2 Chronicles 10-12

2 Chronicles 10-12




2 Chronicles 10-12

I. Introduction

  1. In our last study, we reached the end of Solomon’s reign and life.
  2. While humbled and blessed by the Lord, Solomon in the latter years was rebuked by the Lord for his sin.
  3. These next chapters will introduce us to the two leaders responsible for dividing Israel: Rehoboam and Jeroboam.

II. Chapter 10

  1. vv. 1-4 Israel requests Rehoboam to lighten the burden.

    2 Chronicles 10:1-4 1 And Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had gone to Shechem to make him king. 2 So it happened, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard it (he was in Egypt, where he had fled from the presence of King Solomon), that Jeroboam returned from Egypt. 3 Then they sent for him and called him. And Jeroboam and all Israel came and spoke to Rehoboam, saying, 4 “Your father made our yoke heavy; now therefore, lighten the burdensome service of your father and his heavy yoke which he put on us, and we will serve you.”[1]
    1. The tribes from the North inquire about the heavy load placed upon the people and seek to have it lifted.
      1. Israel followed Solomon without issue, but they are not ready to follow his son without some assurances.
      2. This is a reasonable request and an opportunity for Rehoboam to build relationships.
    2. The division among the nations is an interesting problem to consider.
      1. On the one hand, the Lord prophesied this division (1 Kings 11:11-13, 29-35).
      2. Solomon’s sin prompted the Lord to bring judgment upon the kingdom of Israel, resulting in a civil division of the tribes into two separate kingdoms.
      3. On the other hand, as we will see, certain human actions led to this breach.
  2. vv. 5-12 Rehoboam seeks counsel.
    1. vv. 5-8 Counsel from the elders.

      5 So he said to them, “Come back to me after three days.” And the people departed. 6 Then King Rehoboam consulted the elders who stood before his father Solomon while he still lived, saying, “How do you advise me to answer these people?” 7 And they spoke to him, saying, “If you are kind to these people, and please them, and speak good words to them, they will be your servants forever.” 8 But he rejected the advice which the elders had given him, and consulted the young men who had grown up with him, who stood before him.
      1. This was solid advice.
      2. When you receive advice, it is wise to compare it to the Scriptures and the nature of God to see if it is sound.
    2. Show kindness.
      1. Kindness should mark our love.

        According to Webster’s 1828 edition, “Kindness … Delights in contributing to the happiness of others, which is exercised cheerfully in gratifying their wishes, supplying their wants or alleviating their distresses.”

      2. Our love should be marked with a delight in adding to the happiness of others while observing the needs we can meet in their life.
        1. Sometimes that is a long conversation.
        2. Sometimes it is meeting a specific need.
      3. Rehoboam failed to consider the response of the people and spoke rashly and foolishly.

        Proverbs 15:1 A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger
    3. vv. 9- 12 Counsel from Rehoboam’s young advisors.

      9 And he said to them, “What advice do you give? How should we answer this people who have spoken to me, saying, ‘Lighten the yoke which your father put on us’?” 10 Then the young men who had grown up with him spoke to him, saying, “Thus you should speak to the people who have spoken to you, saying, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but you make it lighter on us’—thus you shall say to them: ‘My little finger shall be thicker than my father’s waist! 11 And now, whereas my father put a heavy yoke on you, I will add to your yoke; my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scourges!’ ” 12 So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day, as the king had directed, saying, “Come back to me the third day.”
      1. This was foolish advice rooted in worldly thinking.
      2. Rehoboam fails to discern the path of wisdom and peace.
    4. He needed to walk in humility.

      1 Peter 5:5 (NLT) In the same way, you younger men must accept the authority of the elders. And all of you, serve each other in humility, for “God opposes the proud but favors the humble.”

    5. Rehoboam let fear drive his decision-making.
      1. He concluded he must hold it all together with a strong hand.
      2. He should have trusted the Lord to hold the kingdom.
  3. vv. 13-15 Rehoboam’s foolish response.

    13 Then the king answered them roughly. King Rehoboam rejected the advice of the elders, 14 and he spoke to them according to the advice of the young men, saying, “My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to it; my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scourges!” 15 So the king did not listen to the people; for the turn of events was from God, that the Lord might fulfill His word, which He had spoken by the hand of Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.
    1. He disregards the elders and heeds the counsel that appealed to harshness and pride.
    2. Apparently, Rehoboam hadn’t taken time to read and copy the Scriptures (Deut 17:18-20).
      1. God instructed the kings of Israel not to let their hearts be lifted above their brethren.
    3. He needed to be a servant.

      Philippians 2:3 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.
      1. When the Son of God came to earth, He came as a servant (Luke 22:24-27; Phil. 2:1-13).
      2. Jesus washed His disciples’ feet as an example of humble service (John 13:1-17).
      3. Likewise, we have been taught to esteem others more highly than ourselves and our own needs.
    4. Solomon wondered about the person who would assume his place.

      Ecclesiastes 2:18–19 18 Then I hated all my labor in which I had toiled under the sun, because I must leave it to the man who will come after me. 19 And who knows whether he will be wise or a fool? Yet he will rule over all my labor in which I toiled and in which I have shown myself wise under the sun. This also is vanity.
      1. Solomon’s first act was God’s wisdom.
      2. His son’s first act was full of folly.
  4. vv. 16-19 A divided nation.

    16 Now when all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them, the people answered the king, saying: “What share have we in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse. Every man to your tents, O Israel! Now see to your own house, O David!” So all Israel departed to their tents. 17 But Rehoboam reigned over the children of Israel who dwelt in the cities of Judah. 18 Then King Rehoboam sent Hadoram, who was in charge of revenue; but the children of Israel stoned him with stones, and he died. Therefore King Rehoboam mounted his chariot in haste to flee to Jerusalem. 19 So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day.
    1. And so begins the long centuries of hostility between Israel and Judah.
    2. Obviously, this was not God’s plan, but failure to walk in obedience to the commandments of God results in troubled relationships.
    3. How to avoid broken relationships.
      1. Show kindness.
      2. Walk in humility.
      3. Trust in God.
      4. Be a servant.

III. Chapter 11

  1. vv. 1-4 Rehoboam is advised not to go to war.
    1. vv. 1-3 God speaks

      1 Now when Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, he assembled from the house of Judah and Benjamin one hundred and eighty thousand chosen men who were warriors, to fight against Israel, that he might restore the kingdom to Rehoboam. 2 But the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying, 3 “Speak to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, saying”
      1. Praise the Lord for his grace that speaks even after Rehoboam’s previous poor decision.
      2. God desires to lead us and guide us.
    2. v. 4 God tells Rehoboam not to go to war.

      4 Thus says the Lord: “You shall not go up or fight against your brethren! Let every man return to his house, for this thing is from Me.” Therefore they obeyed the words of the Lord, and turned back from attacking Jeroboam.
      1. This schism was under the Lord’s control.
      2. Remember the prophecy given to Solomon: the nation would experience this divide during his son’s reign because of his sin with the gods of his wives.
      3. To Rehoboam’s credit, he obeys the word of the Lord.
  2. vv. 5-12 Rehoboam builds fortified cities.



    5 So Rehoboam dwelt in Jerusalem, and built cities for defense in Judah. 6 And he built Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa, 7 Beth Zur, Sochoh, Adullam, 8 Gath, Mareshah, Ziph, 9 Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah, 10 Zorah, Aijalon, and Hebron, which are in Judah and Benjamin, fortified cities. 11 And he fortified the strongholds, and put captains in them, and stores of food, oil, and wine. 12 Also in every city he put shields and spears, and made them very strong, having Judah and Benjamin on his side.
    1. The result of division is that energy and resources are diverted to protect against internal strife rather than against other nations.
    2. This same sad truth has been played out among the people of God so many times.
    3. Those who create division among the people of God will answer to God, who has said it is an abomination to Him.

      Proverbs 6:16–19 16 These six things the Lord hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him: 17 A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood, 18 A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that are swift in running to evil, 19 A false witness who speaks lies, And one who sows discord among brethren.

    4. Rather than time spent edifying, evangelizing, and worshipping together, resources are diverted to manage the fight.
  3. vv. 13-14 Levites stand with Rehoboam.

    13 And from all their territories the priests and the Levites who were in all Israel took their stand with him. 14 For the Levites left their common-lands and their possessions and came to Judah and Jerusalem, for Jeroboam and his sons had rejected them from serving as priests to the Lord.
    1. The Levites forsake material benefits for God’s clear plan that He was to be worshiped in Jerusalem through the Levites’ ministry.
    2. Areas we need to take a stand that may have a negative impact.
      1. At work.
      2. With friends.
      3. With family.
  4. vv. 15-16 Jeroboam promotes a new worship system.

    15 Then he appointed for himself priests for the high places, for the demons, and the calf idols which he had made. 16 And after the Levites left, those from all the tribes of Israel, such as set their heart to seek the Lord God of Israel, came to Jerusalem to sacrifice to the Lord God of their fathers.
    1. 1 Kings gives us more information about this sin.

      1 Kings 12:25-33 25 Then Jeroboam built Shechem in the mountains of Ephraim, and dwelt there. Also he went out from there and built Penuel.  26 And Jeroboam said in his heart, “Now the kingdom may return to the house of David:  27 “If these people go up to offer sacrifices in the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, then the heart of this people will turn back to their lord, Rehoboam king of Judah, and they will kill me and go back to Rehoboam king of Judah.”  28 Therefore the king asked advice, made two calves of gold, and said to the people, “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, O Israel, which brought you up from the land of Egypt!”  29 And he set up one in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan.  30 Now this thing became a sin, for the people went to worship before the one as far as Dan.  31 He made shrines on the high places, and made priests from every class of people, who were not of the sons of Levi.  32 Jeroboam ordained a feast on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, like the feast that was in Judah, and offered sacrifices on the altar. So he did at Bethel, sacrificing to the calves that he had made. And at Bethel he installed the priests of the high places which he had made.  33 So he made offerings on the altar which he had made at Bethel on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, in the month which he had devised in his own heart. And he ordained a feast for the children of Israel, and offered sacrifices on the altar and burned incense.


      1. How interesting that they would worship golden calves. The wilderness lesson was lost.
      2. This was probably a result of his time spent down in Egypt, where this was part of their long list of gods.
      3. God had promised a blessed kingdom if he was to follow the Lord.
      4. Fear of losing the kingdom caused him to make foolish decisions.
    2. God sends a prophet to rebuke Jeroboam for the idolatry he introduced to Israel.

      1 Kings 13:1-3 1 And behold, a man of God went from Judah to Bethel by the word of the LORD, and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense. 2 Then he cried out against the altar by the word of the LORD, and said, “O altar, altar! Thus says the LORD: ‘Behold, a child, Josiah by name, shall be born to the house of David; and on you he shall sacrifice the priests of the high places who burn incense on you, and men’s bones shall be burned on you.’ ” 3 And he gave a sign the same day, saying, “This is the sign which the LORD has spoken: Surely the altar shall split apart, and the ashes on it shall be poured out.”
      1. Josiah was a righteous king who came along 290 years later, and he fulfilled this prophecy (2 Kings 23:15-16).
      2. It is amazing to think that one man’s sin could continue to be a stumbling block for nearly three centuries.
      3. It doesn’t matter how long a sin abides; God will never be okay with it.
        1. It may be accepted as a family or a culture, but God will never be okay with sin.
    3. 1 Kings 13:4-6 Jeroboam seeks to arrest the prophet (1 Kings 13:4-6).
      1. Jeroboam suffers a withered hand as he sought to arrest the prophet.
      2. The idolatrous altar was split in two.
      3. The prophet restored the use of his hand, but this does not lead to repentance (1 Kings 13:33-34).
      4. Jeroboam extends an offer to all people to take part in the priestly duties of this idolatrous worship.
    4. Jeroboam’s sin.
      1. Control – An attempt to keep the nation’s loyalty.
      2. Convenience – Make worship convenient.
      3. Carnal – Make worship about people, not God.
      4. Conceit – Appoint himself High Priest.
      5. Corruption – Corruption of truth. Keep the same name but change key elements.
        1. Location
        2. Presence of God missing
        3. Add a more physical element with the calves from Egypt
  5. vv. 17-23 Rehoboam’s three years of godly living.
    1. v. 17 Obedience in the early years of his reign.

      17 So they strengthened the kingdom of Judah, and made Rehoboam the son of Solomon strong for three years, because they walked in the way of David and Solomon for three years.
      1. It isn’t how well you start, but how you finish.
      2. I am saddened by the news that some whom we love and grew up with are struggling mightily in their walks, marriage, and ministry.
      3. Pray for steadfastness for Rebecca and me. That we continue and remain wise in keeping compromise out of our lives.
    2. vv. 18-23 Sin of polygamy.
      1. Rehoboam multiplies wives in disobedience to the Word of God.

        18 Then Rehoboam took for himself as wife Mahalath the daughter of Jerimoth the son of David, and of Abihail the daughter of Eliah the son of Jesse. 19 And she bore him children: Jeush, Shamariah, and Zaham. 20 After her he took Maachah the granddaughter of Absalom; and she bore him Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith. 21 Now Rehoboam loved Maachah the granddaughter of Absalom more than all his wives and his concubines; for he took eighteen wives and sixty concubines, and begot twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters. 22 And Rehoboam appointed Abijah the son of Maachah as chief, to be leader among his brothers; for he intended to make him king. 23 He dealt wisely, and dispersed some of his sons throughout all the territories of Judah and Benjamin, to every fortified city; and he gave them provisions in abundance. He also sought many wives for them.

      2. We have thoroughly covered this sin with Solomon.
      3. Suffice it to say that our model and example are often how our children will live.

IV. Chapter 12

  1. vv. 1-4 Beware of strength.

    2 Chronicles 12:1-4 1 Now it came to pass, when Rehoboam had established the kingdom and had strengthened himself, that he forsook the law of the Lord, and all Israel along with him. 2 And it happened in the fifth year of King Rehoboam that Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, because they had transgressed against the Lord, 3 with twelve hundred chariots, sixty thousand horsemen, and people without number who came with him out of Egypt—the Lubim and the Sukkiim and the Ethiopians. 4 And he took the fortified cities of Judah and came to Jerusalem.
    1. Rehoboam falsely concluded that faithfulness to the Lord was no longer necessary in his life.
      1. He had weathered the storm of a divided kingdom and was experiencing the Lord’s blessing in his life.
      2. He then wrongly concluded that he no longer needed the Lord.
      3. It is easier to trust in the Lord when the circumstances of life are desperate and larger than our abilities or schemes.
      4. Strength, peace, and prosperity can numb us to our need for God.
    2. This was a trap the Lord had warned Israel against prior to entering the Promised Land.

      Deuteronomy 8:2-14 2 “And you shall remember that the LORD your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. 3 “So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the LORD. 4 “Your garments did not wear out on you, nor did your foot swell these forty years. 5 “You should know in your heart that as a man chastens his son, so the LORD your God chastens you. 6 “Therefore you shall keep the commandments of the LORD your God, to walk in His ways and to fear Him. 7 “For the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs, that flow out of valleys and hills; 8 “a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive oil and honey; 9 “a land in which you will eat bread without scarcity, in which you will lack nothing; a land whose stones are iron and out of whose hills you can dig copper. 10 “When you have eaten and are full, then you shall bless the LORD your God for the good land which He has given you. 11 ” Beware that you do not forget the LORD your God by not keeping His commandments, His judgments, and His statutes which I command you today, 12 “lest — when you have eaten and are full, and have built beautiful houses and dwell in them; 13 “and when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and your gold are multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied; 14 “when your heart is lifted up, and you forget the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage

    3. v. 4 Remember the fortified cities of chapter 11.
      1. Now they are handed over to the enemy.
      2. No amount of human protection is going to stop the chastening of the Lord.
      3. To think that you can forsake the Lord and still find strength is foolish.

        Psalm 127:1-2 (NLT) 1 A song for the ascent to Jerusalem. A psalm of Solomon. Unless the LORD builds a house, the work of the builders is useless. Unless the LORD protects a city, guarding it with sentries will do no good.  2 It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to his loved ones.
  2. vv. 5-8 God humbles Israel.
    1. v. 5 When God does not deliver.

      5 Then Shemaiah the prophet came to Rehoboam and the leaders of Judah, who were gathered together in Jerusalem because of Shishak, and said to them, “Thus says the Lord: ‘You have forsaken Me, and therefore I also have left you in the hand of Shishak.’”
      1. Those who believe they can live however they choose as the people of God deceive themselves and do not realize that God will forsake those who forsake Him.
      2. We will see this more clearly in the life of Asa in a few chapters.
      3. If God were to leave you in your problems, what would your life be like?
      4. Be mindful of the Lord’s wonderful delivering hand in your life.
      5. Some form of the word “deliver” is used 538 times in the NKJV.
      6. Our God is our deliverer! Yet, if we forsake Him, we forsake His rescuing hand.
  3. vv. 6-7a Leaders humble themselves.

    6 So the leaders of Israel and the king humbled themselves; and they said, “The Lord is righteous.” 7 Now when the Lord saw that they humbled themselves, the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah, saying, “They have humbled themselves; therefore I will not destroy them, …
    1. This invasion was meant to show Rehoboam and Israel that their strength was in the Lord, not their circumstance, administration, or any other human agency.
    2. God can humble through His presence or circumstances. Choose His presence!
  4. vv. 7b -8 A thorn of affliction.
    1. The Lord showed mercy to Israel in her repentance and delivered them out from the hand of destruction.

      7 … but I will grant them some deliverance. My wrath shall not be poured out on Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak.

    2. v. 8 God teaches the lesson of distinction.

      8 Nevertheless they will be his servants, that they may distinguish My service from the service of the kingdoms of the nations.
      1. The Lord allowed the control and influence of the king of Egypt to remain so that Israel might learn how hard it is to serve the kings of this world versus the King of kings.
      2. We can complain about how hard it is to follow the Lord, but the reality is that serving the god of this age is where the hardship lies.
      3. So, the lesson for us is that God may keep you in a humbled state by allowing hardship to remain in your life.
  5. vv. 9-11 Sin is costly.

    9 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 everything. He also carried away the gold shields which Solomon had made. 10 Then King Rehoboam made bronze shields in their place, and committed them to the hands of the captains of the guard, who guarded the doorway of the king’s house. 11 And whenever the king entered the house of the Lord, the guard would go and bring them out; then they would take them back into the guardroom.
    1. The wealth and victories are taken by Shishak.
      1. It did not take long for the wealth of Solomon and David to be forfeited because of sin.
    2. Bronze replaces the gold.
      1. They look similar.
      2. Our lives may have an appearance of God’s favor, but we should ask if it is the best.
      3. Seek the grace of God for your life.
  6. vv. 12-16 Summary of Rehoboam’s life.

    12 When he humbled himself, the wrath of the Lord turned from him, so as not to destroy him completely; and things also went well in Judah. 13 Thus King Rehoboam strengthened himself in Jerusalem and reigned. Now Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he became king; and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which the Lord had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, to put His name there. His mother’s name was Naamah, an Ammonitess. 14 And he did evil, because he did not prepare his heart to seek the Lord. 15 The acts of Rehoboam, first and last, are they not written in the book of Shemaiah the prophet, and of Iddo the seer concerning genealogies? And there were wars between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all their days. 16 So Rehoboam rested with his fathers, and was buried in the City of David. Then Abijah his son reigned in his place.
    1. v. 14 The evil of complacency.
      1. We have been commanded in the New Testament by Jesus Himself to make living a holy life and prioritize His kingdom in the first place in our pursuits.

        Matthew 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

      2. Where does seeking the Lord rank in your life?
      3. Does all else flow from this one desire?
      4. Don’t underestimate the great evil of not seeking the Lord.

V. Conclusion

  1. We have much to consider from Rehoboam’s life.
  2. The warning of deception in strength.
  3. The need for humility.
  4. The remaining thorn of trouble that God leaves to teach us important lessons.
  5. The expectation that we will seek God.

[1] All Scripture quotations are from the NKJV unless otherwise noted.

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