This week’s readings take us through the reigns of three kings of Judah: Rehoboam, son of King Solomon; Abijah, Rehoboam’s son; and Asa, son of Abijah.
In 2 Chronicles, chapter 10, Israel gathers to make Rehoboam king after the death of King Solomon. This is an interesting chapter because we see the scene set up for a major event in Israel’s history. First, Jeroboam returns from Egypt. Jeroboam fled to Egypt because King Solomon tried to kill him (1 Kings 11:40). The leaders of Israel summon Jeroboam to meet with Rehoboam. Jeroboam and the leaders speak to Rehoboam and ask him to lighten the labor and tax demands of his father, King Solomon. The people of Israel promise to be loyal subjects to Rehoboam in return. Rehoboam requests three days to give an answer. He first seeks the advice of his father’s counselors. He is counseled to comply with the request. Rehoboam then inquires of his friends who advise him very differently. They encourage him to reply in a very dramatic fashion “This is what you should tell those complainers who want a lighter burden: ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist! Yes, my father laid heavy burdens on you, but I’m going to make them even heavier! My father beat you with whips, but I will beat you with scorpions!” (2 Chronicles 10:10-11). King Rehoboam’s decision to follow the advice of his friends, although seemingly unwise, is allowed by God. Verse 15 states “So the king paid no attention to the people. This turn of events was the will of God, for it fulfilled the Lord’s message to Jeroboam son of Nebat through the prophet Ahijah from Shiloh.” What was this message to Jeroboam? In 1 Kings chapter 11 we learn that Solomon loved many foreign women. 1 Kings 11:4 “In Solomon’s old age, they turned his heart to worship other gods instead of being completely faithful to the Lord his God, as his father David, had been.” In verse 29, Jeroboam is leaving Jerusalem when the prophet Ahijah meets him. Ahijah is wearing a new cloak and proceeds to tear it into twelve pieces. In verse 31, Ahijah prophesies that the Lord is about to tear the kingdom from the hand of Solomon and give 10 tribes to Jeroboam. Jeroboam is told this will not be done in Solomon’s lifetime, for the sake of his father David, but would be done to Solomon’s son. So, here, Jeroboam returns to Israel, with the knowledge of this prophecy. Rehoboam is foolish in taking the advice of his friends over his father’s advisers, but as we see in 2 Chronicles 10:15, this turn of events was the will of God to fulfill the word given earlier to Jeroboam. By the end of chapter 10 the kingdom split in two. Israel (10 tribes) is led by Jeroboam and Judah (2 tribes) is led by Rehoboam.
In chapter 11, war is about to break out between Israel and Judah. God sends Shemaiah to tell Rehoboam not to fight against his relatives, for what happened was the Lord’s doing. Here we see the tale of two kings. Jeroboam has abandoned the Lord and is appointing his own priests to serve pagan shrines. Those in Israel who wished to serve the Lord fled to Judah and supported Rehoboam, who, at this point in his reign, appears to be faithfully following the Lord.
Chapter 12 begins with a disturbing statement: “But when Rehoboam was firmly established and strong, he abandoned the Law of the Lord, and all Israel followed him in this sin.” What a sad commentary. When Rehoboam desperately needed the Lord, he followed him, but when he was firmly established, he abandoned the law of the Lord. There is nothing new under the sun. Desperate times find us quickly calling on God for help. Often our relationship with the Lord can be more precarious when all is well. God sends the king of Egypt to attack Jerusalem. Note that this is in the fifth year of King Rehoboam’s reign. It did not take long for Rehoboam to walk away from the Lord. Rehoboam and the leaders of Judah humble themselves when they realize they are under attack. God relents from complete destruction, but allows them to become subjects of Shishak, king of Egypt. The account of King Rehoboam’s reign ends with an additional disturbing commentary: “But he was an evil king, for he did not seek the Lord with all his heart.” Evil. God himself refers to Rehoboam as an evil king. Rehoboam sought the Lord during parts of his reign, but his seeking was often need based, not a true wholehearted commitment to the Lord. This can certainly make one pause in self-reflection.
Chapter 13 begins with Rehoboam’s son, Abijah becoming king. Abijah becomes king during the 18th year of Jeroboam’s reign. War breaks out between the two kingdoms. Here in verse 7, Abijah refers to the events at the start of chapter 10 when Jeroboam led the request for Rehoboam to lessen the demands of his father Solomon. During battle Abijah comments “…a whole gang of scoundrels joined him (Jeroboam), defying Solomon’s son Rehoboam when he was young and inexperienced and could not stand up to them.” Jeroboam was always a man with a plan. During this battle Jeroboam surrounds Judah’s armies. Judah calls on the Lord and Abijah and the armies of Judah inflict heavy losses on Israel, because they trusted in the Lord. Jeroboam never regains his power during Abijah’s lifetime and eventually the Lord strikes him down and he dies (vs. 20).
Chapter 14 begins with Abijah dying and his son Asa becoming king. There is peace in the land for 10 years. Asa does what is pleasing in the sight of God, removing foreign altars and pagan shrines. God grants him peace, and when Judah is eventually attacked, they are victorious.
In Chapter 15 Azariah, son of Oded, greets King Asa as he is returning from battle. God promises to be with Asa and the nation of Judah if they seek him and stay with him. The message ends with “But as for you, be strong and courageous, for your work will be rewarded” (v. 7). This word encouraged and challenged Asa to remove idols from the land. He calls together the people of Judah and Benjamin to enter a covenant to seek the Lord. It is recorded that the people of Judah earnestly sought after God.
The chapter ends with a sentence that foreshadows what is to come: “So there was no more war until the thirty-fifth year of Asa’s reign” (2 Chronicles 15:19).
Until……..what happens in the thirty-fifth year of his reign? I guess we will need to wait until next week’s reading to find out……
