We follow the careers of the first two kings of the divided kingdom. It’s fair to say that things don’t go well. From the perspective of the Bible writers, it’s pretty obvious why - they don’t trust God.
Rehoboam’s kingdom
2 Chronicles 11:5-12
Influence of spiritual people
2 Chronicles 11:13-14, 16-17
Judgement of a man of God
1 Kings 13:11-32
Rehoboam’s family
2 Chronicles 11:18-23
His apostasy
2 Chronicles 12:1,14, 1 Kings 14:22-24
Shishak invades Jerusalem
1 Kings 14:25-28, 2 Chronicles 12:2-12
Jeroboam’s persistence on evil
1 Kings 13:33-34
Ahijah’s prediction
1 Kings 14:1-18
Warfare
1 Kings 14:30, 1 Kings 15:6
Rehoboam’s death
1 Kings 14:29,31, 2 Chronicles 12:15-16
At first, Rehoboam seems to be making a good start. He strengthens his towns, the Levites come and support him, because they were rejected by Jeroboam, and spiritual people from the north move down to Jerusalem so they can still worship at the Temple.
Meanwhile, in the north, the hapless prophet, who faithfully delivered his message, thought he had found a friend on his way home. He turned aside and accepted the hospitality of another elderly prophet, but in doing so disobeyed God’s command. So he died, much to the consternation of his elderly but misguided host, who mourns him, but does nothing to try to change Jeroboam’s ways.
Rehoboam’s good start doesn’t continue, he abandons the ways of the Lord, and Shishak, the king of Egypt, launches a successful attack, plundering even the Temple in Jerusalem. Rehoboam repents, a bit, and God rescues him, but the judgement of the bible writers on him is not good: “Because Rehoboam humbled himself, the LORD's anger turned from him, and he was not totally destroyed. Indeed, there was some good in Judah.”
Jeroboam is just as bad. Ahijah, another elderly prophet, gets to deliver a magnificent speech of judgement, and Jeroboam is promised a sticky end.
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