Bible Talks

2 Chronicles 10:16-11:1616And when all Israel saw that the king would not hearken unto them, the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David? and we have none inheritance in the son of Jesse: every man to your tents, O Israel: and now, David, see to thine own house. So all Israel went to their tents. 17But as for the children of Israel that dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them. 18Then king Rehoboam sent Hadoram that was over the tribute; and the children of Israel stoned him with stones, that he died. But king Rehoboam made speed to get him up to his chariot, to flee to Jerusalem. 19And Israel rebelled against the house of David unto this day. 1And when Rehoboam was come to Jerusalem, he gathered of the house of Judah and Benjamin an hundred and fourscore thousand chosen men, which were warriors, to fight against Israel, that he might bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam. 2But the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying, 3Speak unto Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, saying, 4Thus saith the Lord, Ye shall not go up, nor fight against your brethren: return every man to his house: for this thing is done of me. And they obeyed the words of the Lord, and returned from going against Jeroboam. 5And Rehoboam dwelt in Jerusalem, and built cities for defence in Judah. 6He built even Bethlehem, and Etam, and Tekoa, 7And Beth-zur, and Shoco, and Adullam, 8And Gath, and Mareshah, and Ziph, 9And Adoraim, and Lachish, and Azekah, 10And Zorah, and Aijalon, and Hebron, which are in Judah and in Benjamin fenced cities. 11And he fortified the strong holds, and put captains in them, and store of victual, and of oil and wine. 12And in every several city he put shields and spears, and made them exceeding strong, having Judah and Benjamin on his side. 13And the priests and the Levites that were in all Israel resorted to him out of all their coasts. 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 priest's office unto the Lord: 15And he ordained him priests for the high places, and for the devils, and for the calves which he had made. 16And after them out of all the tribes of Israel such as set their hearts to seek the Lord God of Israel came to Jerusalem, to sacrifice unto the Lord God of their fathers. (2 Chronicles 10:16‑11).
HOW sad it was that Rehoboam never seemed to think of asking counsel of the Lord in the serious matter of replying to the request of his people. Evidently he knew nothing about the book of Proverbs which his father had written and where there is much said about the fear of the Lord and of getting wisdom; for example: "My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: . . . Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart: so shalt thou find favor and good understanding in the sight of God and man. Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding." Prov. 3:1-51My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: 2For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee. 3Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart: 4So shalt thou find favor and good understanding in the sight of God and man. 5Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. (Proverbs 3:1‑5). Had Rehoboam valued this book, he would have answered the people quite differently. But his father had forsaken the Lord and Rehoboam had followed him, so it was in the government of God that he should lose the greater part of the kingdom.
Then we witness a sad spectacle. When the people of Israel received the rough answer of Rehoboam, they rejected all that David had done for them and answered: "What portion have we in David? and we have none inheritance in the son of Jesse: every man to your tents, O Israel: and now, David, see to thine own house." So all Israel went to their tents. However, those who dwelt in the cities of Judah and Benjamin remained loyal to the house of David.
The folly of Rehoboam in answering the people so roughly was no justification for the ten tribes to revolt and refuse to own what David had done for Israel. They had many years ahead of suffering as a result of their self-will.
Still Rehoboam did not own the hand of the Lord in the trouble that had come upon him. He sent out Hadoram, who was over the tribute, to collect from those tribes in revolt and he was stoned to death. Then the king returned to Jerusalem and raised a great army in an effort to regain control of the whole kingdom by force. But the Lord sent Shimei, a man of God, with a message for the king, saying, "Ye shall not go up, nor fight against your brethren: return every man to his house; for this thing is done of me." So they obeyed the word of the Lord and did not go to war.
Jeroboam then became king over the ten tribes and he refused to allow the people to go up to Jerusalem to worship. Instead he instituted a worship of his own. Contrary to the law of the Lord (Numbers 18; 25:10-1310And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 11Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, hath turned my wrath away from the children of Israel, while he was zealous for my sake among them, that I consumed not the children of Israel in my jealousy. 12Wherefore say, Behold, I give unto him my covenant of peace: 13And he shall have it, and his seed after him, even the covenant of an everlasting priesthood; because he was zealous for his God, and made an atonement for the children of Israel. (Numbers 25:10‑13); Heb. 7:55And verily they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brethren, though they come out of the loins of Abraham: (Hebrews 7:5)), he ordained priests, not of the tribe of Levi, but of the lowest of the people, "for the high places, and for the devils, and for the calves which he had made." 2 Chron. 11:1515And he ordained him priests for the high places, and for the devils, and for the calves which he had made. (2 Chronicles 11:15). The children of Israel in Lev. 1 7: 7 were told not to offer sacrifices unto devils, and this was to be a statute forever throughout their generations. Satan is really the grand mover behind all idolatrous worship. But it only shows that in their hearts the people were far from the Lord to follow such a leader as Jeroboam. The Lord Jesus said in Matt. 15:8,8This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoreth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. (Matthew 15:8) "This people draweth nigh unto Me with their mouth, and honoureth Me with their lips; but their heart is far from Me. But in vain do they worship Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men."
One result of setting up this false worship was that numbers of the priests and Levites from among the ten tribes left their homes and came and dwelt in Judah.
Messages of the Love of God 7/6/1958