2 Chronicles

1611 King James Version (KJV)

 

2 Chronicles
Chapter 12

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1 And it came to passe when Rehoboam had established the kingdome, and had strengthened himselfe, hee forsooke the Law of the Lord, and all Israel with him.

2 And it came to passe, that in the fifth yere of Rehoboam, Shishak king of Egypt came vp against Ierusalem, ( because they had transgressed against the Lord )

3 With twelue hundred charets, and threescore thousand horsemen: and the people were without number that came with him out of Egypt: the Lubims, the Sukkiims, & the Ethiopians.

4 And hee tooke the fenced cities which perteined to Iudah, and came to Ierusalem.

5 ¶ Then came Shemaiah the prophet to Rehoboam, and to the Princes of Iudah that were gathered together to Ierusalem because of Shishak, and said vnto them, Thus saith the Lord, Ye haue forsaken me, and therfore haue I also left you in the hand of Shishak.

6 Whereupon, the Princes of Israel, and the king humbled themselues and they saide, The Lord is righteous.

7 And when the Lord saw that they humbled themselues, the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah, saying, They haue humbled themselues, therefore I will not destroy them, but I will grant them some deliuerance, and my wrath shall not bee powred out vpon Ierusalem, by the hand of Shishak.

8 Neuerthelesse they shalbe his seruants, that they may know my seruice, and the seruice of the kingdomes of the countreys.

9 So Shishak king of Egypt came vp against Ierusalem, and tooke away the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the kings house, hee tooke all: he caried away also the shields of gold, which Solomon had made.

10 In stead of which, king Rehoboam made shields of brasse, and committed them to the hands of the chiefe of the guard, that kept the entrance of the Kings house.

11 And when the king entred into the house of the Lord, the guard came and fet them, and brought them againe into the guard-chamber.

12 And when he humbled himselfe, the wrath of the Lord turned from him, that hee would not destroy him altogether: and also in Iudah things went well.

13 ¶ So king Rehoboam strengthened himselfe in Ierusalem, and reigned: for Rehoboam was one and fourty yeeres olde when hee began to reigne, and he reigned seuenteen yeeres in Ierusalem, the citie which the Lord had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, to put his Name there: and his mothers name was Naamah an Ammonitesse.

14 And hee did euill, because hee prepared not his heart to seeke the Lord.

15 Now the acts of Rehoboam first and last, are they not written in the booke of Shemaiah the Prophet, and of Iddo the Seer, concerning genealogies? and there were warres betweene Rehoboam & Ieroboam continually.

16 And Rehoboam slept with his fathers, and was buried in the citie of Dauid, and Abiiah his sonne reigned in his stead.

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Commentary for 2 Chronicles 12

Rehoboam, forsaking the Lord, is punished.

- When Rehoboam was so strong that he supposed he had nothing to fear from Jeroboam, he cast off his outward profession of godliness. It is very common, but very lamentable, that men, who in distress or danger, or near death, seem much engaged in seeking and serving God, throw aside all their religion when they have received a merciful deliverance. God quickly brought troubles upon Judah, to awaken the people to repentance, before their hearts were hardened. Thus it becomes us, when we are under the rebukes of Providence, to justify God, and to judge ourselves. If we have humbled hearts under humbling providences, the affliction has done its work; it shall be removed, or the property of it be altered. The more God's service is compared with other services, the more reasonable and easy it will appear. Are the laws of temperance thought hard? The effects of intemperance will be found much harder. The service of God is perfect liberty; the service of our lusts is complete slavery. Rehoboam was never rightly fixed in his religion. He never quite cast off God; yet he engaged not his heart to seek the Lord. See what his fault was; he did not serve the Lord, because he did not seek the Lord. He did not pray, as Solomon, for wisdom and grace; he did not consult the word of God, did not seek to that as his oracle, nor follow its directions. He made nothing of his religion, because he did not set his heart to it, nor ever came up to a steady resolution in it. He did evil, because he never was determined for good.

Commentary by Matthew Henry, 1710.

Discussion for 2 Chronicles 12

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