2 Chronicles 10-12

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This is the synoptic read from yesterday so if you are jumping in today for the first time…read yesterday’s post for today.   We now see it from a priest’s point of view.  One pattern I am really picking up on is rebellion occurs at times of royal succession, which makes sense because people are opportunists.  Saul to David to Solomon and now to Rehoboam, the passing of the crown is a very dark time.

Since the time of Judges, the tribes have had issues getting along however this is now a total separation from each other like the Civil War in our history.  Here is what cracks me up…Ezra is being opportunistic when he writes this book. Ezra, the author, is a priest (a Levite), writing this History book to encourage the rebuilding of Jerusalem when the people return after the captivity, right? (don’t be confused, the captivity has not happened yet.  This book is written way later to a different audience so he biased…does that make sense?)

¹³ The priests and Levites from all their districts throughout Israel sided with him. ¹⁴ The Levites even abandoned their pasturelands 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 three years, following the ways of David and Solomon during this time.

Ezra is taking a moment to reassure The Remnant People  (the people that will return to Jerusalem after it is destroyed). They were on the “right’” side, they chose the Davidic Line…the Covenant Line.  Does that make sense?  Trivia: Which one is the right side? Put the answer in comments.

Chapter 12:  Read this chapter very carefully.  Click here if you need to reread it.

v1: After Rehoboam’s position as king was established and he had become strong, he and all Israel with him abandoned the law of the Lord. ² Because they had been unfaithful to the Lord, Shishak king of Egypt attacked Jerusalem in the fifth year of King Rehoboam.

v6:⁶ The leaders of Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, “The Lord is just.”

(As a result, remember all the beautiful furniture in the Temple…gone! and Rehoboam replaces them with Bronze??)

¹² Because Rehoboam humbled himself, the Lord’s anger turned from him, and he was not totally destroyed. Indeed, there was some good in Judah.

However, remember the other day we talked about the “dash” on a tomb headstone.  How would his life be summed up? Rehoboam, the son of a man who was given Wisdom, brought Peace to Jerusalem and built the Temple his dash unfortunately would say…

¹⁴ He did evil because he had not set his heart on seeking the Lord.