2 Chronicles 11

2 Chronicles 11
Rehoboam would have plunged the land into civil war to hold the ten tribes from secession, but the word of God through Shemaiah forbade him, and he contented himself with strengthening that portion of the land which owned the authority of the son of David. For three years he and his people, humbled by what had occurred, did well, walking in the ways of David and Solomon.
The ten tribes having openly embraced idolatry under Jeroboam (see 1 Kings 12:26-33; 13:33; 11:7-1026And Jeroboam said in his heart, Now shall the kingdom return to the house of David: 27If this people go up to do sacrifice in the house of the Lord at Jerusalem, then shall the heart of this people turn again unto their lord, even unto Rehoboam king of Judah, and they shall kill me, and go again to Rehoboam king of Judah. 28Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold, and said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. 29And he set the one in Beth-el, and the other put he in Dan. 30And this thing became a sin: for the people went to worship before the one, even unto Dan. 31And he made an house of high places, and made priests of the lowest of the people, which were not of the sons of Levi. 32And Jeroboam ordained a feast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like unto the feast that is in Judah, and he offered upon the altar. So did he in Beth-el, sacrificing unto the calves that he had made: and he placed in Beth-el the priests of the high places which he had made. 33So he offered upon the altar which he had made in Beth-el the fifteenth day of the eighth month, even in the month which he had devised of his own heart; and ordained a feast unto the children of Israel: and he offered upon the altar, and burnt incense. (1 Kings 12:26‑33)
33After this thing Jeroboam returned not from his evil way, but made again of the lowest of the people priests of the high places: whosoever would, he consecrated him, and he became one of the priests of the high places. (1 Kings 13:33)
7Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon. 8And likewise did he for all his strange wives, which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods. 9And the Lord was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the Lord God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice, 10And had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods: but he kept not that which the Lord commanded. (1 Kings 11:7‑10)) , the priests and the Levites that were in his kingdom resorted to Rehoboam out of all their districts, and the Levites left their possessions and came to Judah and Jerusalem. After them, those out of all the tribes of Israel, who set their heart to seek the Lord God of Israel, come to Jerusalem to sacrifice to Him as the God of their fathers. In these years Rehoboam dealt wisely, though later followed the evil example of his father in taking a multitude of wives and other ways (chapter 12), but for the moment, he shines, though not as brightly, it is true, as his father or his grandfather had.
The test was soon to come; Was he profiting by the earnest counsel of the Book of Proverbs ? Did chapters 2 and 3, for example, sink into his heart?