Introduction

‘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. Because they had been unfaithful to the LORD, Shishak, king of Egypt, attacked Jerusalem in the fifth year of King Rehoboam. With twelve hundred chariots and sixty thousand horsemen and the innumerable troops of Libyans, Sukkites and Cushites that came with him from Egypt, he captured the fortified cities of Judah and came as far as Jerusalem. Then the prophet Shemaiah came to Rehoboam and to the leaders of Judah who had assembled in Jerusalem for fear of Shishak, and he said to them, “This is what the LORD says, ‘You have abandoned me; therefore, I now abandon you to Shishak.’” The leaders of Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, “The LORD is just.” When the LORD saw that they humbled themselves, this word of the LORD came to Shemaiah: “Since they have humbled themselves, I will not destroy them but will soon give them deliverance. My wrath will not be poured out on Jerusalem through Shishak. They will, however, become subject to him, so that they may learn the difference between serving me and serving the kings of other lands.” When Shishak, king of Egypt, attacked Jerusalem, he carried off the treasures of the temple of the LORD and the treasures of the royal palace. He took everything, including the gold shields Solomon had made. So King Rehoboam made bronze shields to replace them and assigned these to the commanders of the guard on duty at the entrance to the royal palace. Whenever the king went to the LORD’s temple, the guards went with him, bearing the shields, and afterward, they returned them to the guardroom. Because Rehoboam humbled himself, the LORD’s anger turned from him, and he was not totally destroyed. Indeed, there was some good in Judah. King Rehoboam established himself firmly in Jerusalem and continued as king. He was forty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city the LORD had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel in which to put his Name. His mother’s name was Naamah; she was an Ammonite. He did evil because he had not set his heart on seeking the LORD. As for the events of Rehoboam’s reign, from beginning to end, are they not written in the records of Shemaiah the prophet and of Iddo the seer that deal with genealogies? There was continual warfare between Rehoboam and Jeroboam. Rehoboam rested with his ancestors and was buried in the City of David. And Abijah his son succeeded him as king.’ 2 Chronicles 12:1-16

SHISHAK ATTACKS JERUSALEM

At this point in time, Judah was very vulnerable to attack because they were busy fighting those in the northern kingdom of Israel, 2 Chronicles 12:15 / 1 Kings 14:30. 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 Chronicles 12:1.

The reason why Shishak went to war against Jerusalem was that Israel was unfaithful to God, 2 Chronicles 12:2-4. In other words, it was God Himself who caused this to happen because Israel rebelled against God’s law, 1 Kings 14:25-28.

The prophet Shemaiah comes to Rehoboam and the leaders of Judah who had assembled in Jerusalem for fear of Shishak, and he tells them what God said, ‘You have abandoned me, therefore, I now abandon you to Shishak,’ 2 Chronicles 12:5. The leaders of Israel and Rehoboam humbled themselves and said, ‘The LORD is just’, 2 Chronicles 12:6.

Coffman, in his commentary, says the following.

‘The Chronicler did not dwell unnecessarily upon the details of Rehoboam’s wickedness, but it was very great indeed. His wickedness exceeded anything that his fathers had done before him. The sodomites were brought into the land, the high places were built, and Israel even sinned beyond that of the ancient Canaanites who preceded Israel in Palestine. A fuller account of all this is in 1 Kings 14:21-24.’

When God saw that they humbled themselves, Shemaiah received word from God, which says, since they have humbled themselves, God won’t destroy them but will soon give them deliverance. His wrath won’t be poured out on Jerusalem through Shishak, 2 Chronicles 12:7.

However, they will become subject to him, so that they may learn the difference between serving me and serving the kings of other lands, 2 Chronicles 12:8. In other words, they would now know the difference between serving God and serving Shishak, 2 Chronicles 12:8 / 1 Kings 14:25-26.

Shishak, the king of Egypt, attacked Jerusalem, for obvious reasons, 1 Kings 14:25. He wanted to plunder the place and take all the valuables away, 2 Chronicles 12:9 / 1 Kings 14:26.

Shishak took away the treasures of the temple, 1 Kings 10:16-17. He was probably told about all the wealth in Jerusalem and all the gold in the temple by Jeroboam when he was a fugitive in Egypt, 1 Kings 12:2.

Pharaoh Sheshonk I is probably the Shishak that’s mentioned in this text. He was the one who provided refuge for Jeroboam when he fled from Solomon, 1 Kings 11:40. However, after the kingdom of Israel was divided, Jeroboam possibly fell out of favour with the Egyptian Pharaoh.

Think about this, all the gold and other riches which Solomon had collected over the years were taken away within one generation by an Egyptian. It’s interesting that after Israel was freed from Egypt when they were enslaved, they came out of Egypt wealthier than they had ever been, Exodus 12:35-36 / Exodus 38:24, but now it appears that God is sending the gold back to Egypt again.

All the wealth and riches which Solomon had accumulated were gone within five years of his death. No wonder Solomon, before he died, declared that ‘everything is meaningless’, Ecclesiastes 1:2.

Rehoboam now makes bronze shields to replace the gold shields Solomon had made and assigned these to the commanders of the guard on duty at the entrance to the royal palace, 2 Chronicles 12:10 / 1 Kings 14:27. Whenever he went to the temple, the guards bore the shields, and afterward they returned them to the guardroom, 2 Chronicles 12:11 / 1 Kings 14:28.

Barnes, in his commentary, says the following, concerning 2 Chronicles 12:11 / 1 Kings 14:28.

‘It appears from this verse that Rehoboam, notwithstanding that he encouraged, and perhaps secretly practised, idolatry, 1 Kings 14:22-24 / 1 Kings 15:3 / 1 Kings 15:12 / 2 Chronicles 12:1, maintained a public profession of faith in Yahweh, and attended in state the temple services, 1 Kings 9:25.’

Because Rehoboam humbled himself, God’s anger turned from him, and he was not totally destroyed and we are told that there was some good in Judah, 2 Chronicles 12:12.

Rehoboam established himself firmly in Jerusalem and continued as king and we are told that he was forty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, 2 Chronicles 12:13.

God had forbidden the Israelites to intermarry with foreigners, but Rehoboam’s mother was an Ammonitess, 2 Chronicles 12:13 / 1 Kings 14:31. Rehoboam did evil because he hadn’t set his heart on seeking the LORD, 2 Chronicles 12:14.

The events of Rehoboam’s reign, from beginning to end, are written in the records of Shemaiah the prophet and of Iddo the seer that deal with genealogies, 2 Chronicles 12:15. 1 Kings 14:29 tells us that they are ‘written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah,’ 1 Kings 14:29.

The war between Jeroboam and Rehoboam was commonplace at this point in time, 2 Chronicles 12:15 / 1 Kings 14:30, but Rehoboam died and was buried in Jerusalem, 2 Chronicles 12:16 / 1 Kings 14:31 / 1 Kings 11:43. Abijah, also known as Abijam, now becomes king of Judah, 2 Chronicles 12:16 / 1 Kings 14:31.

Go To 2 Chronicles 13