2 Chron 11 – Study

For those who may wish to ‘study’ this chapter, the following simple resources are provided for you. Each passage has a four-Part approach to help you take in and think further about what you have read.

Passage: 2 Chron 11:1-17

1 When Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem, he mustered Judah and Benjamin – a hundred and eighty thousand able young men – to go to war against Israel and to regain the kingdom for Rehoboam.

2 But this word of the Lord came to Shemaiah the man of God: 3 ‘Say to Rehoboam son of Solomon king of Judah and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, 4 “This is what the Lord says: do not go up to fight against your fellow Israelites. Go home, every one of you, for this is my doing.”’ So they obeyed the words of the Lord and turned back from marching against Jeroboam.

5 Rehoboam lived in Jerusalem and built up towns for defence in Judah: 6 Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa, 7 Beth Zur, Soko, Adullam, 8 Gath, Mareshah, Ziph, 9 Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah, 10 Zorah, Aijalon and Hebron. These were fortified cities in Judah and Benjamin. 11 He strengthened their defences and put commanders in them, with supplies of food, olive oil and wine. 12 He put shields and spears in all the cities, and made them very strong. So Judah and Benjamin were his.

13 The priests and Levites from all their districts throughout Israel sided with him. 14 The Levites even abandoned their pasture-lands and property and came to Judah and Jerusalem, because Jeroboam and his sons had rejected them as priests of the Lord 15 when he appointed his own priests for the high places and for the goat and calf idols he had made. 16 Those from every tribe of Israel who set their hearts on seeking the Lord, the God of Israel, followed the Levites to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices to the Lord, the God of their ancestors. 17 They strengthened the kingdom of Judah and supported Rehoboam son of Solomon for three years, following the ways of David and Solomon during this time.

A. Find Out:

1. What did Rehoboam start to do? v.1
2. But what happened to change that? v.2-4
3. What next did Rehoboam do? v.5-12
4. Yet who came to Rehoboam? v.13
5. Why? v.14,15
6. What then happened? v.16,17

B. Think:

1. What was the role of the Lord in these verses?
2. How does the spiritual life of Israel seem to continue?
3. What does that say about the division?

C. Comment:

      These are interesting verses! First of all we see the intent of the king to go and take back the other ten tribes by force. This is then followed by the Lord telling them, “Don’t.” The good news was that they obeyed the word of the Lord and so division with peace was maintained. Rehoboam then embarks on a strategy of consolidation by strengthening all his cities. He may have only two tribes, but he intends to be strong.

    But then another dimension to the life of Israel is revealed: the priests and the Levites, whose homes were in towns all over Israel, gave up their homes and came to Jerusalem to live. This is amazing. These families were those chosen by God to serve in the temple at Jerusalem and they were not going to give up that role. The result is, though, that Israel is left without spiritual mentors. They are now all at Jerusalem.

     The second facet of this spiritual dimension is that the people of Israel with a heart for the Lord, continue to travel up to the temple to worship the Lord. Thus although the land is divided there is a spiritual unity. But, tragically as it turns out in the long term, Jeroboam with the other ten tribes sets up a substitute religion (read 1 Kings 12:25-33 for the detail of this). Jeroboam was to be the ultimate cause of the downfall of Israel. What he started, carried on, and was never properly removed. Seeping idolatry brings downfall, today as then.

D. Application:

1. Dealing with obstacles? When obstacles come, do we still seek the Lord faithfully?
2. The temptation of substitutes. Will we steadfastly refuse to accept any substitutes for the Lord?