Immerse: Chronicles Full Volume - Flipbook - Page 76
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IMMERSE
•
CHRONICLES
2C
| 10:17–11:20
So all the people of Israel returned home. But Rehoboam continued to
rule over the Israelites who lived in the towns of Judah.
King Rehoboam sent Adoniram, who was in charge of forced labor, to
restore order, but the people of Israel stoned him to death. When this news
reached King Rehoboam, he quickly jumped into his chariot and fled to
Jerusalem. And to this day the northern tribes of Israel have refused to be
ruled by a descendant of David.
When Rehoboam arrived at Jerusalem, he mobilized the men of Judah
and Benjamin—180,000 select t roops—to fight against Israel and to restore the kingdom to himself.
But the Lord said to Shemaiah, the man of God, “Say to Rehoboam son
of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all the Israelites in Judah and Benjamin:
‘This is what the Lord says: Do not fight against your relatives. Go back
home, for what has happened is my doing!’” So they obeyed the message
of the Lord and did not fight against Jeroboam.
Rehoboam remained in Jerusalem and fortified various towns for the
defense of Judah. He built up Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa, B
eth-zur, Soco,
Adullam, Gath, Mareshah, Ziph, Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah, Zorah, Aija
lon, and Hebron. These became the fortified towns of Judah and Benja
min. Rehoboam strengthened their defenses and stationed commanders
in them, and he stored supplies of food, olive oil, and wine. He also put
shields and spears in these towns as a further safety measure. So only Judah
and Benjamin remained under his control.
But all the priests and Levites living among the northern tribes of Israel
sided with Rehoboam. The Levites even abandoned their pasturelands
and property and moved to Judah and Jerusalem, because Jeroboam and
his sons would not allow them to serve the Lord as priests. Jeroboam
appointed his own priests to serve at the pagan shrines, where they worshiped the goat and calf idols he had made. From all the tribes of Israel,
those who sincerely wanted to worship the Lord, the God of Israel, followed the Levites to Jerusalem, where they could offer sacrifices to the
Lord, the God of their ancestors. This strengthened the kingdom of
Judah, and for three years they supported Rehoboam son of Solomon,
for during those years they faithfully followed in the footsteps of David
and Solomon.
Rehoboam married his cousin Mahalath, the daughter of David’s son Jeri
moth and of Abihail, the daughter of Eliab son of Jesse. Mahalath had three
sons—Jeush, Shemariah, and Zaham.
Later Rehoboam married another cousin, Maacah, the granddaughter
of Absalom. Maacah gave birth to Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith.
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