Rending of the Kingdom
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hand of Shishak. Nevertheless they shall be his servants; that they may
know My service, and the service of the kingdoms of the countries.
“So Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, and took
away the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the
king’s house; he took all: he carried away also the shields of gold
which Solomon had made. Instead of which King Rehoboam made
shields of brass, and committed them to the hands of the chief of
the guard, that kept the entrance of the king’s house.... And when
he humbled himself, the wrath of the Lord turned from him, that He
would not destroy him altogether: and also in Judah things went well.”
Verses 6-12
.
But as the hand of affliction was removed, and the nation prospered
once more, many forgot their fears and turned again to idolatry. Among
these was King Rehoboam himself. Though humbled by the calamity
that had befallen him, he failed to make this experience a decisive
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turning point in his life. Forgetting the lesson that God had endeavored
to teach him, he relapsed into the sins that had brought judgments on
the nation. After a few inglorious years, during which the king “did
evil, because he prepared not his heart to seek the Lord,” “Rehoboam
slept with his fathers, and was buried in the City of David: and Abijah
his son reigned in his stead.”
Verses 14, 16
.
With the rending of the kingdom early in Rehoboam’s reign the
glory of Israel began to depart, never again to be regained in its fullness.
At times during the centuries that followed, the throne of David was
occupied by men of moral worth and far-seeing judgment, and under
the rulership of these sovereigns the blessings resting upon the men
of Judah were extended to the surrounding nations. At times the
name of Jehovah was exalted above every false god, and His law
was held in reverence. From time to time mighty prophets arose
to strengthen the hands of the rulers and to encourage the people to
continued faithfulness. But the seeds of evil already springing up when
Rehoboam ascended the throne were never to be wholly uprooted; and
at times the once-favored people of God were to fall so low as to
become a byword among the heathen.
Yet notwithstanding the perversity of those who leaned toward
idolatrous practices, God in mercy would do everything in His power
to save the divided kingdom from utter ruin. And as the years rolled on
and His purpose concerning Israel seemed to be utterly thwarted by the