2 Chronicles 11

2 Chronicles 11:1

III. THE KINGDOM OF JUDAH (11:136:19) A. King Rehoboam (Chaps. 11, 12)11:1-4 When Rehoboam returned to Jerusalem, the LORD intervened through the prophet Shemaiah to prevent a civil war. He told Rehoboam to accept the status quo because “this thing is done from Me.” Rehoboam had not listened to wise counsel before, but he did this time. There was constant strife between the two kingdoms (2Ch_12:15), but all-out war was avoided. The expression “all Israel in Judah and Benjamin” (v. 3) refers to all in the southern kingdom who were loyal to David’s dynasty. 11:5-12 Much of the king’s time was spent in building cities of defense for Judah. The fortified cities, located south of Jerusalem, showed that he feared attack from Egypt. 11:13-17 Meanwhile Jeroboam plunged the northern kingdom into gross idolatry (1 Kgs. 12), causing those priests and Levites who were loyal to the LORD to flee to Judah. They were followed by all those who had hearts for God, and in this way Rehoboam’s kingdom was strengthened. It cost them everything to come to Jerusalem, for they left their common-lands, possessions, and friends behind. 11:18-23 Rehoboam was a polygamist, although he did not match his father in this regard! He had eighteen wives, sixty concubines, twenty-eight sons, and sixty daughters. The wives mentioned by name were Israelites from the royal family and not heathen women.