Immerse: Chronicles Full Volume - Flipbook - Page 78
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IMMERSE
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CHRONICLES
2C
| 12:14–13:12
all the tribes of Israel as the place to honor his name. Rehoboam’s mother
was Naamah, a woman from Ammon. But he was an evil king, for he did
not seek the Lord with all his heart.
The rest of the events of Rehoboam’s reign, from beginning to end, are
recorded in The Record of Shemaiah the Prophet and The Record of Iddo the
Seer, which are part of the genealogic al record. Rehoboam and Jeroboam
were continually at war with each other. When Rehoboam died, he was
buried in the City of David. Then his son Abijah became the next king.
Abijah began to rule over Judah in the eighteenth year of Jeroboam’s reign
in Israel. He reigned in Jerusalem three years. His mother was Maacah, the
daughter of Uriel from Gibeah.
Then war broke out between Abijah and Jeroboam. Judah, led by King
Abijah, fielded 400,000 select warriors, while Jeroboam mustered 800,000
select troops from Israel.
When the army of Judah arrived in the hill country of Ephraim, Abi
jah stood on Mount Zemaraim and shouted to Jeroboam and all Israel:
“Listen to me! Don’t you realize that the Lord, the God of Israel, made a
lasting covenant with David, giving him and his descendants the throne
of Israel forever? Yet Jeroboam son of Nebat, a mere servant of David’s son
Solomon, rebelled against his master. Then a whole gang of scoundrels
joined him, defying Solomon’s son Rehoboam when he was young and
inexperienced and could not stand up to them.
“Do you really think you can stand against the kingdom of the Lord
that is led by the descendants of David? You may have a vast army, and
you have those gold calves that Jeroboam made as your gods. But you
have chased away the priests of the Lord (the descendants of Aaron) and
the Levites, and you have appointed your own priests, just like the pagan
nations. You let anyone become a priest these days! Whoever comes to be
dedicated with a young bull and seven rams can become a priest of these
so-called gods of yours!
“But as for us, the Lord is our God, and we have not abandoned him.
Only the descendants of Aaron serve the Lord as priests, and the Levites
alone may help them in their work. They present burnt offerings and fragrant incense to the Lord every morning and evening. They place the
Bread of the Presence on the holy table, and they light the gold lampstand
every evening. We are following the instructions of the Lord our God, but
you have abandoned him. So you see, God is with us. He is our leader. His
priests blow their trumpets and lead us into battle against you. O people
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