after the tribes had assembled at Shechem (Bahr), since it may easily have been sent immediately on Solomon’s death, between which event and the gathering at Shechem twelve months intervened. Jeroboam, however, is commonly supposed (Bertheau, Bahr) to have returned from Egypt ex proprio motu, and to have been residing with his wife and child at Zareda or Sarira, when summoned to Shechem. The suggestion (Keil) is probably correct that two invitations were addressed to Jeroboamthe first while he was yet in Egypt, to return to his native land; the second while he lingered at Zareda, to come to Shechem.
3. Its object. Whether of his own accord, or in obedience to the summons of the tribes, Jeroboam returned from Egypt; his ulterior aim, there can be little question, was to further his own ambitious projects.
LESSONS.
1. The value to a young man of energy and talent.
2. The danger as well as sin of harbouring ambitious thoughts.
3. The hatefulness of treachery.
4. The possibility of a wicked man’s schemes furthering God’s designs.W.
2Ch 10:3-19
The loss of a kingdom.
I. A REASONABLE REQUEST PREFERRED, (2Ch 10:3, 2Ch 10:4.)
1. A public grievance stated. The northern tribes, through Jeroboam, complained to Rehoboam that Solomon had made their yoke grievous. Whether this was tree or not has been much debated.
(1) That it was largely used as a pretext to justify their subsequent behaviour is not without support. In the first place, it was put forward by tribes already disaffected, and through the medium of one who had formerly shown himself a traitor. Then, that Solomon, in making a levy of his subjects for carrying on his numerous buildings, was only acting in accordance with the custom of Oriental monarchs generally from Egypt to Babylon, must be conceded. Besides, it may be assumed that no more oppressive tasks were laid on the northern than on the southern tribes, from none of which complaint was heard. Further, if heavier burdens than before were placed upon the people by Solomon, that was largely inevitable from the magnificence of his court and the extensive building operations demanded by the safety as well as glory of the kingdom. And finally, if the people were heavily burdened under Solomon, they still enjoyed considerable advantages of peace and prosperity.
(2) In support of the assertion made by the tribes, attention may be called to the facts that neither Rehoboam nor his counsellors denied, but rather both undisguisedly admitted, its truth (2Ch 10:11); that the complaint was not that of the house of Joseph alone, but of “all Israel;” and that the circumstance of Judah and. Benjamin refusing to back it up is not sufficient to demonstrate its falsehood.
2. A measure of relief demanded. “Make the heavy yoke of thy father lighter.” Not only was this reasonable, but it should, have been a point in their favour, that they sought redress for their grievance by the peaceful method of conference rather than by immediately resorting to the sword. Instead, however, of granting their request, Rehoboam temporized, put them off, asked for three days to consider the matter, promising at the end of that time to give them a definite and final answer. Never before had there been in Israel’s history such a critical “three days,” unless, perhaps, “the three days'” start on leaving Egypt (Exo 8:27, Exo 8:28), or the three days’ preparation for the conquest (Jos 1:11). The issue of this “three days'” deliberation on the part of Rehoboam was momentous. According as it should be should likewise be the after-course of history, not for Israel alone, but for the world, Almost always dangerous, delay was in this case disastrous.
II. A GOOD COUNSEL REJECTED. (2Ch 10:6-8.)
1. The king‘s aged advisers. It argued some sense on the part of Rehoboam that he first solicited advice from the experienced statesmen of the kingdom, and the privy councillors of his late fatherperhaps for a moment he was of opinion that “days should speak, and multitude of years should teach wisdom” (Job 32:7); it proved him possessed of little sense that he closed his ears against their prudent suggestions (Pro 23:9).
2. The king‘s best course. “The accumulated wisdom of the Solomonic era recommended concession, The old councillors gave just such advice as might have been found in the Book of Proverbs” (Stanley). They advised acquiescence in the popular demand. They urged the king to win the people by kindness. The beautiful antithesis of the Book of Kings, “If thou wilt be a servant unto this people, and wilt save them then they will be thy servants for ever” (1Ki 12:7), is here awanting, but the sentiment is the same. The aged senators believed that kindness held the key to the human heart, and that “a soft answer turneth away wrath” (Pro 15:1; Pro 25:15) as much in nations as in individuals; they knew that one must often stoop to conquer, and that he who would be served by others should ever exhibit a readiness to serve others (Mat 7:12); nay, that the true function of a king is to serve his peoplea thought happily expressed by the Ich dien of the Prince of Wales’s crest.
3. The king‘s consummate folly. “He forsook the counsel of the old men.” Had he not been a fool, for whom wisdom is too high (Pro 24:7), in whose eyes his own way is always right (Pro 12:15), and who, as a consequence, walketh in darkness (Ecc 2:14), he might have discerned that the situation was critical, that rebellion was in the air, and that the old experienced statesmen of the last reign were the only pilots competent to steer the ship of state through the breakers. Unlike the men of Issachar, who were men that had “understanding of the times to know what Israel ought to do” (1Ch 12:32), Rehoboam was “a strong ass” (Gen 49:14), impatient of control and incapable of guiding either himself or others. Some men never see the right thing to do until it is too late.
III. AN EVIL POLICY ADOPTED. (Verses 9-11.)
1. Its proposers. “The young men that were grown up with him”either the statesmen of the new reign whom Rehoboam had appointed from among his own companions, or young courtiers who had danced attendance on his person while heir-apparent to the crown, and now clung to the steps of the throne in the hope of preferment. Though afterwards spoken of as young (2Ch 13:7), Rehoboam was at this time over forty years of age.
2. Its proposals. Not concession, but coercion, should be the order of the day. Their complaints should be silenced, not removed. Their appeal for lighter service should be answered by a heavier yoke. For Solomon’s whips they should have Rehoboam’s scorpions. Other rulers besides Rehoboam have tried to still the complaints of their subjects by more and heavier oppression; e.g. Pharaoh (Exo 5:15-19), and the Stuarts of England, not to mention others.
3. Its pursuance. Rehoboam hearkened to the counsel of the young men, and at the close of the stipulated three days answered Jeroboam and his co-deputies “roughly,” in the terms put into his mouth by his hot-headed advisers. “It was the speech of a despotic tyrant, not of a shepherd and ruler appointed by God over his people” (Keil). It undid in a moment the work of centuries. It shattered the kingdom which David’s sword and Solomon’s wisdom had built.
IV. A DIVINE COUNSEL FULFILLED. (Verse 15.)
1. The Divine purpose. The division of the kingdom. Foretold by Ahijah (1Ki 11:31), the hour had struck for its accomplishment. Jehovah doeth according to his will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of earth (Dan 4:35). Yet all the free actions of men have their places in his world-embracing plan. Man’s actions may seem contingent; God’s purposes are not. What he determines he can effect.
2. The Divine instrumentality. The foolishness of Rehoboam. Not that Rehoboam was under any internal or supernatural compulsion to act as he did any more than were Pharaoh (Exo 14:4; Rom 9:17) and Judas (Mat 26:25) to act as they did. Simply, Jehovah decreed to permit Rehoboam’s folly as a means of furthering his own designs. Divine sovereignty and human freedom not contradictory, though mysterious.
V. A NATIONAL REVOLT CONSUMMATED. (Verses 16, 17.)
1. With popular enthusiasm. “All Israel,” with the exception of those members of the northern kingdom who dwelt in Judaean cities, joined in the cry, “What portion have we in David,” etc.? The unanimity of the movement showed that it was not without ground.
2. With fierce indignation. The cry which had once before been heard in Israel (2Sa 20:1) expressed the people’s sense of wrong in being cast off by Rehoboam, treated no longer as free subjects, but as conquered slaves. It proclaimed the deep-seated contempt they now cherished for the son of Jesse, as they now designate the dynasty of David.
3. With implacable resentment. “Struck by the king’s words as by an iron hammer, and grieved at them,” the people rejected his friendly overtures for reconciliation conveyed through Hadoram. If this was the son of David’s tribute officer (2Sa 20:24), he must have been at this time an old man about eighty. Hence he was probably the Adoniram, son of Abda, who was over the levy (1Ki 4:6). Though not likely that he advanced towards the people with a small force as if to enforce submission (Bertheau, Ewald), but rather that he approached them alone (Josephus), a more unfortunate selection of one to act as ambassador could scarcely have been made. Most likely one of the older counsellors who recommended moderation, Hadoram was yet the man who was “over the tribute,” i.e. was the tax-collector of Rehoboam, and as such could hardly fail to be obnoxious to the angry multitude. Regarding him as an enemy, they sprang upon him with murderous fury: “they stoned him with stones till he died,” thus inflicting on him a death usually reserved for traitors and blasphemers. This was the one dark spot which marked what would otherwise have been a bloodless revolution.
4. With final decision. The murder of his plenipotentiary convinced Rehoboam that the opportunity for parley was over, that fair speeches would no longer suffice to quell the insurrection, and that the revolt of Israel was an accomplished, most likely a permanent, fact. Mounting his chariot in haste, and with alarm for his safety, the king who had come to Shechem to obtain a crown returned to Jerusalem, having lost a kingdom.
LESSONS.
1. The danger of oppression (Ecc 7:7).
2. “In the multitude of counsellors is safety” (Pro 11:14), only when all are wise (Pro 12:5), and he who is counselled is not a fool (Pro 12:15).
3. He that hesitates is lostexemplified in the case of Rehoboam.
4. The rashness of youthshown in the second company of the king’s advisers.
5. Quem dens vult perdere prius dementat.
6. “Better is a wise child than a foolish king” (Ecc 4:13).
7. Good men often suffer for the sins of others, and even lose their lives when working for the good of othersillustrated in Hadoram.
8. Wicked men would often like to flee from the sight, and much more from the consequences, of their own wickedness.W.
Fuente: The Complete Pulpit Commentary
CHAP. X.
All Israel intreat Reboboam to lighten the yoke laid upon them by Solomon. Rehoboam, despising the court of the old men, follows that of the young ones. Ten tribes separate themselves from him.
Before Christ 975.
REFLECTIONS.1st, After what has been said on this chapter in 1 Kings 12 we have only to add, (1.) That men are readier to complain of the least expence which the wants of government call for, than to acknowledge how much indebted they are for the mercies and protection that they enjoy. (2.) Young heads are too hot to be wise counsellors. (3.) A soft answer disarms those whom opposition makes only more furious.
2nd, The ill effects of Rehoboam’s severity appear in the revolt of the ten tribes. They who drive too furiously overturn themselves. He rejected good advice, and deserved to be given up to his folly. God’s counsel thus was fulfilled, though Rehoboam had only himself to blame for his lost. It was a mercy that God left him yet a part of his father’s dominions, and that all had not revolted. But God in wrath still remembers mercy, and does not give us all the chastisements which our iniquities deserve.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
3. THE KINGS OF THE KINGDOM OF JUDAH FROM REHOBOAM TO ZEDEKIAH.Ch. 1036
a. Rehoboam. The Prophet Shemaiah.Ch. 1012
. Revolt of the Ten Tribes from the House of David: 2Ch 10:1 to 2Ch 11:4
2Ch 10:1.And Rehoboam went to Shechem: for to Shechem was all Israel come to 2make him king. And when Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard it, and he in Egypt, whither he had fled from the presence of Solomon the king, then Jeroboam returned out of Egypt. 3And they sent and called him: and Jeroboam and all Israel came; and they spake to Rehoboam, saying, 4Thy father made our yoke grievous: and now ease thou the grievous service of thy father, and his heavy yoke that he put upon us, and we will serve thee. 5And he said unto them, Yet three days hence return unto me: and the people departed.
6And King Rehoboam took counsel with the elders that stood before Solomon his father when he was living, saying, How do you advise me to return answer to this people. 7And they spake unto him, saying, If thou be kind to this people, and please them, and speak good words to them, they 8will serve thee all thy days. And he forsook the counsel of the old men which they gave, and took counsel of the young men that grew up with him, who stood before him. 9And he said unto them, What do ye advise, that we may return answer to this people, who have spoken to me, saying, Ease thou the yoke which thy father put upon us? 10And the young men that grew up with him spake unto him, saying, Thus shalt thou say unto the people that spake unto thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, but do thou ease our yoke: thus shalt thou say to them, My little finger is thicker than my 11fathers thighs. And now my father laid a heavy yoke upon you, but I will add to your yoke: my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.
12And Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day, as the king had spoken, saying, Come again to me on the third day. 13And the king answered them roughly: and King Rehoboam forsook the counsel of 14the old men. And he spake to them after the counsel of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy,1 but I will add thereto: my father 15chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions. And the king hearkened not to the people; for the cause was of God, that the Lord might accomplish His word, which He spake by Ahijah of Shiloh to Jeroboam 16the son of Nebat. And all Israel saw2 that the king hearkened not unto them: the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse; every man to your tents, O Israel: now look to thy house, David. And all Israel went to his tents. 17And the children of Israel that dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned 18over them. And King Rehoboam sent Hadoram,3 who was over the socage; and the sons of Israel stoned him with stones, that he died: and King 19Rehoboam hastened to get up into his chariot to flee to Jerusalem. And Israel revolted from the house of David unto this day.
2Ch 11:1 And Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, and assembled the house of Judah and Benjamin, a hundred and eighty thousand chosen warriors, to fight with 2Israel, to bring back the kingdom to Rehoboam. And the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying, 3Speak unto Rehoboam son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, saying, 4Thus saith the Lord, Ye shall not go up, nor fight with your brethren: return every man to his house; for this thing is come from me: and they hearkened to the words of the Lord, and returned from going against Jeroboam.
. Reign of Rehoboam: 2Ch 11:5 to 2Ch 12:16
5And Rehoboam dwelt in Jerusalem, and built cities for defence in Judah. 6, 7And he built Bethlehem, and Etam, and Tekoa. And Beth-zur, and Socho, 8and Adullam. And Gath, and Mareshah, and Ziph. 9And Adoraim, and Lachish, and Azekah. 10And Zorah, and Ajalon, and Hebron, which are in Judah and Benjamin, fenced cities. 11And he fortified the strongholds, and put captains in them, and stores of food, and oil, and wine. 12And in every several city shields and spears, and made them very strong: and he had Judah and Benjamin.
13And the priests and the Levites that were in all Israel resorted to him out of all their border. 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. 15And he ordained him priests for the high places, and for the he-goats, and for the calves which he made. 16And after them, out of all the tribes of Israel, such as set their heart to seek the Lord God of Israel, came to Jerusalem to sacrifice to the 17Lord God of their fathers. And they strengthened the kingdom of Judah, and upheld Rehoboam son of Solomon three years; for they walked three years in the way of David and Solomon.
18And Rehoboam took him to wife Mahalath, daughter4 of Jerimoth son of 19David, and of Abihail5 daughter of Eliab son of Jesse. And she bare him sons: Jeush, and Shemariah, and Zaham. 20And after her he took Maachah daughter of Absalom, and she bare him Abijah, and Attai, and Ziza, and Shelomith. 21And Rehoboam loved Maachah the daughter of Absalom more than all his wives and concubines: for he took eighteen wives and sixty6 concubines; and begat twenty and eight sons, and sixty daughters. 22And Rehoboam made Abijah son of Maachah the chief, to be ruler over his brethren: for he thought to make him king. 23And he dealt wisely, and distributed of all his sons in all the countries of Judah and Benjamin, unto all fenced cities; and gave them victual in abundance: and he desired for them many wives.
2Ch 12:1.And it came to pass, when Rehoboam had established the kingdom, and strengthened himself, he forsook the law of the Lord, and all Israel with him. 2And it came to pass in the fifth year of King Rehoboam, that Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, because they had transgressed against the Lord. 3With twelve hundred chariots, and sixty thousand riders: and the people were without number that came with him out of Egypt; Lubites, Succites, and Cushites. 4And he took the fenced cities which pertained 5to Judah, and came to Jerusalem. And Shemaiah the prophet came to Rehoboam, and the princes of Judah that were gathered into Jerusalem before Shishak, and said unto them, Thus saith the Lord, Ye have forsaken 6me, and I also have forsaken you in the hand of Shishak. And the princes of Israel and the king humbled themselves, and said, The Lord is righteous. 7And when the Lord saw that they humbled themselves, the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah, saying, They have humbled themselves; I will not destroy them, but I will soon grant them deliverance; and my wrath shall 8not be poured out upon Jerusalem by Shishak. But they shall be his servants: that they may know my service, and the service of the kingdoms of the lands.
9And Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, and took the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the kings house; he took the whole; and he took the shields of gold which Solomon had made. 10And instead of them King Rehoboam made shields of brass, and committed them into the hand of the captains of the runners, who kept the entrance of the kings house. 11And when the king entered into the house of the Lord, the runners came and carried them, and brought them again into the chamber of the runners. 12And when he humbled himself, the anger of the Lord turned from him, and he would not destroy him altogether: and in Judah also there were good things.
13And King Rehoboam strengthened himself in Jerusalem, and reigned; for Rehoboam was forty and one years old when he became king, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which the Lord had chosen to put His name there out of all the tribes of Israel: and his mothers name was Naamah the Ammonitess. 14And he did evil; for he did not direct his heart to seek the Lord.
15And the acts of Rehoboam, first and last, are they not written in the words of Shemaiah the prophet, and of Iddo the seer for the register? and the wars of Rehoboam and Jeroboam were continual. 16And Rehoboam slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David: and Abijah reigned in his stead.
EXEGETICAL
Preliminary Remark.The Chronist presents only the first section of the history of Rehoboam, relating to the revolt of the ten tribes and the division of the kingdom, in exact, mostly literal, agreement with the account of the books of Kings (comp. 2Ch 10:1 to 2Ch 11:4 with 1Ki 12:1-24). The proper history of his reign he treats with considerable enlargement, by the addition of several statements, wanting in the parallel text, concerning his building of forts, reception of the priests and Levites from the northern kingdom, and his family affairs (2Ch 11:5-23). He also reports at length the history of the invasion of Shishak, and the subjection of Rehoboam, and records the words spoken by the prophet Shemaiah at the divine command (2Ch 12:1-12; comp. 1Ki 14:25-28). He refers even to the notes of this Shemaiah as his source for this enlarged account (2Ch 12:15).
1. The Revolt of the Ten Tribes: 2 Chronicles 10; comp. the explanations of Bhr on 1 Kings 12 Here we have only to remark some deviations from the text of Kings.
2Ch 10:2.And when Jeroboam . . . and he in Egypt. 1 Kings: and he was yet in Egypt ( our narrator omits, because he had related nothing of Jeroboams flight from Solomon into Egypt; comp. 1Ki 11:26-40).
2Ch 10:5. Yet three days (wait). 1 Kings: Go () yet three days.
2Ch 10:14. On the reading deviating from 1 Kings, see the Crit. Note.
2Ch 10:15. For the cause was of God, literally, for it was a decree (turning) of God. Both and its parallel in 1 Kings are .
2Ch 10:16. And all Israel saw. If were to be cast out of the text, according to most ancient testimonies (see Crit. Note), it must be translated: and all Israel (or as to all Israel), when the king hearkened not unto them, the people answered.What portion have we in David? What have we to do with the house of David ? it may take care of itself. See again the fourth line of the strophically – arranged speech.
2Ch 10:18. On the probable identity of the taskmaster (Luther: receiver of rents) Adoram, or, as our author writes, Hadoram, with the Adoniram of 1Ki 4:6, see Bhr on 1Ki 12:18.
2Ch 10:19. Unto this day; comp. 1Ch 4:41; 1Ch 4:43; 1Ch 5:26, and the remarks in the Introd. 5, I. p. 16.
2. Prevention of the War of Rehoboam with Jeroboam by the Prophet Shemaiah: 2Ch 11:1-4. This incident also, that belongs to the history of the revolt of the ten tribes, is recorded by our author in substantial agreement with the author of 1 Kings; comp. 1Ki 12:21-24, and Bhr on the passage. Only to 1Ki 12:20 (Jeroboam is raised by the ten tribes, in solemn assembly, to the throne of the northern kingdom) no parallel is found in our text, because the Chronist sedulously avoids all particulars concerning the history of the kingdom of Israel.
2Ch 11:3. Speak unto Rehoboam . . . and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin. Observe the peculiar depth, almost New Testament (reminding us of Gal 6:16; Rom 2:29; Rom 4:12) depth of the sense which our author here attaches to the name Israel. It is otherwise, certainly, 2Ch 11:1, and again 2Ch 11:16 a, where he specially designates the northern kingdom by Israel; yet in 2Ch 11:16 follows immediately after the name Israel, again in that evangelical, deeper, and more universal sense; so 2Ch 12:1.
2Ch 11:4. For this thing is come from me, I have decreed the revolt of the disloyal tribes as a punishment for the disobedience of the house of David; comp. 2Ch 10:15. The there mentioned revelation by Ahijah the prophet of Jeroboam is here confirmed by Shemaiah the prophet of Rehoboam.And returned from going against Jeroboam. For this 1Ki 12:24 has: and turned home, according to the word of the Lord, a deviation arising perhaps from a mere omission in writing. Our text has probably the original; for the twofold mention of the word of Jehovah shortly after one another is somewhat drawling, leading us to suspect a corruption of the text.
3. Building of Forts by Rehoboam: 2Ch 11:5-12 (without parallel in Kings).And built cities for defence in Judah,, for a fort. Judah is here the name, not of the tribe (2Ch 11:10), but of the whole southern kingdom; for a part of the fifteen forts now to be named lay in Benjamin.
2Ch 11:6. And he built Bethlehem and Etam. That Bethlehem was a fort, for which it was fitted by its tolerably high situation on a rocky eminence, we learn only from this passage. On the here mentioned Etam, as different from the more southern one in the tribe of Simeon, see on 4:32. Tobler (Dritte Wanderung, etc., p. 89) has again pointed out our Etam in the Ain Attn, a side glen south-west of Urts, or Arts, the well-known starting-point of Solomons aqueduct for Jerusalem. For Tekoa, now Tekua, a hilltop covered with ruins, two hours south of Bethlehem, see the Expl. on Jos 15:59 and on Amo 1:1.
2Ch 11:7. For Beth-zur (now Beit-Sur, between Urts and Hebron), comp. Fay on Jos 15:58; for Socho (now Shuweike, three and a half hours south-west of Jerusalem) and Adullam (perhaps = Dula, six miles east of Beit-jibrin), see the same on Jos 15:35.
2Ch 11:8. Gath (comp. 1Ch 18:1; 1Ki 2:39); its situation is not yet exactly ascertained; it is perhaps near Ascalon, where is now found a Wady el Gat, north of the ruins of this city (K. Furrer, Wanderungen, etc., 1865, p. 133); according to others (for example, C. Schick) = the conical hill Tel Safieh in the Shephelah west of Ascalon.Mareshah = the later Marissa (between Hebron and Philistia) and the present Marash, a ruin twenty-four minutes south of Beit-jibrin or Eleutheropolis; comp. Fay on Jos 15:44; and for Ziph (on the hills of Judah, one and a quarter hour south-east of Hebron), comp. the same on Jos 15:24; Jos 15:55.
2Ch 11:9. Adoraim = the Iduman city , 1Ma 13:20, or , Josephus, Antiq.xiii. 15. 4, now Dura, two and a half hours west of Hebron (Robinson, iii. 209).Lachish = Um Lakish, on the road from Gaza to Hebron; comp. on Jos 10:3; Jos 15:39.Azekah, according to 1Sa 17:1, Jos 10:10, not far from Socho, but not yet fully ascertained.
2Ch 11:10. And Zorah and Ajalon, both originally (Jos 19:41) cities belonging to the tribe of Dan, which afterwards, on the migration of the Danites to North Palestine (Jdg 18:1), were probably occupied by the Benjamites, and thenceforth reckoned to the tribe of Benjamin. For the situation of Zorah, see on 1Ch 2:53; for Ajalon (now Jalo), the expositors on Jos 10:12. These two Benjamite cities are perhaps the most northerly of the fifteen cities fortified by Rehoboam. All the others, including Hebron, which closes the list (formerly Kiriath-arba, now el-Khalil, the ancient patriarchal city), lie south or south-west of Jerusalem, in the middle or south of the tribe of Judah. It follows, perhaps, from this position of the line of forts on the south border of the kingdom of Judah, and thus in the main directed toward Egypt, that Rehoboam began to establish them after the invasion of Shishak (Keil). So far as the arrangement of our section follows a material rather than a chronological principle of division, nothing seems to stand in the way of this assumption; but it can scarcely be reconciled with 2Ch 7:4; see on this passage.
2Ch 11:11. And he fortified the strongholds, put them in a good state of defence by nominating captains (), properly, princes, leaders), provisioning them and (2Ch 11:12) arming them properly.And he had Judah and Benjamin. This notice, forming the close of the statement concerning the measures of Rehoboam for the security of his kingdom, leads directly to the following section, which describes the Levitical and priestly followers of Rehoboam as flowing not merely from Judah and Benjamin, but from the whole kingdom.
4. Adhesion of the Levites out of all Israel to the Kingdom of Rehoboam: 2Ch 11:13-17as is to be expected, a notice peculiar to the Chronist, to which, however, the author of 1 Kings affords an indirect confirmation, in so far as he twice refers to the institution of a new non-Levitical priest-hood on the part of Jeroboam, 1Ki 12:31; 1Ki 13:33 f.And the priests and the Levites that were in all Israel resorted to him, placed themselves before him to receive his commands, placed themselves at his disposal; comp. Job 1:6; Job 2:1; Zec 6:5.
2Ch 11:14. For the Levites left their suburbs, their commons or pasture grounds as in 2Ch 6:40 ff; 2Ch 13:2; Num 35:2-8).For Jeroboam and his sons had cast them off from executing the priests office. See the fuller account of the erection of the impure worship of Jehovah with a new non-Levitical priesthood in the kingdom of Jeroboam, 1Ki 12:26-31. By the sons of Jeroboam our passage naturally means his successors, none of whom rejected the impure worship which he had introduced. They were also in so far his sons in a spiritual sense, although, with the exception of his immediate successor Nadab, they belonged to other dynasties.
2Ch 11:15. And he ordained him priests. This continues the proof begun with the second in 2Ch 11:14.For the high places (in Dan and Bethel, 1 Kings12:), and the he-goats, etc., the idols of the form of he-goats, after the pattern of the Egyptian Pan, to whom, though not Jeroboam himself, yet his later successors, sinking into a still grosser idolatry, offered sacrifice; comp. Lev 17:7, whence the term is taken. The calves named in the third place are the representatives of Jehovah under the form of a calf, as Jeroboam (after the example of Aaron, Exodus 32) had made them, 1Ki 12:28, and as they retained their places of worship during the whole period of the northern kingdom in Dan, Bethel, and perhaps elsewhere. According to this state of things, the calves should properly have been named before the he-goats. That the author makes no note of the gradual sinking into grosser idolatry in the development of the northern kingdom, is explained by his theocratic zealous abhorrence of idolatry in general, the various forms and steps of which appear to him all equally bad.
2Ch 11:16. And after them such as set their heart, etc. On , comp. 1Ch 22:19. What is here related of the emigration of theocratic pious Israelites from the other tribes to Judah and Benjamin is repeated afterwards under Asa (2Ch 15:9) and Hezekiah (2Ch 30:11). That, moreover, the time during which the reign of Rehoboam gathered and attracted the true worshippers of Jehovah in other tribes amounted only to three years, and afterwards made way for an inclination to foreign and idolatrous customs (on which that accession of pious Israelites from the neighbouring kingdom ceased), is manifest from 2Ch 11:17; comp. with 2Ch 12:1 ff.
5. Domestic Affairs of Rehoboam: 2Ch 11:18-23; again without parallel in the books of Kings, and wanting also in the Syr. version of Chronicles (which arises merely from an oversight).Mahalath, daughter of Jerimoth. The name of the father-in-law of Rehoboam is wanting in the list of the sons of David (1Ch 3:1-8). might possibly be corrupted from , or be a by-form of this name; it is easier to suppose that he was one of the many sons of David by the concubines.And of Abihail daughter of Eliab son of Jesse. As necessary as the supply of the wanting before (see Crit. Note) is the taking of this name as the genitive, thus (contrary to the Sept. and Vulg., which rather make her a second wife of Rehoboam) as the name of the mother of Mahalath. For1. 2Ch 11:19 shows that only one wife of Rehoboam, the mother of the three there named otherwise unknown sons, should be named; 2. Along with the obscure father of Mahalath we expect the name of her mother, who is more celebrated, because she descends from Eliab the brother of David; 3. A daughter of Eliab the eldest brother of David (1Ch 2:13; 1Sa 17:13) could scarcely have been a wife of Rehoboam the grandson of David; even as granddaughter of Eliab (comp. 2Ch 11:20), Abihail suited better in age a son of David than a son and successor of Solomon.
2Ch 11:20. And after her he took Maachah daughter of Absalom. This second wife of Rehoboam is perhaps to be regarded, not strictly as the daughter, but the granddaughter of Absalom, the daughter of Tamar, the only daughter, and perhaps only child, of this unlucky prince; comp. 2Sa 14:27; 2Sa 18:18, and Josephus, Antiq.viii. 10. 1, as well as 2Ch 13:2 of our book.And she bare him Abijah. Only this first-born of Maachah, whose name, moreover, is constantly written Abijam () in 1 Kings, is more particularly known to us as the successor of Rehoboam; the three younger sons, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith, do not occur elsewhere.
2Ch 11:21. For he took eighteen wives (, as in 2Ch 13:21) and sixty concubines. On account of the number of daughters immediately after given as sixty, it is not improbable that Josephus, who tells only of thirty concubines, deserves the preference; comp. Crit. Note.
2Ch 11:22. To be ruler among his brethren; to this explanatory apposition to is added the following , as a further determination of that which the king meant by Abijahs elevation to be chief. On the breviloquence here, comp. Ew. 351, c.
2Ch 11:23. And he dealt wisely, and distributed of all his sons in all the countries of Judah and Benjamin; he showed his prudence as sovereign and as father by appointing his numerous sons as captains in the several forts of his kingdom, employing them usefully, and separating them from one another, to prevent any attempts at rebellion among them.And he desired for them many wives, made many marriages between them and the daughters of the land, both to make them contented and to make firmer connections between his house and the inhabitants of the land. The desiring or asking () of wives for his sons became him as their father and natural guardian: the author will scarcely charge him with an immoral, pimp-like gratification of the lusts of his sons.
6. The Invasion of Shishak: 2Ch 12:1-12; comp. the briefer narrative of 1Ki 14:25-28.And it came to pass, when Rehoboam had established the kingdom, and strengthened himself, literally, at the time of the establishing (, inf. act. with indefinite subject), and on the strengthening of him or it (, from the nom. verbale, strengthening; comp. 2Ch 26:16; Dan 11:2).He forsook the law of the Lord (by a partial falling into idolatry; comp. 1Ki 14:22 ff.), and all Israel with him, all the inhabitants of the southern kingdom, who are here, somewhat to their shame, designated Israelites; comp. 2Ch 12:6 and 2Ch 11:3.
2Ch 12:2. And it came to pass in the fifth year of King Rehoboam, thus soon but not immediately after his apostasy from the Lord. Concerning Shishak (= Sheshonk, Sesonchis, the first king of the 22d dynasty of Manetho), and the relievo proceeding from him, celebrating the present campaign against the Jews, and victory over Rehoboam, that probably exhibits Rehoboam himself among his captives, see Thenius on 1Ki 11:40, and Bhr on 1Ki 14:25.
2Ch 12:3. With twelve hundred chariots, and sixty thousand riders. In 1 Kings these data concerning the strength of the Egyptian army are wanting, though they are by no means incredible. Of the auxiliaries of Shishak, the Lubites () are certainly those Egyptian Libyans (the Libygyptii of the ancients) who are also named with the Egyptians in 2Ch 16:8, Nah 3:9, Dan 11:43, and from whom the Lehabim of the Mosaic table of nations are perhaps not different; comp. Knobel on Gen 10:13. The Succites () are, according to the Sept. and Vulg., troglodyt, cavedwellers, to which the Hebrew etymon seems to point, dwellers in holes of the earth, probably of Ethiopian origin, and inhabiting the mountains of Eastern Egypt. The Cushites are probably inhabitants of Ethiopia proper, that is, Abyssinia, as they are also named, Nah 3:9, as allies of Egypt (along with Put and Lubim).
2Ch 12:4. And he took the fenced cities which pertained to Judah; comp. 2Ch 11:5 ff. These may not yet have been very strong, or their works proved insufficient against the military force of Egypt; comp. on 2Ch 11:10.
2Ch 12:5-8. The Prophetic Mission of Shemaiah, and the consequent Submission of the Jews and Mitigation of their Punishment,a section quite wanting in 1 Kings.But I will soon grant them deliverance. , properly, for a little, that is, in, a short time, soon; comp. Ezr 9:8 (rightly Berth., Keil, etc., against Kamph., who translates: a small deliverance).And my wrath shall not be poured out upon Jerusalem by Shishak. No judgment of full extirpation shall overtake the capital; comp. 2Ch 34:25.That they may know my service and the service of the kings of the lands; that they may experience what a difference there is between the government of the Lord in the theocracy of Israel, and the so much more oppressive rule of heathen kings.On 2Ch 12:9-11, comp. Bhrs remarks on 1Ki 14:26-28.
2Ch 12:12. And when he humbled himself, literally, and in his self-humiliation. On the following elliptical phrase: , and not to destroy (did Jehovahs wrath turn itself), comp. the like breviloquence in 2Ch 11:12, and the passage there quoted from Ew.And in Judah also there were good things. This was a further motive to the Lord to restrain his wrath, in addition to the first motive, consisting in the repentance of Rehoboam.
7. Close of the History of Rehoboam: 2Ch 12:13-16 (comp. 1Ki 14:21-22; 1Ki 14:29-31).And King Rehoboam strengthened himself; comp. 2Ch 1:1; 2Ch 13:21; concerning the following note of age, which it seems necessary to change into twenty-one years, comp. Bhr on 1Ki 14:21.Naamah the Ammonitess, the daughter of the Ammonite King Nahash (1Ch 19:1), according to a probable note of the Sept. after 1Ki 12:24.
2Ch 12:14. For he did not direct his heart. For this phrase, comp. 2Ch 19:3; 2Ch 30:19; Ezr 7:10.
2Ch 12:15. Are they not written in the words of Shemaiah the prophet. On this quotation, and especially on the obscure phrase for the register (), see Introd. 5, II.And the wars of Rehoboam and Jeroboam, their smaller dealings and disputes, in which their continued hostile disposition showed itself; see Bhr on 1Ki 14:30.
EVANGELICAL AND MORAL REFLECTIONS ON CH. 1012
1. In the reign of Rehoboam, as the Chronist represents it, is signalized above all the tendency to keep the kingly ideal of David and Solomon pure from the dark stains of untheocratic opinion and destructive apostasy into idolatry. Some time after the beginning of his reign, this corrupt influence comes out distinctly and clearly, accompanied with divine punishments as its evil effect (2Ch 12:1 ff.), though in the first three years Rehoboam and his subjects walked in the way of David and Solomon (2Ch 11:17). Yet in the first half of the section, the account of the secession of the ten tribes under Jeroboam, several expressions betray the acquaintance of the author with the fact that corruption had begun already under Solomon. The polygamy and idolatry of this glorious king, and the consequent divine corrections and threatenings of punishment, he had not mentioned in his representation of the history of Solomon (comp. the Evangelical and Ethical Reflections on 2 Chronicles 1-9.). But now in Rehoboam there is express reference to that which had been prophesied on account of those errors of Solomon by Ahijah the Shilonite against him, and in favour of Jeroboam (2Ch 10:15; comp. 1Ki 11:29-39). And this part of our authors narrative indicates that his religious and moral fall had already been productive of many immediate evils in his kingdom, that his government had become latterly quite a misgovernment (comp. 1Ki 11:14 ff.), by the mention of the repeated request of the dissatisfied people: lighten the heavy yoke which thy father laid on us (2Ch 10:4; 2Ch 10:9-10; comp. 2Ch 12:15), and by the report of the words of the ten tribes betraying an already deepseated dissatisfaction with the previous government; What portion have we in David ? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse (2Ch 12:16). Thus, according to our author, the ideal time of David and Solomon closes with this, that it presents at last the germs of a growing and grasping corruption, while that which had to be recorded concerning it is first introduced in the section belonging to Rehoboam, and therefore chiefly in the form of an appendix to the already concluded history of Solomon. Indeed, to our author, the evangelical result of the reign of Solomon is simply that which is brought forward in 1 Kings 11. Along with a great outgrowth of public prosperity, we observe a gangrene commencing, that gnaws unceasingly, and destroys the religion of the people, the condition of their salvation, and this salvation itself. It becomes manifest that the peace, which a merely human ruler can give, bears in itself the germ of decay, that it brings with it temptations, which a lesser anointed of the Lord (like David or Solomon) cannot give the power to withstand. The result of the whole brilliant period is a Kyrie Eleison and an: O that Thou wouldst rend the heavens and come down! (Hengstenberg, Gesch. des Reiches Gottes unter dem Alten Bunde, ii. 2, 146 f.)
2. Thus the Chronist partly only places Rehoboam, with respect to the beginning of his reign, in an unfavourable contrast with the brilliant reign of his father Solomon. In a certain respect (particularly with regard to the tendency to tyrannical cruelty and domineering pride; see 2Ch 10:10; 2Ch 10:14) he puts them on a par, and makes the son only gradually different from the father, by descending a step lower. So with regard to the further course of Rehoboams reign. At first Rehoboam continues the effort of his father, if not to enlarge, at least to establish the kingdom (comp. 2Ch 11:5-12 with 2Ch 1:14 ff., 2Ch 8:1-10, 2Ch 9:25-28). But certainly his fortifications are of no avail to ward off the war-storm bursting on the country from Egypt, no more than his defiant threat of a warlike attack could have hindered the dismemberment of the kingdom that still held together under his father (comp. 2Ch 10:15 ff., 2Ch 11:1 ff.). He likewise applied himself during the first three years of his reign to the theocratically pure and correct principles of government which were followed by his father, if not to the last yet during the greater part of his reign, with so much blessing to himself and his people. He thereby makes Jerusalem and the southern kingdom for a time the refuge and gathering-place of the pious worshippers of the Lord of priestly and non-priestly descent from the whole kingdom, and, so to speak, effects the transfer of the tribe of Levi to his sway, so far only as those of them who were scattered among all the tribes can find a settlement in Judah and Benjamin. But this attractive power in the sense of forming and consolidating a theocracy (2Ch 11:13-17) did not last long. After three years, he forsook the law of the Lord, and all Israel with him (2Ch 12:1). What Solomon was able to do during at least two-thirds of his reign of forty years, to maintain the hearing heart and the true wisdom with which the Lord had endowed him, this Rehoboam was scarcely able to do during a sixth part of his reign of seventeen years. In this also he resembles his father; but he behaves much worse, and seems to surpass him in a bad sense. Hence he has to endure much greater shame and humiliation; for if the Lord had only to threaten Solomon thus: I will humble the seed of David, but not for ever (1Ki 11:39), this prophetic threat pronounced by Ahijah is now fulfilled in bitter earnest on him and his people (2Ch 12:2 ff.); and what the prophetic interpreter says in behalf of a right understanding of the misfortune that had befallen them (2Ch 12:7-8) is certainly not altogether comfortless, but at the same time not unconditionally promising. The punishment shall be mild, not of long endurance; but for a time its bitterness shall be required, that they may understand what it is to prefer the rule of a heathen king to the mild sway of God.
3. There is something peculiar in the position which the Chronist gives to the family history of Rehoboam (2Ch 11:18-23). He tells of his eighteen wives and sixty (or, if the number is to be reduced according to Josephus, thirty) concubines with objective candour, without adding a judgment unfavourable to the moral character of the king. While he passes with significant silence over the extravagant polygamy of the latter years of Solomon, to spare the great and wise king, and even thereby indicates the un-theocratic and immoral character of an immoderate harem, he seems to find the married life of Rehoboam not more offensive than that of David, of whom he expressly named at least seven lawful wives, and mentioned besides the possession of an indefinite number of concubines, without expressing any disapprobation. The manner also in which Rehoboam procured for his sons many wives from the daughters of the land (2Ch 11:23), he adduces merely as a proof of his prudent dealing, not in the tone of serious blame or moral disapprobation. He places this statement also before the account of his fall into idolatry, without noticing in the way of censure the manifest connection of the two things, the polygamy of himself and his sons, and his giving way to the worship of foreign gods. He almost appears, indeed, as afterwards in the case of Abijahs fourteen wives and thirty-eight children (2Ch 13:21), to have regarded the taking of many wives and begetting of numerous children as something laudable, serving to multiply and perpetuate the house of David. This manner of thinking is characteristic of the strict theocrats of the later times, that form the transition to the Pharisaic orthodoxy of the New Testament epoch (comp. Introd. 6). Because the law does not directly forbid polygamy, he readily allows on this point an almost unlimited compliance with the lusts of the flesh, while he censures with strictness the as it were only theocratic error of which the same king becomes guilty by falling into idolatry in the fourth year of his reign, as he had before shown his abhorrence of that still greater idolatrous error of the king and subjects of the northern kingdom in the strongest, indeed almost hyperbolical, terms (2Ch 11:15). We meet here the same rather externally orthodox than morally strict tendency, which our author discovers also in many other points. It is the ethically imperfect and crude, not yet evangelically consecrated and glorified, stage of the legal standpoint of the Old Testament, which is expressed in this lax position of the Chronist with regard to the custom of polygamy. New Testament statements, such as those relating to Moses regard to the hard-heartedness of the Jews, to the killing power of the letter of the law, to the shadowy and not essential character, to the weakness and impotence of the law (Mat 19:8; 2Co 3:6; Rom 8:3; Col 2:17; Heb 10:1, etc.), first receive their full light and deeper meaning by a phenomenon like this (comp. also Joh 1:17; Gal 2:16 ff; Gal 3:10 ff; Gal 4:3; Gal 4:9 ff.).
Footnotes:
[1]For , my father made heavy (so also 1Ki 12:14), the best mss. and some old prints (1 Soncin., Complut.): , I will make heavy your yoke, and will now add to it. Nordi, Berth., etc., give the latter reading the preference.
[2] is certainly wanting in most mss., in the old translations (Sept., Vulg, Chald., though not Syr. and Arab.), and in the older polyglots, but can scarcely be spared.
[3]For 1Ki 12:18 presents (comp. 2Sa 20:24). So also Sept. cod. Al. in our passage, whereas cod Vat. writes (comp. 1Ki 4:6), probably correct as to the fact; see Exeg. Expl.
[4]With the Keri, which alters into , agree several mss., as well as the Sept. and Vulg. (in the Syr. version the passage 2Ch 11:18-23 is altogether wanting).
[5]The before is certainly wanting in all copies of the Hebrew text, but was read by the Sept., and cannot be dispensed with.
[6]All the mss. and versions certainly testify to the number sixty; but internal grounds of probability speak for the number, given by Josephus, Antiq. viii. 10. 1, of only thirty concubines; comp. the Exeg. Expl.
Fuente: A Commentary on the Holy Scriptures, Critical, Doctrinal, and Homiletical by Lange
CONTENTS
We enter upon the history of Rehoboam in this chapter. He begins his reign with rejecting the counsel of the elders, and following youthful advice. Ten of the tribes of Israel revolt. He fleeth to Jerusalem.
2Ch 10:1
We have this history almost word for word as it is here, 1Ki 12 . I therefore would refer the Reader to consult what is there said.
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
2Ch 10
1. And Rehoboam went to Shechem: for to Shechem [the chief city of Ephraim, of ancient dignity, even from patriarchal times, as of singular beauty and position] were all Israel come to make him king.
2. And it came to pass, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who was in Egypt, whither he had fled from the presence of Solomon the king, heard it, that Jeroboam returned out of Egypt.
3. And they sent [ i.e., “they had sent.” This is given as the reason why he had returned] and called him [to the assembly. (Comp. 1Ki 12:20 )]. So Jeroboam and all Israel came and spake to Rehoboam, saying,
4. Thy father made our yoke grievous: now therefore ease thou [lighten] somewhat the grievous servitude of thy father, and his heavy yoke that he put upon us, and we will serve thee [they were acting within their right. To demand a removal, or alleviation of their burdens, was perfectly compatible with a loyal willingness to “serve” the new king].
5. And he said unto them, Come again unto me after three days. And the people departed.
6. And king Rehoboam took counsel with the old men that had stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, saying, What counsel give ye me to return answer to this people?
7. And they spake unto him, saying, If thou be kind to this people, and please them, and speak good words to them, they will be thy servants for ever.
8. But he forsook the counsel which the old men gave him, and took counsel with the young men that were brought up with him, that stood before him.
9. And he said unto them, What advice give ye that we may return answer to this people, which have spoken to me, saying, Ease somewhat the yoke that thy father did put upon us?
10. And the young men that were brought up with him spake unto [ Heb. with] him, saying, Thus shalt thou answer [The advice of the young men is the language of the arrogant self-confidence which mistakes obstinacy for vigour] the people that spake unto thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou it somewhat lighter for us [Literally, “And thou lighten from upon us”]; thus shalt thou say [speak] unto them, My little finger shall be thicker than my father’s loins.
11. For whereas my father put a heavy yoke [ Heb. laded] upon you, I will put more to your yoke: my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions [Probably (like the Roman flagellum ) a whip, the lash of which is loaded with weights and sharp points].
12. So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day, as the king bade, saying, Come again to me on the third day.
13. And the king answered them roughly [hardly]; and king Rehoboam forsook the counsel of the old men.
14. And answered them after the advice of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add thereto: my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.
15. So the king hearkened not unto the people: for the cause was of God [Literally, “it was a turning or turning-point (of events) from with God”], that the Lord might perform his word, which he spake by the hand of Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.
16. And when all Israel saw [“Now all Israel had seen”] that the king would not hearken unto them, the people answered [returned] the king, saying, What portion have we in David? and we have none inheritance in the son of Jesse: every man to your tents [this war cry was not new. ( 2Sa 20:1 )], O Israel: and now, David, see to thine own house. So all Israel went to their tents. [In these words, with which the Benjamite Sheba had proclaimed sedition and rebellion against David in the land ( 2Sa 20:1 ), is expressed the deep-rooted aversion to the royal house of David so strongly, that it is manifest the revolt had a deeper cause than the pretended oppression of Solomon, since it had its proper ground only in the old jealousy of Judah, suppressed indeed under Solomon, but still not utterly extinguished, which resulted again from the untheocratic disposition of these tribes, from their disloyalty to Jehovah. Keil.]
17. But as for the children of Israel that dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them.
18. Then king Rehoboam sent Hadoram [“Adoram” in Kings] that was over the tribute; and the children of Israel stoned him with stones [The sight of the man who had been the taskmaster of their oppression, stirred the multitude to a fresh burst of fury, venting itself in his murder] that he died. But king Rehoboam made speed to get him up to his chariot, to flee to Jerusalem.
19. And Israel rebelled against the house of David unto this day [Neither the compiler of Kings nor the chronicler saw fit to alter a phrase which no onger applied to the political circumstances of their own day (Comp. 1Ch 4:41 , 1Ch 4:43 ; 1Ch 5:26 )].
Rehoboam
“And Rehoboam went to Shechem: for to Shechem were all Israel come to make him king. And it came to pass, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who was in Egypt, whither he had fled from the presence of Solomon the king, heard it, that Jeroboam returned out of Egypt. And they sent and called him. So Jeroboam and all Israel came and spake to Rehoboam, saying, Thy father made our yoke grievous; now therefore ease thou somewhat the grievous servitude of thy father, and his heavy yoke that he put upon us, and we will serve thee” ( 2Ch 10:1-4 ).
A CAUSE so stated must succeed. There will be difficulty, but the end is assured. The reasonable always triumphs, due time being given for the elucidation of its purposes, and the manifestation of its real spirit. Violence can have but a short day; the tempest cries itself to rest. The speech of this man was a speech strong in reason. “Ease thou somewhat the grievous servitude of thy father, and his heavy yoke that he put upon us, and we will serve thee.” They wanted ease for service, for loyalty. Where there is no ease how can there be homage, thankfulness, devotion, or any of the high qualities of patriotism? How tempted men are, who are not themselves disquieted, to tell other people to bear their burdens uncomplainingly! We ought to hear what they have to say who feel the iron. Our inquiry should be, How does it suit you? What is the effect of the piercing iron upon the soul? How does manhood bear the heel of oppression? The sufferers should sometimes be admitted to the witness-box. There is a danger lest our personal comfortableness should disqualify us for judging the case of downtrodden men. Wherever there is weakness the Christian Church should be found; wherever there is reasonableness the Christian sanctuary should offer hospitality. The Christian sanctuary ceases to be the tabernacle of God amongst men when it shuts its door upon the cries of reason, the petitions of weakness, the humble supplications of those who ask for nothing exaggerated, but simply ask to have their misery mitigated somewhat, that their loyalty may be of a larger and better quality. The names are ancient, but the circumstances may be painfully modern. It is the peculiarity of the Bible that it is always getting in our way. It has a word upon every subject. Is there anything more detestable than that a man who has his own way seven days a week, whose footsteps are marked by prosperity, whose very breathing is a commercial success, should stand up and tell men who are bleeding at every pore to be quiet and contented, and not create disturbance in the body politic? If Jeroboam had come with a petition conceived in another tone it ought to have been rejected; it would have been irrational, violent, contemptuous: but the reasonableness of the request will insure its victory in the long run. How easy it is to think of Rehoboam as the foolish son of a wise father! But are we not unjust to the son in so regarding him? Was Solomon the wise man he is often made out to be? The answer would be Yes and No. There was no greater fool than Solomon; and he attained his supremacy in folly because there was no man so wise. “If the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!” “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning!” If he had not been son of the morning some shallow pit might have held him; but being son of the morning, and detaching himself from the gravitation of God, the pit into which he falls is bottomless. Pliny says no man can be always wise. That is true philosophically, and experimentally; for all men have vulnerable heels, or are exposed to temptations to lightness of mind, amounting in some instances almost to frivolity; they are also the subjects of a singular rebound, which makes them appear the more frivolous because when we last saw them they were absorbed in the solemnity of prayer. Solomon himself is not wise in this matter of government. The history shows that the people were appealing, not against Rehoboam, who had yet had no opportunity of proving his quality as a king, but against his father “Thy father made our yoke grievous.” We are prone to copy the defects of our ancestors and our idols rather than their excellences. We are tempted in wrong directions. Folly has often more charms for us than wisdom. When Diogenes discoursed of philosophy the people turned away from him but when he began to play frivolous music, or to sing frivolous songs, the crowds thronged upon him, and he said, “Ye gods! how much more popular is folly than wisdom!” Even there he spoke as a philosopher. A man may crowd the hugest building on the earth by folly: it is impossible in the overwhelming majority of cases to fill a church with a prayer-meeting. “Ye gods! how much more popular is folly than wisdom!” must be the verdict of many a sad-hearted man, whose words are light, whose discourses are revelations, but who is not listened to by the folly-adoring mob.
Rehoboam made a cautious reply, and therein he began well; he said to the petitioners: “Come again unto me after three days.” This looked hopeful. King Rehoboam utilised the interval by taking “counsel with the old men that had stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, saying, What counsel give ye me to return answer to this people? And they spake unto him,” as old men ought to speak, with a quaintness that amounted to pathos, “saying, If thou be kind to this people, and please them, and speak good words to them, they will be thy servants for ever.” Rich is the king whose old men talk in such a strain! They were patriots and philanthropists and philosophers; they were Christians before the time. Marvellous is the power of kindness. They will do most in life who are most considerate. They may be charged with sentimentalism by those who do not understand the power of human feeling, but they will be credited with philosophy by men who understand the genius of sympathy. What a message would this have been to return to the complaining people! When a king speaks “good words” they seem to be better than if spoken by other lips; when a king is kind he seems to add to his kindness by his very kingliness; the stoop of his condescension redoubles the value of his benefaction. If, when the people returned after three days, Rehoboam had spoken so, the welkin would have rung with the resonant cheers of a delighted, thankful, because emancipated, people. We have opportunities of this kind: let every man know that in proportion to his kindness will be the quality and the durableness of his influence. Kindness is not weakness. It takes omnipotence to be merciful, in the largest degree and fullest quality of the term. He to whom power belongs holds in his other hand the angel whose name is Mercy.
“But he [Rehoboam] forsook the counsel which the old men gave him, and took counsel with the young men that were brought up with him, that stood before him. And he said unto them, What advice give ye that we may return answer to this people, which have spoken to me, saying, Ease somewhat the yoke that thy father did put upon us?” [Showing that he understood the message of the people perfectly: he correctly represented the popular will, and therefore he increased his own responsibility, because he was not the victim of ignorance.] “And the young men that were brought up with him spake unto him, saying, Thus shalt thou answer the people that spake unto thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou it somewhat lighter for us; thus shalt thou say unto them, My little finger shall be thicker than my father’s loins. For whereas my father put a heavy yoke upon you, I will put more to your yoke: my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions” ( 2Ch 10:8-11 ).
Woe to the nation whose young men talk so! A young oppressor is an infant devil. Young men talking so will ruin any occasion. This may appear to be a very advanced policy, a very spirited policy, home and foreign. It is a spirited policy: but what is the name of the spirit that inspires it? There are many spirits. “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God.” Yet there is something inspiring about this tone of the young men. This is making the nation take its proper place at the council-board of empires; this is making the country bloated in its ambition. What will the end be? Does a controversy of this kind begin in a question, and end in an answer? Or is there a reply? Are there such things in history as retorts, reprisals, rebounds, consequences? Let it be known, and laid down as the basis-principle of all action, social, ecclesiastical, and imperial, that there is no right of tyranny. Oppression has no veritable and reputable credentials. Men are not at liberty to take counsel whether they shall be gentle or ungentle. The law is unwritten, because eternal, that even righteousness must be administered in mercy. It might be supposed that the king had taken a most patriotic course in consulting the old and the young. He had done nothing of the kind: he had omitted to consult him who had called his house to the royalty. Rehoboam should have consulted the Kingmaker whose throne is on the circle of the earth, and whose sceptre toucheth the horizon, and whose will is the law of monarchy and commonwealth. All human consultation is a species of under-counsel, valuable within proper limits, and right as recognising the education, the intelligence, and the political instinct of the times; but all consultation to result in profoundest wisdom must be intensely, almost exclusively, religious. Kings should talk to their King. The greater the man the nearer should he stand to God; yea, he should be within whisper-reach of the Lord of lords, asking him in every crisis of national history what Israel ought to do, what the country ought to answer, what is the will of heaven. Rehoboam answered the people roughly, and forsook the counsel of the old men “So the king hearkened not unto the people.” The gospel never gives liberty to oppression. Employers may adopt this course if they please, but they will find it end in ruin. We must recognise the difference between employing cattle and employing men. A parent may adopt this course if he pleases, but his children will chastise him, sting him, with many a disappointment; or if he live not to see the wreck of their manhood, they will execrate his unfragrant memory. We ought to admit nothing into our policy, social, commercial, ecclesiastical, national, that does not live by virtue of its righteousness and nobleness; then we may face the light of day, and abide the coming of the great audit with perfect calmness, knowing that with what judgment we have judged we shall be judged. If we were in circumstances such as Jeroboam represented, if we were bearing heavy yokes, if we were steeping our pillows in our tears, if sleep forsook us because of pain, and if we heard that Christian ministers had been made aware of our distress, and had risen to say, We will inquire for you, and sympathise with you, and do what we can to mitigate your pain, should we answer, Keep to your praying and your hymn-singing, and let our sufferings alone? Never! We would thank God that Christian ministers were so like their Master who came to undo heavy burdens and let the oppressed go free. The Christian minister who meddles with every thing but humanity is a phenomenon.
The world has been educated by oppression. The Lord himself has used it as an instrument in his hands. A curious expression occurs to this effect in the fifteenth verse,
“For the cause was of God.” ( 2Ch 10:15 )
Rehoboam had not taken him into account, but the Lord took the matter into his own hand: the Lord sent a strong delusion upon the man that he might believe a lie. If the Lord were working within four measurable corners the whole proportion of his ministry upon the earth would be altered, and everything related to it would undergo appropriate changes; but the Lord is working upon an infinite circle; all things work, together; the ministry of the universe is a ministry co-operative, and is not to be understood in parts and sections, but can only be understood by those who take in the whole circumference on which the Almighty operates: and that cannot be done here and now, it can only be seen when we are taken to a sufficient altitude, and he alone can take us to that altitude, and give us the vision we need, in order to complete our judgment. Meanwhile, here is a history in human development “the cause was of God.” Joseph was sent down to Egypt by the Lord. The Saviour of the world was not murdered by the Jews, except in a secondary and transient sense; he was delivered up from before the foundation of the world that he might make on the universe an infinite impression and reveal to the universe the law of life and the law of sacrifice. The Lord sends judicial blindness upon people even now, so that they claim to be sincere, upright, patriotic: but the Lord is working his own end and purpose. It is not for us to say who is or is not judicially blinded; there we should perpetrate a great mistake; it is for us to recognise the operation of the law, and in proportion as we feel that it may be ourselves who are infatuated, we ought to pause, and wonder, and pray. There is, however, one standard by which we may come to a judgment all but infallible: if we are impelled towards persecution, towards the impoverishment of others, towards contempt in relation to the weak and the helpless, we may lay it down as certain that we are not inspired by the spirit of love, which is the Spirit of God. If our movement is towards trust, liberty, leniency, philanthropy, beneficence, we are entitled to believe that this is the very logic of love, the rigorous reasoning of piety itself. This will apply to nations, to families, to employers, to all men to whom is remitted the question, Shall the policy be severe, or shall it be clement and hopeful?
Rehoboam will be punished: have no fear of that. “With what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.” You can make your whips thongs of scorpions, but upon your own back shall the lacerating lash be laid; you can play the fantastic trick before high heaven and make the angels weep, but the bitterness shall be yours; the triumphing of such a policy is short, the end of it is everlasting punishment. What could we do without such laws as these? They are the very ribs of the universe, the very security of society, the corner-stone on which God’s fabric rests. We are not the subjects of accidents, the changing whims of statesmen; we are not dependent upon general elections for the grand issue of things: the Lord reigneth! Let us be true, and calm. One thing is certain amid all the conflicts of history, all the attritions and collisions of most vehement controversy, and that is, that the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ alone can rectify all relations, bring into rulership and eternal dominion the spirit of truth and love and mercy. We can but daub the wall with untempered mortar; we can but say, Peace, peace, where there is no peace. Only the gospel of Jesus Christ can get at the heart of things; deal with causes, fountains, origins, and purify the spring of all life. Here the Saviour is gentle in his might, mighty in his gentleness; he says, “Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again”: you must start afresh; there must not only be new doings, there must be a new doer; there must not only be an improvement in habit, there must be a regeneration in soul. When the soul is right the hands will take to the new policy with skill that might have been learned in heaven and that is inspired by the Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Prayer
Almighty God, may we keep thy law, and walk in thy statutes, and be strong because of uprightness, and prosperous because of integrity. Spirit of the Living God, Spirit of Truth, Spirit of Light, dwell with us to this intent; then shall our whole heart be God’s, there shall be no corruptness in our spirit, there shall be no frivolity in our speech, there shall be no selfishness in our solicitude, but our lives shall be consecrated unto the living God as with a perpetual oath. We thank thee for all thy law, for its severity and its gentleness; and its gentleness doth lure us to obedience. May we understand the purpose of thy law, and not shrink from it as from a hard thing, but rather say, This is our Father’s word, it is the bidding of mercy, it is the sovereignty of love, it is the way of wisdom eternal. If we have come to this spirit of obedience, it is because we have been with Jesus and have learned of him: by nature we are wrathful, selfish, obdurate; if we have been softened, and brought into loyalty of desire, and partly into loyalty of action, this is a miracle of the cross, this is a triumph of the Son of God, wondrous indeed in our eyes. Show us more and more that obedience is mastery, that to submit is to conquer, that to be at one with God is to have all things under our feet. Reveal unto us the mystery of life day by day: show us nothing of tomorrow; we then should fall under the burden, and should lose all hope and heart. Come to us day by day, a breath at a time, a moment at once, and let not the intolerable light of accumulation burn and annihilate our vision. Help us to carry life’s burdens bravely, hopefully, patiently; help us to count tears amongst our treasures; enable us to kiss the smiting rod, because it is wielded by a Father’s hand; and when the burden and the rod are lost in the completeness of Christian manhood we shall praise God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Ghost, in one unbroken, unending song. Amen.
Fuente: The People’s Bible by Joseph Parker
II
THE DISRUPTION AND SOME GENERAL OBSERVATIONS
1Ki 12:1-24
At the close of the introductory chapter we were considering the causes of the division, remote and near. I had not quite concluded that subject. The one man most to blame for this division was Solomon. The overruling cause was God. This was announced to Solomon, 1Ki 11:9-13 , as follows: “And the Lord was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned away from the Lord, God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice. And had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods; but he kept not that which the Lord commanded. Wherefore the Lord said unto Solomon, Forasmuch as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant. Notwithstanding in thy days I will not do it, for David thy father’s sake: but I will rend it out of the hand of thy son. Howbeit I will not rend away all the kingdom; but I will give one tribe to thy son for David my servant’s sake, and for Jerusalem’s sake which I have chosen.” Mark that one tribe.
God’s purpose was announced to Jeroboam with the conditions, 1Ki 11:27-40 , “And the man Jeroboam was a mighty man of valour: and Solomon saw the young man that he was industrious, and he gave him charge over all the labor of the house of Joseph. And this was the cause that he lifted up his hand against the king. And it came to pass at that time, when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, that the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite found him in the way; now Ahijah had clad himself with a new garment; and they two were alone in the field. And Ahijah laid hold of the new garment that was on him, and rent it in twelve pieces [mark the 12 pieces]. And he said to Jeroboam, Take thee ten pieces: for thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel, Behold, I will rend the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and will give ten tribes to thee: (but he shall have one tribe, for my servant David’s sake, and for Jerusalem’s sake, the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel) because that they have forsaken me, and have worshiped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, Chemosh, the God of Moab, and Milcom, the god of the children of Ammon; and they have not walked in my ways, to do that which is right in mine eyes, and to keep my statutes and my judgments, as did David his father. Howbeit I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand: but I will make him prince all the days of his life, for David my servant’s sake, whom I chose, because he kept my commandments and my statutes: but I will take the kingdom out of his son’s hand, and give it unto thee, even ten tribes. And unto his son will I give one tribe, that David my servant may have a lamp always before me in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen me to put my name there. And I will take thee, and thou shalt reign according to all that thy soul desireth, and shalt be king over Israel.”
Now mark the conditions: “And it shall be, if thou wilt hearken unto all I command thee, and wilt walk in my ways, and do that which is right in mine eyes, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as David my servant did; that I will be with thee, and will build thee a sure house, as I built for David, and will give Israel unto thee. And I will for this afflict the seed of David, but not forever. Solomon sought therefore to kill Jeroboam; but Jeroboam arose and fled into Egypt, unto Shishak king of Egypt, and was in Egypt until the death of Solomon.”
In pursuance of this overruling of God, an enemy did he raise up from the south against Solomon, 1Ki 11:14 ; 1Ki 11:21-22 : “And the Lord raised up an adversary unto Solomon, Hadad the Edomite; he was of the king’s seed in Edom. And when Hadad heard in Egypt that David slept with his fathers, and that Joab the captain of the host was dead, Hadad said to Pharaoh, Let me depart, that I may go to mine own country. Then Pharaoh said unto him, But what hast thou lacked with me, that, behold, thou seekest to go to thine own country? And he answered, Nothing: howbeit let me depart in any wise.” When Joab made war on Edom and almost extirpated the nation, one little boy this boy Hadad was saved. His mother and some friends got him into Egypt, and there he wag raised up. Now, that is enemy number two; Jeroboam was the first.
An enemy was also raised up from the north by the Lord. In 1Ki 11:23 ; 1Ki 11:25 we read: “And God raised up another adversary unto him, Rezon the son of Eliada, which had fled from his lord Hadadezer king of Zobah. And he was an adversary to Israel all the days of Solomon, beside the mischief that Hadad did: and he abhorred Israel and reigned over Syria.” Mark the rise of the Syrian government on the north; we will have a good deal to do with it in the history in connection with this man Rezon and his successors. Now, here are three men, and when a man has three deadly enemies he must walk prudently. From this northern enemy arose the Syrians.
The immediate occasion of the division was a great popular assembly of the whole nation, called to meet at Shechem, one of the holy places in the tribe of Ephraim, to consider the question of the kingdom; the immediate cause of the disruption took place at that popular assembly, which we will bring out more particularly. The law of selecting kings was as follows: First, God must appoint him. Second, the people in popular assembly must approve. That was not an absolute monarchy: it was both a monarchy and a democracy. The great congregation of Israel, the Jewish ecclesia or church, had a potential voice in public affairs. The proof of this is seen in the fact that the popular assembly approved Saul, David and Solomon, after God had appointed them. The reader will find that a great popular assembly met at Mizpeh (1Sa 10:17-21 ), and in that assembly the people ratified God’s choice of Saul as king. Then when God made David king a great popular assembly came together at Hebron (2Sa 5:1-3 ; 1Ch 2:1-3 ) and ratified the divine choice. When Solomon was made king this popular assembly was held at Gihon (1Ki 1:38-40 ). So we see that these assemblies were customary in order to commit the people by voluntary act to God’s appointment. We find in Exo 19 that the popular assembly voted to enter into covenant with God. So we must not consider this convocation at Shechem as an irregular or unusual proceeding. Shechem, the place of the assembly, was a notable place in Jacob’s time, and long after Jacob. It has long been a holy place and was situated in the hill country of Ephraim.
When Solomon died the tribes sent to Egypt for Jeroboam to come back. I have showed the great capacity and industry of this spokesman. He belonged to the tribe of Ephraim; and the prophet of the tribe of Ephraim at Shiloh had announced to him that he would be king of the ten tribes. Inasmuch as he had been assessor and collector over Ephraim and Manasseh, he had ample opportunity to get acquainted with the people, to know exactly what their burdens were under the Solomon rule, and they admired him very much. So it was quite natural that when this great assembly was held in the territory of the tribe of Ephraim, Jeroboam should be brought back to be the spokesman. And I am surprised in view of the prophecy made by Ahijah that the tribes were so temperate in that public meeting.
The proposition of the tribes to Rehoboam was as follows: “If you will lighten somewhat the burdens put on us by your father, we will serve you and will ratify your divine nomination as king.” They had a real grievance; Solomon had imposed onerous taxes for the purpose of luxury) vainglory, and to pamper his heathen wives. It was a very just grievance; and they proposed only that the burden be lightened somewhat. Now, we may not expect a popular assembly to consent to being governed by a man who disregards their interests. Rehoboam said, “I will take it under advisement three days.” That was a very wise thing to do. So he utilized the three days in seeking advice. First, he applied to the old men, the counsellors of his father. That also was a thoughtful thing to do. Action belongs to young men, but counsel belongs to old men; old men have more experience, and they are not apt to think that they have the world in a sling as young men are wont to do.
The parallel texts show a verbal difference in the counsel of the old men. 1Ki 12:7 says, “If thou wilt be a servant unto this people this day, and will serve them, and speak good words to them, then they will be thy servants forever.” That is, the old men counseled reciprocal service; the king must serve the people if he wants the people to serve him. Now the idea of serving does not appear in the Chronicles’ account, but the “good words” does; about the serving 2Ch 10:7 says, “If thou be kind unto these people, and please them, and speak good words then they will be thy servants,” but I stand upon what is said in Kings. No man need expect to be a ruler of a free people in a tyrannical sense; he is not there for his own good: he is there to serve the people, and whether he be a policeman, a constable, a judge, a legislator, a governor, or president, if he does not render equitable service to the people, he is not entitled to the respect of the people. That goes with all offices; that is the principle, and those were wise old men who gave that advice.
Now, if he had said to those people, “It is evident that these burdens on you are too heavy, and that the kingdom is not carried on sufficiently in your interest, and you have as much right to the protection of the king as he has to expect your cooperation,” the matter would have been ended. But Rehoboam, raised up in that cosmopolitan, luxurious court of his father, in which the very air of the foreigner was breathed, and imbued with the ideas of Oriental despotism absorbed even in his youth, turned away from these old men and went to the young courtiers, the young fellows brought up with him, and said, “What do you say that I should reply to this popular assembly?” If ever on earth the folly of youth appears, it is in the suggestion of these young men. They looked on a king as a despot, as absolutely owning the people under him. Their counsel virtually was this: “Do not commence your reign with compromise and weak conciliation. Be a master. Speak roughly. Tell them plainly you will add to, instead of lightening, their yokes; that your little finger will be heavier than your father’s loins, and whereas he chastized them with whips you will chastize them with scorpions.”
What is the meaning of “chastize with scorpions”? There were two kinds of whipping: one with scourges, generally made with twisted leather or rods. The other was a stiff handle with ten or twelve leather thongs attached to it, pointed with pieces of wire crooked like fish hooks at the end of each piece of leather, like the “cat-o’-nine-tails” in the navy, or the Russian Knout. To strip a man and bring that iron-pointed whiplash down on his naked back, every stroke would cut into his flesh in ten or twelve places. That is whipping with a scorpion.
The reply of the ten tribes when that scorpion whip was held up was the very war cry of Sheba’s rebellion: “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.” Well, that is a very natural response. Any popular assembly would have responded like that. Patrick Henry said that the colonies had exhausted every method of seeking redress of grievances; that they had prostrated themselves at the foot of the throne; that they had tried petition and argument, and in response to their petitions they had been spurned from the foot of the throne; instead of favors, fleets and armies had been sent to darken the waters and overshadow the land. What was their reply to a tyrannical throne? It was an appeal to arms from New England to Georgia. So Israel departed to their own tents.
The first attempt to enforce union was when Rehoboam sent his deputy, Hadoram, to go right on and collect the tribute, and when this collector came to enforce collections, they simply stoned him to death; that was their reply. The second attempt was when Rehoboam assembled an army of 180,000 men like England assembled her armies but before the battle commenced God’s prophet, Shemaiah, came and forbade this war against their brethren, and announced that this division was of the Lord; that he overruled it. Thus the voice of God prevented an attempt to coerce a union.
The revolting ten tribes were Ephraim, Manasseh, Reuben, Gad, Dan, Issachar, Zebulun, Asher, Naphtali, and Benjamin. Now doubtless some one will come back at me with the question: How is that? Benjamin was a part of the army Rehoboam raised. Yes, part of Benjamin was living in Judean cities a small part of the tribe lived in Jerusalem but the bulk of the tribe of Benjamin went with the ten tribes. Now there is Judah on one side and those ten tribes on the other side; that makes eleven tribes. Where is the twelfth tribe, Simeon? My answer is that his territory was inside of the territory of Judah, and when we say Judah we mean Judah and Simeon. How, then, does the division go? On one side is Judah including Simeon and a part of Benjamin, the city of Jerusalem and five miles around it to the north, including such of the ten tribes as dwelt in the territory of Judah. They came down to the Temple service, and finding it convenient, made their homes there. The record says in 2Ch 10:17 , “But as for the children of Israel that dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them.” So there were two tribes and certain parts of tribes in Judah.
Now, that still does not account for one tribe. There were originally thirteen tribes, but God took the tribe of Levi to himself and made up the original number of twelve tribes by giving Joseph two tribes Ephraim and Manasseh. What about the tribe of Levi? My answer is that the tribe of Levi was distributed in the Levitical cities all over the whole territory. That was God’s tribe, and we will learn in the next chapter that the Levites went with the tribe of Judah, solid. Indeed we learn a remarkable piece of Judaic history in the next chapter with reference to these Levitical cities. When Jeroboam established his government and worship and created a priesthood out of the common people anybody the Levites who were distributed in all the cities all over the country, abandoned the ten tribes and sided with Judah forever. So now we have Judah, Levi, Simeon, a part of Benjamin and a resident part of the population of Israel living in Judah. In the following history we will see large secessions from Israel to Judah.
The ten tribes got all of that big territory east of the river Jordan, including Reuben, Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh; then they got from the northern point of the Dead Sea straight across the Mediterranean Sea, allowing Judah about five miles north of Jerusalem. Even Jericho fell to the ten tribes. There remained to Judah a little bit of a county affair; it was only five miles from Jerusalem to the northern line, and only about twenty miles in any other direction that they were enabled to hold. Rehoboam’s circuit of fifteen fortified cities really delimited on the south and west. Most of the schools of the prophets were in the Northern Kingdom. But all through this history we will see that there is a steady stream of the ten tribes coming back to Judah. That is one of the things that Chronicles particularly notices.
The period of the divided kingdom was about 253 years. Only one dynasty reigned in Judah, the line of David; there were never any changes. There were nine dynasties in Israel. The ten tribes were always changing. They commenced with Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, and his son, and then all his family was killed. The second was Baasha and his son, Elah, and they were all killed; third, Zimri, and he was killed; fourth, Omri; there were two claimants, a man named Tibni contested with Omri. Omri had three successors in his family, Ahab, Ahaziah, Jehoram. The fifth dynasty was Jehu. He killed every man, woman, and child that belonged to the family of Omri. Jehu had the longest dynasty of any of the northern kings: Jehu, Jehoahaz, Jehoash, Jeroboam II and Zechariah. The sixth dynasty was Shallum. He held the fort but one month. The seventh dynasty was Manahem and his son Pekahiah, succeeded him. The eighth dynasty was Pekah: he was killed. The ninth dynasty, and the last, was Soshea, and he was led away into captivity. Note the great difference: there was no settled government of the ten tribes throughout the period of all the 253 years, and not a good king. There were only three dynasties of the Northern Kingdom which were history makers: the dynasties of Jeroboam I, Omri, and Jehu. We will have a great deal to do with those three dynasties.
Certain prophets are named, some of whom wrote canonical books of the Bible. In the Northern Kingdom the following prophets are named: Ahijah, Jehu, Elijah, Micaiah, Elisha, Jonah, Amos, Hosea, Oded. Three of them wrote Bible books: Jonah, Amos, and Hosea. Some of the prophets north and south are unnamed. The prophets of the Southern Kingdom before the fall of Israel, who are named, were Shemaiah, Iddo, Azariah, Hanani, Jehu, Jahaziel, Eliezer, Obadiah, Joel, Zechariah (not the postexilian prophet), Isaiah, and Micah. Of these four wrote canonical books: Obadiah, Joel, Isaiah, Micah. In Israel where were the schools of the prophets they far exceeded by the hundreds. In both kingdoms they were the very life of the nation. They were the historians, poets, orators, reformers the very voice of God to the conscience of king and people.
The difference in the attitude of the prophets in the two kingdoms toward the kings is very marked. In the Northern Kingdom every prophet was against the kings, except one and he only a part of the time. The Northern Kingdom was always against God, and the prophets were always for God, and we see a fight between the prophets and the kings. Now, in the Southern Kingdom, four-fifths of the time the prophets and the kings worked together. That is a remarkable difference. The one notable exception in the Northern Kingdom was Elisha. Of the prophets named Jonah was a foreign missionary. Here the question of the ten tribes comes up. Were the ten tribes lost and what is the proof? I say the proof is found in the secessions from Israel to Judah and the later references to the several tribes. Hosea and Amos of the Northern Kingdom foretold the recovery of the ten tribes. See Hos 1:10-11 ; Hos 3:4-5 ; Amo 9:7-15 .
One comment closes the record of most of the northern kings: “And he walked in the sin of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, which he caused Israel to sin.” We will find a sin bigger than the sin of Jeroboam after a while in the Northern Kingdom.
Judah had great advantages. First, it had the Temple and its services and its feasts. Second, it had the priests and Levites, we may say, the teachers; they were the great scholars. Third, it had the undying promise of God that the line of David should never fail.
QUESTIONS
1. What one man was most to blame for the division of the Kingdom?
2. What was the overruling cause?
3. How was this announced to Solomon?
4. How was God’s purpose announced to Jeroboam, and what conditions thus stated?
5. In pursuance of this overruling of God, what enemy did he raise up from the south against Solomon and what of his history?
6. What enemy was raised up from the north by the Lord?
7. What nation arose from this northern enemy?
8. What was the immediate occasion of the division?
9. What law of selecting kings?
10. What proof that this was the law of selecting kings?
11. Who was the spokesman of the ten tribes in this popular assembly and what his special qualifications for this duty?
12. What proposition of the ten tribes to Rehoboam, what his immediate answer and what the wisdom of such a course?
13. What counsel of the old men and what its merits?
14. How did Rehoboam regard this counsel and what course did he pursue?
15. What is meant by “chastize with scorpions”?
16. What was the reply of the ten tribes to the threat of chastisement with scorpions and what example in modern history?
17. What was Rehoboam’s first attempt to enforce union and what was the result?
18. What was his second attempt and what its result?
19. What the revolting tribes and of what did Judah consist? Explain fully.
20. What were the geographical limits of the two divisions?
21. To which side were adherents always coming from the other side?
22. How long the period of the divided kingdom?
23. How many and what dynasties in Judah?
24. How many and what dynasties in Israel?
25. What three dynasties of Israel were history makers?
26. What prophets are named in each kingdom and who of them wrote canonical books of the Bible?
27. What difference in the attitude of the prophets in the two kingdoms towards the kings?
28. What one notable exception in the Northern Kingdom?
29. Which of the prophets named was a foreign missionary?
30. Were the ten tribes lost and what the line of argument?
31. What prophets of the Northern Kingdom foretold the recovery of the ten tribes and what the passages?
32. What one comment closes the record of most of the northern kings?
33. What great advantages had Judah?
Fuente: B.H. Carroll’s An Interpretation of the English Bible
2Ch 10:1 And Rehoboam went to Shechem: for to Shechem were all Israel come to make him king.
Ver. 1. And Rehoboam went to Shechem. ] See Trapp on “ 1Ki 12:1 “ See Trapp on “ 1Ki 12:2 “ See Trapp on “ 1Ki 12:3 “
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
2 Chronicles Chapter 10
In the next chapter (2Ch 10 ) we find what, alas! is in all human types – failure. Rehoboam the king, the son of Solomon, inherits not his father’s wisdom, but whatever was foolish and wrong in Solomon. For Rehoboam took counsel not with the men of experience who might have helped his youth, but with the young men who only urged on his impetuosity. “He forsook the counsel which the old men gave him, and took counsel with the young men that were brought up with him that stood before him. And he said unto them, What advice give ye that we may return answer to this people, which have spoken to me, saying, Ease somewhat the yoke that thy father did put upon us? And the young men that were brought up with him spake unto him, saying, Thus shalt thou answer the people that spake unto thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou [it] somewhat lighter for us; thus shalt thou say unto them, My little [finger] shall be thicker than my father’s loins For whereas my father put a heavy yoke upon you, I will put more to your yoke: my father chastised you with whips, but I [will chastise you] with scorpions. So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day, as the king bade, saying, Come again to me on the third day. And the king answered them roughly; and king Rehoboam forsook the counsel of the old men, and answered them after the advice of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add thereto: my father chastised you with whips, but I [will chastise] you with scorpions” (vv. 8-14), according to his own foolish word; and the consequence was that God chastised him, for he rent away ten out of the twelve tribes and gave them over to his enemy Jeroboam, the son of Nebat.
Fuente: William Kelly Major Works (New Testament)
Rehoboam went. Compare 1Ki 12:1-19.
all. “All” put by Figure of speech Synecdoche (of the Whole) for the greater part or representatives.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Shall we turn in our Bibles to II Chronicles, chapter 10.
The children of Israel have been brought out of Egypt by Moses. Through the leadership of Joshua they were brought into the land that God had promised to their fathers, Abraham and Jacob. For a period of time in the land they were ruled by judges. But there came a time when they began to demand that Samuel would anoint them or appoint them a king. As the other nations around them had kings, they also desired a king to rule over them.
Now, it was God’s purpose that the nation Israel be a unique, special nation in the earth. That they would be a theocracy, a people who were governed by God. And you may say, “What is the highest form of human government?” It would be a theocracy, where people are governed by God. But the people were no longer satisfied with a theocracy. They wanted a king that could lead them into battle. A king that they could look to, that would lead the nation. And so they went from a theocracy to a monarchy, as Saul was anointed first king over Israel.
It was God’s purpose that Saul as the king would be so yielded to God and would rule over the people in such a way as that he was just sort of a mediator between God and the people. In other words, he would be in tune with God in order to receive the directions and instructions from God and would so lead the nation in the ways of God. Just the intermediator or intermediary between God and the people.
However, Saul became lifted up with pride and he rejected the command of God. And in his rejection of God, that is, submitting himself totally and fully to God, God rejected, then, him as king. And the dynasty of Saul ceased with him. But God raised up another king after Saul, David. Took him from the sheepcote, from following after the sheep and set him on the throne over God’s people. And David was a man after God’s own heart, because David was after the heart of God. Though he was far from perfect, though he was guilty of terrible sins, yet because, basically, in his heart he was seeking after God and sought to do the will of God, God called David a man after His own heart and God promised David that from him there would be a ruler that would come that would rule forever. The eternal kingdom. That actually the Messiah would come out of David.
But as long as David’s children would follow after the Lord, there would never cease one of the children of David sitting on the throne. Now that was a conditional covenant that God had made with David. It was conditioned upon David’s children continuing to follow after the Lord. As long as they did, there would never cease to be one of David’s descendants upon the throne. However, David’s descendants failed to keep the covenant of God and after Zedekiah there were no more kings.
Now there is a fanciful story that is told how that Jeremiah fled to Egypt with one of the princes and later went to England and established the druid society and all. And that from this descendant of David, actually, comes Queen Elizabeth and all, that they are directly descendants. So the monarchy is in England and thus, England is a part of Israel and they have the British Israel kind of religion system. The Anglo Israel races and so forth being Israel, and so then they interpret all of the Bible prophecies that relate to Israel as being fulfilled by the United States, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, England, and so forth. But it’s a fanciful story and it does lack truth, if not anything else.
So David, under his reign, the kingdom was blessed. Because David sought the Lord and God blessed David and God blessed the kingdom under David. And David desired to build a temple, a house for the Ark of the Covenant. For David was dwelling himself in a beautiful palace and the Ark of the Covenant was in a tent. And David was rejected by God as the builder of the temple because of the fact that he was a man of war and shed a lot of blood. But He said, “I will raise up a son after you who will sit upon the throne and he shall build a house.” So David went about and prepared all of the materials. Gathered the gold, the silver, the iron, the brass, the timbers, the hewn stone. And then he drew up the plans. And then he abdicated the throne to his son Solomon, giving him the plans and encouraging him to go ahead and to build this house unto God.
So Solomon set himself at building, and for seven years with… Oh, what is in the first chapter of II Chronicles here, it tells us about a hundred and fifty thousand men who labored. They build this temple there in Jerusalem. The expenditure of millions of dollars. It is estimated that to replace the temple today that Solomon had built would run into the billions of dollars.
And it was a glorious day. The temple was completed. The day of dedication had come. And the glory of the Lord filled the temple as the cloud of God’s glory descended upon it. And there Solomon, in a little brass platform that he had built out in the courtyard, addressed the people, telling them of the faithfulness of God. And then he knelt and prayed, recognizing that the heavens cannot contain God. “We haven’t built this house, God, for You to live in. We’ve just built this house that we might offer unto Thee sacrifices here. Let Your eye always be on this place and Your ear always attentive to the prayers that are offered to You from this place.”
And then he could foresee down the line the tragedy of the people turning away from God and the resultant effect that it would have upon their national life. The disasters that would overcome them as a nation. Natural disasters such as pestilences, such as weird weather conditions, drought conditions, or the disasters from being turned over in the hands of their enemies. Being defeated and their men being taken hostage. And he has brought up these various conditions that may result from the people’s sin, always saying, “And Lord, if they turn to this place and they cry unto Thee, hear Thou from Thy holy place in heaven, answer their prayer and deliver them.” And so God answered Solomon, “If my people which are called by my name will humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and I will forgive their sin and I will heal their land” ( 2Ch 7:14 ).
And so there was this great sacrifice, thousands of animals sacrificed on the day of dedication, and this great celebration, and just that neat nation with the consciousness of God at the heart and center of the national life. How beautiful that is when God becomes the center of the national life.
But this doesn’t last long. In fact, Solomon himself before he died began to worship other gods. He had disobeyed the voice of God. He had disobeyed the law of God. The law said, “When you have set up kings, they’re not to go down to Egypt to purchase horses that they might multiply horses. Nor are they to multiply wives unto themselves lest their heart be turned away from Me” ( Deu 17:16 , Deu 17:17 ). God knows human nature better than any of us know it. God knows you better than you know yourself.
So many times God warns us of a particular thing. We say, “All right, God, that’s nice. I appreciate that. Thank You for the warning, but I don’t need it. I can handle it, Lord. I’ve got this thing wired and don’t worry about me.” Like with Peter when Jesus said, “All of you are going to be offended tonight because of Me.” Peter said, “Lord, that’s all right. They may all be offended but I won’t ever be offended, Lord. Not me.” Lord said, “Peter, before the cock crows you’re going to deny Me three times.” “Lord, if they would slay me I would never deny You.” Oh, but Jesus knew him better than he knew himself. And that’s always the case.
Many times we think, “Well, this particular verse doesn’t apply to me. I’m a special case. I can do it and get by with it. I can handle it. I can see why God would say that to other people. But I’m special and I can handle myself. And thus, I don’t need to obey this particular injunction.”
God said, “And they are not to multiply wives unto themselves lest their heart be turned away from Me.” Solomon multiplied wives unto himself, some seven hundred of them, plus the three hundred concubines. And what happened? His wives turned his heart away from the Lord.
So by the end of Solomon’s reign, there began a deterioration. And this is just right after the hype, the zenith of the kingdom. Brought into this great position of strength and wealth through David. And then through the wisdom of Solomon in his early years, brought to this place of great glory and promise. But it lasted so short. There began that downward trend. So that at the death of Solomon, and here’s where we get into chapter 10 tonight, his son Rehoboam began to reign over Jerusalem, and he reigned for seventeen years. And in that seventeen years, the kingdom went from this glorious height and deteriorated into just a second-rate nation and power.
The slide down is so rapid. And once it gets started it’s hard to reverse. This is the thing that concerns me so much about our nation today. Once you start that downhill trend, it’s so fast and it’s so difficult to put on the brakes and to stop. And it would seem to me that our nation at the present time is plunging down into a second-rate status so rapidly. And I really don’t know if it can be reversed or stopped. Once mighty, once glorious. A nation that was established under God. A nation that stood forth in the world as a Christian nation, but has become so totally corrupt, obscene, and has sought to just rule God out of our national life. I’m appalled by the rulings of the Supreme Court and the local courts in the issues that relate to freedom of worship, separation of church and state. It only works on one side. It doesn’t work on both sides. And even by my saying this, I am jeopardizing myself because they have started a new system now. If ever you speak out against it, then soon you have all kinds of harassment.
But the kingdom went down rapidly under Rehoboam. In fact, the kingdom was divided right at the beginning of his reign. When Rehoboam was anointed king, the northern tribes of Israel came to him and they said, “During the time of your father’s reign the taxes were increased over and over again until the tax burden that we are bearing is really greater than we can handle.” Howard Jarvis got an initiative to cut the taxes, and he presented it to Rehoboam.
And so Rehoboam said, “Give me three days and I will give you an answer regarding this.” They said, “Cut the taxes. We’ve got to have a tax cut.” He said, “Give me three days to answer you.” So he went to his counselors, the old men that counseled his father Solomon, and the old men said, “You know, these people have a just cause. The taxes are overbearing. We need to relieve them of this tax burden. It would be wise to go ahead and cut their taxes.”
And then Rehoboam consulted with the younger guys that he was bringing in to reign with him in his kingdom. And these younger guys advised him, “Now look, if you cut the taxes, this is just the beginning of their complaints. Next week they’re going to be back with something else and then back with something else, and back with something else. And you’re just not going to be able to handle it.”
The older fellows said, “Look, if you don’t cut their taxes they’re not going to serve you. They’re going to rebel against you.” But Rehoboam listened to his younger counselors and he forsook the counsel of the older men. And when the people came back after three days to get his answer, he said, “Hey, you think my dad was tough? You haven’t seen anything yet. Where he whipped you with whips, I’m going to whip you with scorpions. And my little finger will be thicker than his thigh.” And he gave these threats and the people said, “To your tents, O Israel, what have we to do with David?”
And so the ten northern kingdoms or ten northern tribes rebelled against Rehoboam. And they took this fellow Jeroboam and they said, “We want you to be king over us.” And so Jeroboam became the king over the ten northern tribes. And Rehoboam was now just left with the tribe of Benjamin and the tribe of Judah, plus the tribe of Levi. Because Jeroboam in the north, the kingdom that was known now as Israel, established the calf worship in Israel and he began to just make priests out of anybody. And there came, really, a total religious confusion in the northern kingdom and the Levites left the northern kingdom and all of those people who really loved the Lord. They came on down and gave their allegiance unto Rehoboam in the kingdom of Judah.
Rehoboam sent a tax collector up to the ten northern tribes, and they killed him. And so Rehoboam gathered his army and he was going to march against the northern kingdom and the prophet of the Lord came and warned them not to fight against the northern kingdom. And so they returned and they sought to establish the kingdom under Rehoboam.
But it wasn’t long after he had returned to Jerusalem, that he turned from God. Having fortified the kingdom, he then turned his heart against God. “
Fuente: Through the Bible Commentary
2Ch 10:1-5
2Ch 10:1-5
FROM THE REIGN OF SOLOMON THROUGH THE CAPTIVITY TO CYRUS’ DECREE (2 Chronicles 10-36)
REHOBOAM (922-915 B.C.);
ISRAEL DEMANDS AN EASEMENT OF EXCESSIVE TAXES
“And Rehoboam went to Shechem; for all Israel were come to Shechem to make him king. And it came to pass when Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard of it (for he was in Egypt, whither he had fled from the presence of king Solomon), that Jeroboam returned out of Egypt. And they went and called him; and Jeroboam and all Israel came and spoke to Rehoboam, saying, Thy father made our yoke grievous: now therefore make thou the grievous service of thy father, and his heavy yoke which he put upon us lighter, and we will serve thee. And he said unto them, Come again unto me after three days. And the people departed.”
E.M. Zerr:
2Ch 10:1. Chronicles differs from the book of Kings in that the major part of it is the history of the kingdom of Judah, or the two tribes. Incidental references will be made to the ten tribes because of their connection with Judah, but the run of the history will concern Judah only. Jerusalem was the national capital, but the inauguration ceremonies for Solomon’s successor took place at Shechem.
2Ch 10:2. While Solomon lived he heard of some actions of Jeroboam who aspired to be king. Accordingly he threatened him so that Jeroboam fled to Egypt. Hearing of the death of Solomon, Jeroboam came out of his exile and back into the land of Israel. He remembered the favorable predictions that had been made for him (1Ki 11:31) and came home with that motive in mind.
2Ch 10:3. It would be expected that the people in general would learn about the prediction that had been made to Jeroboam. There had previously been a division of sentiment in the congregation as indicated by such expressions as Israel and Judah. (1 Samuel 11; 1 Samuel 8; 2Sa 2:10; 2Sa 3:10; 2Sa 12:8; 2Sa 19:43.) The formal division of the nation, therefore, was about to come, and needed only a spark to set off the blast. Jeroboam was invited to attend the ceremonies at Shechem, where he acted as spokesman for the dissatisfied elements among the congregation.
2Ch 10:4-5. The statement the people made as to the service given to Solomon was true. The two great buildings, the temple and the palace, required 20 years of time and many thousands of man hours of hard labor. All of that was necessary and no criticism was made against Solomon; it was mentioned only as a statement of fact. Now the work was done and there was no call for such service to continue. We might think the people were sincere in their address to Rehoboam, for their statements were true. There was no indication, however, that the new king intended to continue the rigorous services of his father. The whole situation shows the people were seeking a pretext for the break they had already determined upon. Rehoboam took the case “under advisement” for three days.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
Despotism is seldom transmissible. That Solomon had been an autocrat and had ruled with a hand of iron under the velvet is evidenced by the words of the men of Israel, “Thy father hath made our yoke grievous.” If this is a startling suggestion, history testifies to the likelihood of its correctness. Some of the worst tyrants the world ever had robbed the people of their rights, and kept them passive by the deadly drug of gorgeous displays. So did Lorenzo de Medici in Florence; so did our own Charles I.
With the death of Solomon men breathed anew, and discovered their chains. This was the occasion for a bid for freedom. Jeroboam returned from Egypt to be spokesman of peace. Rehoboam showed his folly in taking the advice of the hot-headed youths of his court. He attempted to continue the despotism of his father, though he lacked his father’s refinement and ability to fascinate. The result was immediate. The ten tribes revolted. The nation was riven in twain, and, judging by purely human calculation, Judah was on the verge of a war which would have ended in her defeat.
Fuente: An Exposition on the Whole Bible
2Ch 10:7
(with 2Ch 10:11)
This incident illustrates the two modes of treating men-the conciliatory and the unconciliatory. The principle applies to all men in some of the relations of life; and the question is, What is the true, and consequently the safe, basis of all government?
I. Social positions are graduated. The strong man will of necessity sooner or later go to the front and claim the influence which belongs of right to his powers, and the weak man will be left at the point which exhausts his strength. Democracy does not equalize men. Universal suffrage would not mean universal equality.
II. Though social positions are graduated, yet no elevation of rank gives one man the right to tyrannise over another. Tyranny is necessarily associated with littleness of nature, littleness somewhere; there may be many great qualities, but the nature as a whole is of a low type. The maintenance of a conciliatory policy is quite consistent with (1) headship; (2) firmness; (3) justice. What is the cure of all false relations among men? The Gospel of reconciliation. That includes everything. To all those who have to work among men it is important to remember the two methods, conciliation and tyranny.
Parker, Pulpit Analyst, vol. ii., p. 452.
References: 2Ch 1:10.-Clergyman’s Magazine, vol. ix., p. 18. 2Ch 2:11.-Spurgeon, My Sermon Notes: Genesis to Proverbs, p. 99. 2Ch 5:13-14, and 2Ch 7:1-3.-Ibid., Sermons, vol. vii., Nos. 375-378. 2Ch 6:18.-Christian World Pulpit, vol. viii., p. 165; W. Jay, Thursday Penny Pulpit, vol. v., p. 265. 2Ch 6:28, 2Ch 6:30.-J. Keble, Sermons for the Christian Year: Septuagesima to Ash Wednesday, p. 372. 2Ch 6:34, 2Ch 6:35.-H. B. Moffat, The Pulpit, vol. iv., p. 313. 2Ch 9:17-19.-J. M. Neale, Sermons for the Church Year, vol. ii., p. 274. 2Ch 10:4, 2Ch 10:13, 2Ch 10:19.-W. Bishop, Christian World Pulpit, vol. xxx., p. 45.
2Ch 10:8
There were two things that contributed specially to make the life of Rehoboam a failure.
I. He was brought up in the lap of luxury, and that is not good for any man. Had Solomon’s son been brought up less luxuriously, had he known something in his early days of real hard work, had he met with difficulties and rebuffs such as fall to the lot of many, he might have turned out a more sensible and successful man.
II. He refused the advice of men who were older and wiser than himself. Evil companionship proved his destruction. We take the colour of the society we keep, as the frogs of Ceylon do that of the leaf on which they sit. Be slow to form your friendships. Endeavour first to take the measure of every man who courts your company.
J. Thain Davidson, Forewarned-Forearmed, p. 33.
Fuente: The Sermon Bible
II. THE REBELLION OF THE TEN TRIBES
CHAPTER 10
1. Rehoboam made king (2Ch 10:1)
2. Jeroboams return from Egypt and his request (2Ch 10:2-5)
3. Rehoboams answer (2Ch 10:6-15)
4. The revolt and Rehoboams flight (2Ch 10:16-19)
What followed Solomons fall when he turned away from the Lord, who so graciously had appeared unto him twice, is unrecorded in the Chronicles. 1Ki 11:9-43 contains these events. Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, had lifted up his hand against Solomon (1Ki 11:27). He planned secretly a revolt against the king, and when he went out of Jerusalem, most likely to carry out his plans, the prophet Ahijah met him, and in renting his own garment into ten pieces announced that God would take the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon and give to Jeroboam the ten tribes. Then Solomon sought to kill Jeroboam and he fled into Egypt, and was in Egypt until Solomon died. It is here where the account in Chronicles comes in. Rehoboam (enlarger of the people), the only son of Solomon mentioned in the Bible, went to Shechem, where all Israel had come together to make him king. Jeroboam had returned from Egypt and appeared on the scene, sent by the people to conduct negotiations in their behalf. Jeroboam demanded a lightening of the heavy burden of forced labor and taxation which Solomon had put upon them. If this request would be granted they were ready to serve Jeroboam. The King asked for three days to consider the demand. He first turned to the aged men and consulted those who had been closely associated with his father. They advised him to use kindness to avert the threatening rebellion. A soft answer turneth away wrath, but grievous words stir up anger (Pro 15:1). If Rehoboam had heeded this inspired saying of his father, he would have followed the advice which had been given. But instead he turned to the young men, the young men (Hebrew: children) that had grown up with him. They readily gave advice how the peoples demand, Ease somewhat the yoke that thy father did put upon us, should be answered. It was foolish advice. The threat to increase their burdens, and that while his father had used whips he would use scorpions (a cruel whip to which pieces of sharp metal were attached) was to overawe the people and bring them into submission. It seems almost impossible that Rehoboam should follow such advice. If Ecc 2:18-19 applies to this son of Solomon, the fathers fears were well founded. He certainly showed that he was not a wise man, but a fool. Yet there was another reason why Rehoboam listened to the foolish counsel. So the king hearkened not unto the people, for the cause was of God, that the Lord might perform His Word, which He spake by Ahijah, the Shilonite, to Jeroboam, the son of Nebat. And the offended people answered the king with the same spirit and declared their independence. In contempt they said, And now David see to thine own house. Then foolishly Rehoboam sent one of the officials who were hated on account of their office, Hadoram, who was over the tribute. The people became infuriated and stoned him to death. King Rehoboam had to make haste to escape a similar fate. The revolt had come. And Israel rebelled against the house of David. The words spoken to Solomon (1Ki 11:11-13) were now fulfilled.
Fuente: Gaebelein’s Annotated Bible (Commentary)
Rehoboam: 1Ki 12:1, 1Ch 3:10, Mat 1:7, Roboam
Shechem: Gen 12:6, Sichem, Gen 37:12, Gen 37:13, Jos 20:7, Jos 24:1, Jdg 9:1
all: 1Ki 4:1, 1Ch 12:38
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
REHOBOAM AND JEHOSHAPHAT
REHOBOAM (2 Chronicles 10-12)
The story of the rejected counsel of the older men and what came of it (chap. 10) is practically as in 1 Kings 12, and furnishes an illustration of the relation of divine sovereignty to human free agency.
The fortification of Judahs cities against Israel (chap. 11) was dwelt upon in the earlier books, as well as the return of the priests and Levites to Jerusalem.
Rehoboams wise action (2Ch 11:23) is to be taken in the political sense. He thus gave his sons and grandsons something to do, each having a measure of independence, and being kept sufficiently apart from the others to lessen the likelihood of a cabal against the heir to the kingdom.
How long did Rehoboam remain faithful to God (2Ch 11:17 and 2Ch 12:1) ? What punishment was inflicted for his infidelity (2Ch 12:2-4)? How is Gods goodness shown to him (2Ch 12:5), and with what result (2Ch 12:6-8)? Note 2Ch 12:8 carefully. How much better to serve God than His enemies, but what bitter experience is necessary to teach this lesson (2Ch 12:9-12). Note the reference to the heathen mother of Rehoboam (2Ch 12:13), and the reason for its record (2Ch 12:14), as showing her baneful influence on her son.
Speaking of the punishment which befell Rehoboam and Judah from Egypt, it is interesting that its record is found today on the walls of the Egyptian palace at Karnak. Carved nearly three millenniums ago, it is there still an impressive corroboration of Holy Writ.
ABIJAH AND ASA (2 Chronicles 13-16)
These kings may be coupled, as the record of the first-named is brief. Verse two of chapter 13 does not contradict verse 20 of chapter 11, since Michaiah and Maachah are the same, and as the daughter of Uriel, she was the granddaughter of Absalom. Such general statements are common in the Hebrew text, and it is impossible to consider each of them.
The numbers in verse three are immense, but compare 1Ch 21:5. The harangue of Abijah (2Ch 13:4-12), except in its character and terms, suggests that of the Assyrian commander before Jerusalem (2 Kings 18), and seems to have been a custom in ancient warfare. What advantage is taken of this delay (2Ch 13:13-14)? What prevented a rout of Judah (2Ch 13:15)? How terrific was Israels punishment (2Ch 13:17)? What was its effect in the subsequent history of Abijahs reign (2Ch 13:20)?
How far did this victory show its effects in Asas reign (2Ch 14:1)? What was his religious character (2Ch 14:2-5)? For certain qualifications of these words compare the latter half of chapter 16. The statement in verse eight is to be taken in our sense of militia rather than a standing army. Great as was this force, what could it have accomplished against the Ethiopians (2Ch 14:9) but for God (2Ch 14:11-14)? Which of his successors does Asa, in his faith, suggest? How is he further encouraged (2Ch 15:1-2)?
Note the story of a typical revival. Its need appears in 2Ch 15:3-6, a people without God in the sense that they were without the teaching of His Word in power (2Ch 15:3), and therefore without peace (2Ch 15:5) and in affliction (2Ch 15:6). Its progress is set before us in verse eight courage, repentance, prayer. Its results, (2Ch 15:9-15) the gathering of the people (2Ch 15:9-10), their offerings (2Ch 15:11), renewal of their covenant (2Ch 15:12), separation from the world (2Ch 15:13), joy and peace (2Ch 15:15). Its cause is revealed in the opening of the chapter as the Spirit of God, the man of God, the Word of God, and the work of God (2Ch 16:1-2 and 2Ch 16:7). O, that history would repeat itself in our day; or rather that God would once more pour out His Holy Spirit upon some prophet through whom His word would have potency as of old!
It is a mystery that Asa with such an experience should act as in chapter 16, except as we recognize the same inconsistency in ourselves. Sin makes fools of us all. As there is some confusion in the chronology here, however, it is uncertain just when this event occurred. (Compare verse 1 with 1Ki 15:33.) It is not a sin in itself to seek a physicians aid (2Ch 16:12), but an Egyptian physician such as Asa consulted doubtless used demoniacal charms and incantations forbidden by the law of God. It is the same now. An honest physician who heals in accordance with the well-understood principles of therapy may be consulted by any Christian without sin; but it is different with a New Age healer, a palmist, a hypnotist, a spiritualist, a Christian Scientist, or other practitioner whose underlying philosophy is pagan and contrary to the Gospel.
The very great burning (2Ch 16:14) is supposed to refer to the cremation of the corpse, a custom which prevailed at that time among the Hebrews (2Ch 21:19, also 1Sa 31:12; Jer 34:5 and Amo 6:10).
JEHOSHAPHAT (2 Chronicles 17-20)
The story of this reign opens with the customary characterization of the king, which as we know from the book of Kings, was commendable, resulting in the divine blessing (2Ch 17:1-6). But in 2Ch 17:7-11 something of special interest is recorded. The word to before each name should be omitted, for it was the princes themselves who were sent on this godly mission the first practical measure adopted by any of the kings for the religious instruction of the people. No wonder such consequences should have resulted (2Ch 17:10-11). Here is the secret for a revival, viz: the instruction of the people in the Bible by the best men in the church. This is worth tons of sermons on civic righteousness and reforms, and no end of so-called evangelistic campaigns and religious movements, which have so much of man in them and so little of God.
Verses 12-19 show that no monarch since Solomon equaled Jehoshaphat in the extent of his revenue, the strength of his fortifications and the number of his troops. It pays to serve God.
Chapter 18 is the same as 1 Kings 22, which we considered in its place, commenting on the lapse it indicates. This lapse met its rebuke (2Ch 19:2) and its punishment (chap. 20). Note in the meantime 2Ch 19:4, comparing again 2Ch 17:7-11. And do not overlook 2Ch 19:5-7. Judicial courts had been established earlier but here they are localized in the fenced cities. What a charge to the judges! It will be heard again when He comes who shall judge the people righteously! 2Ch 19:8-11 refer to a kind of supreme court established at Jerusalem.
Chapter 20 brings us face to face with a crisis in Judah (2Ch 20:1-2). How is it met by this pious king (2Ch 20:3-4)? Study the prayer, observing its argumentative character ending in an appeal (2Ch 20:5-12). God loves to be thus argued with on the ground of His promises. Many such instances will be found later in the prophets. Compare Abraham (Genesis 18), and Moses (Exodus 32).
QUESTIONS
1. How does chapter 10 illustrate the dogma referred to in the lesson?
2. Why did Rehoboam deal with his sons as recorded?
3. How may we account, humanly speaking, for Rehoboams infidelity?
4. How does archaeological research corroborate the truth of any part of this lesson?
5. What, in general terms, was the character of Asas reign?
6. How would you explain 16:12?
7. What religious instruction was adopted by Jehoshaphat, and what has it to teach us?
8. How does Jehoshaphats reign show that it pays to serve God?
9. What lessons in prayer may be gathered from it?
Fuente: James Gray’s Concise Bible Commentary
A.M. 3029. B.C. 975.
The people request Rehoboam to ease their grievances, 2Ch 10:1-5. Rehoboam, rejecting the old mens counsel, by the advice of the young men, answers them roughly, 2Ch 10:6-15. Ten tribes revolt, 2Ch 10:16-19.
NOTES ON CHAPTER 10.
2Ch 10:1. Rehoboam, went to Shechem, &c. See 1 Kings 12., where this chapter is explained, so that little need be added here.
2Ch 10:3. And they sent and called him Or rather, as the Targum properly translates it, For they sent, assigning a reason why he returned from Egypt.
2Ch 10:4. Thy father made our yoke grievous It is probable, when Solomon had declined from God, that God left him to himself to act thus impoliticly.
2Ch 10:7. If thou be kind to this people Moderate counsels are generally best. Gentleness will do what violence will not do. Good words cost nothing but a little self-denial, and yet they purchase great things.
2Ch 10:16. Now, David, see to thine own house When public affairs are in a ferment, violent proceedings do but make ill worse. Many have been driven to the mischief they did not intend, by being too severely dealt with.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
This chapter is so nearly a repetition of 1 Kings 12., that the reader is referred to the Notes and Reflections on that part of sacred history.
Fuente: Sutcliffe’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
PART IV (2 Chronicles 10-36). The History of Judah from Rehoboam to the Edict of Cyrus.
2Ch 10:1-19. Rehoboam is Rejected by the Israelites (see notes on 1Ki 12:1-9).The variations between the two records are unimportant.
Fuente: Peake’s Commentary on the Bible
JEROBOAM LEADS A REVOLT
(vv.1-18)
Rehoboam was inaugurated as king at Shechem. Jereboam who had gone to Egypt for fear of King Solomon, hearing of Solomon’s death, returned to Israel. The tribes of Israel had some respect for this capable leader, and asked him to intercede for them to Rehoboam. Thus Jereboam and others with him came to Rehoboam, telling him that Solomon had laid heavy burdens on them and asking him to lighten this severe bondage so that they would willingly serve him (vv.3-4).
Rehoboam asked for three days to consider this (v.5), then consulted with the elders who had served in Solomon’s court. They rightly advised him to be kind to the people, thus treating them with respect and consideration, and assured him that the people would respond to gladly serve him. Rehoboam could well afford to show such kindness, for he had inherited great wealth from his father.
However, he rejected the wise counsel of men of experience (v.8) and instead accepted the foolish counsel of the young men who had grown up with him. They told him to give the men of Israel a crushing reply, “My little finger shall be thicker than my father’s waist! And now, whereas my father put a heavy yoke on you, I will add to your yoke: my father chastised you with whips, but 1 will chastise you with scourges” (vv.10-11).
On hearing so harsh a reply from the king, it is not surprising that the people immediately rebelled, saying, “What share have we in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse” (v.16). Thus they declared their immediate separation from Judah, a separation that has never been repaired and never will until the Lord Jesus returns to Israel at the end of their Great Tribulation.
In futile ignorance Rehoboam sent his head tax collector to demand revenue from these Israelites, but they stoned him to death. Then Rehoboam realised the rebels were not merely bluffing, and he quickly drove in his chariot to Jerusalem (v.18). lest he should suffer the same fate as his servant.
Fuente: Grant’s Commentary on the Bible
10:1 And Rehoboam {a} went to Shechem: for to Shechem were all Israel come to make him king.
(a) After the death of Solomon.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
IV. THE REIGNS OF SOLOMON’S SUCCESSORS CHS. 10-36
"With the close of Solomon’s reign we embark upon a new phase in Chr.’s account of Israel’s history. That account can be broadly divided . . . into the pre-Davidic era, the time of David and Solomon, and the period of the divided monarchy up until the Babylonian exile." [Note: McConville, p. 150.]
". . . the Chronicler never regarded the northern monarchy as anything but illegitimate and a rebellion against God’s chosen dynasty. As far as he was concerned, all Israel had one and only one ruling family." [Note: Thompson, p. 249. See also G. N. Knoppers, "Rehoboam in Chronicles: Villain or Victim?" Journal of Biblical Literature 109 (1990):423-40.]
The writer continued his "sermon" by evaluating each of Solomon’s successors with the same yardstick he had used on Solomon, namely, the example of David. His intent appears to have been to show that none of David’s descendants measured up to him, much less surpassed him. Consequently, the promised Son of David was yet to appear. The relationship of each king to temple worship showed his heart commitment to God. So there is much in what follows that deals with the kings’ relationship to the temple and temple worship.
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)
1. The division of the nation ch. 10
This account is very similar to the one in 1 Kings 12. Solomon’s son Rehoboam did not act wisely and therefore lost his kingdom. The Chronicler added that a prophet had foretold this situation (2Ch 10:15; cf. 2Ch 11:1-4). The division of the kingdom looked like a tragedy, but it was part of God’s plan for His people. That would have given hope to the original readers since the captivity looked like a tragedy, but prophets had foretold it too. It was part of God’s sovereign will. Furthermore it was not the end of the nation (cf. Eze 37:11-13).
"Jeroboam stands forever as a caution against the danger of becoming passionately angry about a rightly perceived evil, yet blinded by that passion to such an extent that all measures taken against it seem right. When this happens there is almost inevitably a failure, ironically, to distinguish between right and wrong." [Note: McConville, p. 155.]
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)
A. Rehoboam chs. 10-12
This writer selected three things to stress in regard to Rehoboam’s reign: the division of the kingdom (ch. 10), characteristics of both the northern and southern kingdoms, but especially Rehoboam’s (ch. 11), and Egypt’s invasion of Rehoboam’s kingdom (ch. 12).
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)
REHOBOAM AND ABIJAH: THE IMPORTANCE OF RITUAL
2Ch 10:1-19; 2Ch 11:1-23; 2Ch 12:1-16; 2Ch 13:1-22
THE transition from Solomon to Rehoboam brings to light a serious drawback of the chroniclers principle of selection. In the history of Solomon we read of nothing but wealth, splendor, unchallenged dominion, and superhuman wisdom; and yet the breath is hardly out of the body of the wisest and greatest king of Israel before his empire falls to pieces. We are told, as in the book of Kings, that the people met Rehoboam with a demand for release from “the grievous service of thy father,” and yet we were expressly told only two chapters before that “of the children of Israel did Solomon make no servants for his work; but they were men of war, and chief of his captains, and rulers of his chariots and of his horsemen.” (2Ch 8:9) Rehoboam apparently had been left by the wisdom of his father to the companionship of headstrong and featherbrained youths; he followed their advice rather than that of Solomons grey-headed counselors, with the result that the ten tribes successfully revolted and chose Jeroboam for their king. Rehoboam assembled an army to re-conquer his lost territory, but Jehovah through the prophet Shemaiah forbade him to make war against Jeroboam.
The chronicler here and elsewhere shows his anxiety not to perplex simple minds with unnecessary difficulties. They might be harassed and disturbed by the discovery that the king, who built the Temple and was specially endowed with Divine wisdom, had fallen into grievous sin and been visited with condign punishment. Accordingly everything that discredits Solomon and detracts from his glory is omitted. The general principle is sound; an earnest teacher, alive to his responsibilities, will not wantonly obtrude difficulties upon his hearers; when silence does not involve disloyalty to truth, he will be willing that they should remain in ignorance of some of the more mysterious dealings of God in nature and history. But silence was more possible and less dangerous in the chroniclers time than in the nineteenth century. He could count upon a docile and submissive spirit in his readers; they would not inquire beyond what they were told: they would not discover the difficulties for themselves. Jewish youths were not exposed to the attacks of eager and militant skeptics, who would force these difficulties upon their notice in an exaggerated form, and at once demand that they should cease to believe in anything human or Divine.
And yet, though the chronicler had great advantages in this matter, his own narrative illustrates the narrow limits within which the principle of the suppression of difficulties can be safely applied. His silence as to Solomons sins and misfortunes makes the revolt of the ten tribes utterly inexplicable. After the account of the perfect wisdom, peace, and prosperity of Solomons reign, the revolt comes upon an intelligent reader with a shock of surprise and almost of incredulity. If he could not test the chronicles narrative by that of the book of Kings and it was no part of the chroniclers purpose that his history should be thus tested-the violent transition from Solomons unbroken prosperity to the catastrophe of the disruption would leave the reader quite uncertain as to the general credibility of Chronicles. In avoiding Scylla, our author has fallen into Charybdis; he has suppressed one set of difficulties only to create others. If we wish to help intelligent inquirers and to aid them to form an independent judgment, our safest plan will often be to tell them all we know ourselves and to believe that difficulties, which have no way marred our spiritual life, will not destroy their faith.
In the next section the chronicler tells how for three years Rehoboam administered his diminished kingdom with wisdom and success; he and his people walked in the way of David and Solomon, and his kingdom was established, and he was strong. He fortified fifteen cities in Judah and Benjamin, and put captains in them, and store of victuals, and oil and wine, and shields and spears, and made them exceeding strong. Rehoboam was further strengthened by deserters from the Northern Kingdom. Though the Pentateuch and the book of Joshua assigned to the priests and Levites cities in the territory held by Jeroboam, yet their intimate association with the Temple rendered it impossible for them to remain citizens of a state hostile to Jerusalem. The chronicler indeed tells us that “Jeroboam and his sons cast them off, that they should not execute the priests office unto Jehovah, and appointed others to be priests for the high places and the he-goats and for the calves which he had.” It is difficult to understand what the chronicler means by this statement. On the face of it, we should suppose that Jeroboam refused to employ the house of Aaron and the tribe of Levi for the worship of his he-goats and calves, but the chronicler could not describe such action as casting “them off that they should not execute the priests office unto Jehovah.” The passage has been explained to mean that Jeroboam sought to hinder them from exercising their functions at the Temple by preventing them from visiting Judah; but to confine the priests and Levites to his own kingdom would have been a. strange way of casting them off. However, whether driven out by Jeroboam or escaping from him, they came to Jerusalem and brought with them from among the ten tribes other pious Israelites, who were attached to the worship of the Temple. Judah and Jerusalem became the home of all true worshippers of Jehovah; and those who remained in the Northern Kingdom were given up to idolatry or the degenerate and corrupt worship of the high places. The chronicler then gives us some account of Rehoboams harem and children, and tells that he dealt wisely, and dispersed his twenty-eight sons “throughout all the lands of Judah and Benjamin, unto every fenced city.” He gave them the means of maintaining a luxurious table, and provided them with numerous wives, and trusted that, being thus happily circumstanced, they would lack leisure, energy, and ambition to imitate Absalom and Adonijah.
Prosperity and security turned the head of Rehoboam as they had done that of David: “He forsook the law of Jehovah, and all Israel with him.” “All Israel” means all the subjects of Rehoboam; the chronicler treats the ten tribes as cut off from Israel. The faithful worshippers of Jehovah in Judah had been reinforced by the priests, Levites, and all other pious Israelites from the Northern Kingdom; and yet in three years they forsook the cause for which they had left their country and their fathers house. Punishment was not long delayed, for Shishak, king of Egypt, invaded Judah with an immense host and took away the treasures of the house of Jehovah and of the kings house.
The chronicler explains why Rehoboam was not more severely punished. Shishak appeared before Jerusalem with his immense host: Ethiopians, Lubim or Lybians, and Sukiim, a mysterious people only mentioned here. The LXX and Vulgate translate Sukiim “Troglodytes,” apparently identifying them with the cave-dwellers on the western or Ethiopian coast of the Red Sea. In order to find safety from these strange and barbarous enemies, Rehoboam and his princes were gathered together in Jerusalem. Shemaiah the prophet appeared before them and declared that the invasion was Jehovahs punishment for their sin, whereupon they humbled themselves, and Jehovah accepted their penitent submission. He would not destroy Jerusalem, but the Jews should serve Shishak, “that they may know My service and the service of the kingdoms of the countries.” When they threw off the yoke of Jehovah, they sold themselves into a worse bondage. There is no freedom to be gained by repudiating the restraints of morality and religion. If we do not choose to be the servants of obedience unto righteousness, our only alternative is to become the slaves “of sin unto death.” The repentant sinner may return to his true allegiance, and yet he may still be allowed to taste something of the bitterness and humiliation of the bondage of sin. His Shishak may be some evil habit or propensity or special liability to temptation, that is permitted to harass him without destroying his spiritual life. In time the chastening of the Lord works out the peaceable fruits of righteousness, and the Christian is weaned forever from the unprofitable service of sin.
Unhappily the repentance inspired by trouble and distress is not always real and permanent. Many will humble themselves before the Lord in order to avert imminent ruin, and will forsake Him when the danger has passed away. Apparently Rehoboam soon fell away again into sin, for the final judgment upon him is, “He did that which was evil, because he set not his heart to seek Jehovah.” David in his last prayer had asked for a “perfect heart” for Solomon, but he had not been able to secure this blessing for his grandson, and Rehoboam was “the foolishness of the people, one that had no understanding, who turned away the people through his counsel.” (Sir 47:23)
Rehoboam was succeeded by his son Abijah, concerning whom we are told in the book of Kings that “he walked in all the sins of his father, which he had done before him; and his heart was not perfect with Jehovah his God, as the heart of David his father.” The chronicler omits this unfavorable verdict; he does not indeed classify Abijah among the good kings by the usual formal statement that “he did that which was good and right in the eyes of Jehovah,” but Abijah delivers a hortatory speech and by Divine assistance obtains a great victory over Jeroboam. There is not a suggestion of any evil-doing on the part of Abijah; and yet we gather from the history of Asa that in Abijahs reign the cities of Judah were given up to idolatry, with all its paraphernalia of “strange altars, high places, Asherim, and sun-images.” As in the case of Solomon, so here, the chronicler has sacrificed even the consistency of his own narrative to his care for the reputation of the house of David. How the verdict of ancient history upon Abijah came to be set aside we do not know. The charitable work of whitewashing the bad characters of history has always had an attraction for enterprising annalists; and Abijah was a more promising subject than Nero, Tiberius, or Henry VIII The chronicler would rejoice to discover one more good king of Judah; but yet why should the record of Abijahs sins be expunged, while Ahaziah and Amon were still held up to the execration of posterity?
Probably the chronicler was anxious that nothing should mar the effect of his narrative of Abijahs victory. If his later sources had recorded anything equally creditable of Ahaziah and Amon, be might have ignored the judgment of the book of Kings in their case also.
The section to which the chronicler attaches so much importance describes a striking episode in the chronic warfare between Judah and Israel. Here Israel is used, as in the older history, to mean the Northern Kingdom, and does not denote the spiritual Israel-i.e., Judah-as in the previous chapter. This perplexing variation in the use of the term “Israel” shows how far Chronicles has departed from the religious ideas of the book of Kings, and reminds us that the chronicler has only partially and imperfectly assimilated his older material.
Abijah and Jeroboam had each gathered an immense army, but the army of Israel was twice as large as that of Judah: Jeroboam had eight hundred thousand to Abijahs four hundred thousand. Jeroboam advanced, confident in his overwhelming superiority and happy in the belief that Providence sides with the strongest battalions. Abijah, however, was nothing dismayed by the odds against him; his confidence was m Jehovah. The two armies met in the neighborhood of Mount Zemaraim, upon which Abijah fixed his camp. Mount Zemaraim was in the hill-country of Ephraim, but its position cannot be determined with certainty; it was probably near the border of the two kingdoms. Possibly it was the site of the Benjamite city of the same name mentioned in the book of Joshua in close connection with Bethel. {Jos 18:22} If so, we should look for it in the neighborhood of Bethel, a position which would suit the few indications of place given by the narrative.
Before the battle, Abijah made an effort to induce his enemies to depart in peace. From the vantage-ground of his mountain camp he addressed Jeroboam and his army as Jotham had addressed the men of Shechem from Mount Gerizim. {Jdg 9:8} Abijah reminded the rebels-for as such he regarded them-that Jehovah, the God of Israel, had given the kingdom over Israel to David forever, even to him and to his sons, by a covenant of salt, by a charter as solemn and unalterable as that by which the heave-offerings had been given to the sons of Aaron. {Num 18:19} The obligation of an Arab host to the guest who had sat at meat with him and eaten of his salt was not more binding than the Divine decree which had given the throne of Israel to the house of David. And yet Jeroboam the son of Nebat had dared to infringe the sacred rights of the elect dynasty. He, the slave of Solomon, had risen up and rebelled against his master.
The indignant prince of the house of David not unnaturally forgets that the disruption was Jehovahs own work, and that Jeroboam rose up against his master, not at the instigation of Satan, but by the command of the prophet Abijah. {2Ch 10:15} The advocates of sacred causes even in inspired moments are apt to be one-sided in their statements of fact.
While Abijah is severe upon Jeroboam and his accomplices and calls them “vain men, sons of Belial,” he shows a filial tenderness for the memory of Rehoboam. That unfortunate king had been taken at a disadvantage, when he was young and tender-hearted and unable to deal sternly with rebels. The tenderness which could threaten to chastise his people with scorpions must have been of the kind-
“That dared to look on torture and could not look on war”;
it only appears in the history in Rehoboams headlong flight to Jerusalem. No one, however, will censure Abijah for taking an unduly favorable view of his fathers character.
But whatever advantage Jeroboam may have found in his first revolt, Abijah warns him that now he need not think to withstand the kingdom of Jehovah in the hands of the sons of David. He is no longer opposed to an unseasoned youth, but to men who know their overwhelming advantage. Jeroboam need not think to supplement and complete his former achievements by adding Judah and Benjamin to his kingdom. Against his superiority of four hundred thousand soldiers Abijah can set a Divine alliance, attested by the presence of priests and Levites and the regular performance of the pentateuchal ritual, whilst the alienation of Israel from Jehovah is clearly shown by the irregular orders of their priests. But let Abijah speak for himself:
“Ye be a great multitude, and there are with you the golden calves which Jeroboam made you for gods.” Possibly Abijah was able to point to Bethel, where the royal sanctuary of the golden calf was visible to both armies: “Have ye not driven out the priests of Jehovah, the sons of Aaron and the Levites, and made for yourselves priests in heathen fashion? When any one comes to consecrate himself with a young bullock and seven rams, ye make him a priest of them that are no gods. But as for us, Jehovah is our God, and we have not forsaken Him; and we have priests, the sons of Aaron, ministering unto Jehovah, and the Levites, doing their appointed work: and they burn unto Jehovah morning and evening burnt offerings and sweet incense: the shewbread also they set in order upon the table that is kept free from all uncleanness; and we have the candlestick of gold, with its lamps, to burn every evening; for we observe the ordinances of Jehovah our God; but ye have forsaken Him. And, behold, God is with us at our head, and His priests, with the trumpets of alarm, to sound an alarm against you. O children of Israel, fight ye not against Jehovah, the God of your fathers; for ye shall not prosper.”
This speech, we are told, “has been much admired. It was well suited to its object, and exhibits correct notions of the theocratical institutions.” But like much other admirable eloquence, in the House of Commons and elsewhere, Abijahs speech had no effect upon those to whom it was addressed. Jeroboam apparently utilized the interval to plant an ambush in the rear of the Jewish army.
Abijahs speech is unique. There have been other instances in which commanders have tried to make oratory take the place of arms, and, like Abijah, they have mostly been unsuccessful; but they have usually appealed to lower motives. Sennacheribs envoys tried ineffectually to seduce the garrison of Jerusalem from their allegiance to Hezekiah, but they relied on threats of destruction and promises of “a land of corn and wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of oil olive and honey.” There is, however, a parallel instance of more successful persuasion. When Octavian was at war with his fellow-triumvir Lepidus, he made a daring attempt to win over his enemys army. He did not address them from the safe elevation of a neighboring mountain, but rode openly into the hostile camp. He appealed to the soldiers by motives as lofty as those urged by Abijah, and called upon them to save their country from civil war by deserting Lepidus. At the moment his appeal failed, and he only escaped with a wound in his breast; but after a while his enemys soldiers came over to him in detachments, and eventually Lepidus was compelled to surrender to his rival. But the deserters were not altogether influenced by pure patriotism. Octavian had carefully prepared the way for his dramatic appearance in the camp of Lepidus, and had used grosser means of persuasion than arguments addressed to patriotic feeling.
Another instance of a successful appeal to a hostile force is found in the history of the first Napoleon, when he was marching on Paris after his return from Elba. Near Grenoble he was met by a body of royal troops. He at once advanced to the front, and exposing his breast, exclaiming to the opposing ranks, “Here is your emperor; if any one would kill me, let him fire.” The detachment, which had been sent to arrest his progress, at once deserted to their old commander. Abijahs task was less hopeful: the soldiers whom Octavian and Napoleon won over had known these generals as lawful commanders of Roman and French armies respectively, but Abijah could not appeal to any old associations in the minds of Jeroboams army; the Israelites were animated by ancient tribal jealousies, and Jeroboam was made of sterner stuff than Lepidus or Louis XVIII Abijahs appeal is a monument of his humanity, faith, and devotion; and if it failed to influence the enemy, doubtless served to inspirit his own army.
At first, however, things went badly with Judah. They were outgeneraled as well as outnumbered: Jeroboams main body attacked them in front, and the ambush assailed their rear. Like the men of Ai, “when Judah looked back, behold, the battle was before and behind them.” But Jehovah, who fought against Ai, was fighting for Judah, and they cried unto Jehovah; and then, as at Jericho, “the men of Judah gave a shout, and when they shouted, God smote Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah.” The rout was complete, and was accompanied by terrible slaughter. No fewer than five hundred thousand Israelites were slain by the men of Judah. The latter pressed their advantage, and took the neighboring city of Bethel and other Israelite towns. For the time Israel was “brought under,” and did not recover from its tremendous losses during the three years of Abijahs reign. As for Jeroboam, Jehovah smote him, and he died; but “Abijah waxed mighty, and took unto himself fourteen wives, and begat twenty-and-two sons and sixteen daughters.” His history closes with the record of these proofs of Divine favor, and he “slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David, and Asa his son reigned in his stead.”
The lesson which the chronicler intends to teach by his narrative is obviously the importance of ritual, not the importance of ritual apart from the worship of the true God; he emphasizes the presence of Jehovah with Judah, in contrast to the Israelite worship of calves and those that are no gods. The chronicler dwells upon the maintenance of the legitimate priesthood and the prescribed ritual as the natural expression and clear proof of the devotion of the men of Judah to their God.
It may help us to realize the significance of Abijahs speech, if we try to construct an appeal in the same spirit for a Catholic general in the Thirty Years War addressing a hostile Protestant army. Imagine Wallenstein or Tilly, moved by some unwonted spirit of pious oratory, addressing the soldiers of Gustavus Adolphus:-
“We have a pope who sits in Peters chair, bishops and priests ministering unto the Lord, in the true apostolical succession. The sacrifice of the Mass is daily offered; matins, lauds, vespers; and compline are all duly celebrated; our churches are fragrant with incense and glorious with stained glass and images; we have crucifixes, and lamps, and candles; and our priests are fitly clothed in ecclesiastical vestments; for we observe the traditions of the Church, but ye have forsaken the Divine order. Behold, God is with us at our head; and we have banners blessed by the Pope. O ye Swedes, ye fight against God; ye shall not prosper.”
As Protestants we may find it difficult to sympathies with the feelings of a devout Romanist or even with those of a faithful observer of the complicated Mosaic ritual. We could not construct so close a parallel to Abijahs speech in terms of any Protestant order of service, and yet the objections which any modern denomination feels to departures from its own forms of worship rest on the same principles as those of Abijah. In the abstract the speech teaches two main lessons: the importance of an official and duly accredited ministry and of a suitable and authoritative ritual. These principles are perfectly general, and are not confined to what is usually known as sacerdotalism and ritualism. Every Church has in practice some official ministry, even those Churches that profess to owe their separate existence to the necessity for protesting against an official ministry. Men whose chief occupation is to denounce priestcraft may themselves be saturated with the sacerdotal spirit. Every Church too, has its ritual. The silence of a Friends meeting is as much a rite as the most elaborate genuflection before a highly ornamented altar. To regard either the absence or presence of rites as essential is equally ritualistic. The man who leaves his wonted place of worship because “Amen” is sung at the end of a hymn is as bigoted a ritualist as his brother who dare not pass an altar without crossing himself. Let us then consider the chroniclers two principles in this broad sense. The official ministry of Israel consisted of the priests and Levites, and the chronicler counted it a proof of the piety of the Jews that they adhered to this ministry and did not admit to the priesthood any one who could bring a young bullock and seven rams. The alternative was not between a hereditary priesthood and one open to any aspirant with special spiritual qualifications, but between a duly trained and qualified ministry on the one hand and a motley crew of the forerunners of Simon Magus on the other. It is impossible not to sympathies with the chronicler. To begin with, the property qualification was too low. If livings are to be purchased at all, they should bear a price commensurate with the dignity and responsibility of the sacred office. A mere entrance fee, so to speak, of a young bullock and seven rams must have flooded Jeroboams priesthood with a host of adventurers, to whom the assumption of the office was a matter of social or commercial speculation. The private adventure system of providing for the ministry of the word scarcely tends to either the dignity or the efficiency of the Church. But, in any case, it is not desirable that mere worldly gifts, money, social position, or even intellect should be made the sole passports to Christian service; even the traditions and education of a hereditary priesthood would be more probable channels of spiritual qualifications.
Another point that the chronicler objects to in Jeroboams priests is the want of any other than a property qualification. Any one who chose could be a priest. Such a system combined what might seem opposite vices. It preserved an artificial ministry; these self-appointed priests formed a clerical order; and yet it gave no guarantee whatever of either fitness or devotion. The chronicler, on the other hand, by the importance he attaches to the Levitical priesthood, recognizes the necessity of an official ministry, but is anxious that it should be guarded with jealous care against the intrusion of unsuitable persons. A conclusive argument for an official ministry is to be found in its formal adoption by most Churches and its uninvited appearance in the rest. We should not now be contented with the safeguards against unsuitable ministers to be found in hereditary succession; the system of the Pentateuch would be neither acceptable nor possible in the nineteenth century: and yet, if it had been perfectly administered, the Jewish priesthood would have been worthy of its high office, nor were the times ripe for the substitution of any better system. Many of the considerations which justify hereditary succession in a constitutional monarchy might be adduced in defense of a hereditary priesthood. Even now, without any pressure of law or custom, there is a certain tendency towards hereditary succession in the ministerial office. It would be easy to name distinguished ministers who were inspired for the high calling by their fathers devoted service, and who received an invaluable preparation for their life-work from the Christian enthusiasm of a clerical household. The clerical ancestry of the Wesleys is only one among many illustrations of an inherited genius for the ministry.
But though the best method of obtaining a suitable ministry varies with changing circumstances, the chroniclers main principle is of permanent and universal application. The Church has always felt a just concern that the official representatives of its faith and order should commend themselves to every mans conscience in the sight of God. The prophet needs neither testimonials nor official status: the word of the Lord can have free course without either; but the appointment or election to ecclesiastical office entrusts the official with the honor of the Church and in a measure of its Master.
The chroniclers other principle is the importance of a suitable and authoritative ritual. We have already noticed that any order of service that is fixed by the constitution or custom of a Church involves the principle of ritual. Abijahs speech does not insist that only the established ritual should be tolerated; such questions had not come within the chroniclers horizon. The merit of Judah lay in possessing and practicing a legitimate ritual, that is to say in observing the Pauline injunction to do all things decently and in order: The present generation is not inclined to enforce any very stringent obedience to Pauls teaching, and finds it difficult to sympathize with Abijahs enthusiasm for the symbolism of worship. But men today are not radically different from the chroniclers contemporaries, and it is as legitimate to appeal to spiritual sensibility through the eye as through the ear; architecture and decoration are neither more nor less spiritual than an attractive voice and impressive elocution. Novelty and variety have, or should have, their legitimate place in public worship; but the Church has its obligations to those who have more regular spiritual wants. Most of us find much of the helpfulness of public worship in the influence of old and familiar spiritual associations, which can only be maintained by a measure of permanence and fixity in Divine service. The symbolism of the Lords Supper never loses its freshness, and yet it is restful because familiar and impressive because ancient. On the other hand, the maintenance of this ritual is a constant testimony to the continuity of Christian life and faith. Moreover, in this rite the great bulk of Christendom finds the outward and visible sign of its unity.
Ritual, too, has its negative value. By observing the Levitical ordinances the Jews were protected from the vagaries of any ambitious owner of a young bullock and seven rams. While we grant liberty to all to use the form of worship in which they find most spiritual profit, we need to have Churches whose ritual will be comparatively fixed. Christians who find themselves most helped by the more quiet and regular methods of devotion naturally look to a settled order of service to protect them from undue and distracting excitement.
In spite of the wide interval that separates the modern Church from Judaism, we can still discern a unity of principle, and are glad to confirm the judgment of Christian experience from the lessons of an older and different dispensation. But we should do injustice to the chroniclers teaching if we forgot that for his own times his teaching was capable of much more definite and forcible application. Christianity and Islam have purified religious worship throughout Europe, America, and a large portion of Asia. We are no longer tempted by the cruel, loathsome rites of heathenism. The Jews knew the wild extravagance, gross immorality, and ruthless cruelty of Phoenician and Syrian worship. If we had lived in the chroniclers age and had shared his experience of idolatrous rites, we should have also shared his enthusiasm for the pure and lofty ritual of the Pentateuch. We should have regarded it as a Divine barrier between Israel and the abominations of heathenism, and should have been jealous for its strict observance.