Rending of the Kingdom
57
Israel stoned him with stones, that he died.” Startled by this evidence
of the strength of revolt, “King Rehoboam made speed to get him up
to his chariot, to flee to Jerusalem.”
Verse 18
.
At Jerusalem “he assembled all the house of Judah, with the tribe
of Benjamin, an hundred and fourscore thousand chosen men, which
were warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, to bring the kingdom
again to Rehoboam the son of Solomon. But the word of God came
unto Shemaiah the man of God, saying, Speak unto Rehoboam, the
son of Solomon, king of Judah, and unto all the house of Judah and
[92]
Benjamin, and to the remnant of the people, saying, Thus saith the
Lord, Ye shall not go up, nor fight against your brethren the children of
Israel: return every man to his house; for this thing is from Me. They
hearkened therefore to the word of the Lord, and returned to depart,
according to the word of the Lord.”
Verses 21-24
.
For three years Rehoboam tried to profit by his sad experience
at the beginning of his reign; and in this effort he was prospered.
He “built cities for defense in Judah,” and “fortified the strongholds,
and put captains in them, and store of victual, and of oil and wine.”
[93]
He was careful to make these fortified cities “exceeding strong.”
2
Chronicles 11:5, 11, 12
. But the secret of Judah’s prosperity during
the first years of Rehoboam’s reign lay not in these measures. It was
their recognition of God as the Supreme Ruler that placed the tribes of
Judah and Benjamin on vantage ground. To their number were added
many God-fearing men from the northern tribes. “Out of all the tribes
of Israel,” the record reads, “such as set their hearts to seek the Lord
God of Israel came to Jerusalem, to sacrifice unto the Lord God of
their fathers. So they strengthened the kingdom of Judah, and made
Rehoboam the son of Solomon strong, three years: for three years they
walked in the way of David and Solomon.”
Verses 16, 17
.
In continuing this course lay Rehoboam’s opportunity to redeem
in large measure the mistakes of the past and to restore confidence
in his ability to rule with discretion. But the pen of inspiration has
traced the sad record of Solomon’s successor as one who failed to
exert a strong influence for loyalty to Jehovah. Naturally headstrong,
confident, self-willed, and inclined to idolatry, nevertheless, had he
placed his trust wholly in God, he would have developed strength of
character, steadfast faith, and submission to the divine requirements.
But as time passed, the king put his trust in the power of position